The Stars are off a win but are playing on the road and in back to back games. Dallas is much less of a threat on the road. Holtby will likely play in goal on Thursday. He has not played much or well lately, and will have a tired 16th rated defense in front of him.

Nashville is off a big win, at home, and has had an extra day’s rest. They lost to the Stars in Dallas a week ago, so a little pay back is in order. Preds’ goalie Saros has had a terrific year, but stumbled for four games, allowing an uncharacteristic 15 goals. After a few days of rest, it is likely that we will see a return to form. The Predators have owned the Stars in recent meetings in Nashville. I am banking on a similar outcome. Take the Preds to win against a weary Stars team.

No one is going to argue the point that Memphis had a great first half. They have the third best record in the NBA at 41-19 after winning 32 of 41 and 22 of their last 27. Now in the last game before the All Star Break, the Grizzlies did lose, as an 11.5-point favorite to Portland 123-119. But I am willing to chalk that up to a case of looking ahead to the break.

Minnesota also had a first half they should be happy with. While not as good as Memphis, the Timberwolves are 31-28 and seventh in the Western Conference. It would be a real shock if they didn’t at least make it out of the play-in round. But here they are overmatched.

The Grizzlies are 8-1 ATS against the Timberwolves the last three seasons. The one loss was a bad one, earlier this year in Minnesota. But that was also back in November, before the Grizzlies’ season really took off.

Ja Morant had 44 points in the loss to Portland. The Grizzlies are 28-12 vs. the rest of the Western Conference. Minnesota is only 20-18 in such games. Memphis also has a much better record against winning teams. 

The defensive edge also goes to Memphis. The Timberwolves give up 111.7 points per game, more than you’d like to see, and in the last five games they gave up an average of 121.8 points. Lay the points here. 

No one likes to be swept, especially by the Sabres, and the Habs are playing at home, and with considerably more vigor since the coaching change. The Canadiens have won three straight, surprising some good teams, so what are the odds of four in a row? In this case it is a solid bet. The Sabres have lost 3 in a row and are a very poor road team. Take the Habs to come out gunning and spoil the Sabres’ series sweep.

The race for the regular season title in the SoCon (Southern Conference) is down to two teams: Chattanooga and Furman. Chattanooga is seemingly in the driver's seat, not just with a one-game lead, but they also swept the season series against Furman.

But, after beating Furman for a second time this year, the Mocs have lost two straight: 73-70 to UNC Greensboro and 80-75 to VMI. Even more embarrassing is that both losses came at home. Tonight though, the Mocs can clinch the regular season title, simply by winning at East Tennessee State. 

When these in-state rivals met on New Year’s Eve, it was all Chattanooga in an 82-52 beatdown. East Tennessee State has not had a good season as they come into the rematch having lost seven of their last nine games. Many of those losses were close, but I just can’t see them winning here against a hungry and better opponent.

Chattanooga is a very impressive 21-5-1 ATS its last 27 games against teams that have a losing record. East Tennessee State is 14-15 overall on the year (straight up). 

This is only the second time this season that Chattanooga has lost back to back games. The first instance saw them rebound with a double digit victory. That is what I expect here. Lay the points.

Bucknell and Army meet for the second time in 2022 and if the first meeting, or even more recent results (from both teams) are any indication, then this Patriot League matchup should be pretty high-scoring on Wednesday.

The first time these teams played, Army won 96-89. Both sides shot the lights out. Army made 60 percent of its field goal attempts while Bucknell wasn’t too far behind at 55.7 percent (also made 45.8% from three).

Since that first meeting, we’ve seen numerous high scoring games from each team. Bucknell is coming off a 92-89 win over Lafayette. That game did go to overtime, but the Bison have now shot better than 50 percent in three of their last four contests. The fact they also are giving up almost 80 points per game is another reason to like the Over here.

Army has allowed a total of 183 points in its last two games with the opponents shooting 57 percent! 

What if I told you that Bucknell has the third worst defensive efficiency rating in the country? Or that the Over has hit in five of their last six games? I’m quite shocked that the total is not higher here than it was for the first matchup between the teams.  

Two rivals trying to break from the middle of the Mountain West pack meet Tuesday night in Reno as Nevada hosts UNLV. The home side has won three in a row, though two of those wins came against last place San Jose State. The visiting team has won three of four and five of its last seven, which includes a win over Nevada , 69-58 down in Sin City.

The Runnin’ Rebels are 4-0 ATS in the last four games and coming off wins over Fresno State and Colorado State. Beating Colorado State by 21 on Saturday was very impressive. The Rebels have gotten 10 straight games of 17+ points from leading scorer Hamilton and the only time they’ve been beaten in the last four games, it came down to the final minute in Bose.

But Nevada is out for revenge Tuesday night and should benefit from the fact they have not played a game since Thursday (when they obliterated San Jose State by 30). 

The Wolf Pack have won and covered the last three times they’ve hosted UNLV. They shot very poorly in the game at Vegas earlier this year, including 3 of 17 from three. They come into this game shooting 53.7% overall over the last five games. 

I mentioned earlier that UNLV is off a 21-point over Colorado State. Fortunately for us, the Rebels are just 1-5 ATS the previous six times they have been off a straight up win by 20 or more points. 

Neither the Ducks nor the Sharks are playing well at present. It is time one of these teams woke up, and I am betting it will be the Ducks. They’re at home, with better goal-tending, very strong special teams, and some dynamic forwards. The Ducks struggle to defend, but the Sharks have had trouble generating much in the way of offense. Reimer is the only goalie in town at the moment and the Sharks are down three defensemen. Look for the Sharks’ struggles to continue on the road. Ducks to win.

Heading into February, Miami was viewed as a legit contender in the ACC. But they’re just 3-3 overall this month and thus falling back to the rest of the pack. Looking at their remaining games, the Hurricanes do have a pretty “easy” schedule and still trail Duke by just two games. Winning tonight at Pittsburgh is a must and I think they get the job done.

Pitt had won three in a row, but then lost to Ga Tech 68-62 on Saturday. They were two-point favorites. Even with the recent surge, the Panthers are just 6-11 in ACC games and closer to the bottom then they are to the middle of the pack. 

Miami is 7-2 on the road this year, straight up and against the spread, so I am not worried about laying a short number here. Pittsburgh is averaging only 62.5 points per game, which is 343rd in the country. 

I think most would be looking at the Hurricanes a lot more favorably here, had they not wilted in the second half against Virginia on Saturday. The Canes were up by eight at the half in that game, but surrendered a 23-4 second half run and never really recovered. The final score was 74-71. 

The last five games Miami has allowed a shooting percentage of 50.6. I just don’t see Pitt coming anywhere close to that. 

#7 Baylor heads to Stillwater tonight to face Oklahoma State. This is Ok State’s second straight week playing on “Big Monday” (ESPN). The Cowboys certainly are hoping this week goes better than last when they lost to Kansas 76-62 as a 10.5-point dog. I believe it will!

The obvious difference between this week and last is that OSU is playing at home. They have a much better record in Stillwater (9-5 SU), which is where they just defeated Kansas State on Saturday, 82-79. Though it ended up going into overtime, the Cowboys led most of that game.

Now Baylor is clearly much better than Kansas State. But the Bears have struggled a bit on their travels recently, dropping three of their last four road games. 

You could argue that all three teams Baylor lost to on the road are better than Ok State. I won’t disagree with you on that. But Ok State also already holds a win over Baylor this year, having gone to Waco and come out ahead 61-54 as 14-point road underdogs. They held the Bears to 31% shooting for the game. It was Baylor’s second straight loss at the time.

Baylor is just 2-5 ATS its last seven games overall. They are playing short-handed right now with a couple of players injured. A lack of depth will catch up with them on the road. Take the points.

I used Maryland back on Friday and they got the ‘W’, easily defeating last place Nebraska by a score of 90-74. The Terrapins were just a two-point favorite, on the road, in that one. The win snapped a five-game losing streak (two losses were by a total of three points) and now the Terps look to make it back to back Big 10 wins for just the second time all season.

Just to be safe here, I’m playing the money line. Needing just a straight up win is a lot less to worry about as opposed to laying the points, even if it is a small number.

Six Maryland players finished in double figures against Nebraska and the team shot 73 percent from the field during the opening 10 minutes of the second half. I don’t think they’ll play that well again. But, at home, the Terrapins should have no problem beating Penn State.

PSU has won back to back games for the first time since the start of the new year. The wins, both at home, were against Michigan State and Minnesota. The Nittany Lions are now 10-3 ATS in 2022. But they have a 1-7 straight up record in true road games.

Maryland is looking for revenge tonight as they lost both meetings with PSU last season. I think they’ll get it. Play them on the MONEY LINE

The Jets are just .500 on the road, and have a significant injury list.  This will be their 4th game in 5 nights, as they head to Calgary to face a sizzling Flames powerhouse.  Calgary has now won 9 straight, averaging much less than 2 goals against per game and scoring better than 4.  They are healthy, rested, and dominant at home.  Wnnipeg has historically had their way with the Flames, but that success likely comes to an end on Monday.  Goal tender Hellebuyck has not been as solid this year, and the Jets are just average on defense, and have been uneven in offensive production.  An average total is available on Monday, mainly due to the Flames' ability to keep down the goals-against.  Look for the Flames to take it to Winnipeg and the total to go over.

The Bruins are 4-6, and all of their wins were against the NHL’s loss-leaders. Marchand is still out, and they are scoring at a very low average rate of 1.5 goals a game lately. This won’t get them far against the Avs. Colorado is 8-2, and are playing a much more balanced brand of hockey, holding opponents to under 2 goals a game, while outscoring them by 2 or more goals in 7 of 8 of their last eight wins. The Av's newly acquired disciplined approach has lead to a surprising number of lower scoring games.

Swayman should be in the net today. He has been the better of the Bruins’ net-minders, and has been particularly sharp in his last three starts. Meanwhile Kuemper has been more than steady for the Avalanche, and has seen his Save % climb to .920. The Avalanche and the under have ruled the roost in recent matchups between these two teams.  Given the situation today, I'll wager that today's total will go under as well.

The Oilers are at home vs. the Wild tonight. They have won 5 straight under a new coach, and in their last three games at least, seem to have re-found their scoring touch. To the negative side, they are beaten up, and playing in a back to back. The jury is still out on tonight’s expected goalie, Mike Smith, after a very long absence.

The Wild are 1-2 in their last three games, and have given up over 5 goals a game in that period. While Healthier and better-rested, they are missing a key defense-man, and tonight’s expected net-minder, Talbot, has struggled of late.

Both these teams are offense-driven, with below average defenses. The Wild’s recent propensity to give up goals is concerning. With the Oilers playing last night, some fatigue may be a factor, and it usually shows first on defense. I expect these to teams to do what they do best, which is put the puck in the net. Take tonight’s match-up to go over.

Loyola MD has lost four straight and six of seven. But most of those losses have been close. Three of them were by four points or less. So the recent record could be alot better for the Greyhounds. I like them today, at home, as they look to sweep the season series from Lehigh. 

A win today would pull Loyola even with Lehigh for fourth place in the Patriot League. Obviously, based on head to head results, they’d have the tiebreak. A loss would drop the Greyhounds and have them in danger of having to play a first round game in the Conference Tournament. They obviously want to avoid that.

Lehigh is off a win, 86-77 over Bucknell, but before that had lost four of five. The road has been unkind this year to the Mountain Hawks as they are 3-10 SU away. The last road win for them was just over a month ago.

Loyola won the first meeting 69-57 and was a two-point favorite. Looking at the line here and comparing it to the first meeting, it seems like we’re getting a pretty great value.

This is a huge game for the home team. I really like them in this spot.

Michigan and Wisconsin are both looking to follow up impressive wins on the road. The Wolverines, who are 14-10, need this game more as Wisconsin is 20-5 and well positioned to get a high seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Michigan scored 84 points Thursday at Iowa on 50% shooting. They won’t need nearly that many to win Sunday, though it should be pointed out that the Wolverines have topped 80 in three of their last six games. 

The Over is 6-3 in Michigan’s last nine games and two of the games that stayed Under had higher totals than what we’ve got for today’s matchup.

Wisconsin scored 74 points in its win over Indiana on Tuesday. They rallied in the second half for the victory. The Over is 6-0 the last six times the Badgers have been off an ATS win.

The Over is also 4-0 the previous four times Michigan has been a road underdog. Looking at what both teams are averaging this season and the total for this game, I think it’s very reasonable to expect an Over. 

I’ve been burned by the Kraken a few times, but I’m on the Calgary bandwagon at the moment, and had great success. The Flames are the hottest team in the NHL at the moment, scoring at a 5+ pace over their last 8 games, and winning by multiple goals 8 of 10 times. In addition to a powerful and balanced attack, they also have the best defense in the league, and a very good goaltender in Jacob Markstrom.

This hasn’t been the worst stretch that the Kraken has played , with 4 victories in 10 games, but it is hard to see them slowing that Calgary chuckwagon down. Grubauer has not played well since the break, and the offense will need more than their usual 2+ goals a game to have any success vs. the Flames. My biggest concern would be the Flames underestimating the Kraken, but with Darryl Sutter cracking the whip, that is unlikely to happen. Take the Flames to win on the puck line.

This is the ultimate buy low spot on Oregon, who just suffered a terrible loss at Arizona State on Thursday. Despite being favored by five points, the Ducks ended up losing the game 81-57. It was their worst loss of the season and a costly one for their NCAA Tournament prospects.

Few will give Oregon a shot tonight playing at Arizona. It’s not just the bad loss on Thursday. Arizona is ranked #3 in the country.

But, like I said, it’s time to buy low on Oregon. Expect them to come out with a flurry. Last Saturday, Arizona found itself down 14 early to Washington before being able to come back. It was another slow start in Thursday’s win over Oregon State. The Wildcats, talented as they are, can’t just keep starting slow and blowing teams out in the second half. It’s unsustainable.

Oregon was the #13 team in the country in the preseason poll and has beaten Arizona seven consecutive times. This is the first time they’ve been a double digit dog this season. The most points they’ve gotten previously, in any game, was +9.5 at UCLA. The Ducks ended up winning that game 84-81. 

This is a great time to take the points.

I’ve been VERY impressed with what Murray State is doing. The Racers have gotten themselves into the Top 25 by winning 15 in a row and can now probably count on being an at-large team in the NCAA Tournament if they fail to win the Ohio Valley Tournament next month.

Only two other teams in America, besides Murray State, don’t have a conference loss. They are Gonzaga and South Dakota State.

In their last game, the Racers blew past Austin Peay for a 91-56 win and cover. From the opening tip, there was little doubt they’d cover the 18.5-point spread. I expect a similar win here today against Tenn-Martin.

This is a tough one for Tenn-Martin, who just hosted Morehead State, who is another of the Ohio Valley’s better teams. The Skyhawks did cover that game, as nine-point dogs, but barely - they lost 68-60 and that was despite having the halftime lead. Tenn-Martin has now dropped four straight games.

The first meeting between these teams was actually rather close. Murray State won by only eight, despite being 22 point favorites at home. But that was early enough in the season that Tenn-Martin still had hope. At this point, they know they cannot compete with a nationally ranked team and I expect that to show Saturday afternoon.

#2 Auburn is back in action Saturday, looking to continue its outstanding form in the SEC this season. The Tigers are 12-1 in conference play so far and winning by an average of 10.4 points per game. Very impressive.

After double digit wins at home over Texas A&M and Vanderbilt, the Tigers will now head to Gainesville to face Florida. The Gators are not in peak form right now. Not only have they failed to cover the spread in five straight games, they’ve lost the last two on the scoreboard as well.

Those losses were both on the road, one by a single point (to Texas A&M) and the other to Kentucky. But if you’re expecting this team to step up as a home dog, better think again. Florida is 0-6 ATS the past six times it has been a home underdog of 3.5 to 6 points.

The Gators also have just one “Quad 1” win on the year. They lost the first meeting, at Auburn, by a score of 85-73. They didn’t cover as 7.5 point underdogs.

The bottom line is that I just don’t think the home team is good enough to “hang around” the #2 ranked team in the country for 40 minutes. Lay the points

The Avs area known offensive force in the NHL, but seem to have tightened up their defense at this point in the season. Kuemper has been very strong in net recently, and the Avs have allowed just 5 goals in his last 5 starts, including two shutouts.

The Sabres are 25th in offense, and have trouble scoring vs good teams. They managed just one goal against Colorado in their last meeting, and just a single vs the Senators in their last game.. Colorado is a huge favorite, even on the puck line, but has been so good on defense that the under has played 6 games in a row. The Avalanche have dominated the Sabres in Buffalo, and likely will tonight . Look for the Avs to win and with little output from the Sabres, the under to play again.

It is very clear that Syracuse is an entirely different team when playing at the Carrier Dome. 

The Orange are 9-3 here and averaging 86.3 points. That scoring average is up from their overall average of 77.3 for the season. They are shooting 51.4% from the field in home games, which includes an incredible 42.5% from three.

So I have zero hesitation in laying the points here against BC, who is 1-10 away from home. The Eagles have won just four ACC games this season and come into today on a four-game losing streak.

One of those four losses came at home to Syracuse, 73-64. Given the ‘Cuse shot just 39.3% that day and how they shoot at home, this figures to be a long afternoon for Boston College at the defensive end. 

I like the way the schedule breaks for Syracuse as well. They’d won four in a row before running into Va Tech last Saturday. The Orange have had a week to recover from their 71-59 loss in Blacksburg. Meanwhile, BC just played at Notre Dame on Wednesday and lost in overtime. Lay the points

It’s been a disappointing season for Maryland (they were once ranked!), but the Terps ought to be favored by more against the worst team in the Big 10. 

The Big 10 is obviously a tough league as it could be putting nine teams in the NCAA Tournament. Of the five unlikely Big Dance participants, four (Penn State, N’western, Maryland, Minnesota) are pretty evenly matched. But then there’s a huge drop with Nebraska.

The Cornhuskers are dead last with a 1-13 Big 10 record. The one win came last week at home vs. Minnesota. But then they got smashed by Iowa on Super Bowl Sunday. That was the fifth time this season that the team suffered a loss by more than 20 points against a conference foe.

Also on Sunday, Maryland had a 12 point lead at Purdue in the second half with 11 minutes left in the game. Unfortunately, they blew all of it and lost 62-61. That was the Terrapins’ second one-possession loss to a ranked team in the last four games. 

I just think the Terps are simply the better team, even if Eric Ayala is out again. They are 16-3 ATS when on a losing streak of three or more games.

The Black Hawks were beaten up by Columbus, are beaten up by injury, and face a 7-3 Stars team, pumped after a big win against Colorado.  Hawks are 30th in defense but will have Fleury back in net, which may help their cause somewhat.  The Stars don't give away much to inferior teams, and have been much better on the road recently.  The Stars are not yet out of the playoff picture, while the Hawks are  just treading water.  Off a loss, and on the wrong end of a back to back, I don't expect much out of the Black Hawks on Friday. Take the Stars to win.

Harvard has lost three straight games and finds itself in the bottom half of the Ivy League standings. But tonight is a get well game against Columbia, who as you can tell (from the line) is not good at all.

Columbia is in fact last in the Ivy with a 1-9 conference record. They are 4-18 overall on the year. The Lions’ lone conference win was by four points (over Penn!), all the way back on January 8th. In the last game, they got destroyed, losing to Yale by 25 at home.

The Lions’ current eight-game losing streak actually began with a 91-82 setback at Harvard. The spread for that game was 10 points so Columbia covered. But they also shot a season-high 55% overall from the floor and 48% from three. Those numbers won’t be repeated tonight.

Three of Harvard’s last four defeats have been by four points or less and two were to conference leader Yale. It was an eight-point loss at second place Penn last Saturday. So the Crimson have been facing the Ivy League’s elite recently and coming up short. This drop in class should guarantee a favorable result.

I mentioned earlier that Columbia scored just 59 points in its last game. Well, the last nine times after a game where they scored 60 or less, they are 1-8 ATS. Lay the points.

This is a pretty low total, surprising because the last five Cal State Bakersfield games have all gone Over. There’s been a remarkable consistency with the last three, which have all seen exactly 136 total points scored.

Now, the low total probably has something to do with UC Riverside, who has seen the Under hit in five of its last six games. But the one Over did come in their last game, last Saturday, as the Highlanders gave up 85 points in a loss to UC San Diego.

The first time these Big West rivals met, the game went Over. The final score was 65-64, in favor of Riverside.

Neither team even shot all that well in the first meeting. UC Riverside made only 6 of its 27 three-point tries. CS Bakersfield was just 40.4% overall from the field. I expect better all-around shooting tonight.

Yes, I know the Under is a perfect 8-0 in Riverside home games this season. It’s time for one to go the other way. Take the OVER

Columbus lost badly to the Flames on Tuesday, but who hasn't recently.  The Jackets are still 6-2 in their last 8 games.  They give up too many goals, but often outscore the opposition with a surprising offense, and have shocked some very good teams lately. The Black Hawks are not one of those good teams this year and are still missing their captain.  Fleury can sometimes defy his age and hold them in a game, but he likely will not be playing on Thursday.  The Black Hawks are 30th on offense, not much better on defense, and are going nowhere fast.  For no reason I can determine, they are a considerable favorite against the Blue Jackets.  It would surprise me if the underdog doesn't steal this one on the road. Take Columbus, at a very good value, to win.

Were Dallas to win here, that would make it six wins in the last seven games, going into the All Star Break. The only loss was by two to the Clippers, who they had just beaten the previous game. Tonight the Mavs are in the Big Easy to face the Pelicans and I like their chances of getting another win.

Dallas is pretty solidly a top six team in the Western Conference right now. That didn’t stop them from making some moves at the trade deadline and the two new additions have already been a big help. Davis Bertans and Spencer Dinwiddie were instrumental in the Mavs’ bench outscoring the Heat’s 38-25 in a 107-99 upset on Tuesday. 

That was a solid win for the Mavs, on the road, and the fact they did it with Luka Doncic going just 5 of 19 from the field speaks volumes. Doncic didn’t even have any fourth quarter points in the win over Miami. He had previously averaged 43 points over the previous three games.

New Orleans has lost three of four, all the games coming at home. All three losses have been by double digits. They did not shoot well from three in a 121-109 loss to Memphis on Tuesday.

I just see the Mavs solidly as the better team and have no problem laying a short number in this one. They are 7-3 ATS the last 10 meetings.

With a win here, MIami would go into the All Star Break tied (with Chicago) for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. But Charlotte will not roll over on Thursday as they are rather desperate for a win to close out the first half.

Tuesday brought a particularly painful loss for the Hornets, in Minnesota, where they led most of the way only to fall in overtime. It was their eighth loss in nine games, the one win being against Detroit. Still 9th in the East, it’s getting a little “too close to comfort” when it comes to the cut line for the play-in round.

Shockingly, Charlotte has lost its last six home games. This is a team that averages 113.9 points per game, most in the NBA, but during the six game home losing streak they have scored more than 101 just two times.

I’m expecting more points from the home team tonight. They are 0-2 so far against the Heat this season, scoring just 86 and 99 points in those losses. Again, that’s atypical from a team that leads the league in scoring. 

Miami only scored 99 in a home loss to the Mavericks on Tuesday. It’s hard to win big on the road and with this being the final game before the All Star Break, I can see the Heat being flat. Two thirds of their losses have come on the road. More motivated and at home, Charlotte covers the spread here.

Probably the most interesting question surrounding the Canadiens these days is “when will we see the return of the Hamburglar in net?” Likely not tonight, NHL trivia fans. The Habs, now minus Tyler Toffoli, and with a significant injury list, are in a sad state. It is very rare for a team to be last in the league in both offense and defense.

The Blues are another matter. 5th and 7th in offense and defense respectively, they are in the mix for a playoff spot and cannot pass up an opportunity for a win here. Husso will likely start; a step up from Binnington these days. The Blues roughed up a couple of NHL bottom-dwellers in their last two meetings. Look for a third and similar outcome today. Take the Blues to win on the puck line.

A very hot Flames team is now 9-1 but play in a back to back situation tonight. Calgary has scored 5+ goals in their last 4 games, and have added another goal- scorer to their line-up.

The Ducks are pretty average on the road, but lost to the Kraken in their first game back from the break. Look for a little extra motivation from them tonight, as they are still in the run for a play-off position in the Pacific division and the Flames are a rival. Their offense is just middle of the pack, but they are still capable of just under three goals-for on average.

The time is now for the Flames, as they push into first place in their division, and I don’t think the Ducks or the back to back situation will slow their offense down. The Total has been over 5 ½ in 9 of their last 10 games. While the Under has historically figured between these two teams, today’s total is too low in this situation. Take the Ducks/Flames game to go over tonight.

Look for the Suns to rock and roll tonight. Yes, this is the second game of a back to back for them, they are laying double digits and it’s their last game before the All Star Break. But the opponent is Houston, the worst team in the conference.

Phoenix has been the NBA’s best team in the first half of the season. Since January 10th, they’ve lost only once and that was almost two weeks ago, at Atlanta. Last night saw them record a sixth straight victory, beating the Clippers 103-96.

Two prior meetings this year vs. the Rockets have gone well. The Suns won those games by a combined 38 points.

Houston has won just once in its last ten games. Last time out, they lost by 34 to the Jazz. It was the third time in the past five games where the Rockets surrendered more than 130 points. They are 2-8 ATS this season after giving up 130+ points in the previous game.

The Suns have every conceivable edge in this matchup. Unless, for some reason, they choose “not to care,” they will win big. Lay the points.

The Spurs ought to have a better record. They have scored roughly the same number of points that they have allowed this season. They have a positive efficiency rating, which means they also score more than they allow on a per possession basis. Several teams ahead of them in the West - such as the Clippers and Lakers - cannot say any of the above.

Yet the Spurs are somehow buried 14 games under .500 and in 12th place in the conference. Statistically, they are probably the eighth best team. Does this mean they are likely to make a run in the second half? I’m not sure about that. But I am confident they can wax Oklahoma City tonight.

The Thunder are one of two hopeless teams in the West. If not for the Rockets, they’d be in last place. They did win last time out, as a 10-point dog, beating New York 126-124. I’ll concede the fact that the Thunder have been more competitive than you think. They are 37-19 ATS for the season.

But tonight marks the first time in six games where Oklahoma City is NOT a double digit underdog. The last time this happened, they lost by 10 to a bad Sacramento team. The last time the Thunder and Spurs met, the latter won by 22.

OKC still doesn’t have its leading scorer back (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander). The Spurs had won three of four before letting one slip away in Chicago Monday night (led by 6 going into the fourth quarter). They have some new reserves coming in that were acquired at the deadline. Lay the points here.

Chicago State is one of the very worst teams in the country and I don’t think SF Austin will have any problem handling them in this Wednesday night WAC matchup. 

Look no further than what happened last week, in SF Austin’s last game. They crushed Chicago State, on the road, 81-61 as a 12-point favorite. That was the Lumberjacks’ fourth consecutive win and cover.

Chicago State has lost six in a row and they’ve played another game since the 20-point loss to SF Austin. It was a 13-point loss, also at home, to Sam Houston State. The Cougars are now 2-10 in conference play this season. Even worse, they are 2-12 overall on the road. 

SF Austin is two games off the lead in the WAC, so there’s no reason to expect there to be any kind of “letdown” tonight. If anything, it should be a focused effort as the team looks to make its move up the WAC standings. The remaining schedule looks advantageous.

Meanwhile, Chicago State has had less time to get ready for this rematch and they know anything short of a miracle run in the WAC Tournament means their season is over. For all intents and purposes, it already is over. The Cougars are averaging less than 60 points/game on the road. Lay the points.

Columbus held the Habs to a single goal, but other than that, their goals against average has been ugly.  Calgary has won 8 of 9, with three shutouts in that period.  The Flames are back to playing disciplined & balanced hockey and pummeled the Blue Jackets in Columbus 6-0 last time they met.  Columbus can put the puck in the net, but will struggle to do so against the 8th rated and improving Flames defense.  Calgary goalie Markstrom has been very hot and can be a game-changer .  Columbus is a very poor road team this year.  The Flames are a serious favorite and the odds reflect that.  Take the Flames to win on the puck line  -1 1/2.

Wyoming has won six straight and now finds itself ranked in the Top 25 for the first time in seven seasons. With them laying points on the road tonight, it just feels like the right opportunity to fade the Cowboys.

New Mexico is 8-2 ATS and averaging 78.6 points at home this year. “The Pit” is not an easy place to win at. The Lobos should be well prepared for this game. Over the last 10 days, they’ve only played once and it was a blowout over a non-Division I opponent. (They won 78-46). 

Wyoming’s six-game win streak has featured three two-point victories as well as two others by seven or less. Two of the wins went to overtime. The one blowout came on Saturday, at San Jose State, who is the worst team in the Mountain West.

The Cowboys actually have FIVE two-point victories since January 15th. One of them came against New Mexico on 1/22. That game in Laramie ended up being a 93-91 final. New Mexico never trailed by more than 10 points in that game and shot 53.7% from the field.

Wyoming shot 58% in that first meeting, a number they will not match tonight. With so many close wins recently and a national ranking next to their name, I can see the Cowboys being a little overconfident here. I can see an upset taking place. Grab the points.

Minnesota has been on a bit of a roll of late. Charlotte has not. This has led to a spread that is much larger than what it should be for tonight’s matchup, at least in my opinion.

The Timberwolves have been favored in less than half their games this season. The percentage was even more skewed before the last couple weeks when they faced the likes of the Pistons (twice) and the Kings (twice). Those are some of the weakest teams in the league. While Charlotte is struggling right now, they are a lot closer to average over the course of the season.

The Hornets have faced some of the league’s top teams during this losing streak that has seen them drop seven of eight. They lost to Boston (who is red hot) by six, to Cleveland by one and also faced Memphis, Miami and Toronto. Minnesota is a step below all of those teams.

Back in November, Charlotte beat Minnesota 133-115.  They are 4-0 ATS their last four meetings with the Timberwolves.

Also, the Hornets are 6-1 ATS in their last seven road games and 4-0 ATS in their last four games as a road underdog. Take the points.

Boston is 11-2-1 to the Under in its last 14 games. Since the beginning of the year (2022), they have the league’s best defensive efficiency rating. This has helped them to an eight-game win streak coming into tonight’s contest vs. Philadelphia. 

During the eight-game win streak, the Celtics have held six different opponents under 100 points. No team has scored more than 107 against them.

Philadelphia is also strong defensively, posting a top 10 efficiency rating at that end of the floor this season. Their last two opponents were held to 87 and 93 points.

The line has Boston slightly favored. The Celtics are 28-11 to the Under as chalk this season. The 76ers are 16-5 to the Under when they are the Underdog.

Expect a low-scoring game tonight on TNT between two top defensive teams.

Back on January 11th, Texas picked up its largest win over Oklahoma in over a decade. They were 66-52 winners in Austin. I think they’re more than capable of simply winning again here in Norman.

It was just last Monday when the Longhorns upset Kansas 79-76. That was also in Austin. Unfortunately, things didn’t go UT’s way on Saturday when they visited Baylor (lost 80-63). But that was a tough spot, facing a second top 10 opponent in less than a week.

Oklahoma has had a similar last seven days. They picked up a big win at home (over Texas Tech) then lost on the road (at Kansas). Their road loss was by just two points, so it was a better showing than what Texas had. But seriously doubt anyone thinks the Sooners are the better team here. 

In fact, OU has lost eight of its last ten games. 

Texas has the #2 scoring defense in the country, holding teams to just 56.8 points per game. I already mentioned how they held Oklahoma to 52 in the first meeting. Since that game, the Sooners have failed to score 60 three other times. I don’t expect many points from the home team tonight. Go with the road team to win and complete the season sweep. 

The Bulls are back on a winning run, having captured each of the last three games. They did not cover Saturday against Oklahoma City, but that was a large number. The previous two wins were both by 12 points.

The Spurs are in the midst of their annual “Rodeo Road Trip.” Things didn’t get off to a great start with a loss at Cleveland on Feb 9, but the Spurs have since pulled back to back upsets, beating Atlanta and New Orleans. A third straight upset seems unlikely though.

I say that based on the fact the Spurs are still 13 games below .500. Their last three game win streak was around Christmas time. 

Chicago has DeMar DeRozan, who has scored 30 or more points in six consecutive games, the longest stretch by anyone in a Bulls uniform since Michael Jordan. Nikola Vucevic had 31 points and 15 rebounds against Oklahoma City. 

With a 21-8 record at the United Center, the Bulls are a very strong home team. They are also 23-14 ATS when favored this year. Lay the points

The Wild have really taken it to the NHL's lesser lights recently, winning by lopsided margins.  Detroit has won 4 of 6, and the over has figured prominently, both in goals scored in their wins and goals allowed in their losses.  Minnesota ranks third in offense against a struggling 26th ranked Red Wings defense and has manhandled the Wings when playing in Minnesota.  Detroit is an out and out poor road team this season, but has scored an average of 4+ goals in their last 5 games irregardless of the outcome. The Wild are a legitimate favorite here, but the odds are very high.  I'm wagering on the over today.

Let’s check in on the Patriot League where Colgate is in first place with a 10-2 record. The Raiders are just 14-11 overall, but have won six straight and are looking like the class of this conference right now. They are 8-1 at home this season and host Lafayette on Monday. 

Lafayette is off a rare win on Saturday as they went to Lehigh and pulled a 73-69 upset as four-point underdogs. The Leopards are still just 8-15 overall and 5-7 in conference games, however. They already lost to Colgate once this year, 72-61 as 8.5 point home underdogs. 

Colgate has covered the spread in each of the last four games, three times as a double digit favorite. At home, they are putting up an average of 77.1 points per game while allowing just 59.9. 

So this should be a pretty easy game for the favorite.

Rams/Bengals

Burrow and Stafford are a given; two dominant passers peaking at the right time, both with superlative targets. Lets look at the defenses, which is where this game will be decided. There are many recent positive improvements for the Rams defense; yards against and 3rd down conversions against are down, and they have been dominant in controlling time of possession. They have been tough on quarterbacks, but they are still only 21st in passing yards allowed. Burrow has been remarkably effective in spite of horrible O-line performance this season. I think the Rams defense will cramp his style but no one has been able to shut him down lately. Stafford may have his hands full as well. The Bengals defense is tough against the run but has been doing the job against the pass as well. They had 4 sacks against Mahomes last week, and pretty well shut down the Chiefs’ fierce pass attack in the second half last time out. They have only given up an average of 19 points a game in their last three against tough competition. The Rams are favored but the Bengals have been defying odds all season. This game will be close likely decided by a single field goal. Take the Bengals to surprise and cover once again.

Looking at the Rams/Bengals matchup, with two top QBs and their wide variety of excellent receiving options, it is easy to imagine a high-scoring result. I am not seeing this result, and have held off to get the highest total available. I think this game is going under, and here is why.

The Rams defense has been successful at limiting points (18 avg. L3), rushing yards, and has improved recently in yards allowed in the air. They have limited opposing pass offenses to a short pass game, and have limited pass TDs. They are 7th overall in sacks. Burrow has been largely immune to pass pressure, but he won’t be as free and easy to wander vs the Rams’ formidable pass rush. Will they shut Burrow down? Unlikely. Will they slow him down? Very likely. One need only look back to the Bengals/Titans game when the Titans scored only 19 points with Burrow sacked an astounding 9 times. The Bengals may also be forced into more of a run situation on Sunday, slowing the game down. They have a very viable option in Mixon, but the Rams defense has been outright stingy vs the run.

Stafford may have his hands full as well. The Bengals defense is tough against the run, but has been doing the job against the pass as well. They had four sacks against Mahomes last week and adapted well in the second half to control him effectively. They’ve only given up an average of 19 points a game in their last three games. Their QB pressure stats, other than actual sacks, are actually better than the Rams’. The Rams have essentially abandoned the run lately, banking on Stafford, but a hurried Stafford is not without peril. Could we also see more of a running game from Akers and the Rams as well?

That is my take on total. The over/under line has been pretty static, but hunt for the right number, and take this game to surprise a lot of people and go under.

UTEP saw its six game win streak snapped on Monday. They lost 66-58 to North Texas, who is the best team in Conference USA this year. At least the Miners left with the cash, covering as 10-point underdogs. It was early in the second half when things fell apart.

The Miners should have no concerns today as they are taking on a Marshall team that has been a disaster to bet on all season. The Thundering Herd are, get this, 4-18 against the spread. 

They are 1-10 ATS in conference play, 2-8 ATS as an underdog and 1-9 ATS on the road. 

It’s the first meeting in almost two years for these two schools. UTEP, already the better team, has a nice edge as they’ve been off for the last five days while Marshall was just in action on Thursday, losing by one at home to FIU, a game they were expected to win by six points.

UTEP only gives up 62.4 points per game at home. Marshall is allowing 80.4 on the road. Lay the points in this one.

Before the Super Bowl kicks off, the Celtics look to continue their red hot run with a home game against the Hawks. Boston has won seven in a row. Over the last 10 games, they’ve held seven different opponents below 100 points. 

So this is a really high total for them (Boston, that is). The Under is 7-2 this season when the O/U is 220 or higher and the Celtics are involved. That includes 5-0 Under at home. When the Celtics are favored, the Under is 27-11 this season.

Atlanta doesn’t play much defense, which is why the number is so high today. But, ironically, the Hawks are the last team to defeat the Celtics. They won 108-92 back on January 28th.

The Under has cashed both times these teams have played this season. Back on November 17th, the Hawks won again, 110-99.

Considering the Boston defense and how high the number is, we have no choice but to play the Under in this one.

The Flames really are on fire, winning 6 straight, averaging more than 4 goals scored a game in February, and with 3 shutouts in their last 7 games.   Meanwhile the Islanders will play their 3rd game in 4 days on the road, and while a good defensive team, generally struggle to put the puck in the net.  The Isles have a very hard time against good teams this year.  Calgary is a force right now, has had good success vs. the Isles this season, and are making a run for 1st in the Pacific division.  The Flames are a large favorite, but a very good bet at -1 1/2.  Take the Flames on the puck line.

This is the second meeting in three days for the Clippers and the Mavericks. The latter took Thursday’s game, which was also here in Dallas, 112-105. Hours after saying goodbye to teammate Kristaps Porzingis (traded to Washington), Luka Doncic ran wild with a 51-point game. 

The Clippers have failed to cover their last five games. Blame the defense. During the 0-5 ATS skid, they are giving up an average of 123.2 points per contest. That is bad. 

Dallas has won four straight, all at home. They now have a 20-10 home record for the season. They are simply better than the Clippers, who are still without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. 

So can the Mavericks cover the spread again? I think so. They’re playing good defense this year: #3 in points allowed for the season, allowing 101.4 points per game at home and 100.6 the last five games. 

Before losing to Dallas on Thursday, LA was blown out in two straight games. They lost by 24 to Milwaukee and 26 to Memphis. Lay the points here.

Providence brings a 20-2 record and #11 ranking into Saturday’s game vs. DePaul. But I get the sense that the Friars are a little overrated. They did end up blowing out Georgetown on Sunday, 71-52, but were trailing at the half. Before that, it was three straight wins by four points or less.

DePaul is near the bottom of the Big East, only ahead of Georgetown, but the Blue Demons are on a win streak. They’ve won two in a row. One was against G’town, but the other was a win at Xavier where they 13.5 point underdogs.

The season’s first meeting between DePaul and Providence was played on New Year’s Day. Providence won 70-53 as DePaul shot just below 30 percent for the game. Interestingly, the Blue Demons were small favorites to win that day.

I like the underdog’s chance at revenge today, or at least covering the spread. Providence is only 7-7 ATS when favored and 0-1 as a home favorite of 9.5 to 12 points. 

I simply believe that Providence is “living on borrowed time.” As a favorite of this size, which is rare for them, they should be faded.

Considering what they just did to Purdue, Michigan should be able to defeat rival Ohio State Saturday in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines were 82-58 winners over the #3 ranked team in the country (Purdue) on Thursday. That’s about as impressive a performance as I’ve seen in some time.

Michigan has won six of eight with both losses coming on the road. Their home record is 8-2 and they haven’t lost in Ann Arbor since December 11th. 

Ohio State just suffered a shocking loss, 66-64 at Rutgers, where they gave up the game’s final 10 points. It was the Buckeyes’ second loss in three games, both coming on the road. They are just 4-6 outside of Columbus this season, 3-5 when considering only true road games.

With nine losses already, Michigan can’t afford too many more. Right now, most do NOT consider them a NCAA Tourney team. That would be a shame as I think they’re one of the 25 best in the country.

Just going with the Maize and Blue to win Saturday. Play the money line. 

New York and Portland have more in common that you might think. Both teams are obviously having disappointing seasons. But two-point victories for each in their respective last games were quite welcome as they ended long losing streaks.

The Knicks had lost four in a row before downing Golden State 116-114 on Thursday. They are still 3-10 their last 13 games. That they pulled the upset over the Warriors, without RJ Barrett, was pretty impressive. But I don’t see the Knicks scoring that many points again here. They’re only averaging 104.7 per game for the year. Barrett is probably out again.

The Blazers beat the Lakers 107-105 on Wednesday. They’d dropped six in a row before that. It’s now a vastly different look than we’re used to seeing in Portland. For the last couple years, this team was carried by its backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Lillard is injured and McCollum was just traded. 

The most points scored by Portland in any of its last six games is 108. Four times they’ve been held below 100. The Knicks are pretty good defensively, keeping teams to 106.0 per game.

The Blazers aren’t very good defensively, but they shouldn’t feel threatened by the Knicks, who won’t get to the free throw line here as much as they did against Golden State. Take the Under

Last Saturday, I went with the Under when Kansas hosted Baylor. The Jayhawks ended up allowing just 59 points in a statement win in Lawrence. Unfortunately, that “statement” was then followed by a 79-76 loss at Texas on Monday.

It’s back inside Allen Fieldhouse for the Jayhawks here. They welcome in Oklahoma, who figures to score more here than Baylor did last week. The Sooners are coming off a big win, beating Texas Tech 70-55 on Wednesday. 

OU has not won in this building since 1983, which is pretty incredible. The fact Kansas is averaging 82.2 points per game at home this season will make it difficult to end the long losing streak.

Both teams had success defending the three-point line in their last games. Even though they lost, Kansas kept Texas to 3 of 20 from behind the line. Oklahoma held Texas Tech to 2 of 17. I don’t think either side will be that good, or lucky, here today.

So while I went Under last week, this time it’s an Over play on Kansas. You can look for more threes to fall and more free throws to be attempted than the last time these teams met. The Jayhawks attempted just six FTs in the 67-64 victory.

Auburn suffered just its second loss of the season on Tuesday. It was at Arkansas on Tuesday, 80-76. The top-ranked Tigers were only 1.5 point favorites for the game, so it can be argued that the oddsmakers “saw that coming.”

Prior to the setback, two of Auburn’s last four wins were by two points or fewer. Since January 11th, they have five single digit victories. I know that a return home (where the team is 12-0 this year) has most on “The Plains” thinking about a bounce back, but this is a pretty big number the Tigers are laying. 

Texas A&M will be both desperate and motivated. The Aggies’ last win was all the way back on January 15th. But of the seven consecutive games that they have lost, the final margin has never been larger than 11 points. Four have been by six points or fewer. So they’ve remained competitive, despite adversity.

Surprisingly, A&M has won five of the previous six matchups in the series! They were also 4-0 in SEC play before this seven-game skid. One of the four wins came against the Arkansas team that just beat Auburn.

The Aggies are 4-0 ATS in their last four games as a road underdog. Take the points here. 

Utah State looks to bounce back from a tough two-point defeat at Wyoming. They are hosting Nevada, who is in real trouble now after taking a sixth straight loss on Tuesday. I think it’s fair to say that - in the Mountain West - there’s a pretty severe dropoff after the top six teams. Nevada is not in that top six. Utah State is.

Now the Aggies are technically in seventh in the standings, behind UNLV. But not only do I think they are better than the Rebels, USU is better than several teams ahead of them. The KenPom ratings have them as the second best team in the conference, literally right behind Boise State. The Aggies are 31st in those KenPom ratings. So this is a good team.

They’d won five straight, all by double digits, before losing at Wyoming on Tuesday. That game went to overtime, by the way. What’s most interesting about Utah State’s 6-6 conference record is that - like I said - five of the wins have come by double digits. Four of the losses have been decided by three points or less.

Five of Nevada’s six straight losses have come by 10 or more. One of those was to Utah State, 78-49, and that was at home! In Logan, it’s hard to imagine the Wolf Pack playing well. Lay the points.

incorrectly entered play

Well, this game is not likely to be close. Oklahoma City has lost three in a row and 10 of its last 13. They are 17-37 on the season. The last three losses have all been by double digits.

Meanwhile, you’ve got Philadelphia coming off a loss. So they should be plenty motivated. Plus, they just traded for James Harden, so there will be a renewed sense of optimism here. The last 10 times Philly has been off an ATS loss, they are 9-1 ATS. 

Harden likely won’t play on Friday, but the 76ers won’t need him. Joel Embiid has scored 25 or more points in 21 straight games. He had 34 points and 12 rebounds Tuesday against Phoenix. 

While the Sixers are just 1-3 in February, they closed January with a five-game win streak. They are fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 32-22 record. Back in October they defeated the Thunder by 12 points and that was in Oklahoma City. They are now 17-5 ATS L22 games vs. teams with a winning percentage below .400.

OKC lost its leading scorer awhile ago and it shows. Already the league’s lowest scoring team, the Thunder have failed to hit 100 in four of the last six games. Lay the points in this one.

Let’s go with one more on tonight’s College Hoops card. Long Beach State (aka “The Beach”) has to leave the mainland for this game at Hawaii. The Beach is on a nine-game winning streak - straight up and against the spread. But Honolulu is a hard place to win.

Hawaii is back home after losing two in a row on the road. Those losses were by five (at UC Riverside) and three points (UC Davis). Prior to that, the Warriors had won seven in a row while covering the spread all but once. That one ATS failure came as a 13-point favorite. 

At home, Hawaii is 4-0 straight up in conference play. Also, earlier in the year they went to Long Beach and won 72-65 as a one-point underdog. That was the Big West opener for both teams.

LBSU hasn’t lost since, so it feels like this is a “collision course” for the two teams here. CS Fullerton is also 7-2 in Big West play, but a Hawaii win here would have them feeling VERY good about capturing the regular season conference crown.

The Beach were down five to CS Fullerton, at halftime, in their last game. They have not had the halftime lead in any game since 1/27 vs. UC Riverside. I just can’t see them covering such a short number at arguably the toughest place to play in the entire Big West.

UCSB, to me, is much better than its 9-9 SU record. The Gauchos’ problem has been a 1-7 record (SU and ATS) on the road where nearly every loss has been close. Their last time on the road, they lost 65-62 to Hawaii, a game where third leading scorer Ajare Sanni left in the second half with an ankle injury.

Sanni hasn’t played since, but I don’t see him listed on the injury report for tonight. His potential would be a big boon for a team that actually leads the Big West in scoring margin. UCSB did win big in its last game, beating UC San Diego by a score of 84-48. 

While just 2-5 SU in its last seven games, three of those losses for the Gauchos have been by three points or less. This team has been somewhat unlucky so far. But remember they are the reigning Big West Champs and were projected to finish first again, back in November. 

I think that we’re getting a great number here as Cal State Bakersfield has dropped five in a row. 

UCSB shoots the ball well, right at 48.5% for the season. That’s 18th in Division I! The Gauchos have had a double digit lead in three of their four conference losses and the other one was a one-point loss. Lay the short number with the road team.

The Avs host the Lightning minus MacKinnon, who was a big part of a Colorado win the last time these two powerhouses met. Colorado has been dominant at home, but they face a very fine road team in Tampa Bay. The Avs have the firepower, even without MacKinnon, but their defense can be suspect.  The Lightning have much better balance and superior goaltending. Neither team has played in over a week, a long enough break to favor the offense. These two teams have a history of high-scoring games when they meet. The Under figured prominently for both teams just before the break, but look for the “A” game from both teams tonight and that means offense. This is the lowest total we have seen in ages for the Avs. Take this game to go over.

Last night, in College Basketball, I said “something had to give” in the California-Oregon State matchup. My call on that one ended up being right. Now we turn to a similar situation in the NBA with the Nets taking on the Wizards.

Brooklyn has lost its last nine games. That seems inconceivable, but Kevin Durant hasn’t played in any of them while James Harden and Kyrie Irving have also both missed time for their own reasons. Of the three, only Irving is set to play tonight’s game. (Harden could be traded?)

Fortunately, for the Nets, tonight’s game is against a Washington team that has lost eight of its last nine games and is 2-14 ATS in its last 16. The Wizards just learned that leading scorer Bradley Beal is done for the season. I’d say the team’s season is now done as well.

Who will win tonight? I say Brooklyn. They are 17-11 on the road and the better team, even without Durant and Harden. Thus, I will gladly take the points. 

The Wizards’ starting lineup is Aaron Holiday, Spencer Dinwiddie, Thomas Bryant, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma. The only teams in the East with worse YTD point differentials are Orlando and Detroit. 

Towson may be 1.5 games behind UNC Wilmington, but I think they’re the best team in the CAA. Tonight, the Tigers are massive favorites over William & Mary, deservedly so. W&M is a bottom tier team in the Colonial that has won just two times since the New Year. One of four programs to be eligible for every NCAA Tournament and never make one, W&M is going to see that dubious streak extended this year. 

As for the question of whether or not Towson can cover this large spread, I believe that they can. That may sound strange as the Tigers are coming off an embarrassing loss, 58-53 to Northeastern, who is the last place team in the conference. But if you don’t think that will have the Tigers motivated, then guess again.

The loss to Northeastern, who I believe is better than W&M, saw Towson make just 1 of 15 three-point attempts. Obviously, that is what cost them the game. The loss also occurred out on the road. At home, the Tigers are 8-2 this year, the only losses coming to UNCW and a very good San Francisco team. 

William & Mary has lost its last two games by a combined 45 points. This is not just the worst team in the CAA, but one of the bottom 20 teams in the entire country, in my estimation. The Tribe are 347th in offensive efficiency and 304th in defensive efficiency. This has blowout written all over it. 

It remains to be seen how many teams from the Pac 12 are going to make the Big Dance. But barring a stunning run in the Conference Tournament, we know that neither of these teams will be in the field of 68. 

Oregon State was an Elite 8 team last March, which was a stunning run for a team seeded 12th and not favored in any of its final eight games. This season has been much more rough for the Beavers. They are 3-17, including 1-9 in the Pac 12 where they are in last place.

So this is a great spot to take Cal, in my view, even though the Bears aren’t having a good season themselves. But they are better than Oregon State. Back in December, they defeated the Beavers 73-61 as a 2.5-point favorite in Berkeley. 

Cal comes into the rematch on a 10-game losing streak while OSU has lost seven in a row. Something has to give. 

Cal was at least competitive in a loss to Washington State on Saturday. Oregon State’s last three losses have all been by at least 22 points and they have multiple players listed as questionable for tonight. Back the road team.

Toronto has been red hot, winning six in a row to move into the top six out East. They’ve also covered the spread in all six wins! 

Tonight, the Raptors find themselves in Oklahoma City, playing a Thunder team that is second to last in the Western Conference and one of the few teams in this league with no shot at making the playoffs.

The Thunder have dropped two straight, 14 of their last 18 and will be playing without their leading scorer. However, I still expect this game will go Over the total, mostly thanks to Toronto.

The Raptors have scored at least 110 points in five of their six straight victories. Meanwhile, the Thunder have allowed 111 or more in five of the last seven games as well as 7 of the last 10. 

Figuring Toronto will score at least 110 tonight, all we then need from OKC is to hit the century mark. That seems doable considering the last time these teams met, back in December, the Thunder scored 110 in an upset win. Take the OVER

Cleveland has been THE biggest surprise this year. At the start of the season, most had them ranked near the bottom of the league. But here we are, almost at the All-Star Break, and the Cavs have a 33-21 SU record. 

If you were betting on the Cavs in the early portion of the season, then congrats. From November 1st through December 18th, they went an incredible 19-3-2 against the spread. 

Oddsmakers started to catch up to what was going on in Cleveland, but now the team is even stronger. Trading for Caris LeVert and the impending return of Darius Garland make this a true force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference.

The Cavs have won two in a row after beating LeVert’s old team (Indiana) on Sunday. They had to rally from a 20-point deficit, but still ended up winning by 13. As home favorites this year, the Cavs are not only 13-2 straight up, but winning by an average of 12.7 points per game. That’s impressive.

San Antonio hasn’t played since Friday when they defeated Houston 131-106. This is the start of the annual “Rodeo Road Trip” as they won’t be at home again until March 3rd. The biggest issue for the Spurs tonight is that it’s been more than a month since they won back to back games. I’ll lay the short number.

It wasn’t that long ago that I took UMBC as an underdog, and they came through, pulling the outright win. In fact, it was exactly one week ago. They were +2.5 at Albany and won 59-53.

The Retrievers then returned home on Saturday and beat New Hampshire 88-77, obviously a much more high scoring affair. While Vermont is basically assured of winning the regular season crown in the America East, UMBC now has a great shot at finishing second after winning its last five games.

When I took them last Tuesday, I obviously expected a straight up win. Here, UMBC is favored, but this time they are playing at home and against a Hartford team that should offer little resistance. The Hawks have only won five games all year.

It’s been three straight losses to open February for Hartford as they continue to sink to the bottom of the conference standings. They just played Monday, losing 85-75 to UMass-Lowell. In my view, the quick turnaround puts them at a severe disadvantage. It’s the second road game in three nights.

The Retrievers have captured 8 of the last 10 meetings against the spread. Lay the points.

Portland has been a disappointment. But covering a small number, at home, against the league’s worst team sounds doable? Orlando, who is 12-43 on the year, has dropped two in a row by a combined 53 points after previously winning four of six.

That 4-2 stretch was the Magic’s best run of the season. The last two games have brought a return to form as they lost by 20 to Memphis and 33 to Boston. Those were both home games. The road has seen them go 7-23 thus far. You look at this spread and if one were inclined to back the underdog, then it’s an admission that you think they have a good chance of winning the game. I would almost never expect Orlando to win.

Now Portland has lost five in a row and seven of eight. So this matchup is just what the doctor ordered as far as they are concerned. They’ve beaten the Magic 10 straight times, including 98-88 in Orlando on January 17th.

Before getting blitzed by Milwaukee on Saturday, the Blazers had held three straight opponents under 100 points. They’ve already done that once to Orlando. I think they can do it again as the Magic come in as the league’s third lowest scoring team. Lay the points.

Pacific is having a dreadful season as the Tigers are 4-16 ATS, the worst such record in the country. It’s about to get worse as they’ll play three times in the next five days. The next two games are against nationally ranked teams, USC and Gonzaga.

Running into USC now is a bad deal for Pacific. The Trojans were lucky not to go 0-2 last week. They had to come from behind to beat Arizona State, then were outclassed by Arizona.

So USC dropped two spots, down to #21 in the latest rankings. But I’m expecting a focused effort here as they step out of conference for what should be a very easy game. This is a team that plays in the Pac 12. They’ll welcome an opportunity to face one of the weakest West Coast Conference teams, at home no less. This was a hastily scheduled game, replacing Oklahoma State on the schedule. The Trojans were supposed to take on the Cowboys back on Dec 21, but COVID had other ideas. Going from facing OK State to Pacific is a big break for the Trojans.

The Trojans’ height will be too much for Pacific. In addition, there’s no way they won’t shoot better here than they did vs. Arizona where they were 34.3% from the field. Drew Peterson was 1 of 13. 

Pacific is 0-9 on the road - straight up and against the spread. Lay the points.

After a long and very poor stretch, could the Oilers have turned things around? They won 5 of 6 leading up to the break, including victories against Nashville and Washington. Meanwhile the Golden Knights, who are a very good road team, have been up and down in their last games. One point of note. Lehner who has been a disappointment in net for the Knights, is slowly edging towards respectability. Mike Smith is back in goal for the Oilers. This has been a lost season for Smith. It is now more than a month since he has played, and it may take him a few games to find his form. Both teams can put the puck in the net, and both defenses have struggled. The Oilers’ defense are now ranked 22nd for the season. I am yet to be convinced that the Oilers have completely turned a corner, and Smith is very much a question mark for me at this point. Take the Golden Knights to steal this one.

Both teams faded late on Sunday. Indiana was up 20 on Cleveland, but lost 98-85. Atlanta fell 103-94 in Dallas, largely due to its inability to make shots. The Hawks were 5 of 25 from three point range with Trae Young going 0 for 6. 

The Hawks are just 14 of 54 on three point attempts in their last two games. But they’re more likely than Indiana to bounce back here. The Pacers just dealt Caris LeVert to Cleveland and with so many players injured, that trade looked like them “waving the white flag” on the 2021-22 season.

Having lost three in a row, the Pacers are now 17 games below .500. LeVert was one of six players averaging double figures for the team. He’s now gone. Two of the other top five scorers are injured. 

Atlanta is a solid 8-3 SU in its last 11 games, which has moved them into playoff position. But the recent three-point shooting is cause for concern. 

This is a pretty high total for a game between two teams that both failed to crack 100 points on Sunday. Take the Under

Playing for a second straight day, Chicago should be no match for a Phoenix team that’s won 12 of its last 13 games. While this is a matchup of first place teams in the respective conferences, one team is clearly better than the other. 

The Bulls lost Sunday, 119-108 to Philadelphia. They were also home dogs in that one. There is a long list of injured players right now as Zach LaVine and Coby White joined Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso on the bench yesterday. 

Defensively, Chicago has issues. They’ve given up at least 115 points in six straight games. Yesterday, they found themselves down 17 in the fourth quarter before a late rally made things a little interesting.

Look for the Suns to have no mercy on the Bulls tonight. The Western Conference leaders held Washington to 80 points in an easy win on Saturday. They led by 34 going into the fourth quarter.

DeMar DeRozan really tried yesterday for the Bulls, scoring 45 points in 41 minutes. There’s no way he’s going to be able to match that performance here though. Lay the points.

Look for Montana State to roll here. The Bobcats are facing an Idaho State team that is just plain lousy. But what makes this play particularly appetizing is that Idaho State is coming off an upset win. The Bengals stunned Montana, 86-63 as 9.5-point dogs, over the weekend.

Before that, Idaho State had lost five in a row with four of the losses coming by double digits. Montana State is trending in a much different direction. They are on an eight game win streak entering Monday and trail Weber State, who they just beat, by only two in the win column. 

Montana State beat Idaho State by 20 the first time they met. They held the Bengals to 25.5% shooting and 3 of 23 from three-point range. In the second half, they outscored them 37-21. 

Montana State didn’t just beat Weber State over the weekend. They did so by 21 points, on the road. That’s a very impressive performance against the Big Sky leaders. The Bobcats are averaging 78.2 points per game on the road and have covered both times they’ve been a favorite of 9.5 to 12 points.

Idaho State is only averaging 62.9 points per game this season. They have a 4-16 straight up record. My view is that they should be faded off what was easily their best performance in conference play. Lay the points here.

For reasons out of the players’ control, Stony Brook finds itself in a tough position. Because the school is moving to the Colonial Athletic Association next year, the America East ruled them ineligible for the conference tournament. That means the Seawolves will need to receive an at-large bid to make the NCAA tournament, which seems unlikely. 

Has this had an effect on the court? Well, Stony Brook has dropped two in a row and three of its last four. This skid has dropped the Seawolves closer to the middle of the pack in the America East standings. But I feel, because of the recent losses, we’re able to get a great number here. 

New Hampshire is not a team you should be afraid to bet against. Saturday, the Wildcats gave up 88 points in a loss at UMBC. Going back to the start of January, they’ve been alternating wins and losses. While that pattern would seem to indicate a win tonight, take note of the fact New Hampshire is 0-4 ATS this season when playing with just one day of rest between games.

Stony Brook returns home after a bad loss at NJIT, who had previously dropped seven in a row. That game was decided on a late three. The Seawolves have also dropped two straight home games, but one was to Vermont, who is 10-0 in the conference. I sense there will be a tremendous motivation to win here after the America East’s ruling and because the Seawolves don’t want to lose another home game.

New Hampshire is 1-8 on the road this year and has not won a single time as an underdog (0-6). Lay the points.

The Rockets’ last five games have seen a lot of scoring, most of it due to them giving up an average of 123.2 points. It’s been quite the opposite for the Pelicans recently; their last five games have averaged just 207.6 total points. I think this total is too high and will play accordingly.

Houston gave up 131 points to San Antonio on Friday. As someone who bet on the Spurs, I liked that. Rockets’ fans certainly didn’t; it was the second time in the last five games they allowed San Antonio to go over 130. The Rockets allowed the Spurs to shoot 57.3% on Friday. That probably will not happen here against the Pelicans.

There is a chance this will end up being the highest total for any Pelicans’ game so far this season. That’s certainly notable. This is a team that’s giving up an average of only 101.5 points in its last four games. 

The last four head to head meetings have all gone Over. But those were all with totals of 225.0 or lower. The only previous meeting of 2021-22 was a 118-108 final (that Houston won), which would NOT have gone Over tonight’s total. 

Houston will figure it out defensively here, at least enough to keep New Orleans around its season average of 105.5 points per game. Meanwhile, I don’t expect the Rockets to score a ton either. Take the Under.

Vermont, Houston, Longwood, Wagner, Murray State, Auburn, South Dakota State, Gonzaga … and Iona. Those are the only teams in College Basketball yet to lose a conference game.

I’ll be playing against Iona, the top team in the MAAC, today. The Gaels have won their first 11 conference games by an average of 11.5 points. But they face a tricky spot here, visiting Niagara. 

Niagara is middle of the pack in the conference, but is coming off two straight wins. The Purple Eagles won at Monmouth, then returned home to defeat Manhattan. Their record over the L6 games is 3-3 straight up, but the three losses were all by six points or less.

Now the first meeting with Iona didn’t go well. Niagara lost that one by 23 points, as a 10-point underdog. But that was in Iona’s gym. All three times that the Gaels lost this season, the game was played away from home.

Furthermore, Iona has failed to cover in its last two games. Both were eight-point wins. Niagara is on a 15-5-1 ATS run as a home dog. Take the points.

Providence might be the 15th ranked team in the country right now, but oddsmakers do not think very much of the Friars and neither do I. They are first in the Big East with a 9-1 conference record and have won six straight. But, according to most power ranking systems, Providence would be an underdog to at least five BE teams, on a neutral floor.

Here, the Friars are favored, on the road, so I think it’s an opportune time to fade. Georgetown has been struggling, but did cover the first meeting with Providence, as 10-point underdogs, losing only 83-75. That was even with the Hoyas shooting much worse, 40% for the game compared to 52.9% for the Friars.

Of Providence’s nine Big East wins this year, seven have been by eight points or less. Only one has been by more than 10. The Friars have played with fire all year and have one of the better records in the country in close games. They aren’t the kind of team you want to lay points with regularly. 

Georgetown’s leading scorer and rebounder, Aminu Mohammed, was 1 for 13 from the field in the last game and finished with a career-low four points. He will play better Sunday.

I know it’s been a tough year for Patrick Ewing’s Hoyas. They’ve lost 10 in a row. But expect them to cover here. Take the points.

Oklahoma City has won three in a row! That they’ve done so without their leading scorer (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) makes the wins streak even more surprising. 

Another win tonight would match a season-high four straight wins by the Thunder. The previous four-game run took place back in November and included a 105-103 win against Sacramento, who they’ll face Saturday night.

It’s been the defense that’s guided OKC to this latest win streak. They beat Portland twice, holding them to 81 and 93 points. In between was a 120-114 over Dallas. But that was an overtime game, tied 103-103 at the end of 48 minutes.

The Thunder are still last in the league in points per game (101.0). Sacramento has also been playing without its top scorer, De’Aaron Fox, recently. Fox could return tonight, but I wouldn’t expect him to be all that productive after missing the past seven games.

Nor are the Kings very likely to shoot as well as they did (52.4%) in Thursday’s loss to Golden State. The Under is 12-7 when this team is coming off a loss by 10 or more points. Take the UNDER

Alabama continues its brutal schedule with a visit from Kentucky. This will be the third consecutive top five opponent for the Crimson Tide.

Last Saturday, they hosted Baylor, who was ranked #4 at the time. On Tuesday, they lost to #1 Auburn.

Including the win over Baylor last Saturday, the Tide have beaten three of last year’s Final Four. Earlier in the season, they defeated Houston and Gonzaga - in consecutive games.

Yes, Bama is favored now. That tells you what kind of team this is. Kentucky is now #4, having won seven of eight including at Kansas last Saturday. But all four Wildcats’ losses have come outside of Lexington. They are just 3-3 in true road games.

Alabama has lost only one game in Tuscaloosa and that was by four to Auburn. Looking at the last month’s ATS results, it’s been a disappointing run for the Tide. But they are my pick here. Watch out for their three-point shooting to improve in this game.

Things have suddenly gone a bit sideways for Wisconsin, who is 0-4 ATS its last four and lost twice straight up. Both losses did come to ranked teams, Michigan State and Illinois, but they were also by double digits. That’s a troubling sign for the Badgers.

The team from Madison had won seven in a row prior to losing to Michigan State on January 21st. But five of the wins were by six points or less. This isn’t a team that wins big very often. They have three double digits wins all season, all of them coming December 4th or earlier (two were in November). 

So I’ll gladly take the points with Penn State tonight. The Nittany Lions are off a double overtime win over Iowa, but that was on Monday, so they’ve had plenty of time to recover. Wisconsin’s game in Illinois, which they lost, was on Wednesday. It’s a quicker turnaround for the favorite and they could be looking ahead to getting revenge against Michigan State on Tuesday. 

Penn State is 6-3 ATS as an underdog this season. They covered the number at Purdue and also upset Indiana. 

In 12 of their 13 games, Wisconsin has either lost or won by nine points or less. Take the points. 

Top 10 teams meet for the first time in 2022. Kansas gets to host first, looking to add to its six-game win streak in conference play.

However, Baylor is the higher ranked team coming into Saturday. The defending National Champs, despite three losses in the last seven games, are #8 in the country. (They opened the season 15-0). Kansas is #10. 

Both squads lost to SEC teams last Saturday, Baylor at Alabama and Kansas at home to Kentucky. They each bounced back with a conference win earlier in the week. Baylor came from behind to beat West Virginia by four. A day later, Kansas went to Iowa State and won by nine.

This looks like a pretty even matchup. Baylor desperately needs to shore up its defense, which has let the last two opponents to shoot 59% and 54% from the floor. I think they will, plus Kansas probably won’t shoot 56% as it did vs. Iowa State. 

Even with that hot shooting, the Jayhawks managed only 70 points vs. Iowa State. That was after being held to 62 by Kentucky. The number just seems too high. Bet the under.

Furman has been rolling, but expect them to stumble a bit Saturday afternoon against UNC Greensboro. 

Now leading the Southern Conference, the Paladins have lost just one time since January 1st. That was by two points at Chattanooga, who is in second place. Furman is on an eight-game ATS win streak as well. During that win streak, six of their seven SU wins have come by 15 points or more.

That’s really impressive, but probably not sustainable. Three days ago against The Citadel, they scored 102 points, including a season-high 63 in the first half. There’s only one way to go following a performance like that. 

When Furman faced UNC Greensboro earlier this year, it was a tight, low-scoring contest. The Paladins escaped with a 58-54 win. That was their lowest scoring game of the year, probably owed to the fact that Greensboro plays at one of the slowest tempos in the entire country.

Playing slow should allow the underdog Spartans to keep this one close. After dropping five of their last seven, this is a team desperate for a win. Take the points.

These teams are in pretty similar spots. Philadelphia, third in the East with a 31-20 record, is a little better off right now. But Dallas, fifth in the West with a 29-23 record, has the home court edge for tonight.

The Mavs can’t be too happy about the fact they’ve lost two in a row and that those losses were to the Magic and Thunder. Something else I quickly noticed is how their games have been higher scoring of late. The last five, all of which have gone Over, averaged 231.0 points. That’s up, by a lot, from 209.9 for the year.

So my instinct tells me that Dallas is probably due to have a lower-scoring game. Enter the Sixers, who typically do a terrific job defensively. They allow just 105.5 points per game. Only once in the last seven games has Philly given up more than 109.

The Under is 18-7 in all Dallas’ home games. Philadelphia is 15-5 Under when they are an underdog.

The Mavericks allow the fifth-fewest number of points per possession in the league. Their last game, a 120-114 loss to OKC, went to overtime. It was tied at 103 at the end of regulation. Take the Under here.

The Mountain West has six teams ranked in the KenPom top 52 and these are two of them. Colorado State, despite starting the year with 11 consecutive victories, is the lowest rated of the six. They have lost two in a row to fall to 16-3 on the year. Their first loss was an ugly one, 79-49 at San Diego State. That’s who they’ll face again tonight.

The Aztecs are just 4-2 in conference play and 12-5 overall, but they have a top five defense in adjusted efficiency and are second highest among Mt West teams in the KenPom ratings. Not only did they wallop CSU in the first meeting, they’ve won seven of nine. 

I mentioned that SDSU has a top five defense. They are actually #2 in adjusted defensive efficiency and give up just 56.8 points/game. They say that “defense travels” and so you should count on the Aztecs not allowing many points here. Again, they held Colorado State to just 49 points in the first meeting.

In the last nine games, only Utah State has been able to score more than 60 against San Diego State. Meanwhile, Colorado State has just given up 88 points to UNLV and 84 points to Wyoming in its last two games.

Given how easily San Diego State won the first meeting, I’ve got to take them as a slight dog in the rematch. They are the better team and have swept the season series from CSU 12 of the past 22 seasons. They’ve even won 11 of the last 15 here at Moby Arena. Take the points.

After losing a couple of close ones to top teams (Phoenix, Golden State), the Spurs never had a chance last night, losing to the Heat by the score of 112-95. Because of inclement weather, the start time for the game was moved up 90 minutes. Missing five players, including two starters, San Antonio was held to a season-worst 38 percent from the field.

One of the missing players was leading scorer Dejounte Murray. He’s listed as questionable for tonight. The team could get a boost from the season debut of Zach Collins. Regardless, I think Gregg Popovich will have enough pieces to guide his team to victory over the last place Rockets.

This is a critical game for San Antonio. The annual “Rodeo Road Trip” is set to begin next week. They are 15 games below .500 entering Friday. A win here would give them some much needed momentum going into the upcoming eight-game trip, which goes through the All-Star Break and into March.

When these teams met last month, the Spurs scored 82 points in the paint en route to a 134-104 victory. 

Houston picked up a rare win on Wednesday, ending an 11-game home losing streak by upsetting Cleveland 115-104. It was just their fifth win since 12/19. Only once during that time have they won two straight games. So the decision to lay the short number in this one seems prudent.

Yale had a bit of a rocky road in non-conference play, finishing up just 6-8 straight up and 4-9 against the spread (one game had no line). But since Ivy League play has commenced, it’s been a return to form with a 4-1 mark SU and 3-2 ATS. 

Tonight, the Bulldogs are at home and facing Dartmouth, who is one of the weaker Ivy League teams. The Big Green are just 5-12 this year, straight up, and have a losing record in conference play. They did win their last game, however, beating Columbia 76-63 as 5.5 point road favorites. That Dartmouth was even favored on the road should tell you how bad Columbia must be.

My records only go back to 2016, but Yale has beaten Dartmouth at least 10 straight times, covering the spread in each of the last seven. They’ve been favored every time. So it’s been a one-sided rivalry. 

Yale just got a big win last Saturday, beating Princeton by six as three-point underdogs. The Bulldogs are now just a half game out of first place. They can’t afford to slip up here. Thus expect a focused effort.

The Bulldogs are averaging 81.5 points/game at home this year while Dartmouth averages only 66.1 points/game on the road. Before beating Columbia, the Big Green had dropped seven straight on the road. Lay the points here.

Less than one month ago, USC was one of the last few remaining unbeaten teams in College Basketball. Fast forward to the present and the Trojans are just 5-3 the last eight games. But they did beat Cal 79-72 last Saturday, ensuring they’d remain in the Top 25. Southern Cal comes into tonight’s game ranked #19 in the country.

Stanford has handed the Trojans two of its three losses. Against everyone else, USC is 18-1 this year. They beat Arizona State by 22, 78-56, just over a week ago. Even with this game being in Tempe, I don’t think there’s much reason to expect things will go any different. 

The Trojans played a “clean” game against Cal, committing only four turnovers. But it was one of their weaker defensive efforts, just the second time all season that an opponent shot 50% or better. Expect things to be ratcheted up at that end tonight.

Arizona State is one of the Pac 12’s weakest teams. They’ve lost three in a row and six of their last seven. The Sun Devils only win since December 14th was by two points over last place Utah.

USC has covered five straight times against ASU and tonight should be no different. I’ve got no problem laying single digits on the road with the vastly superior team. The Sun Devils have failed to even score 60 in four of their last six games.

The Lakers look to make it back to back wins here as they face the Clippers Thursday night on TNT. This isn’t your “usual” second night of a back to back for the Purple & Gold. While listed as “the road team,” this is the same building they won in last night, defeating Portland 99-94. 

The Lakers did have to rally to get the win last night. They outscored Portland 27-19 in the fourth quarter. They also got 30 points from Anthony Davis, 19 of those coming in the final stanza.

Both LA teams are under .500 and just trying to catch up to the top six in the West. I think it’s unlikely either will do so, and thus they’ll be relegated to the play-in round come April. The Lakers are playing without LeBron James right now, but the Clippers don’t have either Paul George or Kawhi Leonard.

The Clippers are coming off a 4-4 road trip that took them all over the country. They were a bit lucky to finish the trip at .500 as there were multiple huge comebacks. They trailed the Sixers by 24, Wizards by 35 and Magic by 14. Those were all games that they somehow WON. 

Not tonight though. Even with two days rest, I expect the Clippers to struggle coming off the long road trip. They are actually 0-5 ATS this season when playing with exactly two days of rest. The Lakers are 8-2 ATS after a game where they failed to score 100 points.

You may not be all that familiar with the Summit League, but there’s one team (South Dakota State) well out in front with a perfect 11-0 conference record. Oral Roberts (9-2) is second and if they want to keep pace, they’ll need to take care of Western Illinois (4-6) tonight. I think they will.

Oral Roberts has won eight of its past nine games. The lone loss was their home game and they fell by just a single point, 72-71 to North Dakota State. The Eagles have since gone out on the road and defeated both Omaha and Denver, racking up a lot of points in the process. They scored 100 and 89 in those two wins.

ORU averages 87.7 points per game at home, so you should again expect lots of points from them tonight. Western Illinois, who just gave up 83 in their last game, a loss to UMKC, allows 78.1 points per game on the road.

Western Illinois has dropped 7 of its last 10 overall. They let UMKC shoot 56% on Monday and dropped to 3-7 ATS in conference play. The Leathernecks have lost the last five meetings with Oral Roberts.

Led by Max Abmas, ORU is one of the five highest scoring teams in all of College Basketball. They’ll score enough to cover the spread tonight. 

The Wild have been a steady bet lately, winning 8 of 9, including a pair against the Blackhawks in back to back outings just 10 days ago.  They are rested but not completely healthy, and can make up a little ground on the Predators tonight.  The Blackhawks are just 1-7 of late, and are now missing their captain to concussion.  'Hawks' goaltender Fleurie was awful against the Wild last time out and has had very mixed success lately.  Talbot has been sharp since his return.  The Blackhawks are playing like a team headed for breakup at the trade deadline, and likely won't muster up much in the way of motivation heading into the break.,  The Wild have historically struggled in Chicago, but that was then, and this is now.  Take the Wild to win.

Indiana is having a really disappointing season thus far, but should certainly be able to take advantage of Orlando playing the second night of a back to back. The Magic have the worst record in the NBA, 11-41, and lost 126-115 in Chicago last night.

Despite a hot start where they shot over 60% in the first quarter, Orlando just couldn’t keep pace in the Windy City. They rallied to tie the game up in the last four minutes, only to run out of gas. I think it’s going to be tough for them to dust themselves off after another loss. The Magic have won just one time in ten tries when playing without rest this season. They are also 8-15 ATS off a double digit loss. 

The Pacers beat the Clippers Monday, 122-116. They are now 4-4 over their last eight games, including a win over Golden State, as they try to stay in playoff contention. Don’t judge the Pacers by their 19-33 record as they have played better than you’d think. What has really hurt them is a league-high 10 losses by three points or fewer.

Even though they’re short-handed right now, the Pacers know this is a game they must win. Lay the points as Orlando is rarely a good bet to keep a game close, let alone win.

A rare move to the America East Conference for this play where I will take UMBC, the only team to ever make the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 32  as a 16-seed, to cover the spread.  

Right now though, the Retrievers aren’t really thinking about the NCAA Tournament. They find themselves at just 4-4 in conference play and 9-10 overall. Their opponent on Wednesday is Albany, who has a similar record (5-4 in conference play, 9-12 overall). 

Both teams have played better lately. UMBC has won three in a row. Albany, though off a loss to conference leader Vermont, is 5-3 SU and 7-1 ATS in its last eight games.

Albany hasn’t been all that strong at home this year (3-4 SU) and are not a great offensive team, averaging just 62.0 PPG. After being blitzed by Vermont (allowed 56.9% shooting), the Great Danes probably aren’t in a great position to be favored tonight. They’ve been favorites in only four games prior to this one.

But most important of all is that this is a revenge game for UMBC, who lost to Albany 66-54 as a 4.5-point home favorite, two weeks ago. That was a bad shooting night for the Retrievers, who made only 17 field goals the entire game. In the three games since, they have scored 88, 73 and 70 points. Expect a much better offensive showing tonight and take the points.

Drake, who is coming off a big upset of Loyola Chicago, now turns its attention to a much lesser Missouri Valley foe - Indiana State. The Bulldogs win on Saturday squared them up with Loyola for the MVC lead. Indiana State is just 2-6 in conference play and that’s why they are a home dog here. 

Sunday saw ISU lose by 15 at Bradley. It was the Sycamores’ fifth loss in six games and saw season-lows in field goal percentage (34.0) and three-pointers made (five). They were dominated on the inside, gave up too many second chance points and turned the ball over 15 times. All in all, a poor effort for Larry Bird’s alma mater.

Drake has not been especially good at covering the spread this season (5-14 ATS), but they are winning games. They’ve won 13 of 16. Now three of the wins have been in overtime and three wins last month were by a single point. But taking down Loyola Chicago, who was a Top 25 team not too long ago, was rather impressive.

The Bulldogs didn’t even shoot all that well in the 77-68 upset. But they scored 45 points in the second half. Five of the last six games, they’ve topped 70. Indiana State, meanwhile, has scored 56 or less in three of its last five games. This should be an easy win for the favorite.

Texas vs. Texas Tech is a Top 25 matchup on Tuesday’s docket. Both are 16-5. Texas Tech is ranked higher and favored, due to being at home. But the underdog is the play here.

No doubt Texas Tech has been covering games lately. They are 8-1 against the spread the last nine games. They’ve lost twice straight up, but one of those was a multi-OT game at Kansas. The Red Raiders had already beaten Kansas once this year and they also hold a win over Baylor.

But Texas leads the country in scoring defense at 54.5 points per game allowed. They are a tough team to beat, let alone beat by any kind of substantial margin. In what promises to be another low-scoring affair in the Big 12, taking the points just seems like a sound decision.

Longhorns coach Chris Beard left Texas Tech after last season. He knows the opponent well.

Texas Tech won’t shoot 61% again like they did vs. Mississippi State over the weekend. Texas’ defense keeps this one close and I can see an upset happening.

Minnesota has an excellent shot at ending Denver’s five-game win streak, regardless if Nikola Jokic plays or not.

The Nuggets will be playing their fifth straight game on the road this evening. Two days ago, they shot over 60% from the field and laid waste to Milwaukee, winning by 36. Jokic dominated down low against a Bucks team that really had no post presence. If Jokic (questionable) even plays tonight, he will be going up against Karl-Anthony Towns. 

The Timberwolves are likewise coming off an impressive win. They beat Utah by 20 on Sunday. It was the fourth time in the last six games that the T’wolves topped 120 points.

There is a huge difference in what Minnesota allows at home and on the road. They allow almost 11 points per game less here in the Twin Cities.

The first two meetings of the year have seen Denver win here and Minnesota win in the Mile High City. Now it’s time for the home team to win one. Lay the points.

The Pelicans and Pistons’ combined record is 30-69 (straight up). But both have been playing (somewhat) better recently. Since a horrible 3-16 start to the year, the Pelicans have basically played .500 ball. The Pistons are 5-7 in their last 12 games, still not good, but a marked improvement from losing 30 of their first 37 games.

So expect some points in this Tuesday night matchup. Now I know the Pelicans have lost four in a row and haven’t scored 100 in the last two. But expect better shooting here, especially if leading scorer Brandon Ingram returns. The Pelicans also have to start making some threes. In the last three games, they’ve gone 19 of 96 from long-range. That’s just 19.8 percent!

Detroit is not known as an offensive force, but they just scored 115 in a win over Cleveland on Sunday. The past six games, a stretch where the team is 5-1 ATS, has shown sizable improvement at the offensive end.

Neither team is all that good defensively. New Orleans just gave up 27 points in the final nine minutes in a loss to Cleveland last night. By the way, when playing with zero days rest, the Pelicans give up 113 points per game and have won just once.

The Over is 16-6 the last 22 times Detroit has been favored.

A very potent Panthers offense lit up the goal light 8 times last night and 22 times in their last 4 games. They are playing on back to back games, are not quite as dominant on the road, and will be without Bobrovsky in the net tonight. Meanwhile, the Rangers are just 3-3 in their last 6 games and even with Shesterkin in net are averaging over 3 goals a game against. It will be hard to slow the Panthers down, even on the road, and the Rangers are down a couple of starting D-men. Look for lots of offense from both sides.  The total is very high, but a high score has been the norm when these two teams meet. Even with the total at 6.5 goals, I am still wagering on this gamel to go over.

This may seem like a lot of points to lay with a Virginia team that doesn’t score all that much. But the Hoos have proven to be resilient off a loss and play great defense. Boston College is also not good on the road.

Virginia is one of 13 teams in the country that is allowing fewer than 60 points per game. Playing at home tonight, you should bank on them allowing less than 60 points.

Saturday saw the Cavaliers lose 69-65 at Notre Dame. It was a bad shooting night from three with them making just 3 of 14 from behind the arc. Fortunately, Virginia has a 4-0 ATS record so far off a conference loss. They shoot a respectable 34.4% from three at home.

Boston College, who is coming off a rare win, is just 1-8 away from home this year. That one win was by two over Clemson. The Eagles are averaging less than 60 points/game on the road.

Coming off an ACC win, BC is 0-3 ATS. So lay the points in this one. 

Everybody looks up to Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference, but there’s actually a pretty strong top four in the league this season with BYU, St. Mary’s and San Francisco all looking like they’re NCAA Tournament worthy. But we’re not talking about any of those teams today. We’ve got a matchup of teams in the bottom half of the WCC, Pacific and Santa Clara.

I think Santa Clara has a substantial edge on Monday. The Broncos are coming off a series of close games, an overtime win against San Diego, a win at the buzzer over BYU and an overtime loss to San Francisco. They are just 3-3 SU in conference play, but 9-3 at home and far more respectable than tonight’s opponent.

Pacific is 1-4 SU in conference play and 0-7 on the road. The Tigers just recorded their first WCC win of the campaign on Saturday, shocking BYU 76-73 as a 12-point underdog. Before that, they were on a seven-game losing streak and almost every loss was by double digits.

Not only have the Tigers yet to win a true road game this year, they are also 0-7 ATS in those games. Their overall ATS mark this year is 3-14, very poor and among the worst in the country. 

With Santa Clara averaging just over 80 points per game at home, I just don’t see how Pacific is going to be able to stay within the number here. Lay the points.

Both these teams are coming off wins as they jockey for playoff position. Atlanta has won seven in a row, its longest streak of the season and currently the longest active win streak in the Eastern Conference. They played yesterday, defeating the Lakers by a score of 129-121.

Toronto was a 124-120 winner Saturday in Miami. That game went to triple overtime and everyone in the Raptors’ starting five played at least 53 minutes.

I’m looking for this to be a much lower-scoring contest. Toronto & Miami were tied 100-100 at the end of regulation. The Hawks shot 58.3% yesterday, which is something I don’t see happening again. 

The Under is 8-2 when the Hawks face an Atlantic Division opponent. This includes a 108-92 win over Boston that took place on Friday. Before Sunday, each of the Hawks’ previous four games stayed Under. 

Going into 3 OT’s with Miami stopped the Raptors’ 6-0 Under run in road games. This team only shoots 43.8% from the field, for the season, and has topped 105 in regulation only two times since January 7th. Go with the Under in this one. 

The Islanders are consistent, winning against the league’s bottom-feeders, and struggling against the higher-ranked teams. The Wild would have to rank in the latter category. They are a solid road team, and winners of 7 of 8, including the Rangers last time out. Talbot has missed some time but has been sharp in his last two outings. Sorokin struggled last time out, but has also been very strong this season. The Islanders are back to their usual defensive selves, but the Wild sport a potent offense, third in the league. Take the Wild to overpower the low-scoring Islanders today.

The Rams face the 49ers for the third time this season, and many reputations rest on the outcome. The two defenses will have a huge impact on this game. Yes, Stafford is on a roll, but the 49ers are tough on quarterbacks, averaging 5 sacks a game in the last three games, are 6th in passing yards allowed this year, and hold opposing Qbs to a rating of 83 over the last three weeks. A rattled Stafford is not nearly the same quarterback. He is not immune to throwing the ball away. Should the Rams look to the running game, it doesn’t get any easier. The 49ers have only allowed 69 rush yards on average in their last three games.

What can we expect from the 49ers’ offense on Sunday? Probably a concentrated effort to run the ball, slowing the game down, and keeping Stafford off the field. It worked for them in their last win against the Rams. Their Qb, Garappolo has not impressed lately, with a QB rating of only 79 in his last three games. The 49ers appear to have more faith in their running game. A note to bear in mind. Their double threat magician Deebo Samuel, terrific lately, may not be 100%.

It would be a mistake to underestimate the Rams’ defense. They are strong against the run; fifth and improving in rush yards/game and rush yards/attempt. They are equally tough on Qbs, holding opposing Qbs to a rating of 71 over the last three games.

The 49ers are a very good road team, and have dominated the Rams for some time. I am not confident in their ability to outscore the Rams, but I do think they will hold the final score down. I am wagering on the total to go under.

Over the last couple of weeks, Portland and Chicago have both undergone a reversal of fortunes. Portland got off to a bad start, but has won 7 of its last 11 games. This run now has them 10th in the Western Conference, which would be a play-in spot. Out in the East, Chicago had occupied the top spot for a bit. But now the Bulls are in second after dropping 7 of 10.

I expect this Sunday matchup to be pretty high-scoring. The Bulls are having issues defensively. Friday was the third time this month that they surrendered more than 130 points. They let the Spurs shoot 52.6% and lost 131-122.

On the bright side, the Bulls are still scoring. Three straight games with 111 or more points and they are top 11 in the league, scoring 110.6 points per game.. 

Now Portland also has issues defensively. They are bottom five in the league, giving up 112.3 points per game. Even with their recent resurgence, the problems at the defensive end have largely persisted. They gave up 132 points in a loss to Dallas earlier in the week.

Four of the Blazers’ last five games have gone Over the total and this one should as well. This season, the Bulls are a perfect 7-0 to the Over, at home, when the total is 220 pts or higher.