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.

Remember what happened when Everton played here last year? Brighton and its fans sure do! The Toffees embarrassed them 5-1. That was last May and its time to make things right. The Toffees are winless in their last 8 league matches (4 losses, 4 draws) and near the bottom of the table. They have scored only 3 goals in their last 6 top flight matches.

The Seagulls just smashed Sheffield 5-0 last match. In their last game here at Amex Stadium, they crushed Crystal Palace 4-1. They will be too much for struggling Everton and a big win will help the fans forget what happened here last year.

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.

Real Sociedad recorded a 3-0 win over Villarreal in the reverse match earlier this season. That was at Villarreal. Playing at home at Estadio Anoeta, Real Sociedad should comfortable pick up maximum points. The last h2h meeting here resulted in a 1-0 victory for Real Sociedad.

It needs to be mentioned that Real Sociedad does have some rather serious injury concerns. However, Villarreal is also dealing with numerous injuries and Real Sociedad has superior depth to deal with theirs. Understand that Real Sociedad is a full 14 points ahead of Villarreal in the standings. The class difference will be evident and Real Sociedad will come away with another win.

The first meeting had a higher O|U line than this. This one is too low. With the Skyhawks off an 88-82 victory over Morehead State, it's going to be another barn-burner tonight. Tennessee Martin is 3-1 to the over after scoring 80 or more. The Skyhawks average more than 80 points and their games average more than 156.

Lindenwood is off a lower-scoring game. The Lions lost 72-57 at Eastern Illinois. They gave up more than 90 (91-63 loss) in their previous game though and they are 11-4 to the over their last 15 games with a total, after scoring 60 or less in their previous game. Last year, these teams played a lower-scoring first game and the rematch was higher-scoring and finished over the total. That's what'll happen again this year. Go with the Over.

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.

Porto will be inspired to play in front of its home fans but that will not be enough. The Portuguese squad is fortunate to even be here. Arsenal is in exceptional current form and scoring goals at an alarming rate. In three February EPL matches, the Gunners have scored 14 goals, conceding only one.

In their last 5 EPL matches, the Gunners are 5-0 with 17 goals scored. That success will carry over to the Champions League. Porto is dealing with some defensive injuries and that will be a problem. Arsenal hasn't been to the knockout stage of the Champions League for 7 years. The Gunners understand the signficance of the moment and will not be denied victory.

For a game involving the Fordham Rams, this total is too low. Fordham's last game had 148 points. The Rams have allowed 75 or more points in each of their last 3 games. They have allowed 65 or more (and as many as 119) in 15 straight games.

Davidson's last game had 136 in regulation, 161 with OT. For the season, Davidson games are averaging 138.5. Their previous game versus Fordham exceeded that average finishing with 148.

Davidson is 6-1 to the over its last 7 tries as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points. Fordham is 7-1 its last 8 tries when the total is 130 to 139.5. Go with the Over!

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.

Ottawa couldn't even beat Chicago last game, or Anaheim before that. The Senators are 32-51 (-17) the last 3 years, after a non-conference game. Over that time frame, they are also 41-61 (-16.2) in the revenge role, 8-17 (-11.2) their last 25. The Senators are 35-66 their last 101 tries, when playing against a team with a winning record.

The Lightning ran into a red hot Florida team last game and suffered the consequences. They will be happy to face a bad team like Ottawa which they always beat here. Tampa is 67-30 (+14.8) its last 98 tries, when playing against a team with a losing record. Lay the price and look for Tampa to come out on top. **ATLANTIC DIV GOY**

These are two bubble teams, both coming in hungry for a victory. This season's first meeting slipped under the total and this one will be even lower-scoring. The Pirates don't score nearly as many points on the road. They managed only 54 points in their last road game. Seton Hall did respond with a big game versus Xavier. That was at home though and the Pirates are 13-6-1 to the under the past 20x times that they scored 80 or more in their previous game.

The Red Storm lost the first meeting and they are also off a loss in their last game. They are 6-3-1 to the under off a loss and they are also 3-0 to the under their last 3x that they played with road revenge. Give me the Under!

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!

Luton Town was living on borrowed time. The bubble finally burst for the Hatters in their last game. They fell 3-1 to Sheffield United, the worst team in the Premiership. Off that loss, they are in no shape to contend with the rejuvenated Red Devils. Really, the warning signs had been there for Luton Town. The Hatters have only won 1 of their last 5 matches.

Undefeated in 4 2024 league matches, Manchester United is 3-0 in February. The wins came by a combined score of 9-4. It's fair to say that United is playing some of its best football in quite some time. The November match was won 1-0 by United. Given the form of the Red Devils and with Luton Town off the loss to Sheffield, this will result in another victory.

San Jose returns home from a road trip. The first game back is difficult. The Sharks are missing some key players. The Sharks are 23-41 (-9.1) their last 64, after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game. The Sharks are also 9-25 their last 34 tries, after a win by 2 goals or more.

The Sharks only score 2.2 goals per home game. The Blue Jackets average 3 goals per road game. The Blue Jackets scored 11 goals, including 6 here at San Jose, in sweeping last season's 2 games. They do it again tonight!

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!

It's not going out on a limb to say that James Madison is very likely going to win this game. The Dukes are 22-3 and favored by 2 touchdowns. The Panthers are 11-13 and 4-10 on the road. The question becomes: what kind of game will it be? Will the Dukes dominate the Panthers with their defense or run them out the door with their offense?

A look to last season provides a valuable clue. The Dukes blew out the Panthers in both games last year but they did so in 2 very different fashions. In the gam at Georgia State, they dominated defensively, a 63-47 victory. The game at James Madison played out differently, the Dukes ran the Panthers out of the building in a 90-69 offensive thrashing. With JMU averaging more than 86 points at home and GSU allowing 79 ppg on the road, this one will play out like last year's game here did. The Panthers will move to 10-5 to the over in their road games. Go with the OVER!

Great price on the home underdog Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres just smashed the LA Kings 7-0 on Tuesday. They have scored 5 or more goals in 3 of their last 5 games. Off one of their biggest wins in years, they are feeling good about themselves and can't wait to get back on the ice.

The Florida Panthers won again last night. Off 3 straight wins, they have been playing well. The problem is that they are only 13-18 (-11.2) their last 31 tries when playing with 0 days rest.

The Sabres are 4-2 their past 6 tries off a shutout win. They are also 17-3-1 when scoring first in games this season and their starting goalie Luukkonen has 3 shutouts (1.60 GAA and .941 save percentage) in his last 12 games. Let's Go, Buffalo!

Here is a case of 2 teams going in different directions. The Minnesota Wild have won 3 in a row and 6 of their last 8. The Arizona Coyotes are 0-6 their last 6 games. With 28 goals allowed in those 6 games, at least 3 in each, the Coyotes can't keep the puck out of the net. None of Minnesota's last 7 opponents have scored more than 3 goals.

The Wild have been waiting for this game and not just because Arizona is struggling. The Coyotes humiliated them 6-0 at Minnesota in January. At the time, the Wild were mired in a 1-7-1 stretch and they had just gotten Kaprizov back from injury for his first game back. Now the healthier and hotter team, the Wild will take advantage of the winnable road game and avenge last month's blowout. **CENTRAL GOY**

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**

This season's earlier meeting had 263 points, all in regulation. This one will also lack any semblance of defense. The Indiana Pacers allow 123 points a game on the road. They are 7-2 to the over off an upset loss, 25-10 to the over their last 35 in that spot.

The Toronto Raptors are 30-14 to the over their last 44 versus poor defensive teams - defined as teams allowing 116+ points/game. They are 46-25 to the over their last 71 against such teams. The Raptors are also 14-8 to the over this season when the total was set at 230 or higher. Go with the Over!

This is a very low total. These may not be offensive super-powers but the number is still too low. Boston is 13-6 to the over last 3 years when a total was in the 120s. Army is 7-4 to the over the last 3 years when a total was in the 120s.

Boston is 18-7 to the over its last 25 tries, when playing against a team with a losing record after 15 or more games. The Terriers are 3-0 to the over this month and the over is now 14-4 in their February games the last 3 seasons. This month's games have all finished with at least 138 points.

Army is off a 136 point game versus Navy. That game also had a low total but the final score finished well above it. Last month's game finished over and the over is 5-1 the past 6 meetings. Go with the Over!

We lost with a German team, RB Leipzig, yesterday afternoon. I felt that it was a good spot for Leipzig at home, getting a 0.5 goal. They had numerous chances and a disallowed goal. It took a beautiful goal and a lot of big saves to beat them. Even so, they were up against an elite Real Madrid team, one of the best in the world. This situation is different. This time, its the German side which is one of the best in the world.

Bayern Munich, undefeated in their last 12 Champions League matches against Italian teams, is strong on the road. Lazio is vulnerable and won't be able to hold back the German giants. Bayern won both matches against Lazio in the Round of 16 in Feb. and March of 2021, including a 4-1 thrashing at Stadio Olimpico. This will be another victory for the superior side. Go with the visitors.

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!

This total is a few points higher than it was for last month's game at Air Force. With both teams currently struggling to hit the basket, it's too high.

Air Force has scored 56, 64 and 66 points its last 3 games. All three games had lower totals than this one. But those opponents could score. Tonight the Falcons face a San Jose State squad which has scored 60, 57 and 47 its last 3 games. The Spartans have scored 65 or less in 5 straight.

The Falcons are a perfect 3-0 to the under the past 3x that they were road underdogs, or pick, of 3 or less. Before last month's game finished at 137, the previous 4 meetings all finished with 134 or less. This one will also stay below that 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.

These teams both have trouble scoring at times. The Coyotes average 2.8 goals per game on the road. The Flyers average 2.8 goals per game at home. This season's first meeting had three first period goals but still only finished at 4-1.

The Flyers may have lost their previous starting netminder for a while but they are still getting exemplary goal-tending. They've conceded only 4 total goals thier last 3 games. None of those finished with more than 5 combined goals. Samuel Ersson has been sharp and his backup Cal Petersen came through with a strong performance when called upon last game. The surging Flyers will make scoring difficult for an Arizona team which is missing some attacking pieces. That will help keep this game under the total!

This is not the same Kansas City team that faced the 49ers in the Super Bowl 4 years ago. This year's Chiefs are a defensive team. That's how they got here. They allowed 17.3 points a game in the regular season and they're allowing just 13.7 ppg in the playoffs.

San Francisco can make the same claim. The 49ers allowed 17.5 ppg in the regular season, the fewest of any NFC team. Though the playoff numbers aren't as impressive, you just saw their defense stiffen and hold the Lions to 7 second half points.

The Chiefs have now seen 8 of their last 9 games finish with 46 or fewer points. Only 1 of their last 17 games has finished with more than 48. This will not be a high scoring game and the total is too high. Go with the Under!

A number in the 130s at this venue, with these teams, is too low. The Panthers play higher-scoring games away from home. Northern Iowa road games average 147.1 points. The opposite is true of Illinois-Chicago. The Flames play higher-scoring games at home. Their games here average 143.9 points.

The Panthers are 19-11 to the over their last 30 tries when off a conference win. The Flames are 10-5 to the over their last 15 off a conference win and 11-7 to the over their last 18 when playing with revenge. The O|U line was 138.5 when the Panthers played here last season. Sound familiar? The final score was 150. Go with the Over!

San Francisco can score plenty of points but that's been factored into this very high total. Too high. The Dons are already 2-0 to the under this season when the O/U line was in the 150s. Both games finished in the 140s.

Santa Clara often has trouble scoring. The Broncos managed only 59 points last game. They had a similar 58-point effort versus Yale. Less than a month ago, they scored only 49 against St. Mary's. They are 7-3 to the under their last 10 versus teams which score 77+ points/game after 15+ games.

They played a high-scoring OT game in the West Coast Conference Tournament last year but 7 of the last 9 regular season meetings have finished with 150 or less. This game stays Under! **WCC TOY**

The Hurricanes are an elite team. They responded to their 3-2 loss against Vancouver by hammering Colorado, one of the best teams in hockey, by a 5-2 score. They are a profitable 65-37 the last few seasons, after scoring 4 or more goals in their previous game.

The Devils are missing a number of important players right now. The missing defense is leading to a lot of goals allowed. They gave up 5 goals last game. That's 28 goals allowed in their last 6 games, a minimum of 3 in each. That many goals allowed won't cut it against a Carolina club which has conceded 2 or less in 4 of its last 5 games, 3 in the other.

The Hurricanes own the Devils here. They are 7-1 the last 8 meetings in Raleigh. Nothing changes today.

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!

I won with Brighton last Saturday. That was a home match against Crystal Palace. The Seagulls haven't been good at following up a strong result with another one and a road game at Tottenham is going to be far more challenging.

The visitors are winless their last five top-flight road games on the road and they've failed to score in the last 2 of those matches. The home side has won its last 4 top-flight games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

South Korea and Mali have now been eliminated from the Asian Cup and Africa Cup of Nations. That means that Tottenham will see the return of captain Son Heung-min and Yves Bissouma, formerly an important defensive midfielder for Brighton. Brighton will get Mitoma back but will still be without some key pieces. Look for Tottenham to avenge a December loss at Brighton.

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.

The Penguins are 54-33 to the under the last few seasons, 13-10 this year, when playing on the road with a total of 6 or more. The Wild are 14-9 to the under at home, when the total was 6 or more.

Both teams are playing a low-scoring brand of hockey since the All Star Break. The Penguins last 3 games, all unders, have averaged, 3.3 goals. Minnesota's last 3 games, also all unders, have averaged 4.33 goals. The Wild are now 16-8 to the under their last 24 in the month of February.

Remember that Minnesota goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury played for the Penguins for many years. The under trend continues for another night!

Marseille is struggling to score right now. They lost 1-0 to Lyons last match. Three of their last 4 matches have finished with 3 or fewer combined goals.

Marseille is struggling to score at the moment. Metz just struggles to score, period. Only last place Clermont scores fewer goals. In fact, they've only found the back of the net twice over their last 7 Ligue 1 matches. Five of those 7 matches finished with 2 goals or less and today's will do the same.

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!

Detroit is off a 133-120 win last night. The Pistons are 5-1 to the over when off a SU win, 5-0 if that victory was an upset. The Pistons, 5-3 to the over when playing with 0 day's rest in between games, are 17-6 to the over on the road this season. The over is also 30-15 when they were underdogs.

Last year's game here had a total of 231.5 and finished with 241 points. At this stage of the season, there's not much reason for playing defense for these teams and tonight's game will also fly over the total. Go with the Over!

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.

These teams went over when they played on January 3rd. Both have playing lower-scoring games since then though and both cranked up the defensive intensity in winning their last game. The Trojans held Oregon State to only 54 points. The Golden Bears kept Arizona State to 66.

The Bears are now 5-3 to the under since facing USC, a perfect 3-0 under record their last 3. The Trojans are 5-2 to the under their last 7 games.

Games at USC have truly been high-scoring. Not so here in Berkeley. The Trojans last visit here produced only 117 points! The Bears are 7-1 to the under their last 8 against losing teams, after at least 15 games. This game goes under!

If the playoffs started today, both these teams would be on the outside looking in. Washington still believes and expects to make a playoff push. Montreal is further back and knows its chances are bleak. The recent trade of center Sean Monahan for draft picks shows they're already thinking about the future. With Brendan Gallagher, another center, serving a suspension, the Habs are weak up the middle.

The Capitals were struggling before the break but are going to be ready to go tonight. Ovechkin will lead the way. The Capitals captain commented: "Right now you can see everybody's fresh, everybody's happy to be back and Tuesday's going to be a great day to play hockey." The Capitals are 3-0 the last 3 meetings here, outscoring Montreal 18-6. They will make it 4 in a row tonight.

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.

Kansas comes in hot and defense has been a big part of the reason. The Jayhawks held Houston to 65 points last game. Before that, they limited Oklahoma State to only 56. They will face a Kansas State team which has scored 53 or less in 2 of its last 3 games.

This season, Kansas State has been going over the total against losing teams and staying under the total against winning teams. The Wildcats are 11-2 to the under against teams with a winning record.

Off a game Saturday, I will point out that Kansas is 3-0 to the under when playing with 0 or 1 day's rest in between games. The Jayhawks are 15-8 to the under in that situation their last 23.

K-State is 7-3 to the under when the total was in the 140s and 4-1 to the under at home when the total was 140 to 144.5. This game stays under! **BIG 12 TOY**

If Rayo Vallecano can't find victory, a draw is a distinct possibility in this one. Three of the last 4 La Liga meetings between these clubs have ended in draws. I prefer the total.

Three of the last 4 h2h meetings have produced 2 or fewer goals. The last 2 h2h matches at Campo de Futbol de Vallecas both ended 1-1. That could happen again, as could a scoreless draw. A 1-0 (or 2-0) win for the home team is also possible. The visitors are likely to have trouble scoring, either way. Sevilla has only found the back of the net twice in its last 4 league matches. With only 3 total goals in its last 8 league matches, scoring is far from guaranteed for Rayo Vallecano. Both clubs are missing some key attacking pieces. This match goes Under!

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!

Last year's game had a low total and the final score snuck over it. This is another low total and the final score will again finish to the over.

Davidson games average 139.6 points. Loyola-Chicago games average 140.8. This total is lower than either of those numbers. Digging deeper reveals that Davidson road games are higher-scoring. The Wildcats are therefore 5-1 to the over on the road. Those true road games are averaging 150.

Loyola-Chicago is 11-2 to the over its last 13 home games when the total was in between 135 and 139.5 points. The Ramblers are also 4-1 to the over last 5 tries as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points. Go with the Over!

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!

The Orange are off a 77-72 loss to Pittsburgh. It was their 5th loss in ACC play. After their previous four ACC losses, they've cranked up their defense leading to the under going a perfect 4-0 the next game. Off a loss to Virginia, they beat Cornell 80-71. That game had a total of 165. Off a loss to Duke, they beat BC 69-59. Off a loss to UNC, they beat Pitt 69-58. Off a loss to Florida State, they beat NC State 77-65. Those four games didn't just go under, they EASILY went under!

We know the Orange crank up the defense off an ACC loss but it should also be understood that Wake Forest plays great defense at home. Visiting games are averaging only 64.1 points a game here, hitting 40.9% of their field goals. Four of the last 5 meetings at Wake have gone under. Go with the Under!

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.

Brighton will not be denied in this match! The Seagulls were humiliated 4-0 at Luton Town last match and they're going to be extremely determined to make amends. They are a much stronger team at Amex Stadium.

Crystal Palace is a team that Brighton can handle. Palace may not be in immediate relegation danger but they are a bottom tier club. Brighton has a +1 goal differential, CP sits at -14.

Recent head-to-head meetings at Crystal Palace have resulted in draws but the Seagulls won 1-0 the last h2h match at the Amex. They will respond to the Luton loss with an important victory today!

These are both good teams. They've been getting it done in different ways. Toledo has been winning by outscoring opponents. Akron has been winning by dominating teams with its smothering defense. It may be a different story for the rematch at Toledo but with this game being played at Arkon, the Zips will effectively dictate the tempo and slow down the Rockets to the level of their liking.

There are a lot of stats which point to this play staying below the total. Here are some of those: Akron is 6-3 to the under in conference play. The Zips are also 5-2 to the under in their home games. None of the Zips' last 10 opponents have scored more than 76 points. The last team that they faced scored only 46. Five of their last 6 games have gone under.

The Rockets are 5-2 to the under off a conference win and 2-0 to the under when playing a road game with a total of 145 to 149.5. The number is high and this game will go Under.

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.

The Bundesliga weekend gets started Borussia Dortmund and Heidenheim collide wat the Voith Arena on Friday night. If you haven't heard of Heidenheim, its because its their first even Bundesliga season. They've been exceeding expectations, which has kept the price reasonable, but are in for a reality check against a superior Borussia Dortmund squad.

One of the top 5 teams, Borussia Dortmund has a +14 goal differential through 19 matches. Heidenheim has also played 19 matches but has a -7 goal differential. Borussia Dortmund settled for a 2-2 draw in the reverse fixture but has been unstoppable in 2024. Three straight victories and 10 goals in the process. Heidenheim, for its part, is off 3 straight 1-1 draws. Matches here have been exciting and high-scoring but in the end Heidenheim won't be able to keep up.

I played on the Celtics over in their last game. The final score was 129-124. That was against Indiana though and the Celtics were playing their second game in 2 days. Totally different setup for this one. The Celtics are 17-11 to the under when playing with 1 day's rest. They are also 14-7 to the under when off an ATS loss.

The Lakers have had no trouble going over the total on the road this season, regardless of how high the total is set. That will change tonight though. The Celtcs are 17-9 to the under, 7-3 this season, their past 26 tries when playing at home game with a total of 230 or more. Go with the Under!

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!

Sometimes, you need to take what the books are giving you. These teams never have totals of 7 when they play each other. A glance at the past 10 meetings reveals most 6.5s. The last meeting had a total of 6 and it finished with 6. We're getting a whole extra goal tonight.

The Red Wings have allowed 2 goals or less in consecutive games and 5 of their last 7. The Senators have allowed 3 or less in 6 of their last 7. This game goes Under!

The last meeting was on January 8th. The final combined score was 264, the Pacers finishing on top. With Indiana road games averaging more than 247 points, this will be another shootout.

Boston played last night. It's important to know that the Celtics are 24-11 to the over the past 35 times that they played 2 games in 2 days. The Celtics are also 9-4 to the over when in they were in a revenge situation.

The Pacers are 30-10 to the over their last 40 tries, when facing a team with a winning record in the 2nd half of the season. Go with the Over.

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 Islanders scored 79 points last game. They have scored 73 or more points in 6 of their last 8 games, 80 or more in 3 of those.

The Lions are off an 87-84 loss. That game went to Overtime. So the score was a bit misleading. The scoring really picked up in the 2nd half and OT of that game though and will carry over into this game.

The most recent meeting between these teams was here at the end of last regular season. The score was 93-88. Once again, the game went to Overtime. There were still 156 points scored in regulation though. Last season's first meeting finished with 164. Both those games had totals in the 140s, the final scores easily finishing to the over.

The Islanders are 6-3 to the over their last 9 road games with a total of 140 to 144.5. The Lions are 3-0 to the over during same period, at home with a total in same range. This game goes OVER!

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.

The Chiefs went over the total in their game against the Bills. Depending on the time and place, the Ravens game either landed right on the total or went over it. With those games having quite a lot of points, Sunday's AFC Championship O|U line is quite high. Too high.

We're talking about the top 2 scoring defenses in the NFL. In the regular season, Baltimore allowed 16.5 points a game. KC allowed 17.3. They've also allowed the fewest points in the playoffs. The Ravens allowed 10 points. The Chiefs are allowing an average of 15.5.

These teams are going to pound the rock, especially the Ravens. It's not always conventional but they run more than any team. They ran 42 times last week against Houston. That keeps the clock moving and under the total 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**

Yale is 10-6 to the over this season. Harvard is 9-6 to the over. Those records are keeping this total in the 140s. Both schools are off a low-scoring game though. The Bulldogs just beat Dartmouth 76-51. The Crimson just won at Penn by a 70-61 score. 127 and 131 and we've got a total in the 140s.

The last 4 times that these rivals have faced each other the scores were 58-55, 62-59, 58-54 and 68-57. All went under. All finished with 125 or less.

Harvard is 7-2-1 to the under last 10 off a conference win. Yale is 6-2 to the under last eight when playing on the road and the total was in the 140 to 144.5 range. This game goes under!

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.

Here's a situation where Carolina playing 2 games in 2 days works in our favor. If the Hurricanes were not in that situation, they would be laying a far greater price. Can they win 2 games in 2 days? Absolutely. They just beat a much better team last night. They won't squander that by giving away a winnable game against an opponent which they dominate here.

The Hurricanes may be playing 2 games in 2 days but they are on home ice and they are far healthier than the Devils. They had 2 days off before yesterday's game. They are 54-28 (+10.9) in divisional games the last few seasons and they are 6-1 their last 7 home games against the Devils. Let's go Hurricanes!

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!

Air Force has failed to score 70 points in any of its last 5 games. The Falcons will have trouble scoring against an angry UNLV team. The Rebels are 13-8 to the under the past 21 times that they were off a Mountain West Conf. loss.

If they were at home, they might score more but doing so on the road will be difficult. The Falcons are 20-11 to the under their last 31 on the road.

Last year's regular season meeting finished with only 107 points. The last 3 regular season meetings have all finished with 131 or less. This one does the same!

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.

The Buccaneers were involved in a shootout with the Texans back in Week 9. The final score was 39-37 as the game turned wild in the 4th quarter with 31 points. That was the only time all season that Tampa allowed more than 27 points. On the season, the Bucs allowed just 19.1 points, tied for 6th best. They have also really turned it up in recent weeks. They held the Eagles to 9 points and 276 total yards in the Wildcard Rd and they allowed less than 12 points a game over the final 3 games of reg. season. In the final game, they pitched a shutout.

Tampa coach Todd Bowles said this of his defense: "We've gotten tougher over the course of the past few weeks. Everybody has finally gotten back and playing at the same time. ... Communication has gotten a lot better, everybody's trusting each other next to them and they're playing for each other."

The Lions defense held the Rams to 6 second half points last week. They also held the Bucs to 6 points, a 20-6 win, during the regular season. Tampa had only 13 first downs and 251 total yards. That total was only 44. This one is a lot higher. Too high. Go with the Under.

West Ham, off a 1-0 loss in FA Cup action, hasn't conceded a single goal in its last five league matches. Last league match was a 0-0 draw. Sheffield which has scored fewer goals than any club in the Premier League is unlikely to snap that streak. Sheffield has at least cleaned up defensively lately. Last league match was a 2-0 loss to Man. City. Four of the past 5 h2h matches have finished with 2 goals or less. With West Ham missing some key attacking pieces, this match will also be low-scoring.

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!

We won with the Devils last night. It was a favorable matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets. At the time, I mentioned that Columbus was only 2-10 after scoring 4 or more goals though, 20-52 (-24.4) in that situation the last few seasons. This is a far more difficult matchup.

I didn't mind backing the Devils on the road last night because they are actually much better away from NJ. I mentioned that they'd been -240 when they hosted Columbus but that the price was much lower due to the game being on the road. This time, it works the other way. We're able to get Dallas, a better team which is rested, at a bargain price compared to what the price would be, if the Stars were hosting. For the record, the Devils are 14-7-1 on the road but 9-10-2 at home.

The Devils are 0-5 the last 5 times that they played 2 games in two nights. You'd be 5-0 if playing against them each time they were in that situation since the start of December. They gave up 6, 5, 5, 4 and 6 goals in those game.

Road team won both games last season. Rested and off a loss, the Stars will bounce back and take this one.

The Texans have looked pretty good but they are now on the road and facing the stingiest defense in the NFL. No team allowed fewer points than the 16.5 ppg allowed by the Baltimore Ravens.

The Texans held the Browns to 14 points and 324 yards. They weren't dominant defensively like the Ravens but ranked in the top half of all defenses for points and yards allowed.

In addition to allowing the fewest number of points, the Ravens led the league in rushing. They will keep the clock ticking and the Houston offense on the sidelines. Points will not come easily in this game. Go with the Under.

Brentford and Nottingham Forest are close in the standings. Forest is ahead by 1 point but Brentford has played one less match and has a much better goal differential. Playing this game at Gtech Community Stadium gives Brentford an advantage. Two matches between these clubs at Nottingham Forest have both resulted in draws but the game here at Brentford resulted in a 2-1 win for the Bees.

Brentford will be inspired from the return of Ivan Toney. He's back from a gambling suspension and will captain the team immediately. Though he may ultimately end up elsewhere, his importance can't be understated. Toney said this: "Big dog's back."

Brentford boss Thomas Frank said this about Toney's return: "It's massive, no doubt about that," is assessment. It's like signing a Premier League striker who can score 20 goals."

Brentford also benefits from an extra day of recovery time. Both clubs played in the FA Cup this week but the Bees did so on Tuesday while Forest played Wednesday. The edges will add up to a victory for the home team in Toney's return match.

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.

Both these teams have seen more unders than overs. That's brought the total down for us today. It's now too low. Auburn averages more than 84 points a game, more than 82 a game on the road. The Tigers can and will score anywhere. They put up 93 points last game.

The Commodores know that they need to score, if they want to avoid embarrassment. Their last home game was a 78-75 loss to Alabama. That stayed under the total but that was a much higher number.

These teams will meet again at the end of January. Last year's first meeting finished with 174 points. This one will get over the 150 mark.

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.

Two really bad teams. Do they even want to win? If so, who wants it more? In my estimation, its better not to lose sleep over the side and instead to focus on the total.

These teams are bad in no small part to their defense. The Sharks give up 4.05 goals per game. That's the most in entire NHL and the number climbs to 4.3 goals allowed per road game. The Blackhawks aren't far behind. They allow 3.65 goals per game, 4th worst in the NHL.

The last 3 meetings all finished with 7 goals. This one finishes with 6 or more, the over moving to 7-3 the past 10 times that Chicago played with 2 day's rest in between games.

The Eagles offense stumbled down the stretch. The Eagles scored 10 points last game and that marked the 4th time in 6 games that they failed to reach the 20 point mark. The injury to Brown, their top receiver, is a big blow to the offense.

The Bucs got here by playing defense. They allow only 19.1 points a game while scoring just 20.5. Both quarterbacks are playing at less than 100%.

The Eagles won 25-11 when the teams met in the regular season. That was when Philadelphia was scoring with ease. The Eagles won't get that many this evening and the Bucs are likely to also have trouble scoring. The line is generous. Go with the Under.

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***

The Chiefs transformed themselves into a defensive team this year. The offense wasn't as potent and the defense picked up the slack. The Dolphins were explosive most of the season but their offense slowed down the stretch. Those are the biggest reasons why we're now working with a total in the low/mid 40s, as compared to a total of 51.5 when these teams faced each other back in November. That's a big drop. Too big!

It'll be cold but this is still Patrick Mahomes vs. Tua Tagovailoa. Mahomes still has Kelce to throw to and Tagovailoa's top target, Tyreek Hill will be playing his first game back at Arrowhead. These are some of the best offensive players on the planet and they won't be stopped by the cold.

The Dolphins are getting healthier on offense but their defense is severely depleted. They've given up 77 points in their last 2 games alone. Their games average more than 52 points. This one will finish over the low total! ***WILDCARD TOY***

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.

What reason would these teams have to play defense against each other? They're a pair of non-playoff teams from opposite conferences. Frankly, neither plays much D regardless of opponent. Charlotte allows 120.9 points a game on the road. Teams hosting the Hornets hit a high 50.9% of their field goals. The Hornets are 5-1 to the over on the road when the total was set at 230 or more. The Spurs allow 124.7 points per game at home. They just scored 130 last game and they are 13-4 to the over at home. This game will fly over the total.

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***

This is a big total. Too big. Neither team was pleased with its number of goals allowed last game. Both will be looking to clean that up. Buffalo has already gone under 12 of 19 times, after giving up 4 or more goals. The Senators are 12-8 to the under after allowing 4 or more goals. For the past few seasons, Ottawa is 51-36 to the under after allowing 4 or more goals.

The Sabres are also 12-7 to the under when playing a home game with a total of 6 or more. The Sabres score less at home (2.8 gpg) than on the road. The under is 12-7 in their home games. Lastly, the under is 7-1-1 the past 3 seasons when these divisional foes have faced each other. Go with the Under! ***Atlantic Div TOY***

The Golden Knights won the first meeting 7-0. The Avalanche are 10-3 to the under in 13 tries when playing with revenge. Over the past few seasons, Colorado is 44-26-1 to the under, when in a revenge situation.

The Golden Knights haven't played in some time. They are 2-1 to the under when having had 3 or more day's off. They are also 12-5-1 to the under against winning teams.

Before the 7-0 game, the previous six meetings between these teams had all finished with 5 goals or less. The under was 6-0. This game will be low-scoring! ***NHL TOW***

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***

No Morant. No problem. The Grizzlies just scored 121 in a victory at Phoenix. They scored 127 in their previous game. Each of the games on the current road trip have seen at least 236 points scored. On the season, Grizzly road games are much higher-scoring than games played at Memphis.

The Mavericks are the opposite of the Grizzlies. Their home games have been much higher-scoring than their road games. Games here average 237. The over is 7-2 when they play within their division.

Dallas has played much higher-scoring games against bad teams than good ones. The Mavericks scored 139 the last time that they faced a losing team. On the season, the over is 15-4 in 19 tries when the Mavericks were matched up against a team with a losing record. Go with the Over! ***SouthWest Division TOM***

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***