The set-up: The Toronto Maple Leafs went 13-2-0 over a 15-game stretch from Jan. 24 through Feb. 24 but 0-2-1 since, after falling 5-2 against Washington in a Stadium Series contest at the Naval Academy on Saturday. Still, the 39-21-7 Maple Leafs' 85 points have them solidly in third-place in the Atlantic Division, 15 points clear of the fourth-place Florida Panthers. The Maple Leafs will take on the Buffalo Sabres, who have shown some signs of life lately with three wins in their last five contests. However, the Eastern Conference-worst Sabres are 20-34-11 and their 51 points are just one better than Arizona, which sits in the Western Conference 'basement.'

Toronto: “(The Capitals) look at us and they still think we’re kids,” Toronto head coach Mike Babcock told reporters of the team that knocked the Maple Leafs out last postseason. “And it looked like we were kids here (Saturday). I thought they smacked us around and forechecked. I didn’t think we executed at all.” Toronto likely will be without All-Star Auston Matthews (28 goals & 50 points in 53 games) for a fifth straight game as he struggles with an upper body injury. However, Matthews has been skating and could return to the lineup soon. Mitch Marner, who tops the team with 53 points, has been kept off the scoresheet in back-to-back games, after recording three goals and four assists over his previous three contests. Frederik Andersen (32-17-5, 2.74 GAA & .920 save percentage) has been one of the team’s best players but may be showing fatigue after allowing a total of 14 goals in his last four outings, including five on Saturday.

Buffalo: The Sabres knocked off NHL-best Tampa Bay last week before ending a two-game trip to the Sunshine State with a 4-1 setback at Florida on Thursday. Leading scorer Jack Eichel (22 goals & 53 points) has been out since Feb. 10 with an ankle injury but could be practicing soon. Ryan O’Reilly has notched an assist in each of his last three games and sits three points away from his fifth straight season, and sixth overall, with at least 50. Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen has registered four points in his last five games to push his season total to 31.

The pick: In an odd scheduling quirk, the Maple Leafs and the Sabres meet Monday night for the first of four meetings over their last 15 contests (29-day span). Backup Chad Johnson will return in net for the Sabres tonight, after a disappointing outing by Robin Lehner against the Panthers over the weekend. Johnson is 6-10-3 (3.18 GAA & .896 SP) and he's really no match for Toronto's Andersen and his 2.74 GAA & .920 SP. Make Toronto an 8* play.

The set-up: Many felt as if the Clippers were "giving up" on the current season when they traded away Blake Griffin. However, after routing the Knicks 128-105 on Friday night, the 33-28 Clippers have won 10 of their last 14 game to pull within one game of the eighth and final playoff spot in the West. Amazingly, the Clippers are also just three games out of The West's No. 3 seed! Los Angeles welcomes another New York-based team to Staples Center tonight, as the 20-43 Brooklyn Nets come to town. The Clippers picked up a 114-101 win at Brooklyn just prior to the All-Star break, part of the Nets' current 2-14 slide. Brooklyn allowed a game-tying basket in the closing seconds of regulation and then stumbled in overtime in a 116-111 loss at Sacramento on Thursday.

Brooklyn: The Nets are just one game ahead of the Hawks, who reside in the Eastern Conference's 'basement.' Brooklyn has dropped seven straight road games overall and it is 3-11 away from home against the West, after being outscored 43-32 after the third quarter on Thursday. In an odd twist, three players, DeMarre Carroll (22 & 10), Jarrett Allen (15 & 11) and D'Angelo Russell (15 & 11 assists), all finished with double-doubles in the loss. Russell, the team's leading scorer at 15.8 PPG, tied a career high with 11 assists. The Nets have been among the worst defensive teams all season and currently rank 25th in allowing 109.7 PPG. Considering Brooklyn ranks dead-last (30th) in offensive FG percentage (43.7%), one can see why this team only has 20 wins.

LA Clippers: Lou Williams led six players in double figures with 21 points against the Knicks. The vet is having a career season, averaging 23.2 PPG and 5.4 APG, both of which would be single-season career highs. The 6-8 Montrezl Harrell (9.8 & 3.9) collected 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting and he is averaging 18.7 points on 72.7 percent shooting over his last three games. Harris has been excellent since coming over from Detroit in the Griffin deal, averaging 18.4 & 6.6 in 11 games. Of course, let's not forget Jordan, who chips in with 11.8 PPG and 15.0 RPG.

The pick: The Clippers have recorded six straight wins against the Nets here at Staples Center but LA checks in at just 15-15 ATS on its home floor on the season. In fact, LA was on a 1-5 ATS run at home before taking down the Knicks on Friday. Meanwhile, the sad-sack Nets are a moneymaking 18-12 ATS on the road, despite going only 8-22 SU. A closer look finds them at 15-8 ATS when getting four-plus points away from home. Make Brooklyn a 10* play.

The set-up: The San Jose Sharks acquired Evander Kane from Buffalo on Monday and he has added an offensive boost by notching three assists in two games, as the Sharks have scored a total of 12 goals in a pair of impressive home victories, 5-2 over the Oilers and 7-2 over the Blackhawks The 35-21-9 Sharks have 79 points (2nd-nbest oin teh Pacific) and look to keep their top-three status in the division intact (4th-place Ducks have 76 points) when they welcome the 32-28-5 Columbus Blue Jackets to the SAP Center on Sunday night. The Blue Jackets look to salvage the finale of their three-game road trip, after losing 4-2 loss at Anaheim on Friday (had lost 5-2 to the Kings in LA the night before). Columbus (69 points) is in a virtual tie with Carolina for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.

Columbus: The Blue Jackets opened the scoring at Anaheim but then allowed the Ducks to score four straight goals. “We find ways to lose,” Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella told reporters after the setback. Alexander Wennberg (24 points in 50 games) missed Friday’s game with an upper-body injury that he sustained after taking a heavy hit in Thursday's loss at Los Angeles. His status is uncertain for the matchup against San Jose. Artemi Panarin (18 goals is tied with John Anderson for the team lead) has recorded seven of his team-leading 53 points in his last seven contests while defenseman Seth Jones has registered five of his 41 over his last four games. Sonny Milano has scored two goals in three contests (10 goals in 38 games TY) since being recalled from Cleveland of the American Hockey League but newcomer Thomas Vanek has yet to notch a point in two games after being acquired from Vancouver.

San Jose: Kane recorded 20 goals in 61 games with Buffalo before joining San Jose and has fit in nicely with captain Joe Pavelski (18 goals and 52 points) and Joonas Donskoi (11 goals and 27 points). Pavelski has benefited the most from the acquisition, registering three goals, three assists and a plus-5 rating in his last two games, while Logan Couture has scored in back-to-back contests to push his team-leading total to 27 goals. Defenseman Burns is tied with Pavelski for the team lead with 52 points (42 assists).

The pick: San Jose has taken the first two contests of a season-high six-game homestand in impressive fashion (see above) and now looks to beat Columbus for the fifth consecutive time. San Jose goalie Martin Jones (21-16-6, 2.50 GAA & SP) has yielded four goals while winning each of his last three starts against Columbus, including a 3-1 victory at Nationwide Arena on Feb. 2. The Blue Jackets are tied with the Carolina Hurricanes for fifth in the Metropolitan Division and are outside the top-eight in the Eastern Conference playoff race, thanks in part to a less-than-stellar 13-17-3 road record. Columbus is allowing 3.15 GPG away from home and that doesn't bode well here in San Jose, where the Sharks are 19-9-3 while averaging 3.35 GPG. Make San Jose a a 10* play.

The set-up: No. 10 Cincinnati (26-4 / 15-2 AAC) will travel to No. 11 Wichita State (24-5 / 14-3) on Sunday and this showdown between the Bearcats and Shockers at Charles Koch Arena with the American Athletic Conference regular-season title at stake, is being billed as The Game of the Year in the American Athletic Conference! Cincinnati sits in first place in the AAC, one game ahead of Wichita State, but the Shockers can earn a share of the league title in its first year since coming over from the Missouri Valley Conference with a win. What's more, after winning the first matchup 76-72 last month, the Shockers also can earn the No. 1 seed in the AAC tournament if they can top the Bearcats on Sunday. Cincinnati had won a national-best 39 straight home games before Wichita State notched its key road victory back on Feb. 18th.

Cincinnati: The Bearcats have won three in a row since the loss to Wichita State, including Thursday's 78-49 rout at Tulane. Cincy ranks second in the nation in points allowed (57.2 PPG) and in opponents FG percentage (36.9%), something which was on display as Tulane was held under 50 points on 31.4 percent shooting (including going 3 of 14 from three-point range). The 6-9 Kyle Washington led the way with 16 points but at 11.2 & 5.3, he's Cincy's third-leading scorer. PG Evans (13.3-4.4-3.4) and the 6-8 Clark (12.8 & 8.3) are the top-two. Guard Cumberland (11.1) is thete's fourth double digit scorer. With a defense allowing under 60 PPG, Cincy's 76.1 PPG on offense (102nd), has been more than enough.

Wichita State: The Shockers got off to a hot start to their first year in the conference, winning their first five AAC games. They then managed to bounce back from an up-and-down stretch midway through the season that saw them lose three of five games, as they've since won seven in a row, including a hard-fought 75-71 overtime win at Central Florida on Thursday. Wichita State a middle-of-the-pack defensive team (71.7 PPG allowed ranks 143rd) but the team averages 83.9 PPG (15th), after having scored at least 75 points in 10 straight games. PG Landry Shamet (14.5 & 5.2 APG) leads four players averaging between 10 and 15 points on the season, while nine of the team's top 10 scorers average at least one assist per game. The 6-8 Shaquille Morris averages 14.2 & 5,4 but has scored at least 19 points in seven of his last 10 games. The 6-9 Willis (10.7 & 6.0) and guard Frankamp (10.40 round out the team's top-four scorers.

The pick: Wichita State head coach Gregg Marshall said beating Cincinnati for a second time and earning a share of the AAC regular-season title would be a well-deserved reward for his senior-laden team. "It would mean that this two and a half months we proved to be one of the best, if not the best team in the league," he said. "That's good, especially like I said, that we moved up a couple of weight classes and these guys met the challenge." The "revenge angle" is on Cincy' side but Wichita State was able to shoot 52.9 percent in its road win at Cincy (when does that happen?) and now get the Bearcats on their home floor, where the Shockers average 90.0 PPG. Revenge DOES NOT work here. Make Wichita State a 10* play.

The set-up: The Edmonton Oilers shocked most NHL observers with their 103 points last season and at the start of the current season, were a sexy pick to win the Western Conference. However, the Oilers started poorly and never got it going. They continue their current five-game homestand Saturday against the New York Rangers and with a 27-33-4 mark (58 points), will miss the playoffs for the 11th time in 12 seasons. They began their homestand with Thursday's 4-2 loss to Nashville and now welcome the 29-30-6 NY Rangers to town, a team looking to finish its three-game swing through Western Canada at 3-0, after posting victories in Vancouver and Calgary.

NY Rangers: New York is only five points out of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with its 64 points, despite having a fire sale prior to last Monday's trade deadline. The Rangers did acquire center Ryan Spooner and he recorded a goal and an assist in Friday's 3-1 victory over the Flames. Spooner was obtained from Boston in Sunday's deal that sent Rick Nash to the Bruins. He has collected a goal and six assists in three games with his new team. Vladislav Namestnikov, in his first game after being acquired from Tampa Bay on Monday, was kept off the scoresheet in Calgary after notching a goal and an assist against Vancouver. Henrik Lundqvist, just 25-21-5 (2.89 GAA & .916 SP) on the season, but registered 50-save performances in each of the two wins at Vancouver and Calgary.

Edmonton: Captain Connor McDavid recorded a goal and an assist against Nashville, increasing his team-leading total to 77 points (29 goals). Center Ryan Strome, who spent his first four with the NY Islanders, is riding a four-game point streak during which he has collected three goals and three assists. Leon Draisaitl (58 points) scored against the Predators, giving him a goal in four of his last five contests. Some good news for Edmonton is that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who hasn't played since Jan. 13 because of a rib injury, may return as the Oilers look to avoid a third consecutive defeat. He has 31 points in 46 games and coach Todd McLellan told the team's website Friday that " "He's very close to playing,"

The pick: New York is an excellent 11-4-0 against the Pacific Division this season, so a 3-0 Western swing sweep would not be a stretch. That said, I'll play the over, as the Rangers are allowing 3.35 GPG on the road and the Oilers are allowing 3.55 GPG at home. Make the Over a 10* play.

The set-up: The 37-27 Oklahoma City Thunder will visit the Moda Center on Friday night to take on the 36-26 Portland Trail Blazers. These two teams, along with the SA Spurs, are bunched in a three-way race for seeds three thru five in the West. Portland currently owns the No. 3 position by mere percentage points but all three sit 12 1/2 games behind the Rockets and Warriors, who are in a virtual tie atop the Western Conference standings. The Blazers have won five straight to reach a season-best 10 games over .500 and that run has placed the team in the midst of the battle for third place in Western Conference. The Thunder have won three straight games and five of their last six, after dispatching the Suns 124-116 on Friday in Phoenix.

Oklahoma City: PG Russell Westbrook (25.2-9.7-10.3) had 43 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists last night and has a friendly rivalry with Portland PG Lillard. He tuned up for Saturday's meeting by making 16-of-25 shots against the Suns. Small forward Paul George (22.3 & 5.6) added 20 points against Phoenix and has reached at least 20 in four of the past five games, the exception being a horrific performance against the Golden State Warriors on Feb. 24 when he had five points on 1-of-14 shooting. The third member of OKC's "Three Amigos" is Carmelo Anthony (16.9 & 6.0) but he is shooting just 21-of-64 (32.8%) over the past four games. OKC is an enigma. The Thunder have won enough close games against inferior opposition of late to lead critics to wonder about a lack of intensity. However, OKC has beaten Golden State (twice), Houston and Cleveland this season and is 5-3 against teams with at least a .600 winning percentage. Portland is a tad shy of that figure, at .581.

Portland: The Blazers have won 13 of 18 after beating Minnesota 108-99 on Thursday, as the team makes a strong push for homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Lillard (26.5-4.6-6.5) averaged 31.4 points in February, the highest in any month in franchise history, and continued his strong play by scoring 35 points in Thursday's win over the Timberwolves. Lillard has scored 35 or more points in five of the past seven games, including outings of 50, 44 and 40, and is averaging 36.9 during the stretch. Partner McCollum (21.6) gives Portland a dynamic backcourt duo but only center Nurkic (14.2 & 8.3) scores in double digits among the other Blazers.

The pick: Both Portland and Oklahoma City are in the thick of a Western Conference playoff race that is so tight, every spot from No. 3 to 10 remains up for grabs with five weeks left in the regular season. Portland has both meetings with OKC this year, 103-99 at home on Nov. 5 and 117-106 on the road on Jan. 9. The Blazers have also won 12 of their last 13 at home, going 12-1 ATS, as well. In fact, OKC has lost seven consecutive games in Portland dating to February 2014 and is a modest 16-16 SU on the road this season. Maybe the play should be Portland but OKC has a knack of playing up to its competition so instead, I'll make the Over a 10* play.

The set-up: No. 5 Duke (24-6 / 12-5 in ACC) will host No. 9 North Carolina (22-8 / 11-6 in ACC) at Cameron Indoor Stadium in the two long-time rivals' annual regular season finale. Virginia has run away with the ACC's regular season title but these two legendary Tobacco Road rivals will meet Saturday night (it marks the 246th meeting between the two schools) with the second seed in next week’s ACC tournament on the line. Duke saw its five-game winning streak come to an end with a 64-63 loss at Virginia Tech on Monday and the Tar Heels had won six straight contests before Miami (Fla.) beat them at the buzzer, 91-88 on Tuesday.

North Carolina: This game is of even more importance to the Heels, as they can finish as low as the sixth-seed with a loss. Carolina knocked off the Blue Devils 82-78 back on Feb. 8 at home with just two turnovers overall and Duke held North Carolina to just 39 percent shooting in that contest, then followed up that effort up with five more wins while allowing just 55.6 PPG before Virginia Tech forced 18 turnovers to help it rally from a six-point halftime deficit for the 91-88 victory. Berry matched his career high with 31 points in the loss to Miami and took over the team lead at 18.2 PPG. Senior swingman Theo Pinson (9.9 & 6.0) leads the team in assists (4.8) and has played a big role in the Tar Heels’ recent success by averaging 17.5 points over the last four games. 6-8 junior forward Luke Maye (17.9 PPG & team-high 10.2 RPG) has cooled off of late, averaging 12.5 and 8.5 respectively in four games since scoring a career-high 33 with 17 boards against North Carolina State. The 6-8 Johnson (13.1 & 4.0) and guard Williams (11.2) round out the defending champs' double digit scorers.

Duke: Coach K starts four freshman along with senior Grayson Allen. Allen (15.4 & 4.5 APG) has scored at least 20 points in four of the last six games but freshman backcourt mate Gary Trent Jr. (14.3 & 4.1) is just 9-for-36 from the floor over his past four contests. 6-11 freshman standout Marvin Bagley III has connected on 13-of-18 from the floor and averaged 15.5 points in two outings since returning from a four-game absence with a knee injury. He averages 20.7 & 11.1 on the season and is joined by 6-10 freshman Wendell Carter Jr., who averages 14.3 & 9.5. Duke's fourth freshman is PG Duval (10.5 & 5.3 APG).

The pick: Yes, Duke is in "revenge mode" but as noted, this game has more meaning (consequences) for the Tar Heels. I will also note that Duke is 79-56 under Krzyzewski in games with both teams ranked in the top-10. That said, this is a big pointspread in a game with so much on the line for North Carolina. Take the points and make the Tar Heels an 8* play.

The set-up: What a difference a few hours can make. Arizona fans were unsure of what the future held for the 19th-ranked Wildcats and the program moving forward on Thursday morning. Head coach Sean Miller had not been with the team since a report broke late last week alleging the ninth-year Arizona coach was recorded by FBI wiretaps discussing a $100,000 payment to star freshman Deandre Ayton with an employee of a sports agency, Christian Dawkins. However, Miller read a statement on Thursday afternoon in front of the local media refuting the claims made in the report and announced he would be returning to coach his team against Stanford that evening as it looked to secure a share of the Pac-12 Conference regular-season title. The 75-67 win over Stanford as the 23-7 Wildcats (13-4 in Pac 12) secured a share of the Pac-12 title and the top seed in next week’s conference tournament. They will welcome the Cal Golden Bears to the McKale Center on Saturday, a team that has lost six straight to fall to 8-22 overall, including a Pac 12-worst 2-15.

California: The no-so Golden Bears own the league’s worst offense (68.5 PPG) and defense (78.0 PPG). Other than that, things are going well for Cal. The Bears lost 84-53 at Arizona State on Thursday, in a truly ugly effort. Cal committed 17 turnovers and missed all of it 18 shots from three-point range. Junior guard Don Coleman had 16 points in the loss and averages 14.9 PPG to lead the Bears, who have set the school’s all-time record with 22 losses. That said, the Bears do have several building blocks in place for next season, with eight freshman on this team. 6-7 forward Justice Sueing being the most prominent. He is averaging and has scored in double figures in 22 games this season, while averaging a team-high 15.7 PPG in Pac 12 games.

Arizona: With its head coach back on the bench and its second-leading scorer (Trier at 19.5 PPG) back in the lineup, No. 19 Arizona suddenly looks like a national title contender again. Trier returned after missing three games and scored 18 points against Stanford, helping Arizona exhale following a rough few days. “I think we can flip the story,” center Dusan Ristic told reporters. “Two days ago, everybody was against us, the whole nation. And I think we’re gonna use that as motivation. From this point on, the whole thing made us stronger, much tougher as a team and I think we’re going to try to do something special now.” The 7-0 Ristic (12.1 & 6.9) scored a team-high 21 points on 10-for-15 shooting in the win over Stanford and is averaging 14.8 points and 7.2 rebounds over his last 13 games. The senior has proven to be a perfect complement to 7-1 freshman Deandre Ayton. Ayton is a leading contender for Pac-12 player of the year averaging 19.7 points and 11.1 rebounds with 59 blocks.

The pick: OK, Arizona is 81-3 at the McKale Center since the start of the 2013-14 season but Thursday's game was emotional. It secured the No. 1 seed in the Pac 12 tourney for Arizona and what's the motivation here against the sad-sack Bears. Yes, Cal is off a 31-point loss to Arizona State on Thursday night but prior to that, The Bears had kept four of their previous six games within four points. Take the YUGE points and make Cal an 8* play.

The set-up: Louisville is 19-11 (9-8 ACC) and NC State is 20-10 (10-7 in ACC) when the two schools meet tonight in Raleigh. Both are coming off losses but Louisville will almost assuredly have the tougher time bouncing back. The Cardinals had possession and a one-point lead over No. 1 Virginia with 0.9 seconds remaining on Thursday but turned the ball over on an inbound play (Deng Adel moved his feet and was called for traveling while inbounding the ball on the baseline) and then watched as Virginia's De'Andre Hunter drained a 30-footer off the backboard for a 67-66 UVa victory. Interim head coach David Padgett called it the "toughest loss I've ever had." NC State is coming off a 78-75 loss at Georgia Tech, where the Wolfpack were perhaps guilty of looking past a Yellow Jackets team that didn't win a game in February.

Louisville: The Cardinals led the No. 1 Cavs by as many as 13 points but despite the loss, did wind up scoring more points (66) against Virginia's top-ranked defense than any other ACC team this season. Two missed free throws in the final minute and the late turnover led to the loss. Adel, who had that fateful turnover, did have a team-high 18 points plus added six rebounds and four assists. Ray Spalding had 16 points and nine rebounds, while Quentin Snider added 13 points. The 6-7 Adel (15.4 & 5.3) leads the team in scoring, the 6-10 Spalding (12.0 & 8.9) leads in rebounding and PG Snider(12.2 & 3.9 APG) leads in assists.

NC State: The Wolfpack led the Yellow Jackets by seven points at the half but Georgia Tech's Ben Lammers scored eight straight points late for Ga. Tech while Braxton Beverley (.9 & 4.1 APG) missed a pair of game-tying threes in the dying seconds as the Wolfpack saw their four-game win streak come to an end. Allerik Freeman (15.2 & 4.0) led NC State with 19 points on 7-of-16 shooting, 6-5 guard Torin Dorn (13.7 & 6.2) added 18 and 7-0 center Omer Yurtseven (13.7 & 6.9) had 17 points and nine rebounds. PG Markell Johnson (8.7 PPG), who leads the ACC and is third in the nation with 7.6 assists per game, had an uncharacteristically poor game with five turnovers in only 18 minutes.

The pick: Louisville has lost six of its last nine games as it travels to PNC Arena for its regular season finale. NC State's first-year head coach Kevin Keatts, after getting UNCW to the NCAAs the past two seasons, has "worked wonders' with the Wolfpack this season (NC St was coming off a 15-17 / 4-14 ACC mark) and his four-guard lineup will be a tough matchup for the bigger but slower Cards. Note that NC State is 15-3 at home this season with wins against Duke and Clemson (has outscored opponents, 87.6-to-72.1 PPG). Make NC State an 8* play.

analysis coming

The set-up: A double-bye to the quarterfinals in the SEC Tournament is on the line Saturday when No. 23 Kentucky (21-9) heads to Gainesville for a rematch with 19-11 Florida in the regular-season finale for both teams. Owners of a double bye in the 14-team SEC field need only win three games in three days to claim the tournament title and the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. League leaders Auburn and Tennessee have already secured double byes, leaving Kentucky, Florida and Arkansas to fight it out for the two remaining spots. Those three teams are in a three-way tie for third place at 10-7. The winner between Kentucky and Florida gets a double bye, although the Wildcats could still secure one should Missouri beat Arkansas on Saturday because the Wildcats beat the Razorbacks earlier this season.

Kentucky: The Wildcats find themselves in the rare position of not being able to win the SEC title in this regular season finale. After all, Kentucky began the year as the AP's No. 5 ranked team. Kentucky has sure had its ups and downs but the Wildcats have regrouped and are clicking at the right time heading into the SEC Tournament. They have won four straight with a 16-point average margin of victory, as the Wildcats have topped 80 points in each game, with their high-water mark in SEC play coming Wednesday in a 96-78 romp past Ole Miss in their final home game of the season. Five Wildcats have scored in double figures in each of the four games of the winning streak, led by freshman forward Kevin Knox, who had a game-high 22 points against Ole Miss for his third straight 20-point outing. Freshman point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander came close to a triple-double against the Rebels with 17 points, a career-high 10 assists and a career-high-tying seven rebounds. The 6-7 Knox (15.8 & 5.4) leads the team in scoring and PG Gilgeous-Alexander (13.0 & 4.9 APG) has run the show. Guard Diallo (10.7 & 3.7) and the 6-7 Washington (10.2 & 5.3) round out the double digit scorers. Calipari teams are typically known for their three-point shooting but this year's squad thrived on stopping opponents form behind the arc, allowing opponents to make just 29.3% of their threes (3rd-best in the nation).

Florida: The Gators come in off back-to-back victories over No. 14 Auburn and Alabama, putting themselves solidly back in the NCAA Tournament picture. Florida's defense surrendering just 18 first-half points to the Crimson Tide in its 73-52 win on Tuesday. Guard Chris Chiozza figures to celebrate Senior Day with a school record as he needs one more assist to become Florida’s all-time leader, snapping the tie with Erving Walker for the UF record (547). Grad transfer Egor Koulechov scored 15 points in the win over Alabama and junior guard Jalen Hudson came up big against Alabama by scoring 27 points on 9-of-13 shooting for his first 20-point game since Jan. 17. However, he still leads the team in s scoring at 15.4 PPG. PG Chiozza leads the team in assists (6.1) and adds 11.1 PPG. Koulechov averages 13.7 & 6.6 and Allen 11.3, giving Florida four double digit scorers but all play on the perimeter. Despite its lack in size, Florida's played solid defense, allowing 69.2 PPG (94th).

The pick: The loss of the 6-11 John Egbunu to a torn ACL has hurt Florida and it is not yet known if he plans to petition the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility. Often, the word revenge is overused in handicapping but I believe it applies here. Florida does not have the inside presence to stop Kentucky's frontcourt players in this one plus the Wildcats will be looking to avenge their 66-64 loss to the Gators back on Jan. 20, one that ended the team's 30-game home winning streak against SEC opponents! Make Kentucky a 10* play.

The set-up: The Winnipeg Jets missed chance to move into a tie for first place with Nashville, coughing up a two-goal lead in the third period of a 6-5 home loss to the Predators on Tuesday. The 37-17-9 Jets have 83 points (the Predators now have 89) and they will look to rebound when they host the 26-27-10 Detroit Red Wings on Friday night. It is the final contest before a crucial six-game road trip for the Jets. Detroit comes to town having won two of its past six games (2-3-1) and currently sits fifth in the Atlantic Division with 62 points, seven points back of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who hold down the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. There are also three other teams ahead of Detroit trying to catch the Blue Jackets.

Detroit: Already facing a steep climb to get back in the playoff picture, the Red Wings are also in the midst of a grueling stretch in which they play 10 of 11 away from home. Not only does Detroit play only once at home over its next nine games, but its next eight opponents all currently hold down playoff spots. The Red Wings just lost 2-1 on Wednesday night to the St. Louis Blues, a team that had lost its previous seven games and indicated its lack of postseason aspirations by trading Paul Stastny to Winnipeg. Detroit has now failed to score more than three goals in nine consecutive games!

Winnipeg: Center Paul Stastny was a big addition for Winnipeg at Monday's trade deadline and he did not disappoint in his debut with the team, scoring one goal and setting up another while dominating in the faceoff circle by going 14 of 19. Forward Mark Scheifele (21 goals & 51 points) scored twice against Nashville to give him six in his last seven games and hike his home point total to 34 in 24 games. Patrik lane leads the team with 31 goals and Blake Wheeler owns a team-high 73 points (18 goals). Stastny had 40 points in 63 games for the Blues.

The pick: We can assume that coming off a third-period collapse against the Preds, the Jets will be well-focused on this game. Making that even more likely is the fact that Winnipeg will be looking to avenge a 5-1 loss to the Red Wings in Detroit back on Dec. 5. The Jets are a high-scoring team at home (3.84 GPG) and I believe they'll push this game over the total. Make the Over a 10* play.

The set-up: It's the final game of the regular season for MAC teams Ball State and Northern Illinois. The Cardinals will look to rebound from back-to-back losses, including a 75-51 road loss to Central Michigan in their last outing. However, Ball State is 19-11 overall, including 10-7 in league play, good enough for 2nd-place tie in the MAC West standing s with Eastern Michigan. Meanwhile, the Huskies limp in having lost 12 of their last 16 games following a 97-67 loss to Toledo (the Mac West's top team at 13-4) in their last outing. Northern Illinois is 12-18 overall, including a 5-12 league mark which leaves them in last-place in the MAC West.

Ball State: PG Persons (14.6-3.3-4.3) leads in scoring and assists plus two "big men," the 6-8 Teague (11.8 & 7.4) and teh 6-9 Moses (11.5 & 8.4) give Ball State a solid inside presence. The 6-7 Mallers (9.8 & 4.7) and guard Sellers (9.6 & 4.7) round out a starting-five in which all have played in every game this season for Ball State. The Cardinals average a respectable 75.7 PPG (125th) but allow 74.0 PPG, which ranks 217th.

Northern Illinois: The Huskies are a guard-oriented team, with Eugene German (20.7) leading the way. Levi Bradley (14.3 & 5.1) and Dante Thorpe (10.8) round out the team's double digit scorers. Similar to Ball State, Northern Illinois scores 73.1 PPG and allows 76.0 PPG.

The pick: Ball State could find itself in one of the lesser postseason tourneys but the MAC doesn't get much respect, so even a 20-plus win season could leave them at home after the MAC tourney. The Cardinals have not had much success against the Huskies in recent years, going just 2-7-1 ATS in the last 10 meetings between these two schools. As for NIU, it lost 97-67 at home to Toledo in its last outing but note that not only are the Huskies still 10-4 SU at home this season but they are also capable of bouncing back off a humbling loss. Note that NIU is 7-2 ATS in its last nine following a loss of 20 or more points . Make Northern Illinois a 10* play.

The set-up: It's starting took as if more than a few people "jumped the gun" in their praise that the addition of Blake Griffin was going to help the Detroit Pistons secure an Eastern Conference playoff spot. The Pistons obtained Griffin from the LA Clippers on Jan. 30. They had lost eight straight but beat Cleveland shortly after the deal was completed. Griffin's arrival occurred in the second game of what would become a five-game winning streak that pushed Detroit one game above .500 on Feb. 7 after beating the Brooklyn Nets. However, Detroit then lost six of its next seven, with five of those defeats coming by double digits.The 29-32 Pistons are currently sitting in the No. 9 spot in the Eastern Conference, 2 1/2 games outside of the playoff 'cut line.' Detroit will be in Orlando tonight to face the 18-43 Magic, as they open a three-game road trip. Orlando owns the worst record in the Eastern Conference and the Magic are coming off a 117-104 home loss to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, the team's seventh straight loss. It marks the team's fourth losing streak of at least seven games this season.

Detroit: The Pistons did earn an impressive win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday (110-87) and will try to make it two in a row in tonight's game. Detroit snapped a three-game slide with Wednesday's win and a big difference was the play of the second unit, led by Johnson. He has been moved from the starting lineup to the bench and delivered 19 points, six rebounds and four assists in 30 minutes. "We've got, what? Twenty-one games left?" Pistons small forward Stanley Johnson asked reporters after Wednesday's win. "And we're back what? Three games (entering play on Thursday)? We've got to get on it. There's no sugar coating that. Everyone in the gym knows it. We know it. Y'all know it. It's our job to do our job." Griffin scored 24 points in his Detroit debut back on Feb. 1 in a 104-102 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. The Pistons are 6-6 in the 12 games Griffin has played with him averaging 18.3-6.8-5.5. Center Drummond is a double-double 'machine' (15.1 & 15.8) but the Pistons really need PG Jackson (14.6 & 5.5 APG) to get back on the court. Head coach Stan Van Gundy said he's hopeful Jackson (ankle) can return to practice at some point prior to the team's West Coast road trip on Mar. 13.

Orlando: The Magic Orlando allowed the Raptors to shoot 54.2 percent from the floor on Wednesday and is near the bottom in the NBA in field-goal percentage defense (.47.5% ranks ). "We kind of lose the same way every night," Magic swingman Evan Fournier told reporters. "We start well, we're playing good, and in the third quarter or fourth or whatever we let them get on a run and we never recover from it. They get too comfortable and once the lead is up to seven or eight, the lead keeps growing and we're just never able to come back." The loss repeated the pattern from Monday's five-point loss at Oklahoma City on Monday. The Magic shot 56 percent and scored 62 points by halftime against the Thunder, but those totals dropped to 42 percent and 43 points in the final two quarters. "It's been an issue for us all year long," Magic center Nikola Vucevic told reporters. "We have to figure out how to do a better job defensively, follow the game plan, compete and make the extra effort out there. We don't (make) enough of those plays consistently." PF Gordon (18.0 & 8.2), SG Fournier (18.0) and center Vucevic (17.2 & 9.0) are all quality players but the Magic continue to struggle.

The pick: Detroit bounced back nicely by dominating the paint and the boards in a 110-87 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday but how much does that really mean? Detroit hasn’t covered two straight in a 21game spanand is 2-11 SU in its last 13 road games. Friday begins a stretch with nine of 12 games outside of Detroit and the Pistons haven't won on the road since Jan. 10 at Brooklyn (are 9-19 SU away from home on the season). Sure, Orlando has won just 18 games all season but the Magic have won five straight here in Orlando vs. the Pistons. Take the home dog and make Orlando a 10* play.

The set-up: The 38-26 Minnesota Timberwolves are sitting in the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference but are only four games clear of the ninth-place LA Clippers. That tightly-bunched field is even more of a concern to Minnesota since it lost All-Star Jimmy Butler to a knee injury over the weekend. He is expected to be out for at least the rest of the regular season following surgery on his right knee. The T-wolves will visit Moda Center tonight to take on the 35-26 Portland Trail Blazers, who are in that pack of teams stuck between three and nine. The Blazers come in having won four in a row and currently sit tied for the No. 5 seed with the Pelicans, 1 1/2 games behind the T-wolves and 2 1/2 games clear of the No. 9 Clippers.

Minnesota: The T-wolves are winning the games they are supposed to win and breezed past the Chicago Bulls and Sacramento Kings in the last two games to move ahead of the San Antonio Spurs, despite the loss of Butler. Minnesota replaced Butler (22.2-5.4-5.0) in the starting lineup with power forward Nemanja Bjelica, who contributed 12 points, eight rebounds and four steals to Monday's win at Sacramento. Wiggins is now playing "the 2" and is picking things back up after a brief slump. He has scored over 20 points in each of the last three games and checks in at 17.7 & 4.1 on the season. Let's not forget center Karl-Anthony Towns (20.3 & 12.3), who leads the NBA with 54 double-doubles.

Portland: The Blazers welcome Minnesota to town playing well and have a top-four spot in the West in their sights. Lillard scored 26 points on 11-of-19 shooting and added 12 assists in Tuesday's win over the Kings to cap a strong February. He averaged 31.4 points in 10 games during the month, including a 50-point outburst and two other games in which he scored at least 40. Lillard (26.3-4.5-6.6) and McCollum (21.6) comprise one of the NBA's best backcourts, although the only other Blazer scoring in double digits is center Nurkic (14.1 & 8.3).

The pick: Minnesota head coach Tom Thibodeau has gone big (the 6-10 Bjelica) as he tries to make up for the loss of Butler. The problem won't be at the offensive end, as Minnesota scores 111.4 points per 100 possessions, third-best in the NBA behind Houston and Golden State. However, the Timberwolves are 24th in defensive rating and Butler was their best defender. Also of note is that Minnesota features four of the league’s top-10 players in minutes played, with Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns in the first and second slots. It should then come as no surprise that Minnesota also ranks as the NBA’s worst fourth-quarter defense by a full three points per 100 possessions. Portland comes in having won 11 of its last 12 home games and the home team has won all three previous matchups this year between these two teams, including the most recent contest, a 123-114 Portland home win on Jan. 24. Should be another high scoring game tonight. Make the Over a 10* play.

The set-up: The 34-21-9 San Jose Sharks are fighting for playoff positioning (team's 77 points has them in second-place in the Pacific Division), while the 27-28-8 Chicago Blackhawks are in the rare position of playing spoiler. The Blackhawks have plummeted to the bottom of the Central Division with losses in 10 of 13 contests in February but
one of those three wins came at the expense of the Sharks, 3-1 in Chicago on Feb. 23.

Chicago: Artem Anisimov (17 goals) netted his third goal in four games in that win over San Jose but was then held off the scoresheet in a 3-2 setback at Columbus on Saturday. Captain Jonathan Toews has been held without a point in four straight games. Toews is one of three Blackhawks with at least 40 points with Nick Schmaltz (42) and Patrick Kane (team-high 58). Rookie Alex DeBrincat needs one point to reach 40, and is one goal shy of tying Kane for the team lead with 23 goals. Goalie Jean-Francois Berube will hope to repeat his effort of last Thursday, when he flustering the Sharks by turning aside 42 shots in his first start for Chicago. The 26-year-old was recalled from Rockford of the American Hockey League last week and shined in his first NHL start since Feb. 19, 2017. Berube is expected to see some additional action during the team's trek through California, although coach Joel Quenneville told reporters that Corey Crawford (concussion) could return to the ice following the road trip. The Blackhawks play three straight in California, including back-to-back games this weekend in Los Angeles and Anaheim.

San Jose: Evander Kane was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres on Monday and drew two assists in San Jose's 5-2 win over Edmonton on Tuesday. He playied alongside Joe Pavelski and Joonas Donskoi, with the line combing for a goal and six assists. Pavelski has a goal and five assists in a four-game points streak at home against Chicago. He is second on the team with 50 points (16 goals, 34 assists), one behind Brent Burns (10 goals and 51 points). Center Logan Couture leads the team with 26 goals. San Jose showed its appreciation of Aaron Dell by signing the backup goaltender to a two-year, $3.8 million contract extension on Wednesday. Dell sports a 14-5-3 mark this season. However, Martin (Jones) is still No. 1. He has turned aside 93 of 98 shots to highlight his three-game home winning streak, although his 33 saves were not enough as he absorbed the hard-luck loss in Chicago on Friday.

The pick: After 10 straight playoff appearances (including winning three Stanley Cups, Chicago is facing the reality of that streak ending. However, don't expect the Blackhawks to roll over in the final quarter of the season. "We can be spoilers against some teams that have a lot of incentive just on this trip alone," head coach Joel Quenneville said. The Sharks are playing with some "recent revenge" on their minds and have gone 18-9-3 at home, where they are averaging 3.23 GPG. Chicago allows 3.10 GPG on the road and Berube still lacks experience in goal. Make the Over a 10* play.

The set-up: No. 24 Middle Tennessee State entered the AP's top-25 two weeks ago, for the first time in school history. The 23-5 (15-1 in C-USA) Blue Raiders can clinch their second straight Conference USA regular-season title when they host second-place Western Kentucky (22-7, including 14-2 in C-USA play) Thursday night in Murfreesboro. The Blue Raiders have vaulted into the national rankings on the strength of a 10-game winning streak that began with a 66-62 raod win over the Hilltoppers back on Jan. 20. Western Kentucky comes in having won six in a row while averaging 87.7 PPG and trails Middle Tennessee by one game with two to play.

Western Kentucky: The Hilltoppers capped their home slate with an 88-66 triumph over Old Dominion on Saturday behind 20 points from Taveion Hollingsworth, as head coach Rick Stansbury's team has shot at least 55 percent from the floor in five straight games (it's the program's longest such stretch since 1979!). The 6-7 Justin Johnson had 19 points and 11 rebounds in the win over the Monarchs, his 10th double-double of the season. He is tied for the team lead in scoring at 14.8 PPG (also a team-high 9.4 RPG) with fellow senior, PG Darius Thompson (4.7 RPG & 4.9 APG). Hollingsworth (13.6), a freshman guard, has hit the 20-point mark in four of his last seven games and is shooting 50 percent for the season after going 8-for-13 on Saturday. The 6-9 Dwight Coleby (11.9 & 8.1) ranks second on the team to Johnson with nine double-doubles.

Middle Tennessee State: "We're proud of our ranking, proud of it for our fans and most proud for our players," chead oach Kermit Davis told reporters after Saturday's 79-54 win over UAB. "We talked about it on Monday that with more success comes more motivation and it drives you. I think it drives our team. We looked like a Top 25 team tonight and that was good to see." The 6-7 Nick King (21.5 & 8.3) led the way on Saturday with 22 points and he ranks second in the conference in scoring (21.5), including 24.8 over the last four games. Guard Giddy Potts (13.1 & 4.3) buried 5-of-9 from three-point range in the win and is posting an average of 16.2 points over a five-game stretch. Guard Antwain Johnson (10.2) is 19-for-30 from long range over a span of seven contests after going 17-for-57 to start the season. The 6-10 Walters (10.1 & 5.1) is the team's fourth double digit scorer.

The pick: MTSU has won 31 of its last 33 in C-USA play and is now generating legitimate Big Dance at-large talk. That said, the Blue Raiders would be well-advised to win the conference tourney. Kermit Davis’ bunch won first showdown by four on road at WKU (back on Jan. 20) but will need a little bigger margin here, to "get the cash." Considering MTSU is 10-1 SU at home, outscoring opponents 77.4-to-60.8 PPG, I'll lay the modest points and make MTSU an 8* play.

The set-up: The East Carolina Pirates are 10-17 overall and just 4-12 in American Athletic Conference. They get set to welcome the 17-11 Golden Hurricane (10-6 in AAC) to Greenville for the team's home finale on Thursday. The Pirates enter having lost three in a row and most recently absorbed a 109-58 pummeling at the hands of No. 25 Houston.  Tulsa looks to bounce back after its six-game winning streak was ended with an 82-74 loss this past Sunday at No. 10  Cincinnati.

Tulsa: The Golden Hurricane are led by the 6-8 Junior Etou (15.6 & 7.7), who has registered at least 15 points in seven of the last eight games and has drained multiple three-pointers in seven of those eight contests. PG Taplin (12.0-3.8-4.4) and SF Jeffries (10.3 & 4.9) are the other double digit scorers. Jeffries has 31 blocks on the season, one more than all of his teammates combined, despite playing in only 22 games. The 6-8 Martins Igbanu (9.0 & 5.8) has given the team a lift over the past three games by making 13-of-16 from the floor while guard Corey Henderson Jr.(9.8) is connecting on just 10-of-31 over the last four outings.

 East Carolina: The Pirates can't finish in last place in the AAC (South Florida is 1-15) but that is about the only good news for ECU, which allowed Houston to make two-thirds of its shots from the floor and from the three-point line Sunday (see above). B.J. Tyson (24 points), Shawn Williams (14) and Isaac Fleming (13) accounted for 88 percent of the team's offense against the Cougars as the rest of the team shot a collective 3-of-15 from the floor. Tyson has reached the 20-point mark in three of the last four games and leads the team in scoring at 15.1 PPG. PG Fleming (12.9 & 4.9 APG) plus fellow guards Barkley (12.0 & 7.3) and Williams (12.0) also average in double digits.

The pick: East Carolina was dominated by Tulsa 79-53 in its American Athletic Conference opener and not much has changed in the last two months. However, Tulsa's Taplin missed the Cincinnati game with an ankle injury and is questionable for Thursday. He'll be missed (see above for his stats). Tulsa is just 3-7 in true road games, where it averages just 65.9 PPG. Can't see them laying almost double digits away from home, even against this weak opponent. Take the points and make East Carolina an 8* play.

The set-up: The second round of the Big Ten tournament will take place Thursday at Madison Square Garden. Seventh-seeded Penn State (19-12 / Big Ten) will take on No. 10 Northwestern (15-16 / Big Ten). The Nittany Lions wrapped up the regular season with three consecutive losses to fall out of the NCAA Tournament picture and now hope to make a deep run in this tourney, as that is their only path to play their way back into contention for an at-large bid. Of course, Penn State could just win the tourney, which would give them an automatic bid. Penn State's opponent is Northwestern, who enter the tourney having dropped six consecutive games. The Wildcats' only chance at making the Big Dance would be to win this tourney, meaning the Wildcats have no chance at all of 'dancing' in 2018.

Northwestern: The Wildcats returned most of their core players from the team that earned the first NCAA Tournament berth in program history last year but they have struggled under the weight of expectations. Their goal in this tourney would be to avoid their first losing season since 2014-15 but that would take at least two wins. "Our confidence is low right now," Northwestern head coach Chris Collins told reporters. "Let's play tough, let's play together and try to see if we can find a way to win a game on Thursday." Senior guard Scottie Lindsey matched a program record with nine three-pointers en route to a career-high 32 points in the Sunday's 77-70 loss to Iowa. Lindsey leads the team in scoring at 15.3 PPG but the 6-7 Vic Law, who is averaging 12.0 & 5.8, will miss the Big Ten Tournament with a toe problem. Senior PG Bryant McIntosh (12.0 & 5.1 APG) will play through a shoulder injury, which caused him to miss two games in February, plus the team's fourth double digit scorer is the 6-8 Dererk Pardon (11.2 & 7.1) and he earned All-Big Ten honorable mentions from the media.

Penn State: The Nittany Lions eased past the Wildcats 78-63 in the first meeting of the season before suffering a 70-61 setback on Jan. 20. Penn State expects (hopes?) to advance to the quarterfinals of this tourney for the first time since 2015. 6-5 sophomore guard Tony Carr (19.9-4.5-4.8) was a consensus All-Big Ten first team selection after leading the conference with 20.1 points to go along with 4.9 assists per game. Head coach Pat Chambers uses an "Iron-5," with all getting 26-plus minutes of playing time and all averaging in double digits. The 6-8 Lamar Stevens has scored 43 points in the two meetings with Northwestern this season, including a career-high 30 in the win over the Wildcats on Jan. 5. He averages 15.2 & 6.3 and is joined by the 6-9 Watkins (12.1 & 8.9) up front, while Garner (10.3) and Reaves (10.3-4.8-3.3) join Carr on the perimeter.

The pick: One could reasonably argue that Northwestern enters the tournament in the worst form in the conference (six straight losses coming in) but Penn State comes in off three straight losses, as well. Just don't see Penn State being favored by this much, as Northwestern still has a nucleus of guys left over from last year's magical season. Take the points and make Northwestern an 8* play.

The set set-up: The 19-10 Butler Bulldogs (9-7 in Big East) will visit the Carnesecca Arena in Queens to take on the host 14-15 St. John's Red Storm (3-13 in Big East). Butler knocked off Providence on Feb. 17 and then routed No. 24 Creighton 93-70 three days later, which may have all but clinched an NCAA at-large berth for the Bulldogs. St John's is 11-2 in non-conference play (which includes an upset of Duke) but the team's 3-13 conference mark has done in the Red Storm.

Butler: Butler shoots (47.8% ranks 40th) and scores (80.3 PPG ranks 50th) well. Senior forward Kelan Martin (20.9 & 6.4) is finishing his career on a high note while averaging 26.2 points over the last six contests to push his Big East-leading mark to 23.3 in league games. Junior guard Paul Jorgensen (10.8) played a big part in the last two wins for the Bulldogs, averaging 14.5 points and draining 12-of-18 from the floor. Sophomore guard Kamar Baldwin (15.4 & 5,4) is the team's second-leading scorer but is coming off a 3-for-11 shooting performance.

St. John's: The Red Storm opened Big East play 0-11 but have been a much better team the last month with shocking wins over Duke and Villanova. Still, they sit at the bottom of the league standings after losing their last two contests to Marquette and Seton Hall. Sophomore guard Shamorie Ponds leads the Big East in scoring overall (21.6) and has been especially productive during the Red Storm’s revival, averaging 29.1 points over the last seven contests. He adds 5.1 RPG and 4.9 APG, similar to his backcourt partner, Simon (11.5-7.1-5.0), who also rebounds and 'dishes' with authority. The 6-7 Clark (11.9 & 4.7) is the team's best frontcourt player. Justin Simon is shooting better than 50 percent from the floor the last four games, while Clark is scoring 18.3 PPG over the last three while connecting on 21-of-40 from the floor.

The pick: Butler destroyed St. John's 70-45 at home back on Jan. 27 and has won six of the last seven matchups between the two schools. However, Butler has lost four of its last six road games. Meanwhile, the Red Storm have played Creighton and Xavier close at home, upset Duke (at MSG) and won at Villanova by four points as a 16 1/2-point dog. Make St. John's an 8* play against a Butler team which is likely looking more towards the Big East tourney and an expected NCAA bid.

The set-up: With all sorts of "tanking" stories surrounding them, the Dallas Mavericks beat the Pacers 109-103 on Monday. The 19-42 Mavs remain at home for Wednesday's game against another playoff-hopeful opponents, the 35-27 Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder bounced back from a 112-80 Saturday loss at Golden State by beating the Orlando Magic 112-105 on Monday. Oklahoma City is among a group of teams clustered between No. 5 and No. 9 in the West (currently own the No. 7 seed) and can't afford a loss to a team at the bottom of the standings.

Oklahoma City: OKC got 48 points from its reserves in Monday's win and is hoping that contributions from players other than Russell Westbrook (24.8-9.6-10.4), Paul George (22.3 & 5.5) and Carmelo Anthony (17.0 & 5.9) is something that will continue on a regular basis. "This is the way we have to perform for the rest of the year and throughout the postseason," reserve guard Raymond Felton told reporters. Felton (7.1) led four reserves in double figures with 13 points against the Magic. However, other than starting center Adams (14.0 & 9.1), no other OKC player is averaging even 8.0 PPG.

Dallas: Owner Mark Cuban was fined $600,000 by the NBA last week for suggesting on a podcast that it might be best for the franchise if the team continued to lose this season in order to improve its draft prospects but the players are refuted that position. The Mavs don't score much (102.0 PPG ranks 27th) but six players average in double digits, led by Barnes, the team's leading scorer (18.2) and rebounder (6.5) plus rookie PG Dennis Smith Jr. (14.6-3.9-4.8). Dallas is capable of getting plenty of support of its bench. J.J. Barea scored 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting in 26 minutes on Monday and the Mavericks added to the bench at the trade deadline with Doug McDermott, who is averaging 9.8 PPG in his six games with Dallas, while shooting 51.2% from the floor, including 54.5% on threes.

The pick: Surprisingly, the Mavs have taken two of the first three meetings this season, including a 116-113 win at Oklahoma City in the latest matchup back on Dec. 31. The Mavs also beat the Thunder 97-81 earlier this season here at American Airlines Center. However, it should be noted that OKC is a very dangerous (although volatile) team. The Thunder were one of four teams (Golden State, Houston, Toronto were the others) to enter the All Star break ranked in the top-10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency. Will OKC ever get its act together? That's TBD but in this one, OKC takes care of business. Make the Thunder a 10* play.

The set-up: The slumping St. Louis Blues have lost seven straight games (0-6-1) for the first time since 2009-10 after Tuesday’s humbling 8-3 loss at Minnesota and have now fallen out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference with a 34-26-4 record (72 points). The Blues will be back on the ice again tonight when they host the Detroit Red Wings. Detroit checks in at 26-26-10 and with its 62 points, the Red Wings are still alive in the playoff race, sitting seven points behind Columbus for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Detroit: The Red Wings opened a critical five-game road trip Sunday with a 3-2 overtime victory over the fading New York Rangers, as Jimmy Howard turned aside 36 shots. "We’re still there,” Howard told reporters after making his fourth consecutive start for a team which has won two straight and earning a point in three straight. Detroit made one deal at Monday's trade deadline, sending Tomas Tatar to Vegas for first, second and third-round picks as it attempts to clear space for its promising younger players. “I am trying to build a team here that somewhere down the road can compete for the Stanley Cup,” GM Ken Holland told the Detroit Free Press. “It has to be done through the draft. Now there’s more draft picks, more assets.” Center Dylan Larkin has recorded four assists in the last four games to push his team-leading total to 47 points (just nine goals. RW Anthony Martha has a team-high 20 goals.

St. Louis: The Blues St. Louis has been outscored 29-10 during their losing skid and have allowed a total of eight first-period goals over their last three contests. Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice in Tuesday’s loss to give him five goals in his last eight games and a team-leading 26 on the season - two more than All-Star Brayden Schenn, who tops the Blues with 56 points. All-Star defenseman Alex Pietrangelo recorded the other tally for St. Louis in his 599th NHL contest to snap a six-game point drought and reach double digits in goals for the second straight season and fourth in his career.

The pick: The Blues' downward spiral continued at Minnesota last night and the team now needs to bounce back just 24 hours later at Scottrade Center. The good news is, St. Louis won at Detroit 6-1 back on Dec. 9 and has a seven-game points streak (3-0-4) against the Red Wings. Can the Blues earn a win after allowing 16 goals in their last three outings? If so, they'll have to score. That's the bet. Make the Over a 10* play.

The set-up: It's AAC college hoops from Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Ct. when the 16-12 Temple Owls (8-8 in AAC) visit the 13-16 UConn Huskies (6-10 in AAC). Temple has won eight of its last 11 games and still has an outside shot of playing its way into the NCAA Tournament. Meanwhile, UConn has lost seven of nine and is closing in on finishing with back-to-back losing seasons for the first time in 31 years.

Temple: The Owls rolled to an easy 75-56 win over Central Florida on Sunday but a crushing 21-point home loss to Houston on Feb. 18 will put added emphasis on the American Athletic Conference tourney for Temple. Freshman guard Nate Pierre-Louis (8.0) has endured plenty of highs and lows in his first season, but Temple's sixth man supplied 11 points off the bench Sunday to reach double figures for the sixth time in eight games. 6-8 guard Rose (15.0 & 4.4) leads the team in scoring with fellow guard Alston (13.2) and the 6-10 Enechionyia (10.9 & 6.1) joining him in double figures.The Owls are not a high scoring team, averaging only 70.1 PPG (263rd) on 42.8% shooting (282nd).

UConn: The Huskies fell into a 23-point hole midway through the second half of Sunday's 83-79 loss to Memphis, before making a late run behind Jalen Adams, who scored 21 of his 25 points after the break. When these teams met back in Philly last month, the Owls demolished the Huskies in a 28-point romp that marked the start of a UConn tailspin which has seen them lose seven of nine. Adams (18.1-4.2-4.5) was limited to just seven points last month versus Temple. Joining Adams in double digits are fellow guard Vital (15.0 & 5.2) and the 6-8 Larrier (13.8 & 4.5).

The pick: Temple is the better team and just could be getting hot at the right time but the Owls are just 4-7 SU on the road and UConn is still capable of 'barking quite loudly' as a home dog against a Temple team which averages a modest 67.1 PPG on the road. Make UConn a 10* play.

The set-up: The 22-6 Boise State Broncos are 12-4 in the MWC and will finish second in the league to 14-2 Nevada. The Broncos will play their second-to-last regular season game tonight at Viejas Arena against the host San Diego State Aztecs who are 17-10, including 9-7 in MWC play. Boise State comes in off back-to-back wins, after losing at Utah State and home to Nevada in its prevuious two. As for SDSU, the Aztecs have won their last four games.

Boise State: The Broncos took out Colorado State last Wednesday, led by 6-7 guard Chandler Hutchison's 27 points. Hutchinson leads the etam in scoring (19.9), rebounding (7.60 and assists (3.5). He's joined in double digits by guard Jessup (11.6 & 4.9)a nd the 6-9 Sengfelder (11.5 & 6.5). Boise averages 78.4 PPG (69th) and allows 67.7 PPG (62nd).

San Diego State: The Aztecs score 77.5 PPG (81st) and allow 68.0 PPG (65th). They have no player like Hutchinson, a legitimate POY candidate in the MWC, but do have seven players averaging between 7.7 and 12.7 PPG. That group is led by the 6-10 Pope (12.7 & 7.1) and PG Watson (12.5 & 3.9 APG).

The pick: San Diego State has been playing pretty well lately and is 11-2 SU & 9-2 A TS at home. Note that Boise just edged SDSU 83-80 back in Boise, so this is by no means an easy "W." However, the Broncos are currently on Joe Lundardi’s "Next Four Out List" and have no margin of error down the stretch if they hope to earn an at-large bid (assuming Nevada wins MWC tourney). After consecutive shaky outings, Boise has allowed just 106 points in back-to-back wins, scoring at least 76 in both games. Make Boise State an 8* play.

The set-up: The 35-23-4 Dallas Stars are currently holding down the No. 1 wildcard playoff slot in the Western Conference with 74 points and the 32-22-9 Calgary Flames are one point behind them with 73. Neither team felt compelled to make a major move at Monday's trade deadline and Dallas will continue its five-game homestand (began it with a Saturday loss to Winnipeg) with tonight's game against the Flames. The Stars are 21-10-1 at home but the Flames are a strong road team, checking in at 18-8-5 away from home this season.

Calgary: The Flames did make a pair of minor moves at the deadline, acquiring center Nick Shore from Ottawa and claiming forward Chris Stewart from Minnesota. Shore barely got time to get settled in Ottawa, playing in only six games after he was part of a four-player deal with Los Angeles but he is strong on the penalty kill. Stewart provides a physical presence and has scored at least 15 goals five times, including a career-best 28 in 2009-10. Calgary has won two straight games, including a 5-1 win over Colorado on Saturday at home. I noted Calgary's strong road record at the top and the team's excellent play will be tested here, as the Flames begin a stretch of five of their next six games away from home.

Dallas: Tyler Seguin has scored eight times in February after netting one goal and setting up another in Saturday's 5-3 home loss to Winnipeg. Seguin leads the Stars with 31 goals and is second with 54 points , two behind Alexander Radulov, who has scored in back-to-back games to give him 23 goals. Goalie Kari Lehtonen was yanked Saturday after yielding four second-period goals and Bishop (24-20-4, 2.53 GAA & .915 SP) could be in goal tonight

The pick: Then again, Lehtonen improved to 12-7-2 against Calgary with a 30-save performance in Calgary back on Oct. 27 (Dallas won 2-1). Either way, I'll stick with Dallas. The Stars have won both meetings this season versus Calgary, including a 6-4 home win on Nov. 24, when Seguin registered a hat trick in the come-from-behind victory. Make Dallas a 10* play.

The set-up: The 32-26 Philadelphia 76ers are the East's No. 7 seed and the 31-29 Miami Heat are the conference's No. 8 seed. The teams meet tonight in Miami and while Philly leads Miami by just two games, the Sixers have been on quite a roll with the Heat seemingly headed in the opposite direction. Philly lost at Washington on Sunday but that defeat snapped a seven-game winning streak (club's longest since 2009). As for Miami, the Heat beat the sad-sack Grizzlies 115-89 but entered that game having had dropped eight of their previous nine

Philadelphia: Sunday's loss marked the start of a stretch of seven of eight on the road for Philadelphia, which is gunning for homecourt advantage in the playoffs (Sixers are just . two games back of Washington, which owns the No. 4 seed). Joel Embiid (23.9 & 11.2) only recently started playing in back-to-back games and came through a stretch of three games in four nights coming out of the break without a problem. He averaged 27.6 points on 55.6 percent shooting and 12.3 rebounds, serving up three consecutive double-doubles. Embiid and 6-foot-10 rookie PG Ben Simmons (16.7-7.7-7.4), veteran shooting guard JJ Redick (16.6), plus forwards Dario Saric(14.5 & 6.9) and Robert Covington (12.6 & 5.5) comprise a strong starting-five. Philadelphia's bench is now led by SG Marco Belinelli (11.8 PPG in his four games with the team), who is the team's highest scoring reserve and is similar to Redick in that both have more than a decade of NBA experience.

Miami: "It's kind of a relief a little bit," said PG Goran Dragic (17.4-4.1-4.9) after the win over the Grizz. "The last 17 games have been close games. Finally, we put together a great game where we were up 20 points. We've started the homestand well. Hopefully we'll continue that Tuesday." Shooting guard Tyler Johnson (11.8) went nine straight games without hitting at least half of his shots before going 4-of-7 in the loss at Philadelphia on Feb. 14. Johnson carried that shooting over the break and is 12-of-22 from the floor in the last two games. Hassan Whiteside (14.2 & 11.9) is a consistent double-double 'machine' but Wade has added little since returning to Miami, averaging 8.6 & 5.0 in five games (team is 2-3).

The pick: Beating the Grizzlies is hardly cause for celebration (Memphis is currently on a 10-game slide) and these teams met right before the break when Philly pulled out a 104-102 win at Wells Fargo Center on Valentine’s Day. Miami was just 7-16-3 ATS line as host before break and I do not assume much will change down the stretch, even with the return of Wade. While Miami has slipped from the No. 4 seed to the East's' No. 8 seed, Philly's been "movin' on up" and can 'smell' a possible Game 1 contest at home in the opening round. Make Philly a 10* play.

The set-up: The 37-15-8 Boston Bruins have 82 points, which leaves them in third-place in the Atlantic Division behind Toronto (84 points) and Tampa Bay (89). However, the Bruins own a 20-point lead over the division's fourth-place team, making them a virtual 'lock' for the playoffs. The Bruins open a six-game homestand against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night, a team going through a rough time on and off the ice. The Hurricanes have lost five straight games to fall to 27-25-10, as their points leaves them 10th in the Eastern Conference. What's more, co-captain Jordan Staal (14 goals / 34 points) left the team to be with his wife following the death of their infant daughter.

Carolina: The Hurricanes have scored just six goals during their five-game skid (0-4-1) and the only move the team made Monday was sending Josh Jooris to Pittsburgh for Greg McKegg in a swap of minor-league forwards. It's pretty obvious you are not going to win many games when scoring just one goal. Head coach Bill Peters said he is moving leading goal scorer Sebastian Aho (21), who has one assist during the slide, back to center to fill in for Staal. Staal has already missed two games and was told to take as much time as he needs for a return.

Boston: The Bruins traded three players and two draft picks to the New York Rangers in exchange for Rick Nash, who made his Bruins debut in a 4-1 loss at Buffalo on Sunday just hours after the deal was completed. Nash was solid in his first game in seven days, registering a team-high five shots on goal while playing alongside center David Krejci. "It was my first game in a week so I was a bit nervous," Nash said. "It's definitely been a couple of strange days not being able to play. But that's behind us and I'm happy to be a Bruin." The Bruins dropped a controversial 4-3 decision at Toronto on Saturday night when their last-minute claim of goaltender interference was denied. Then they were dumped by the last-place Sabres in Buffalo in Nash's debut Sunday night.

The pick: Boston fans will get their first in-person look at Nash, tonight. Expect Boston to bring its "A-game," off back-to-back losses and as for Carolina, the Hurricanes, they simply can't seem to find the back of the net. The Under is an 8* play.

The set-up: The Florida Gators and Alabama Crimson Tide meet Tuesday night in SEC action at the Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa. Both schools come in having lost six of their last 10, with the Gators checking in at 18-11 (9-7 in SEC) and the Tide at 17-12 (8-8 in SEC). Setting the conference standings, Florida is in a four-way tie for third place, while Alabama is a game behind that group, tied with Missouri for seventh.

Florida: The Gators' days of being in the top-25 have long ago disappeared but beating first-place Auburn 72-66 on Saturday boosted their postseason resume, as well as their chances of securing a top-four seed and a double-bye in the upcoming SEC tournament. The Gators had lost three straight before besting the Tigers behind. Florida has heavily relied on its three-point shooting, as the team's top four scorers are all guards who like to shoot from the outside. Jalen Hudson (15.0 & 4.0) and Egor Koulechov (13.7 & 6.7) have been the team’s most consistent scorers and most prolific three-point shooters. PG Chris Chiozza (11.3-4.4-6.2) is the catalyst and leads the team with 54 steals. The Gators

Alabama: Many still have the Crimson Tide in the "Big Dance" (I'm not convinced) but they are one of the SEC’s top defensive teams and own one of the nation’s best freshmen in guard Collin Sexton (18.2-3.6-3.5). Fellow freshman John Petty (10.8) and sophomore Dazon Ingram (10.0 & 5.6) give Alabama a trio of talented guards who can match up well with Florida’s strong backcourt. The 6-9 Donta Hall (11.1 & 7.1) works hard inside and feasts on easy baskets in the paint, shooting 74.2 percent.

The pick: The Crimson Tide easily handled the Gators in the first meeting of the season, posting a 68-50 road victory back on Feb. 3. However, while Alabama has won two of the last three meetings, Florida has captured 12 of the last 14 and hasn’t lost two straight in the all-time series since 1998. Revenge works. Make Florida a 10* play.

LA Lakers: The game will be a homecoming for Lakers guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who played at the University of Georgia. He coming off his best performance of the year, a season-high 34-point effort that included a career-high eight three-point baskets in a 113-108 win over the Sacramento Kings. Caldwell-Pope (13.5 & 5.0) has scored in double figures in 39 games and had nine 20-plus point performances. Los Angeles is bringing rookie PG Lonzo Ball back slowly from a knee injury and continues to bring Isaiah Thomas off the bench, leaving PF Julius Randle and fellow forward Brandon Ingram to handle the playmaking responsibilities with the first unit. Randle (14.7 & 7.5) ripped off a triple-double in a 124-102 win over Dallas on Friday while Ingram  (16.1-5.3-3.8) paced the team with eight assists in a triumph at Sacramento on Saturday.

The pick: The two teams have split two meetings in Toronto already this year and play again in Tampa on March 20. Tampa Bay is rumored to be involved in trade talks, with its focus on improving a defense that has allowed 39 goals in 12 games this month despite posting an 8-4-0 record. We'll see if the Lightning "pull the trigger." Won't (can't) buck the Lightning on home ice, where they average 3.67 GPG. Make Tampa Bay an 8* play.

The set-up: The Vancouver Canucks showed plenty of promise early on, opening the season14-10-4. However, they have posted only two victories in February (2-7-1) after suffering a 6-3 loss at Vegas on Friday. They continue their three-game road trip Sunday against the Arizona Coyotes, who at 18-33-10 (46 points), own the league's worst record. However, the catch is, the Coyotes are suddenly red-hot, having earned points in seven of their last eight contests (6-1-1). Sunday's game will feature two of the top rookies in the league as Vancouver’s Brock Boeser (27 goals, 51 points) takes on Clayton Keller of Arizona (17, 44) in the first of four matchups between the Pacific Division rivals over the remainder of the season.

Vancouver: The Canucks played a strong first period against the Golden Knights but were outscored 4-1 over the final two periods. Boeser has notched an assist in each of his last two games while Thomas Vanek (41 points), who could be on the move before Monday's trade deadline, has recorded three points in his last four contests. Daniel Sedin (39 points) is trying to finish the season strong, registering three goals and four assists over his last six games, while Bo Horvat (31 points) has collected six points in the same span. In net, Jacob Markstrom could make his first start in five games, as Anders Nilsson has allowed 10 goals in his last two starts and 15 over his last four.

Arizona: The Coyotes are close to climbing out of the bottom spot in the league. Arizona, which has allowed fewer than two goals in four of its last five victories, receiving a 26-save performance from Antti Raanta in Saturday's 2-0 triumph over Anaheim, to climb within one point of Eastern Conference-worst Buffalo (47). Keller has been kept off the scoresheet in three straight game but the 19-year-old registered three goals and five assists in his previous five contests to rank fourth in the league in points among rookies. Derek Stepan (38 points) also was blanked on Saturday but has recorded eight points in his last nine games and is two shy of 400 for his career. Defenseman Jason Demers and Max Domi, who has registered five points in his last seven games, each scored their fifth goal of the season in the win over Anaheim.

The pick: Vancouver ( (23-31-7 with points) is ahead of only the Coyotes in the Pacific Division and has lost four of five and eight of 10 following a 6-3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday. Both teams are allowing an average of 3.23 GPG and the Over is a 10* play in this one.

The set-up: No one is making fun of "The Process," these days. Philly's 116-105 victory over Orlando on Saturday at home gave the 76ers seven straight wins, matching the franchise's longest run since a nine-gamer late in the 2002-03 season. Larry Brown was coaching Allen Iverson on that team, one which was just two years removed from an NBA Finals appearance. These Sixers are 32-25 and while they are the East's No. 7 seed at the moment, they are just 2 1/2 games back of the third-seeded Cavs. Philly will be in Washington tonight to face the 34-25 Wizards, who are 8-3 since losing PG John Wall (19.4 & 9.3) to a knee injury. The Wizards are the No. 4 seed and while they are just one game back of the Cavs (No. 3), they are also just 1 1/2 games ahead of the 76ers (No. 7).

Philadelphia: Joel Embiid (23.9 & 11.2) scored 28 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in Saturday's win as Philadelphia recorded at least 112 points for the fourth time during the winning streak. Rookie Ben Simmons (16.7-7.7-7.4) chipped in 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting and he has made 65.4 percent from the floor over a four-game stretch. Veteran shooting guard Marco Bellinelli has produced at least 15 points in two of three games since being acquired by Philadelphia (he's averaging 12.8 PPG). Joining Embiid and Simmons in the starting lineup are SG Redick (16.8), PF Saric (14.6 & 6.9) and SF Covington (12.7 & 5.5). Philly is for real.

Washington: The Wizards returned from the break and won 110-103 at Cleveland on Thursday but then flat on their faces the very next night, losing 122-105 at home to the Hornets, a team which is seven games under .500. "We just didn't have energy, focus, no fight back, no nothing," All-Star guard Bradley Beal told reporters after the loss to Charlotte. "They flat out whooped us." Beal scored 33 points in the loss and he has made 9-of-18 from three-point range over his last three games. He leads the team in scoring (23.7) plus Washington also has five others averaging between 8.7 and 14.5 PPG, excluding Wall.

The set-up: Dropping that game against the Hornets represented Washington's 10th loss against a team with a losing record. With Philly playing so well and off that ugly (and embarrassing loss), I can't imagine Washington being 'flat' for this one. The home team has won the last six meetings between these two and the Wizards have won seven straight meetings at home over the Sixers. Make Washington a 10* play.

The set-up: Florida State and North Carolina State each have just three games left before the ACC tourney, as they prepare to clash on Sunday in Raleigh. The 19-8 Seminoles (8-7 in ACC) come in rested with a full week off since beating Pittsburgh 88-75 to extend their winning streak to two and with a No. 25 ranking in the latest AP poll. Meanwhile, the unranked but surprising Wolfpack won their third in a row Tuesday, defeating Boston College 82-66. NC State is 19-9 and at 9-6, one game better than FSU in league play.

Florida State: The Seminoles are a strong offensive team (83.0 PPG ranks 23rd) and that's been on display in back-to-back wins over No. 15 Clemson and Pitt. FSU connected on a combined 52.7 percent from the floor and averaged 84.5 points in those two wins. Guard Terance Mann is one of only four players in the ACC leading his team in both scoring (career-high 14.0) and rebounding (5.8) but he only had four points and two rebounds in the win over Pittsburgh after sitting out the entire first half for what Hamilton called a "small indiscretion." PJ Savoy (18 points, 5-for-7 on three-pointers) and MJ Walker (14) combined for 32 points in rare starting roles against Pitt with Mann and Braian Angola (12.7 & 4.0) on the bench. The 6-8 Cofer (13.4 & 5.4) has been the team's most productive frontcourt player but both the 7-4 Koumadje (8.0 & 4.9) and the Kabengele (7.1 & 4.8) are solid contributors.

NC State: Guard Allerik Freeman (14.8 & 4.2) has emerged as the go-to guy for the Wolfpack, leading the team in scoring in each game during the current winning streak, including a 20-point outing the last time out against Boston College. Freshman Braxton Beverly (10.0 & 3.9 APG) is a threat from long range and in the last six games has hit 17-of-28 from three-point land while failing to register even a single turnover in 97 minutes the last three contests. The 7-0 Yurtsen (13.6 & 6.8) is the team's best big man and PG Johnson (8.8 & 7.8 APG) is the floor leader.

The pick: This is the only scheduled meeting between the teams this season and it's a big one for both. NC State is 7-1 when it has less turnovers than its opponents but the Seminoles have been protecting the ball during the win streak, averaging just three second-half turnovers and a total of three points off of turnovers in the second halves of its last two games. Florida State needs one more victory to record its third straight season with at least 20 and has won its last three meetings with NC State. Make it four in row in the series and four straight 20-win seasons for the Seminoles. Make FSU a 10* play.

The set-up: The Colorado State Rams are 11-18 overall and just 4-12 in MWC play, as they head to Reno, Nv. to take on the Nevada Wolf Pack. Nevada is 24-5 (13-2 in MWC play) and is ranked No. 20 in the AP poll. The Wolf Pack are clearly the class of the conference and with a win at home on Sunday, can clinch at least a share of the school's second consecutive Mountain West regular-season championship and also would claim the No. 1 seed for the upcoming conference tournament.

Colorado State: The Rams are locked into the No. 10 spot for the Mountain West Tournament and will play the seventh place finisher, which could be any of five teams, in the first round on March 7 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. The Rams will be without head coach Larry Eustachy (administrative leave) for the sixth straight game and enter having won just one of their last 10 games. The school is reportedly trying to work out an exit strategy for Eustachy and will be playing for their second interim head coach (Jase Herl). Junior guard Prentiss Nixon leads the team in scoring (15.3) but had just nine points in the team's 87-54 home loss to Boise State. Nixon is just 1-of-18 from the floor over the last two games, including 0-of-8 from three-point range,

Nevada: The Wolf Pack will be honoring three seniors before the contest in the final home game of the season. Head coach Eric Musselman said there's another reason it could be a special day. "You don't get to cut down nets in your own building very often," Musselman told the Reno Gazette Journal. A victory over the Rams would give Nevada a two-game advantage in the loss column over second-place Boise State (22-6, 12-4) with two games to go, and the Wolf Pack own the tiebreaker by virtue of a regular-season sweep of the Broncos. That said, all is not right with Nevada. The Wolf Pack are down to seven scholarship players after starting PG Larry Drew (8.1 & 4.3 APG) was lost for the season with a torn Achilles last week. Senior guard Kendall Stephens (13.8 PPG and a 45.2 percent shooter from three-point range) had a career-high 30 points, including seven three-pointers, in Wednesday's 80-67 win over San Jose State but injured his shooting thumb late in the game. Word is, he will play with a splint the rest of the year." Three other players are averaging double figures including Mountain West Player of the Year candidate Caleb Martin (19.2 & 5.1), reigning MW tourney MVP Jordan Caroline (17.0 & 8.7) and Cody Martin (13.5 & 6.4), twin brother of Caleb.

The pick: The Rams may be banged up more mentally than physically and the 87-54 loss to Boise was the team's worst in nine years! Sure, Nevada can clinch the MWC's No. 1 seed with a win here but is there really any reason to blow out the sad-sack Rams? Take the YUGE points and make CSU an 8* play.

The set-up: The Milwaukee Bucks were eager to make a statement in their first game back from the All Star break and thy did just that, beating the Eastern Conference-leading Raptors 122-119 in OT at Toronto on Friday. The 33-25 Bucks currently sit in the No. 6 spot in the East as they welcome the 32-26 New Orleans Pelicans to the brafdledy Center on Sunday. The Pelicans are trying to make their own move in the tightly-packed West and come into this contest the winners of four straight, after beating the Miami Heat 124-123 in OT at New Orleans on Friday.

New Orleans: Anthony Davis (27.7 & 10.9) had 45 points, 17 rebounds, five blocks and five steals against the Heat, the kind of performance that is becoming commonplace for the for the 24-year-old superstar. Davis is averaging 42.3 points and 14.8 rebounds during the four-game winning streak and is carrying the team in the absence of center DeMarcus Cousins (Achilles). Davis averages on the season. PG Jrue Holiday (18.8 & 5.6 APG) is doing his part as well, averaging 24 points and 9.3 assists over the last four contests. It's also worth noting that Mirotic beginning to become comfortable since the trade (from Chicago) and is averaging 14.7 & 9.1 in seven games.

Milwaukee: Like New Orleans, Milwaukee has its own All-Star capable of carrying the team in forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (27.8-8.2-10.4), However, the rest of the roster is coming up with strong performances as well. Antetokounmpo (26 points) was one of three players along with Khris Middleton (21) and Eric Bledsoe (21) to go over 20 points on Friday and the bench is stronger with the addition of Jabari Parker (9.1 PPG in seven games). Then there is the 40-year-old Jason Terry, who had his best game of the season Thursday night, scoring 14 points on 4-of-5 shooting (all three-pointers).

The pick: The Pelicans have a slim lead over the Clippers for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot but also sit only two games out of a potential No. 3 seed. New Orleans has been struggling at home but the Pelicans have covered 9 of their last 14 on the road. The Bucks have won 10 of their last 13 games and come into the contest holding the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind the Wizards and Pacers, who hold the fourth and fifth spots, respectively, and only two games back of the Cavaliers, who sit third in the East. In the first meeting between the two teams this season, New Orleans earned a 115-108 home win over Milwaukee back on Dec. 13. Look for another high scoring game. Make the Over an 8* play.

The set-up: The Anaheim Ducks shut out Dallas 2-0 on Wednesday, giving the team a season-high fourth straight victory. The win moved the 31-20-11 Ducks into third place in the Pacific Division, as they get set to visit the improving Arizona Coyotes on Saturday. Yes, Arizona owns the NHL's worst record at 17-33-10 but the Coyotes had been riding a season-high four-game winning streak and were 5-0-1 in their previous six games before Calgary handed the team a 5-2 loss on Thursday.

Anaheim: Backup goaltender Ryan Miller ahas been one of the keys during the Ducks' recent surge. Miller (8-4-5, 2.46 GAA & .925 SP) relieved Gibson for the third period of Monday's 2-0 victory at Vegas on Monday, stopping 20 shots, as Anaheim hasn't allowed a goal in 121 minutes, 51 seconds. Miller stopped 41 shots during his 42nd NHL shutout in the Ducks' 2-0 win over the Stars on Wednesday. Rickard Rakell (team highs of 22 goals, 48 points) has been kept off the scoresheet in three of his last four games but recorded three goals and two assists versus the Coyotes this season. Ryan Getzlaf (38 points in 38 games) scored his first goal in eight games Wednesday and has three points in his last two contests.

Arizona: Rookie Clayton Keller (team highs of 17 goals, 44 points) has been kept off the scoresheet over the last two games, after recording three goals and five assists in his previous five contests. Derek Stepan (38 points), who shares the team lead in assists (27) with Keller, has two goals and six assists in his last eight games. Kevin Connauton scored Thursday, giving him five goals in 10 February games, while fellow defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (NHL-worst minus-37) has five assists in his last three contests.

The pick: The Ducks won the first two of four meetings this season, 5-4 in the season opener for both teams on Oct. 5 and 5-2 on Dec. 31 (both games were played in Anaheim). That gives Anaheim seven wins in its last eight meetings with Arizona. Considering Arizona is just 3-9-5 versus Pacific foes, I don't see much changing from the results of the first two meetings between these teams. Make Anaheim an 8* play.

The set-up: The Boston Celtics limped into the All-Star break off an 0-3 homestand while falling out of first place in the Eastern Conference (Toronto held a two-game lead at the break). However, they emerged from the break looking more like the team that led the Eastern Conference for the bulk of the first half of the season. Boston snapped its three-game skid with a 110-98 victory over the Pistons on Thursday, pulling within a game of first-place Toronto in the East. The Knicks had dropped eight straight games before the break but snapped the team's slide with a 120-113 victory at Orlando on Thursday. Trey Burke came off the bench to post a season-high 26 points to go along with six assists as New York tied its season high for scoring, first accomplished against Phoenix in the eighth game of the season.

Boston: Rookie Daniel Theis (averaging a modest 5.2 PPG on the season) paced a balanced attack with a career-high 19 points in Thursday's win. Kyrie Irving (24.6 & 5.1 APG) produced 18 points and Jayson Tatum (13.5 & 5.1) added 15. Boston's bench outscored Detroit's by a whopping 65-21 margin, as Theis was one of four reserves to score at least 11 points, including Marcus Smart (12 points) in his return from a hand laceration. The break allowed Smart to heal a bit more and the PG, who cut his hand punching a framed picture in January, provides some much-needed defense, as well as being capable of scoring in double digits (10.1).

NY Knicks: Burke, who is averaging just 8.7 PPG in 14 games for the Knicks, was 12-for-22 from the floor in 30 minutes, displaying an aggressive approach that could yield some positive results for a team playing the stretch run without leading scorer Kristaps Porzingis (22.7 & 6.6). Another positive came in the play of Tim Hardaway Jr. (16.9 & 4.1), who broke out of a long slump with 37 points in the final game before the break before chipping in 23 against the Magic. Hardaway is now 23-for-43 (53.5%) from the floor in his two-game surge, after going 24-for-93 (25.8%) over his previous seven contests.

The pick: New York was just 1-7 ATS during its eight-game slide (no one better say "tank," these days) and I'm not sure a win over the equally hapless Magic means much of anything. Meanwhile, the Celtics are fully engaged in an effort to earn back the East's top record and Boston's19-8 SU & 18-9 ATS road record makes them a 10* play in this one.

The set-up: I'm zeroing in on a meaningless game in the Sun Belt Conference on Saturday, as the 12-17 Appalachian State Mountaineers (7-9 in SBC play) play the 6-22 Little Rock Trojans (3-12 in SBC) tonight at the Jack Stephens Center.

Appalachian State: The Mountaineers fought back from a 56-45 deficit with 8:45 left to force overtime, this past Thursday but fell 82-79 in OT to the Arkansas State Red Wolves. The Mountaineers average a so-so 76.3 PPG (100th) but shoot poorly, converting on just 43.5% from the floor (239th). A pair of guards are the team's lone double digit scorers, featuring junior Shabazz (19.2) and freshman Forrest (13.3). The 6-8 Johnson is the team's leading rebounder at 8.5 RPG (adds 7.2 pPG).

Little Rock: The Trojans are in the SBC basement and are coming off 65-60 Thursday loss to the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. Little Rock never held the lead at any time in the game, although the Trojans did fight back some in the second half. Sophomore guard Andre Jones (12.3) is the team's lone double digit scorer, as no other player averages more than 7.5 PPG. That means it should be no surprise that the Trojans' average of 64.0 PPG ranks 341st in the nation.

The pick: So why Little Rock? Appalachian State has nothing much to play for either and how can one lay ANY amount of points with a team that is just 3-11 SU on the road. The first time around (in Boone, N.C.), the Trojans played the Mountaineers tough, losing just 72-67 in OT. This time around (at home), the Trojans walk off with a rare "W." Make Little Rock a 10* play.

The set-up: Philadelphia's first game back from the break almost turned ugly, as the 76ers squandered an 18-point lead against the Chicago Bulls on Thursday, before managing to pull out a 116-115 victory. The 76ers now own a six-game winning streak (the team's longest since a six-game run during the 2011-2012 season ) and at 31-25, hold down the East's No. 7 playoff seed. They host the 18-40 Orlando Magic on Saturday, looking for a seventh consecutive win. The Magic returned from the break and lost 12-0-113 at home against the NY Knicks, dropping them 22 games under .500. The loss was the fourth straight for Orlando, which is 7-23 on the road and kicks off a stretch with seven of 10 away from home on Saturday.

Orlando: Despite the home loss to the Knicks, Orlando did get healthier over the break, as center Nikola Vucevic (hand) and power forward Aaron Gordon (hip) returned from lengthy absences. Vucevic (17.4 & 9.2) scored 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting in 24 minutes but Gordon (18.2 & 8.3) struggled to nine points on 3-of-9 while committing three turnovers in 25 minutes. Orlando made 11 of its first 12 shots en route to a 41-31 first-quarter lead vs New York But the Knicks rallied to win, 120-113, snapping an eight-game losing streak. Evan Fournier (17.4) had 25 points to lead the Magic on Thursday. However, all in all, the return of Gordon and Vucevic is VERY good news.

Philadelphia: The 76er trailed the Bulls 115-1114 with 5.9 seconds left but Joel Embiid stole Darnell Valentine's inbounds pass and passed to Ben Simmons, who was fouled by Darnell Valentine. Simmons, who entered the game shooting just 56.5 percent from the free-throw line, saw his first foul shot dance on the rim before falling but swished the second. Chicago's Bobby Portis and Valentine then came up empty on point-blank shots in the closing seconds. Embiid (23.8 & 11.2) and Simmons (16.7-7.8-7.4) combined for 62 points on 24-of-35 shooting in Thursday's win, including teaming up for the biggest play of the game.SG Redick (16.7), PF Saric (14.6 & 6.9) and SF Covington (12.7 & 5.6) give Philly a quality starting-five.

The pick: Orlando is back at full strength with return of Vucevic and Gordon, which will help significantly against Philly's youthful but powerful frontcourt.The Sixers are 18-9 SU & ATS at home, while the Magic are just 7-23 SU on the road. However, this is a pretty 'heavy' pointspread for Philly. I'd rather play the over, as the Magic allow 111.6 PPG on the road plus getting Vucevic and Gordon back will be a real bonus on the offensive end for Orlando. The Over is an 8* play.

The set-up: For the better part of the last month, Texas Tech has stood atop the Big 12, arguably the deepest conference in the nation, only to have an ill-timed toe injury to the team's leading scorer and playmaker Keenan Evans have the Red Raiders on the verge of giving up control of the Big 12 to Kansas. Evans is unlikely to be anywhere close to 100 percent on Saturday, when No. 6 Texas Tech hosts No. 8 Kansas in Lubbock. The 22-6 Jayhawks (11-4 in Big 12) have won 13 straight Big 12 regular-season championships, which makes big games in late February nothing new. Meanwhile, Texas Tech finds itself in uncharted territory. The 22-6 Red Raiders (10-5) in Big 12) have never won a Big 12 title in men's basketball and they're just three seasons removed from a 3-15 mark in conference play.

Kansas: Devonte' Graham's (17.6 & 7.2 APG) 10-game streak in which he played every minute of every game came to an end Monday but not before he lifted his scoring average in conference action to 19 points per game - second in the Big 12) with 23 points in 35 minutes of action. The 7-0 Udoka Azubuike (14.0 & 7.1) leads the country in field-goal percentage (77.1), but was limited to 18 minutes due to foul trouble. However, he went 5-for-6 from the floor to improve to 25-for-28 (89.3%) over his last four outings. Kansas is averaging 82.2 PPG (38th) on 47.4% shooting (46th).

Texas Tech: The Red Raiders fell a full game back in Wednesday's 79-71 defeat at Oklahoma State, as Evans scored only two points and one of the nation's top defenses (63.1 PPG ranks 8th) gave up its second-highest scoring output of the season, along with a season-high 52.2-percent mark from the floor. With Evans (17.6) limited in each of the last two contests, Zhaire Smith (11.1) has stepped up his play, leading the team in scoring each time while averaging 16.5 points on 66.7 percent shooting. Fellow freshman guard Jarrett Culver (10.9) snapped out of a three-game shooting slump during which he went 8-for-34 from the floor, finishing with 15 points on 5-of-12 shooting and six rebounds. Senior guard Justin Gray (5.3), who is the only Red Raider to start all 28 games this season, has also filled some of the offensive void left behind by Evans over the last two games, providing 23 points while also corralling 13 rebounds.

The pick: Kansas and UCLA are the only two programs to win 13 straight conference championships in NCAA Division I men's basketball history but with a win on Saturday, the Jayhawks will clinch at least a share of the school's 14th straight conference title and set an NCAA record. Texas Tech has won 17 straight at home and defeated Kansas 85-73 in Lawrence on Jan. 2. However, Kansas once again finds itself in familiar territory, on teh verge of clinching yet another Big 12 title. With "revenge" also on its side, Kansas is an 8* play.

The set-up: It's ACC hoops from Winston-Salem as the 16-12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-9 in the ACC) visit the 11-17 Wake Forest Demon Deacons (4-12 in ACC). Notre Dame has alternated wins and losses in each of its last four games, following a crushing 77-74 home loss to Miami in its last outing. Trailing by seven at the break, the Fighting Irish used an early second-half surge to give them a 62-57 lead, but Miami used a 13-0 run late in the game, delivering a severe blow to ND's already slim tournament chances. It has been a struggle for most of the season for Wake Forest (see record above) but the Demon Deacons have won two of three, after Wednesday's 63-57 victory over Pittsburgh.

Notre Dame: A promising season for Notre Dame has been derailed by injuries as the team has lost 28 combined man games from three of its top six players; ACC Preseason Player of the Year Bonzie Colson (14), senior guard Matt Farrell (5) and freshman forward D.J. Harvey (9). The Irish were also without starter Rex Pflueger in the Miami game after he injured his back Feb. 17 but the junior guard is expected to return the lineup against Wake Forest. Sophomore guard T.J. Gibbs (15.8 PPG & 5.5 APG) has had a breakout season in wake of all the injuries and has hit double-digits in scoring in 16 straight games, while Farrell has been red-hot since returning to the lineup Feb. 3, averaging 20.8 points per game in six contests (is averaging 17.0 PPG & 5.5 APG on the season).

Wake Forest: Guards Crawford (16.9 & 5.0 APG) and Woods (12.6) plus the 7-1 Moore (11.7 & 9.5) are Wake's lone three double digit scorers. Crawford's 14-point performance in the win over Pitt marked the 27th time in 28 games that he has reached double-digits. Junior center Doral Moore stuffed the stat sheet against the Panthers with 13 points, nine rebounds and three blocks, narrowly missing his fifth straight double-double and having his double-digit rebounding streak snapped at 10 games. The Demon Deacons played some of their best defense of the year Wednesday as Pitt's 57 points were the lowest for a Wake opponent in conference play this season.

The pick: Notre Dame's NCAA hopes are likely all but 'dead,' but Wake Forest is 3-11 ATS in its last 14 games overall, while Notre Dame is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings between these two schools. Make Notre Dame an 8* play.

The set-up: It's Big East college hoops from WinTrust Arena in Chicago as the 16-11 Marquette Golden Eagles (7-8 in Big East) take on the host 10-17 DePaul Blue Demons (3-12 in Big East). Marquette is off an 85-73 win over St. John's in its last outing, giving the team three wins in its last four. DePaul suffered a 93-62 loss to Villanova in its last outing, falling for the sixth time in its last seven games (remain in the Big East basement). Marquette knocked off DePaul 70-52 last month in Milwaukee.

Marquette: The Golden Eagles rely on a three-headed scoring attack from the backcourt, as guards Markus Howard (21.3), Andrew Rowsey (19.5 & 4.5 APG) and Sam Hauser (14.6 & 5.9 combine for more than 55 points per game. The problem here could be, Howard injured his hip against Creighton and missed the St. John's game. The sophomore guard could also sit out Saturday's contest, which would put more pressure on Rowsey, who is averaging 22.3 points and 7.3 assists over his last four games, and Hauser, who is 14-of-21 from three-point range over that span.

DePaul: The Blue Demons are just playing out the string (again!), The team's 31-point loss to Villanova made it three straight losses and six of seven. A seemingly disinterested (or incapable) DePaul squad attempted only one foul shot and turned it over 20 times. 6-6 guard. Max Strus (17.0 & 5.5) scored 21 points and 6-11 center Marin Maric (14.0 & 6.3) chipped in 12 but the bench didn't give the Blue Demons much help, combining for eight points on 4-of-16 shooting.

The pick: Some feel as if Marquette still has a shot at earning an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament but the team would need to win out in the regular season and then make some noise in the Big East tourney for that to happen. That means a win here is a MUST! The Golden Eagles are quietly one of the most consistent offensive teams in the nation, having scored at least 70 points in every game since Dec. 2. Marquette averages 82,2 PPG (38th) on 47.4% shooting (46th) and teh Blue Demons s don't have the talent or will to compete. Make Marquette an 8* play

The set-up: Who would have expected that the Dallas Mavericks, who at 18-40 (14th place in the Western Conference), would be the league's biggest attention-grabber coming out of the All Star break. And, for all the wrong reasons. Sports Illustrated published a report on a culture of misogyny within the Dallas organization on Tuesday night and then owner Mark Cuban was fined $600,000 for publicly endorsing tanking on the "House Call with Dr. J" podcast. The Mavericks return to the court Friday night and get focused on basketball when they visit Staples Center to face the 23-34 LA Lakers. The Lakers could have been accused of tanking last season but are surely trying to win this season while developing the younger players on the roster the rest of the way, looking forward to this summer's free agent class. They are expected get rookie PG Lonzo Ball back from a knee injury on Friday but one wonders if that is good or bad news.

Dallas: "Players never play to lose," 20-year veteran Dirk Nowitzki told reporters. "It might happen, but you don't play for it. I still love to compete. That's one big reason why I'm still out there. I'll never stand for losing on purpose. It's just not who I am." Losing has been a way of life for the Mavs this season. They started by dropping nine of their first 10 games and 14 of 16 before showing some improvement with an 8-8 record in December, including a season-high four-game win streak from Dec. 26 to Dec. 31. However, the Mavericks began another free fall in January and they're 5-15 in 2018. Only the Atlanta Hawks and Phoenix Suns have worst records of 18-41. The bright spots have been leading scorer (18.3) and rebounder (6.6) Harrison Barnes and rookie PG Dennis Smith Jr. (14.8-3.9-4.9).

LA Lakers: The offense is humming right along but Los Angeles broke down at the defensive end while integrating PG Isaiah Thomas, who was acquired at the trade deadline from Cleveland, into the rotation. LA is 0-3 with Thomas, scoring 117.0 PPG but allowing 129.3 PPG! Getting Thomas and Ball on the floor together will be a challenge for the coaching staff. Ball is averaging 10.2-7.1-7.1 (how many rookies have put up that kind of a line?) but his shooting is off-the-charts, ugly (35.6% overall, including 30.3% on threes). Ingram (16.2 & 5.2) is now the team's leading scorer, rookie Kuzma (15.7 & 5.9) is arguably the 'steal' of the 2017 draft and Randle (14.7 & 7.4) has begun to look like a solid game-in and game-out performer (he's averaging 21.4 points on 62 percent shooting over the last five games).
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The pick: I found it shocking that the Mavs have beaten the Lakers in 15 of the last 16 meetings but I also can't think of a single reason LA can't (won't) match up well with Dallas. Make the Lakers an 8* play.

The set-up: The LA Clippers returned from the All Star break and lost 130-127 at Golden State, as Steph Curry scored 44 points in leading the Warriors to win in which the Clippers allowed Golden State to shoot 62.7 percent from the floor. The 30-27 Clippers now sit 9th in the West, one game out of the final playoff spot. The Clippers travel off last night's loss to Phoenix, where they'll take on the 18-41 Suns, who are tied with the Atlanta Hawks for the league's worst record, having dropped seven straight games and 15 of their last 17.

LA Clippers: The Clippers not only allowed the Warriors to shoot over 60 percent for the game but also allowed more than 30 points in every quarter. The good news is, Los Angeles has played excellent defense against the Suns this year, allowing an average of 91.5 PPG in two victories by margins of 42 and 13 points. Tobias Harris, who was acquired from the Detroit Pistons as part of the Blake Griffin deal, is fitting in nicely with the Los Angeles attack. Harris scored 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting against the Warriors for his third 20-point outing in seven games with the team (17.9 & 6.7 with LA). Standout guard Lou Williams had 21 points and tied his career high of 12 assists against the Warriors and he has recorded 10 or more assists four times this season after reaching that figure once over his first 12 NBA campaigns. Williams is averaging career-highs in both scoring (23.1) and assists (5.4).

Phoenix: The Suns' next loss will clinch their fourth straight losing campaign. Devin Booker dazzled while winning the NBA three-point shooting contest last weekend,and he also enters the post-break portion of the season with a streak of 60 make free throws. Booker is averaging 24.2 PPG, while connecting on 38.3% of his threes and 89% of his FTs. Something to be closely observed down the stretch is how well recently acquired PG Elfrid Payton (from Orlando) meshes with Booker, as the club has experienced issues at the position since dealing Eric Bledsoe to the Milwaukee Bucks in early November. It should be noted that Payton had 13 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists in the Suns' 107-97 loss at Utah before the break, his third game with the Suns and first with Booker at off guard. It was his first triple-double of the season and ninth of his career. Payton is averaging 20.3-8.3-8.7 in three games with Phoenix.

The pick: The Clippers have won 15 of the last 17 meetings with the Suns, including the last seven in a row. Sure, Phoenix has nothing to play for over the final 23 games but Devin Booker doesn't see the stretch as a lost cause. "Build on for next year, trying to get some momentum that will carry over to the summer, that will carry over to the next season," Booker told reporters. I like the Booker and Payton backcourt combo for the Suns and I'm not even a little convinced that the Clippers will do much down the stretch. On the second of a back-to-back, I'll go against the Clipps and 'bark' with the home dog. Make Phoenix a 10* play.

The set-up The Ohio State Buckeyes were picked to finish 11th in the preseason Big Ten poll. However, first-year head coach Chris Holtmann (via Butler) saw his team end a two-game skid with a 79-52 victory against Rutgers on Tuesday. Ohio State now has a chance to grab a share of their first conference title since 2012 if they are able to beat the Indiana Hoosiers tonight and No.2 Michigan State falls to Wisconsin on Sunday. Ohio State was just 17-15 last season (7-11 in Big Ten) but the Buckeyes are currently No. 16 in the AP poll with a 23-7 record (14-3 in Big Ten). Ohio State cruised past Indiana 71-56 in the first meeting back on Jan. 30 in Columbus and cnow have a chance to sweep the season series for the first time since 2010-11. Indiana's chances of earning a postseason bid took a big hit following a 66-57 setback to Nebraska on Tuesday. The Hoosiers had won four consecutive games, including two straight at home by double digits, before being held to their lowest point total in nearly a month. The Hoosiers are 16-13 overall, including 9-8 in the Big Ten. A victory here would give them 10 conference wins for the first time since the 2015-16 season.

Ohio State: The Buckeyes own a strong frontcourt led by the 6-7 Bates-Diop (19.0 & 8.7). He's joined up front by SF Tate (12.6 & 6.2) and 6-9 freshman Wesson (11.0 & 5.2), with PG Jackson (12.4-3.8-3.9) running the show in the backcourt. C.J. Jackson led the way with 18 points in the bounce-back win vs. Rutgers,while Kaleb Wesson added 14 on 6-of-7 shooting. Guard Kam Williams (7.9) scored 13 points in his final collegiate home game while fellow senior Jae'Sean Tate contributed nine points and 10 rebounds. Big Ten Player of the Year candidate Keita Bates-Diop was held to six points on 3-of-11 shooting against the Scarlet Knights and is a troubling 12-of-39 (30.8%) from the floor over his last three games. The Buckeyes are an efficient offensive team (48.8% shooting ranks 23rd) and a strong defensive one, allowing 66.2 PPG (39th) on 41.5% shooting (48th).

Indiana: The Hoosiers also have a first-year head coach in Archie Miller (via Dayton) and he knows he will need his team to be extremely dialed in to play a team that is trying to win a league championship. Justin Smith (just 6.2 PPG on the season) continued his stellar play down the stretch as he scored 16 points and pulled down eight rebounds vs. Nebraska, but the Hoosiers were undone by 19 turnovers. Senior guard Robert Johnson added 16 points and six rebounds against the Cornhuskers. while 6-8 junior Juwan Morgan had13 points and nine boards. Morgan (16.5 & 7.3) and Johnson (14.0 & 4.6) are the only two Hoosiers in double digits on the season. The Hoosiers average a modest 71.8 PPG, which ranks 236th.

The pick: Ohio State is sniffing a Big Ten regular season title but the Buckeyes come in having lost their last two road games by an average margin of 17.5 PPG. Indiana will have a "packed house" for this bitter rival and would like nothing more than to play spoiler, plus 10 league wins would be a nice bonus for Miller in his first season in the Big Ten. Indiana has won four of the last five home meetings with Ohio State and while I'm not 100% behind the Hoosiers, I do see a high scoring game, which gives me a 10* play on the Over.

The set-up: The 33-20-7 Minnesota Wild attempt to complete a perfect three-game road trip when they visit the fading 27-29-5 New York Rangers on Friday at Madison Square Garden. The Wild opened their trip with a 5-3 win against the New York Islanders on Monday, before rallying from an early two-goal deficit to knock off New Jersey 4-2 last night. Minnesota improved to 5-1-2 in its last eight contests and currently holds down the first of two wild card spots in the West with 73 points. Meanwhile, the Rangers have dropped nine of their last 11 including five in a row, after suffering a 3-1 loss at Montreal on Thursday. The Rangers have 59 points, six out of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Minnesota: Eric Staal recorded his 900th career point in last night's win and leads the team with 54 points. He has registered eight goals and nine assists in his last 15 games. Mikael Granlund reached 30 assists for the fifth straight season Thursday and is second on the team with 45 points, two more than Jason Zucker, who has scored a career-high 25 goals. Defenseman Matt Dumba matched a career high of 34 points with an assits vs. New Jersey. Backup goalie Alex Stalock delivered a sterling 38-save performance last night but Devan Dubnyk will start Friday. Dubnyk made 32 saves in Minnesota's 3-2 home victory over the New York Rangers back on Feb. 13 and is 9-2-3 in his last 14 starts, since allowing six goals at Colorado on Jan. 6.

NY Rangers: Michael Grabner was a healthy scratch against the Canadiens and the Rangers announced after the game that they had traded their leading goal scorer to New Jersey after the game. Rick Nash was also a healthy scratch against Montreal, as trade talk involving the former Maurice Richard Trophy winner has been intensifying. Head coach Alain Vigneault told reporters he would sit again versus Minnesota. What's going on here? Kevin Hayes has scored in back-to-back games and accumulated four goals and four assists over his last seven contests.

The pick: Both teams played their backup goalies last night, so it figures to Devan Dubnyk opposing Henrik Lundqvist in the second game of the teams' back-to-back sets. Dubnyk beat the Islanders to open the trip and owns a 5-1-2 record with a .925 save percentage this month. As for Lundqvist, just 23-21-4 on the season, he was rested Thursday after surrendering 12 goals over his last two starts. Lundqvist has lost four straight regulation games and is 2-8-1 with a 4.24 GAA and a .881 save percentage in his last 10 games. Make Minnesota an 8* play.

The set-up: After a rare down season in 2014-15 when the Raiders won just 11 games, Wright Stare checks in at 21-8 so far in 2017-18, following seasons of 22 and 20 wins. The Raiders have won 14 of their last 17 games, after a 72-65 home win over Cleveland State on Monday. Wright State is 13-3 in Horizon play ((tied for first with Northern Kentucky) and will finish its regular season with road games at IUPUI tonight and then at UIC on Sunday. The Jaguars have won three of their last four but are just 10-17 overall (7-9 in Horizon play).

Wright State: Grant Benzinger had 20 points in Monday's win and leads the team in scoring at 14.5 PPG. Love, a 6-9 freshman, adds 12.6 PPG and a team-high 9.6 RPG plus five others get regular minutes while averaging between 5.1 and 10.1 PPG. Head coach Scott Nagy is in his second season and Wright State plays very solid defense, allowing 65.7 PPG (29th) while holding opponents to 41.6% shooting (53rd).

IUPUI: The Jaguars beat Oakland on Monday but as noted above, are going nowhere this season. Brennan is a 6-6 forward who leads the team in scoring at 12.8 PPG and a pair of guards join him in double digits, They are Patterson (10.9) and Henderson (11.7). Offense is not a strength for this team, which averages 69.3 PPG (283rd).

The pick: The Jaguars will have their work cut out for them scoring much against Wright State. In the season's first meeting, the Raiders took an eight-point decision, holding the Jaguars to 52 points on 35.3 % shooting. Wright State is 6-2 ATS in its last six road games and moves one game closer to capturing the Horixzon's regular season title with a comfortable win in this one. Make Wright State an 8* play.

The set-up: The Arizona State Sun Devils will look to rebound after having their three-game winning streak was snapped in a 77-70 loss at home to Arizona in their last outing. ASU opened the season unranked but rose as high as No. 3 in the AP poll after beginning the season 12-0 in non-conference play. However, the Sun Devils lost their Pac 12 opener Dec. 30 at Arizona and currently check in at 19-7, including 7-7 in Pac 12 games (team is no longer ranked). ASU travels to Eugene, Oregon Thursday night for a contest with the 17-10 Oregon Ducks (also 7-7 in Pac 12 play), who will also be looking to bounce back from back-to-back losses, including an 86-78 setback at the hands of UCLA in their last outing.

Arizona State: Tra Holder led ASU with 20 points in the loss to Arizona, something he's done all season. He leads the etam in scoring at 19.3 PPG. Fellow guards Evans (16.8) and Justice (12.4) are also in double digits but Arizona State has gone without meaningful offensive support from its forwards most of this season. The exception has been 6-8 freshman White (11.6 & 7.40. Head coach Bobby Hurley has moved 6-9 freshman Vitaliy Shibel into the starting lineup in place of 6-7 sophomore Mickey Mitchell since the team last faced Oregon but Shibel has been even less effective, combining for two points in 46 minutes over the past five games.

Oregon: The Ducks lost four starters off last year's 33-win team which made it all the way to the Final 4. PG Payton Pritchard is the lone returning starter and he's been getting better as the season winds down. He is averaging 17.8 points over the past four games to inch his scoring average up to a team-high 14.9 PPG (also lead the team with 4.9 APG). Then there is 6-7 senior forward MiKyle McIntosh (10.6 & 6.3), who just had his best week of the season, combining for 42 points on 17-for-28 shooting in the losses to USC and UCLA. 6-7 freshman Troy Brown averages 11.9 & 6.9 and guard Elijah Brown, 12.8 PPG.

The pick: Arizona State is sinking since league play began. The Sun Devils are 3-10-2 ATS in their last 15 conference matchups, while the Ducks are 27-13 ATS in their last 40 conference games. Oregon comes in off four straight comfortable wins and covers at home and it's putting it mildly to say Oregon is a good home team. The Ducks are 123-16 at Matthew Knight Arena since its home court opened in 2011. With Oregon off back-to-back losses USC and UCLA, let me note that the Ducks haven't lost three in a row since dropping five straight in January 2014. Make Oregon a 10* play.

We have some C-USA action Thursday night as the Southern Miss Golden Eagles take on the UTSA Roadrunners at the Convocation Center in San Antonio, Texas. The Golden Eagles limp in having after lost five of their last seven after an 87-69 loss to UAB in their last outing. That leaves Southern Miss 13-15 overall, including 6-9 in C-USA play. As for UTSA, the Roadrunners have won five of their last six following a 97-89 overtime win over Charlotte the last time out. UTSA now sits 15-12 overall, including 8-6 in C-USA play.

Southern Miss: The Golden Eagles own an excellent guard duo in leading-scorer Edwards (15.8 & 6.1) and PG Griffin (15.0-4.1-6.0). A third guard is Magee (12.2) is also in double digits plus he also leads the team in rebounding (6.1 per). That's because Southern Miss gets no real frontcourt help, as no "big man" averages as much as 5.5 PPG. The not so-Golden Eagles average 71.9 PPG and allow 72.4 PPG, which indicates why the team is two games under .500.

UTSA: The Roadrunners average 80.1 PPG (2nd) and own some fairly decent balance. Guard Jackson (19.2) leads the team in scoring and reserves Wallace (11.4) and Lyle (10.1) come off the bench in the backcourt to provide some scoring punch. The 6-8 Allen (8.4 & 5.1) and the 6-6 Frohnen (7.0 & 6.,8) are solid frontcourt players.

The pick: The home team is 7-0-1 ATS in the last eight meetings between these two teams and Southern Miss is averaging only 62.5 PPG on the road. The home team is an 8* play in this one.

The set-up: The NBA All Star break is over and Thursday serves up a six-game schedule. The 19-40 Brooklyn Nets will be in Charlotte to take on the 23-33 Hornets, which is not exactly a marquee matchup. Brooklyn limped into the break with losses in seven straight and is just one game ahead of the last-place Atlanta Hawks in the East. Meanwhile, Charlotte is 5 1/2 games out of the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference with 25 games left in the regular season. The Hornets will play 21 of their last 25 games against East teams and get three of their first four out of the break at home, where they own a modest 15-15 record. The teams have yet to meet this season.

Brooklyn: Head coach Kenny Atkinson has told reporters that his team need to return to play with a chip on its shoulder but one wonders, what makes him think that is going to happen. With just 23 games left until 'vacation time,' it's unlikely we'll see anything different from the Nets in this final stretch. Brooklyn did not have an All-Star but made its mark on the weekend when PG Spencer Dinwiddie won the Skills Challenge. Dinwiddie (13.6 & 6.7 APG) is a breakout player in an otherwise down season for the Nets and is logging big minutes due to Jeremy Lin's season-ending knee injury and D'Angelo Russell's knee troubles. Speaking of Russell,the team's leading scorer at 15.7 PPG, he is expected to make his first start for the Nets since undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in November. He has played 13 games as a reserve under a minutes restriction since returning from his two-month absence. He averaged 18.3 points in 28.7 minutes in his last three games before the break. That, coupled with the additional week off, has gotten him deemed ready to resume the starting role he had to begin the season.

Charlotte: The Hornets went into the break healthy and got an extended rest for everyone but point guard Kemba Walker, who was a member of the winning Team LeBron in Los Angeles on Sunday. Walker came into the season as the undisputed floor leader in Charlotte and fought through trade rumors while putting together another All-Star campaign. He's averaging 22.9 points and 5.8 assists. Walker plays two solid SGs in the backcourt, Lamb (13.5 & 4.4) and Batum (12.0-4.3-4.7). There is also center Dwight Howard (15.8 & 12.6) but in what has become the norm, this big man rarely makes his team better,

The pick: Eleven of the Hornets' next 18 games are against teams with losing records, but the club went into the break with four losses in its last five games, not exactly a momentum-builder. What's more, while the Hornets won last year's season series 3-1, all four games featured tight finishes. The total margin of victory in the four games was 17 points. Sure, the Hornets have beaten the Nets in seven of t last eight meetings but the Nets have covered SIX in a row and eight of the last nine in this series. Maybe surprisingly to some, Brooklyn is 14-7 ATS a road dog of four-plus points. Make the Nets a 10* play.

The set-up: The NY Islanders will be at Air Canada Centre on Thursday to take on the host Toronto Maple Leafs. New York surrendered three goals in a 4:12 stretch en route to a 5-3 loss to Minnesota at home this past Monday, leaving them 29-26-6 (64 points leaves them outside of the postseason picture). The Islanders lost seven of their last 11 outings heading into a span of three straight on the road and seven of eight overall. Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs have won 11 of their past 13 games overall, to reach 37-20-5 on the season, purring them solidly inside the playoff cut line with 79 points.

NY Islanders: New York is 4-6-1 since the All-Star break and sits one point removed from a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference after losing on Monday to the Wild. Anders Lee scored versus the Wild to reach the 30-goal plateau for the second straight season and move within four of his career-high total (hes got points on the season). Captain John Tavares also has 30 goals and a team-best 64 points to remain above a point-per-game average, despite being limited to just two in his last five contests. Goaltender Thomas Greiss earned his first shutout of the season Friday night but suffered a lower-body injury late in the game against Minnesota. He finished the game but he was put on injured reserve and Christopher Gibson was called up from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League. Jaroslav Halak will get the start, tonight.

Toronto: The Maple Leafs aim to continue their torrid stretch and repeat a dominating performance in their last encounter versus the Islanders, a 5-0 rout of the visiting Islanders back on Jan. 31. Leo Komarov, the team's alternate captain, hasn't mirrored the success of his team during a 13-game stretch, scoring just one goal and setting up one other while playing on the fourth line. However, C Auston Matthews has eight goals and eight assists in his past 15 games, including one of each in the first meeting with New York. He leads the team with 27 goals and 49 points. Goalie Frederik Anderson turned aside all 40 shots he faced in Tuesday's 1-0 victory over Florida, marking his fifth shutout of the season.

The pick: New York's Halak has made most of the starts in goal for the Islanders since late November and owns an 8-3-3 career mark versus the Maple Leafs. Toronto's Anderson is 30-16-4 (2.66 GGA & .923 SP) on the season and in that 5-0 shutout of the Islanders back on Jan. 31, made 28 saves. Make teh Under a 10* play.

The set-up: It's an AAC matchup tonight in Tulsa (Don W. Reynolds Center) when the 17-9 Central Florida Knights (8-6 in AAC) take on the host Tulsa Golden Hurricane, who are 16-10 overall, including 9-5 in AAC play. UCF has won three in a row but Tulsa has won five straight, as the Golden Hurricane lead the Knights by a game in the league standings. Both are hoping to secure a top four finish in the AAC (which earns a first-round bye in the tourney) and a win by UCF would mean the two schools would be tied for fourth place (a win by UCF would also give the Knights the tiebreaker between the two).

Central Florida: UCF’s success has been in large part due to its suffocating defense, which allows just 60.3 points a game, third-best in the nation. That's no surprise as UCH was expected to be a defensive stalwart because of the presence of 7-6 center Tacko Fall. However, even with Fall out for the season since mid-January, the Knights have been sterling on the defensive end, as on teh season, opponents are shooting just 38.6% against them (4th). Guard BJ Taylor has been the leader of the offense for coach Johnny Dawkins, despite missing 16 games with a foot injury after the season opener. He's now averaging 14.0 PPG (through 10 games) and is the team's top-scoring option now. The 6-9 Davis (11.7 & 8.9) has even more pressure on him now, with the loss of Fall.

Tulsa: The 6-8 Etou leads Tulsa in scoring (15.3) and rebounding (7.9) and is joined by two other double digit scorers in PG Taplin (12.1-3.8-4.3) and SF Jeffries (10.0 & 5.1). However, two more players just miss, guard Henderson (9.9) and the 6-8 Igbanu (9.2 & 5.2. )Head coach Frank Haith's squad has sported a balanced attack (five players averaging between 9.2 & 15.3 PPG) and one of the things that he likes most about his team this season is the grit his players are showing as the regular season comes down the stretch.

The pick: This is a big game for both teams and expect a low-scoring one. UCF plays great D (see above) plus has real trouble scoring, averaging only 63.0 PPG (346th). Make the Under an 8* play.

The set-up:The Senators and Blackhawks are two of the NHL's most disappointing teams in 2017-18. The Senators took the Penguins to seven games in the Eastern Conference finals last season but are well out of playoff contention this season, at 21-28-9. As for the Blackhawks, they had a Western Conference-best 109 points last season but like Ottawa, Chicago is a playoff afterthought this season, at 25-27-8. Tonight's matchup features Ottawa at Chicago and both clubs are sitting 13 points out of the final playoff spot in their respective conferences.

Ottawa: The Senators ended January on a six-game slide but had won six of nine this month before dropping a 5-2 decision at Nashville on Monday night. Ottawa is one of about a half-dozen teams with a worse point total than the Blackhawks and the Senators have 10 losses in their last 16 games. They are very likely to miss the playoffs only one season after reaching the Eastern Conference finals and coming within one goal of reaching the Stanley Cup finals. Forward Ryan Dzingel, who missed the past two games due to personal reasons, returned to practice Tuesday and will be back in the lineup against the Blackhawks. Mark Stone has six points in five games since returning from injury and leads the team with 19 goals and 50 points. Defenseman Karlsson, the team's top player last postseason, has a modest 46 points in 53 games, after posting 71 points last season and 82 the season before.

Chicago: The Blackhawks unleashed some of their frustrations by mauling Metropolitan-leading Washington 7-1 on Saturday but followed that up with a listless 3-1 home loss to Los Angeles 48 hours later, falling to a pathetic 1-8-1 in February. It appears Chicago is poised to be a seller before Monday's NHL trade deadline. The Blackhawks are on track to miss the postseason for the first time since the 2007-08 campaign. Forward Anthony Duclair, acquired earlier this season from Arizona, has been a healthy scratch for three of the past four games but will be back in the lineup to face the Senators. Patrick Kane played in his 800th game Monday and leads the team in goals (22) and points (55).

The pick: Sure, Chicago is a mess but the Senators own the fewest road wins in the league at 7-17-4, getting outscored 3.43-to-2.18 GPG away from home. Winning in Chicago is a rare occurrence for the Senators, who put an end to a seven-game, 15-year drought in the Windy City with a 4-3 victory back in December 2016 but they were steamrolled by the Blackhawks 8-2 on Jan. 9. Make Chicago a 10* play.

The set-up: 22-7 Michigan (11-5 in Big Ten) will visit Happy Valley tonight to take on 19-10 Penn State (9-7 in Big Ten). Michigan is No. 17 in the latest AP poll and hopes to overtake Nebraska (12-5) in the race for fourth place to earn a double bye in the Big Ten Tournament. Penn State has played itself into at least being in the conversation for an NCAA Tournament berth because of a strong second half and has an opportunity to earn what would assuredly be a resume-boosting win here at home:
Michigan: The Wolverines have won five of their last six games, including an impressive a 74-62 victory against then-No. 8 Ohio State on Sunday to reach 11 Big Ten wins for the first time since the 2013-14 season. Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman (11.9-3.8-3.2) scored a team-high 17 points in the final home game of his career, while freshman Jordan Poole (6.3) provided a spark off the bench with 15 points on 4-of-5 shooting from three-point range in the win against Ohio State. Zavier Simpson (6.7) added 13 points while teh 6-11 Moritz Wagner, the team's leading scorer (14.5) and rebounder (7.3), registered 12 points and seven rebounds to help the Wolverines finish with a 15-1 record at home.^-6 guard Matthews (13.5 & 5.5) gives Michigan three double digit scorers.

Penn State: The Nittany Lions' four-game winning streak came to an end as they dropped a 76-73 decision to Purdue on Sunday. The Nittany Lions were doomed by some late misses from the free-throw line in their search for another signature win to add to their NCAA Tournament resume. Sophomore guard Tony Carr was named the Big Ten Player of the Week for the first time in his collegiate career after averaging 24.5 points, five rebounds and four assists against Ohio State and Purdue. Carr (19.6 & 4.6) led the way with 19 points to go along with five rebounds and five assists in the loss to the Boilermakers while fellow guard Shep Garner (10.6) buried five 3-pointers en route to 17 points to finish in double figures for the 13th time this season. The 6-8 Stevens (15.1 & 6.2), the 6-9 Watkins (12.5 & 9.2) and guard Reaves (10.7 & 4.7) give Penn State five double digit scorers.

The pick: Penn State has morphed into one of the Big Ten's better teams in the second half of the season and returns home here, where they have won four straight games. The Nittany Lions hope to move on the right side of the bubble by knocking off Michigan but the Wolverines have won the last six meetings with the Nittany Lions (Penn State's last win over Michigan came back on Feb. 27, 2013), as well as 11 of the last 12. Michigan can still catch Nebraska for the No. 4 seed plus it also wants to enhance its RPI in order to get an even better seed for the NCAA Tournament. Make Michigan a 10* play.

The set-up: Archie Miller led Dayton to four straight NCAA appearances, winning 102 games in that span (never less than 24 in any season). However, he left for the Indiana job. The Flyers brought in former alum Anthony Grant (played under Don Donoher), who has had success of his own on the bench, coaching VCU and Alabama (he was also an assistant under Billy Donovan at Florida and most recently in the NBA with OKC). However, the loss of four starters has taken its toll, as Dayton is just 12-14 (6-8 in A-10). The Flyers will welcome the 15-12 Saint Louis Billikens (8-6 in A-10) Tuesday nigh to the UD Arena. St. Louis hadn't won more than 12 games in any of the previous three seasons (win totals of 11, 11 and 12, respectively) but led by four returning starters in Travis Ford's second season at the school, the Billikens have a chance to secure a top-four finish in the Atlantic-10 for the postseason tourney.

St. Louis: The Billikens are making run at just that (currently alone in fourth-place), having won four of their last five games. St. Louis is not a good offensive team, averaging just 66.8 PPG (315th) on 42.2% shooting (302nd). A trio of guards score in double digits, Bess (13.1 & 7.4), Goodwin (11.5-7.5-4.0) and Roby (11.1). The best frontcourt player is teh 6-7 French (8.8 & 6.9) but note the rebounding numbers for guards Bess and Goodwin, who also leads the team in assists. The Billkens' deliberate style of play leads to them also allowing a modest 65.6 PPG (30th).

Dayton: The Flyers have lost four of five following an 85-67 defeat at George Mason and the team's lone role down the stretch (and in the A-10 tourney) will be that of spoiler. The duo of 6-7 forward Cunningham (16.4 & 8.6) plus guard Darrell Davis (16.2 & 4.3) provide Dayton with a solid 1-2 punch. Those two are supported by a trio of guards chipping in between 8.3 and 10.5 PPG. Dayton averages 73.9 PPG and allows 73.8 PPG, so it's not difficult to see why the Flyers are a 12-14 team on the season.

The pick: The Billikens won the first meeting 76-65 back at St. Louis in late January but winning on the road here won't come easily, even against a struggling Dayton team. The Flyers have always been a "tough out" at home and even in a season in which the team is two games under .500, Dayton is 10-4 SU at home, owning four wins in its last five league home games (only loss to powerhouse Rhode Island). St. Louis is no Rhode Island. Spoiler alert! Make Dayton a 10* play.

The set-up: The Winnipeg Jets conclude what's been a 'marathon' of a homestand when they welcome the LA Kings to Bell MTS Place on Tuesday night. Winnipeg has gone 6-2-1 so far and currently owns a 35-15-9 record, with the team's 79 points putting them in a first-place tie in the Central Division with Nashville. Meanwhile, the 32-22-5 LA Kings are involved in a tight battle for one of the final two spots in the Pacific Division, behind the first-place Vegas Golden Knights. They are also very much alive as a wild card in the Western Conference The Kings conclude their seven-game road trip tonight, coming off a a 3-1 victory at Chicago on Monday, leaving them 3-3-0 on the trek, so far.

LA Kings: The Kings jumped up from below the playoff line to third place in the Pacific Division with Monday's win. Defenseman Dion Phaneuf was one of the key contributors last night, as he scored his second goal in three games since being acquired from Ottawa, where he netted just three goals in 53 contests. Captain Anze Kopitar leads the team in goals (25) and points (63), despite being kept off the scoresheet Monday for only the fourth time in his last 20 games. Torrey Mitchell and Andy Andreoff joined Phaneuf in the goal column Monday after the trio entered the contest with a combined total of nine tallies on the season.

Winnipeg: The Jets are tied with Nashville for the Central Division lead but have played one more game. They cruised to a 7-2 triumph over Florida on Sunday, as rookie Kyle Connor scored twice to become the third member of the team to hit the 20-goal mark this season (21). Mark Scheifele was named the NHL's Third Star of the Week on Monday after registering three goals and four assists in three games. He missed 16 contests with an upper-body injury before returning Feb. 9 but is tied with Patrik Laine (team-high 27 goals) for second on the team in scoring with 46 points. Blake Wheeler, who tops the club with 67 points, is coming off back-to-back three-point performances and has recorded two goals and seven assists during the five-game streak he carries into Tuesday's game.

The pick: It's the end of a long road trip for the Kings and the end of an even longer homestand for the Jets, which clearly gives Winnipeg the edge. No reason to buck Winnipeg at home, where the Jets are 23-5-2, outscoring opponents by about 1 1/2 goals per game (3.83-to-2.37). Make the Jets an 8* play.

The set-up: The New Jersey Devils appeared ready to fall off the pace in the Metropolitan Division the past month, as they had sandwiching a pair of four-game skids around winning three straight. However, the 31-20-8 Devils have battled back into contention with four consecutive victories, including three straight wins away from home. Meanwhile, the Columbus Blue Jackets are stumbling with three straight losses to fall to 25-25-5. Devils earned a 3-2 OT win Sunday at Carolina, while the Blue Jackets lost 5-2 at home vs. the Penguins, their eighth defeat in the last 10 games (2-6-2).

Columbus: Columbus is in a dogfight for a postseason berth and currently sits one point out of eighth place in the East. That after cruising to a spot in the playoffs last season when the team finished with a franchise-record 108 points, the Blue Jackets come to Newark with only two wins in their last 10 games. A constant theme is an inability to score despite a plethora of scoring chances. The Blue Jackets had 36 shots or more in eight straight games -- with 49 or more in four of those games -- yet struggle mightily to score and win recently. Captain Nick Foligno will be sidelined for one to two weeks with what's believed to be a knee injury suffered in Sunday's loss. Foligno (just 26 points in 59 games) went through some lean times earlier in the season with a 12-game point drought and a 10-game stretch in which he collected one assist, but had been coming on since then.

New Jersey: Taylor Hall scored the game-winning goal inside the final 30 seconds of overtime Sunday and has collected a point in 18 straight appearances dating to Jan. 2. He leads the team in goals (24) and points (62). Rookie Nico Hischier (39 points is second-best on the team) is on a pretty decent tear of his own, scoring a goal in each of the past four games to earn the NHL First Star of the Week. New Jersey swept two road games this past weekend, riding Eddie Lack's career-high 48 saves to a 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday before beating the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 in overtime on Sunday. Those wins lifted the team's record in one-goal games to an impressive 16-4-8.

The pick: While the Blue Jackets have seen last year's success fade (see above), the Devils, who finished at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings with 70 points last season, have already matched that total in 59 games. New Jersey already has three more victories than last season and currently holds a playoff spot in the East. However, one of Columbus' recent victories was a 6-1 thrashing of the Devils on Feb. 10 at Nationwide Arena. Columbus has had a plethora of scoring chances but has struggled to convert those chances (see above for a reminder). That could very well change here and that means it's a 10* play on the Over.

The set-up: It's Southern Conference action tonight from Johnson City, Tn. when the East Tennessee State Buccaneers host The Citadel Bulldogs. ETSU won the SoCon's regular season and postseason titles last year, then lost to Florida in the NCAAs, finishing with 27 wins. The Buccaneers are 23-5 this season, including 14-1 in league play, giving them a two-game cushion. The Bulldogs were just 12-21 last season (4-14 in SoCon) and check in this season at 9-18, including 4-11 in league play.

The Citadel: The Bulldogs enter on a four-game slide, after a 75-71 loss to VMI. The 6-7 Najdawi kept the The Citadel close with 23 & 14. He leads the team in scoring at 15.2 PPG. Guard Frierson (13.8) added 20 points. Despite shooting 42.0% as a team (307th), The Citadel is averaging 84.2 PPG (16th). The problem is, the Bulldogs are allowing 89.6 PPG (350th) on 48.7% shooting (337th).

East Tennessee State: The Buccaneers are the SoCon's dominant team and bounced back from their first conference loss (at UNC-Greensboro) to down Western Carolina 72-61. This team hasn't much missed a beat, despite losing four starters from last year's team. The lone returning starter is guard Desonta Bradford, who leads the team in scoring (15.2), rebounding (5.9) and assists (3.5). The only other double digit scorer is fellow guard McCloud (11.7). Defense has been the key for ETSU, holding opponents to 65.4 PPG (26th) on 39.9% shooting (12th).

The pick:This is a game between the league's best team and one of its "have-nots." However, the road team is 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings and The Citadel is 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings between the schools. Take the big points and make The Citadel an 8* play.

The set-up: The expansion Vegas Golden Knights have been the "feel-good" story of the 2017-18 season so far and the 39-15-4 Golden Knights now have 82 points, good enough to sit atop the NHL. They can stay there if they can complete a four-game sweep of the season series against the visiting Anaheim Ducks on Monday. The Golden Knights rolled to a 6-3 victory over Montreal on Saturday and own a comfortable lead in the Pacific Division, as the second-place Sharks have 72 points. The 29-20-1 Ducks come in off a 3-2 shootout victory at Minnesota and are playing for postseason lives. The Ducks moved into third place in the Pacific Division (69 points) with that win over the Wild and into a virtual tie for the second wild-card spot with Minnesota (also 69 points), although the 31-20-7 Wild have two games in hand.
Anaheim: The Ducks have recorded points in five of their last six games (4-1-1). “The pressure is ramped up a little more, obviously,” Ducks forward Corey Perry (12 goals & 33 points) told the Orange County Register. “It’s teams battling for the playoffs. … You need every point you can get. It seems every team’s winning on every single night. It’s a matter of going out and doing your job.” Veteran center Ryan Kesler (7 goals and 35 points in 36 games), who missed almost the first three months of the season while recovering from hip surgery, sat out Saturday’s game with a lower-body injury and is day-to-day. “We’ve known there’s going to be a maintenance opportunity with him,” head coach Randy Carlyle told reporters. "It wasn’t going to be like he was going to step back into the lineup and play without having some ups and downs with it.” All-Star Rickard Rakell leads the team with 22 goals and 46 points but has been limited to one assist over his last five games.

Vegas: William Karlsson (team-high 30 goals) and Reilly Smith come into Monday’s contest riding seven-game point streaks and are tied for third on the team with 51 points overall. Jonathan Marchessault leads the way with 58 points (21 goals), including four in his last two games. David Perron (14 goals) has registered seven of his 53 points in his last six contests. Defenseman Nate Schmidt also has been on a roll of late with eight points (two goals, six assists) in his last eight games, while Ryan Carpenter has scored in three consecutive contests and five of his last seven.

The pick: A 3-0 start to the season, an eight-game win streak and most wins in a season by an expansion team (34), are among the records the Golden Knights have broken. And, it's still only mid-February. Vegas is an NHL-best 22-4-2 at home, outscoring the opposition 103-64 (that's a 3.64-to-2.25 GPG margin!). What's more, the Golden Knights have outscored the Ducks 11-6 in the three previous meetings (all wins) this season. Make Vegas an 8* play.

The set-up: The Kansas Jayhawks edged West Virginia at home on Saturday and when Baylor knocked off the Texas Tech later that night, drew even with the Red Raiders atop the Big 12 standings at 10-4. No. 13 Kansas (21-6) will visit No. 7 Texas Tech (22-5) next weekend but must first take care of business tonight when slumping No. 23 Oklahoma and Trae Young come calling. The Sooners rallied for an 85-80 victory back on Jan. 23 in Norman against the Jayhawks but Oklahoma has lost six of seven since (including five in a row) to fall to 16-10 (6-8 in Big 12). Oklahoma is currently ranked No. 23 but will undoubtedly fall out of the new AP poll which comes out this afternoon.

Oklahoma: The Sooners dropped their fifth straight game on Saturday in a 76-66 home loss to Texas. They shot a season-low 30.8 percent, as Young continued his struggles. He scored 26 points but shot 7-of-21 from the floor and is 18-for-58 (31.0%) over his last three games, including 4-of-27 (14.8%) from behind the arc. Young snapped a streak of 20 consecutive missed three-pointers on Saturday and while he remains the nation's leader in scoring (29.0) and assist (9.2), he is averaging 23.6 points per game during the losing skid, while his shooting percentages remain abysmal. Oklahoma has two other double digit scorers this year, junior guard Christian James (12.3 & 4.8) and 6-9 freshman Brady Manek (11.0 & 5.7) but James was held to 11 points against Texas (after scoring at least 20 in his previous two games) and Manek connected on just 3-of-13 after entering the game shooting 61.7 percent from the floor at home on the season.

Kansas: The Jayhawks closed out the Mountaineers with a 19-3 run as Udoka Azubuike scored 21 points and Devonte' Graham contributed 15 points. The victory put Kansas in a position to challenge for a 14th consecutive regular-season championship. "It keeps us in a position to play for something," Kansas head coach Bill Self told reporters afterward. "It was big for our guys' confidence, probably." The 7-foot Azubuike (14.1 & 7.0) made 7-of-8 shots from the floor against West Virginia to lift his shooting percentage to 76.9%. Lagerald Vick (12.8) has now scored 29 points in his last two games, after after reaching double figures in four of his previous 12 contests. Joining the 7-0 Azubuike and guard Vick in the starting lineup are three more of guards, led by the team's best player, Graham (17.4-4.1-7.2). Mykchailiuk (15.3 & 4.0) and Newman (12.0 & 5.12) round out Self's 'Iron-Five."

The pick: The Sooners were ranked in the top five just a month ago but their current slump has them sliding onto the NCAA "bubble." Oklahoma has lost 16 straight at Kansas dating to a 1993 win in the Big Eight under Billy Tubbs, so it would be hard to expect them to win here, especially since Kansas is in "revenge mode" and needs to take some momentum into its visit to Lubbock this coming Saturday. Then again, it's also hard to see Oklahoma NOT getting up for Kansas. Oklahoma opened 11-1 to the over this season, then saw six of its next seven go under. However, four the its last six games are back on an over trend. The Sooners are the nation's top-scoring team (87.5 PPG) but allow a whopping 82.0 PPG, ranking 337th. With Kansas averaging 81.6 PPG, the Over is the 10* play in this one.

The set-up: Johnny Dawkins led Stanford to two NIT titles in his tenure at the school but he was not hired to win NIT championships. He was let go after the 2015-16 season and replaced by Jerod Haase. The Cardinal would have welcomed an NIT invite in Haase's first year at Stanford (2016-17 season), as the Cardinal finished just 14-17 (6-12 in Pac 12). Stanford is just 13-13 on the season so far this year but despite losing five of its past seven, Stanford remains just one game out of second place in the Pac-12 standings at 7-6 The Cardinal take to the road to tonight for a game at Haas Pavilion against the 8-18 Cal Bears, who are just 2-11 in Pac 12 play. Cal has a first-year head coach in Wyking Jones and the team's 23 and 21-win seasons of the past two year seem 'light years' ago!

Stanford: The Cardinal have lost two straight, the most recent being a 64-56 loss at Colorado where a 20 point first half set the tone. Guard Dorian Pickens (14.1) paced the Stanford attack with 18 points. PG Daejon Davis (10.6-4.3-4.8) gave the Cardinal 12 points and four pulls on 5-16 while leading scorer and rebounder, the 6-8 Reid Travis (19.0 & 7.7) added 10 points and six rebounds. The 6-9 Humphrey (10.4 & 7.40 is the team's fourth double digit scorer.

California: The Golden Bears have been struggling on both ends of the floor and that trend continued in a 77-43 loss at Utah as a 13- point road dog. Cal never found their offense and the defense didn’t help with the team getting out-shot 54.9%-30.2%. Guard Darius McNeill (11.7) was the only Cal player to reach double digits (just barely with exactly 10 points!) at Utah. However, three other Golden Bears are averaging in double digits on the season. Guard Coleman (15.6) is the team's top scorer, joined by the 6-7 Sueing (13.5 & 5.3) and the 6-11 Lee (12.2 & 7.6) in teh frontcourt. Overall though, Cal doesn't score enough (69.3 PPG ranks 284th) and allows too many points (78.2 PPG ranks 307th).

The pick: Oddly enough, one of Cal's two Pac 12 wins came in a 77-74 win up in Maples Pavilion. However, not much has gone right for Golden Bears since, who’ve subsequently won SU just once (at Haas Pavilion vs. Oregon State). Sure, Stanford is the better team and Cal is the Pac 12's worst team, but Stanford has lost its last two games at Haas Pavilion by an average of 13.5 points.Take the home dog, as I believe Cal just may get its first regular-season sweep of Stanford since 2009-10. Make Cal a 10* play.

The set-up; The Dallas Stars have edged their way up the Central Division standings with six wins in the past seven contests and at 34-20-4 on the season, the team's 72 points have them in a third-place tie with St. Louis while owning two games in hand. They open a three-game California trip against the 31-19-8 San Jose Sharks on Sunday night, who have won three of four overall to take over second place in the Pacific Division with 70 points. San Jose knocked off Vancouver 4-1 on Thursday

Dallas: The Stars rebounded from a rough performance against Vancouver (lost 6-0) with a 2-1 victory over St. Louis on Friday. "Every game from here on out is going to be of equal importance,” Dallas goalie Ben Bishop told reporters after improving to 3-1-0 in his last four outings. “Obviously it’s nice to beat the team that you’re chasing. But it doesn’t really change anything. Now we go out to the west coast and the game against San Jose is just as important.” Veteran defenseman Marc Methot returned Friday after missing all but one game since Nov. 6 with a knee injury and posted an assist for his 100th career point. Forwards Alexander Radulov and Jamie Benn (four assists, last three games) along with defenseman John Klingberg lead the team with 53 points apiece. Radulov and Benn each have 21 goals, while Klingberg leads the team with 46 assists. Center Tyler Seguin has a team-high 29 goals.

San Jose: Reigning Norris Trophy winner Brent Burns has played up front in parts of the past two games, as injuries have depleted the team's forward corps, but was moved to the backend after defenseman Dylan DeMelo was injured in the second period Thursday. Burns has eight of his team-leading 50 points (10 goals) in the last seven contests and Logan Couture (44 points) posted a goal and four assists in the past five games and leads the team with 23 goals on the season.

The pick: The Sharks welcome the Stars to SAP Center on Sunday evening for the first time in 2017-18. However, the Sharks will remember their first meeting of the season against the Stars, as San Jose absorbed its worst loss of the season when it fell 6-0 to Dallas on New Year's Eve. That Dallas win on Dec. 31 improved the Stars' record to 6-1-1 in the last eight meetings with the Sharks, However, San Jose is a good home team, going 16-9-3 at SAP Center this season, averaging 3.11 GPG. I say make the Over a 10* play.

The set-up: Virginia has led the way this season in the ACC and the Cavs currently own a conference mark. However, early this afternoon at Littlejohn Coliseum, No. 12 Duke (21-5) and No. 11 Clemson (20-5) will square off with second-place in the ACC on the line (both are 9-4). This is the first and only scheduled meeting of the season between teh two schools Duke and Clemson but with plenty of teams chasing them in the league standings, this becomes a critical matchup for seeding in next month's ACC Tournament. Duke has won two in a row following an uncharacteristic 1-3 stretch while Clemson had won five in a row before falling to Florida State on Wednesday, when the Tigers blew an 18-point lead before losing in overtime.

Duke: The Blue Devils have won twice without league scoring and rebounding leader Marcus Bagley III (21.2 & 11.4), as the 6-11 freshman has sat out the team's last two as a precaution with a mild knee strain. His status for this game is uncertain. Senior Grayson Allen picked up the slack against Virginia Tech with 25 points (made 7 of 15 three-pointers), while 6-10 freshman Wendell Carter Jr. registered 13 points and 13 rebounds for his seventh double-double in the last 10 games. Yet another freshman, Gary Trent Jr, went 5-of-9 from the arc against the Hokies and is shooting over 60 percent from three-point range over the last five games. Trent averages 15.2 & 4.6, Allen 15.0-3.5-4.6, Carter 14.4 & 9.5 and PG Duval (another freshman) 11.0 & 5.6 APG for the nation's highest scoring team (88.2 PPG).

Clemson: The Tigers can't match Duke's firepower (Clemson averages 75.2 PPG) and not only are the Tigers already without the 6-8 Donte Grantham (14.2 & 6.9), who was lost to an ACL tear, the team likely will likely be without PG Shelton Mitchell (11.8 & 3.8 APG) on Sunday, who suffered a head injury. Marcquise Reed (15.7-4.6-3.4 registered 23 points against Florida State in a strong bounce-back effort after totaling four points in the previous game. Gabe DeVoe (13.4 & 4.6) has been on a tear from 3-point range, draining 25-of-40 (62.5 percent) over the last five games. The Tigers are a quality defensive team, allowing 65.8 PPG (32nd), while holding opponents to 41.6% shooting (53rd).

The pick: It's true that Clemson is 13-0 at home this season but no Grantham and likely no Mitchell will make it tough to win here. Sure Clemson owns an excellent D (see above) but Duke not only averages just under 90 PPG, it shoots a blistering 50.4% as a team (9th-best). A game of this magnitude is "nothing new" for Duke, while the same can't be said for Clemson. The Tigers lose again, falling in back-to-back games for the first time this season. Make Duke an 8* play

The set-up: It's a Big East game from CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska, as the 19-7 Creighton Bluejays (8-5 in Big East) host the 14-11 Marquette Golden Eagles (5-8 in Big East). Marquette comes in looking for a big road win but has lost five of its last six overall, after falling 86-78 loss to St. John’s in its last outing. Meanwhile, the Bluejays are looking to gain a measure of consistent play after alternating wins and losses in each of their last five games, including a 94-46 win over subdivision Bemidji State in their most recent outing. However, I should note that Creighton can lock down its third straight 20-win season with a victory in tonight's game.

Marquette: Guard Andrew Rowsey (19.4 & 4.2 APG) led Marquette with 34 points on 11 of 26 shooting plus added team-highs of seven rebounds and six assists in the loss to St. John's. Fellow guards Markus Howard (team-high 21.9 PPG) and Sam Hauser (14.2 & 6.0) each added 18 points. That trio is really the core of Marquette's team, certainly on the offensive end. While the Golden Eagles average 81.8 PPG (33rd), no player outside of the three aforementioned guards score more than 7.0 PPG. Marquette shoots 40.2% from the three-point line (16th) and a nation-best 80.0% from the free-throw line.

Creighton: Head coach Greg McDermott has won 20 or more games in six of his first seven seasons with the Bluejays (making it seven of eight is a lock!) and he gave his bench a lot of minutes against Bemidji State, resulting in Marcus Foster's streak of seven straight 20-point games coming to an end. Foster is one of five players averaging better than 20 points in Big East games along with Butler's Kelan Martin. Foster leads the team at 20.3 PPG and while Creighton averages 85.4 PPG (7th), the Blue Jays feature just two other double digit scorers. They are reigning Big East Defensive Player of The Year Khyri Thomas (14.5) and the 6-9 Martin Krampelj (11.9 & 8.1).

The pick: Creighton has been a solid team at home this season (typical) but the Bluejays have been struggling as of late, going 0-4 ATS prior to their non-lined game with Bemidji State. Marquette is a 'live dog,' as the Golden Eagles can score, shoot well from three (see above) and are the nation's best free-throw shooting team. Watch out for the "backdoor cover!" Make Marquette an 8* play.

The set-up: The 35-12-8 Boston Bruins have won 20 of its last 25 overall (20-2-3) to move within three points of the Lightning (Tampa Bay has 81 points and Boston 78), with three games in hand. Boston begins a rugged stretch when they open a five-game road trip at the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night but playing away from home has not been an issue for the surging Bruins, who have won seven straight on the road as part of a 13-game road point streak (11-0-2 since their last regulation road loss on Dec. 4 at Nashville). The Vancouver Canucks are next-to-last in the Western Conference at 22-30-6 (50 points).

Boston: The Bruins are challenging for top spot overall in the NHL and have clearly revived their fortunes after a series of strong draft picks and trades as well as a coaching change. Boston is on a roll, winning eight of its last 10. The latest victory was a 5-2 decision at home over Calgary on Wednesday, when the Bruins overcame a 2-1 deficit with four straight goals. Center David Krejci wants to get his game going again, as he has been held to one point -- a goal -- in his past five games. For most of the season, he has gone no more than two games without generating points. He is looking for his line as a whole, which includes speedy wingers Ryan Spooner and Jake DeBrusk, to produce more offensively. The trio has combined for 80 points this season, but was blanked against Calgary. Patrice Bergeron is closing in on his fourth 30-goal campaign, scoring seven times in seven games this month to boost his team-high total to 27. "Bergeron would fit in with any club," former Boston coach and current Canadian broadcaster Don Cherry said. "When you talk about MVP, it's not the best player, it's the guy who is most valuable to your team and I can't see anybody in the league more valuable than him."

Vancouver: The Bruins come town the same week that Canucks general manager Jim Benning, a former Boston executive who helped build the 2011 champion squad, signed a contract extension to mixed reviews. Forward Sven Baertschi collected a pair of assists in Wednesday's 4-3 loss to Florida, but was out of the lineup 24 hours later. “I haven’t been thrilled with his game as of late," head coach Travis Green said of scratching Baertschi. However, Baertschi likely will return to Vancouver's lineup Saturday

The pick: The youthful Canucks have lost seven of their past eight games, mixing a lopsided road win over Dallas, which was playing its third game in four days, with one-sided losses and close calls. Vancouver gave up four first-period goals in a 6-3 loss at Boston back on Oct. 19, in the teams' first meeting of the season. Boston goalie Tuukka Rask is 20-1-2 in his last 23 decisions but is just 3-4-1 lifetime against Vancouver. Make the Over a 10* play.

Baylor: The Bears' 4-0 run has also been fueled by defense, holding its opponents to an average of 26 first-half points during the win streak after allowing 44.5 before halftime until that point this season. Senior guard Manu Lecomte leads the Bears with 16.8 points and 3.7 APG but has had more freedom to move without the ball since junior Jake Lindsey (5.1 & 3.3 APG) joined the starting lineup five games ago. The lineup change gives the Bears a strong bench, led by senior forward Terry Maston's 10.0 & 5.8. It has outscored opponents' benches 153-49 in the past five games. 7-0 senior Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. (11 double-doubles) adds 14.5 PPG, a team-best 9.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks.

The pick: The Bears lost their Big 12 opener at Texas Tech 77-53 on Dec. 29 but Lual-Acuil Jr. missed that game with a foot injury. Baylor struggled through the first half of conference play but the Bears have won four straight games and played their way back into the NCAA Tournament conversation. The Bears defeated then-No. 10 Kansas last Saturday in Waco and have a chance to make another strong impression if they can post a victory at home over a second top-10 opponent for the second straight Saturday. Baylor is 12-3 SU at home and earlier, I noted that the team has held its opponents to an average of 26 first-half points during its current win streak. Let me add here, that Baylor is 12-0 this season when leading at halftime! Make Baylor a 10* play.

The set-up: Bruce Pearl has always been considered an excellent head coach but he's also had his fair share of controversies (if unfamiliar, try Google). After winning just 15 and 11 games in his first two season at Auburn, he led the Tigers to an 18-win season last year and all five starters were back for this season. Many felt Auburn could win 20 games in 2017-18 but few (if any) could have predicted that the Tigers would be 23-3 (11-2 in the SEC) and ranked 10th in the AP poll come mid-Feb. Auburn is off a 76-66 home victory over Kentucky, and will visit Columbia, S.C. on Saturday afternoon to take on the slumping 13-13 Gamecocks, who are 4-9 in SEC play. South Carolina nearly knocked off Tennessee on the road this past Tuesday, erasing a 14-point deficit before falling 70-67 (its sixth consecutive loss).

Auburn: The Gamecocks have won two straight meetings with Auburn and three of the last four. Bruce Pearl is aware and told reporters. “We can’t afford to not (get up) or we won’t win. It’s real simple. If you’re big enough, talented enough, deep enough, you can show up sometimes and win.” Pearl is making his guard-oriented lineup work. Bryce Brown leads with 16.6 PPG, plus backcourt mates Mustapha Heron (16.1 & 5.3 rebounds) and Jared Harper (13.5 & 6.0 APG) help push the pace, can score and are pesky at the defensive end. The undersized Desean Murray (10.9 & 7.0) plays much bigger than his 6-3 frame,and fellow forwards, the 6-7 Anfernee McLemore (7.7 & 5.3) and the 6-8 Horace Spencer (4.2 & 4.7) are tough post defenders.

South Carolina: The Gamecocks have one of the SEC’s best big men in the 6-9 Chris Silva (14.2 & 7.6) but their guard play leaves much to be desired (they sure miss Thornwell and Dozier from LY's Final 4 team). Reserve guard Frank Booker (11.6 points), a graduate transfer from FAU, has averaged 14.2 points over his last five games but the rest of the members of the backcourt rotation have been inconsistent. Coach Frank Martin’s teams typically are known for tough defense (allow 68.0 PPG to rank 6th) but South Carolina has allowed five straight opponents to shoot at least 46 percent (not good).

The pick: It's true that Auburn's Bruce Pearl is a leading candidate for National Coach of the Year but are the Tigers really as good as their record? The team's win over Kentucky was a real 'high' and a letdown seems more than possible. Note that South Carolina is 12-1 when scoring at least 70 points and while the Gamecocks haven’t hit that mark in their last four games, they do average 70.2 PPG at home and Auburn is allowing 72.2 PPG on the season. Take the home dog and make South Carolina an 8* play.

The set-up: Part 1 of the Red River Rivalry (basketball edition) took place back on Feb. 3 in Austin and although the Sooners controlled most of the game (held a nine-point lead with less than eight minutes remaining), the Longhorns went on a 14-0 run en route to a 79-74 victory. No. 23 Oklahoma was still very much in the thick of the Big 12 race when it last faced Texas but the Sooners now find themselves 16-9 and just 6-7 in Big 12 play. Texas will travel to the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman with a 15-11 overall mark, including only 5-8 in Big 12 play. Both teams could badly use a win but in the case of Texas, it's a matter of getting back into NCAA Tournament contention.

Texas: Nothing has gone right for Texas since it beat Oklahoma back on Feb 3, as the Longhorns have sandwiching a pair of one-possession defeats around a blowout loss avergae about two 'TDs' less than Oklahoma (72.4 PPG) but Shaka Smart's team does play defense, allowing 68.3 PPG (66th) on 41.7% shooting (63rd). Texas is awful from three-point range, converting on just a conference-worst 32.1 percent (ranks 329th nationally). The Longhorns have a terrific one-two inside duo in 6-11 freshman Bamba (13.7-10.8-4.1 BPG) and 6-9 junior Osekowski (13.6 & 7.1). Bamba leads the conference with 13 double-doubles. However, the loss of guard Jones (13.5) for the season (after just 10 games), has been a huge blow.

Oklahoma: That Feb. 23 loss in Austin began a four-game slide for the Sooners. Freshman Trae Young continues to lead the country in scoring (29.1 points) and assists (9.3), but he's shooting only 35.4 percent (17.1 percent beyond the arc) in Oklahoma losing skid (he is coming off a game in which he failed to hit a three-pointer for the first time in his career, going 0-for-9!). Junior guard James (12.4 & 4.9) and 6-9 freshman Manek (11.2 & 5.6) are OU's only two double digit scorers outside of Young. James has delivered his first two 20-point performances over the last two contests, averaging 22.5 points on 16-of-30 shooting. The Sooners are the nation's top-scoring team at 88.4 PPG but they also allow 82. PPG, ranking 338th.

The pick: Texas just played in its sixth overtime game last Saturday (matching a school record for the most in a season) and could be wearing down. Sure, Oklahoma has clearly struggled as of late (1-9 ATS run started on Jan. 13) but the Sooners have won five straight home games against the Longhorns and are 11-1 in Norman this season, where they are averaging 95.5 PPG (Texas is averaging 66.0 PPG on the road). Make Oklahoma an 8* play.

The set-up: The SMU Mustangs continue to play short-handed and their 70-67 home loss to Memphis this past Wednesday was the team's fourth straight. SMU's once-promising season has slipped away, as the Mustangs are 15-11 (5-8 in AAC). UCF has won two in a row following a 2-5 stretch that included losing massive 7-6 center Tacko Fall for the season due to a shoulder injury. The Knights will welcome the Mustangs to CFE Arena in Orlando early on Saturday, checking in at 16-9 (7-6 in AAC).

SMU: When the calendar turned to 2018, SMU stood at 12-3 but the Mustangs are just 3-8 since. The team's best player, PG Shake Milton (18.7-4.7-4.4), is currently listed as “out indefinitely” after missing SMU’s last 4 games (Mustangs are 0-4) and the Mustangs will also be without 6-6 Jarrey Foster, who is out for the season due to a knee injury. Foster was lost seven games ago and was averaging 13.2 PPG and a team-high 5.9 RPG. Guard Jahmal McMurray did everything he could Wednesday against Memphis, knocking down nine three-pointers en route to a career-high 33 points but it still wasn't enough. He has taken on a larger role for the injury-plagued Mustangs and checks in averaging 13.9 PPG. SMU's defense remains its strength, allowing just 63.5 PPG (11th).

UCF: Fall averaged 11.3 & 7.3 in his 16 games and his loss leaves two double digit scorers for the Knights. Guard Taylor leads with 14.8 PPG and forward AJ Davis adds 11.4 & 8.0). Those two Knights carried the bulk of the scoring load the last time out against USF, as Davis registered 26 points and Taylor chipped in 21. Meanwhile, the other three starters totaled four points on 1-of-6 shooting. Even without Fall's presence, UCF has remained one of the nation's elite defensive teams, allowing 61.2 PPG (3rd) on 38.9% shooting (4th).

The pick: SMU beat UCF 56-51 in Dallas back on Dec. 27. However, Milton and Foster played in that one, combining for 28 points & 15 rebounds. That duo will be 'MIA' for this one and also note that in that late-Dec. loss, the Knights were missing the irreplaceable B.J. Taylor due to a serious foot injury. Shorthanded SMU comes in just 3-7-1 ATS since Jan. 1, while UCF is 12-4 ATS over its last 16 home games.Make UCF an 8* play.

The set-up: The 29-24-4 Columbus Blue Jackets have 62 points, just sixth-best in the tightly-bunched Metropolitan Division. However, the team is just one point shy of the second and final wild card spot in the East. Columbus will welcome the Philadelphia Flyers to Nationwide Arena after becoming the first team since the NHL's expansion era began in 1967-68 to string together three straight games with at least 50 shots on goal. The Flyers finished on the short end of a 5-4 shootout with the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night but had won four in a row before the loss to the Devils. In fact, the Flyers are 12-5-2 since Jan. 1 and at 28-19-10 (66 points) tied for third in the Metropolitan Division.

Philadelphia: Captain Claude Giroux raised his point total to 32 (six goals, 26 assists) in his last 32 game,s after collecting a goal and an assist in Tuesday's 5-4 shootout loss to New Jersey. Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere has been heating up on the ice with 11 points (one goal, 10 assists) in his past seven games. With goaltender Brian Elliott out for six weeks after undergoing core muscle surgery, the Flyers have to keep going for now with inconsistent Michal Neuvirth in goal. However, Neuvirth does owns a 2-1-0 mark with a 1.99 goals-against average and .934 save percentage against Columbus.

Columbus: The Blue Jackets were beaten 6-3 by the Maple Leafs on Wednesday night in Toronto and have now dropped six of their last eight (2-5-1) overall. Captain Nick Foligno scored two goals and set up another versus the Maple Leafs to increase his point total to 10 (four goals, six assists) in his past 12 games. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky has reversed course from a sluggish start to February by turning aside 63 of 65 shots to record back-to-back victories.

The pick: With 25 games remaining, the Flyers and the Blue Jackets recognize the importance of each game against a division opponent in this, the competitive division in the NHL. Both team are fighting for a coveted playoff spot. Nine points separate second place and last place in the Metropolitan. However, while Columbus may be just 2-5-1 over their last eight, they enter this contest looking for their 12th consecutive home victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Getting back to Bobrovsky, the two-time Vezina Trophy recipient has tormented the Flyers since being traded from the club in June 2012, posting a 9-2-0 mark with two shutouts and a 1.79 goals-against average in 11 career encounters. Bobrovsky made 30 saves in the teams' meeting in December before stopping Sean Couturier, Giroux and Jakub Voracek in the shootout to preserve the victory. Make Columbus a 10* play.

The set-up: If it's a Friday in February, then the Ivy League is always near center stage in college hoops. Tonight, from the Edward Leede Arena in Hanover, New Hampshire, the Dartmouth Big Green will host the Yale Bulldogs. Yale comes in 11-13 overall (including 4-4 in Ivy play), after downing Cornell 74-65 last Saturday. As for Dartmouth, it's been a season-long struggle that's carried over into conference play. The Big Green just ended a 10-game losing streak with a 72-56 rout of Princeton but that leaves them just 5-16 overall, including 1-7 in Ivy games.

Yale: The Bulldogs have six players averaging 20-plus minutes per game, contributing 7.8-to-15.1 PPG. Oni, a 6-7 guard, leads the etam in scoring at 15.1 PPG (adds 5.5 RPG) and is joined by guard Copeland (12.2) and forward Reynolds (10.1 & 5.5) in double digits. Yale shoots a decent percentage (46.9% ranks 567th) but the Bulldogs average a modest 74.6 PPG (161st).

Dartmouth: The Big Green went just 7-20 last season, so this year's 5-16 record is no major surprise. Dartmouth is off an impressive rout of Princeton (see above), as Taylor Johnson led all scorers with 21 points. Johnson is a senior guard checking in with a team-high 12.6 PPG (3.9 RPG & 3.1 APG). Three more players contribute double digits in fellow senior guard Wright (12.0 & 4.5),sophomore PG Barry (10.5 & 4.1 APG) and freshman forward Knight (10.4).

The pick: Yale won all both matchups against Dartmouth last season and won this season's first matchup by 10 points. A change of venue from New Haven to Hanover shouldn't alter the margin of victory by too much. Make Yale a 10* play! 

The set-up: The Edmonton Oilers were expected to be among the top contenders for the Pacific Division title, coming off a 103-point season last year. In contrast, the expansion Vegas Golden Knights were a great unknown, with little expected of them. However, lo and behold, when the teams square off Thursday night in Las Vegas, the 23-28-4 Oilers find themselves a staggering 28 points behind the division-leading 37-15-4 Golden Knights. The fortunes of each team were on display in their respective most recent games. Vegas scored four unanswered goals in the third period of a 5-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks to improve to an NHL-best 20-4-2 at home. Conversely, Edmonton surrendered four third-period goals to visiting Florida in a 7-5 loss on Monday. As the saying goes, "Go figure!"

Edmonton: The loss to Florida was Edmonton's fourth consecutive defeat. "It's frustrating for everyone in this room and the coaching staff," Oilers forward Patrick Maroon said after the game. "Everyone is not happy with our results of late." Cam Talbot, who has lost three starts in a row and saw his goals-against average rise to a career-worst 3.17 after he was beaten six times in Monday's loss to Florida, pointed the finger squarely at himself. "I'd say about four of them I'd like to have back," Talbot said. "Any time you go out and score five goals, you should win a game every night. I didn't give us a chance to win tonight." Connor McDavid has eight tallies and four assists in the last six games, and is having another outstanding season (23 goals and 66 points) but his play has mattered little.

Vegas: David Perron scored one goal and set up another in Tuesday's victory to reach 50 points for the third time in his career (14 goals & 37 assists). Perron has been on a scoring spree over the past month, notching five goals and 12 assists over the past 13 games dating to Jan. 18. The Knights are also receiving scoring from an unexpected source in Ryan Carpenter, a waiver-wire pickup from San Jose, has all three of his goals in the last five games. William Karlsson owns a team-high 29 goals and Jonathan Marchessault owns a team-best 54 points. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is 17-6-2 (2.07 GAA & .932 SP) on the season.

The pick: Vegas is 13-1-1 against Pacific Division teams during its remarkable inaugural season but the fly in the ointment has been Edmonton. The Oilers who are 2-0 against the Golden Knights, winning 8-2 at Rogers Place on Nov. 14 (the worst loss in Vegas' short history) and 3-2 in overtime at T-Mobile Arena on Jan. 13. Take the 1 1/2 goals and make the Oilers an 8* play.

The set-up: All-in-all, the Minnesota Timberwolves have made significant improvements as the NBA's All Star Weekend looms. However, Minnesota was 31-18 just 3 1/2 weeks ago, before hitting a slight skid lately in which the team has gone 4-7. In the team's final game before the break, Minnesota welcomes the 23-33 LA Lakers to the Target Center. The Lakers enter having had won 12 of 16 games (including eight of their last 10), before experiencing defensive issues on the first two stops their three-game trip. After allowing 130 points in Saturday's loss at Dallas, the Lakers got hammered 139-117 at New Orleans four nights later.

LA Lakers: "We’ve got to get our mojo back. We somehow lost it quickly,” Lakers head coach Luke Walton told reporters of the back-to-back setbacks. Lonzo Ball will miss his 15th consecutive game due to a sprained left knee but the rookie PG said he will be ready to get back on the floor when Los Angeles returns from the All-Star break on Feb. 23 against Dallas. Is that good or bad news? LA's roster has changed since the trade deadline but pretty much all season, the Lakers have struggled defensively, allowing 110.1 PPG (28th).

Minnesota; The Timberwolves saw their 13-game home winning streak end in Tuesday's 126-108 loss to the Rockets. All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns (20.4 & 9.7) leads the NBA with 50 double-doubles, including a performance against the Rockets in which he recorded 35 points on 12-of-16 shooting and 12 rebounds. Minnesota is considering whether or not to sign PG Derrick Rose, who currently is a free agent, as he was released by Utah two days after being acquired from Cleveland. Rose played for Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau in Chicago and was teammates with All-Star shooting guard Jimmy Butler and power forward Taj Gibson. Butler's been everything Minnesota could have hoped for, averaging 22.4-5.5-5.0, and Gibson (12.1 & 7.3) has been a solid starter at PF.

The pick: Minnesota is tied for second in the league in home wins at 23-6 but has lost three of four games overall. The lone win in that span came against the Kings and just barely (111-106 as a 13-point favorite). Tom Thibodeau has been known as a defensive coach but this Minnesota team, while greatly improved and on its way to the postseason after a long drought, is allowing opponents to shoot 47.8%, which is a league-worst! That's why Minnesota is a sub-.500 team ATS (28-30-2). Take the big points and make LA a 10* play.

The set-up: The Oregon Ducks have won five of their last six games to reach 17-8, including 7-5 in Pac 12 play. They will visit the Galen Center tonight in Los Angeles, where they will take on the USC Trojans, who after three straight losses, are 17-9, including 8-5 in Pac 12 games. Oregon enters playing better basketball at the moment but Trojans have already beaten Oregon 75-70 in Eugene earlier this season.

Oregon: Sophomore PG Payton Pritchard helped Oregon bounce back from a 35-point loss to Stanford by averaging 15.5 points on 52.2 percent shooting in home wins over Washington (65-40) and Washington State (84-57). Pritchard is averaging 14.4 points and 4.9 assists, while backcourt mate Elijah Brown is averaging 12.8 points. A trio of frontcourt players include the 6-7 Brown (12.2 & 6.6), the 6-7 McIntosh (9.7 & 6.3) and the 6-9 White (9.6 & 3.3). Troy Brown is a freshman and averaged 18.5 points and 7.5 rebounds with seven steals in last week’s sweep of the Washington schools. Head coach Dana Altman had four freshmen on the court at one point of last Saturday’s win over Washington State, including 6-9 forward Kenny Wooten, who averages 7.2 points and 4.5 boards and leads the Pac-12 with 73 blocks.

USC: Head coach Andy Enfield remained optimistic even after last Saturday’s 81-67 loss to Arizona, which outrebounded the Trojans by 18 and shot 56.1 percent for the game. Sophomore guard Derryck Thornton, a transfer from Duke, made his first career start for USC and had seven points in place of junior Shaqquan Aaron, who was unavailable due to a coach’s decision. USC has two excellent big men in the 6-11 Metu (15.7 & 7.4) and the 6-10 Boatwright (14.2 & 6.4) plus the 6-11 Rakocevic (7.9 & 5.4), Then there is team's guard trio of McLaughlin (12.7 & 7.5 APG), Stewart (10.9) and Mathews (9.0)

USC: Boatwright has been slow to recover from a foot injury for USC and his recent efforts have been underwhelming. Meanwhile, Dana Altman’s Ducks are making progress in recent weeks and are playing their most consistent ball of the season right now (have outscored teams by nearly eight PPG in their last five contests). That's not really new, as under Altman, Oregon is 48-18 during the second half of Pac-12 play. The Ducks are 3-0 ATS as an underdog (2-1 SU) since Dec 1. Take the points and make Oregon a 10* play.

The set-up: The NHL's Metropolitan Division is congested and after losing eight of their last 11 games, the 27-25-5 NY Rangers find themselves in the basement of the league's most competitive division, but just one point behind the 27-25-6 NY Islanders. The Rangers have lost five in a row to their crosstown rivals and hope to reverse that trend tonight when they visit Barclays Center for the first time this season. The Islanders have each of the first two meetings between the two rivals this season (both at MSG), 4-3 in a shootout loss on Oct. 19, as well as a 7-2 shellacking on Jan. 13.

NY Rangers: Chris Kreider returned to practice on Wednesday after being sidelined since Dec. 27 with a blood clot that required surgery to repair. "It really puts things in perspective," the 26-year-old Kreider said after skating with his teammates in a non-contact practice jersey. "I don't think I took (playing hockey) for granted ever, but it definitely makes you grateful for everything you have." Fellow forward Pavel Buchnevich also skated in a non-contact practice sweater on Wednesday as he attempts to work his way back from a concussion. Despite the Rangers' poor recent record, their special teams have been solid. They have recorded a power-play goal in seven of the last 11 games and have thwarted 22 of their last 25 short-handed opportunities over their last eight contests.

NY Islanders: Captain John Tavares recorded his 600th career point by jamming home a loose puck on the power play in the first period of a 4-1 setback versus the Blue Jackets on Tuesday. The 27-year-old, who has a team co-leading 29 goals (matching Anders Lee) and club-best 63 points. Fellow Josh Bailey (61 points) notched his team-leading 47th assist against Columbus and also had one in the first meeting with the Rangers. Rookie sensation Mathew Barzal had a five-point performance - all assists - in a 7-6 overtime win over Detroit on Friday and has 59 points on the season. Goalie Jaroslav Halak was in net for both previous encounters versus the Rangers and sports a 16-7-0 mark with two shutouts against them.

The pick: Halak is expected to battle the Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist, who is 30-19-7 in 58 appearances against the Islanders. The Islanders and Rangers have both lost seven of their last 10 games to fall into the bottom two spots in the eight-team Metropolitan Division, though the Islanders (27-25-6) have picked up two points via overtime losses in that span while the Rangers (27-25-5) have suffered all seven losses in regulation. However, despite the extended swoons, the Islanders and Rangers entered Wednesday just three and four points, respectively, behind the Carolina Hurricanes in the race for the second wild card in the East. However, both teams need to turn things around quickly in order to make their final scheduled clash of the season (in the Islanders' home finale on April 5) consequential in the playoff chase. A playoff-like atmosphere means the Under is a 10* play.

The set-up: The Purdue Boilermakers entered their Feb. 7th game with Ohio State on a 19-game winning streak and as the No. 3 team in the AP poll. However, the Buckeyes edged the Boilermakers 64-63 to snap the the team's school-record 19-game streak. Purdue then dropped a 68-65 decision at top-ranked Michigan State to fall out of first place in the Big Ten standings and drop to No. 6 in the latest AP poll. Purdue looks to bounce back Thursday at Madison (and avoid its longest losing streak in over four years!), when it takes on the 11-16 Wisconsin Badgers (4-11). Talk about a fall from grace! Wisconsin opened the season having gone to 19 consecutive NCAA tournaments and with 13 NCAA wins over the previous four season, ranked second in that category to only North Carolina's 14. So much for that. Wisconsin trailed by as many as 25 points before making a late run in the 83-72 loss to No. 21 Michigan on Sunday, defeat all but ensured it will finish the regular season with a losing record for the first time since 1997-98.

Purdue: The Boilermakers are 23-4, including 12-2 in the Big Ten, just one game back of 13-1 Ohio State (Michigan State is 13-2). The 7-2 Isaac Haas (15.0 & 5.3) scored a team-high 25 points in the loss to Michigan State to finish with at least 18 points for the fifth time in his last six games. Guard Carsen Edwards (16.9) added 14 points against the Spartans while the 6-8 Vincent Edwards (15.1 & 7.8) was held to eight on 3-of-11 shooting from the floor. "There's a fine line between winning and losing," Purdue coach Matt Painter told reporters. "You've got to learn from it, that's the main thing as you can be better because of it down the road in March." Back-to-back losses don't diminish what this team has accomplished. Purdue averages 82.5 PPG (30th) on 49.6% shooting (16th), while allowing just 64.3 pPG (18th) on 40.1% shooting (20th).

Wisconsin: The Badgers have dropped six of their last seven games, including three straight at home but hope to salvage some pride by knocking off the Boilermakers for the first time since Jan. 7, 2015. "That's two games in a row that we came out flat and haven't been as prepared as we should have," Wisconsin guard Brad Davison told reporters. "That's definitely been an issue for us and something that we'll have to keep working on." The 6-10 Ethan Happ (18.2 & 8.7) led the way with a season-high 29 points to go along with seven rebounds, but it wasn't enough as the Badgers allowed Michigan to shoot 56 percent from the floor. Happ and Davison (11.3) are the only players in double digits. Brevin Pritzl (8.7) added 13 points and is 7-of-11 from the floor in his last two games after going 0-for-13 in his previous two outings. Wisconsin has trouble scoring (67.6 PPG ranks 307th) but allows only 67.1 PPG (53rd).

The pick: Purdue had scored 70 or more points in 17 straight games before its two-game skid but hopes to rediscover its shooting touch against the Badgers. However, I'm not so sure about that. I realize that the Badgers are 0-7 against ranked teams this season but this is a prideful program (see history above) and Wisconsin is set to honor Frank Kaminsky, who led the Badgers to back-to-back Final Four appearances in 2014 and 2015, by retiring his No. 44 jersey during a ceremony on Thursday. Home dog rises to the moment. Make Wisconsin an 8* play.

The set-up: The Portland Trail Blazers fell to the Utah Jazz 115-96 on Sunday, ending the team's nine-game home winning streak (first home loss since late December). Portland now looks to avoid a second straight home setback and the opponent will be the 44-13 Golden State Warriors, owners of the NBA's best record this season and in case one wasn't aware, the owner of two NBA titles in the last three seasons. Figuring to make Portland's task even more difficult is the fact that the team has dropped 11 straight to the Warriors, including a first-round sweep in last season's playoffs.

Golden State: The Warriors have had spots this season when they haven't looked like the NBA's most-elite team but they've actually played just as well on the road (22-6) as they have at home (22-7). A big story (but a 'nothing-burger' in my view) was Steve Kerr allowing some of Golden State's players to call some plays during time-outs in their last game. The Golden State players seemed to enjoy the experiment on Monday but some Suns players felt the move showed a lack of respect, something Kerr did not intend. All are must be aware of Golden State's "usual suspects,' but I will remind all that the Warriors rank first in scoring (115.8 PPG), FG percentage (51.1%), three-point percentage (39.3%) and free-throw percentage (80.9%0.

Portland: All-Star guard Damian Lillard followed up a 50-point effort in a win at Sacramento with 39 points against the Jazz on Sunday but could not get enough help as the team fell for the fourth time in six games overall. Lillard is averaging 25.8 points while shooting 92.1 percent from the free-throw line, just ahead of Golden State's Stephen Curry (91.5),
Shooting guard CJ McCollum () scored 22 points in Sunday's loss but committed five of his team's 13 turnovers. Center Jusuf Nurkic (back, hip) left Sunday's game and is day-to-day. He's having a quality season, averaging 14.0 & 8.1 RPG, and will be missed greatly if he doesn't play.

The pick: Golden State has won its last seven meetings with Portland, including the first of three this regular season (throw in LY's playoff sweep and one gets to 11 straight losses). The Blazers would love to pull off the upset. "It's a big game for our team," Lillard said. "It would be great go into the (All-Star) break with a win against the defending champs, especially with how the standings are shaking out right now. It's a game we need to win. It's going to be exciting, it's going to be loud, and it's going to be really competitive." If only wishing could make it so. Portland last beat Golden State on Feb. 19, 2016. In the 11 straight losses, the Warriors have averaged 123.0 PPG. Make the Over an 8* play.

The set-up: The Colorado Avalanche have put last year's 'nightmare' season behind them (22 wins, with their 48 points being 21 fewer than any other NHL team), as they will host the Montreal Canadiens tonight, looking for their 10th consecutive win at Pepsi Center. The Avs are 30-21-4 on the season and with 64 points, are just four points out of the West's final playoff spot (plenty of competition, though). Meanwhile, the Candiens have followed up a 103-point 2016-17 season (won Atlantic Division) with a 22-26-7 record so far this year, leaving them 14th of 16 teams in the East and not just 12 points out of the final playoff spot but with five teams to leap-frog before reaching that final berth (basically, no chance!).
Montreal: The Canadiens begin a four-game road trip and tonight will mark the one-year anniversary behind Montreal's bench for coach Claude Julien, who said he's "more concerned right now with turning our good performances into wins." Phillip Danault practiced Monday for the first time since taking a slap shot off the head on Jan. 13, and while he has yet to be cleared from his concussion, he's accompanying the team on the road trip. “Brendan Gallagher has scored four times in his last eight games and owns a team-high 20 goals. His 32 points are one-shy of team-leader Max Pacioretty. Noting those point totals, it should be no surprise that Montreal is not a high-scoring team (2.58 GPG ranks 29th). Montreal's shrinking playoff possibilities means the team will likely be a seller before the Feb. 26 trading deadline.

Colorado: Leading scorer Nathan MacKinnon (24 goals / 61 points) has been sidelined for the last six games due to the shoulder injury he suffered on Jan. 30 but practiced with the team Tuesday for the first time since getting hurt. Head coach Jared Bednar termed the team's 3-3-0 record without MacKinnon as being "pretty good. He told reporters. "The problem with it is, it’s not good enough. We’re losing ground every day in the playoff race.” The Avalanche are also without forwards Sven Andrighetto (leg), Blake Comeau (lower-body injury) and defenseman Mark Barberio (lower body).
The pick: Colorado goes for its 10th straight home win here and Montreal has struggled on the road all season with an 8-16-1 mark away from home. However, is it ironic that the Avs go for a 10th straight home win against the Canadiens, who snapped the Avalanche's 10-game overall winning streak with a 4-2 triumph in Montreal back on Jan. 23? Methinks so. Make Montreal an 8* play.

The set-up: The NC State Wolfpack are 16-9 (6-6 in ACC) and the Syracuse Orange 17-8 (6-6 in ACC) as they get set to meet Wednesday at the Carrier Dome. Their records are similar and so are their recent performances. The Wolfpack have split their last 12, after losing back-to-back games prior to winning three in a row. Meanwhile, the Orange followed a pair of losses with back-to-back wins and have now split their last 14 games.

North Carolina State: The Wolfpack have given up 181 total points in back-to-back losses, after a 96-89 loss to North Carolina. N .C. State shot 54.7 percent and had six players reach double digits in scoring but it couldn't find an answer for North Carolina's Luke Maye, who scored a career-high 33 points. PG Markell Johnson pushes the pace for N.C. State's uptempo offense and is averaging 11 assists per game over his last six (averages 7.8 APG on the season). Guard Allerik Freeman (14.1 & 4.) is the etam's leading scorer and 6-5 junior guard Torin Dorn (13.6 & 6.4) is coming off one of his best games of the season in which he dropped a team-high 21 points on 10-of-15 shooting while adding three steals. The 7-0 Yurtseven (13.8 & 6.9) is the team's best frontcourt player. The Wolfpack check in averaging 80.9 PPG (40th).

Syracuse: The Orange rely on three players offensively, as no other team member averages as much as six point per game. Guards Battle (20.3) and Howard (15.0 & 5.1 APG) are the team's top-two scorers, with 6-9 freshman Brissett (14.2 & 9.0) leading the way in the frontcourt. Jim Boeheim always coaches defense-first and it's no different this season. Syracuse holds opponents to 63.4 PPG (12th) on 38.6% shooting (4th).

The pick: The Wolfpack have been a poor road team (especially ATS) but Syracuse is in a bad situational spot here, having gone 2-10 ATS in their last 12 games following a ATS win (won and covered its last game over Wake forest). The Wolfpack are 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings in Syracuse and the road team is 7-2 ATS in the last nine meetings of this series. Make NC State an 8* play..

The set-up: The Boston Celtics have been 'Kings of the East' since the start on the current NBA season but the 40-18 Celtics now trail the 40-16 Toronto Raptors by two games in the loss column for the conference's best record. Maybe of even greater concern is that the "new-look" Cavs are showing definitive signs that their Eastern Conference reign is not about to end. "As we go forward I think that we can consistently learn from not only a game like tonight but the last few games with playing the high intense teams of the Eastern Conference, where we’ve been tested," All-Star Kyrie Irving told reporters after Boston's 121-99 home loss to the Cavs Sunday. The Celtics, losers of three of their last four, will host the 29-26 LA Clippers on Wednesday. LA is probably not looking forward to the All Star break, as the Clippers won six of their last eight and 18 of 26 overall.

LA Clippers: Head coach Doc Rivers was in Boston (Sunday) to participate in Paul Pierce's ceremony and then guided Los Angeles to a 114-101 win at Brooklyn on Monday, behind a balanced attack. Seven players scored in double figures against the Nets, led by Lou Williams' 23rd 20-point effort (points) in the last 25 games. Austin Rivers added 17 points in his best output since returning from a heel injury. Overall, the team shot 56.5 percent from the floor. Williams is averaging career highs in points (23.2) and assists (5.3 , while Rivers (15.7) has settled in to become a solid regular. Harris is averaging 16.4 & 6.6 in his six games (was part of the Griffin trade) plus there is still center Jordan and his seasonal double-double (11.4 & 15.1).

Boston: An issue in Boston's recent slump has been the downturn of rookie Jayson Tatum (13.6 & 5.1), who has seen his three-point percentage fall in every month this season, from 50 percent in October to 33.3 percent in February. He is averaging 9.8 points (nearly four below his average) on 37.5 percent from the floor during the Celtics' current 1-3 stretch. Jaylen Brown (14.1 & 5.4) joined Tatum in single digits with five points on 2-of-9 shooting in the loss to Cleveland and Brown had just nine points on 2-of-10 shooting in a win at Los Angeles last month. Kyrie (24.6 & 5.0 APG) is the unquestioned leader but the veteran Horford (13.2-7.7-5.2) remains the unsung hero. In the end, Brad Stevens' team relies on a defense allowing 99.1 PPG (2nd-best) on a league-low 43.3% shooting.

The pick: Boston won 113-102 at Staples Center back on Jan. 24 when Blake Griffin (who scored 23) was still in the Clips’ fold. Yes, Boston is just 3-5 in its last eight home games but the Celtics are 10-2 SU this season at TD Garden against Western Conference foes. What's more, while the Clippers are playing well, Boston catches LA in the midst of a testing seven-game road trip (this is the Clippers fourth game in six nights). Make Boston an 8* play.

The set-up: No. 11 Clemson aims for its fifth consecutive victory when it visits Florida State on Wednesday. The Tigers, coming off a 17-16 season (6-12 in ACC), sit 20-4 overall and 9-3 in ACC play. In fact, Clemson is just one win shy of tying the program record for ACC victories in a single season. The 17-8 Florida State Seminoles (6-7 in ACC) have lost two straight and three of their last four. The Seminoles lost 84-69 at Notre Dame on Saturday, just three days after pushing now top-ranked Virginia to the brink in a 59-55 defeat.

Clemson: The Tigers are coming off a 72-48 rout of Pittsburgh on Thursday that clinched their third 20-win season under coach Brad Brownell. Clemson has adjusted well to the loss of 6-8 power forward Donte Grantham (14.2 & 6.9) to a season-ending knee injury, relying more on its backcourt for scoring. Guards Marcquise Reed (15.4 & 4.7), Gabe DeVoe (13.5 & 4.6), and Shelton Mitchell (12.0 & 3.9 APG) all are capable scorers. DeVoe drained seven three-pointers in a 25-point performance against Pittsburgh, and the Tigers have made 10 or more from beyond the arc in four straight games for the first time since 1983. With Grantham out, the frontcourt 'load' falls on the 6-9 Thomas (10.3 & 7.5),
Clemson's D remains its strength, allowing 65.1 PPG (26th) on 41.1% shooting (46th).

Florida State: Like Clemson, FSU relies on its backcourt. The duo of Terance Mann (14.5 & 5.9) and Braian Angola (13.4 & 4.2) are the team's top-two scorers plus both present matchup problems at 6-6. The Seminoles match up much better with the Tigers now that Grantham is out of the picture with the 6-8 Cofer (13.2 & 5.4), 7-4 center Christ Koumadje (8.6 & 5.4) and the 6-9 Kabaengele (7.1 & 4.8) giving Thomas likely more than he can handle up front.

The pick: Clemson is heading to the final stretch of its regular season and is a lock for the NCAA Tournament. Meanwhile, FSU (which opened 11-1) is now a "bubble team" and could sure use a win here. FSU averages 82.9 PPG (27th) on the season and is 10-2 SU at home, where it averages 88.2 PPG. Clemson has lost three straight games to FSU and is just 5-11 under head coach Brad Brownell against Florida State, including 2-5 in games played in Tallahassee. Make Florida State a 10* play.

The set-up: The Spartans edged Purdue on Saturday for their eighth straight victory, pulling them into a second-place tie with the Boilermakers in the Big Ten at 12-2 (Ohio State leads at 13-1). Michigan State is 24-3 overall and Monday captured the top spot in the Coaches' Poll, while ranking second in teh AP poll to No. 1 Virginia. The Spartans will travel to Williams Arena to taking on the 14-13 Minnesota Golden Gophers. The Gophers have been far from 'golden' these days, as they limp in on a seven-game slide, after suffering an 80-56 blowout loss at Indiana on Friday.

Michigan State: The Spartans own a dynamic starting-five, led by 6-7 swingman Bridges (17.8 & 7.1) He's joined up front by the 6-8 Ward (13.1 & 7.4) and 6-11 freshman Jackson (11.0 & 6.1) plus in the backcourt by 6-5 guard Langford (12.7) and PG Winston (12.1 & 7.1 APG). That said, Izzo has been quick to sit his starters when they've been in early foul trouble this season and the Spartans' depth has been instrumental in rewarding him to stick with that strategy. With freshman Jaren Jackson Jr. having a hard time with fouls against Purdue, senior forward Gavin Schilling showed why the Michigan State bench is considered one of the best in the country, not only for his 3-for-3 shooting but more for his seven rebounds and defense of Boilermakers center Isaac Haas down the stretch. The defense of Schilling, Tum Tum Nairn and Matt McQuaid off the bench gives the Spartans another dimension when Izzo goes to his reserves, and all have shown the ability to come through on both ends of the floor in crunch time. This unit is one of Izzo's best-ever offensive teams, averaging 83.1 PPG (25th) on 51.6% shooting (2nd)..

Minnesota: Injuries have been devastating to the Golden Gophers this season, as Amir Coffey (14.0 & 5.1) and Dupree McBrayer (9.5) are currently out. Then there is the indefinite suspension of center Reggie Lynch (10.1 & 8.1), with the Gophers going 1-10 in the games he's missed. Pitino has been to go with freshman guard Isaiah Washington, 6-8 senior Davonte Fitzgerald and 6-7 sophomore Michael Hurt in the starting lineup, with that trio averaging only 14.6 points combined. Forward Jordan Murphy (17.4 & 11.6) has been the most consistent player for Minnesota, while guard Nate Mason is also dangerous, averaging 16.5-3.9-4.2.

The pick: Michigan State is on a roll but reaching No. 1 (at least in the Coaches' poll), could set-up a letdown situation, especially with the Spartans coming off their hard fought win over Purdue over the weekend. The home dog barks in this one. Make Minnesota 10* play.

The set-up: The 33-12-9 Nashville Predators are in first-place in the Central Division (75 points) and tonight will host their Central Division rival for the first time this season when they open a four-game homestand on Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues. The 34-21-3 Blues (71 points) are inside the current playoff cut line in third-place in the division. Not only are the Predators two points clear of the second-place Jets and four ahead of the Blues, they also have played two fewer games than Winnipeg and four less than St. Louis, they also have a game in hand on Vegas, which is a point ahead of them for the conference's best record.

St. Louis: The Blues appeared to take a 2-1 lead early in the third period in their last game but Paul Stastny's tip-in was overturned by the Situation Room when they ruled he played it with a high stick. The Penguins scored 34 seconds later and never looked back in a 4-1 win. "It wasn't our worst game we played," Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo said. "I thought we battled hard. It's 1-1 until obviously the third and a couple of mistakes. You've got to find a way to win a hockey game. But if you look at the overall effort, it was there." St. Louis out-shot Pittsburgh 34-23 but appeared to wear down in the third period as it played its third game in four days. The Blues held an optional practice Monday that most of their top players skipped. Jake Allen (19-16-2, 2.74 goals-against average, .908 save percentage) is the No. 1 goalie or former Nashville backup Carter Hutton could draw the start in goal against his former team, after making 23 saves in a 6-1 rout of Colorado on Thursday. He owns a sparkling 15-5-1 mark with a 1.70 goals-against average and .944 save percentage this season, although he was saddled with the hard-luck loss despite turning aside 26 of 27 shots in a 2-0 setback versus Nashville on Nov. 24.

Nashviile: Mike Fisher skated on a line with Colton Sissons and Miikka Salomaki on Monday in his first practice session since he announced he was coming out of retirement on Jan. 31. "I think like anything else, it's a little bit of muscle memory and getting back in shape and feeling good," the 37-year-old Fisher said. "It just takes time. Because it's been so long in the past however many months, I actually feel better than I thought I would at this point." Fellow veteran Scott Hartnell followed up his two-assist performance at Ottawa on Thursday with eighth goal, moving him within one point of 700 for his career. Goaltender Pekka Rinne silenced the St. Louis Blues earlier this season by recording a pair of victories after turning aside 63 of the 64 shots he faced. Rinne aims to keep the Blues under his thumb as the first-place Predators. Rinne (28-8-4, 2.30, .927) has ceded just one goal to the Blues in 2-0 and 2-1 victories during the 2017 portion of the season and in Nashville's 4-2 series victory over St. Louis last year, Rinne permitted only 11 goals.

The pick: Hard to buck the Preds right now and the fact that the St. Louis owns the 28th-ranked power play at 15.9 percent (has mustered just one goal this month), hardly inspires confidence for the road team. A visit to Bridgestone Arena. will be a real test, as the Preds come in having gone 10-1-3 in their last 14 games overall and are 18-5-3 at home where they average 3.35 GPG. Make Nashville an 8* play. .

analysis soon

The set-up: Texas A&M posted two wins over ranked opponents last week, winning at Auburn (81-80) and then beat Kentucky, 85-74. The Aggies are now 17-8 (6-6 SEC) and are ranked 21st in Monday's latest AP poll. The Missouri Tigers survived a wild one against visiting Mississippi State on Saturday, registering an 89-85 overtime win after letting a double-digit lead slip away in the final two minutes of regulation. The Tigers’ four-game streak is their longest in conference play since reeling off seven straight Big 12 wins during the 2011-12 season. The run has 17-8 Missouri tied for fourth in the SEC standings (7-5), one game ahead of the Aggies.

Texas A&M: The Aggies own one of the SEC’s top frontcourts with the 6-10 Tyler Davis (14.3 & 8.8) and 6-10 Robert Williams (10.8 & 9.6) dominating inside, while 6-9 swingman D.J. Hogg (11.7 & 5.5) creates matchup problems on the wing. Guard Admon Gilder (11.8 & 4.2) is a solid scorer and an excellent defender but the Aggies will be without PG Duane Wilson (9.0 & 4.0 APG) for the remainder of the season, after he aggravated a nagging knee injury in the win over Kentucky. However, reigning SEC Freshman of the Week T.J. Starks (7.9) has averaged 15.2 points in five games since assuming Wilson’s starting role.

Missouri: Guard Kassius Robertson (16.6 PPG) has emerged as the Tigers’ clear leader and the graduate transfer from Canisius has earned SEC Player of the Week honors in consecutive weeks. Robertson poured in a season-high 27 points at Ole Miss on Tuesday and followed up with 22 against Mississippi State. However, the 6-7 Jordan Barnett (13.6 points, six rebounds) is the team’s only other double-digit scorer. That said,6-7 senior Kevin Puryear (9.2) plus a pair of 6-11 freshman, Jontay Porter (8.8 & 6.5) and Jeremiah Tilmon (8.1 & 4.0), give the Tigers a deep and talented frontcourt.

The pick: Missouri has recorded nine more victories than it had all last season, the third-largest improvement in the nation behind North Carolina A&T (12) and UC Santa Barbara (13). However, A&M will be a severe test. After a month and a half absence from the AP top-25, Texas A&M jumped back into the rankings this week at No. 21 on the strength of a four-game win streak. The fact is, the Tigers will be seeking to snap a seven-game Texas A&M winning streak in the series and to avenge a 60-49 loss to the Aggies in College Station on Jan. 20. Not happening. Make Texas A&M an 8* play.

The set-up:The 23-23-6 Florida Panthers have just 52 poitst (nine points behind the final wild card spot in the East) and have four teams between them and that eighth playoff berth with 30 games remaining. Simply put, the team has a tall task ahead of them if it hopes to qualify for the postseason. The Panthers will open a five-game trip through Canada beginning with this stop in Edmonton to take on the 23-27-4 Oilers. Edmonton is making a brief stop at home following an 0-3-0 California trip and heads back out for another three-game trek after Monday's matchup. The Oilers have just points 50 points and are further back in the West's playoff standings (16 points behind the eighth-place team) than the Panthers are in the East.

Florida: The Panthers' four-game winning streak was snapped with a 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Friday and they head out on the road just 10-14-3 away from home this season. Jonathan Huberdeau leads the team with 51 points plus along with Vincent Trocheck and Aleksander Barkov, shares the team lead of 18 goals. James Reimer could get the start in net against Edmonton after dressing on Friday for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury on Jan. 23 versus Dallas. Florida has engaged in a league-leading 31 fights this season, its highest total since 2011-12, with Micheal Haley dropping the gloves an NHL-most 14 times.

Edmonton: Connor McDavid failed to notch a point in Saturday's 6-4 setback in San Jose after collecting seven goals and four assists during a five-game streak. McDavid, who tops the club in both goals (22) and points (64), has not been blanked in consecutive contests since a season-high three-game stretch from Dec. 29-Jan. 2. He is the reigning Hart and Art Ross Trophy winner and has registered eight goals and 11 assists over his last 14 contests. The Oilers came within a game of the conference finals last season but have already surpassed their loss total from 2016-17 and are 13th in the West. With only 28 games to play in the regular season, it may be too late.

The pick: Both teams are headed for an "early summer" but Edmonton has won three straight from Florida and will likely turn to goaltender Cam Talbot to extend that streak. Talbot sat out Saturday while Al Montoya stopped 24 of 29 shots but would be going for his fourth consecutive win over the Panthers. Talbot is 4-1-0 with a 2.18 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage in his career against Florida. Meanwhile, F lorida is dealing with groin injuries to goaltenders Roberto Luongo and James Reimer. Luongo has been out since Dec. 4, but recently resumed skating with the team. Reimer has been sidelined since Jan. 23 and could make his return during the trip. Make the Oilers a 10* play.

The set-up: The 18-37 Orlando Magic used a three-game winning streak to climb out of the Eastern Conference basement but saw that mini-streak end in Saturday's 111-104 home loss to the Bucks. The Magic will try to get back on the winning track Monday night in Chicago, when they face the 19-36 Bulls. Chicago ended a seven-game slide with a 114-113 home win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday but could not make it two in a row, as the Bulls fell 101-90 at home to the Washington Wizards on the second night of a back-to-back.

Orlando: The Magic began sharing the ball more during the winning streak and handed out another 23 assists in Saturday's loss, something that coach Frank Vogel sees as a positive development. "This is what my teams should look like and this is what I demand of them," Vogel told reporters. The Magic hope to move forward with PF Gordon (18. & 8.3), SF Fournier (17.9) and center Vucevic (17.4 & 9.7). However, Gordon (hip flexor) has sat out the last seven games and is questionable to return before the All-Star break and Vucevic hasn't played since right before Christmas (hand). Shooting guard Mario Hezonja (8.2) scored a team-high 23 points on Saturday but impressed Vogel more with his work on the defensive end, where he collected three steals and did not shy away from physicality. However, Hezonja's big night couldn't quite make up for an off night from small forward Jonathan Simmons (14.0), who scored nine points on 4-of-14 shooting to end a string of six straight games scoring in double figures.

Chicago: Guard Zach LaVine (17.2 & 4.5) had played in 12 straight games after returning from knee surgery and recorded season highs of 35 points and 33 minutes on Friday but got the night off against the Wizards but is expected back on Monday. Power forward Bobby Portis (12.2 & 6.5) scored 13 points in 23 minutes off the bench on Saturday but was ejected with under three minutes left after being assessed a flagrant foul 2 against Washington's Satoransky. Most should remember that Portis was suspended by the team at the start of the regular season after punching former teammate Nikola Mirotic in the face. He told reporters, "That's what that was. No injuries intended on Satoransky, just competing (and) playing hard like I always do." 7-0 rookie Markkanen (15.2 & 7.7) continues his quest towards ROY consideration.

The pick: Chicago has taken the first two meetings this season by an average of 20 points, 105-83 and 112-94. Chicago’s "salad days" of December and January are now in the rear-view mirror (right are Mirotic's return but he is now with New Orleans) and despite injuries to Gordon and Vucevic, the Magic are on an 11-3 ATS run. Neither team plays much defense these days, as Orlando allows 109.9 PPG and Chicago 109.1. Make the Over an 8* play.

The set-up: The Los Angeles Clippers won their "trade-revenge" game at Detroit on Friday in Detroit (emotional win over former teammate Blake Griffin) but then tired down the stretch on Saturday in the second night of a back-to-back. LA's three-game winning streak ended with a 112-98 loss at the Philadelphia 76ers, after the Clippers had pulled within 95-93 in the fourth quarter. Los Angeles (28-26) currently sits one-half game behind New Orleans. The Clippers remain slightly out of eighth place because while New Orleans overcame blowing a 28-point lead to get a 139-129 double-overtime win at Brooklyn Saturday, they lost at Philadelphia on Saturday. As for those Nets, the losses are starting to pile up for Brooklyn. Since earning a 116-108 home win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Jan. 31, the Nets have gone winless with losses to the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons and Saturday's wild loss to the Pelicans. At 19-38, teh Nets are only one game up on the Eastern Conference-worst Atlanta Hawks.

LA Clippers: Tobias Harris (18.0 & 6.3) and Avery Bradley (8.5 & 5,3 plus excellent perimeter defense) are providing a spark to their new team (over four games) but the return of small forward Danilo Gallinari is another key reason the team is staying in the playoff hunt despite trading Griffin. Gallinari (15.8 & 4.8) played in just two games between Nov. 5 and Jan. 28 while dealing with a glute tear but isn't having any trouble adjusting in five games since returning to the lineup. He is averaging 21 points on 52.2 percent shooting (43.3 percent from beyond the arc) and proved himself in game shape by scoring 22 points while logging 40 minutes on Saturday. Let's also not forget center DeAndre Jordan (11.3 & 15.0), who is averaging 17.5 rebounds over the last six games (including 21 at Philadelphia) or teh career season Low Williams is having (23.3 & 5.3 APG).

Brooklyn: The Nets are losers of five in a row and nine of 10, after Saturday's double overtime home loss. Brooklyn was down 28 points to the Pelicans on Saturday before coming back to force overtime. "It's just too many times that we've gotten in a big hole," Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson told reporters. "I loved the comeback, I loved our spirit in the second half, how competitive we are. I'm just mystified how the first half was completely different. We've talked about this before. You just can't get in a hole down 28 against a very good team." The Nets have played 15 games where they faced a deficit of at least 20 points this season. Five of those instances have occurred in this 10-game stretch. In those five games where the Nets have fallen behind by 20 or more, they have been outscored by a 163-92 margin in the first quarter. Saturday was another instance as the Nets were outscored 34-22 in the opening 12 minutes, trailed by 28 before making a furious comeback. Brooklyn is allowing 112.7 points during its five-game losing streak on 49.0 percent shooting and 41.3 percent from three-point range

The pick: It seems clear that LA owner Steve Ballmer isn’t in all-out tank mode just yet. He didn't move DeAndre Jordan and gave a nice contract extension to Lou Williams. Yes, the Nets are going nowhere but LA is just 12-14 SU on the road (not good news when being installed as a road favorite) plus the Nets are 15-13 ATS at home and since right after Christmas, are 14-9 (61%) ATS in all games. Home dog barks here. Make Brooklyn a 10* play.

The set-up: It's hardly been a "walk in the park" for the North Carolina Tar Heels, the defending national champs. The 21st-ranked Tar Heels (19-7 / 8-5 ACC) will play their third game in five days, after knocking off No. 9 Duke on Thursday and following that up with a furious 96-89 triumph at North Carolina State on Saturday. North Carolina will try to complete the trifecta when Notre Dame visits the Smith Center on Monday night. 15-10 Notre Dame (5-7 ACC) has rebounded from a seven-game losing streak with back-to-back home wins over Boston College and Florida State.

Notre Dame: The return of senior PG Matt Farrell from an ankle injury for the past three games has been a big boost for the Fighting Irish. Farrell poured in a career-best 28 points Saturday and enters averaging a team-high 16.5 PPG (as well as a team high 5.2 APG), with preseason All-American Bonzie Colson (21.4 & 10.4) still sidelined (missed last 11 games). Junior guard Rex Pflueger (9.1-4.3-3.2) and also had a career-high total with 19. Senior guard Gibbs (16.3) also added 19 points in the win over FSU. Farrell is averaging 21 points and has drained 15-of-31 from three-point range in three games since a stretch in which he missed five of seven contests with an ankle injury. “We take our lead from (Farrell) - he’s been the warrior for us,” Irish head coach Mike Brey told reporters after his team shot almost 50 percent from the floor against Florida State and drained 10 shots from behind the arc. Sophomore guard T.J. Gibbs has also played a big role for Notre Dame while averaging 21.3 points over the last six contests.

North Carolina: The 6-8 Maye (18.7 & 10.5) leads in scoring and rebounding, with a trio of guards chipping in double figures. Berry (17.4-3.6-3.1) tops that trio, followed by Johnson (13.1 & 4.8) and Williams (11.5). The Tar Heels shot 78.1 percent from the floor in the second half Saturday at North Carolina State, marking the highest rate in a half with Williams as the coach. Maye had quite a bit to do with it by racking up a career-high 33 points (27 in the second half) and adding 17 rebounds. Maye is averaging 24.7 points over the last three games, after scoring a season-low four against Clemson. Senior swingman Theo Pinson (8.7-6.0-4.5) told reporters after Maye’s effort Saturday: “I mean, that was a performance.” Pinson also came through in Saturday’s win with 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting with seven assists after connecting on 3-of-13 from the field in his previous three outings. Berry has averaged 19 points over the last four games.

The pick: This is North Carolina's third game in five days, a grueling stretch that has included victories against two huge neighboring rivals. "Got to be ready," coach Roy Williams said, figuring there was no use bemoaning the assigned schedule. However, it's difficult to ignore that this is the first time North Carolina has had three ACC regular-season games scheduled in a five-day period since 1980 (note: the Tar Heels are the only ACC team with such a setup on the schedule this season). My bet says that the Irish give the Tar Heels "all they want" in this brutal scheduling spot for the defending champs. Make Notre Dame a 10* play.

The set-up: The 27-19-10 Anaheim Ducks conclude a two-game homestand when they face the 29-18-8 San Jose Sharks on Sunday evening at Honda Center. Anaheim defeated the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 on Friday night. The Ducks are playing well of late and are in the thick of races for a wild-card spot in the Western Conference or second-place in the Pacific, winning two straight and four of their last five. Anaheim's 65 points have them currently in third-place in the Pacific, one point behind tonight's opponent, San Jose. The Sharks are coming off a 6-4 win over the Oilers on Saturday but have struggled some lately, going 3-4-2 over their last nine games.

San Jose: The Sharks scored the first three and final three goals in Saturday's win, with 10 of their 12 forwards landing on the scoresheet Saturday. Captain Joe Pavelski (14 goals & 28 points recorded his second straight two-goal performance and added a pair of assists, while defenseman Joakim Ryan also scored twice, his first two career goals! Defensemen Brent Burns leads the etam with 47 points (but has been kept off the scoresheet in four of his last six games) and center Logan Couture leads with 22 goals. Some bad news is that veteran Joel Ward is out indefinitely with a right shoulder injury he suffered in Thursday's home loss to Vegas but hopes to return this season.

Anaheim: Hampus Lindholm registered a goal and an assist against Edmonton, ending his six-game point drought. Corey Perry (his 32 points are third-best on the team is riding a four-game point streak that has seen him score a goal in three of the contests and record a four-assist performance in the other.Rakell leads the team in goals (22) and points (45), while Getzlaf is making up for lost time, registering 35 points in his 32 games since getting back on the ice.

The pick: This trip to Anaheim is the lone road contest in an 11-day stretch for San Jose, one which began Thursday and features five home games. The Sharks will return home after the game and play three straight at SAP Center. The Ducks have been superb at home of late, winning seven of their last eight contests at Honda Center and tonight, Anaheim will look to avenge its only loss in that stretch, a 6-2 Jan. 21 loss to these very same Sharks. Goalie John Gibson stopped 30-of-32 shots for his sixth win in his last seven decisions (6-1-0) Friday vs. the Oilers and will take the ice tonight 7-2-1 in his last 11 home games. A win here and the Ducks leap-frog the Sharks in the standings. That's the bet. Make Anaheim an 8* play.

The set-up: No. 6 Cincinnati has won 15 straight, opening 11-0 in the AAC and standing at 22-2, overall. With just seven games to go in league play, Cincinnati is well on its way to winning its first outright AAC regular season championship (the Bearcats, who shared the 2014 crown with Louisville), as Cincy's two closest challengers are 9-3 Wichita State and 8-3 Hosuton. Sunday, it's a road game at injury-ravaged SMU, which is 15-9 overall, including 5-6 in the AAC. The Mustangs are down to seven available scholarship players with junior guard Jarrey Foster (knee), who is second in scoring (13.2 points per game), and freshman forward Everett Ray (foot) both sidelined with season-ending injuries. Junior guard Shake Milton, the preseason AAC player of the year who is averaging 18.0-4.7-4.4 this season, is questionable with a left-hand injury that has forced him to miss the last two games.

Cincinnati: After this game, the Bearcats will play the two teams right behind them, at Houston and home vs. Wichita State, next Thursday and Sunday. Few teams play better defense nationally year-in and year-out than the Bearcats who rank second in scoring defense (56.1 PPG) and first field-goal percentage defense (36.3%) here in the 2017-18 season. They have held three of their last five opponents to 48 points or fewer. With that kind of D, the team's 76.8 PPG on offense is more than enough. Four players average in double figures, led by junior swingman Jacob Evans (13.7), who is shooting 41.1 percent from 3-point range, and 6-8 senior forward Gary Clark (12.9), who also leads the team in rebounding (8.9). Versatile senior forward Kyle Washington (11.3 & 5.5) and reigning AAC co-Sixth Man of the Year Jarron Cumberland (10.7), round out the players in double figures.

SMU: Milton is one of 13 players nationally averaging 18 points, four rebounds and four assists per games, so his loss would be a big one for the Mustangs. "It really is day-to-day, but it could be a week and a half," head coach Tim Jankovich told 247Sports.com. "He's slowly getting better, but I don't know when it's going to be good, where he's good to play and be effective." With Milton and Foster out, junior guard Jahmal McMurray, who is third in scoring (12.1) and shooting 43.2 percent from three-point range, has stepped up to average 19.7 points over the last three games while three other Mustangs, guard Ben Emelogu II (10.7 & 5.0), the 6-9 Ethan Chargois (10.3 & 4.7) and guard Jimmy Whitt (10.3 & 5.2), average in double figures.

The pick: "No matter if Shake Milton plays or not, they've still been an unbelievable home team in the last four or five years," Bearcats head coach Mick Cronin told Cincinnati.com. "We've got to be ready to take their best shot, ready for a hostile environment." He knows of what he speaks. SMU is 13-1 at Moody Coliseum this season and 81-5 there since the 2013-14 season. Note that Cincy comes into this contest a fairly modest 12-8-1 ATS. We've already seen Purdue's 19-game win streak end this week with TWO straight losses, then St Mary's 19-game winning streak ended abruptly last night in a 78-65 home loss to Gonzaga while earlier on Saturday, Virginia's 15-game winning streak came to an end with a one-point OT loss to Va. Tech. Is Cincy's 15-game streak next? I say make SMU a 10* play.

The set-up: Blake Griffin scored 19 points in Friday’s 108-95 home defeat against the Los Angeles Clippers, ending Detroit’s five-game winning streak, the final four of those victories coming after the Pistons had acquired Griffin from Los Angeles in a six-player deal Jan. 29. “I didn’t play the way I wanted to,” Griffin told reporters after shooting 7-for-19 from the floor and then leaving the court at game’s end without shaking hands with any of his former teammates. “We had a good five-game run and we get back to work tomorrow.” Detroit's and Griffin's "work" begins with a visit to the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday afternoon. While the 27-27 Pistons enter Sunday just 1 1/2 games out of the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot, the 17-39 Hawks own the NBA’s worst record. Think it's safe to say that Atlanta's run of 10 consecutive playoff appearances (second-longest active NBA streak to only the Spurs) will end in this season?

Detroit: Griffin has averaged 21 points and 7.8 rebounds since joining Detroit and his line for the season is an imprerssive22.4-7.9-5.5. Center Andre Drummond leads the NBA in rebounding at 15.6 per contest (adds 15.0 PPG) and has raised his production of late, averaging 18.1 points with 18.4 rebounds over his past nine games. The Pistons have forced 10 or more turnovers in 53 of their 54 games, including 41 consecutive contests, which is the longest streak in the NBA this season. The Pistons are also on pace to make 877 three-pointers this season, which would surpass the franchise record of 740 set in 2015-16.

Atlanta: The Hawks pushed the Cavs for 2 1/2 quarters Friday at home before succumbing 123-107, falling to 3-7 in their past 10 games. PG Dennis Schroder leads the team in scoring (19.5) and assists (6.3) but behind him, the wealth is spread around, as six players contribute between 9.8 and 13.0 PPG (note: Marco Belinelli, who has averaged 11.4 points and shot 92.7 percent from the free-throw line in 52 games, agreed to a contract buyout Friday). Tyler Dorsey (a rookie from Oregon), continues producing as his role expands. He is averaging only 4.7 PPG on the season but he's scored in double figures for three consecutive games for the first time in his career, averaging 11.7 points and 3.7 assists in that span. The Hawks are tied for first in the NBA in forcing turnovers, as opponents average 15.3 miscues per contest, but that hasn't translated into very many wins.

The pick: The Pistons are 9-16 away from Detroit and have won just one of their past nine road games. However, Griffin is expected to change that dynamic. Playing at Atlanta is hardly a daunting task this season, as the Hawks are just 12-17 SU at home. Atlanta was 11-1 at Philips Arena against Detroit over a seven-season stretch before the teams split two games in Atlanta each of the past two years. The Pistons have had a day to shake off that "trade-revenge" loss against the Clippers and they have won four of the last five against the Hawks, including the first two games of the season series against this year (111-104 & 105-91). They have gotten 14 points and 19.5 rebounds per game from Drummond in those two wins and now the Pistons have added Griffin. Make Detroit a 10* play.

The set-up: The 13th-ranked Arizona Wildcats are 19-6, including 9-3 in Pac 12 play to lead the conference. They welcome USC to the McKale Center Saturday night, with the Trojans coming in 17-8 overall and 8-4 in league play (USC is tied with UCLA for second-place). Washington ended the Wildcats’ seven-game winning streak with a buzzer-beating victory last Saturday and then Arizona had few answers for UCLA's offense in Thursday’s 82-74 loss (that's two losses in a row!). While UCLA was taking care of Arizona on Thursday, USC missed an opportunity to move into a first-place tie with an 80-78 loss at Arizona State.

USC: The Trojans have four players averaging in double figures, led by the 6-11 Chimezie Metu at 15.7 PPG. He adds a team-high 7.4 RPG and has 41 blocks. The 6-10 Bennie Boatwright (14.6 & 6.5) had been limited by a foot infection over the past two weeks but scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench against the Sun Devils. The team’s strong interior also includes the 6-11 Nick Rakocevic (7.8 & 5.3), who has averaged 16.5 points on 76.4 percent shooting over his last two games. Guards McLaughlin (12.1 & 7.6 APG) and Stewart (11.1) round out the double digit scorers with fellow guard Mathews (9.4) just missing.

Arizona; Junior guard Allonzo Trier had 17 points against the Bruins, while 7-1 freshman Deandre Ayton added 16 points and 12 rebounds. Trier leads in scoring a 19.8 PPG and Ayton is second (19.5), while leading in rebounding at 10.8. Guard Rawle Alkins (13.2) is considered the glue of the Wildcats but the sophomore has gone 4-of-20 from the floor in his last two games, including 1-of-8 from three-point range.

The pick: After back-to-back losses, I expect Arizona to rebound strongly in this one. USC's two-point loss at Arizona State should come as no surprise, as the Trojans have been swept in their last five trips to face the Arizona schools (note: Arizona is 39-10 all-time in Tucson against USC). Make that their last six trips. Lay the points and make Arizona an 8* play.

The set-up: Right after it was announced that PG John Wall (19.4 & 9.3 APG) would be out until around mid-March after knee surgery, the Washington Wizards won five consecutive games. However, the Wizards come into Saturday's contest in Chicago having dropped back-to-back games against the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston. Washington hasn't dropped three straight games all season and the 31-24 Wizards look to avoid doing just that tonight against the 19-35 Chicago Bulls. The Bulls just halted a seven-game losing streak last night, when they prevailed 114-113 over the Minnesota Timberwolves in former star Jimmy Butler's return to Chicago. Bulls guard Zach LaVine, acquired in the deal for Butler, scored a season-high 35 points and drained three free throws with 18.4 seconds left to give Chicago the victory.

Washington: Shooting guard Bradley Beal (23.7-4.5-4.1) is stepping up as a passer in Wall's absence and matched his career best of nine assists in Thursday's 110-104 overtime loss to Boston. Obviously, with Wall sidelined, the pressure is higher on Beal to produce and offensively he was a poor 7-of-27 from the floor (18 points) against Boston. Washington sure hopes forward Markieff Morris (10.8 & 5.6) can play with his sprained hand. He missed Friday's practice and his availability should be firmed up at the mid-day shootaround.

Chicago: LaVine missed the first 42 games of the season due to an ACL injury that cut short his final season in Minnesota after 47 games. He has topped 20 points in four straight games and is averaging 26.5 points during the stretch. Chicago has pledged to tread carefully with a player who the franchise is billing as a future star so coach Fred Hoiberg said after Friday's win that LaVine (17.2 PPG in 12 games) will be held out against the Wizards. That will leave the backcourt thin with PG Kris Dunn (13.7-4.6-6.4) set to miss his 10th straight game due to a concussion Rookie power forward Lauri Markkanen returned after a three-game absence due to the birth of his child to score 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting against Minnesota. Markkanen (15.3 & 7.7) has been among the best 'freshman' this NBA season.

The pick: With Washington missing Wall and Chicago LaVine (as well as Dunn), one may say under. However, note that the Wizards are 5-2 in favor of the over since Wall was sidelined, averaging 112.1 PPG and not being held under 100 points in any game. Meanwhile, the Bulls haven't held any of their last eight opponents under 100 points, while allowing an average of 114.9 PPG in that span. Make the Over an 8* play.

The set-up: The Boston Bruins have won four straight and nine of their last 10 games. They are now 33-11-8 (74), as they inch closer to both first place in the Atlantic Division and the best overall record in the league (Lightning lead the Atlantic, as well as the NHL with 77 points). The Bruins welcome the Eastern Conference-worst Buffalo Sabres (15-29-10, just 40 points) to the TD Garden on Saturday night. Buffalo snapped a four-game skid with a 4-3 win over the New York Islanders in the finale of a five-game homestand and have actually split its two matchups with Boston this season

Buffalo: Jack Eichel (22 goals & 53 points) scored one goal and set up another for the second straight game and has collected 18 points over his last 13 contests. Linemate Sam Reinhart (11 goals & 26 points) is also on a roll, capping a three-point night with the game-winning goal against the Islanders to give him four tallies and nine assists over the past 10 games. Goalie Robin Lehner has played both games against Boston this season and is expected to be in net for a fifth consecutive game, here. He is just 12-20-7 on the year and is only 4-11-3 (2.71 GAA & .922 SP) lifetime against Boston,

Boston: "We’re trying to win every game that’s on the schedule in front of us,” head coach Bruce Cassidy said. “If we catch (Tampa Bay) then great, and if they play great then that’s the way it goes. Tuukka Rask got a night off as teh Bruins drille dteh Rangers 6-1 last Wednesday but will put his 21-start point streak on the line (19-0-2 with a 1.61 goals-against average and .941 save percentage), as he hasn't lost in regulation since Nov. 26. Patrice Bergeron (21 goals & 51 points scored twice against the Rangers to give him eight goals in his last nine games and 13 in 15 games since the start of the new year. Brad Marchand returned from a five-game suspension to collect an assist and run his point streak to six games. Defensemen Zdeno Chara is second in the NHL with a plus-29 while teammates Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand were tied for third at plus-26.

The pick: Expecting Buffalo to too many past Rusk is a lot to ask (see above) but the Bruins are averaging 3.27 GPG (4th) on the season and Buffalo allows 3.36 GPG on the road. The last time Buffalo came to Boston, the Sabres won 5-4 in OT. Make the Over an 8* play.

The set-up: The No. 15 Tennessee Volunteers are 18-5 (8-3 SEC) on the season and will head to Tuscaloosa on a six-game winning streak to take on the 15-9 Alabama Crimson Tide (6-5 SEC). Tuesday's 61-59 win at Kentucky vaulted the Vols into second-place in the SEC, while the Crimson Tide are badly in need of a confidence boost after dropping three of their past five contests, the latest a 67-63 setback Tuesday at Mississippi State (Alabama is in a four-way tie for 4th, meaning a loss or two would see them drop dramatically).

Tennessee: Lamonte Turner continues to make the most of his minutes off the bench, as he made the go-ahead three-pointer Tuesday at Kentucky. He finished with a game-high 16 points and despite not having started a single game, is the team’s third-leading scorer at 11.4 PPG. 6-7 sophomore forward Grant Williams leads Tennessee in scoring at 15.9 PPG (also adds 6.1 RPG) and 6-5 small forwards adds 12.5 PPG plus a team-high 6.3 RPG.

Alabama: Freshman guard Collin Sexton enters the weekend third in the SEC in scoring at 18.6 PPG. Three others join him in double digits, 6-9 forward Hall (10.8 & 7.) plus giards Petty (10.7) and Ingram (10.3 & 6.0). Defense has kept Alabama in the SEC hunt, as the the Crimson Tide have allowed 65.7 points PPG while holding opponents to 39.8 percent shooting from the floor in league games (No. 1 in the conference in both categories).

The pick: Speaking of defense, Tennessee has allowed just 58.5 PPG during its five-game SEC winning streak (last six opponents overall, have all been held to 63 points or fewer). For the season, the Volunteers are averaging 77.0 PPG, the school’s highest mark since scoring 78.4 points per game in 2008-09. That's a sweet combo for Rick Barnes' team. The Vols are for real and put Alabama in its place in this one. Make Tennessee an 8* play.

The set-up: No. 25 Miami is 18-5 on the season (7-4 in ACC) and heads to Boston College having won three straight ACC victories for the first time all season, after an 87-81 triumph over Wake Forest on Wednesday. Making its recent surge more impressive is that Miami's Bruce Brown Jr. (11.4 & 4.0 APG) has missed the last three games due to foot surgery. Boston College (14-10 / 4-7 ACC) has lost four of its last five.

Miami: The Hurricanes have rallied around the injury to Brown, with different players stepping up each night to fill the void, as Brown is the team's third-leading scorer, its top assist man and its best defender. The 6-11 Huell (12.8 & 6.9) and freshman guard Walker (11.5) are Miami's only other double digit scorers but four others contribute between 8.0 and 9.5 PPG. Case is point, the Hurricanes had five or more players score at least 10 points for the sixth time this season against Wake Forest. Senior guard Newton (8.6) finally seems to be rounding into form with 16 points, his second straight double-digit scoring game.

Boston College: The Eagles' 96-85 Wednesday loss to Notre Dame pushed them further away from the NCAA Tournament picture, although guard Jerome Robinson 20.1-3.6-3.3() had a performance to remember with 46 points. It was the highest total by an ACC player since another Eagle, Tyrese Rice, matched that total on March 1, 2008. The Eagles have featured the same starting lineup for all 11 of their ACC games and Robinson has been a monster as the top scoring guard (25.2 in ACC action) in the conference, scoring in double figures in 21 straight games, with 20 or more points 11 times following his 46-point explosion. Sophomore guard Ky Bowman (16.6-7.0-5.0) and fellow guard Chatman (13.1) are the only others joining Robinson in double digits, after senior forward Hawkins (12.4 & 9.1) was lost for the season after just eight games.

The pick: Boston College's four ACC wins are two more than it recorded last season and four more than the winless year before that. BC owns a one-game advantage over Miami overall in the all-time series (24-23) but that hardly seems relevant considering the Hurricanes have won the last 12 meetings! Miami did not commit a turnover in the final 15:20 of its win over Wake Forest and it's that kind of play that will "win the day" in this contest. Make Miami a 10* play.

The set-up: The 14-10 Marquette Golden Eagles have lost six of their last nine games and visit Carnesecca Arena in Queens at just 5-7 in Big East play. The host St. John's Red Storm are looking to get back to .500 with a win, as they are 12-13 overall and a pathetic 1-11 in the Big East. However, that lone conference win came just this past Wednesday when the Red Storm shocked No. 1 Villanova 79-75, as a 16 1/2-point dog. That major upset came just four days after the Red Storm upset then-No. 4 Duke (at plus-10.5) last Saturday, 81-77. As Vince Lombardi famously once said, "What the hell is going on out there?"

Marquette: The Golden Eagles are a high-scoring squad averaging 81.9 PPG (33rd) on 47.2 percent shooting (56th) but the team allows 77.8 PPG (302nd) on 47.5% shooting (317th). A trio of guards are the core of Marquette's team, Markus Howard (22.0), Andrew Rowsey (18.8 & 4.2 APG) and Sam Hauser (14.1 & 5.9). Marquette had dropped four in a row before knocking off Seton Hall 88-85 on the road this past Wednesday. The Pirates will play four of their remaining six regular-season games on the road. "We have a group that really wants to win," Marquette head coach Steve Wojciechowski told reporters. "What we're trying to learn and develop is doing what it takes to win. And that's all of us together. I thought (against Seton Hall) we did the things that it took to win a game against an outstanding team on their home floor."

St. John's: There are not many schools in the nation who are 1-11 in conference play and have as much talent as the Red Storm. Before back-to-back major upsets of Duke and Villanova, the Red Storm took now-No. 5 Xavier right to the wire in a 73-68 loss. After that game, Xavier head coach Chris Mack told reporters. "That might be the best 0-11 team I've ever seen anywhere in a conference. Period." As noted, St. John's had dropped 11 straight games to open Big East play before stepping out of conference last Saturday and stunning Duke. The Red Storm then proved that was no fluke four days later, when they came back into conference play with a trip to No. 1 Villanova and came away with a second straight four-point win. St John's doesn't score like Marquette (72.9 PPG) but also allows a six-plus PPG fewer (71.3 per). Despite losing guard LoVett (14.9) after just seven games, the Red Storm still own a perimeter group to match up with the Golden Eagles. The trio of Ponds (20.5-5.2-4.7), Simon (11.2-7.3-5.0) and Ahmed (11.8 & 4.6) is quite formidable. Just ask Duke and 'Nova.

The pick: St. John's is better than its record but off wins over Duke and Villanova, I just can't play them here. After all, before winning last Saturday against Duke in Madison Square Garden (considered a home game for the Red Storm), St John's had lost six consecutive home contests. Make Marquette an 8* play.

The set-up: The Boston Celtics held onto the top spot in the Eastern Conference with an overtime win in Washington on Thursday and return home tonight to begin a three-game homestand leading up to the All-Star break.The 40-16 Celtics lead the Raptors by only one game but while they lead the Cavs by 7 1/2, almost all agree that the moves Cleveland made on Thursday will rejuvenate LBJ and make the Cavs a feared opponent for either Boston or Toronto. The first team up for Boston in its three-game hoemstand will be the 30-25 Indiana Pacers, who lost 111-102 to the Wizards at home on Monday and then they were given some extra rest when Wednesday's visit to New Orleans resulted in a postponement due to a leaky roof at the Smoothie King Center.

Indiana: Due to the postponement and the upcoming All-Star break, Indiana will play a total of just four games in 17 days. The Pacers chose to sit out Thursday's trade deadline and will move forward built around All-Star guard Victor Oladipo (24.0-5.2-4.1), who missed Monday's loss to Washington due to an illness. Bojan Bogdanovich (13.6) did his best to fill the void with a season-high 29 points while making five three-pointers, and backup Joe Young (3.7) matched him from beyond the arc en route to 17 points, his second-best output this season. Indiana remains without starting point PG Darren Collison (12.8 & 5.3 APG) , who is suffering with a knee injury.

Boston: Kyrie Irving made three free throws in the closing seconds of regulation to force OT and then scored seven points in the extra session to help Boston maintain a one-game lead over Toronto in the East with Thursday's OT triumph against the Wizards. Irving (24.8 & 5.0 APG) finished with 28 points and Jaylen Brown (14.2 & 5.4) added 16 for the Celtics, who swept a 3-0 homestand last week and have won five of their last six overall. Boston also stood pat at the deadline but it was able to introduce one of its recent additions in center Greg Monroe, who had five points and six rebounds in 20 minutes at Washington in his team debut.

The pick: While the Pacers should be fresh (they haven't played since Monday and were relaxing in their Boston hotel Thursday night), the Celtics started their game in Washington at 8 p.m. for national television and then had to go to overtime. The Celtics defeated the Pacers 108-98 without Oladipo in November and then won 112-111 in a December rematch when Terry Rozier stole an ill-advised pass from Bogdanovic and went in for a go-ahead dunk with 1.5 seconds left.Both games were in Indiana and Boston will take a five-game winning streak in the series into tonight's game. I don't want to buck the Celtics here but the dynamics of a well-rested Indiana team and a Boston team being a little tired, points to a higher scoring game than anticipated by the over/under line. Make the Over a 10* play..