This is the biggest game of the season for Orlando. The Magic have their sights set on a top 6 position which would mean avoiding the play-in round. A win over the Bucks gets them there.

"We control our destiny in this situation," said Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley, "so the way in which we have to play, the focus we have to have, and the attention to detail in how we start games and how we finish games is going to be very important."

"We just need one win and we're good," Magic forward Franz Wagner said. "One more game and we have to focus on that one and get a win."

The Bucks are still without Giannis Antetokounmpo and have lost 7 of their last 10 games. A win gets them the #2 seed but they don't seem overly concerned about it.

"You're going to play somebody good in the playoffs no matter what. There is no easy path. We learned that in the past before -- winning it and also losing it.

The Magic are 25-11 versus the spread, when favored. They've had a great season and they will finish it strong. Lay the points!

This is a lot of points to be giving a desperate home underdog. The Kings are playing with 0 days rest but the last time that they did that, they lost by only 1 point at Boston. This is a Sacramento team which badly needs to get on track before its too late. They will fight with everything they've got. The Suns are 8-9 in division games, the Kings are 10-6.

The Kings are 9-4 versus the spread after allowing 130 points or more. The Suns are 9-16-1 versus the spread off a win by 10 points or more. The Suns are also 8-20 ATS versus good offensive teams - scoring 116+ points/game. The Kings are 17-10 ATS as underdogs. Grab the points! **Pacific Div. GOM**

The Houston Rockets can't afford any losses. The Rockets are four games behind the Warriors with only five remaining in the regular season. That obviously doesn't give them much of a chance. They have fought all year though and they are going to continue to battle until the bitter end.

Rockets coach Ime Udoka: "Just finishing on the right step, on the right foot and playing the right way."

Dallas isn't entirely healthy and wants to make sure it it for the playoffs. Doncic missed the Mavericks last game and is questionable. So is Kleber. Those guys would play if this was a playoff game but they may not for this one. Rookie sensation Lively is out. Green remains out.

The Rockets are 7-3 versus the spread after 3 or more consecutive losses. Grab the points! **Southwest GOY**

The Rockets have many factors in their favor tonight. They are playing with Double-Revenge with the Warriors having won both of this season's previous meetings. Golden State has been strong on the road this season but the Rockets are even better at home. The Warriors need wins but the Rockets need them even more!

The Warriors play at Dallas tomorrow night. Its a really big game and a rematch from Tuesday. If there is a game to look ahead to, its a game against Luca Doncic and the Mavericks! The Rockets have been underestimated all year. They are 13-7 versus the spread as home underdogs and they won 11 of those game outright. They are 12-3 ATS against Pacific Division teams and they will have their revenge on Thursday night!

Indiana State has a far superior record and is the better team here. Inside or outside their conference, the Sycamores have handled their business. The Sycamores were 19-4 against Missouri Valley Conference opponents and 12-2 in non-conference play. Utah was only 10-12 within its conference. The Pac-12 has some good teams but so does the Missouri Valley. The level of competition doesn't account for such a large discrepancy in records!

The Utes are 0-3 versus the spread their last 3 tries as a neutral court underdog of 3 points or less or pick. They were only 4-7 ATS as underdogs this season. They won only 5 of their 12 road games. The Sycamores are 20-11 ATS as favorites. They are 30-14 ATS their last 44 tries after scoring 80 or more. Lay the small number!

Zach Edey is a different kind of player. He changes the game. You have to worry about him when you're on both offense and on defense. Worry too much about him on offense and he'll mess up your shot, if he hasn't blocked it. Worry too much about him on defense and he'll kick it out to Purdue's capable 3-point shooters. So far, that formula has worked for the Boilermakers. That was before they had to contend with the Tennessee Volunteers! Purdue hasn't faced a defense like this one in this tournament. Tennessee allowed 49 and 58 points its first 2 games!

Excellent on both sides of the ball, the Volunteers are peaking at exactly the right time. They got a taste of Purdue in the Maui Invitational. The Boilermakers pulled away late for a 4-point win. The experience of having faced Edey once will help Tennessee in Sunday's rematch. The Volunteers know what he's all about. They know they could have won that game. They know that they've improved since then. The Boilermakers average more than 80 points a game but the Volunteers are 7-1 their last 8 tries versus the spread against teams which average 77 or more per game. Grab the points!

Houston versus Duke. In the past, you'd expect the Blue Devils to be favored over the Cougars. Those days are over. The Cougars are the better team, as they were last year. Duke still carries the name and the tradition though and that has helped in preventing this line from being even higher. The Cougars are 12-7-1 against the spread in 20 tries with 3 or more days rest. The Cougars only allow 57.7 points a game. Their defense is for real.

The Cougars are 10-2 versus the spread their last 12 tries, a perfect 12-0 straight up, in a neutral court game where the total is 130 to 134.5. The Blue Devils are only 2-5 versus the spread their last 7 tries as an underdog. They found themselves in that role twice this season and went 0-2 ATS with losses against Wake Forest and UNC. This is the end of the road for the Blue Devils!

If you pay attention to how teams fare in certain situations, you'll understand why this the case of the wrong team being favored. Both teams are off a victory last night. That works in favor of Dallas. The Mavericks are 8-3 versus the spread their last 11 tries, when playing with 0 days rest. The Kings are only 4-8 ATS when doing so.

The Kings played great defense last night. The problem is that they are only 2-9 ATS their last 11 tries, after allowing 105 points or less. The Mavericks are 29-18-1 ATS (30-18 straight up) when revenging a home loss, 12-5 ATS their last 17. The Kings won twice at Dallas but the Mavericks get them back tonight!

Seattle was 9-3 versus the spread in non-conference action. Having beaten Grand Canyon during the season, the Redbirds know that they can beat this Fairfield team. The Stags are 1-5 versus the spread their last 6 tournament games and the Redbirds are 5-1 versus the spread.

The Redbirds are the stronger team but they also have a scheduling advantage. They play 2 games in 2 days but the Stags are playing 3 games in 3 days. That extra Sunday game played by Fairfield, as opposed to Seattle playing on Saturday, will be a factor. Lay the points with the Redbirds!

This is as essentially as big a mismatch as it gets in the NBA. The Denver Nuggets are the defending champions. They need to keep winning and they dominate teams at home. The Memphis Grizzlies are playing for nothing. This is a team which is beleaguered by injuries.

The last time that these teams faced each other, the Nuggets won by 37 points. The Nuggets have won 41 of 50 meetings here and many of them have been blowouts. The last 5 Denver home wins over Memphis have all been by at least 13 points. With the Grizzlies only 4-7 versus the spread their last 11 tries with 2 days rest, this one will see the Nuggets win by at least 20! **WESTERN CONF GOM**

The San Diego State Aztecs are an experienced team which made a deep run in this tournament. They have the type of team suited to winning at this time of the year. The Yale Bulldogs were fortunate to win the Ivy League Finals. Then, they pulled off a first round upset over Auburn. That was a big win but they won't duplicate it tonight.

The Aztecs will dial up the defensive intensity and low-scoring games don't really suit Colorado. The Buffaloes are just 1-3 versus the spread their past 4 when the total was 120 to 129.5. San Diego State is a perfect 5-0 ATS its past five tries, as a neutral court favorite of 3.5 to 6 points. The Aztecs caught a break by getting Yale and they will take advantage of it!

A small line is offering excellent value with the Big 12 team. The Mountain West is a solid conference but the Big 12 is stacked. The Horned Frogs have wins over teams like Houston, Texas Tech, Baylor, K-State Cincinnati and Oklahoma. They were within a bucket of beating Kansas, and Iowa State. In fact, there were numerous very close losses. This team is better than its record!

The Horned Frogs are 21-9 versus the spread their last 30 tries, off a loss against a conference rival. The only time that they played with 7 or more days rest in between games resulted in an easy cover, a 77-42 blowout. The Frogs were 14-10 versus the spread as favorites, 3-1 ATS as road favorites. TCU is 7-1 straight up its last 8 against Mountain West teams. The Aggies are 1-5 ATS as underdogs and 0-3 ATS versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games. Lay the small number!

Getting to play this game in Jadwin Gymnasium is a big advantage for Princeton. The Tigers were undefeated on their home floor this season. In going 12-0, they outscored visiting teams by an average of 16.8 points. UNLV had some big wins but came up short when it mattered. The Rebels are a long way from home and aren't going to be as motivated as the Tigers.

The Tigers score more points and they allow less. That's not all from the Ivy League schedule either. The Rebels are only 2-5 versus the spread in 7 tries in a road game where the total is 135 to 139.5. The Tigers are 6-3 ATS in nine tries, off a loss against a conference rival. Lay the small number!

Give me the points with Timberwolves! The situation is that the Nuggets are off a buzzer beater loss on Sunday and the Timberwolves are off a comeback win last night. Because of the lack of rest, the Nuggets are laying a hefty number as a road favorite. Too hefty!

If we look at Minnesota's 10 games with 0 days rest we find a 7-3 straight up record. Closer examination reveals that all 3 losses came on the road, the last 2 both by single-digits. The Timberwolves are 4-0 straight up when playing a home game after playing the previous day. Twice they've played a home game after playing an away game and they won those games by an average of 118-107. On the season, the Timberwolves have a better home record than Denver does a road record. Give the me points! *Northwest GOW

I wasn't surprised that the Hawks showed up for last night's game. I don't believe that they'll be able to do it two nights in row though. Atlanta is 4-7 versus the spread when playing with 0 days rest. When playing the 2nd of back-to-back road games, the Hawks are 0-2 both straight up and against the spread. They lost those 2 games by an average score of 120-111.

Overall, the Hawks are only 12-19 ATS as underdogs. They are really bad when they are off an upset victory. In that situation, they've gone 10-27 ATS their last 37 tries, 3-7 ATS this season. The Lakers lost at Atlanta in January but they smashed the Hawks by 16 the last meeting here. Another big win coming up tonight!

Nice win for the Wolfpack yesterday. Any time you knock out Duke, its a good day! They are only 5-9 versus the spread their last 14 tries off an ATS victory though and now they will face a dominant defensive team. They are 1-4 straight up the past 5 times versus good defensive teams - allowing

Who in their right mind would back Villanova after the Wildcats only beat Depaul by 1 point? Call me crazy and count me in. Yesterday's result was great. It's keeping people off the Wildcats today and that is leading to extra points on the line. With Marquette's best player Tyler Kolek out, and with Nova needing the win more than the Golden Eagles, this is a lot of points. They could come in handy, as Villanova has had some close ones. Yesterday's 1-point game was preceded by a 2-point loss versus Creighton, a game Villanova was down big and showed heart in rallying. Remember the 1-point game versus UConn?

A win today and the Cats could start feeling a lot better about their NCAA Tournament hopes. Marquette already knows it'll be there. The Golden Eagles are 1-2 versus the spread on a neutral floor. The Wildcats have thrived in their neutral court games including victories over UNC, Texas Tech and Memphis. They are 2-0 both straight up and versus the spread when playing with 0 days rest. Give me the points!

The Gauchos weren't that good against the spread this season. They were good to me when I supported them though. I won my Big West Game Of The Year on them way back in the middle of January. I was high on them then and I still them. I also won with the Gauchos last March 11th, my Big West Tourney Game Of the Year from last year. They were laying a similar number that day that they are today and they won by 10.

The Gauchos have been excellent as short neutral court favorites the past couple of years. In all neutral site games they were 6-3 versus the spread. The Matadors have won just 1 of their last 10 first round tournament games, going 3-7 versus the spread. The Gauchos went to the NCAA Tournament last year. They won't be stopped tonight.

Arkansas' disappointing regular season has provided us with great value in the opening round. Vastly superior to Vanderbilt talent-wise, at least in my opinion, the Razorbacks somehow got upset by the Commodores at home, in late February. They were favored by double-digits! That was a low point and now is a chance to start making things right.

The Razorbacks are 5-1-1 versus the spread their last 7 tries, when revenging a home loss. They are a respectable 8-6 ATS their last 14 tries against losing teams but 13-1 SU in those games. The loss was the Vanderbilt game. The majority of those spreads were a lot higher than this one. Looking for its revenge, Arkansas will move to 14-1 its last 15 tries against losing teams and will cover the small number for us in the process!

The River Hawks lost to Vermont in the America East Championship game last year. They want another crack at the Catamounts this year. A win here should earn them that opportunity as Vermont is a 13 point home favorite versus New Hampshire.

Playing this game on their home floor is a major advantage for U Mass Lowell. The Bulldogs are strong at home but below .500 on the road. The River Hawks are 4-0 both straight up and versus the spread in four meetings since last season. They beat them by 22 here a few weeks ago after winning by 9 at Bryant the previous week. Bring on Vermont!

I won with Weber State as my 2023 Big Sky Conference Tourney GOY. The Wildcats led from wire-to-wire in their quarterfinal victory over Sacramento State. The Wildcats brought back a ton of experience and depth from that team, including unanimous First Team All-Conference performer Dillon Jones. Jones had 18 points (plus 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals) in last year's GOY win.

Jones is even more dominant this season. He averages more than 20 points and more than 10 rebounds. He's scored more than 20 points in 3 straight games and at least 17 points in each of his past 12. Heavily favored to win this conference before the season started, Jones and the Wildcats know that their time is now. They lost to the Bobcats to close out the regular season but will avenge that loss with a big win "when it counts" on Monday.

James Madison is in a class of its own in the Sun Belt and will prove it again this evening. The Dukes are 28-3 and they haven't lost since January. They beat Texas State by 17 in the lone regular season meeting. A dominant team, the Dukes also have the schedule in their favor.

Both teams played yesterday. Its not surprising that JMU had an easier time with Marshall than Texas State had with Troy. Not only did the Bobcats have to battle harder yesterday but they also will already be playing their 4th game in this tournament, the first of which went to Overtime. It will catch up them against a superior opponent which had a double-bye and will be playing just its second game of the tourney. Lay the points!

I always enjoy getting points with a team which I expect to win outright! Though its unlikely that such a small point spread will come into play, when considering how close the regular season meetings were, its far from impossible. Those scores were 72-71 and 64-62, in Overtime. The Terriers won both games!

You'll hear people say that its hard to beat a team 3 times. Guess what? It happens! I like to counter with the argument that its hard to beat a team which has already beaten you twice. Not only has Boston beaten Lehigh twice but the Terriers get to play this game at Case Gym, their very own home floor. They are 9-6 at home, Lehigh is 7-10 on the road. Boston is 6-1 the last 7 meetings and gets it done again this afternoon!

The Kangaroos enter the tournament on a hot streak. The opposite is true of the Pioneers. The tournament is a chance to wipe the slate clean though and those recent results have provided additional line value with the underdog. In the regular season,  UMKC was only favored by 2 points at home against the Pioneers. (The Pioneers were favored by 4.5 at Denver.) Tonight, the Roos are laying more than that for a neutral site game. Value!

This is unfamiliar territory for the Roos. They aren't used to being favored in tournament games. They are 15-44 SU their last 69 tournament games, 5-21 in conference tourney games. Over the last 2 seasons, they are 2-8 (3-7 ATS) in tournament play, 0-2 SU/ATS in the Summit Tourney. The Pioneers are 6-3 ATS their last 9 tries, when playing with 5 or 6 days rest. Denver is also 6-2 ATS its last 8 tries as a neutral court underdog of 3.5 to 6 points. Grab the points!

This is another case of too many points in a game which should come down to the wire. The Blue Devils did win both regular season meetings. Those wins each game by a single point though. That's 3 straight meetings which were decided by exactly one point. Scores of 73-72, 69-68 and 58-57. The previous two before that were both double-digit Wagner wins.

One of the reasons Wagner gives the Blue Devils trouble is its defense. The Seahawks allow just 62.8 points per game. Central Connecticut is just 4-8 versus the spread its last 12 tries versus good defensive teams - those allowing

Give me all those points with Tennessee Martin! The Eagles are a really good team but they're running into a really hot opponent. The Skyhawks are a perfect 7-0 both straight up and versus the spread their last 7 games. They won 21 games this season and they are 9-1 ATS their last 10. One of those wins came versus Morehead State.

The Eagles easily won yesterday but still didn't cover. They are playing 2 games in 2 days for the first time this season. Even with 1 day's rest, they are 3-6 versus the spread. Grab the points with the rested, higher-seed! **OVC Tourney GOY**

The Aztecs are no longer in the running for the regular season title. They have bigger fish to fry though. They want to win the Conference Tournament in order to get as high a seed as possible for the NCAA Tournament, which is where the ultimate goal lies. They don't want to expend too much energy in winning the Conf. Tournament though. That means that they absolutely do not want to have to play 4 games in 4 days to win it. If they lose tonight, they'd be in danger of dropping all the way down to the 6 seed. That would mean no bye and it would mean they would need to win 4 games in 4 days, which would leave them weary for the Big Dance. This game is important.

The Aztecs are undefeated at home this season. A victory here gives them their first undefeated home record in school history. They are 4-1 ATS their last 5 tries when revenging a road loss vs opponent. They are also 4-1 ATS their last 5 tries off a MWC loss. Better still, they are 4-0 versus the spread as home favorites of 6.5 to 9 points. They will still be perfect in that role after tonight. Lay the points!

Yesterday was a favorable matchup for Belmont as the Bruins got to beat up on a bad Valparaiso team. That was expected but today's opponent represents a night-and-day difference. The Panthers were one of the preseason favorites to win this conference and they've been showing that type of form. They closed the season off 3 consecutive double-digit wins.

The last meeting saw UNI win by 11 at Belmont. The Bruins are 6-11 versus the spread, when playing against a team with a winning record. The Panthers are 8-3-1 versus the spread their last 12 on a neutral court. They are hot and rested and they will secure a small upset by knocking off Belmont this afternoon. **MVC Tourney GOY**

This is a big rivalry in the Bay area. The Golden Bears won at Cal but the Cardinal will win here at Stanford. The Cardinal are 3-0 straight up and versus the spread their last 3 tries in a home game where the total is 155 to 159.5. The Cardinal are also 13-8 ATS their last 21 tries in the road revenge role.

The Bears are playing their 3rd straight road game. They lost the first game by 10 and then got annihilated by 39 last game. The Bears beat up Stanford at Cal last season but the game at Stanford was an entirely different story. The Cardinal crushed Cal by 29. Lay the points!

Off three straight road games, Portland returns to the Pacific Northwest. Playing at home is not an advantage for the Trail Blazers. They are 10-18-1 versus the spread here. The Trail Blazers are also 16-31-1 versus the spread, after playing 3 consecutive road games.

The Thunder average 120.9 points per game. The Trail Blazers average only 107.6. When matched up against low-scoring teams like Portand, the Thunder tend to dominate. They are 31-9-1 versus the spread their last 41 versus poor offensive teams - those. scoring

I've got the Howard Bison winning big in this one. The records may be similar but the Bison have some matchup advantages. They already beat the Hornets at Delaware State and they beat them by 20 when the teams played here last season. This is Senior Day and that the Bison are going to want to close out their final home game of regular season with a big statement win.

If the Hornets can't beat teams at home, they're rarely able to do on the road. They're 1-5 versus the spread their last 6 tries when playing with home revenge. Delaware State gets outscored by 8.8 points per road game. Howard outscores teams by 6.5 points per home game. The Bison are 4-1 versus the spread their last 5 tries as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points. Lay the points! **Mid Eastern Athletic GOM**

As good as Napoli was last season, you'd expect them to at least contend for another UCL spot this season. Well, that has not been the story so far. Having said that, Napoli is coming off a very important win against Sassuolo, where they netted six goals in a 6-1 victory. Napoli has won all of the its last four meetings in Naples against Juventus.

Juventus have a strong record, but haven't been particularly good as of late. They've lost two of their last four contests and struggled against a poor Frosinone side in their last game. Since coming back from injury, Victor Osimhen has scored five goals and assisted one in three games (including his UCL performance against Barcelona.) He should help provide a boost to this Napoli team that was shut out in the reverse fixture. Juventus haven't 'swept' them since 2018-19. Napoli wins this game on Sunday!

The Seahawks upset them at Fairleigh Dickinson. This afternoon, the Knights will do the same at Wagner. The Knights are 5-1 versus the spread their last 6 tries, as a road underdog of 3 points or less or pick. All five ATS victories were also of the straight up variety. Wagner is the opposite. The Seahawks are 1-3 their past 4 tries as home favorites of 3 or less. All the ATS losses came outright. Last year as 2 point road underdogs, the Knights beat the Seahawks by 18 here! That was after Wagner has won at FDU. Sound familiar?

The Knights love March basketball. They're 20-4 versus the spread their last 24 lined games in the month of March, 5-1 ATS the past 2 years. They are also 9-5 ATS their last 14 tries, after scoring 60 points or less and 5-2 ATS their last 7 tries versus good defensive teams - those allowing

After consecutive losses, the Gamecocks won at Ole Miss last game. They will now be playing their second straight road game and they will do so against a desperate Texas A&M. Though the Aggies have lost 4 in a row, 3 of those losses were on the road. They are still 9-4 at home. They will be happy to face a South Carolina team which they beat by 41 points the last meeting.

The total for this game is in the mid 130s. The Aggies are 5-1 versus the spread their last 6 tries when the total is 130 to 139.5. Over the last 3 seasons, Texas A&M is 31-16-1 ATS when the total is 130 to 139.5. They are also 6-2 ATS (8-0 straight up) as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points. Lay the points with the Aggies!

I had the Kings last night. Great game by them. They went to LA and hammered the Clippers, a hated division rival. That puts them in a difficult position tonight. They are 3-5 versus the spread when playing with 0 days rest. They are also 3-5 versus the spread when off an upset win as an underdog.

The Heat are playing their best basketball and they come in fresh and well-rested. They are 8-1 versus the spread since end of January, 7 of those wins coming outright. That streak began with a 9 point win over Sacramento. Last season's games were both close, decided by 4 and 6 points. With the schedule in their favor, grab the points with the red hot Miami Heat.

Not many will want to back the Hurricanes in this spot. Miami has lost 6 straight games, one of them to North Carolina. The Hurricanes are 1-5 versus the spread in those games, 0-4 the past 4. That's going to keep people off them. The oddsmakers are forced to post a very large point-spread. That's giving us exceptional value on the road underdog.

The Hurricanes have been playing some close games. Miami is off a 4-point loss and that the game against North Carolina was decided by only 3 points. The Tar Heels have also been playing some close ones. They are 5-3 their last 8 games and only one of the games was a win by more than 10 points. That was a 15-point win over Virginia Tech, a team which Miami is 2-0 against.

The Hurricanes are on a long-term 43-24 ATS run, after failing to cover the spread in 3 or more consecutive games. They are also 8-2 versus the spread (7-3 straight up) their last 10 tries, revenging a home loss vs opponent and 7-2 ATS their last 9 road games where the total was 150 to 154.5. The Hurricanes won outright here last February. Give me the points!

Give me the points with Sacramento in this important Pacific Division battle. The Clippers won both this season's meetings but both of those were in 2023. The Kings have been playing well on the road since losing here earlier and they are 44-25-1 versus the spread their last 70 tries in a road game where the total is greater than or equal to 230.

The Clippers are 1-5 versus the spread their last 6 games. Their last 4 wins have all been by 6 or less. The Kings are off consecutive wins and their alst loss was by only 5. This game is also likely going to be decided late. Grab the points. **PACIFIC DIV GOM**

Minnesota has been printing money for its backers this season. The Gophers have been excellent versus the point-spread all season and they beat Nebraska by 11 back in December. Their ATS success comes to a screeching halt this evening though. Nebraska has been strong at home this season and the Gophers lost by 11 here on this exact day last year.

The Cornhuskers are a perfect 6-0 versus the spread their past 6 tries when revenging a road loss vs opponent. They are 17-8 ATS their last 25 tries. With a 5-1 ATS record this month, 3-0 ATS the last 3, Nebraska is playing better than it was for the earlier meeting. The Gophers are 20-41-1 ATS their last 62 a road underdog of 6.5 to 9 points. Lay the points with Nebraska this evening.

A trip to Hawaii isn't easy on students. Coaches can help them avoid distractions but there's the physical toll of the trip itself. There's also a tough defensive team waiting for them upon arrival. The Warriors are 10-6 here. They make scoring difficult. Visiting schools score 67.7 points per game here. Long Beach State allows more than 77 points per game on the road.

The Warriors are 5-3 versus the spread their last 8 tries as a home favorite of 3 points or less or pick. They lost last month at Long Beach State but they beat the Beach by 9 here last season. They're undefeated at home this month including a revenge win. They will help close out our Saturday with another win and cover.

Small line but this should be a big win in this Big South Conference "Battle of the Bulldogs" this afternoon. The Gardner Webb Bulldogs won at Gardner Webb but they only have 5 wins in 16 road games. The UNC Asheville Bulldogs are 12-1 at home. They outscore teams by an average of 18.9 points here!

UNC Asheville is 5-0 versus the spread its last 5 home games where the total is 150 to 154.5. Gardner Webb is 1-6 versus the spread (0-7 straight up) its last 7 tries, in a road game where the total is 150 to 154.5. UNC Asheville has thrived in the revenge role and is 9-4 versus the spread its last 13 tries, when off a conference loss. UNC Asheville beat GW by 12 here last season. Lay the points.

Home-court means a great deal to each of these clubs. The Ospreys are 10-4 at home but 5-9 on the road. The home/road differences are even greater for Jacksonville. The Dolphins are 2-13 away but 10-1 at home. The Ospreys won at North Florida. Now the Dolphins will win at Jacksonville.

The Dolphins allow only 59.5 points per game at home. The Ospreys allow 81.4 points per game on the road. The Dolphins are 7-1 straight up and versus the spread their last 8 tries in a home game where the total is 135 to 139.5.

It was on this day (2/23) 2 years ago that Jacksonville beat North Florida 71-39. The Dolphins will repeat history and will improve to 4-1 versus the spread in five tries when playing with road revenge.

Too many points. Samford can really score but so can the Paladins. Furman won this season's first meeting by 10 points. The Paladins have won 4 straight in the series and 9 of the last 10. Four of the last 5 meetings have been decided by 10 or fewer points, one of those going to Overtime.

Samford is off a 4-point loss. Furman has won 3 straight games, the margin of victory growing with each one. The Paladins are 5-1 versus the spread their last 6 tries when listed as a road underdog of 6.5 to 9 points. The Paladins are also 11-1 ATS versus good offensive teams after at least 15 games have been played, good being defined as teams which score 77+ points/game after 15+ games. Grab the points.

The Spartans lost in the MEAC Championship game last season. They are determined to get back there and to win it this year. They are gearing up to do so and that means beating teams like NC Central when they come for a visit.

The Eagles are off back to back losses. The Spartans are off a victory. The Eagles won this season's first meeting. They aren't as good on the road though and the Spartans are undefeated at home. In 10 games here, they outscore teams by a 87.6 to 62.8 average score. The Spartans are also 6-1-1 versus the spread their last 8 tries when playing with road revenge. They are 5-0 ATS their last 5 tries as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points and they will get us a win and cover tonight.

The Tigers may be wounded but they are still very dangerous. Prior to losing their last game to North Texas, they had won 3 straight. They have also defeated SMU 4 straight times. The Tigers are especially deadly as underdogs. Over the last 3 years, they are 14-5 versus the spread, when getting points. This season, they are 4-2 in the underdog role with 4 outright victories.

The Mustangs lost a close 3-point game at Memphis in January. Revenge isn't much of a motivator for them though as they are only 5-9 versus the spread their last 14 tries in the road revenge role. The Mustangs are 12-18 ATS their last 30 tries when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games and they are 4-8 ATS their last 12 tries versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games. Give me the points!

Short line for Duquesne at home. The Dukes are 8-4 at home. The Hawks are 3-6 on the road. The Hawks narrowly won the first meeting, at St. Josephs. Duquesne won the last game here by 14 points.

The Hawks are 1-3 versus the spread as a road underdog of 3 points or less or pick. They have won just 8 of their last 39 road games which had a total of 145 to 149.5.

Off a bad loss to Dayton, Duquesne will respond. The Dukes are 2-0 versus the spread, after scoring 60 points or less In that situation, they beat Fordham by 9 and they went on the road and beat St. Bonaventure by 6. Dukes do it again!

This is a case of too many points. Cornell was favored by 5.5 points over Harvard here last season, also a mid-February game. The Crimson won outright by 17 points! Having lost this season's first meeting, the Crimson are coming in with another upset on their minds.

Harvard dominated Dartmouth last game. Cornell is off a tough 2-point loss to Yale. Though the Big Red covered the spread in that game, they are only 5-11 against the number of their last 16 games played in February.

Cornell can really score but Harvard is 19-7-1 its last 27 against the spread versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games. Harvard is also 3-0 against the spread its last 3 games as a road underdog of 6.5 to 9 points. Grab the points.

The Wolverines took the first meeting by a score of 65-58. That was at home and they are 2-11 on the road. The Lancers are 10-4 at home. They limit visiting teams to less than 64 points per game.

The point spread is low partly because Cal Baptist has lost 3 straight games versus the number. The Lancers are 5-2 against the spread their last 7 lined games, after 3 straight non-covers. The Lancers have to win this one as they face the best team in the conference next, the first of 3 straight road games. Lay the small number!

Tennessee is a very strong team but Arkansas is much better than most bettors realize. These were both top 10 teams in this year's preseason rankings. Public perception is providing us with a very generous line on a talented and live underdog.

The Razorbacks have under-achieved but they have turned the corner. They won their last game and have 2 wins their last 3 games. The Razorbacks are 9-4 SU at home and 38-9 here the last 3 years. They are 11-1 SU their last 12 home games where the total is 150 to 154.5

The Volunters are 6-5 on the road, only 3-8 against the spread. They are 8-13-1 versus the spread their last 22 tries, in a road game where the total is 150 to 154.5. They are off a loss to the Aggies and have dropped 2 of their last 4.

The Razorbacks have beaten the Volunteers the last few meetings here and they are 10-3 the last 13 here. In a game they could end up winning outright, let's grab all those points! **SEC GOY**

They say that an elephant never forgets. Apparently a "Wolf Pack" rarely does either. Nevada is an exemplary 79-50 against the spread its last 129 lined games, when playing with road revenge. That includes a 15-7 against the spread record when playing with revenge from a road loss of 20 or more points. Think the Wolf Pack remember last month's 89-55 throttling at New Mexico? You better believe it!

Since that beating, the Wolf Pack have won 3 straight, both straight up and versus the pointspread. The Lobos have dropped 2 of their last 3. They've been underdogs twice this season and came up short in both instances. Lay the small number!

Time will tell but I believe that they've got the wrong team favored in this one. I love a good home underdog as much as the next guy. The problem is Texas Tech isn't even a home underdog. The Red Raiders are laying points against a top 5 Kansas team. Short-handed or not, the Jayhawks are still the stronger team.

The Jayhawks are battling through some adversity as they are short-handed. The statuses of McDowell and McCuller are both up in the air. Important players that make the Jayhawks better. They just beat Baylor without them though, the defense elevating and delivering a peak performance.

The Red Raiders have battled illness themselves and are also coming off a strong defensive game. They are only 11-19 ATS their last 30 tries, after allowing 60 or less. Kansas is already 2-0 ATS as an underdog. The Jayhawks have beaten the Raiders 8 of the last 9 times and 3 of the last 4 meetings were decided by 2 buckets or less. Grab the points.

Wright State is one of the fastest teams in the country. The Raiders can run visiting teams right out of the building. They average 87.7 points per home game and 88.8 points a game in Horizon League play. They connect on a very high 56.4% of their field goals, in this building.

Oakland struggles against top level competition. The Golden Grizzlies are 1-3 against the spread their last 4 against teams with a winning record. That brings them to 8-14-1 ATS their last 23 tries, when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games.

These teams will face each other again on February 25th, at Oakland. The Golden Grizzlies will have a chance in that one but not today. The Raiders are 9-3 SU and 7-5-1 ATS their last 13 as a host in the series. Unable to contend with the pace, the Golden Grizzlies aren't going to know what hit them!

The Milwaukee Bucks played last night but that won't save the Charlotte Hornets from the beating which is coming their way. The Bucks won this season's earlier meeting by 31. Charlotte definitely hasn't gotten any better since then and is walking into a hornet's next.

The coaching change to Doc Rivers hasn't paid immediate dividends for Milwaukee. The Bucks have now lost 3 straight games and 5 of their last 6. To be fair, 5 of those games were on the road and last night's was against a top level team from the West, the one with the most road wins of any team in the NBA. Clearly, this is a big drop in class.

Charlotte lost at Detroit back on January 24th. That marked the first loss of the Hornets' current 9-game losing streak. Seven of their last 8 have come and the Hornets still couldn't get a win. The only road game over that time resulted in a 20-point loss.

The Bucks next 2 games come against the defending NBA champions and the defending Eastern Conference champions, Denver and Miami. After that, the Bucks go on the road again. Rivers knows his team needs a big win and that he needs one, too. He will make sure that that the Bucks don't squander this opportunity.

This is splendid value. We get Hawaii at home, playing with revenge and we don't even have to lay any points. Hawaii is 31-15 at home the last 3 seasons. Uc San Diego is 15-25 on the road.

This is no easy place to play and that's not just because of the travel factor. The Warriors 12-6 straight up their last 18 off a loss, won their last home game by 10 points. They allow only 66 points a game here. It was 365 days ago that they beat UC San Diego here by 7 points. Home court will reign supreme and the Warriors will win again tonight!

The Bulls have the talent edge and are healthier. They've got plenty of their own injuries though and they're on the road. They're also the type of team that the Grizzlies can outwork.

When they're at their best, the Bulls can be quite good. They beat Minnesota last game. That was at Chicago. They are only 9-15 on the road. They've got Orlando on deck and the Magic beat them twice. A look-ahead spot past Memphis. The Grizzlies are 20-5 against the spread their last 25 against teams from the Central. Grab the points.

Canisius is off a bad loss and has struggled of late. That has led to a nice underdog line against an inferior opponent. The Golden Griffins also struggled to start last season. But by February, they turned things around. They're 12-5 against the spread their last 17 in February. This team is fully capable of doing the same and it starts tonight.

The Golden Griffins beat the Purple Eagles handily at Canisius last season. The game at Niagara was decided by just 3 points. Niagara has lost 2 of its last 3 home games. All 3 were decided by 6 or less. Canisius is 25-13 against the spread the last 2 years against winning teams and has an excellent chance of winning this game outright. Grab the points.

The Trail Blazers hung with the champions for most of Friday's game but they will not be able to do do twice in a row. There was still some question about Jokic's health before Friday but the Denver big man dominated and is fully ready to go for this one.

The Trail Blazers may have covered 48 hours ago but they are still 14-26-1 against the spread in divisional game the past 2 years.

Portland was practically patting itself on the back for losing by only 12 on Friday. Denver will demonstrate its dominance from the opening tip tonight. The Nuggets are simply much stronger at both ends of the floor. A win of greater than 15 points is expected!

Give me Gonzaga at home in this battle of West Coast Conference heavyweights. These are the top 2 teams in the conference every year. The Bulldogs get more attention but the Gaels are also consistently very strong. This year is no different. Gonzaga is currently in a better place.

The Gaels have had trouble in consecutive games. Hosting back to back lightweights, they were favored by 16.5 and 13.5 points. They struggled with those bad teams though and won each game by only 5 points. Last game, they beat Santa Clara 82-77. That level of play won't cut it tonight.

The Bulldogs were favored by 14.5 points last game, roughly the same that St. Mary's was for its game. Unlike the Gaels, Gonzaga won by 34 points. That confidence building blowout is going to serve them well tonight!

The Gaels are only 5-11-1 against the spread their last 17 tries, after scoring 80 or more points. The Bulldogs are 7-3 ATS their last 10 tries, when facing a team which allows 64 or fewer points, through at least 15 games of the season. Gonzaga won by 26 last March in the WCC Tournament and by 9 in last season's regular season game here. Lay the points!

With both teams off a game last night, its important to know how these teams typically handle playing 2 games in 2 days. A quick look shows that Golden State tends to do a much better job than Atlanta.

The Warriors are 5-3 against the spread, when playing 2 games in 2 days. Upon closer examination, we find that they are 3-0 ATS when playing a road game after also playing on the road on the previous day.

The Hawks, 1-13 against the spread after a non-conference games, are 1-7 against the spread when playing 2 games in 2 days, 0-2 ATS when playing a home game after playing at home the previous day.

The Warriors had an easier time last night than the Hawks. They are 6-1 ATS off a win by 10 points or more. Give me the points.

Great setup for the Heat. After a long stretch of pointspread futility, they answered with a win and cover last game. Now they are off a win, had a day off and have tomorrow off. Better yet, they get to take on one of the weakest teams in the NBA.

Though they've managed 6 wins on the road, the Wizards have the worst home record in basketball. They are 3-19 here, 7-15 against the pointspread. Visiting teams outscore them by an average of 10.6 points.

This has been a profitable venue for Miami for years. The Heat are 37-16-2 against the spread their last 55 trips here. Expect them to win convincingly.

Hofstra already handled the Seawolves at Stony Brook. They will absolutely do so again in tonight's rematch at the David S. Mack Sports Complex. Both clubs are strong at home. Both have struggled on the road. Hofstra has won 8 of the last 9 meetings. The last game here saw the Pride win by a 79-58 score.

The projected tempo will not help the Seawolves. They are 2-8 straight up and against the pointspread their last 10 tries when on the road with a total of 140 to 144.5.

Off a 81-78 loss at Monmouth, the Pride are going to be bringing it. They are 10-6-1 ATS their past 17 tries when off a game where they allowed 80 or more. They've won each of their last 2 home games by more than 8 and they will win this one by more than 8 as well. ***CAA GOY***

Charlotte isn't a good team. Bad teams can still be profitable, if you back them at the right time. This is one of those times. Charlotte is rested and facing a mediocre Chicago team which lost against Toronto less than 24 hours ago.

Chicago is only 3-5 straight up and against the pointspread when playing 2 games in 2 days. The last time that the Bulls were in that situation, the team that they were playing (San Antonio) was in the same boat. No advantage. The previous time, when up against a rested team, the Bulls lost by 16. They are 1-3 against the spread when playing a road game after playing at home the previous day. The win was the previously mentioned Spurs game.

The Bulls have beaten them 3 times already this season. The Hornets want to avoid a sweep. Chicago is only 8-15 on the road. Grab the points!

Nice win for the Magic over Phoenix yesterday. Defeating Dallas on the second leg of a 2 games in 2 nights situation will be much harder. The Mavericks have owned the Magic here for years and beat them by 9 here last season.

The Magic have only 2 wins in 9 tries when playing 2 games in 2 days. They just lost by 27 points at Cleveland less than a week ago, after beating Miami the previous day. The time before in that situation, they lost by 12.

Playing their 2nd game in 2 days, the Mavericks lost their last game. They since had yesterday off. Refreshed, they bounce back and handle their business, moving to 17-11 against the spread, as favorites.

The Lions won't have the Detroit fans to support them. They're thousands of miles away on the West Coast. Last week was a fortunate matchup as they faced Tampa Bay, a team which was only in the playoffs because of the division it plays in. Now, they face the top team in the NFC.

The 49ers didn't play nearly their best against the Packer and they still won. They'll be better this week. Not having to travel will prove to be helpful. Now is also when the 49ers will benefit from their Wildcard Rd bye, a luxury which the Lions didn't have.

This is the best Detroit team in some time but the 49ers are better on both sides of the ball. San Francisco was third in points scored per game while Detroit finished fifth. The bigger difference is on the other side of the ball. The 49ers’ defense finished third in points allower per game while the Lions finished 23rd in that category.

They say that defense wins championships. Lay the points and expect that saying to ring true of the NFC Championship game on Sunday.

When taking points with an underdog, I first need to believe that my team has a legitimate chance to win the game outright. North Dakota checks that box. The Fighting Hawks have perhaps the top front-court in the Summit Conference. Coming into the season, they were projected by some to finish #2 in the conference, behind South Dakota State. St. Thomas was 3rd.

Though the Fighting Hawks may well win the game, they don't need to. This is a big number and we can still cash with a close loss. Two of the Tommies' last 4 games have been decided by 1 point.

The Fighting Hawks have a score to settle. They circled this game after the Tommies embarrassed them on December 29th. They are 9-6 against the spread their last 15, when playing with revenge. Off 3 straight double-digit wins, the Fighting Hawks are playing much better than they were for the earlier meeting. They are 9-2 ATS their last 11 off a conference win and they will bring their best tonight. **Summit Conf GOY**

Tough losses, the kind that come at the buzzer, or which feature a blown lead, can be tough for college teams to overcome. Southern Indiana lost a tough one 2 games ago, falling 77-75 to Arkansas Little Rock. After letting that one get away, the Screaming Eagles lost their next game by 11. They are still 9-6 against the spread as underdogs and they will be ready to respond today.

The Leathernecks are off a tough loss of their own. They blew a lead and fell 58-57 to Tennessee State. Just as it was difficult for the Screaming Eagles to bounce back from their tough loss, it will be the same for the Leathernecks. They are only 39-111 straight up the past 150 times that they were off a conference loss, an awful 56-88 against the spread in those games. Western Illinois only scores 63 points a game on the road and that won't be enough.

The Shockers are badly in need of a victory. They will be pleased to see East Carolina. Off 3 straight defeats, the Pirates are struggling nearly as much as they are.

As bad as things look on the surface, Wichita State hasn't played terribly. Let's look at the losing streak. They beat Southern Illinois on 12/16. The next 2 games were versus Kansas and Kansas State. Losing them wasn't too bad. A loss against North Texas to start 2024 wasn't very impressive. Since then, three of four games have been on the road and the only home game was against Memphis. Two games ago, they gave a strong FAU team a good fight and last game they nearly won at South Florida. This is a team on the cusp of breaking out.

The Pirates are 0-2 against the spread as road underdogs of 3.5 to 6 points. They are 19-31 their last 50 as road underdogs of 3.5 to 6 points. They score 64 points a game on the road. The Shockers score 76 at home. Don't be shocked when Wichita snaps its losing streak with a big win!

Give me the points with the home underdog Nets! The Nets are 12-6-2 against the spread at home. The Knicks are 6-10 against the spread, when off a double-digit win.

The Knicks have won 3 straight games. They are only 2-4 against the spread after winning their previous 3. The Nets lost to the Clippers to close out their trip. They pounded the Lakers before that though. Two of their last 3 losses have been by 2 points or less.

The Knicks won here last month but the Nets have still won 4 of the past 5 meetings here. Nets get some payback by upsetting the Knicks on Tuesday!

Even at neutral site, I'd expect the Golden Lions to win tonight's game. This isn't a neutral site. WE get the game in Pine Bluff, at H.O. Clemmons Arena. That favors the Golden Lions. They are only 2-7 on the road but they're 5-3 at home. The Wildcats also prefer they're home cooking. They're 6-1 in home games but 2-6 on the road. Despite these records, we don't have to worry about laying a big pointspread.

These teams met twice the last 2 seasons. Arkansas Pine Bluff won both. The Golden Lions won 77-71 at Daytona Beach last year and 69-63 at Pine Bluff in 2022.

The Wildcats are only 2-6-1 against the spread the last 8 times that they were road underdogs of 3 or less, or pick'em. They score only 63 points a game on the road and the Lions are scoring 93 a game at home. Go with Arkansas Pine Bluff. ***SWAC GOY***

Both teams are off consecutive blowout losses. That's OK for Memphis but the Raptors demand better. Despite dealing away some of their top players with the hope of improving in the future, this organization still has pride and expects to compete. Currently extremely depleted, Memphis is a team they can handle. The Raptors beat the Grizzlies last month and now they catch them at home.

The Raptors are much healthier than Memphis. The Grizzlies' injury list is long and filled with their best players. Take the injured Memphis players and put them up against the team which will take the court tonight and my money is on the injured players.

The Raptors are 4-1, both straight up and against the spread, after scoring 100 or less. They will blow out the Grizzlies tonight.

We've grown used to the Chiefs having a great offense and Patrick Mahomes working magic in the playoffs. It's hard to think otherwise. The Chiefs offense isn't great right now though. And Mahomes has never had to play a road playoff game. He's played in 3 Super Bowls but that's not a true road environment. Mahome's other 12 playoff games have all come at home. Now, he plays in cold, hostile Buffalo where he'll go up against some of the most passionate fans in the league and be opposed by a Bills teams which is playing its best football.

After a sluggish start, Buffalo has been winning for weeks. This team is ready to get the KC monkey off its back. Twice, the Chiefs have eliminated them from the playoffs. The Bills beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead in the regular season to earn the right to play this game here. At home, the Bills are are better on both sides of the ball They're 8-1 here, outscoring teams by a 29.7 to 15 average score. The Chiefs' regular season issues will rear their heads and the Bills will win and cover on Sunday night.

UConn is a great team, fully deserving of a high national ranking. The Huskies aren't unbeatable though and may not stay #1 after this. Though they seemingly haven't missed a beat since winning the National Championship, the Huskies did lose 3 of their top 6 scorers to the NBA. Those losses will finally be felt today.

The Wildcats could easily have a better record. They already have losses of 1, 2 and 4 points. Off a disappointing game at Marquette, they will bring their A-Game today. Coach Neptune said this after the loss: "We can't use anything as an excuse. Once you get on the floor with another team ... you got to get it done. Period. There's no excuses."

Defense makes a difference. The Wildcats, 2-1 against the spread and straight-up as underdogs, only allow 62.9 points per game at home. Visiting teams hit 40.5% of their field goals. The Huskies allow 70.9 points a game on the road. The teams hosting them hit 43.7% of their field goals. Their only time as a home underdog resulted in an 83-81 win over UNC.

The Wildcats are 8-1 SU and 6-3 ATS when playing with 3 or more day's rest between games. Off the loss to Marquette on 1/15, they bounce back big tonight!

Miami won the first two games of the season series but the third meeting comes at the wrong time. The Hawks are showing some real signs of snapping out of their season long funk. They're off back to back victories and have won 3 of their last 5 games. The Heat just got destroyed by a short-handed Toronto team. In their previous game, they only beat Brooklyn by 1 point.

Games here are usually quite close between these teams. Five of Atlanta's last 6 visits here have been decided by 10 or less. The only exception was an 11 point win by the Hawks. The Hawks average 120.9 points a game. Miami averages 111.5. The Heat are only 7-11-1 against the spread against losing teams. Grab the points.

VCU won 27 games and went to the NCAA Tournament last season. The Rams lost a lot from that team including their coach. They did keep four players and they brought in excellent replacements. Off back-to-back road wins, they are starting to gel. This is still a high quality team.

The Billikens lost a lot from last season. Six of their top 7 scorers are gone from last year. They would tell you differently but they are essentially rebuilding this year.

The Billikens, 9-14 against the spread their last 23 as road dogs in the 6 to 9.5 range, are 1-7 on the road this season. They've been outscored by an average score of 80.2 to 68.6. The Rams will add to the Billikens road woes with a blowout victory!

The Tigers will take care of their instate rivals. The Tigers are 4-1 against the spread their last 5 tries as a home favorite in the 6 to 9.5 range. Over that time, the Golden Eagles are 1-3 against the spread in 4 tries as a road underdog in the 6 to 9.5 range.

The home team won big in both meetings last year. The Tigers earned a 67-53 victory here after winning 80-64 here, the year before. This season, State is 7-1 at home and Tech is 2-7 on the road. It'll be another blowout win for the home team.

Line should be higher. Nevada is a good team but still not quite in the class of San Diego State. The Wolf Pack lost by 8, at home, against Boise last game. Their previous 2 conference games came against Air Force and Fresno. Neither of those teams is very good. Now they go on the road to take on a high quality program like SDSU.

The Aztecs won their first 3 MWC games (now 36-9 L45 against MWC) but lost at New Mexico State last game. Both their home conference games have been double-digit wins. They are 6-2 against the spread (7-1 straight up) the past 8 times that they were off a MWC loss. The home team won by 9 in both games last season. The Aztecs will bounce back with a blowout win.

The Cavaliers have built up their recent run against weak opposition. Their last 5 games have come against Washington, (twice) San Antonio, Brooklyn and Chicago. The Wizards and Spurs are both 7-32 and the Nets and Bulls are both below .500. Before that, they faced the Raptors and the. Bucks and lost both games. The Cavaliers limited Chicago to 91 but are only 2-4 against the spread after allowing 100 or less.

The Bucks are healthier than the Cavaliers. The Bucks are also fresh. They've had the past 2 days off, after playing 4 straight at home. They are 18-8-1 their last 27 against the spread (24-3 straight up) after playing their previous 3 at home and they will improve on that streak tonight.

This is a great storyline as it pits Jared Goff against Matthew Stafford. You probably know that those two quarterbacks were traded for each other. Stafford played many years in Detroit. Goff played several for the Rams. Both QBs are still extremely capable. Both did well to guide their teams this far. The Lions have some important other advantages.

It stars with playing at home. With Michigan having just won the championship and the Lions favored to win this one, fans in Detroit are in a frenzy. They will play a role. The Lions won 6 of 8 games here, covering 5. The Rams were a modest 5-4 on the road.

Goff has better weapons than Stafford. The Lions score more than 27 points a game. The Rams score less than 24. Both defenses allow roughly the same number of points overall but the Lions allow 21.6 per game at home compared to the Rams' 23.8 allowed on the road.

The projected high-scoring game favors the Lions. They are 11-2 ATS their last 13 when the total was set at 49.5 or higher, 6-1 ATS in home games wiht a total of 49.5 or higher. The Rams are just 3-6 ATS their last 9 when the total was set at 49.5 or higher. Lay the small number! ***WC GOY***

I'm always happy to take points in a game where I like the underdog to win outright. Though new to this conference, the Flames are an experienced team which is used to winning. They won 27 games last year and brought back a lot of that squad. Off a bad upset loss, we will see them bounce back and be at their best for this afternoon's showdown.

The Bulldogs have been playing a lot of road games and it will catch up with them against an inspired Liberty team. They are 3-5 against the spread their last 8 as home favorites between 3.5 and 6 points and 10-17 ATS after playing three or more consecutive games on the road.

Liberty is 5-1 straight up and against the spread when the total was in the 130s. The Flames are also 4-0 ATS their last 4 road games with a total in the 130 to 134.5 range. Grab the points. ***CUSA GOY***

Long Beach State is a good team but the Gauchos are even better. UC Santa Barbara went to the NCAA Tournament for the 2nd time in 3 years last season. They swept LBSU along the way. UC Santa Barbara allows 73 points, LBSU allows more than 77. The Gauchos are 6-1 their last 7 against teams which allow 77 or more points and they're 18-5 their last 23, when playing with 1 or less day's rest in between games. Off a loss last game, LBSU is 18-19 its past 37 road games. Over that time, the Gauchos are 29-8 here in Santa Barbara. Homecourt in their favor, this will be win #30. ***BIG WEST GOY***

Nevada won its last game but saw its pointspread winning streak come to an end. The Wolf Pack will now face a far more difficult opponent. The Broncos are 16-101 against the number the past 2 years as underdogs. Nevada is 1-3 ATS its past 4 home games when the total was in the 140 to 144.5 range. The Broncos won by 15 the last time these teams met. The prev. 3 meetings were all decided by 6 or less. The previous 2 meetings, including the last one here, were both decided by only 2 points. This one gets decided at the buzzer once again. Grab the points.

This is simply too many points to be giving UCLA. The Bruins last 9 games have all been decided by single-digits. They may not be winning many but they aren't losing by much.

The Utes are off back-to-back losses and before that was a 5-point win. They are 0-1 against the spread off a Pac-12 loss this season and 6-20 ATS in that spot the last 3 years. Over that span, the Utes have won only 4 of their last 19 January games, going 6-13 against the number.

UCLA is 7-2 against the spread its last 9 road games when the total ranged from 135 to 139.5. The Bruins won by 7 here last season and this will be another close one. Grab the points. ***PAC 12 GOM***

The Timberwolves are walking into a hornet's nest. Minnesota had an easy time with Orlando last night. Revenge-minded Boston presents a far more difficult challenge.

The Wolves are 0-2 against the spread when playing their 2nd game in 2 days. The only time that they played a road game after playing the previous day, they lost by 18!

Boston, 8-2 SU its last 10 in a revenge spot, hasn't forgotten a 114-109 loss early in the season. The Celtics are also still angry about a 133-131 loss at Indiana on Monday. They're 9-1 against the spread the past 10 tries, after allowing 130 or more points in their previous game. The Celtics beat this team by 12 here last season and this will be another double-digit win. ***REVENGE GOM***

Navy was favored for both but these teams split a pair of games last season. Holy Cross returned a lot more from last year's team than Navy did. The Midshipmen lost a lot, as last year's senior class was a special one. In fact, their top 5 scorers from last year are all gone.

Navy coach Ed DeChellis acknowledged it would be challenging before the season: "It's going to be a major transition."

Facing a hungry and undervalued Holy Cross team, Navy will feel those losses. The Crusaders lack some size but Navy doesn't have the team to take advantage.

The Midshipmen are off a loss to Army and they are only 4-9 against the spread their last 13 tries, when off a Patriot League loss. Holy Cross has played a lot of road games but won its last home game decisively. Navy is 0-6 on the road. Grab the points! ***PATRIOT LEAGUE GOY***

These teams are both off close losses last night. The Suns fell by 6 to Memphis. The Clippers lost by 3 against the Lakers. This will be the second meeting in less than a week. The Clippers won at Phoenix, on 1/3.

The Suns are better than the Clippers when playing their 2nd game in 2 days. They're 4-1 SU in that situation this season, 20-11 their past 31. The Clippers are 2-3 SU in that situation this season, just 13-21 the past 34.

The only time that the Suns lost a back-to-back spot was a very competitive game. They lost by 4 at Brooklyn. The 4 wins came by 56 combined points.

The Suns aren't going to want to lose twice in a week to this team. They will continue their success when playing 2 games in 2 days. ***PACIFIC DIV GOM***

In this battle of the Cardinals, I'm grabbing the points with visitors. Don't read too much into the non-conference records. Incarnate Ward won a couple of games with no line but has been an underdog in all 12 lined games. It was. a fairly challenging schedule and they won't be intimidated tonight.

Lamar is 0-5 straight-up the past 5 times it was off a conference win. Lamar is also 0-5 against the spread the past 5 times it was a home favorite in the 6.5 to 9 range.

The road team won both meetings last year. IW won by 6 here last January. Both teams played Saturday. Lamar is 1-19 straight up the past 20 times it was in that spot. IW is 15-5 against the spread the past 20 lined tries when playing with 1 or 0 day's rest in between games. So far, they have won by 9 and lost by 2 in that situation this season. Grab the points! ***SOUTHLAND GOY***

Two undefeated teams, playing for the title. What could be better? For all the complaining, it ended up working out. As much as I love this Washington team, its magical run comes to an end on Janurary 8th.

The Huskies were able to dominate time of possession against Texas. That's not going to happen against Michigan. They were also able to throw for more than 400 yards. That's also not going to happen against the Wolverines.

Defense wins championships and Michigan's defense is the real deal. One of the best we've seen in recent years. The Wolverines held Alabama to less than 100 yards in the first half. Their 9.5 points allowed per game during the regular season was the best in the nation.

These teams met in 2021. The Huskies were able to move the ball through the air but the Wolverines dominated them on the ground. Michigan went on to win 31-10. A young Blake Corum carried the ball 21 times for 171 yards and 3 touchdowns. (Haskins also ran for 155 yards.) Now its Corum and Edwards instead of Corum and Haskins, Corum leading the charge. He'll have his way with Washington and carry Michigan to the title.

Miami wasn't good last week. That will cause a lot of people to stay away or to back Buffalo. When handicapping the NFL, its important to learn from the previous week but its also important to be able to "wash away" recency bias. Many bettors base too much of their handicapping on what they just saw, forgetting about what may been going on all season.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel provided some perspective: "If we had said that after Week 4 that we're going to play this Buffalo team again, and it will be the last game of the season for the division crown, I think everyone would have accepted that. That's some perspective that I talked to the team about. Their eyes were laser focused -- they will be eager to wash away this past game. The only way you can do that is to prepare for the next one."

Miami was on the road for the bad Baltimore loss and for the previous loss to Buffalo. The Dolphins are now at home where they are 7-1 on the season. The Bills are also 7-1 at home but they're only 3-4 on the road.

They haven't fared well in the series for years but the Dolphins did win 21-19 the last game played at Miami. In what will likely be another close game, homefield will again make the difference. Grab the points! ***GAME OF MONTH***

The Mustangs are off a 65-54 win. That was at home against Charlotte though. They're just 4-11-2 against the spread their last 17 tries after allowing 60 or less.

The Tigers are 4-2-1 against the spread the past 7 tried as home favorites of -6.5 to -9 points. The Tigers are also 14-5-2 ATS their last 21 tries against teams which allow 64 or fewer points.

The Tigers won 2 meetings in 2023 by 19 and 15 points. They will again be too much for the Mustangs to handle! ***AAC GOM***

This line is too big. BYU has a good team and brings a top 25 ranking into tonight's game. The Cougars do have a quality win over SD State and they did blow out Arizona State. They also lost to Utah and the rest of the schedule has been soft. I don't think all that much of Arizona State and the victory over the Aztecs was by single-digits.

To put it another way, I'm not convinced the Cougars are as good as their ranking suggests. Conference play is here, the Cougars' first Big 12 game. They're hosting a solid and competitive Cincinnati team. Importantly, BYU will miss Fousseyni Traore in this game, an important player who played a key role in the victories over ASU and SDSU.

The Bearcats are 11-2. Only one loss came by more than 5 points. They won't make BYU's Big 12 debut easy. Grab the points! ***BIG 12 GOY***

Two teams at opposite ends of the MAC Conference spectrum. The Akron Zips won 22 games last seaon and they are the clear favorite to win the MAC this season. Put simply, the Zips are loaded.

Bowling Green was 5-13 in MAC play last year and 11-20 overall. With only 1 returning starter and a 1st year coach, the Falcons are likely going to struggle again.

Playing at home, the Falcons just gave up 90 points to Eastern Michigan. Playing on the road against a much better team and they may easily give up even more. Akron is 5-0 at home, outscoring teams 87 to 59.4. The Zips won last year's game here by 14 and this will be an even bigger blowout. ***MAC GOY***

Minnesota picked the wrong time to visit! The Wolverines have failed to cover 3 straight games and they are a perfect 6-0 against the spread their last 6 in that situation.

The Gophers are 0-3 against the spread their last 3 tries as a road underdog of 6.5 to 9 points. They are 19-41 ATS their last 60 in that role!

The Gophers are also 1-6 ATS and 0-7 straight up the past 7 times that they played a road game where the total ranged from 150 to 154.5.

The Wolverines believe they are improved from last year and will show it against the worst team in the conference. They won last year's 2 games by an average of 9.5 points and this will be an even bigger win! ***BIG TEN GOY***

The Mountain West Conference is loaded. These teams are at opposite ends of it. The Aztecs are loaded again after winning 32 games last year. The Bulldogs lost 20 games last year and are destined for another challenging season.

The Aztecs closed 2023 with 4 straight wins. The last 3 all came by double-digits, including a road win at Gonzaga. They are 6-0 at home and they have momentum heading into the new year and Conference play.

The Bulldogs lost by 20 the last time that they were up against a top level opponent. They don't have the athletes or depth to compete against SDSU for the whole game. Fresno State starting point guard Isaiah Hill missed last game with a hand injury and is questionable. If he can't go, or if he's less than 100%, it will hurt the Bulldogs even more. Either way, they are in trouble.

The Aztecs are 24-17 against the spread in MWC play the last 2 seasons and they will start this year with a blowout. ***MWC GOY**

Capitals are underdogs on the money-line which allows the opportunity to play them at +1.5 goals on the puck-line. We saw how valuable those extra +1.5 goals can be yesterday, as I cashed in with the Islanders in a game where they lost 5-4.

Washington won last night and got some of its mojo back. The Devils are partly such big favorites because of the Capitals playing for a second straight day. They've won 6 of 7 games in that situation this season and the only loss came by a 1 goal. Four of their last 5 tries, including each of the past 3, when playing 2 games in 2 days, resulted in 1-goal games.

The Capitals have dominated division rivals this season, including 2 wins at New Jersey.

None of the Devils last 9 visits here have resulted in a NJ win by more than a goal. 7 of the past 8 meetings here have been 1 goal games including each of the last 4. Play Washington on puck-line! ***METRO DIV GOM***

Southern Illinois comes off a great season but the Salukis lost their 2 best scorers from that team. Though they've fared pretty well lately, Belmont presents a more difficult matchup. The Bruins are always one of the better teams in the Missouri Valley Conference. This year will be no different.

Jones and Domask scored 30 of SIU's 63 points in last year's meeting. Both are gone and they will be missed.

Since a blowout loss at Arizona, Belmont is 7-2, winning 7 of the past 8. Both losses came by single-digits.

SIU just played before the new year and Belmont comes in rested. The Bruins are 3-1 (straight up and ATS) the past 4 times that they played with 7 or more day's rest in between games. In a close game, where the underdog Bruins have a great chance at the outright win, give me the points! ***MVC GOY**

Give me the extra 0.5 goal with Villarreal. Valencia is a little ahead in the standings but these clubs are very close. Both won their last match. Even with its victory, Valencia has only won 6 of 18 league matches. Expecting them to win is asking a lot. Villareal only has 2 defeats in its last 6 matches. Valencia is winless its last 3 against Villarreal. Villareal won both matches at home and it got a 1-1 draw here at Estadio Mestalla. At least another draw appears likely. Go with the visitors! ***LA LIGA GOM***

When you get this far, it goes without saying that all the teams are excellent. Texas was 12-1. Washington was 13-0. Texas lost against Oklahoma but beat Alabama. Washington beat Oregon (twice) and USC.

I backed Texas in its last game, a blowout of Texas Tech. The Huskies are not the Red Raiders. The Longhorns average 36.2 points a game. The Huskies can score with anyone though. They average 37.7.

The biggest reason that the Longhorns are favored is that they are considered to have a superior defense. Maybe so. But the Huskies are better on that side of the ball than the public realizes. They held 3 opponent to 10 or less. If they couldn't stop a team, the Huskies just outscored them.

Another reason that the Longhorns are favored is that Washington won a lot of close games. The Huskies won 4 games by 3 points or less. Each of their last 9 games was decided by 10 or less. All those narrow margins give people the impression that the Huskies were lucky to win some of those. I like that they won all those close games though. This team finds a way to get it done!

There's also the perception, by many, that the Big 12 is superior to the Pac-12. I disagree. The Pac-12 was stronger this season than people think. There were a lot of good teams and Washington beat every one of them which it faced.

The Longhorns are 1-3 ATS their last 4 tries when playing with 2 or more week's rest. Off their bye this season, they won by only 7 when listed as a 24 point favorite. The Huskies, who beat Oregon when off their bye, are 7-3 ATS their last 10 non-conference games. This game will likely be very close and I'm taking the points. ***BOWL GOY***

This is the 4th meeting. The first two saw Indiana win 126-124 (at Indiana) and 128-119. The second of those was the Eastern Finals for the In-Season-Tournament, in Las Vegas. That loss didn't sit very well with the Bucks. With the third meeting being played at Milwaukee, they beat up the Pacers 140-126.

The Pacers have won 3 straight for the 3rd time this season. Each previous time they lost their next game. Each defeat came by 9 or more.

The Pacers are 7-9 ATS against winning teams. The Bucks are 8-4 ATS against winning teams. Lay the points with Milwaukee! **CENTRAL GOM**

The Ravens looked pretty convincing against the 49ers but the Dolphins are a different type of team. Miami averages more than 30 points a game and the defense has gotten progressively stronger.

Baltimore scores a lot but Miami scores more. Last season, the Ravens scored 38 against the Dolphins and it still wasn't enough. Miami won 42-38.

The Ravens are off that big statement win on National TV. That was on Monday night on the West Coast. They're now traveling back across the country to play an early game on a short week.

The Dolphins have something to prove and Baltimore linebacker Queen added fuel to the fire by talking about "teams being cute and playing basketball on grass."

The Dolphins have won 5 of their last 6 and the only loss came by 1. They will prove to the world that they aren't soft on Sunday. ***AFC GOY***

Off consecutive losses, the Cowboys really need this one. They are still fighting the Eagles for first place in the NFC East. The Lions do still want a first round bye but they are off consecutive wins and have already locked up first place in the division. In my estimation, this game is more important to the Cowboys.

The Cowboys are an entirely different team at home. They pounded the Eagles 33-13 last game here. They are outscoring teams 39.9 to 15.4 in games here. I played against them in the only game that they didn't cover here but the Cowboys are 7-0 straight up and 6-1 against the spread in their 7 home games.

Prescott has 20 touchdowns against only 2 interceptions in the games here, completing 74% of his passed. Coach McCarthy said this of the Cowboys' homefield advantage: "We've been able to get into a rhythm early and be able to just keep your foot on the gas. The crowds have been great."

Detroit gets a reality check and Dallas stays perfect at home. ***NFC GOM***

To these teams, home-court really matters. Little Rock is 6-3 at home but 1-3 on the road. Tennessee St is 5-1 at home but 1-5 on the road. The Tigers outscore visiting teams 84.5 to 67.3. The Trojans are 0-2 against the spread as away underdogs. They get outscored 81 to 75 on the road.

Last season, UALR won by 12 at Little Rock but the Tigers won by 25 when they played at Nashville. That game was also the final day of the calendar year, as it was played on New Year's Eve.

Tennessee State won 18 games last season. Little Rock only brought back 1 starter from last year's 10-21 team. The Trojans won't be ready for the Tigers on Saturday afternoon. ***Ohio Valley GOM***