The set-up: The Heart of Dallas Bowl will be played at the Cotton Bowl and features the 6-6 Utah Utes and the 7-5 West Virginia Mountaineers.The Utes opened the season 4-0 but lost six of their last eight games and with a loss here would experience a losing season for the first time since 2013. The Big Ten couldn’t fulfill its allotted slot opposite the Big 12’s West Virginia but the officials still wanted a matchup of Power Five teams. Utah needed a 34-13 win over visiting Colorado in its regular-season finale to become bowl eligible, giving the Pac-12 nine postseason teams. West Virginia heads into the bowl season splitting its last eight games and has a shot to earn at least eight victories for the third straight year.

Utah: The Utes have used two QBs in 2017, Tyler Huntley and Troy Williams. Huntley has seen the most action, throwing for 2,246 yards with 15 TDs and 10 INTs. Williams has thrown for 812 yards with two TDs and four INTs. Huntley is probable for this game and was 5-4 as a starter, ranking 15th nationally with an average of 302.9 YPG of total offense. If Huntley can’t play, the Utes have a capable backup in senior Troy Williams, who is 10-6 as a starter over the last two seasons, including a 9-4 mark a year ago. Whomever is throwing passes, WR Darren Carrington II, an Oregon transfer, is the No.1 target (68 catches / 6 TDs). The rushing attack averages 161.2 YPG (69th) and Utah's 29.5 PPG ranks 57th. The defense is solid, allowing 23.9 PPG (43rd) on 353.5 YPG (32nd).

West Virginia: Will Grier, was the nation’s seventh-ranked passer in terms of efficiency with 3,490 yards and 34 TD passes but had surgery after breaking the middle finger on his throwing hand in the first quarter of the Mountaineers’ loss to Texas on Nov. 18. Head coach Dana Holgorsen said the chances of him playing against Utah are “not good.” That would leave Chris Chugunov, who is completing 54.8 percent of his passes for 407 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. Chugunov enters this game with 67 career pass attempts under his belt. WRs Gary Jennings (94 catches but just one TD), David Sills V (60 catches and 18 TDs) and Ka'raun White (58 catches and 11 TDs) make up a remarkable trio. RB Justin Crawford leads the way with 1,061 yards and seven TDs for a ground game averaging 160.8 YPG (72nd). Defense has been an issue for West Va, as the Mountaineers are allowing 31.6 PPG (92nd) on 425.5 YPG (111th).

The pick: The Utes own an impressive 16-4 all-time bowl record and Kyle Whittingham has accounted for 10 of those wins for an NCAA-best postseason record of 10-1, including victories in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl over Pittsburgh (as a co-head coach) and the 2009 Sugar Bowl over Alabama. “Our secret formula is our players prepare hard and do it the right way, and that’s what it’s all about,” Whittingham said in the Dec. 3 bowl media conference call. “We don’t have a routine or a process that’s top secret. It’s just our guys in the program taking a lot of pride in bowl games, and they prepare the right way.” West Virginia RB Justin Crawford has decided to pass on this game to focus on his preparation for the upcoming NFL draft. However, his backup is Kennedy McKoy, who has proven he’s a valuable commodity, rushing for 1,037 yards (5.6 YPC). and 11 TDs in two seasons as a backup. Will Grier's absence is a bigger deal.That said, Utah limps into this contest with six losses in its last eight games. Utah's outstanding bowl record woun't help them here! Make West Virginia an 8* play.

The set-up: The second-half of Week 16's MNF doubleheader features the 6-8 Oakland Raiders visiting the 12-2 Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The Raiders' slim postseason hopes were dashed following back-to-back losses to Kansas City and Dallas. "We're just going to play to win," coach Jack Del Rio said of his team's mindset. "We're going to do everything we can to get over this 'close but no cigar' finish we had." As for the Philadelphia Eagle, they are looking for their 13th victory of the season and to secure a top seed in the NFC. The Raiders will making their first appearance in Philadelphia since 2005

Oakland: The Raiders are coming off a tough 20-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday. QB Derek Carr was 21 of 38 for just 171 yards but with two TD passes to WR Michael Crabtree. Carr has completed 63.1 percent for 3,113 yards with 20 TDs and 10 INTs (88.4 QB rating). Crabtree has had seven receptions in back-to-back contests since serving a one-game suspension for his actions in the early going against Denver on Nov. 26. Amari Cooper (42 catches and five TDs in 12 games) was limited in Friday's practice with an ankle injury, leaving questions as to whether he'd take the field against the Eagles. Oakland ran for 122 yards, including 76 from running back Marshawn Lynch. Lynch has been a disappointment with 695 yards rushing, as Carr hasn't gotten much help from a ground game producing just 93.7 YPG (25th). The Raiders' offense has underachieved in 2017, scoring 20.1 PPG (22nd), while the defense is allowing 23.1 PPG (19th).

Philadelphia: Carson Wentz (33 TDs / 7 INTs / 101.9 QB rating) is out for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered against the Rams in Week 14 but backup Nick Foles proved he is ready for the challenge that awaits the rest of the way. He started against the Giants last Sunday and finished 24 of 38 for 237 yards with four TD passes and no interceptions. The four scores, which went to four different receivers, were the most he tossed since he had seven against the Raiders during the 2013 season. "I just think his poise and his play-making," Philadelphia offensive coordinator Frank Reich said when asked what stood out about Foles. "Obviously, you could tell right away, he's been there before. Then he did what we needed him to do. He played good, sound football, but also be ready to make big plays. He provided that as well." Blount (717 yards on 4.5 YPC) and the addition of Jay Ajayi (356 yards on 6.4 YPC in his six games with Philly), give Philly the NFL's second-best running game, averaging 140.5 YPG. WR Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor have combined for 1,503 receiving yards and 17 TDs while TE Zach Ertz has 63 receptions (eight TDs). The Philadelphia Eagles average 31.3 PPG (2nd) and the defense is allowing 19.9 PPG (8th) on 309.2 PPG (6th).

The pick: Sure, a win and teh Eagles clinch the NFC's No. 1 seed plus Philly is 6-0 (5-1 ATS) at home in 2017, outscoring opponents 35.0-to-15.2 PPG. However, the Raiders should relish the role of playing spoiler plus have ave nothing to lose. Hard to imagine Foles playing as well as he did last Sunday, as I believe the Eagles are not quite he same team minus Wentz. Take the big points and make Oakland a 10* play!

The set-up: James Harden became the first player since Kobe Bryant in 2007 to reach 50 points in back-to-back games when he went for 51 against the Lakers on Wednesday and then hit that exact number again against the Clippers on Friday. However, the Rockets' loss to the Lakers ended the team's 14-game winning streak and when they lost again to the Clippers (despite Harden's 51 points), Harden joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to reach 50 points in consecutive losses! The 25-6 Rockets will visit OKC on Christmas evening to face the 18-15 Thunder, who are finally beginning to get their act together. OKC has won four straight games, as the roles of their three star player are becoming more clearly defined.

Houston: ""We lost," Harden (32.5-5.1-9.0) told reporters when asked about his historic scoring binge. "It doesn't matter." Maybe more notably, the last two Houston games were finished without PG Chris Paul (17.1-5.4-9.0), who left in the fourth quarter on Wednesday with a left adductor strain and sat out Friday. The All-Star is day-to-day and remains questionable for Monday's marquee matchup. "Our aura is not right," Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni told reporters after Friday's setback. "These guys are a little tired. We've got to get guys back. This is an episode, a couple of episodes. The last two games, we just didn't play well enough and without the spirit and all that. Guys are kind of a little dead. Whether it's tiredness or whether they're into themselves a little too much, I don't know. We'll work on it, but obviously it's not good enough." As well as Paul's injury woes, it also can't be dismissed that cebnter Clint Capela (14.0 & 11.3), who leads the NBA with a field-goal percentage of .69.4%, sat out the last two games with a heel issue and remains day-to-day.

Oklahoma City: "We're playing well," forward Paul George (19.9 & 5.6) told reporters after a 103-89 win at the Utah Jazz on Saturday. "We're playing for one another. Our defense is holding up and offensively we're starting to get a little flow." Carmelo Anthony (17.5 & 6.2) is adjusting to his role playing off the ball and Paul George is turning into a defensive stopper for Oklahoma City. However, Russell Westbrook is still "the big dog" and is running the show. Westbrook (23.6-9.5-9.9) is averaging 29.8 points on 59.8 percent shooting with 9.0 rebounds and 9.5 assists during the four-game winning streak. He collected his fifth triple-double of the month in Saturday's win. George showed off his defensive prowess with six steals against the Jazz and has multiple thefts in each of the last seven contests.

The pick: With Paul and Capela both likely out, this is a tough spot for Houston, as the Thunder come in the winner of four consecutive games and six of seven. Houston took three of the four meetings last season with the Thunder, despite Westbrook averaging 36.3 points in the four games. Houston then KO'd them in the playoffs in five games. OKC has been waiting for this game in much the same way they were waiting for the Warriors to come to town back on Nov. 22, when the Thunder won 108-91. Second verse, same as the first. Make OKC a 10* play.

The set-up: The 14-18 Philadelphia 76ers were 13-9 through games played Dec. 2 but as they take the court early this afternoon at Madison Square Garden for the first game of the NBA's 5-Game Christmas Day Extravaganza, they are looking to snap a five-game slide , as well as breaking a downward spiral that has seen them lose nine of their last 10 games (1-8-1 ATS)! As for the 17-15 Knicks, following this Christmas Day game, New York plays 16 of its next 20 on the road, where its woes continued with a 104-101 setback at Detroit on Friday. The Knicks are just 2-10 on the road this season, compared to 15-5 at home, where they are also 15-5 ATS.

Philadelphia: The 76ers Philadelphia hope to have Joel Embiid (23.7 & 10.9) ready for a complete effort on Christmas (team is just 1-7 when he doesn't play). He was still bothered by a sore lower back in Saturday's 16-point loss at Toronto and he picked up a technical foul as frustrations began to bubble up. Rookie Ben Simmons was held to 10 points on 5-of-13 shooting in the loss, his first outing during the losing streak in which he shot below 50 percent. However, Simmons is having quite a first season, after missing all of last year, by averaging 17.1-8.8-7.7. SG Redick is averaging 16.5 PPG, SF Covington 14.8 & 6,2 and PF Saric 12.7 & 7.1

New York: Kristaps Porzingis (24.7 & 6.7) took 28 shots in his last outing and scored 29-points in Friday's loss. However, it was a positive step for the 7-3 star, who missed two games due to a groin injury before going 0-for-11 from the floor in a win over the Boston Celtics on Thursday. Four other Knicks are in double digits, Hardaway (17.8 & 4.2), Kanter (13.5 & 10.0), Lee (13.1) and the rejuvenated Beasley (10.9 & 4.1).

The pick: Philly's Redick has missed the last two games with right hamstring tightness and it is unclear if he will play Monday against the Knicks. However, Embiid should play and look for Simmons to bounce back from a rare off night. Also, note that Saric has scored in double figures in 12 straight games, after finishing in single digits in 10 of his first 19 contests. The Knicks were 16-13 before last season's Christmas Day game but a loss on the holiday to the Celtics kicked off a 1-10 swoon. Deja vu? I'm making the 76ers an 8* play.

The set-up: There are few nicer places to spend Christmas Eve than in Hawaii. Sunday night from Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, the 7-4 Houston Cougars will face the 9-4 Fresno State Bulldogs The Houston Cougars won three of their last four games to make it to their fifth consecutive bowl game.As for the Bulldogs, coming off a 1-11 season in 2016, they won the MWC West Division at 7-1 and then lost 17-14 to Boise State in the MWC championship game

Houston: The Cougars own impressive road wins at Arizona (19-16) and South Florida, when Houston ended USF's 12-game winning streak with a 28-24 victory..Houston also lost two "close ones" at home vs.Texas Tech (27-24) and Memphis (42-38). Houston's season has seen them go through three QBs and sophomore D’Eriq King is currently making it seem like "the third time is a charm." He led the comeback win against USF and has completed 73 percent of his passes for 832 yards over the last three games (Cougars won twice and lost by three at Tulane). Houston has a stable of RBs but no standout. The team is averaging a respectable 175.5 YPG on the ground (53rd) and the team's defense has been very solid (23.0 PPG ranks 40th).

Fresno State: Former Cal head coach Jeff Tedford has had some "first season." The Bulldogs lost back-to-back games at Alabama and Washington by a combined 63 points in their second and third games, then won four in a row, capped by a dominant 27-3 victory at San Diego State. Tedford’s squad followed the win in San Diego with an ugly home loss to UNLV but closed the regular season with four straight victories, including a 28-17 triumph over Boise State (as noted above, the Bulldogs then lost 17-14 to Boise in the title game). The team's remarkable turnaround has been sparked by a revitalized defense and the arrival of junior quarterback Marcus McMaryion, a transfer from Oregon State who has thrown 14 touchdown passes against just four interceptions. FSU allowed 30.9 PPG on 415 YPG last year but enter this contest allowing 17.2 PPG (9th) on 319.0 YPG (16th).

The pick: Fresno State has not won a bowl game since 2007, when it beat Georgia Tech 40-28 in the Humanitarian Bowl. Its most recent bowl game did not go well, a 30-6 loss to Rice in Hawaii in 2014 that dropped the school to 10-13 in bowl games, going 0-6 ATS in its last six bowl games. Houston is playing in its fifth bowl in a row (2-2 last four) and is 11-13 in bowls, all-time. FSU's defense has been terrific and Houston's is much better than most realize. The play is a 10*!

The set-up: NBC's Week 16 Sunday Night Football features the 8-6 Seattle Seahawks visiting the 8-6 Dallas Cowboys in "Jerry's House." The playoff implications are massive for both teams. When Seattle beat the Eagles 24-10 back in Week 14, the 8-4 Seahawks were "right there" with the 9-3 Rams' for the NFC West crown and looked to have a decent chance of claiming a wild card playoff spot even if the division title didn't pan out. However, a tough 30-24 loss at Jacksonville was followed by a 42-7 humbling loss at home against the Rams. "It was just a couple of weeks ago that we played one of the best games we've ever played," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. "We've got to turn it and make sure that we get right and get back, ready to go to Dallas." Seattle would need to finish 2-0 and the Rams 0-2 for the Seahawks to win the NFC West and the team's path to a wild card spot is not any easier. As for Dallas, yes the Cowboys have won three straight and "Zeke" is back for this game but if Dallas loses here, a victory by Atlanta would seal the Cowboys' fate.

Seattle: The Seahawks' defense has allowed 72 points while losing its last two games, and the team's horrific showing against the Rams placed the team in a must-win situation and as noted above, winning only means something if other teams lose. QB Russell Wilson has been a "one-man" show on offense in 2017 but he was just 14 of 30 for for 142 yards (one TD / 0 INTs) against the Rams and one knows it's bad news when his 39 rushing yards represented a team high. Seattle's defense has been devastated by injuries for weeks now but the unit had held it together, before imploding these last two weeks.

Dallas The Cowboys not only missed Elliott for six game but LT Smith plus LB Lee missed key time while the Cowboys lost three in a row, scoring a total of just 22 points along the way. However, Smith and Lee have gotten back on the field, with Dallas winning three in a row over Washington (38-10), the NY Giants (30-10) and Oakland (20-17). Now, Elliott returns. Elliott had 26 or more carries in each of his final four games prior to the suspension and his presence should help second-year QB Dak Prescott (2,964 yards, 21 TDs), who has thrown 11 interceptions this season after being picked off just four times last year.

The pick: Yes, Elliott is back but LT Tyron Smith (knee) could sit out after being injured in last Sunday's victory over Oakland. Seattle's defense has been ravaged by injuries but the hope is that Pro Bowl middle linebacker Bobby Wagner (hamstring) and outside linebacker K.J. Wright (concussion) will be close to full strength. "The money" seems to be all on the Cowboys but I like Seattle in a desperate situation plus coming off that humiliating loss to the Rams (at home, no less). Dallas is just 3-4 ATS at home in 2017 and even last year's 13-3 division-winning team finished just 5-4 ATS at home after losing to the Packers in the postseason. Make Seattle a 10* play.

The set-up: The Jacksonville Jaguars have won three in a row and seven of their last eight. Last week's 45-7 rout of Houston moved the Jags to 10-4 and clinched the team's first playoff appearance since 2007. The Jags will visit Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on Sunday afternoon to take on the suddenly rejuvenated San Francisco 49ers, who with Jimmy Garoppolo under center, have won three in a row to sit at 4-10. The Jaguars have made a remarkable turnaround from a three-win season to earn a postseason berth and can clinch their first division title since 1999 with a victory. Jacksonville owns a two-game lead over Tennessee and will secure the division crown with a win or tie against the 49ers, or if the Titans tie or lose to the Los Angeles Rams. The 49ers will be home for the postseason but optimism is running high in the Bay Area after wins over the Bears, Texans and Titans. Fans can see a light at the end of tunnel.

Jacksonville. QB Blake Bortles was almost run out of town during the preseason but the Jags didn't have a "Plan B," so Bortles was "their man." Bortles continued his torrid play last week, throwing for 326 yards and three touchdowns for a 143.8 passer rating. He is the now the first QB in franchise history to register a 100-plus passer rating, multiple TD passes and no interceptions in three consecutive games. He's completing 61.0% on the season with 19 TDs and just eight INTs. Rookie Leonard Fournette, who missed last week's game with a quadriceps injury, ranks third among NFL rookies with 1,136 scrimmage yards and is tied for second in TDs by a rookie with nine. He leads the team with 923 rushing yards and the Jags are the league's top rushing unit at 149.1 YPG. The there's that Jags' D which made great strides last year but gave up too many points because of all the Jags' TOs (see Bortles). However, Jacksonville comes into this game allowing a league-low 14.9 PPG on 284.1 YPG (3rd), while leading the NFL with 51 sacks.

San Francisco. From the start of the 2016 season through their 11th game of this season, the 49ers managed three wins. However, last Sunday’s 25-23 victory over the Titans means they’ve now won three games in the last three weeks and it isn’t hard to find the guy getting the credit for that change of fortunes. QB Jimmy Garoppolo has started all three of those wins and he’s leading an offense that’s gone over 400 yards in consecutive games for the first time since 2011. All three wins have come after the 49ers trailed in the second half and Sunday’s win saw Garoppolo complete three quick passes to move the team in position for Robbie Gould‘s field goal as time expired. “I knew he was a great player; we all did,” right guard Brandon Fusco said, via the San Francisco Chronicle. “We didn’t know he was this special.”

The pick: Garoppolo's been great but the Bears, Texans and Titans (his three 'victims') are NOT the Jags. Then again, the 49ers do catch the Jags off last week's rout of Houston, which clinched the franchise's first playoff berth since 2007. Can you say "let down?".Garoppolo’s getting most (all?) of the credit but let me note that 49er defense has yielded only 19.6 PPG over its last six games. Make the Under an 8* play.

The set-up: The Denver Broncos opened the 2017 season 3-1 but then lost eight consecutive games, failing to cover each and every one. However, the Broncos "stopped the bleeding" with a 23-0 home shut out of the Jets in Week 14 and then won 25-13 at the Indianapolis Colts in the Week 15 edition of Thursday night football. The Broncos look to build on those back-to-back wins when they visit from FedEx Field.ton on Christmas Eve Day for a meeting with the 6-8 Washington Redskins. The Redskins were eliminated from postseason contention despite a 20-15 win over Arizona in their last outing but
will try to find some positives in their final two games, like climbing back to .500.

Denver: Trevor Siemian passed for 67 yards and an interception before leaving due to injury (suffered a partially dislocated shoulder ) against Indianapolis and was placed on injured reserve..Brock Osweiler completed 12 of 17 passes for 194 yards and two TDs in the win. With Siemian on IR, head coach Vance Joseph will choose between Osweiler and Paxton Lynch as possible starters this week. Lynch has been considered the team's quarterback of the future but suffered an ankle injury at Oakland on Nov. 26 in his only start of the year and is trying to get back before the season ends. "My concern is making sure he's healthy enough to play at a high level," Joseph told the team's website. "He's a quarterback that can use his legs when he's in danger, so I want to make sure that he's right." C.J. Anderson rushed for 158 yards on 30 carries against theg Colts but he hasn't done much all season, coming in awith a 'quiet' 858 yards rushing. The Broncos are averaging a modest 113.1 YPG on the ground (14th). Denver still owns a playoff-caliber defense, as no team has allowed fewer yards per game (276.8) However, Denver's allowed 23.4 PPG (20th), which dosen't quite add up.

Washington: The Redskins beat the Cardinals 31-19 last Sunday with QB Kirk Cousins going 18 of 26 for 196 yards and two TDs. Cousins has put together another excellent season (66.1% for 3,636 yards with 24 TDs and 9 INTs / 98.9 QB rating) but his status for next season (free agent) is still up in the air. The Washintong D had four sacks, an interception and a recovered fumble while holding the Cardinals to 286 yards of total offense last week (also Arizona was just 4 of 19 on third down) but that kind of effort hasn't been typical. In fact, Washington ranks 29th (of 32 teams) in points allowed, giving up 25.6 per game.

The pick: A win here by Washington would mean the team would have recorded consecutive wins for just the second time this season. Still, the Denver QB situation is a mess (Osweiler or Lynch) and in what could be Cousns last home game for the Redskins, he just could be auditioning for the team in desperate need of a QB. Make Washington an 8* play.

The set-up: The Los Angeles Rams finished in 2016 at just , as the NFL's overall No. 1 pick, Jared Goff of Cal, hardly looked like a franchise QB. However, the NFL's youngest head coach I(Sean McVay) has worked wonders with Goff in his sophomore season, while DC Wade Phillips has worked his magic with LA's defense. The result is a 10-4 record and with a win here, the Rams can clinch the NFC West (would also clinch if Seattle loses at Dallas on Sunday night). The 8-6 Tennessee Titans are off back-to-back losses and enter as one of three 8-6 teams tied for the final two wild cards in the AFC. Tennessee still has an outside shot at winning the AFC South but a wild card berth is easily the easiest path to the postseason. The Titans currently own the No. 5 seed (due to tie-breakers) and can actually clinch a playoff spot this week with a win over the Rams plus losses by the Ravens and Bills..

LA Rams: Goff was 0-7 as a starter last season, completing 54.6% with five TDs and seven INTs (QB rating of 63.6). He's been a "new man" in 2017, entering the final two weeks of the season completing 62.4% for 3,503 yards with 24 TDs and just seven INTs (98.9 QB rating). RB Todd Gurley has developed into one of the NFL's elite RBs, rushing fo 1,187 yards (4.6 YPC) with 13 TDs plus adding 54 catches for 630 yards with four more TDs. After averaging an NFL-low in points (14.0 PPG) and total offense (262.7 YPG) in 2016, the Rams are averaging a league-best 31.3 PPG on 366.5 YPG (10th). Wade Phillips' D checks in allowing 19.4 PPG (5th), ranking second in sacks (47) to only the Jags' 51.

Tennessee: The Titans have hurt themselves with consecutive losses, 12-7 at Arizona in Week 14 and 25-23 at San Francisco last Sunday. After being held to just one score against the Cardinals, the Titans did get their offense going against the 49ers, as QB Marcus Mariota threw for 241 yards and two TD passes with no interceptions, after having been held under 200 yards passing in three consecutive games.
Mariota is not having a good season (12 TDs / 14 INTs and a QB rating of just 79.7), as Tennessee averages only 200.4 YPG through the air (25th). It also hasn't helped that a running game that was third-best in the NFL last season has dropped to 13th in 2017, averaging 115.7 YPG. The defense is no better than mediocre, allowing 22.8 PPG (18th) on 329.8 YPG (13th).

The pick: The Rams haven’t had any success ATS against the Titans over the year but it's a "New Day" this season in LA. Sure, the Titans are 5-1 SU at home but the Rams are 6-1 SU (5-2 ATS) on the road. Goff and Gurley (1,817 yards from scrimmage with 17 TDs) rate a big edge over Mariota plus Tenessee RB duo of Henry and Murray. On the defensive side of the ball, the Rams' D rates the edge as well. Speaking about his team's playoff chances, Titans head coach Mike Mularkey said of his players. "They know we have a great opportunity sitting right in front of us that is very reachable if we come in here the way we've come in here, with the mindset of putting in a good week's worth of preparation. We need to put 60 minutes of good football together, one game at a time." However, one could argue (and I will)
that the last time Tennessee did that was three months ago, when the Titans followed up a 37-16 rout at Jacksonville in Week 2 with a 33-27 decision over Seattle in Week 3. Since then, the Titans have played in starts and stops, becoming more and more prone to mistakes. Make the Rams an 8* play.

The pick: At first blush, this looks like the Vikings are a 'lock.' However, this is still a bitter rivalry and the Packers won't forget that the Vikings KO'd Rodgers AND Green Bay's season in the first meeting. Assuming Hundley starts, he did get better after his "emergency appearance" on Oct. 15, going 3-4 as a starter. He took a seat on the bench last week but had completed 69.1% in his previous three starts, throwing six TD passes and just one INT. Sure, the Packers won't be part of the postseason for the first time since 2008 but doesn't that make them a 'dangerous dog.' We know it's expected to be "Green Bay weather," as the predicted low for Saturday night is 1!! Home dog barks here. Make Green Bay  a 10* play.

]The set-up:The Clippers opened the season 4-0 and were 5-2 on Nov. 4 when they hosted the Grizzlies. Memphis won that game 113-104 and the defeat began a nine-game losing streak for Los Angeles. Shortly after improving to 6-3 with their early November win at the Staples Center, the Grizzlies went on an 11-game slide that contributed to the firing of coach David Fizdale. As the Clippers and Grizzlies get set to meet again here in Memphis, Los Angeles is just 13-18 (10th among the West's 15 teams) and Memphis is even worse, checking in at 9-23 (14th).

LA Clippers:The team opened the season minus Chris Paul, JJ Redick and Jamal Crawford (among others) plus are currently playing without Blake Griffin (23.6-7.9-5.1) and Danilo Gallinari (13.4 & 4.4). LA had slumped to 11-18 (6-16 since that 5-2 start) but after beating Phoenix at Staples on Wednesday, won in Houston last night! Lou Williams (20.20 and Austin Rivers (15.4) are both enjoying career years and the duo combined for 68 points (on 13-of-26 shooting beyond the arc) in Friday's upset. Rivers exploded for a career-high 36 points and Williams poured in 32 off the bench. Williams topped the 30-point mark for the third time in December and has posted a NBA-best five such performances from a reserve. Starting point guard Milos Teodosic (8.3 points, 4.6 assists) was rested Friday but will return Saturday; the 30-year has scored more than eight points only twice in five outings since returning from a 22-game absence due to a foot injury.

Memphis: The Grizzlies lost for the eighth time in nine games this past Thursday, falling 97-95 at Phoenix. It's been a long season for Memphis. Zach Randolph bolted in free agency and Mike Conley (17.1 & 4.1 APG) hasn't played since Nov. 13, due to an injury. The loss at Phoenix dropped the Grizzlies to 2-17 since Conley was given time off to deal with his injury. Memphis has had just two ":go-to" scorers without Conley, center Marc Gasol and swingman Tyreke Evans. Gasol has been terrific (18.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.4 blocks), making him one of two players in the league (along with the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo) to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists and blocks. Evans checks in at 18.4-5.0-4.1. No other Memphis player is averaging in double digits. However, Gasol is listed as doubtful for Saturday with a left hip injury.

The pick: Clearly, Gasol playing means a lot but I'm still going with Memphis, regardless. The Clippers played "way over their heads" last night in winning at Houston, scoring 128 points while shooting 47.3 percent from the floor (42.9% on threes). LA a is averaging 104.3 PPG on the season (including just 101.2 on the road), on 44.8% shooting, including 35.3% on threes. Look for a huge letdown here and Make Memphis a 10*!

The set-up: The 21-9-4 Nashville Predators have 46 points and the 19-14-3 Dallas Star have 41 points. The five points are the difference between first-place (Preds are tied with the Jets) and fourth-pace (where the Stars reside), in the West Conference's Central Division. This meeting in Dallas represents the third contest between the two division rivals already this season, with Nashville winning the first two, each by three goals. Nashville won 5-2 at Dallas on Dec. 5, part of a 6-0-1 stretch. However, that run has ended with the Preds getting outscored 10-5 in losses to Winnipeg and Carolina, respectively. The home loss to Nashville began a 2-4-2 run by the Stars. However, Dallas' 4-0 Thursday win over Chicago gave head coach Ken Hitchcock his 800th career victory in the process. "It feels good," said Tyler Seguin, who scored two goals in the win. "Especially when you're in a bit of a slump, get your weight off your shoulders a bit."

Nashville: With the losses to Winnipeg and Carolina, Nashville sustained back-to-back losses for the first time since Nov. 1, giving Predators head coach Peter Laviolette reason to be blunt in his assessment of his team's play. "I guess to put it as honest as possible, we're not playing hard enough," Laviolette said after the setback to the Hurricanes. The Predators have been prone to slow starts to boot, getting out-shot 62-28 in the first period over the last four games.Pekka RinGoalie ne was blitzed for four goals on six shots in Thursday's 4-1 setback to the Hurricanes and received an "early exit."

Dallas: Captain Jamie Benn is riding a five-game point streak at home and has nine points (five goals, four assists) in his last 10 in Dallas after scoring a goal in Thursday's 4-0 win over Chicago. Like Benn, Seguin has given the fans reason to cheer with points in seven of his last nine home games (six goals, five assists), after his two goals against teh Blackhawks. Goalie Ben Bishop turned aside all 24 shots he faced on Thursday, improving to 5-2-2 in his last nine games.

The pick: Sure, the Preds have won the two previous meetings with the Stars by three goals each but the Stars are coming off one of their most complete games of the season, as Bishop posted a shutout and Tyler Seguin broke an eight-game scoring drought. The Stars are 11-4-1 at home (outscoring opponents 3.44-to-2.38 GPG) and I expect them to gain a measure of revenge from their two earlier losses to the Predators and to tighten the Central Division standings, as the division rivals reconvene at American Airlines Center in the last contest before the Christmas break.Make Dallas a 10* play.

The set-up: The 21st-ranked Tennessee Vols wrap up their non-conference schedule Saturday afternoon in Winston Salem against the 7-4 Wake Forest Demon Deacons of the ACC. The Volunteers have already played three ACC opponents this season, defeating North Carolina State and Georgia Tech, before losing to North Carolina last weekend. Wake Forest got off to a shaky start but the Demon Deacons have won six in a row while scoring at least 80 points in each of those contests, fighting back from a 1-4 start to enter this contest against the nationally ranked Vols at 7-4. Tennessee has won eight of 10 all-time meetings with Wake Forest, though the teams haven't faced off in a non-tournament setting since 1970.

Tennessee: Rick Barnes in in his third season at Knoxville and after seasons of 15 and 16 wins (31-35, overall), he seemingly has this year's team headed towards a 20-win season. Tennessee recovered from that loss to North Carolina by defeating Furman 66-61 on Wednesday, although it was hardly a confidence-boosting win, as the Volunteers were tied with the Paladins until the final minute. The Volunteers shot only 37.1 percent against Furman, while missing 15 of their 20 attempts from three-point range. Then we have the team's 15-of-24 (62.5%) which surely wasn't anything to brag about. The 6-7 Williams (15.8 & 7.0) is the team's leading scorer and has recorded double-digit points in eight straight outings. However, he has turned the ball over 14 times in the last five games, compared to seven turnovers in the first five games. Joining ihim in double digits are guards Schofield (11.7 & 5.1) and Bowden (11.5 & 3.6). Bowden had a team-high 21 points against Furman, while Schofield had 12 points and 13 rebounds, his first double-double of the season (just the second of his career). The Vols are average offensively (77.4 PPG ranks 122nd) but pretty good on the defensive end, allowing 66.4 PPG (69th) on 39.1% shooting (37th).

Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons' six-game winning streak has their seasonal average up to 80.4 PPG (77th) Guards Crawford (16.4 & 4.9 APG) and Woods (15.8) are joined on the perimeter by three more guards, averaging between 7.7 and 9.5 PPG. The 7-1 Moore (11.1 & 7.9) gets some help up front from the 6-7 Thompson (4.6 & 4.9). Danny Manning surprisingly took Wake to the NCAAs last season (19-14 record), after winning 13 and 11 games in his first two seasons at the school. Replacing big man John Collins (19.2 & 9.8) has not been easy but team's six-game win streak is promising.

The pick: However, while this game will be played at Lawrence-Joel Coliseum (Wake's home court), school is out and the Demon Deacons won't have their usual rooting section. Wake Forest officials have made efforts to try to draw a big pre-holiday crowd. Faculty and staff will be admitted at no charge, while a promotion at an area mall involved $5 tickets. Yes, Wake Forest has shot above 50 percent in each outing during the team's six-game winning streak but as the head coach noted,"We're not a finished product," said Manning. The Demon Deacons are 1-4 in non-league games against ranked opponents and that doesn't bode well for this meeting with the Vols. Make Tennessee a 10* play.

The pick: The Texas Tech Red Raiders have won six of their last eight bowl games but haven’t won a game since 2013 (lost their most recent bowl game 56-27 to LSU in 2015).. Meanwhile, this is Flowers' "last hurrah." He has the opportunity to end his collegiate career as one of the most prolific offensive players in American Athletic Conference and school history. Flowers already holds or shares many school records, including wins for a starting QB (30), career rushing yards TD passes. Already the school record holder with 11,385 career yards of offense, Flowers needs just 47 more to become the conference all-time leader. Flowers also needs just 44 yards to break Marlon Mack's school record for career rushing yards, one more touchdown pass for sole possession of first with 68, just 312 yards passing to break Matt Grothe's single-season mark of 2,911 and with four scoring strikes would break his own single-season mark of 24 set last season. A repeat trip to the Birmingham Bowl may not have been what USF had in mind going into the season but with losses to Houston and UCF knocking them out of contention for a New Year's Six appearance, the Bulls have had to reset their postseason goals. USF needed OT to beat South Carolina last year at Legion Field but it should be a much bigger of margin of victory this time around. Flowers accounted for 366 yards and five TDs in a thrilling 46-39 OT victory over South Carolina in LY’s Birmingham Bowl. Make USF an 8* play.

The set-up: The Montana Grizzlies are coming off a 16-16 season. They were picked third in the Big Sky's coaches' and media polls but served noticed they'll be in the title hunt with an 83-78 overtime victory at Pitt on Nov. 13, teh school's first win over a Power Five conference school since knocking off Oregon State in 2010. Montana (7-4) opens league play Dec. 28th, so this trip to Seattle will be the team's last non-conference game. The Washington Huskies 'fell of a cliff' last year with just nine wins (22 losses) but Mike Hopkins, who spent 22 years coaching under Jim Boeheim at Syracuse, has this year's team at 9-3 entering this contest. Sure, Fultz (23.2) was the NBA's first pick in the 2017 Draft but he's the only starter not back.

Montana: The Grizzlies 86-68 win over UC Irvine on Tuesday gives Montana three wins in its last four and a 7-4 overall mark.Three players average in double digits, guards Rorie (17.8-4.0-3.7) and Oguine (15.3 & 5.4) plus the 6-8 Akoh (11.1 & 6.4). Rorie was a second team All-Big Sky pick last season, Oguine just had a career-high 29 points in the win over UC-Irvine and Akoh is a transfer from Cal State Fullerton. Montana is averaging 73.7 PPG (211th), while allowing 69.5 PPG (125th).

Washington: Montana's defense will be tested by a Washington team averaging 81.8 PPG (56th) on 47.9% shooting (68th). The Huskies have looked good in their non-conference slate and have won three of four after dismantling the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats 106-55 on Tuesday night with a monster 63-19 second half run. The Huskies are the only team in the NCAA to record 16 steals and 15 blocks in the same game this season, after doing it in the win over Bethune-Cookman. Freshman guard Jaylen Nowell leads the team in scoring (17.3) and has lessened the loss of Fultz. Joining the freshman in double digits are the 6-8 Dickerson (16.0 & 8.0) plus guards Crisp (13.2 and Thybulle (11.2). Crisp leads the team in assists (43) and also has made a team leading 26 three-pointers. Thybulle has 42 steals this season and ranks third in the NCAA in that category with an average of 3.5 per game

The pick: Again, let me remind all that he Huskies have already matched their win total for the entire 2016-17 season when they finished 9-22 and all but one of the team's wins this year have come at home where Washington has gone 8-1. Lay it and make Washington a 10* play.

The set-up: The Washington Wizards seem to think that they are an elite team but their 17-14 record hardly matches the team's bravado. The Wizards head to Brooklyn for the second time in less than two weeks on Friday, hoping for a better result than their last visit. With PG John Wall, still not back from a knee injury, the Wizards lost 103-98 at Brooklyn on Dec. 12 Wall returned the next night when Washington began a 3-1 homestand that was capped by Tuesday's 116-106 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. As for the Nets, that Dec. 12 victory over Washington was their last win, as Brooklyn has lost four straight since beating Wizards. Three of the four defeats have come at home, including a 104-99 setback against Sacramento on Wednesday.

Washington:Wall seems to be completely past the recent knee issues (he missed nine games) but he is shooting just 35.4 percent since returning from the knee injury. "Basically, them telling me to go out there and be aggressive and don't worry about minutes and go play," Wall (19.3-3.8-8.3) told reporters after an 18-point, 10-assist effort versus the Pelicans. "Coach has been telling me since the last game. I went out there without thinking about when I was coming out of the game or when I'm going back in, just trying to play and make the right reads." Bradley Beal (23.8-4.3-3.5) leads the team in scoring on the season but the club's hottest player right now is reserve forward Mike Scott. Scott's 24 points against New Orleans was a season high and he was 11-for-15 from the floor to leave the former Virginia Cavalier at 53-for-72 over an eight-game stretch (that's 73.6%!).

Brooklyn: When Allen Crabbe hit the game-winning three-pointer with 44 seconds left 10 days ago, the Nets had won for the fifth time in eight games. However, the now 11-19 Nets have regressed, during their skid (the team's second four-game losing streak of the season) by averaging 96.8 points on 41.8 percent shooting, including 32.9 percent from three-point range. The Nets are also allowing 111.0 PPG on 51.7 percent from the floor. The Nets have fallen behind by double-digits in each game and during this streak, they are getting outscored 244-190 in the first half and 126-95 in the opening quarters. Brooklyn's losing streak continued with a poor start in a 104-99 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday. The Nets allowed 64 points in the first half, fell behind by 21 points and saw a comeback attempt fall short. The Nets fell behind 36-20 after one quarter against Kings on Wednesday, as they continued a recent trend of poor starts. Brooklyn has trailed by at least 11 points at halftime in every game of its current four-game slide. losing streak. "Giving up 36 points in the first quarter — you can't get in a hole like that. It is disappointment in our defense and our defensive mentality to start the game," head coach Kenny Atkinson told the media. The recently acquired Jahlil Okafor (from Philly) has not seen any action in the last two games, as Atkinson gives him more time to get in shape and integrated into the system.

The pick: Wall did not play in Washington's Dec. 12 loss at Brooklyn plus Beal made just 11 of 33 shots, going 3 of 15 in the second half. Wall is healthy here and no way Beal repeats that kind of shooting effort. After all, the Wizards had a seven-game winning streak snapped in the series in their last visit to Brooklyn but even with that defeat, Washington is 12-3 in its last 15 meetings. with Brooklyn. Make the Wizards a 10* play.

The set-up:The Minnesota Wild had not scored more that two goals in any of their previous four games but on Tuesday broke out of their scoring slump. The 18-13-3 Wild trailed the Senators 3-1 at Ottawa in the second period before scoring five consecutive goals and taking total control of the game in a 6-4 victory. Minnesota hopes that momentum will carry over when it visits the Florida Panthers on Friday in the third stop of a four-game road trip. The Panthers have also been struggling recently offensively, despite ending a three-game skid with a 3-2 win at Arizona on Tuesday. The win capped a 2-2-1 road trip for the 13-16-5 Panthers but Tuesday's victory marked the first time they had scored more than two goals on the five-game trip.

Minnesota:Captain Mikko Koivu had gone 24 games without a goal and 11 without a point before netting the tying tally in the comeback win at Ottawa. “Mikko’s goal, you could see the air coming out of a balloon,” head coach Bruce Boudreau said. “We’ve talked about it, but it gets tough. You start to put pressure on yourself because you expect more, so I’m hoping this is a jump-start for him.” In contrast to Koivu's struggles, Eric Staal (14 goals & 17 assists for a team-leading 31 points) has four goals and four assists in the last six games. Backup goalie Alex Stalock improved to 3-2-0, allowing 11 goals, in place of injured starter Devan Dubnyk, who has been out since hurting his knee against Calgary on Dec. 12. Dubnyk practiced briefly Thursday for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury on Dec. 12.. He could play against the Panthers on Friday or the next night at Tampa Bay.

Florida:Speaking of goaltenders, Florida's James Reimer earned praise from his coach following a 39-save performance against the Coyotes. "Reimer is playing so good right now," head coach Bob Boughner said. "If you make the odd mistake, he is coming up with the save." Reimer was making his seventh consecutive start due to an injury to No. 1 netminder Roberto Luongo, and it turned out to be his is fifth straight start in which he had allowed three goals or fewer. Defenseman Mike Matheson scored his first three goals of the season on the road trip, two of them game-winners.

The pick: The Panthers have struggled at home this season, going 6-6-3, while allowing 4.00 goals per game. That's good news to Minnesota's leading scorer Eric Staal, who has 20 goals and 50 points in 68 games versus the Panthers. Whether it's Dubnyk (2.69 GAA & .916 SP) or Stalock (2.80 GAA & .913 SP), I'll make the Wild a 10* play.

The set-up: It's the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl from Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Id, home of the blue turf. The 8-4 Central Michigan Chippewas of the MAC (6-2) will take on the 7-5 Wyoming Cowboys of the MWC (5-3). Central Michigan will be making its fourth straight bowl appearance but has lost the last three years (1-2 ATS). As for Wyoming, the Cowboyswent 'bowling' last year (lost 24-21 to BYU) but this is just the school's fourth bowl appearance in the last 13 years (only win in that span was back in 2009).

Central Michigan: The Chippewas were just 3-4 on the season before ending the and the year with five consecutive victories both SU and ATS. Those wins came over Ball State, Western Michigan, Eastern Mchigan, Kent State and Northern Illinois. The only team with a winning record in that group was 8-4 Northern Illinois, while Ball State and Kent State were each 2-10! QB Shane Morris has thrown for 2,908 yards with 26 TDs and 13 INTs. Central Michigan’s top rusher is Jonathan Ward (988 yards / 5.9 YPC / and nine TDs), leading a ground game averaging a modest 143.8 YPG (92nd). CMU comes in averaging 29.7 PPG (53), whiel allowing 26.8 PPG (67th).

Wyoming: The Cowboys flopped out of the box (1-2 SU & 0-3 ATS) but then won six of seven (7-0 ATS) before QB Josh Allen hurt his shoulder and missed the last two games (Wyoming was 0-2 SU & ATS). Allen is said to be a potential first-round pick in the spring's draft but his shoulder injury leaves a big question mark. He’s been practicing with his teammates in preparation for this game but no one knows for sure what to expect. Allen threw for 3,203 yards last season with 28 TDs and 15 INTs but was a huge underachiever in 2017 (56.2% with 13 TDs and 6 INTs). I'm not convinced Wyoming is all that worse off without him. Whether it's Allen or backup Nick Smith, the Wyoming defense will show up and the team's stop unit has allowed just 17.8 PPG (12th) on 332.8 YPG (22nd).

The pick: This venue is "familiar territory" for Wyoming, as Boise State is a MWC rival. MAC teams have not done well in recent bowl seasons and you may have caught Akron's embarrassing effort Tuesday night (50-3 loss to FAU). In non-conference road games at Kansas, Syracuse and BC, CMU beat Kansas (as do all schools) but lost 41-17 at Syracuse and 28-8 at BC. You may remember CMU losing last year's Miami Beach Bowl 55-10 to Tulsa. Meanwhile, Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl is hardly a postseason newcomer, having won multiple FCS titles at North Dakota State. Despite going 0-2 ATS to end this year's regular season, Bohl's Wyoming team is 15-7 ATS since October of 2016. I'm making Wyoming a 10* play with or without Allen.

analysis coming

The pick: Davis may be a bit too effusive regarding McGough, who has passed for 2.791 yards with 17 TDs and eight TDs (hardly spectacular numbers). FIU averages 27.5 PPG (74th) and allows 28.5 PPG (79th) but is getting a TD here in a stadium located in Florida. The key for Temple may wind up being its ability to stop FIU inside the red zone. The Panthers led the nation in scoring percentage in the red zone with 39 scores in 40 trips while the Owls' red-zone defense was far from great, holding their opponent scoreless on just 13 percent of red-zone trips. The good news for Temple is that its offense started clicking towards the end of the season, averaging 32.8 PPG over the team's last four games. FIU should be pumped to be back in a bowl game but Temple is the better team and plays in a tougher conference. Make the Owls an 8* play.

The set-up: The Cleveland Cavaliers lost a thriller their last time out, falling 119-116 at Milwaukee to the Bucks. It was just the team's second loss in its last 20 games. The Cavs return home on Thursday night and will put an 11-game home winning streak on the line against the Chicago Bulls. The Cavs crushed the Bulls 112-91 in Chicago back on Dec. 4 but the Bulls are a very different team this time around. The Bulls opened the season 3-20 with forward Nikola Mirotic recovering from a facial fracture due to a fight with teammate Bobby Portis. However, he made his season debut against the Hornets.back on Dec. 8th, with the Bulls winning 119-111 in OT. His return has jump-started the Bulls, who have gone 7-0 SU & ATS since Mirotic's return. Mirotic had 15 points and 10 rebounds in last night's 112-94 home win over the Magic and after easing his way back in his season debut (just six points), has averaged 21.8 & 8.5 rebounds in his last six games.

Chicago: It's also worth noting that fellow forward Bobby Portis, the man who gave Mirotic the facial fractures in their preseason fight, has also stepped up his game and is averaging 14 points and 7.1 rebounds in 21.6 minutes this month. Chicago's bench came up big in the win over the Magic, as seven reserves combined for 54 points. No Bulls player logged more than 29 minutes last night, so the team should be relatively fresh despite playing on the second night of back to back games. "Our chemistry is great," Denzel Valentine told the Chicago Tribune. Valentine led the Bulls with 16 points. "We have to keep it up." 7-0 rookie Lauri Markkanen (14.3 & 7.9) leads five more Bulls averaging in double digits on the season (excluding Mirotic).

Cleveland: LeBron James (28.2-8.3-9.2) was his usual dominant self with 39 points and seven assists in the loss to the Bucks. Yes, the Cavs lost, but the team felt good about a fourth-quarter comeback that made it tight in the end. "A couple things didn't go our way but we did a good job being resilient and coming back," guard Dwyane Wade told reporters.Wade made 4-of-6 from 3-point range en route to 14 points off the bench, returning after . "Obviously, tonight (Wade) showed what he's capable of still doing," James told the media. Kevin Love Love has seven double-doubles in his last 10 games and checks in averaging 19.5 & 10.2 on the season.

The pick: For the first time in awhile,the Cavaliers will not be the hottest team on the court. The Cavs, as usual, did not practice on Wednesday. According to cleveland.com the Cavs have held just three practices since this current stretch of 18 wins in 20 games started on Nov. 11. "Guys are in here on off days every single time we have an off day," James said. "When we don't practice, guys are in here working on their game and (coach Tyronn Lue) just trusts us that we're going to be ready to go in the games, because we don't have much practice time. The Cavs may be rested but it's sure not helping the team's defense. which is allowing 107.4 PPG (23rd) on 46.9% shooting (20th). The Bulls come in averaging 111.1 PPG during thiri seven-game winning streak, so I'm making the Over a 10* play.

The pick: Iona is just 1-5 ATS in its last six games against A-10 opponents and Rhode Island is 5-0 SU at home, outscoring opponents 89.2-to-63.6 PPG. Lay it and make the Rams a 10* play.

The set-up: The 22-11-2 St. Louis Blues have 46 points, tying them for first-place in the Central Division with the Nashville Predators. However, the Blues have lost three of their last four, after opening a four-game road trip by getting shut out 4-0 at Winnipeg on Sunday. It marked the team's second shut out loss in that four-game span, in which St. Louis has scored only three goals. The Blues continue their road trip tonight in Calgary against the 17-14-3 Flames. Calgary just snapped a three-game skid with a 6-1 win Sunday in Vancouver.

St. Louis: Brayden Schenn leads the team in goals (16), assists (22) and points (38) but has just one assist in the team's 1-3-0 run. That's after scoring six goals and setting up another in his previous four. The Blues have struggled since LW Jaden Schwartz (14 goals & 21 assists) was placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury, going 2-3-1 over the last six games. "But we're still a better hockey team than what we've shown the last couple games," Blues head coach Mike Yeo told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "I do feel that part of it was we went through a difficult stretch. A lot of games. Fatigue can set in. But that's not an excuse anymore."

Calgary: Sam Bennett scored a goal and set up three others to record his second career four-point performance in Sunday's win over the Canucks. He now has 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in his last 11 games last time out. It marked the fourth time that teh Flames have registered at least six goals in a game. "You like to see that, when lots of guys are getting on the board. It's good for everyone's confidence," said Bennett. Mark Jankowski recorded a three-point performance (one goal, two assists) in Calgary's 6-1 rout of Vancouver on Sunday. However, center Sean Monahan (team-leading 17 goals) has been held off the scoresheet in five straight games.

The pick: The Blues boast the West's best road record (10-4-2) while the Flames have struggled at home, going 8-10-0. The teams have met twice already this season, with St. Louis winning 5-2 at Scottrade Center on Oct. 25, before Calgary won 7-4 loss at Scotiabank Saddledome on Nov. 13. Although the Blues have only scored three goals in their past four games, Yeo said he's expecting his players to go on the attack against the Flames. "We have to have the mindset that we have to get to the offensive zone," Yeo said. "(The Flames) transition too well, they're too dangerous off the rush. The way that their D gets involved, if we're turning pucks over and if we don't have the right structure in our game, then we'll be chasing again.The first two meetings saw seven and 11 goals scored. Nothing new here. Make the Over a 10* play.

The set;up: Louisville was ranked in the AP's preseason poll but are currently just outside the top-25 in Monday's latest poll, although the Cardinals are 8-2, losing to only Purdue (currently 16th) and Seton Hall (23rd). The KFC Yum! Center in Louisville be the site of tonight's game with the Albany Great Danes, who are hoping for a 'signature" win to add to the team's resume. The Greta Danes come in an impressive 11-2 but this is clearly the team's toughest test of its non-conference schedule.

Albany: Head coach Will Brown is entering his 16th full season as the Great Danes' head coach and has led them to 20-win seasons or more in four of the last five years (heading towards another one this season!). He's also taken the scholo to five NCAA berths. The team won 21 games last year (no NCAA appearnace) and four starters have returned. Guards Cremo (17.8-4.2-3.3) and Nichols (15.7-4.2-3.5) plus 6-6 foreward Charles (14.9 & 5.5) are the nucleus of a team averaging 78.9 PPG (101st) on 48.2% shooting (62nd)

Louisville: All must be aware of the school's off-the-court issues that cost head coach Rick Pitino his job. All things considered, the Cards have played well, as losing to Purdue and Seton Hall is nothing to be ashamed of. Five of the team's top-six scorers are frontcourt players, led by the 6-7 Adel (16.0 & 3.7) and the 6-10 Spalding (10.1 & 9.5), who is having a breakout season. PG Snider (11.6-3.5-3.8) runs the show for a team averaging 80.1 PPG (88th). Pitino's teams always played tough defesne and this "carry-over" team under head coach David Padgett, is no different. Louisville is allowing just 65.1 PPG (49th) on 37.5% shooting (14th).

The pick: The Cardinals are proving that they still have enough talent to be a serious ACC contender, despite a change in coaching. Albany is no pushover and it should be noted that the Great Danes have out-rebounded all 13 of their opponents, so far. However, Louisville is a big step up in class and I'll make teh Cardinals a 10* play.

analysis soon

The set-up: One has to wonder how the Pacers will fare here, after Monday's 'crazy' loss to the Celtics. Indiana battled back from an 18-point first-quarter deficit to take a five-point lead with 31.3 seconds remaining, only to be outscored 10-4 in a 112-111 loss! The Pacers have now dropped three of four as they visit Atlanta to take on the Hawks, who won for just the seventh time this season by beating Miami 110-104 on Monday. However, the Hawks' 7-23 record makes them owners of the worst record in the NBA.

Indiana: “It’s a tough loss,” Indiana guard Victor Oladipo told reporters after his team fell for the third time in four games against the Celtics. “We dug ourselves the deepest hole you can imagine and again, fought our way back like clockwork, but we come up short again.” Oladipo scored 12 of his 38 points Monday in the final two minutes and is 10th in the NBA in scoring at 24.9 PPG (he has scored 20-plus points in 22 of 30 games). The Pacers are seventh in the NBA in scoring at 108.3 PPG but also allow 106.9 PPG to rank 21st.

Atlanta: Forward Taurean Prince (132. & 5.3) led the way with 24 points in Monday's win and is shooting 49.5 percent from the floor in December, while averaging 14.7 points in nine games this month. “We’re wanting him to shoot a lot,” Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer told the media afterward. “Catch and shoot, shoot whenever he’s got daylight, driving and finishing.” The Hawks have revamped their roster (not for the better), with PG Schroder (19.8 & 6.6 APG) assuming the role as team-leader. The Hawks do have solid balance behind Schroder (seven players average between 7.1 & 13.2 PPG) but no stars. However, keep an eye on rookie John Collins from Wake Forest, who is averaging 11.2 PPG (on 59.7% shooting) and 7.0 RPG.

The pick: Indiana is off a brutal loss (see above) and while Atlanta has not been winning many games outright, the Hawks check in 8-2 ATS since Nov. 30. The Pacers won two of three games against Atlanta last season, including the final two meetings of the year. However, until last season, the Pacers had not won in Atlanta since the 2013-14 campaign. The home dog barks here. Make Atlanta an 8* play.

The set-up: The Montreal Canadiens are 14-15-4 (32 points) and the Vancouver Canucks are 15-15-4 (34 points), as the two clubs get set to meet Tuesday night at Rogers Centre. Both teams will be missing key players due to injuries. Montreal head coach Claude Julien revealed that top defenseman Shea Weber will not play due to a foot injury, while the Canucks could be without top scorer Brock Boeser (17 goals & 13 assists) and one of their best defensemen, Chris Tanev, while others definitely will miss the game. A .500 record is no surprise for Vancouver (Canucks' 69 points last season were better than only the Avalanche's league-low total of 48), but Montreal's 32 points leaves them out of playoff position as well, which is quite a drop-off from a club which had 103 points last season to top the Atlantic Division.

Montreal: The Canadiens put together a five-game winning streak from Nov. 25 through Dec 2 but have who have now dropped four of five, as a seven-game road trip continues here against the Vancouver Canucks. It marks just the second game of the trip for Montreal, which won't return home until the calendar turns to 2018 (Jan. 2). The Canadiens have just nine goals in their last five games, which is not conducive to winning. Weber has played in all six games this month but coach Claude Julien said his top defenseman continues to be bothered by his foot injury. "It's a long season, and it's the type of injury that he couldn't continue playing with," Julien said. "We'll manage it properly over the next couple of days and weeks." Julien juggled his lines at Monday's practice in an effort to jump-start the offense, reuniting captain Max Pacioretty with Jonathan Drouin and Paul Byron on the top line.

Vancouver:The Canucks also know all about struggling offensively, as they have scored just 10 times during a 1-5-0 slide. A run-down of Vancouver's injury woes takes time. Boeser,, who is considered a strong candidate for NHL rookie of the year, was hurt while blocking a Mark Giordano shot Sunday in Vancouver's 6-1 loss to the Calgary Flames. He left the arena on crutches and sporting a walking boot. The Canucks called up Reid Boucher from their AHL farm club in Utica, N.Y., on Monday as an apparent replacement. However, according to a radio report, Boeser did not sustain a fracture. Tanev missed the Sunday game due to an undisclosed injury sustained last week against the Nashville Predators. Even so, the Canucks returned defenseman Ashton Sautner to Utica on Monday. The Canucks also have been without injured top center Bo Horvat (foot), winger Sven Baertschi (undisclosed) and Erik Gudbranson (wrist) lately, and winger Derek Dorsett's career-ending neck injury in November continues to haunt the team. However, head coach Travis Green is confident that his players will not dwell on the misfortune. Is he just "whistling past teh graveyard?"

The pick: The Canadiens have won three in a row versus the Canucks but they have lost 13 of 16 (3-11-2) against Western Conference opponents and are 1-6-1 versus the Pacific Division this season. Both clubs are struggling to score but Montreal come in allowing 3.57 GPG on the road, while Vancouver is allowing 3.18 GPG at home. That spells OVER and I'll make it a 10* play.

The set-up: The Philadelphia 76ers have shown plenty of promise this season but after back-to-back two-point losses, Philly finds itself having lost six of its last seven to fall under .500 at 14-15.The most recent two-point loss was 117-115 at Chicago last night (the Bulls have all of a sudden won straight) with Joel Embiid sitting out the opener of the back-to-back set to help manage his workload. The 76ers are back on the court tonight to welcome the 9-20 Sacramento Kings to Wells Fargo Center, who have dropped five of their last seven contests. That includes two in a row by a combined 38 points to start the team's four-game road trip.

Sacramento: The Kings are last in the league in scoring (96.1 PPG), with only veteran forward Zach Randolph (15.3 & 7.0) averaging more than 12.3 PPG. Buddy Hield, the key player in last year's trade with the Hornets for Cousins, checks in at 12.3 PPG, which is disappointing. Also, while so many have heard about Lonzo Ball's rookie struggles, let me note that PG De'Aaron Fox, another expected rookie star, is not exactly 'lighting thingd up." Fox is averaging just 9.7 PPG (on 25 1/2 minutes), while shooting 40.4%, including 28.9% on threes. Adding insult to injury, Fox is questionable tonight due to a quadriceps injury.Veteran PG George Hill has raised his production level over the last three games, averaging 16.7 PPG but on the season has been another disappointment (9.8 PPG and just 2.6 APG!).

Philadelphia: Embiid is averaging 24.1 & 11.0 on the season and has scored at least 25 points in four of the five games he has played this month, while shooting 47.8 percent in December. Rookie Ben. Simmons (17.4-9.0-7.9) had a huge game on Monday (19-11-9), despite missing a late chance to tie the game. Dario Saric poured in 20 of his season-high 27 points in the second half of the loss to Chicago and checks in averaging 12.5 & 6.9 on the season.

The pick: Philly is averaging 109.2 PPG at home but is also allowing 107.0. That hardly makes them a reliable favorite (especially in this range!) and note that the 76ers 'limp' into this game 2-8-1 ATS their last 11. The Kings beat the 76ers 109-108 in Sacramento the first time around and should 'hang' with them here, as well/. Make Sacramento a 10* play.

The set-up: The Akron Zips were a surprise winner of the MAC East but lost 45-28 to Toledo in the MAC championship game, which brings them to the Boca Raton Bowl with a modest 7-6 record. Awaiting the Zips will be the Florida Atlantic Owls, who are looking to complete a remarkable season with a bowl victory and cap of the year with a 10-game win streak. The Owls opened teh 2017 season 1-3 (lost to Navy, Wisconsin and Buffalo), before winning a C-USA East division title at 8-0 record in league play. The Owls ten beat North Texas 41-17 at FIU Stadium (where the Boca Raton Bowl will be played) in the C-USA title game. An interesting storyline comes with this game, as Akron head coach Terry Bowden is the son of Bobby Bowden, the man who made Florida State a two-time national champion plus FAU's Lane Kiffin is the son of Monte Kiffin, recognized as one of football's most creative defensive minds in the game and the father of the "Tampa Cover 2" defense.

Akron: Bowden suspended QB Thomas Woodson and redshirt freshman Kato Nelson scratched out a couple of wins to allow Akron to become bowl-eligible and win its half of the MAC. Woodson returned for the conference title game vs. heavily-favored Toledo but was ineffective, completing only 5 of 14 for 35 yards. Nelson, who started the game and returned in the second half, and third-string Robbie Kelly led a few late TD drives that allowed the Zips to record a backdoor cover. Woodson completed 159 of his 278 pass attempts (57.2%) for 1,777 passing yards with 14 TDs and nine INTs, while Nelson tossed for 909 yards, eight TDs and only two INTs but completed just 48.8 percent of his passes. No RB even gained 400 yards on the season with Akron ranking 118th with 108.5 YPG on the ground. The team averaged only 23.6 PPG (103rd) on just 329.5 YPG (118th) and that hardly bodes well when its defense is allowing 26.3 PPG (60th) and a more troubling 432.3 YPG (98th)

Florida Atlantic: Offense is one aspect of the game everyone concedes Lane Kiffin knows quite a bit about. QB Jason Driskel has completed 65.6% for 1,977 yards with 13 TD passes and four INTs. He's run for 360 yards (5.1 TYPC) with six more TDs. the ground game ranks 6th with 283.1 YPG, leading an offens which averages 39.8 PPG (9th).RB Devin Singletary has had an outstandiung season (1,794 yards (6.5 YPC) and 29 rushing TDs) plus gets help from Howell, who added 690 rushing yards (6.7 YPC) and five TDs. The defense is plenty good enough with those kind of offensive numbers, allowing 24.2 PPG (44th).

The pick: Kiffin rarely "makes friends" in the coaching business, as he sure seemed to enjoy former employer Tennessee stumbling all over itself as it searched for a new head coach. However, he's authored a dramatic turnaround in Boca Raton and his Owls are one of the biggest bowl favorites in recent memory. Akron was able to fill one of the 78 available slots simply by competing in the watered-down MAC East and scoring a non-conference win over Arkansas Pine-Bluff. In the Zips’ other three non-conference games, they were limited to 31 total points in losses to bowl-bound Penn State, Iowa State, and Troy State. Expect this to be a somewhat boring game and the 10* play is on the Under.

The set-up: Xavier had to rallying from a huge deficit in its last outing to beat East Tennessee State. The Musketeers trailed by 22 points with 14:24 remaining in the second half but overcame their worst shooting performance of the season (37.9% on FGs) to win 68-66. Xavier opens the new week at 10-1 and still ranked in the AP's top-10 at No. 8. Coming to to the Cintas center tonight will be the 8-3 Marshall Thundering Herd, who have reeled off four straight victories.

Marshall: The Thundering Herd are one of only 10 Division I schools averaging in excess of 90 points per game, checking in at 90.2 PPG (9th). However, Marshall doesn't much spread its scoring around, as Jon Elmore leads all of Conference USA in scoring at 24.3 PPG while fellow guard C.J. Burks adds 19.6 PPG and the 6-9 Ajdin Penava contributes 19.1 PPG to rank third and fourth, respectively (Penava also leads the team in rebounding at 9.8 per game and the conference in FG percentage at 65.2%). Marshall's group represents the highest scoring trio in the nation at 63 points per game and it needs to, as Marshall is allowing 83.9 PPG to rank 334th (of 351 Division I schools)!

Xavier: The Musketeers have just one true "big-time" scorer and that's Trevon Bluiett (21.4 PPG plus 5.1 RPG). J.P. Macura (10.7) is the only only double digit scorer but six other Xavier players chip in between 6.9 and 9.7 PPG. That balance has Xavier averaging just a few points less than Marshall, at 88.4 (15th). Let's also note that Xavier's 52.8 percent FG percentage ranks second in the nation. The huge difference between the two schools comes on the defensive end of the court, as Xavier is allowing just 69.5 PPG. That's more than three 'TDs' less than Marshall!

The pick: Xavier staged the largest comeback in Cintas Center history the last time out, capped by Trevon Bluiett's game-winner with seven seconds left. "We have to learn from it," head coach Chris Mack said. "Every game isn't going to be a 15-nothing run to start the game. We have to gut some out." Marshall leads the all-time series 13-11 but the schools have played only twice since 1958. Xavier has won the last two meetings, including the most recent one, 69-46 at Cintas Center on Dec. 30, 2004. Marshall can score but so can Xavier, plus while teh Thundering Herd can't slow down any team, the Musketeers can do just that, Lay it and make Xavier an 8* play.

The set-up: The Falcons edged the Saints 20-17 a week ago Thursday night, giving them four wins in their last five to reach 8-5. The Saints (10-4) and Panthers (10-4) both won on Sunday, so the Falcons can ill afford a loss in Week 15's MNF matchup at Raymond James Stadium with the 4-9 Tampa Bay Bucs. The Bucs come in off three straight losses (to the Falcons, Packers and Lions).and are likely just looking for this highly disappointing season to come to an end. These teams met in Week 12 at Atlanta with the Falcons winning 34-20. Matt Ryan threw for 317 yards but had just one TD pass (zero INTs). WR Julio Jones had 253 receiving yards and caught a TD pas from Ryan and WR Sanu. Atlanta's running game rolled up 148 yards (5.3 YPC) with two rushing TDs. Tampa's Winston was out with an injury in that contest, with Fitzpatrick throwing for 283 yards but no scores.

Atlanta: Julio Jones was having a relatively quiet season by his lofty standards until torching Tampa Bay for 12 catches for 253 yards and a pair of TDs in that Week 12 meeting. It's also good news that Devonta Freeman has rushed for 165 yards in two games since returning from a concussion and could be in line for a heavy workload with backup Tevin Coleman in the concussion protocol. Atlanta's running game is solid, averaging 116.8 YPG (12th) but Ryan is way off his 2016 MVP numbers. The Falcons led the NFL by averaging 33.8 PPG last season but head into this Week 15 game averaging only 22.6 PPG (15th). The defense has played well though, allowing 20.1 PPG (9th) on 319.8 YPG (7th).

Tampa Bay: Winston's been back for the last two games (555 passing yards with 4 TDs and 2 INTs) but the Bucs have lost both. Tampa Bay's running game has struggled all season (91.5 YPG ranks 22nd) and is surely a good part of the reason the Bucs are averaging only 20.3 PPG (22nd). Winston enjoyed plenty of success last season against Atlanta, throwing for 542 yards with seven TDs against one interception. but one wonders how much 'fight' there still is in Tampa Bay. The defense is allowing 389.3 YPG (31st) and 24.0 PPG (23rd).

The pick: Atlanta entered the week one game behind the New Orleans Saints and the Carolina Panthers but both won, so a win is a must. The good news for the Falcons is that they still have to play the Saints and Panthers, giving them a chance to claim the division title by winning their final three games. “Focusing on the next team could be a little bit distracting,” Falcons linebacker De’Vondre Campbell said. “We have to focus on (Tampa Bay) because every game at this point is a must-win.” It's also good news that Atlanta is 5-0 ATS in its last five Monday games, while the Bucs are 13-28-1 ATS in their last 42 games in December, as well as 23-49-1 ATS in their last 73 home games. Raymond James is not exactly a tough place for visiting teams to play! After pulling out recent must-win games vs. the Seahawks and Saints, I doubt the Falcons (with the Saints and Panthers looming) will 'stub their toes' against that sad-sack Bucs. Make the Falcons a 10* play.

The set-up: The Celtics had lost three of five after a 22-4 start and trailed the Grizzlies by two points entering the fourth quarter on Saturday. However, Boston opened the final stanza by scoring 16 straight points and went on to earn a 102-93 victory. The now 25-7 Celtics will head to Indianapolis tonight to take on the Pacers, who are coming off a 109-97 triumph in Brooklyn on Sunday. The Pacers opened the season 6-8 but have gone 11-5 over their last 16 games to check in at 17-13 on the season. The Celtics won 108-98 at Indiana last month (Nov. 25), the Celtics' fourth straight victory (also 4-0 ATS) in the series, in a game that ended a five-game winning streak for the Pacers this season

Boston: "We just stayed composed and went out and executed," Boston forward Al Horford (14.3-7.9-5.4) told reporters of the strong finish. "We got some stops on defense. On the offensive end, we moved the ball pretty well. I think that was the difference. We opened up the game after that." Kyrie Irving (24.2 & 4.9 APG) led Boston with 20 points but the play of rookie forward Jayson Tatum (13.8 & 5.7) has been a key lately for Boston. Tatum had 19 points, nine rebounds, two blocks and two steals at Memphis. He leads the NBA with a 51 percent mark from three-point range and is averaging 15 points while shooting 58.6 percent overall in the team's last three wins but just 5.5 PPG on 2-of-13 shooting in the two losses.

Indiana: Victor Oladipo's breakout season continued on Sunday as he scored 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting with seven rebounds. He's averaging 24.4-5.5-4.0 on the year. Myles Turner scored 16 points against the Nets and is averaging 14.7 & 7.2. His backup, rookie Domantas Sabonis (12.1 & 8.4) registered 17 points, eight rebounds and three blocks at Brooklyn. The young big men combined for 36 points and 13 rebounds in the loss to Boston last month in a game Oladipo missed due to a bruised knee. Since missing against Boston, Oladipo is averaging 30.2 points, seven rebounds and 4.8 assists over his last five games!

The pick: The Pacers did not get much time to enjoy their latest win. Shortly after finishing off a 12-point victory over the Nets in Brooklyn on Sunday, they were taking a flight back home to face the Celtics. When Boston beat the Pacers for the fourth straight time, its record was 18-3. Since then, the Celtics are 7-4 in their past 11 games, and they have alternated wins and losses over the past six games. The Celtics turned in two of their worst displays of the season last week in a 108-85 Monday loss at Chicago and a 107-95 Friday home loss to the Utah Jazz. Those games were part of a stretch that has seen the Celtics allow 102.5 points since their last meeting against Indiana. However, Boston rebounded nicely from the Friday loss with a 102-93 win at Memphis on Saturday. The Celtics are 12-4 SU & ATS on the road this season, as Irving averages 25.6 points while shooting 44.7 percent from three-point range on the road, compared to 22.8 and 34.1 percent at home. Boston allows the fewest points in the league (98.1 per), while holding opponents to 43.9% (2nd-best). Meanwhile, the Pacers are allowing 106.8 PPG, to rank 21st. Defense wins and make Boston a 10* play.

The set-up: Go figure the Philadelphia Flyers! The team has put an end to its 10-game losing streak (0-5-5 from Nov. 11 to Dec. 2) in spectacular fashion, by extending its season-high winning streak to six games with Saturday's 2-1 overtime triumph over Dallas. The victory improved the Flyers' record to 3-0-0 on their current five-game homestand at Wells Fargo Center. Philly (now 14-11-7) welcomes the LA Kings to town on Monday, and while the Kings may be 20-10-4 (1st in the Pacific Division), they've followed an eight-game winning streak (from Nov. 25 to Dec. 9) with a three-game skid (0-2-1), and hopes to salvage the finale of their four-game road trip, tonight.

LA Kings:After missing the playoffs last season, the Kings replaced coach Darryl Sutter. John Stevens led Los Angeles to a 20-8-3 start, highlighted by that eight-game win streak. However, those good feelings have evaporated on an East Coast trip in which the Kings have been outscored 13-6 in losing to he New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers and New York Islanders. Tyler Toffoli registered his 100th career assist in Saturday's setback and can reach two more milestones against Philadelphia. The 25-year-old center is one goal shy of the century mark and one point away from 200 in the NHL. RW Dustin Brown will be playing in his 999th career game on Monday.

Philadelphia: The Flyers have allowed two or fewer goals in each of their past six games while receiving goals from 10 different players, including three each from Shayne Gostisbehere, Scott Laughton, Michael Raffl and Simmonds. They have also kept their opponents to two or fewer power-play opportunities in each of their past seven games. Jakub Voracek recorded two assists on Saturday, giving him a league-leading 33 and a team-high 40 points. Philadelphia has done a good job staying out of the penalty box lately, permitting fewer than three power-play opportunities in seven consecutive games. Sean Couturier tops the club with 15 goals but has scored just once in his last eight contests.

The pick:"I just think we're not a confident group right now," LA's Anze Kopitar said after scoring the game-tying goal with 13 seconds remaining in the Kings' 4-3 overtime loss to the Islanders in Brooklyn on Saturday night. "We're more playing not to lose than we are to win. We got to turn that around." Meanwhile, the Flyers are just the third team in NHL history to win at least six in a row after losing 10 straight, joining the 1966-67 Toronto Maple Leafs and 2005-06 San Jose Sharks. The Flyers have also gotten solid goaltending from Brian Elliott (2.61 GAA & .915 SP on the season), who has been in net for all six wins in the streak. Elliott's career high for consecutive wins is 11, set last season. I also expect LA's Quck (2.33 GAA & .924 SP) to be up to the challenge, so the play is a 10* on the Under.

The set-up: The 10-1 Michigan State Spartans have just that lone 88-81 loss to Duke on their resume and should remain No. 2 in Monday' afternoon's new AP poll. The Spartans welcome Houston Baptist to East Lansing on Monday night to begin a five-game homestand. The Spartans will undoubtedly extend their winning streak to 10 in a row, with the margin of victory being only question mark. Houston Baptist comes in just 4-7 and will be at an even greater disadvantage with the ankle injury to the 6-11 Ibara (16.0 & 10.0).

Houston Baptist: The Huskies can score (83.5 PPG ranks 39th) plus have been one of the top rebounding teams in the country this season, ranking 14th in rebounds per game (42.1) and third in offensive boards (15.8). With Ibara out, the 6-10 Edward Hardt (3.2 & 2.0) is the only starter above 6-6. Head coach Ron Cottrell has his team competing on the glass every night because everyone concentrates on getting to the boards. Four different players average at least 5.1 rebounds, including point guard Braxton Bonds (9.0-5.1-5.4 RPG). 6-6 freshman forward David Carahe averages 15.2 & 6.7 plus freshman guard Ian DuBose 11.4 & 5.1. The problem is a defense allowing 82.4 PPG, which ranks 329th out of 351 Division I teams.

Michigan State: Trying to stop MSU's balanced starting-five seems like a 'bridge too far.' Swingman Bridges leads the way (15.1 & 6,4), teamed with an excellent guard duo of Langford (13.3) and PG Winston (13.3 & 6.4 APG). The 6-8 Ward (13.8 & 6.9) and the 6-11 Jackson (10.7 & 7.3) round out a starting-five which leads the way for an offense averaging 80.7 PPG. That's more than enough when MSU features a defense which allows a modest 62.4 PPG (20th), along with the nation's top defensive FG percentage (just 33.4%).

The pick: Sure, Houston Baptist averages 83.5 PPG but Michigan State has allowed just three opponents to record more than 60 points this season. MSU's next four opponents, Houston Baptist, Long Beach State, Cleveland State and Savannah State, own a combined 15-30 record. Boredom is the team's lone concern. However, with Tom Izzo at the helm, I'm not concerned about that. Lay it and make the Spartans a 10* play.

The set-up: NBC's Sunday Night Football edition in Week 15 features the 7-6 Dallas Cowboys visiting the 6-7 Oakland Raiders. The Cowboys have rebounded from three straight loses to beat the Redskins and Giants in their last two, keeping the team's slim wild card hopes alive. The Raiders lost their Week 14 game at KC and at 6-7, sit one game back of the Chargers and Chiefs in the AFC West. Those two play Saturday night, so the Raiders can stay one game behind the winner of that contest and into a tie with the loser. Clearly, the loser of this game will be all but eliminated from postseason consideration.

Dallas: The Cowboys had scored a combined 22 points in losing three in a row, following the six-game suspension to RB Ezekiel Elliott. However, Dallas has scored 38 and 30 points in its back-to-back wins, with QB Dak Prescott breaking out for a career-high 332 yards against the Giants, along with three touchdown passes. RB Alfred Morris ran for 127 yards in the win over the 'Skins and RB Rod Smith had 160 yards from scrimmage with both a rushing and receiving touchdown vs. the Giants (47 rush yards / 113 receiving yards). That said, Dallas can't wait for Elliott to return, after this game.

Oakland: The Raiders' offense pretty much came up empty at KC last Sunday, with QB Derek Carr passing for a modest 211 yards (one TD and two INTs) and Marshawn Lynch gaining only 61 yards on the ground. Carr has 2,942 yards on the season with 18 TDs and 10 INTs (QB rating of 88.8), while Lynch has a disappointing 619 yards rushing on 4.2 YPC with seven TDs. The Raiders rank 15th in passing yards and only 26th in rushing, at 91.5 YPG. That all adds up to just 20.3 PPG, which ranks 21st.

The pick: "I think the two of us probably expected to have a few more wins at this point in the year," Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio said of his team and the Cowboys. "We are where we are and we’re looking forward to playing.” The winning team will have a daunting challenge ahead of them. Dallas has the Seahawks and Eagles remaining on its schedule, while Oakland still has to play the Eagles and Chargers. Not interested in "picking a winner" but considering Prescott has a 114.4 QB rating with eight TDs and zero interceptions in his last five road games and Carr has 21 TD passes versus just five interceptions in his last 10 home games, an 8* on the Over makes sense.

The set-up: The expansion Vegas Golden Knights surprised all by opening 8-1-0 but there was some concern that a three-game slide from Nov. 28 through Dec. 1 was an indication that something may be wrong. However, Vegas has responded by winning five of six and at 20-9-2 ( points), sit second to the Pacific Division. Vegas last played on Thursday when it knocked off two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh 2-1, for its fourth one-goal victory during an impressive 5-0-1 surge. The Golden Knights will host the Florida Panthers on Sunday. The Golden Knights' head coach is Gerard Gallant. He was fired after an 11-10-1 start last season.The Panthers have struggled since Gallant was let go, with just a 36-41-15 record. That includes the team going 12-15-5 this season, although the Panthers had managed to pick up at least a point in five of their last six games (2-1-3) before Thursday’s 2-1 loss at Colorado.

Florida: Center Aleksander Barkov takes a six-game point streak into Sunday’s contest after scoring last time out for Florida. James Reimer has raised his level of play since No. 1 goalie Roberto Luongo went down with another injury and allowed six goals in the first three games of the road trip on 93 shots. Center Vincent Trocheck has posted three goals and six assists over the last seven games to tie left wing Jonathan Huberdeau for the team lead with 32 points.

Vegas: The Golden Knights have thrived despite having one goalie after another go down with an injury. However, Marc-Andre Fleury has turned aside 59 of the 62 shots he has faced in two games since returning from a concussion that kept him out of action for almost two months. Forward Erik Haula has recorded three goals and four assists during a five-game point streak and former Panther Reilly Smith scored twice in his last three contests. William Karlsson, who has been kept off the scoresheet in three straight contests, and former Panther Jonathan Marchessault (one point, five games) lead the team with 26 points.

The set-up: Thee Panthers will stumble into Las Vegas in sixth place in the Atlantic Division with a 12-15-5 record (29 points), having dropped three of their last four games, including a 2-1 loss at Colorado on Thursday. As for meeting the team that caned him, "No hard feelings," Gallant told NHL.com. "Like I said, they're good people. They treated me well and gave me a chance to be a head coach and continue my career. I still have lots of friends there. It wasn't fun at the time. Especially when you think you're doing a good job and you think things are going well for the organization." Vegas is an impressive 12-2-1 at home, outscoring opponents 3.60-to-2.40 GPG. Make Vegas an 8* play.

The set-up: The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos, struggled through an injury and academic issue-plagued 2016-17 season to finish just 6-22. However, they will take the court tonight against USC at the Galen Center.on a seven-game winning streak which has them sitting at 8-2. The USC Trojans are off a 26-win season and returned all five starters to begin the 2017-18 season ranked 10th in the AP's preseason poll. However, after opening 4-0, the Trojans dropped three consecutive games before an 82-59 victory over Santa Clara on Thursday "stopped the bleeding." USC leads the series 13-1 and won the last meeting, 96-72, at the Galen Center on Nov, 27, 2016.

UC-Santa Barbara: Sophomore guard Max Heidegger leads four players in double figures with a 23.4 average and has connected on 31-of-71 3-pointers (43.7 percent). Senior forward Leland King II, a 6-7 transfer from Nevada, is averaging a double-double (19.2 & 10.0) while shooting 46.7 percent from three-point range. Junior forward Jalen Canty (11.3 & 8.2) and junior guard Gabe Vincent (10.9 & 3.7 APG) complete the etam's double digit scorers.

USC: The Trojans have a pair of 'twin towers' in the 6-11 Matu (16.1 & 8.5) and the 6-10 Boatwright (15.4 & 8.2) plus a excellent guard trio in McLaughlin (13.8 & 6.8 APHG), Stewart (10.5) and Matthews (8.4).
The 6-11 Rakocevic (5.9 & 4.4) made his first start of the season against Santa Clara because USC head coach Andy Enfield said guard Elijah Stewart was late for team functions during the week, and he responded with a double-double, finishing with career highs in points (16) and rebounds (10). He adds to an already imposing USC front line of Metu, a potential NBA lottery pick, and Boatwright. It will be interesting to see if Enfield decides to "go big" more often!

The pick: USC played just seven games in the first 34 days of the season but now finds itself in a stretch where it will play six games over a 12-day period, a stretch that began with the win over Santa Clara. The Trojans could use a "feel good win" here and maybe the busy schedule will jump start this very talented team which so far, has underachieved. Note that USC didn't lose to any slouches, as the losses came against A&M (9-1), SMU (8-3) and Oklahoma (8-1). Lay the points and make USC a 10* play.

\The set-up: The Indiana Pacers opened a six-game homestand with four straight wins (including beating the Cavs) but then lost the final two games, each time failing to reach 100 points. After losing 100-95 to OKC, the Pacers nearly overcame a 16-point deficit in the fourth quarter on Friday, before ending up with a 104-98 setback against Detroit.The Pacers will try to rediscover their offense when they hit the road for one game with a visit to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. The Nets know a little about struggling on the offensive end of the court and that was on display during a 120-87 Friday loss to the Toronto Raptors on Friday., when not a single starter scored in double figures.
Indiana: "I said after the game, we've got to stay confident, stay positive, stay aggressive," Pacers guard Victor Oladipo told reporters on Friday night. "Because at the end of the day, we've been in that position before. When we've won, everybody's excited, everybody's happy. Now it didn't turn out the way we wanted, but we learn from it, we move on, and we get ready for Sunday (in Brooklyn)." Oladipo capped the four-game winning streak with a career-high 47 points against the Denver Nuggets but then went a combined 17-of-48 from the floor in the two losses. Oladipo is averaging 24.4 PPG during what's been a breakout season. He leads six Pacers in double digits, a group which includes centers Turner (14.6 & 7.2) and Sabonis (11.9 & 8.4) plus PG Collison (12.0 & 6.1 APG). The Pacers average 108.1 PPG (7th) but allow 107.1 PPG (21st).

Brooklyn: Before getting blown out Friday by Toronto, the Nets had won three of four. The team is just 11-17 but when considers the Nets were only (20-62, .244) last season, the team's .393 winning percentage is a decent improvement. While the starters did not reach double figures for Brooklyn on Friday, a pair of new players gave the bench a boost. Nik Stauskas (team-high 22 points, 5-of-7 from three-point range) and Jahlil Okafor made their debuts after being acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers and combined for 32 points (remember, Okafor averaged 17.5 & 7.0 as a rookie in 2015-16). Brooklyn is 2-3 since making the trade. "They're going to help us," Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson said. "There were definitely flashes of talent and some good stuff out there," "Again, it's going to take time. It's a process, they have to integrate into the group and we have to help them integrate." The Nets were shorthanded without two starters on Friday, as Allen Crabbe (12.0 & 4.0) sat out with left knee soreness, while DeMarre Carroll (13.3 & 7.0) rested. PG Russell was leading the team in scoring at 20.9 PPG (also 5.7 APG) but had arthroscopic surgery on his injured knee and will be out indefinitely, The Nets average 104.4 PPG (10th) but allow 111.0 PPG (28th).

The pick: Indiana is 12-4 in its last 16 meetings with the Nets, including winning the last four. The teams began the regular season two months ago as eight players reached double figures and the Pacers shot 52 percent in a 140-131 home win. We may not see 270 points again but I will make the Over a 10*

The set-up: The Tennessee Titans won six of seven games to join Jacksonville for a first-place in the AFC South with the Jaguars. However, three times in that span, Tennessee wiped out double-figure deficits and made key plays in the fourth quarter to win. That run of success (and good fortune) finally came to an end last week in Arizona, but with a twist. This time, the Titans squandered a 7-0 halftime lead and lost 12-7, dropping a game behind the Jacksonville Jaguars in the division race.The 8-5 Titans travel to Santa Clara (Levi's Stadium) this Sunday to take on the San Francisco 49ers, who may be just 3-10 but come in on a two-game winning streak.

Tennessee: The defense had eight sacks against Arizona and held the Cardinals to just 261 yards and 12 points (four FGs) but Tennessee's offense was awful. The Titans accumulated only 204 yards, as Marcus Mariota completed 16 of 31 for only 159 yards without a TD pass and one INT. The running game had only 65 yards on 22 attempts. The Titans rank 27th in passing (197.5 YPG) with Mariota throwing only 10 TD passes against 14 INTs (76.9 QB rating). The ground game was third-best in the NFL last year (136.7 YPG) but it's down to 117.7 YPG in 2017, ranking 10th. The defense ranks 9th in yards allowed (323.3 YPG) but in the more important category of points allowed, Tennessee is allowing 22.6 PPG (18th).

San Francisco: Have the 49ers found their answer at QB? C.J. Beathard got hurt at the end of the 49ers' Week 12 loss at Seattle, as San Francisco fell to 1-10. That opened the door for Jimmy Garoppolo's long-anticipated 'test drive.' He's led San Francisco to back-to-back wins, 15-14 at Chicago and 26-16 Houston. He threw for 334 yards, a touchdown and an interception on 20 of 33 passing against Houston and enters this contest completing 66.7 percent for 645 yards with two TDs and two INTs (92.6 QB rating). RB Carlos Hyde has 771 yards but the etam averaghes a modest 100.8 YPG (22nd).

The pick: I can see why some are leaning to San Francisco. The 49ers may nave been 1-10 but five of those losses had come by three points or less. Garoppolo is seen as a 'savior' and the fact that he has now won all four of his career starts, including his first two for San Francisco, makes San Fran a 'sexy' pick. That said, it's hard to see a 3-10 team being favored over a team fighting for a division title or wild card spot. The 49ers haven't won three in a row since the 2014 season and I say it won't happen here, either. Beating the sad-sack Bears and the Watson-less Texans is one thing, beating a playoff-contending team is another. Make Tennessee a 10* play.

The set-up: The Minnesota Vikings finally proved human last Sunday, as their eight-game winning streak came to an end in a 31-24 loss at the Carolina Panthers. Minnesota returns home off a three-game road trip and will be "dropping down in class" to face the 5-8 Cincinnati Bengals. Minnesota can clinch the NFC North Division title with a win, while Cincinnati will miss the playoffs for the second straight season, after making five straight (and six of seven) appearances.

Cincinnati: The Bengals come in off back-to-back losses, including an 'ugly' 33-7 defeat at the hands of the Chicago Bears in their last outing. Andy Dalton completed just 14 of 29 while throwing for only 141 yards with one TD and one INT. AJ McCarron threw for 47 yards in relief of Dalton. The Cincy running game has been a problem all season (79.4 RPG ranks 31st) but the Bengals could get back the services of rookie RB Joe Mixon (concussion). Mixon leads the team with 518 YR but averages only 3.3 YPC. Cincinnati averages only 197.8 YPG through the air, leaving them dead-last in total offense at 277.2 YPG and not much better in scoring, at 28th with 17.4 PPG. The defense has hung in there, considering, allowing a modest 20.8 PPG (13th).

Minnesota: Case Keenum has been a huge surprise at QB and enters 9-3 as a starter. However, he did show some vulnerability last week, committing three turnovers (two INTs / one fumble) in the 31-24 setback at Carolina. The Vikings only ran for 100 yards vs. Carolina but overall, RBs Murray (586 YR / 5 TDs) and McKinnon (460 YR / 3 TDs) have done a nice job since the loss of star rookie RB Cook. The Vikings come in averaging 121.8 YPG on the ground, which ranks 8th. Despite allowing 31 points at Carolina last Sunday, Minnesota's defense ranks third in points allowed on the season (18.1 per), as well as also ranking third in total defense at 293.4 YPG.

The pick: The Vikings are fighting for home field advantage in the NFC and can ill afford a slip here but this is a lot of points and the Bengals are 4-2 ATS on the road in 2017. Was Keenum's TO problem last week a sign of things to come? Also note that while Dalton played poorly last Sunday, he had thrown 11 TDs without an interception in his previous six games! Take those points and make Cincy an 8* play.

The set-up: This Week 15 matchup is between two playoff also-rans. It's true that the 6-7 Cardinals, who have two of their last three, have microscopic playoff chances but but they are 11th in the NFC, two games out of the second wild-card spot with only three games remaining. As for Washington, the Redskins have dropped four of their last five to fall to 5-8 and now realize even attaining a .500 record would take a three-game sweep of the team's final games. The Redskins' lone victory in that stretch came at home, a 20-10 triumph over the New York Giants (Week 12). However, Washington has allowed at least 30 points in each of its four defeats in that same span.

Arizona: The Cards enter off a 12-7 victory over the Tennessee Titans and hope to build off that excellent defensive effort. The Cardinals had three 3 sacks and a pair of interceptions, while holding the Titans to just 204 yards of total offense and just 26 minutes of possession in the win. However, while Arizona ranks 8th in total defense (320.6 YPG), it is allowing 24.4 PPG, which ranks 25th. The offense has to rely on backup QB Blaine Gabbert, who threw for only 189 yards against the Titans and wasn't able to get the Cardinals into the end zone (team settled for four FGs). The running game averages a woeful 81.2 YPG (30th) and on the season, Arizona ranks 26th in scoring at 17.8 PPG.

Washington: Kirk Cousins had a poor game last Sunday vs. the Chargers (a 30-13 loss), throwing for only 151 yards with one a touchdown and one interception. However, he is wrapping up another solid season (65.9% for an average of 240.7 YPG through the air with a 22-9 ratio and a QB rating of 97.7) but once again, the Redskins are headed 'nowhere!' I wonder where Cousins will be headed next season? Defensively, the ‘Skins had an interception that turned into a 96-yard pick-six from Beshaud Breeland but that was about all they could hang their hats on, as they allowed 488 yards of total offense and over 35 minutes of possession to the Chargers in the loss.

The pick: However, the Cardinals hardly resemble the red-hot Chargers. In fact, Arizona comes in 1-5 ATS on the road in 2017, winning onty at Indy in OT (Colts are 3-11) and at San Francisco, as part of the 49ers' 0-9 start to the season. I realize the Redskins have their fair share of injuries and are not exactly the most harmonious team in the NFL at the moment but Cousins over Gabbert (198 YPG passing with 6 TDs and 5 INTs for an 80.8 QB rating), is a bargain. Make Washington an 8* play.

The set-up: The Nashville Predotors got off to a poor start, losing seven of their first 12 games (Stanley Cup 'hangover?'). However, the Preds have surely put any hangover behind them and will head into the finale of a three-game trek through Western Canada (at Calgary) having won 15 of their last 19 contests The 20-7-4 Predators (44 points) are now tied with the St. Louis Blues for first place in the West's Central Division. Meanwhile, the 16-13-3 Calgary Flames (35 points) are 4th in the Pacific Division, currently on the wrong side of the playoff 'picture.' Calgary is having a tough December, with losses in six of nine outings (3-5-1) this month.

Nashville Kyle Turris, who was acquired from the Senators on Nov. 5, had a goal and an assist as the Predators won for the 15th time in their past 19 outings on Thursday. Filip Forsberg notched an assist on Thursday to extend his point streak to three games. Defenseman Roman Josi also tallied with the man-advantage in Thursday's 4-0 win at Edmonton. Fiala netted a power-play goal versus the Oilers to increase his point streak to six games (five goals, three assists) while fellow forward Calle Jarnkrok owns a four-game run with three goals and two assists. The Predators took the day off in Calgary on Friday, leaving media to have to wait until Saturday to find out if head coach Peter Laviolette will stick with backup Juuse Saros in goal after he set a franchise record for saves (46) in a shutout in Edmonton. Or he can turn to No. 1 Pekka Rinne. That would hardly be a "bad option," as Rinne has stopped 131 of 140 shots to post a 3-0-1 mark this month.

Calgary:While the Predators have been consistently winning, the Flames find themselves searching for consistency. Calgary surrendered a late goal at home on Thursday and lost to the San Jose Sharks 3-2. The team's power play is mired in a 2-for-28 funk since Nov. 28, with the only spark it provided coming from coach Glen Gulutzan. "I thought the power plays in the second (period) took some momentum out of our sails," Gulutzan said. "Couldn't win a draw on the (38-second) 5-on-3. And the other full power play I don't think we even got in (the offensive zone). So it took a little zip out of us." Leading scorer Johnny Gaudreau (13 goals / 26 assists) struggled to come up with an answer as to what the Flames have to do to turn things around at home, where they are 8-9-0. "Play like we do on the road I guess," he shrugged. "Try not to get to fancy at home."

The pick: Going against Nashville right now makes little sense but I do expect a strong effort from the Flames in this one. A check of the record book reveals the "typical" Calgary home game averages about 6 1/2 goals, so I'll make the Over a 10* play.

The set-up: The Los Angeles Chargers opened 0-4, before winning their Week 5 game against the winless Giants. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs began 5-0. Who could have possibly predicted back then that this Week 15 Saturday night game between the visiting Chargers and the homestanding Chiefs would be for sole possession of first-place in the AFC West. However, that's exactly the case, as both team's come in 7-6. KC's slide began with a 19-13 home loss to the Steelers in Week 6 and last Sunday;s 26-15 win over the Raiders ended a four-game slide, as well as a stretch in which the Chiefs had lost six of seven. The Chargers followed their win over the Giants with two more victories but back-to-back losses left them 3-6 entering Week 11. Eleven was a lucky number for the Chargers, as their 54-24 rout of the Bills has sparked a four-game winning streak.

LA Chargers: QB Philip Rivers is completing 62.8 percent of his passes for 3,611 yards, and is headed for another 4,000 yard passing season (that would make nine of 10!). He has 23 TDs and just seven interceptions for a QB rating of 97.2. WR Keenan Allen has stayed healthy and checks in with 83 catches for 1,143 yards and five TDs. TE Hunter has 42 catches (4 TDs), WR Williams 32 catches (3 TDs) and RB Gordon 43 catches (4 TDs). Gordon leads the team with 853 rushing yards (just 3.7 YPC) but also has six TDs. The Chargers' running game ranks just 24th (99.5 YPG) but Gordon has become a solid dual-purpose RB. The defense has been excellent, allowing just 17.3 YPG (2nd) .

Kansas City; The Chiefs finally saw the return of rookie RB Kareen Hunt in last Sunday's win over the Raiders. He rand for 116 yards, his first 100-yard games since Week 5 (had 100-plus yards four times in his first five games). QB Alex Smith was near-perfect through five games and while he's come back to earth, it's hard to argue with his 67.2% completions on the season (23-5 ratio) and his 104.4 QB rating. The Chiefs defense has been a weakness all season, ranking 30th against the run (124.8 YPG) and 28th versus the pass (248.5 YPG). However, they've been able to "limit the damage," allowing 22.2 PPG (15th). In last Sunday's win, they held the Raiders to 268 total yards and15 points, while forcing three turnovers .

The pick: KC dominated the first meeting, winning 24-10 in LA back in Week 3. However, both teams look very different now. Philip Rivers has led a resurgent offense, averaging 337.0 YPG through the air with eight TDs and not a single interception during the team's four-game winnings streak, LA is averaging 32.8 PPG in that span and I see little reason to expect the KC defense to "keep a lid" on this Rivers-led offense. As for KC, Smith continues his career season and Hunt, who ran for 172 yards against the Chargers in that first meeting, may just have "found his second wind" last Sunday. KC has won seven in this series, so don't expect them to "roll over." Make the Over is a 10* play.

The set-up: Is there any stopping the Houston Rockets? The 23-4 Rockets easily handled the SA Spurs 124-109 last night (Rockets led by as many as 28 points), the team's 12th consecutive win and 10th by double-digits during this impressive stretch of victories. "We have so many talented guys on this team that anyone can come in and have an impact on the game," James Harden said in a post-game television interview. "We just take it one night at a time. ... We just want it to be at a high level and play for each other." The 15-12 Milwaukee Bucks come to Houston scoring 100 points or more in 11 consecutive games (the franchise's best streak since a 12-game run during the 1990-91 campaign) but also having allowed 115 points in each of their last two games, losses to the New Orleans Pelicans (Wed)) and the Chicago Bulls (Friday).

Milwaukee:The Bucks offense has jelled since the acquisition of guard Eric Bledsoe (17.4-3.8-4.4) to go with star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (29.9-10.5-4.5) and solid swingman Khris Middleton (20.2-5.3-4.6). "You've got three guys playing at a high level with Bled, Khris and Giannis," coach Jason Kidd told reporters. "Sharing the ball is the key, and being able to make your free throws. Just making a play for a teammate and finding the open guy. Guys are moving the ball. Right now, the ball is going in for us." Antetokounmpo and Middleton each scored 29 points in Friday's 115-109 loss to the Bulls, although Bledsoe was limited to 12 points.

Houston: PG Chris Paul was brilliant against San Antonio with 28 points, eight assists and a season-best seven steals, as Houston improved to 13-0 with the nine-time All-Star in the lineup. Paul is averaging 26.3 points, eight assists and 3.5 steals over the past four games and has made a season-high five 3-pointers in each of the past two contests. Harden put up 28 points despite 6-of-18 shooting and has scored 20 or more in every game this season. Harden is averaging 31.5-5.1-9.3 and Paul 17.1-5.1-9.5. Add to that duo guard Gordon (18.7) plus center Capela (13.7-11.0) and the Rockets have a team the Warriors just may be concerned about by year's end.

The pick: The Bucks had won six of seven games before their back-to-back losses but there is little doubt that they are struggling defensively. Milwaukee has allowed at least 100 points in seven consecutive games and ranks 28th in the NBA with a 110.5 defensive rating in December.I realize the Rockets are clearly on a roll but the Bucks have just dropped consecutive games for the first time since losing to the Mavericks and Wizards in late November. Expect at least a little let down from the Rockets off that beatdown of the Spurs and grab the big points with Milwaukee and the spectacular Antetokounmpo, who averaged 31.5 points, nine rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.5 blocks as the teams split last season's two meetings. Make Milwaukee a 10* play.

The set-up: No. 22 Florida faces a tough test in the second game of the Orange Bowl Classic, as the 6-3 Gators will take on 8-1 Clemson. Florida had dropped games against Duke and Florida State before suffering a surprising loss to Loyola Chicago but then knocked off Cincinnati 66-60 last Saturday in Newark, N.J, snapping a demoralizing three-game losing streak. "We just focused on ourselves, what we can do better, and especially our mental toughness,” Florida’s senior guard Egor Koulechov told reporters. “I thought we were really soft (during the losing streak). We took a step forward (last Saturday) with a win over a tough team.” Clemson is off to its best start since 2008-09, when the Tigers won their first 16 games, Clemson has won four games by 20 or more points and suffered their only loss of the season to Temple back on Nov. 17.

Clemson: Head coach Brad Brownell goes after his 300th career win with a team averaging 79.8 PPG (97th), featuring five players averaging in double figures. Senior 6-8 forward Donte Grantham tops the team at 16.0 PPG and adds 6.2 RPG. Fellow 6-9 big man Thomas leads in rebounding at 8.8 per game and adds 12.1 PPG. Three guards join them in double digits, Reed (13.8), Mitchell (12.8 & 5.0 APG) and DeVoe (10.9). Clemson always plays good defense and this year's team is allowing just 63.9 PPG (36th).

Florida: Senior guard Chris Chiozza stepped up to score the game’s final six points to finish with 15 against Cincinnati and is dishing out a team-best 6.1 assists per contest in the early going. “I wasn’t looking to take the game over,” Chiozza, who is averaging 11.8 PPG and has made 12-of-23 from three-point range overall, told reporters. “I was just trying to make good plays for my team and a couple fell into my hands.” Junior guard Jalen Hudson tops the team in scoring (19.1) and is hitting 52.7 percent from the floor, while Koulechov (16.1) is second. Both rebound well for guards, especially Koulechov, who leads the team at 6.2 RPG. Allen (11.8) makes it four double digit scorers, all guards. The two biggest contributors in the frontcourt are the 6-8 Stone (5.9 & 2.8) and the 6-9 Hayes (4.4 & 4.6). Florida can score (87.9 PPG ranks 19th) but it needs to with a defense allowing 76.9 PPG (275th!).

The pick: The Gators were ranked among the nation's best after finishing off November by beating No. 17 Gonzaga in double overtime and leading top-ranked Duke in the final minutes before losing by three points in the PK80 Invitational in Portland, Or. However, that loss to the Blue Devils sent the Gators into a tailspin that saw them start December by losing to Florida State by 17 points and 65-59 to Loyola Chicago , both at home. The win over the Bearcats has to be a confidence-builder and while Sunrise, Fl is not exactly a home game, it's close (just outside of Fort Lauderdale). In fact, Florida has won seven straight in the Orange Bowl Classic. Make that eight straight, as the Gators are an 8* play.

The set-up: The Gildan New Mexico Bowl will be contested at Dreamstyle Stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico and features the 7-5 Marshall Thundering Herd (4-4 in C-USA East) and the 7-5 Colorado State Rams (5-3 in the MWC-Mountain Division). Marshall had a great start to their season, opening with a 6-1 record (a favorable schedule helped). However, the Thundering Herd struggled down the stretch, losing four of their last five games. The Rams struggled down the stretch as well, losing three of their last four but this game marks the school's fifth consecutive bowl appearance (2-2).

Marshall: QB Chase Litton who completed 60.6% of his passes while averaging 237.8 YPG (58th). He has 23 TDs and 12 INTs. Litton has now started 33 contests for the Thundering Herd, throwing 70 TD passes against 29 interceptions, His top targets are a pair of first-team All-Conference USA selections in WR Tyre Brady (56 catches / 7 TDs), a transfer from Miami, and TE Ryan Yurachek (47 catches / 9 TDs). Overall, the offense averaged 26.3 YPG (81st) on 370.1 YPG (94th). The Marshall ground game averaged.a modest 132.3 YPG (104th), as RBs King (714 yards) and Davis (671 yards) combined for 11 TDs. The defense comes in allowing 19.2 PPG (17th) on 337.3 YPG (24th) but I'll have more on that later.

Colorado State: The Rams own a potent offense led by QB Nick Stevens, who completed 63.6% of his passes for 27 TDs and 10 INTs while averaging 289.9 YPG through the air (ranks 23rd). Michael Gallup has 94 catches for 1,350 yards with seven TDs, The running game (211.5 YPG ranks ) is led by the duo of Dalyn Dawkins(1,349 RY / 6.2 YPC / 8 TDs) and Izzy Matthews (588 RY / 4.8 YPC / 8 TDs). An excellent run/pass balance sees the offense averaging 33.8 PPG (29th) on 501.8 YPG (10th). The defense is allowing unimpressive figures of 27.5 PPG (73rd) on 427.8 YPG (93rd).

The pick: Marshall had success early in the season due to a light schedule and a defense which was holding opponents to an average of just 14.2 PPG. However, as the schedule toughened, the "D" had its troubles, allowing 26.2 PPG over the final five games of the season (Marshall went 1-4). I noted above the excellent balance CSU owns on offense and the last time the Rams played in the New Mexico Bowl (2013 against Washington St.), they scored 48 points! I realize that Marshall owns an FBS-best 10-2 record in NCAA-sanctioned bowl games (among teams with a minimum of four appearances), including going 5-0 since 2009. However, the Rams are just the better team in this matchup and expect Stevens and Co. to 'light up' an overrated Marshall defense. Make Colorado State an 8* play.

The set-up: The Boise State Broncos edged the Fresno State Bulldogs 17-14 in the MWC conference championship game, avenging a 28-17 loss at Fresno on Nov. 25. That victory clinched a bid to the Las Vegas Bowl and in the process, replaced Fresno State with a ranking of No. 25 in the AP's final regular season poll with a 10-3 record (matching last year's record). Joining the Broncos at Sam Boyd Stadium for the 26th Las Vegas Bowl will be the 7-5 Oregon Ducks (4-5 in the Pac-12 North). The Ducks opened the 2017 season at 4-1 but then dropped their next three games by a combined 82 points. However, they finished by winning three of their last four, including a 69-10 romp over Oregon State in their season finale. The schools have met only two previous times (Broncos have won both), most recently in Boise back on Sep. 3, 2009, Chip Kelly's head-coaching debut. The Broncos won 19-8 but the contest is most remembered for what happened after the game. RB LeGarrette Blount punched Boise State's Byron Hunt as the teams converged on the field afterward and the ensuing melee received national attention.

Oregon: QB Justin Herbert threw for 1750 yards on 66.5% completions with 13 TDs and three INTs. Herbert was injured in Oregon's 45-24 victory over California back on Sept. 30 and was replaced by true freshman Braxton Burmeister. The Ducks went 1-4 over the course of Herbert's absence, so it's clear Oregon is a different team with him under center. RB Royce Freeman led the team with 1,475 rushing yards (6.0 YPC) and a team-high 16 TDs. Fellow RB Kani Benoit added 573 yards on the ground (7.2 YPC) with 10 TDs of his own. Oregon ranks 8th in rushing at 268.0 YPG and finished the season averaging 36.7 PPG (18th). The defense did a pretty good job in holding opponents to 359.8 YPG to rank 40th, than it did in the points allowed category, finishing 77th in allowing 28.2 PPG.

Boise State: The champions of the Mountain West Conference mixed and matched QBs throughout the season but currently, the team is back to its opening game starter, Brett Rypien. He completed 195 of his 308 pass attempts for 2,515 yards with 14 TDs and just four INTs. WR Cedrick Wilson led the BSU receiving corps with team-highs of 73 catches for 1290 yards (17.7 YPC with six TDs) but while TE Jake Roh caught a more modest 39 balls, he had a team-high nine TD receptions. The Broncos come in averaging 32.1 PPG (38th) and defensively, they've allowed 22.5 PPG (35th) on just 336.7 YPG (22nd).

The pick: Let's first note that Oregon is garnering as much attention for who won't be at the game, as it is for who will be. Head coach Willie Taggart, who turned the Ducks' fortunes around after doing the same in four years at South Florida, will forego his duties after accepting the head coaching job at Florida State. Co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Mario Cristobal will lead the Ducks in Las Vegas (he spent six years as head coach at Florida International). One must also note that Boise's leading rusher, Alexander Mattison, is considered questionable after he suffered an ankle injury in the title game victory over Fresno State (he was seen in a walking boot after that game). Despite winning 10 games, to Oregon's seven, the Broncos are the underdog in this game. Oregon gets the nod as a the favorite because it's clear that the Ducks with Herbert, are a different team than the Ducks without him. It's really rather simple. Oregon averaged 52.1 PPG in the seven games Herbert played this year (note the nation's top-scoring club is UCF at 49.4 PPG) and just 15 points in the five games he missed due to injury. Make Oregon a 10* play.

The set-up: It's the first game of Saturday's Orange Bowl Classic in Sunrise, Fla., as unranked Oklahoma State (7-2) takes on No. 19 Florida State, with the schools meeting for only the second time in their histories (1964 was the first!). Florida State is one of only six undefeated teams in the nation entering Friday, having climbed into the rankings at No. 19 after extending its season-opening start to 9-0 with a 72-53 victory over Tulane on Sunday. The Seminoles now take aim at tying the school record for the best start to a season (10-0 in 2003-04). Oklahoma State has had success of its own this season but its two losses came against ranked opponents. The Cowboys lost 72-55 to No. 10 Texas A&M in November and 78-66 to No. 3 Wichita State on Sunday.

Oklahoma State: The Cowboys fell to the Shockers despite career-high performances from Tavarius Shine (20 points) and Mitchell Solomon (17). Shine (11.0 & 4.2) is one of three guards averaging double digits, with Carroll (12.7 & 5.1) and Smith (10.2) being the other two. The 6-9 Solomon (8.2 & 6.2) and the 6-7 McGriff (8.2 & 5.6) are the team's best frontcourt players for a team in which the top-five scorers play on the perimeter. OSU averages a modest 78.8 PPG (113th) but remains competitive by relying on a tenacious defense that produces turnovers. The team has recorded at least 19 in each of its last three outings and the Cowboys are averaging 18.3 points off those turnovers per game. Oklahoma State allows its opponents 64.0 PPG (38th) on 40.2% shooting (65th).

Florida State: The Seminoles did not have a strong shooting effort against Tulane (44.8 percent shooting from the floor, including 34.4 percent in the first half) but Leonard Hamilton's young Seminoles are solid all around. FSU ranks 23rd with 87.1 PPG and 28th in FG percentage at 50.0%. The defense allows 67.0 PPG (just 81st) but the team's defensive FG percentage ranks 16th at 37.5%. The team's margin of victory checks in at 21.0 PPG. The lone returning starter is junior guard Terance Mann and he leads in scoring with a career-high 15.6 PPG and a shooting percentage of 64.5 percent. Senior forward Phil Cofer, who has been a "no-show" the last two years, leads the team in rebounds (5.8) and adds 12.3 PPG. Joining those two in double digits are guards Angola (12.7 & 3.6 APG) and C.J. Walker (11.2).

The set-up: The Seminoles have made it into the top-25 after a big week with victories over No. 22 Florida, Loyola (Md.) and Tulane, but the trick is remaining there. "We're making progress, but we're not a finished product," Hamilton told reporters. "We have 10 guys who are freshmen or sophomores. We're still growing and maturing." That said, FSU is perfect 7-0 ATS and as noted, OSU has lost to both previous ranked opponents, by 17 and 12 points. What I didn't mention earlier is that 1st-year OSU head coach Mike Boyton recently dismissed two contributing players, 6-5 junior wing Davon Dillard and highly-regarded 6-3 freshman Zack Dawson, which leaves the depth-shy Cowboys in even 'deeper' trouble. Lay it and make Florida State a 10* play.

The set-up: The 10-2 Troy Trojans (7-1 in the Sun Belt) will take on the 9-4 North Texas Mean Green (7-1 in C-USA) in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Trojans enter this game on a six-game winning streak and have a chance to win 11 games for the first time in school history. The Mean Green have won eight of their last 10 games, although one of those two losses came 41-17 to FAU in the C-USA championship game (Dec. 2) and also have a shot at 10 victories for the first time in school history. The Troy Trojans are 3-3 all-time in bowl games, while the North Texas Mean Green are just 2-5 all-time in bowl appearances.
North Texas: QB Mason Fine is completing 64.3 percent of his passes for 3,749 yards with 28 TDs and 13 INTs (his passing yards and TDs are both single-season school records!). Jalen Guyton has 48 catches (9 TDs) and Michael Lawrence has 56 catches (3 TDs). RB Jeffery Wilson had 1,215 rushing yards (6.5 YPC) and 16 TDs before getting hurt (ankle). That means Nic Smith (665 RY / 5.0 YPC) will be the team's featured back. North Texas averages 35.9 PPG (20th) on 467.2 YPG (19th). The Mean Green needs to score, as the team's D allows 33.8 PPG (106th) on 431.2 YPG (97th).

Troy: QB Brandon Silvers is completing 62.9 percent of his passes for 2,985 yards but has thrown only a modest 13 TDs (also just six INTs). WRs Deondre Douglas (48 catches) and Damion Willis (31) have combined for 1,113 receiving yards and five TDs, while Emanuel Thompson (another WR) has 38 receptions. Troy's ground game is averaging a modest 150.4 YPG (85th), as Jordan Chunn leads the way with 774 yards (5.0 YPC) and 10 TDs. The offense comes in scoring 30.0 PPG (50th). The Trojans have relied on their defense all season and come in allowing 17.5 PPG (11th) on 342.1 YPG (27th).

The pick: Troy has never won 11 games in a season and North Texas has never produced a double-digit winning season, so the winner will be in 'virgin' territory. Troy comes in having won 21 of its past 26 games under coach Neal Brown, after he started 3-8 in 2015. Troy owns that great upset win at LSU and the much better defense but North Texas owns an excellent offense, the much better QB and even assuming Wilson doesn't play, a running game that is capable of adding balance. I want the underdog. Make North Texas an 8* play.

The setup: The Denver Pioneers won 16 games last season (lost 14) and have averaged a modest 15 wins per season the last four, since last winning 20-plus games. The 5-6 Pioneers will visit Maples Pavilion Friday night to take on Struggling Stanford, which comes in just 4-6. The Cardinal 'booted' Johnny Dawkins two yeas ago but after Jerod Hasse led Stanford to just a 14-17 record last season, the team's 4-6 start this season has many wondering if the Cardinal made the right move.

Denver: The Pioneers will be looking for a bounce-back effort after committing 18 turnovers and trailing by as many as 28 in Wednesday’s 83-63 loss to Northern Colorado. The Pioneers do return four starters from last season and the lone bright spot in Wednesday's loss was the play of junior guard Joe Rosga, who registered 14 points and seven rebounds, becoming the 35th member of the school’s 1,000-point club. The frontcourt is led by 6-10 senior center Daniel Amigo, who averages 16.0 PPG and 4.8 RPG. Denver averages 70.5 PPG (267th) and allows 71.5 PPG (170th).

Stanford: The Cardinal are back from a much-needed break for final exams, hoping a "re-boot' will be able to remedy the team's sluggish start. Stanford enters having lost five of its last six, hardly what was expected in non-conference play. Junior forward Reid Travis was a preseason All-American and leads the team in scoring (21.7) and rebounding (7.8). Dorian Pickens (12.6 PPG last year) and Marcus Sheffield (6.7 PPG) are both injured, in the team's last game (a 76-68 at Long Beach State on Dec. 3.), leaving Stanford with just even scholarship players. The shorthanded Cardinal hope to have Pickens and Sheffield back from their foot injuries in time for the Pac-12 opener against California on Dec. 30, but Haase wasn’t able to say when freshman Kezie Okpala might be cleared academically to return.

The pick: The last time out, Stanford lost to Long Beach State, for the first time in school history. A two-week break should have them highly motivated to "stop the bleeding" against a Denver team that is 0-3 in true road games, getting outscored 83.7-to-65.3 PPG. Make Stanford a 10* play.

The pick: I doubt in will take teh Spurs long to integrate Leonard into the flow of things and a visit to Houston, the NBA's hottest team right now, should be all the motivation Pop and his veteran team needs. Take the points and make the Spurs a 10*

The set-up: The 20-9-3 LA Kings (43 points lead the Pacific Division) saw their eight-game winning streak come to an end with a 5-1 setback in New Jersey on Tuesday, and tonight will visit the 16-12-3 NY Rangers (35 points leave them 5th in the Metropolitan) in the "World's Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden. " New York lost for the third time in four contests in Wednesday's 3-2 loss at Ottawa. Both teams look to get back on the winning track but the Rangers did sweep the season series in 2016-17.

LA Kings: The Kings were held to 17 shots against the Devils, their lowest total since they had 15 in a 3-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Oct. 13, 2015. Jonathan Quick's six-game winning streak ended with thud on Tuesday, as the 2012 Conn Smythe Trophy recipient allowed five goals, marking just the fourth time all season that he permitted more than three in a contest.Jonathan. "We didn't prepare properly, I don't think," defenseman Jake Muzzin said to L.A. Kings Insider. "We're not surprised at teams anymore coming in and we've got to be ready from the start and I think they had the upper hand early and we couldn't settle in and get into it. Couple mistakes in the back of the net and all of the sudden we're down two and then we're down four. So, that's the way it went." Captain Anze Kopitar has team-leading totals in goals (16), assists (22) and points (38), although he was held off the scoresheet versus the Devils, after posting four straight multi-point performances.

NY Rangers: Mats Zuccarello increased his team-leading totals in assists (18) and points (25) by setting up Michael Grabner's club-best 15th goal early in the second period on Wednesday but New York lost 3-2. He has caught his stride with 17 points (five goals, 12 assists, plus-12 rating) in his last 19 games and enters Friday's tilt with optimism. Speaking of Grabner, he set a single-game career high with four points (two goals, two assists) against Los Angeles on Dec. 19, 2015.

The pick: Friday will be a special night for Kings forward and ex-Ranger Marian Gaborik, as he plays his 1,000th career game. Gaborik signed with the Rangers as a free agent prior to the 2009-10 season but then won a Stanley Cup with the Kings in 2014, against the Rangers. "To play 1,000 games is a great accomplishment, and to do it and get 800 points I think is a great accomplishment, and to his credit, he's a big part of a championship team," Kings coach John Stevens said of Gaborik, who has 400 goals and as many assists. However, the Rangers have given the Kings trouble as of late, going 7-3-3 over the last 13 meetings. Make the Rangers a 10* play.

The set-up: The 22-6 Golden State Warriors trail the 22-4 Houston Rockets in the West and also find themselves right behind the 24-6 Boston Celtics. However, there are 50-plus games remaining in the regular season,m plenty of time for Golden State to secure the home court edge come mid-April. Stephen Curry (26.3-5.1-6.6) has been out the last three games and is expected to be out the rest of this week (at least) while nursing an ankle injury and Draymond Green (10.1-7.2-7.3) remains day-to-day, after sitting out two of the last three with a shoulder injury, Despite all that, the Warriors won all six games of their recent road trip and will welcome the 8-20 Dallas Mavericks to Oracle Arena on a seven-game winning run. The Mavericks are tied for the West's worst record (with Memphis) but head to Golden State with a positive outlook after earning a 95-89 win over the San Antonio Spurs at home on Tuesday.

Dallas: Dallas suffered single-digit losses at Boston, Milwaukee and Minnesota before coming home and putting it all together against the Spurs. The Mavericks saw guards Wes Matthews, Yogi Ferrell and J.J. Barea score 16 points apiece while holding San Antonio's backcourt trio of Tony Parker, Danny Green and Manu Ginobili to a combined 14 points.
The win over teh Spurs came without the services of rookie guard Dennis Smith Jr, who rmains out of action due to a strained left hip. He ranks third among rookies in assists (4.0 per game) and fifth in scoring (14.4 points per game), Like last year, SF Harrison Barnes leads the team in scoring at 18.4 PPG (also leads with 7.4 RPG) and of course Dirk Nowitzki is still around (11.1 & 5.6). Once an outstanding offensive team, the Mavs are nowhere near that this season, averaging only 99.9 PPG (27th) on 43.7% shooting (28th).

Golden State: Offense is never a problem for Golden State, regardless of which players are in or out of the lineup. The Warriors rank first in scoring (117.0 PPG), FG percentage (51.3%) and three-point percentage (40.0%). Kevin Durant (25.7-6.9-5.3) is averaging 33 points, 10 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 3.3 blocks in the last three games (with Curry out), to keep Golden State in the win column. "Our focus level is just on another level because of the injuries that we have on our team," Durant told reporters. "We have to be locked in on every single play; and that's hard to do in this league, and that's hard to do in December, especially after winning a championship."Klay Thompson (20.7) is scoring 23.3 PPG the last three and with that duo carrying the scoring load with Curry out, Golden State is also getting solid performances from role players like Jordan Bell, David West and Omri Casspi. Those three all scored in double figures in Monday's 111-104 win over the Portland Trail Blazers while going a combined 14-of-18 from the floor. "These night are really powerful for a team where guys are able to get out there who aren't usually in the lineup," Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters. "It makes them feel good, it makes us feel good and it just strengthens the depth."

The pick: The Mavericks stunned the San Antonio Spurs 95-89 in Kawhi Leonard's season debut on Tuesday night but now head to the 'lion's den' to face the Warriors. This Thursday game is the Warriors' second in a stretch of 10 in which they never leave the state of California. They play only once on the road, Monday against the Los Angeles Lakers, between now and a trip to Dallas on Jan. 3. The Mavs are 2-10 SU on the road, where they average only 97.2 PPG. Meanwhile, the Warriors are averaging 116.8 PPG at home and have now been back home a few days off that six-game road trip. Look out below! Lay the points and make Golden State a 10* play.

The set-up: The South Dakota Coyotes are 9-3 and will take their act on the road Thursday night to J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome in Flagstaff, Arizona to face the struggling Northern Arizona Lumberjacks, who fell to 2-8 on the season after being defeated by the San Diego Toreros, 79-51, this past Saturday night. It;'s been a dramatic fall from grace for the Lumberjacks, who won 23 games back in the 2014-15 season (lost in the CIT championship game at Evansville), before winning just five and nine games, these last two season. The Coyotes were just 18-17 last season but had won 24 and 26 the previous two, so the school's fast start has them on pace for at least, another 20-win season.

South Dakota State: The Coyotes won their second straight game after edging the Eastern Washington Eagles, 75-73, this past Sunday. South Dakota State shot 54.9% from the floor and 81.0% (17-21) from the FT-Line in the win. The team typically shoots well, as the Coyotes enter making 49.5% from the floor on the season (ranks 35th). Leading the way for the Coyotes in the win was guard Matt Mooney. who had 19 points. Mooney (16.5-3.3-3.7) is the team's top scorer, followed by the 6-10 Tyler Hagedorn (13.1 & 5.1), guard Triston Simpson (8.8) and 6-6 forward Trey Burch-Manning (8.6 & 7.5). Defensively, South Dakota St. is holding opponents to an average of 67.2 PPG (86th) on on 40.4% shooting (70th).

Northern Arizona: The lumberjacks were terrible on offensive end in the loss against San Diego and couldn’t fight back after falling behind by a 47-18 margin with 16:46 left in regulation. Northern Arizona shot just 26.7% from the floor, including 20.0% (3-15) from beyond the arc. Northern Arizona is averaging only 64.1 PPG (334th) on 38.4% shooting (341st). Jojo Anderson (10.4 PPG) is the team's lone double digit scorer, although Chris Bowling (9.7) and Torry Johnson (9.2) just miss. Defensively, the Lumberjacks allow 80.3 PPG (311th) on 49.7% shooting (340th). Just a reminder, there ar 351 Division I schools!

The pick: It looks as if South Dakota Sate will be one of the better teams in the Summit League this season, while it's already been a long season for Northern Arizona (see above). However, this is a 'heavy' number for the Coyotes to lay on teh road and I'm calling for the home dog to 'bark loudly' Make Northern Arizona a 10* play.

The set-up: The NFL has seen TV ratings dip in 2017 and Thursday's matchup between the 4-9 Denver Broncos and the 3-10 Indianapolis Colts won't be able to help those ratings. The Broncos snapped their longest losing streak since joining the NFL in 1970 with a 23-0 shutout of the New York Jets last Sunday and the team was able to avoid tying its franchise futility record of nine consecutive losses set way back in 1967. As for the Colts, they have lost their last four games, including Sunday in that "very snowy" game in Buffalo13-7.

Denver: The Broncos have tried three QBs this season and the trio has combined for 15 TDs and 18 INTs, while sporting a QB rating of 71.1. Trevor Siemian is back as the team's starter and he didn't do much vs. the Jets, going 19 of 31 for 200 yards one TD and no INTs. The Broncos only had 273 yards and that's not new, as they enter this game averaging only 17.6 PPG (24th). However, the Denver defense was spectacular, holding the Jets to six FDs and a total of just 100 yards. Denver now leads the NFL in total defense, allowing only 280.5 YPG. However, despite shutting out the Jets, Denver ranks just 24th in points allowed, at 24.2 PPG. A big reason for that is that Denver's TO ratio of minus-14 ranks 31st in the league.

Indianapolis: QB Jacoby Brissett was only able to pass for 69 yards in the snow at Buffalo and enters with just 11 TDs and seven INTs on the season (2,611 passing yards with a QB rating of 82.5). Indy's offense is averaging only 16.3 PPG (30th) and its defense ranks 31st in points allowed (26.4 per) and 30th in yards allowed (375.3 YPG). Frank Gore had a career-high 36 rushing attempts vs. the Bills, while gaining 130 yards. Yes, the 34-year-old needs just 59 scrimmage yards to join Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith as the only players in NFL history with at least 12-plus consecutive seasons with 1,000 yards. However, the Colts' running game averages only 104.0 YPG (20th).

The pick: The Broncos not only broke an eight-game losing streak by beating the Jets last Sunday but they also snapped an 0-8 ATS run, as well. The Broncos are not as bad as their record but the Colts are. Make Denver an 8* play.

The set-up: The 13-11-7 Anaheim Ducks head out on a six-game road trip that will carry them into the Christmas break. Coming off a 2-0-1 homestand, the Ducks, will face five teams from the Metropolitan Division after opening the road trip against the Western Conference leading St. Louis Blues on Thursday night. The Ducks have just 33 points, leaving them out of a playoff position in the Western Conference (currently fifth in the Pacific Division). Meanwhile, the 21-9-2 Blues not only lead the Central Division but their 44 points is tops in the West, bettered by only the Tampa Bay Lightning's 46 points (Atlantic Division), in the entire NHL

Anaheim: The Ducks have been ravaged by injuries this year but did welcome back captain Ryan Getzlaf from a 19-game absence on Monday. However, in keeping with the team's bad luck, leading scorer Corey Perry ( 22 points, including six goals) got hurt in the same game. "It’s just hard watching your teammates go down but you have to continue to improve and push forward," Ducks forward Cam Fowler said. "This is a big part of our schedule, this road trip coming up. We’re going to learn a lot about ourselves." Perry is just the latest blow for Anaheim and his injured lower right leg will keep him sidelined on a week-to-week basis. In a bit of good news, head coach Randy Carlyle did note that center Ryan Kesler, who has yet to play this season, and defenseman Hampus Lindholm will accompany the team on the road trip. This will be the Ducks' second game in St. Louis in a little more than two weeks. They beat the Blues 3-2 on Nov. 29.

St. Louis: The Blues were relatively healthy in that Nov. 29 game against the Ducks but they are now dealing with multiple missing players as well. Forward Jaden Schwartz 14 goals and 21 assists makes him the team's second-leading scorer) is out for six weeks with an ankle injury, defenseman Alex Pietrangelo is out for at least a week with a lower-body injury and defenseman Jay Bouwmeester also did not play Tuesday and his status for Thursday will be determined after the Blues' morning skate. "You wish they were in your lineup but that's the way it goes," netminder Jake Allen said. "We can't feel sorry for ourselves and people won't feel sorry for us because we're missing three of our top players." Speaking of Allen, he took the loss in the Nov. 29 setback to the Ducks but he is 5-2-0 with a 1.76 goals-against average versus Anaheim in his career.

The pick: The Ducks had their struggles on a recent six-game trip, going 1-2-3 from Nov. 25-Dec. 5, and now head out on another another one. The timing is not good, as the Blues are coming off a 3-0 shutout home loss to the Lightning (a showdown of the NHL's top-two teams in points). Expect St. Louis to bounce back and note that after the Blues were shut out by the Philadelphia Flyers on Nov. 2, they defeated Toronto 6-4 in their next game. They followed up their second shutout of the season (to Nashville on Nov. 24) with a 6-3 victory over the Minnesota Wild. Think six goals again will be enough to best the Ducks? Make St. Louis a 10* play.

The set-up: The Toronto Raptors averaged almost 120 PPG (117, to be exact) during a six-game winning streak but Monday night at Staples Center, Toronto was beaten by the Clippers 96-91. The Raptors conclude their four-game road trip when they visit the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday. The Raptors beat the Suns 126-113 at home back on Dec. 5, beginning a four-game skid for Phoenix, which just lost 99-92 road at Sacramento on Tuesday.

Toronto: "It happens," shooting guard DeMar DeRozan told reporters after the loss to the Clippers. "We're going to have nights like that where we miss shots. We made a lot of mistakes in the last couple of minutes of the game." DeRozan was limited to 17 points on 5-of-13 shooting against the Clippers, after averaging 25.4 points over the previous five games. DeRozan (23.2-4.5-5.2) and PG Kyle Lowry (16.4-6.4-7.0) lead four starters in double digits, joined by PF Ibaka (13.2 & 5.5) and center Valanciunas (10.6 & 7.5). One bright spot in the Monday loss an offensive spark from Valanciunas, who tied season highs with 23 points and 15 rebounds (his first double-double since Nov. 7).

Phoenix: The last time these teams met (see above), the Suns lost more than game, as shooting guard Devin Booker suffered a groin injury. Booker (24.3-4.5-4.1) is expected to miss two to three weeks, leaving only T.J. Warren (18.7 & 5.7) as a reliable scorer. Phoenix badly missed Booker in Tuesday's loss, as teams are crowding the other shooters since they don't have to focus on traps or double teams of the 21-year-old star. Small forward TJ Warren has been trying to pick up the slack but was 9-of-24 shooting while scoring 18 points against the Kings. The Suns missed 15 of 17 three-pointers in the second half. "We've just got to get better at shooting the 3-ball," Phoenix coach Jay Triano said afterward. "The game is trending that way and we got to be able to make more than 2-of-17 in a half." Rookie Josh Jackson (9.2 & 3.6), who is starting in place of Booker, was only 3-of-14 shooting for seven points against the Kings.

The pick: Despite the 'hiccup' at Staples Center, the Raptors have been one of the hotter teams in the NBA and in stark contrast, the Suns have lost six of seven and 16 of 21. In this quick turnaround from Toronto’s 126-113 home win over Phoenix (Dec. 5), I see the result being pretty much the same, as the Booker-less Suns just don't have the firepower to match the Raptors. In Suns have averaged a woeful 97.3 PPG in the three games since Booker got hurt. Make the Under a 10* play.

The set-up: Boston Bruins have won eight of 10 and at 14-9-4 are "movin' on up" in the Atlantic Division. The Detroit Red Wings are headed in the opposite direction, going 1-5-4 over their last 10 and the team's 28 points (11-13-6 record) leaves them and out off playoff position for te second consecutive season (25-year playoff run ended last season). These two "Original Six" teams will meet tonight at Little Caesars Arena.

Boston: Ryan Spooner practiced in full for the second straight day on Tuesday as he recovers from a lower-body injury that has seen him return to the lineup and exit in short order on multiple occasions. "I guess the long and short of that (is) he's still day-to-day," coach Bruce Cassidy said after Tuesday's practice. "We'll decide Wednesday. We don't want to go backwards again. We've had a couple of starts and stops with that one." Six players have scored at least three goals during the team's 8-2 run stretch. David Pastrnak, who will play in his 200th career game tonight and has been terrific overr the last three weeks. He has four goals and six assists in an eight-game point streak and goalie Tuukka Rask carries a 4-0-0 mark with a 1.09 goals-against average and .955 save percentage in his last five games into Wednesday's tilt.

Detroit: The Red Wings are in a scoring drought, having scored just one goal in four of their last six games. Captain Henrik Zetterberg ended a 22-game goal drought by netting his team's lone tally in a 2-1 overtime loss to Florida on Monday but he's not the only player struggling. Defenseman Danny DeKeyser has been held without a point and is a minus-11 in 10 contests following a return from a 17-game absence with a broken bone in his ankle.Jimmy Howard, who made 27 saves Monday, is 9-9-5 with a 2.90 GAA and a .906 save percentage on the season. However, over the last 10 games (eight starts), he owns a 4.10 GAA and .857 save ercentage.

The pick: Detroit's offensive woes hardly bode well up against a red-hot Rask (see above). What's more, the 2014 Vezina Trophy winner turned aside 93 of 102 shots in four encounters with Detroit last season, sporting a 3-0-1 mark with one shutout to improve to 9-5-2 in his career against the Red Wings.The there is Detroit's Howard, whose recent struggles are not good news, nor is the fact that he has not defeated Boston since Oct. 9, 2014, going 0-3-1 with a 3.23 GAA. Petr Mrazek hasn't been a better option recently. In his last five games (three starts), he's 0-2-0 with a 5.50 GAA and .835 save percentage. He's 2-2-1 with a 3.15 GAA in seven games (four starts) against Boston. One last thing. The Bruins are 10-1-1 in their last 12 against the Red Wings. Make Boston a 10* play.

The set-up: Villanova jumped from No. 4 in the AP poll the previous week to the poll's new No. 1 this past Monday. No. 1 Duke and No. 2 Kansas lost (falling back) and the Wildcats leapfrogged then-No.3 Michigan State to grab the top spot. It marks the third consecutive year in which Villanova has held the No. 1 ranking for at least once during those respective seasons (the Wildcats were No. 1 for three weeks two years ago and for seven weeks LY). The Wildcats wrap up their Philadelphia series round-robin (Big 5) against a 6-2 Temple Owls team that has won three of its last four.

Villanova: The Wildcats moved up in the rankings but head coach Jay Wright knows that his team can improve, particularly after a sub-par performance its last time out. “It’s always an honor to be ranked No.1,” Wright said. “It’s great for the ‘Nova Nation and we appreciate the respect of the writers and coaches. We know it’s early, though, and we need to get a lot better.” Villanova trailed at halftime against La Salle on Sunday before rallying for a 77-68 victory. 'Nova has a sweet six-man rotation, led by guards Bridges (18.1 & 6.4), Brunson (17.2 & 4.8 APG), Booth (12.7) and DiVencenzo (11.8 & 4.5). Up front, 6-9 junior Paschall (9.0 & 4.8) and 6-9 freshman (9.0 & 7.5) are the main contributors. Villanova ranks 27th with 85.6% and 34th by allowing 63.3%.

Temple: The Owls can't come close to matching the Wildcats' depth, although the Owls have two quality scorers in guards Alston (17.3 & 4.1) and Rose (17.3 & 6.1). They also have a good big man in the 6-10 Enechionyia, who averages 12.6 & 6.0. Temple has played one of the toughest schedules in the country and it's reflected in their RPI. 'Nova's Wright acknowledged that when saying, "This is an outstanding team and it's Temple-Villanova at their place. We know how big a challenge this is." The Owls are averaging 74.6 PPG (196th) and allowing 68.8 PPG (111th).

The pick: Villanova’s re-emergence into nation’s elite status has not made Jay Wright forget about taking care of business at home in these Big 5 rivalries. In fact, 'Nova has won 21 straight over local Big Five foes. Sure, Temple is the last team to defeat the Wildcats in Big 5 action but that was a 76-61 victory back on Dec. 5, 2012. Temple is just 2-17 all-time against the top-ranked team in the country (which 'Nova currently is) and Jay Wright has saved some of his team's better recent efforts for Temple, which was ripped by 21 points last season and has lost by double digit margins the past six times, not coming closer than 15 points in any of those six. Make Villanova a 10* play.

The set-up: Is the bigger story LaVar Ball bringing his traveling circus to the Big Apple with a Big Baller Brand pop-up shop in Manhattan or son Lonzo Ball making his NBA debut at Madison Square Garden, when the Lakers take on the Knicks? The Lakers had lost five straight games when they began a four-game road trip with a win at Philadelphia and then picked up another "W" at Charlotte on Saturday. They will take a 10-15 record into tonight's game. The Knicks are 13-13 on the season but are a "tough out" at Madison Square Garden. In fact, New York is tied for the Eastern Conference lead with 12 home wins after Sunday's 111-107 victory over Atlanta (12-5 at MSG, so far).

LA Lakers: "This is a sign of growth for sure," coach Like Walton told reporte.2 PPG, so I'm taking the points with an LA team that's rs after the 110-99 victory over the Hornets. "And even Philly was a sign of growth because even though we blew a 16-point lead, what would've happened in the past was once we blew that lead we would've just completely melted down. ... We've been able to win some of those games at home, but on the road we haven't been able to find a way once that crowd gets into it to get the defensive stops you need to win games. We (won) in Philly and we did that again tonight." Ball is the most divisive NBA rookie in decades (thanks to his idiot father) and comes in averaging 8.6-6.8-7.1. His horrific shooting (32.1%, including 24.6% on threes) draws most of the criticism and it's not unusual for Walton to sit him down at crucial times. Kyle Kuzma (Utah) was drafted 25 spots below No. 2 pick Ball but is averaging 16.0 points and 6.7 rebounds off the bench (he started while Nance was sidelined). He has double-doubles in three of the team's last four games, his best stretch of the season in that regard.

NY Knicks: New York is getting inspired play in recent weeks from its first-round pick, Frank Ntilikina. The PG is averaging 8.4 points in December after averaging 4.7 points in October and November combined. The Knicks are also seeing a development in second-year guard Ron Baker, who played 31 minutes Sunday in New York's 111-107 win over the Atlanta Hawks. The Knicks are getting some quality minutes from their youngsters. However, no New York player gets talked about more than Kristaps Porzingis, who is still just 22 and two years younger than Baker, despite being in the third month of his third NBA season (Porzingis is averaging 25.5 & 6.6).

The pick: Yes, the Knicks have been very good at home but the Lakers come in confident and with surprising depth and balance for a 10-15 team. Eight players are averaging between Ball's 8.6 PPG and leading scorer Ingram's 16.2 PPG, so I'm taking the points with an LA team that's a single point away from being 6-3 ATS its last nine games. Make LA an 8* play.

The set-up: The 19-10-1 Columbus Blue Jackets remain in first-place in the Metropolitan Division with 39 points but they may be looking over their shoulders, as the two-time defending Presidents' Trophy winning Wash Caps now have 37 points. The Blue Jackets will host the 12-16-2 Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday, having won two in a row and 10 of 13 to maintain a two-point edge over Washington. The hugely disappointing Oilers lost 1-0 at Toronto on Sunday and come in off three straight losses.

Edmonton: The Oilers won 6-2 at Montreal on Saturday but was unable to win consecutive games for the third time this season on Sunday in Toronto, despite 41 shots on goal in the 1-0 loss to the Maple Leafs. "Hockey's a funny game. Hockey's a weird game," Oilers superstar Connor McDavid said. "Some nights, you don't do anything and get one or two. Some nights, you have your legs and get nothing. That's the way hockey is." The only goal o in Sunday's game came 34 seconds into the opening period. That result is indicative of what is happening recently with Edmonton. The Oilers put 41 shots on goal Sunday to the Maple Leafs' 23 but couldn't get anything past Toronto backup goaltender Curtis McElhinney. The Oilers generated chances, but the results simply weren't there. With seven losses in the past 12 games, they are mired in next-to-last place in the Pacific Division standings with only 26 points.

Columbus: Reigning Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky allowed three goals in his previous 11 starts before turning aside 35 shots to earn his league-leading fourth shutout in a 1-0 win over Arizona on Saturday night. "I think we need to get him in a flow after giving him a few days," coach John Tortorella said. "Goalies need to get into a flow. He looked as sharp as he has since he had those few days off." Cam Atkinson was a healthy scratch for Saturday's win, a startling development for a player who scored 35 goals last season and signed a seven year, $41.125 million last month. "It’s a wake-up call," acknowledged Atkinson, who has been limited to six goals and nine points in 25 games. "I take full responsibility. I know I need to be way better, and I will be." Tortorella reunited Atkinson with Boone Jenner and Brandon Dubinsky at Monday's practice and also had him on the top power-play unit.

The pick: The Blue Jackets are 8-3-0 in theirlast 11 games and check in at 11-5-0 on home ice this season, allowing just 1.88 GPG. The Oilers are struggling to score everywhere (average of 2.87 goals per ranks 19th) and come into this contest having lost their last five visits to Columbus. Make it six in a row, as Columbus is an 8* play.

The set-up: The Bearcats opened 7-0 but lost at crosstown rival Xavier on and then fell short 66-60 for their second straight loss against then-No. 5 Florida in the Never Forget Tribute Classic in Newark, N.J., on Saturday, However, Cincy did manage to remain in the AP poll, grabbing the 25th and final spot in Monday's poll. The Mississippi State Bulldogs ran their season-opening winning streak to eight games with a 95-62 rout of Division II North Georgia in their latest outing and despite being one of just seven Division I unbeatens, the Bulldogs remain unranked (Georgetown is the only other unbeaten to also not be ranked).

Mississippi State: The Bulldogs aren't ranked because the strength of its schedule to date leaves much to be desired. In fact, even with more than a few cupcakes on that schedule, the team is fortunate to be unbeaten, as they are committing an average of 15.3 turnovers per game, which is tied with Idaho State for 279th among 351 Division I schools. However, the team shoots well (49.6% ranks 34th in the nation) and defends well (61.9 PPG ranks 21st and its defensive FG percentage of 37.5 ranks 17th). Tyson Carter leads five players in double figures at 14.0 PPG, joined by a pair of Weatherspoon brothers, Quinndary (13.2-5.6-4.6) and Nick (10.9), plus the 6-10 Holman (11.0 & 7.2).

Cincinnati: The Bearcats were in the thick of it against Florida but committed a whopping 21 turnovers. "We've got good players turning the ball over, which is a big, big problem," Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin said after the game. "It's hard to win when you turn the ball over, nearly impossible to win. If we had won this game somehow with the turnover line it would have been a modern miracle." Six players are part of the main rotation, averaging from 6.9 to 13.2 PPG. The 6-8 Clark leads the way (13.2 & 8.6) with PG Evans (13.1-3.6-3.5) right behind him. Cincy teams always play defense and this year's team is allowing just 61.8 PPG (20th) on 36.8% shooting (11th).

The pick: Mississippi St. is 8-0 but Cincy comes in as a double digit favorite. There IS a reason for that. The Bulldogs are off to their best start since the 2003-04 season but a closer look reveals that their strength of schedule ranks 349th out of 351 Division I teams. This visit to Cincinnati also marks their first true road game of the season so far and will be the team's only road game in its first 14 (some schedule-maker!). The Bearcats' only two losses have come to city rival Xavier (now ranked 10th) on Dec. 2 and on Saturday to then-No. 5 Florida. Cronin clearly wasn't happy with his team's effort in losses to nationally-ranked Xavier and Florida, suggesting that winning made his team "soft" and adding that "it makes you arrogant and it makes your players content." I believe "his kids" got the message. Miss. St. is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Make Cincy a 10* play.

The set-up: The Steelers won a 39-38 thriller Sunday night over the Ravens for the team's eighth straight win. Pittsburgh has now matched New England's eight-winning streak (longest-active in the NFL) and its 11-2 record ensures that the Steelers will be no worse than tied the with Pats when the teams meet next Sunday at Heinz Field. It's the showdown all NFL fans have been waiting for and the Pats need to "keep up their end'" by earning a ninth consecutive win in Week 14's MNF contest at Hard Rock Stadium againts the Miami Dolphins. A win will also give the Pats an 11-2 mark but while the Dolphins are just 5-7, winning in Miami has not come easy for the Pats in recent years. In fact, the Pats had lost three straight trips to Miami from 2013-2015 (the 2015 loss cost them the home-field playoff edge & the Pats would lose in Denver for the AFC title!), before routing the Dolphins 35-14 last season. The Dolphins halted a five-game losing skid with a 35-9 drubbing of the Denver Broncos last weekend and while it was the team's best effort of the season, it did come over a Broncos team which had lost eight in a row before yesterday's 23-0 shutout over the Jets.

New England: The ageless Tom Brady is completing 68.5 percent of his passes for 3,632 yards with 26 TDs and just four INTs, giving hima 109.7 QB rating. The Pats lead the NFL in passing (297.6 YPG) and three receivers have 50-plus catches. TE Rob Gronkowski has a team-high 55 with a team-high 7 TDs, WR Brandin Cooks has 53 with a team-high 16.7 YPC and RB James White has 51 catches (WR Danny Amendola just misses with 46 receptions). The New England Patriots ground game is averaging 120.6 YPG (9th), as Dion Lewis has run fro 204 yards (6.8 YPC) the least two weeks, with the Pats rushing for 191 and 196 yards, respectively. As good as the Pats' offense has been, it's defense is back to being one of the league's best. After getting ripped for 32.0 PPG during the team's 2-2 start, that same unit has not allowed more than 17 points in any of its eight straight wins, allowing an average of just 11.9 PPG. The defense now ranks 4th on the season at 18.6 PPG.

Miami: The Dolphins were gouged for a 177 points (35.4 per) during their five-game losing streak before sending the Broncos to their eighth straight defeat. Miami got a pair of safeties and a TD from its defense and special teams, which was a much-needed effort. QB Jay Cutler passed for 235 yards with two TDs and two INTs, giving him 15 TDs and 11 INTs on the season (QB rating of 82.1). Miami's passing offense averages only 207.9 YPG (20th), almost 100 YPG less than New England's and Miami is averaging just 17.4 PPG (27th), just shy of 12 PPG less than the Pats. With Ajayi traded away to Philly (you explain why?), the Dolphins now rank 29th in rushing, averaging only 84.7 YPG. The Miami defense had been getting gouged prior to last Sunday's win (see above) and was ripped for 35 points on 417 yards up in New England back in Week 12.

The pick: Hard to see the Pats losing here, with so much on the line next week in Pittsburgh. What's more, the Pats haven't lost a regular season road game since Week 17 of the 2015 season (1/3/16). Then again, that loss did come in Miami, the Dolphins' third straight home win over the Pats at the time (Dolphins did lose at home to the Pats last season, 35-14). The Pats are far from healthy coming into this game plus Gronk is suspended, Dion Lewis is sick, Chris Hogan is just coming off a shoulder injury and Tom Brady has missed practice due to a banged up Achilles. Brady always plays and Lewis is expected to go but this is a huge number to lay on the road. The following stat clinches things, as the home team is 10-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings between these two AFC East rivals. Make Miami a 10* play.

The set-up: The 23-5 Boston Celtics own the most wins in the NBA but the 20-4 Houston Rockets have caught them for the league's highest winning percentage, .833 to .821. The Celtics opened a quick three-game road trip with a 105-102 loss at San Antonio (on Manu's three-pointer!) but then the Celtics shut down the Pistons in a 91-81 victory at Detroit on Sunday. Boston ends it trip in Chicago tonight, facing a Bulls team which owns the NBA's worst record at 5-20 but one that is also coming off back-to-back victories,.

Boston: Al Horford rebounded from a season-worst two-point performance against the Spurs to lead his team with 18 points at Detroit, while chipping in nine rebounds, six assists, two blocks and zero turnovers. Horford (14.0-8.1-5.3) has been an unsung hero for the Celtics, overshadowed by the play of Kyrie Irving. Boston's new PG added 16 points at Detroit but has been every bit an MVP candidate averaging 23.7 PPG and 4.8 APG .Playing on a short turnaround, Boston will again be without forward Marcus Morris (12.1 & 5.5), who didn't play on Sunday and who has already been ruled out for Monday due to a left knee injury. Rookie forward Jayson Tatum was 3-for-5 from 3-point range Sunday to improve his NBA-leading percentage from long distance to 52.3%, while averaging 14.8 PPG on 51.2% shooting overall. Last year's No. 1 choice, Jaylen Brown (14.7 & 5.8), is proving in his second season just why he was Boston's top choice last year.

Chicago: The Bulls had lost 10 in a row but then won 1119-11 (OT) in Charlotte on Friday, They then followed with a 104-102 win at home the next night over the Knicks. Has Nikola Mirotic's return to the lineup been the difference? Mirotic missed the first 23 games due to facial fractures and a concussion resulting from a preseason fight with teammate Bobby Portis. He scored just six points vs. the Hornets on Friday but had 19 points in 20 minutes versus the Knicks. Portis has played 16 games since his suspension from the fight and has averaged 11.7 & 6.6 off the bench. Mirotic's big effort Saturday night was part of a solid showing for Chicago's five reserves, who combined for 54 points on 21-of-37 shooting with 14 assists and two turnovers. PG Kris Dunn (12.8-4.9-5.1) led the starters with 17 points and nine assists and he is averaging 17.5 points, eight assists and 6.3 rebounds during a four-game stretch. Lauri Markkanen, the 7-footer from Arizona, has been as good as any rookie this season, leading the team in scoring (14.7) and rebounding (8.1).

The pick: Chicago has won four straight regular-season meetings with Boston at home but this is a very different Chicago team and very different Boston team. The Bulls are just 3-8 SU at home and on the season, are averaging a modest 103.2 PPG, to rank 27th. The Celtics come in with the NBA's best road record at 11-3 and are also a money-making 11-3 ATS as well. Boston is the league's top defensive team, allowing 96.1 PPG on 43.5% shooting, which ranks second-best. Take the road favorite and make Boston a 10* play.

The set-up: The Winnipeg Jets were seven points shy of the playoffs last season but have been one of the NHL's "surprise teams' here in the 2017-18 season. The 17-8-5 Jets are currently third in the central Division(39 points) but they are currently facing some 'hard times." Winnipeg could not hold a one-goal lead Saturday at Tampa Bay, salvaging a point in a 4-3 overtime loss to conclude a 0-2-1 road trip that extended the Jets’ road losing streak to five. They return home Monday to host the Vancouver Canucks, looking to snap out of their first real stumble of the season. The 14-12-4 Vancouver Canucks are also struggling, having dropped five of their past eight games and four of their past five road contests.They head to Winnipeg off a frustrating loss, losing a 2-1 third-period lead in a 4-2 loss Saturday at Calgary.

Vancouver: “When you play on the road, it’s going to be tight,” Canucks center Henrik Sedin told the media afterward. “We had some chances, but in the end we’ve got to battle to get it to overtime.” Forward Brock Boeser scored his 15th goal of the season Saturday, most among all rookies, and has 13 points (10 goals, three assists) in his past 13 games. Forward Nic Dowd, acquired from the Kings on Thursday, played 8:12 Saturday in his Vancouver debut. Anders Nilsson made 31 saves in losing for the second time in three starts Saturday, and Jacob Markstrom, who has won two of his past three starts, may get the nod Monday.

Winnipeg: "We have a better game to play. We look like we’ve seen both oceans a couple times here in the last month,” Winnipeg head coach Paul Maurice told reporters Saturday, referencing the Jets recent travel schedule that has taken them to California, Colorado, Detroit and Florida in a two-week span. Forward Blake Wheeler moved into a tie for the NHL lead with assists with his 30th of the season Saturday, extending his points streak to five games (two goals, eight assists) and giving him 13 points in his past seven games. However, goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has lost three of his past five starts, posting an unipressive .884 save percentage.

The pick: The Jets will likely find out what kind of team they have over the next week, as they play four games against some of the toughest the Western Conference has to offer: the Vancouver Canucks, the Chicago Blackhawks and back-to-back contests with the St. Louis Blues. However, they are catching the Canucks at a good time, as they are slumping (see above). Winnipeg is just 2-2-1 in December after finishing November at 9-3-2, but has won SIX in a row at home, where the Jets are 10-2-1, crushing opponents 4.31-to-2.69 GPG. Make Winnipeg an 8* play.

The set-up: Minnesota returned all five starters from a 24-win team last year and opened the new season 7-0. However, the "not-so" Golden Gophers have lost three of their last four games, including back-to-back double-digit losses at Nebraska and Arkansas. The team's current AP ranking may be No. 14 but that's only until Monday's new poll is released (bye-bye top-25!). The Drake Bulldogs visit Williams Arena tonight and have defeated Wake Forest earlier this season and more recently, snapped a three-game losing streak Saturday with a 19-point win over Omaha. Drake checks in 5-4 on the season but that's pretty good news for a team which hasn't had as many as 10 wins the last three seasons (9, 7, & 7).

Drake: Senior guard Reed Timmer scored 27 points to pace Drake in its win over Omaha. He enters averaging 22.1 PPG (4.1 RPG), while shooting 49.5% (56.1% on threes) and 91.9% from the line. Fellow guards McMurray (11.6) and Woodward (11.4) join him in double figures, as does the 6-8 McGlynn (11.0 & 6.0). However, Drake's defense leaves much to be desired, allowing 78.6 PPG (293rd) on 47.4% shooting (300th).

Minnesota: Head coach Richard Pitino is not in panic mode, at least not yet. "Certainly we have our deficiencies we have to fix, but the sky's not falling," Pitino told reporters after the Gophers allowed the Razorbacks to shoot 57.4 percent from the floor and 43.5 percent from beyond the arc. The 6-6 Jordan Murphy leads the team in scoring (19.9) and rebounding (12.5), posting a double-double in all 11 games. The 6-10 Lynch (11.0 & 8.1 plus 4.2 blocks per game) joins Murphy up front plus the Gophers have a sweet trio of guards in Mason (15.8-4.0-4.5), Coffey (14.2 & 4.6 and McBrayer (8.5). Coffey has scored at least 10 points in six straight games.

The pick: This is a huge number but Drake is 0-3 on the road, while allowing 88.5 PPG. This is a the wrong place and wrong time to visit Minnesota, reeling from back-to-back road losses. Minnesota averages a whopping 93.5 PPG at home and the play is to lay the points. Make Minnesota 10* selection.

The set-up: The 14-11-3 Minnesota Wild will complete a three-game California trip when they visit the SAP Center in San Jose to take on the 16-10-2 Sharks. Minnesota split the first two games of its trip, dropping a 5-2 decision in Los Angeles on Tuesday before edging Anaheim 3-2 in overtime three nights later. The San Jose Sharks seek their fourth consecutive win on home ice, as they conclude a three-game homestand Sunday night.

Minnesota: Nate Prosser notched an assist against the Ducks for his first point in three games since returning to Minnesota. The 31-year-old defenseman spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Wild before signing a two-year contract with St. Louis in August, but he appeared in just one contest for the Blues before being claimed off waivers on Nov. 30. Jason Zucker had his six-game point streak halted by the Kings (Tuesday) but landed back on the scoresheet on Friday, registering a goal and an assist to overtake Eric Staal (10 & 13) for the team lead in scoring with 24 points.

San Jose: Logan Couture, who was the ninth overall pick in the 2007 draft, scored a goal and set up two others to eclipse the 400-point mark for his career (401). He leads the team in goals with 15. Four players are set to follow Couture's lead and reach milestones on Sunday - including goaltender Martin Jones, who is one victory shy of 100 in his career. Jannik Hansen, who remains in search of his first goal of the season, is one game away from his 600th in the NHL while Joel Ward's next point will be his 300th. Defenseman Justin Braun recorded an assist Saturday, leaving him two short of 100 in the league, while Joe Thornton is three points away from tying Doug Gilmour (1,414) for 18th place on the all-time list.

The pick: Minnesota's Devan Dubnyk is 8-2-1 over his last 11 starts overall but the Wild have allowed 3.47 GPG on the road this season. That doesn't spell goods news as while San Jose's offense has sputtered for much of the season at home, it's been clicking as of late. San Jose, which has won 11 of its last 14 against the Wild here at SAP Center, has scored a total of 14 goals during its three-game home winning streak, including five in each of its last two. Make the Over a 10* play.

The set-up: The AFC North rivalry between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers has quickly developed as one of the biggest, best and most-bitter in the entire NFL. The 7-5 Ravens will be hard-pressed to catch the Steelers for the division title but as Baltimore visits Heinz Field for Sunday Night Football, the Ravens currently own the AFC's No. 6 seed (final playoff spot). The 10-2 Steelers come into this matchup looking to build on their seven-game winning streak which currently has them tied with the Pats for the AFC's best record but as the owners of the tie-breaker (I'm sure the world knows the Pats and Steelers meet next Sunday in Pittsburgh).

Baltimore:The Ravens have a winning streak of their own but it's a modest three-gamer. Flacco has struggled all season at QB, as Baltimore ranks 31st in passing YPG at 171.0 per). He's completing 65.1% but has as many INTs as TD passes (11 each), giving him a QB rating of 77.1. WRs Mike Wallace (34) and Jeremy Maclin (36) have combined for 878 receiving yards and six TD reception (three each), while TE Benjamin Watson leads the team with 45 catches (just 7.7 YPC). RB Alex Collins leads the way with 705 yards rushing (4.9 YPC) but Baltimore ranks 12th overall on the ground, averaging 115.5 YPG. and four touchdowns. The defense is not comparable to the Ray Lewis-era units but the Ravens rank third in allowing 17.2 PPG (3rd) on 311.2 YPG (7th).

Pittsburgh: The Steelers fell behind the Bengals 17-0 last Monday but came back to win 23-20, keeping their No. 1 seed status intact. The "Killers Bs" are just that. Big Ben has thrown for 3,238 yards with 22 TDs and 13 INTs on the season but note that in the team's seven-game winning streak since losing 30-9 at home to the Jaguars (Roethlisberger threw five picks in that one!), he has a 16-6 TD-to-INT ratio. RB Le'Veon Bell got a slow start but now leads the NFL in rushing with 1,057 yards (also has 66 catches) plus WR Antonio Brown has 88 catches and an NFL-high 1,296 yards (nine TDs). Pittsburgh's D is comparable to Baltimore's, allowing 17.8 PPG (5th) on 294.7 YPG (4th).

The pick: When these teams met back in Week 4 (at Baltimore), it was not a typical Ba/Pit game, as the Steelers won handily, 26-9. This game figures to much more intense but note that the Ravens' OL is in much better health these days and Flacco has led the team to an average of 30.0 PPG in its three-game winning streak. Could the Steelers be caught looking ahead to their showdown in Week 15 with the Pats? I can't see that and Big Ben has thrived in his last five SNF home games, throwing 21 TDs and just three INTs with a 127.8 QB rating. How about an 8* on the Over.

The set-up: The 13-13 New Orleans Pelicans are hoping to cap a short four-game homestand at 2-2 when they host the 13-12 Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night. The Pelicans are none too happy after blowing a nine-point lead with only 3 1/2 minutes left, then losing in overtime to struggling Sacramento on Friday night. The 76ers visit New Orleans on a three-game slide, after losing 105-98 at Cleveland last night, while star center Joel Embiid was rested.

Philadelphia Embiid is expected back for this one after sitting out the first game of a back-to-back (for the third time this season) last night. However, forward Robert Covington (15.3 & 6.2) left the loss with a back injury after tumbling into the stands. Covington was 5-for-7 from 3-point range and recorded 19 points before his injury,and JJ Redick (16.1) matched him in the scoring column in the loss to Cleveland. Head coach Brett Brown did not have an immediate update after the game on Covington. Embiid scored 33 points and had seven rebounds, six assists and five blocks in a career-high 36 minutes. in his last game. He has scored at least 20 points in five straight games and is averaging 23.5 points, 11.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.0 blocks in 30.2 minutes per game. Ben Simmons is a (the?) leading candidate for rookie of the year, averaging 17.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 2.2 steals. He played his only year of college basketball at LSU, 80 miles from New Orleans, has had a spectacular season after missing his entire rookie campaign. The 6-10 point forward recorded three triple-doubles in his first 23 games. The only other players in NBA history to do that were Oscar Robertson (seven) and Magic Johnson (three).

New Orleans: Anthony Davis returned from a groin injury to provide 18 points in the overtime loss to the Kings on Friday, and head coach Alvin Gentry is well aware his team can't lose games like this (to teams like the Kings), if it is serious about contending for Western Conference playoff spot."You can't give Knute Rockne speeches every night," Gentry told reporters. "You know, as an athlete, it's your job. And it's our job as coaches (to get them ready). We have to have the energy to go out and play against a team like that and make sure we are getting the job done." Davis was expected to play about 25 minutes Friday but was able to give his team 31, and the 24-year-old reported no issues with the groin. New Orleans will hope for Davis to provide a little more support for fellow big man DeMarcus Cousins, who scored 38 points against Sacramento and is averaging 39 in 40.5 minutes over the last two games. The Cousins (26.3 & 12.6)/Davis (24.9 & 10.7) duo is formidable plus guards Holiday (16.6-4.3-5.5) and Moore (12.4) join them in double digits. PG Rajon Rondo was rested on Friday but he's coming around nicely, averaging 11.5 points on 58.8 percent shooting and 9.8 assists over the first four contests in December.

The pick: Cousins joins Embiid as the only NBA players averaging at least 23 points and 11 rebounds per game this season and with Davis back (and Rondo as well), I expect the Pelicans to grab the win here after "giving one away" against the Kings. The 'price is right' to make the Pelicans a 10* play.

The set-up: It's NFL Week 14 and the New York Jets are in Denver to take on the Broncos. There were many who thought that the Jets would be battling the Browns and maybe the 49ers for the overall No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft as the 2017 season opened and there were more than a few who thought that the Broncos could rebound from a record in 2016, to challenge the Chiefs and Raiders in the AFC West. The Jets opened 0-2 and the refrain, "Here we go again" was prominent in the New York area. However, the Jets rebounded to win three in a row after that and while the team comes into this contest a modest 5-7, the Jets have been way more competitive than almost anyone would have believed (Jets are 7-4-1 ATS). As for Denver, a 3-1 start to the 2017 season has quickly turned into a 'nightmare,' as the Broncos get set to host the Jets looking to break an eight-game losing streak in which the team has also gone 0-8 ATS (now that's bad football!).

NY Jets: The Jets beat the slumping KC Chiefs 38-31 last Sunday, as QB Josh McCown completed 26 of 36 pass for 331 yards and a TD, while also rushing for a pair of scores (who is this guy?). McCown is completing 67.8% for 2,880 yards with 18 TDs and just eight INTs (96.7 QB rating). He's done all that with an impotent running game averaging only 106.8 YPG (18th). Little-known WRs Jermaine Kearse (51 catches / 5 TDs) and Robby Anderson (49 / 16.8 YPC / 7 TDs) have been more than capable.

Denver: The Broncos have tried three QBs (Siemian, Osweiler and Lynch) and neither is much of an answer. In fairness to Lynch, he's been sidelined most of the season with an injury. However, Denver QBs are completing only 57.5% with 14 TDs and 18 INTs for a collective QB rating of 69.7. The running game, once among the league's best, ranks just 17th at 107.3 YPG. That leaves an offense which scores only 17.2 PPG (27th). The once-proud defense still ranks high in yards allowed (295.6 YPG ranks 5th) but in the all-important category of points allowed, the Broncos rank 31st (2nd-to-last) at 26.2 PPG. The team's minus-16 TO margin (also ranked 31st), doesn't help.

The pick: A switch back to Trevor Siemian at QB vs. Miami last Sunday didn't much work (he threw three picks in the 35-9 loss), so there is little reason to expect too much different here. Compare Denver's effort vs. Miami (9 points on 270 yards) to the Jets' effort vs. KC, in which they overcame a two-TD deficit to win, 38-31 (Jets rolled up 488 yards!). While the Broncos are on an 0-8 ATS run, the Jets are now 7-2-1 ATS their last 10. Make the Jets an 8* play.

The set-up: The 10-2 Minnesota Vikings are riding an eight-game winning streak (tied with the Pats for the NFL's longest-active one) into Sunday's game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, where they will face the 8-4 Carolina Panthers. The Vikings have all but clinched the NFC North (four up with four to play) but are still battling the 10-2 Eagles for the NFC's top seed (Minnesota currently owns the tie-breaker). The Panthers have lost twice to the Saints in 2017 which is bad news but with New Orleans losing Thursday night in Atlanta, Carolina has a chance to move into a first-place tie with the Saints by beating the Vikings in this one. Also of importance is winning to stay ahead of the 8-5 Falcons, as the Panthers would fall back into a tie with Atlanta if they lose here.

Minnesota: Case Keenum was expected be a stop-gap measure at QB, hoping that either Bradford or even Bridgewater would be able to get back on the field. However, he's turned in one of 2017's most surprising performances, as he's 8-2 as Minnesota's starting QB this season. He's completing 67.5% for 2,703 yards with 16 TDs and just five INTs for a 98.6 QB rating. He's also gotten better than expected help from Minnesota's "no-name" RBs, as after rookie Dalvin Cook was lost for the season, Murray (572 yards) and McKinnon (414 yards) have filled in admirably. The Vikings rank 6th with 122.8 YPG on the ground. The offense averages 23.8 PPG (11th) but it's the defense which has made the bigger difference, ranking second in both points allowed (17.0 per) and total defense (289.1 YPG).

Carolina: The Panthers have been tough to figure in 2017. They have looked very good at times, like in their 33-30 win at New England but then just helpless like in a 17-3 loss in Chicago to the Bears. Cam Newton has to carry the team and sometimes he's just asked to do too much. He's nowhere near the numbers of his 2015 MVP season but his 515 yards rushing helps Carolina average 127.8 YPG on the ground (5th-best). The offense is scoring slightly less than Minnesota's at 22.4 PPG (16th) and while the Carolina D is solid (10th in allowing 19.8 PPG and 6th with 297.6 YPG), it's not quite in Minnesota's league.

The pick: Both teams have plenty to play for and at first blush, one could have to give the edge to the home-standing Panthers, as the Vikings are playing a third straight tough game on the road (at Detroit on Thanksgiving and at Atlanta last Sunday). However, Minnesota is just not 'backing off,' as the Vikings are looking for not only a ninth straight win but also an eighth straight cover. No way Newton is looking forward to facing that Minnesota D, as in last year's meeting, he was picked off three times and sacked eight times in a 22-10 home loss. Speaking of home, the Panthers are just 3-8 ATS in their last 11 home games. Make Minnesota an 8* play.

The set-up: The 3-9 Chicago Bears will visit Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday to take on the 5-7 Cincinnati Bengals. The Bears average 275.8 YPG on offense (ranking 32nd of 32 teams) and the Bengals average 280.8 YPG, ranking 31st. The Bears limp in on a five-game losing streak (well out of the playoff 'picture') while the Bengals had won two in a row before a 23-20 loss to the Steelers on Monday night (Cincy led 17-0 in the very late second quarter).

Chicago: The Bears have given up on Mike Glennon (66.4% completions but just 188.8 YPG with 4 TDs & 5 INTs for a 76.9 QB rating) but first round draft pick Mitch Trubisky hasn't been much better, completing only 54.9 percent for 138.6 YPG with 5 TDs & 4 INTs (QB rating of 74.6). Jordan Howard is the Bears’ top rusher with 885 yards (4.2 YPC & 5 TDs) but rookie RB Tarik Cohen (267 RY / 3.9 YPC) is the team's leading receiver with 39 catches and averages only 7.8 YPC. As for Da Bears' defense, it's middle-of-the-road ranking 14th in both points allowed (22.2 PPG) and yards allowed (333.2 YPG).

Cincinnati: QB Andy Dalton threw for 234 yards and two TDs (zero INTs) on 21-of-36 passing Monday night. He's now thrown 11 TD passes without an INT (over 171 attempts) over Cincy's last six games, although the Bengals are just 3-3 SU in that span. Giovani Bernard was the Bengals’ top rusher with 77 yards on 13 carries but he still doesn't have 200 yards rushing on the season, as the Bengals rank 30th in rushing, averaging only 80.2 YPG. The Cincy D has been fine, allowing 19.8 PPG (11th) on 334.1 YPG (16th).

The pick: Cincy is still alive in the AFC wild card race mostly because the Bengals have been able to beat DeShone Kizer (twice), Jacoby Brissett, and Brock Osweiler. Can Cincy best Mitch Trubisky, as well? That's fair but the Bengals not only dropped a brutal 23-20 decision to the Steelers on Monday but they but may have also lost RB Joe Mixon (leading rusher at 518 yards) and linebacker Vontaze Burfict to concussions in the hard-hitting affair. Both players missed practice during the week while in concussion protocol. Note that Chicago kept Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers out of the end zone the entire way last week, losing only when former Bear Robbie Gould booted five FGs in his return to the Windy City, including a game-winner with just four seconds to play. The Bears have been within one score (except at Philly) in all losses with Trubisky, while the Bengals have only covered 11 of their last 30 regular season games. Make Chicago a 10* play.

The set-up: Tulane was just 6-25 in Mike Dunleavy's first season as head coach but the Green Wave head to Tampa and Amalie Arena for a game with Florida State, already owning more wins than the team had all of last season, as Tulane is 7-2. The Florida State Seminoles are unbeaten at 8-0, as they head south from Tallahassee to play the neutral-site game with Tulane (OK, semi-neutral).

Tulane" The Green Wave were every bit of a six-win team last season (they earned those 25 losses) but it's been quite a turnaround in the early going of this season. 6-6 guard Melvin Frazier has improved in just about every statistical category over last season and, with a line of 18.8-7.4-2.8, has helped to carry the Green Wave to seven wins and a chance at their first winning season since 2012-13. Fellow guard Reynolds is right behind him (16.9 & 5.4) plus the 6-9 Sehic (12.4 & 7.4) is the team's best frontcourt player. Two more guards, Cornish (10.4 & 4.0 APG) and Ona Embo (9.6) round out the major contributors. Tulane averages 80.2 PPG (86th) on 47.6% shooting (77th).

Florida State: The Seminoles won 26 games before losing the second round of the NCAAs last season. However, four starters are gone from that team, including guards Bacon (17.2), and Rathan-Mayes (10.6 & 4.8 APG) plus the "one & done" 6-10 Isaac (12.0 & 7.8). Mann was the lone returning starter and the 6-6 junior guard leads the team in scoring (16.0), while adding 5.8 RPG. Three more guards, CJ Walker (12.2), Angola (12.0) and MJ Walker (8.6) give FSU an excellent perimeter game. The surprise has been the 6-8 Phil Cofer. After a freshman season in which he averaged 6.9 points and 4.5 rebounds, Cofer appeared on his way to becoming a mainstay for the Seminoles but that hasn't been the case until this season. He averaged fewer than 13 minutes and four points over the last two seasons but he's averaging 13.4 PPG and 5.5 RPG, joining the 6-9 Kabengele (9.0 & 5,1) in the frontcourt. That group helps FSU to an average of 89.0 PPG (15th) on 50.6% shooting (21st). The D on a Leonard Hamilton-coached team is always good and this year's team is allowing 68.8 PPG (103rd).

The pick: Florida State is one of eight unbeaten teams in Division I (number is falling fast, just ask Duke!) and will look to remain among that select company when it plays Tulane Sunday in Tampa, Fla. The Seminoles earned their seventh victory by 15 or more points Wednesday against Loyola Maryland and their 8-0 start is the best for Florida State since opening 10-0 in 2003-04. I'm laying the points here and making FSU a 10* play.

The set-up: The Portland State Vikings won their third straight game and improved to 7-2 on the season after defeating the Loyola Marymount Lions 94-85 this past Wednesday. The Vikings will travel to the Leavey Center on Saturday night to face the 3-5 Santa Clara Broncos. Santa Clara opened 1-5 but has won back-to-back homes games, 89-57 over Northern Arizona and 72-57 over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Portland State: The Vikings have a new head coach in Barret Perry and the team's 7-2 start is confidence-building, after the team has won 15, 13 and 15 games the last three seasons, respectively. Portland State was able to pull away from the Lions this past Wednesday, helped by Marymount committing an incredible 33 turnovers! Bryce Canda had a double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds to lead the way. This guard-oriented lineup features four double digits scorers on the perimeter. North is tops with 17.9 PPG, followed by Canda (17.7), who also leads in rebounding at 7.4 per. Mayhew (10.8) and Woods (10.2) round out the quartet, As a team, Portland averages 91.6 PPG, which ranks 6th in the nation.

Santa Clara: After routing Northern Arizona, the Broncos did much the same to Pine Bluff (see above). Leading the way was Matt Hauser (10.1) who had 21 points. He's joined by two other scorers in the backcourt, Feagin (18.2) and Caruso (11.00, who also leads the team in rebounding at 7.1 per. The 6-8 Vrankic (11.0 & 4.4) is the team's best frontcourt player.

The pick: Santa Clara averages more than 20 PPG less than Portland State at 74.3 per but note the Broncos have held back-to-back opponents to 57 points here at the Leavey Center. It's not as if Santa Clara can keep Portland State under 60 points (lowest point total was 69 vs Butler) but the Broncos should at least slow them down. It says something here that Santa Clara is favored over a team averaging almost 92 PPG and whose only losses this season have come against Butler and Duke at the Phil Knight Invitational Tournament. Lay it and make Santa Clara an 8* play.

The set-up: The Magic just beat the Hawks 110-106 Wednesday in Orlando but it took overtime and they did not cover as a 6 1/2-point favorite. The Hawks haven't played since, while the Magic are coming off a 103-89 home loss last night to the Nuggets. Evan Fournier, the Magic's second-leading scorer at 18.3 PPG ,scored 27 points in Orlandos home overtime victory over the Hawks on Wednesday but he won't be available for Saturday's rematch after he sprained his right ankle at the start of overtime. More bad news comes in that Orlando's leading scorer Aaron Gordon (18.7 PPG) will also be out of the lineup. He was injured when he collided with Denver guard Gary Harris in Friday's loss and won't play again until he clears the NBA's concussion protocol.The good news for the 11-16 Magic is that the Hawks are a brutal 5-19 on the season, including just 2-9 at home

Orlando: Losing Fournier and now Gordon is just the latest injury blow for the Magic, who started the season 8-3 before going into a slide. The Magic are also without Terrence Ross (9.0) and rookie defensive standout Jonathan Isaac (6.1 & 4.4). Ross has missed the past five games with a knee injury and Isaac the last 15 with a sprained ankle. Gordon has been a real bright spot admitted head coach Frank Vogel. "Yeah, it's tough, but everybody in the league has injuries," Vogel said after the game. "You know we can't feel sorry for ourselves now. We have to go get a win (Saturday) night."

Atlanta: The Hawks have lost four of their last five games and have injury woes of their own. Center Dewayne Dedmon (11.1 & 7.8) is expected to miss his fifth straight game due to a leg injury.and rookie forward John Collins (11.5 & 7.1) will miss his fourth straight contest with a shoulder injury and is expected to miss another week to 10 days. PG Dennis Schroder has emerged as the club's top scorer (20.5 PPG plus 6.5 APG) and is averaging 24 points over the past four games. Schroder scored 26 points in Wednesday's loss to Orlando for his 13th 20-point outing of the campaign. Second-year forward Taurean Prince is averaging 12.5 points and scored 19 on 6-of-8 shooting against the Magic after being just 11-of-34 shooting over the previous three games.

The pick: The Hawks have won 11 of the last 14 home matchups with the Magic but let's remember, that was with a much different team. The Hawks have been to 10 straight postseasons (only the Spurs own a longer consecutive streak) but this year's team is a playoff imposter and is on pace for a 17-win season. Expect the Magic to win this quick turnaround re-match, as well. Make Orlando a 10* play.

The set-up: The Edmonton Oilers were a sexy pick to win the Western Conference this season but have been among the league's biggest underachievers so far, checking in at 11-15-2 (24 points). The Oilers own the second-worst record in the Western Conference and are a dreadful 5-9-0 on home ice, The Montreal Canadiens aren't as big of a disappointment but after winning the Atlantic Division last season at 47-26-9 (103 points), the team and its fans can't be happy about the team's current 13-13-4 mark (30 points), which leaves them on the postseason bubble (outside looking in, right now!)..

Edmonton: The Oilers will kick off a three-game road trip in Montreal tonight, coming off yet another disappointing performance at home, falling 4-2 to the Flyers on Wednesday. The Oiler are 4-6-0 in their past 10 games and one of the NHL's most disappointing teams this season (eight points out of a wild-card position), were sloppy during a drill at practice Thursday, sparking head coach McLellan's outburst which was picked up by the TSN network. "There is nobody checking us right now," McLellan yelled at his players. "There's not a (bleeping) single soul out there checking and we can't make the first (bleeping) pass or the second one. Are you giving yourselves a chance? Is it (bleeping) important? Are you getting better? Because some team is getting better somewhere this morning somewhere." Forward Nathan Walker and defenseman Jeff Davidson, recent waiver-wire acquisitions, are expected to join the lineup on the road trip to provide "some new energy," Edmonton defenseman Oscar Klefbom said. Davidson, traded by the Oilers to Montreal at last season's trade deadline, is especially eager to face the team that waived him a week ago. "I think that I have something to prove, maybe a little bit, but I'm excited to get into a game first and foremost," Davidson said after Friday's practice.

Montreal: The Canadiens just lost 3-2 in overtime on Thursday night to the Flames, their second loss in a row following a five-game winning streak. Montreal expects Jonathan Drouin to the lineup, after missing the past four games due to injury and illness. Drouin is in his first season with Montreal but has centered the team's top line. He had two goals and two assists during a three-game point streak prior to the injury, which was followed by a bout with the flu that he said caused him to lose six pounds. Drouin went through a full practice Friday and skated on a slightly reconfigured unit with Andrew Shaw joining him and regular linemate Alex Galchenyuk. Goaltender Carey Price will make his eighth consecutive start since returning from injury. Price won his first five starts back but has lost 4-3 and 3-2 (OT) in his last two.

The pick: The Oilers have actually won five of their last six visits to Montreal plus Edmonton also has won three of its past four on the road, including a 7-5 victory Saturday at Calgary. Maybe McLellan's "rant" will spark the team. However, with Edmonton ranking last in the NHL in penalty killing (72.34 percent), the Oilers will have to score to win here. That has me making the Over a 10* play.

The set-up: The Minnesota Golden Gophers opened 7-0 but they have not been very 'golden' lately, entering this game 8-2 (ranked No. 14) but losers of two of their last three. The team's first loss was 86-81 to Miami at home in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Nov. 29 ('Canes are currently ranked 10th) and then this past Tuesday at Nebraska. Minnesota shot just 32.4 percent from the floor in that 78-68 loss to the Cornhuskers (Nebraska is 7-3). The Gophers travel to Fayetteville and Bud Walton Arena on Saturday evening to take on 6-2 Arkansas. The Razorbacks bounced back from a 26-point loss at Houston on Dec. 2 with a resounding 92-66 victory over Colorado State on Tuesday.

Minnesota: "They just played better than we did and when we needed to get stops, we couldn't," Minnesota head coach Richard Pitino told reporters after the Nebraska loss. "Offensively, obviously, we didn't have it going. If you don't have it going offensively, you've got to get stops and get out on the break. We did not do that. Credit to them."Minnesota has all five starters back from last year's 24-win team and is being led by 6-6 junior forward Jordan Murphy (19.9 & 12.8). Senior PG checks in at Nate Mason (15.7-4.0-4.4, after averaging 20.3 points over his last four games. Reggie Lynch is a 6-10 senior center and averages 11.6 & 8.6 plus leads the nation with 4.5 blocks per game. 6-8 forward Coffey (13.8 & 4.5) and SG McBrayer (8.8 & 3.4 APG) round out the starting-five.

Arkansas: The Razorbacks won 26 games last season, losing in the NCAAs second round. Three starters are gone from that team, including leading scorer Hannahs (14.4) and the 6-10 Kingsley (12.0 & 7.7). Arkansas has solid balance this year, although four of the team's five double digit scorers are all guards. Barford leads the way with 19.6 PPG (4.1 RPG & 3.4 APG), followed by Macon (14.6), Beard (11.9) and Jones (10.8). The 'outsider' is 6-11 freshman Gafford, who averages 12.0 & 5.8. The Razorbacks average 87.2 PPG (25th) with Barford (46.2 percent), Macon (43.9) and Jones (40.5) coming into this contest as one of two trios in the nation shooting over 40 percent from three-point range with at least 35 attempts.

The pick: The Golden Gophers average 87.3 PPG (23rd) but come in struggling on the offensive the last few games. That not good news when playing at Arkansas, which is famous for its defensive pressure. The Razorbacks forced 19 turnovers, raising its season average to 16.4 per in their win over Colorado State and held the Rams to 36.5 percent shooting. Murphy will face extra defensive attention from Arkansas’s deep, athletic forecourt plus center Reggie Lynch will be challenged by Arkansas’s prized, five-star 6-11 freshman Daniel Gafford, who has lived up to teh hype. The Razorbacks' first eight opponents were a combined 42-25 through Wednesday's games and Arkansas is 4-0 at home, outscoring opponents 92.8-to-62.5 PPG. Make Arkansas a 10* play.

The set-up: The Army Black Knights are 8-3 and headed to the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl two days before Christmas to meet San Diego State, marking the school's first back-to-back bowl appearances since 1984-85. The Navy Midshipmen have gone a disappointing 6-5 but will host Virginia in the Military Bowl on Dec. 28 in Annapolis, Md, as Navy makes its bowl appearance 14th bowl appearance in the last 15 years (missed only in 2011 since 2003!). Also, after Navy defeated Air Force 48-45 on Oct. 7 and Army shut out the Falcons 21-0 on Nov. 4, this marks the first time since 2012 that the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy is on the line for both teams when the two service academies meet Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field.

Army: QB Ahmad Bradshaw is completing just 30.8 percent of his passes for 259 yards with one TD and two INTs, as Army ranks dead-last with 30.5 YPG passing. However, Army ranks first in rushing (368.1 YPG), leading the way for an offense which ranks 43rd in scoring at 31.2 PPG. Bradshaw leads in rushing with 1,472 yards (7.8 YPC) with 11 TDs. A trio of RBs contribute 517 to 668 yards, while averaging from 5.4,-to-7.3 YPC and combining for 21 rushing TDs. Defensively, Army has done a very solid job, allowing a modest 21.6 PPG (30th) on 360.9 YPG (41st).

Navy: QB Zach Abey has led Navy to average three times as many passing YPG than Army but that means Navy checks in averaging only 91.2 YPG. Abey is also Navy's top rusher, having gained 1,322 yards (4.8 YPC) and 14 TDs. RB Malcom Perry adds 818 yards on 8.9 YPC with eight TDs. Navy is just behind Army in rushing YPG, checking in at 347.5 YPG (2nd-best) and not far behind in scoring at 30.4 PPG (50th). However, Navy doesn't match up as well defensively, as it is allowing 29.2 PPG (85th) on 399.8 YPG (72nd).

The pick: A win here for Army will mean its first Commander-in-Chief's Trophy since 1996 (now that's a BIG deal!). There is no argument that Army is playing better football than Navy right now, winning six of its last seven games and losing just once since the beginning of October. However, Navy is favored because the Midshipmen have dominated this series over the years, winning 16 of the last 18 meetings. Army won last year's contest but hasn't beaten Navy in back-to-back years since 1995-96. Army's win last season came after having lost 14 straight I can't help but make Navy a 10* play here in this revenge role.

The set-up: The 6-1 Oklahoma Sooners will visit Los Angeles to take on the 4-2 USC Trojans on Friday night in the Basketball Hall of Fame's Hoophall L.A. Classic played at Staples Center. The Sooners have the better current record, although it's USC which comes in ranked at No. 25 in the latest AP poll. However, after opening 4-0, the Trojans have lost at home to then No. 16 Texas A&M (75-59) and followed with a 72-55 loss at SMU. USC is now looking to avoid a third straight loss against an Oklahoma team that has lost just once (92-83 to Arkansas in the PK80 Invitational) and is knocking on the top-25 'door' with a four-game win streak that includes a 90-80 neutral-floor win over 2017 Final Four participant Oregon in that same PK80 Invitational in Portland,.

Oklahoma: 6-2 freshman Trae Young scored a season-high 43 points to go along with a game-high seven assists and two steals in not only leads Oklahoma in scoring but his 28.7 PPG also leads the nation! Young, who also averages 8.7 APG, can't wait to play on the same court of former Oklahoma star Blake Griffin of the Clippers, not to mention the Lakers of Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. "I've been able to play in the (Chicago) Bulls arena, the Brooklyn Nets arena, obviously Portland and now L.A.," Young said. "It's going to be fun. That's a legendary place to play. ... I can't wait for it." The Sooners ranks second in the nation at 94.4 PPG and shoot 50.5 percent as a team (24th). Junior guard Christian James (11.9 & 4.0) and 6-9 senior forward Khadeem Lattin (11.1 & 9.1) are also are averaging in double figures.

USC; Last year's team set a school-record with 26 victories and made a surprising run to NCAA's Sweet 16 and with all five starters returning, were considered a 'sleeper pick' to make it to the school's first Final Four since 1954. However, after that 4-0 start, USC has been humbled in back-to-back games (see above). The team's current five starters average between 9.0 and 16.0 PPG, led by the 'Twin Tower' duo of the 6-11 Metu (16.0 & 7.7) and the 6-10 Boatwright (15.7 & 7.7). PG McLaughlin also scores in double digits at 13.5 PPG, while leading the team with 5.8 APG.

The pick: USC's loss to A&M is not much of a concern (Aggies are currently ranked 7th) but the Trojans led 30-27 at halftime at SMU last Saturday, before getting outscored 45-25 in the second half by the Mustangs. It was deja vu all over again, as six days earlier Texas A&M used a late 19-3 run to pull away for a 16-point victory at the Galen Center. USC is already without G De'Antthony Melton, who is being withheld because of eligibility issues stemming from the FBI investigation of assistant coach Tony Bland plus will also be without PG Derryck Thornton, a Duke transfer who is expected to miss three-to-four weeks after dislocating his right shoulder Nov. 28. Back-to-back lopsided loss is a concern for Andy Enfield's team, whose offense is not functioning well with USC making just 12 of 44 three-point attempts (27.3 percent) in those contests. Even in the "friendly confines" of Staples Center (just up the 110 Freeway from USC's on-campus Galen Center), a see a third straight loss coming for the Trojans. Make Oklahoma a 10* play.

The set-up: The Toronto Raptors have been dominant at home so far, as after their 126-113 win over Phoenix on Tuesday, the Raptors checked in with a 9-1 mark at Air Canada Centre. In contrast, the team is just 6-6 on the road and tonight's game at Memphis vs. the Grizzlies will kick off a four-game road trip. The Grizzlies did snap their 11-game losing streak Monday against Minnesota but then fell right back in a "losing mode" dropping a 99-88 decision at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday to fall to 8-16 on the season.

Toronto:.Toronto's backcourt of DeMar DeRozan (23.3-4.5-4.9) and Kyle Lowry (16.6-6.3-7.1) led the way in the win over the Suns, combining for 40 points and 18 of Toronto's 30 assists. "When you’re making shots, it's good, and the confidence we all have in each other to take shots and to give the opportunity to shoot the ball and we don’t care, it's always good," Lowry told reporters. Toronto is averaging 111.5 PPG (3rd-best in the NBA and topes in the East) an 48.7 percent shooting (2nd-best). The Raptors have upped that to 121 points during their four-game winning streak while making an average of 13 three-pointers per game and handing out 28.5 assists. "Everybody gets a chance to touch the ball, you don't necessarily got to work so hard," DeRozan told reporters. "Everybody gets a feel for the ball, everybody gets to make the next decision for your teammate, and with that, we still miss a lot of shots, but it's something we're still learning and something we're still trying to get better at every time we practice, every time we play."

Memphis: Center Marc Gasol scored 17 points in Wednesday's loss in New York while his fellow starters combined for just 23, on 7-of-24 shooting. He's the team's leading scorer (18.9) and rebounder (8.8) plus played through a knee issue. "I don't know exactly what happened. It just locked up," he told reporters. "Couldn't really extend it. I never had any knee issues. So it was a new feeling for me." While Gasol's fellow starters 'laid an egg,' the bench provided some positives in the loss. In particular, forward Chandler Parsons, who had missed three of the previous four games with knee and ankle injuries, had 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting in 22 minutes.

The pick: Memphis was 7-6 and had topped 100 points six times before deciding to shelve Conley (17.1 & 4.1 APG) on Nov. 14 in hopes of relieving the pain in his Achilles. The result has been the Grizzlies having gone 1-10 SU & 2-8-1 ATS since, being held to 98 or fewer points on all but two of the occasions. Toronto has faced only one team (Indiana, twice) with a winning record among its last six contests,and won't see another above-.500 club until meeting the Philadelphia 76ers on Dec. 21, which is eight games from now. The lesser competition has allowed the Raptors to focus on spreading the offensive wealth rather than relying on guards Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. Seven players scored in double figures Wednesday and the club's 30 assists were one shy of their season best. Chalk up another 'victim' here. Make Toronto a 10* play.

The set-up: The Vegas Golden Knights are a 17-9-1 on the season but have cooled since a blazing start to the team's first NHL season. Vegas opened 8-1-0 but head to Nashville having gone 9-8-1 over the team's last 18 games. Still, if the playoffs started now, the Golden Knights would not only be there, but would have home-ice advantage for the first round. The Nashville Predators surprised all wit the team's run to the Stanley Cup Finals, where they fell to the Penguins in six games. Nashville started slowly but has gone 13-2-1 over its last 16 games to give them a 18-7-3 record, which is one point behind the Central Division-leading St. Louis Blues.

Vegas: The Golden Knights rallied for a 4-3 shootout win Tuesday night over Anaheim to stay four points behind first-place Los Angeles in the Pacific Division, while uppingh their home recrd to 11-2-0.James Neal is preparing himself for the funny feeling he'll experience when he opens the doors to Bridgestone Arena, marking his official return to the place he called home for three seasons prior to being selected by Vegas in the expansion draft. "I really enjoyed my time in Nashville," the 30-year-old Neal said. "It's always weird going back to play the team you once played for. You have those mixed emotions and you don't know how you’ll feel. I'll just try to focus on the game." Neal, who scored his 13th goal of the season and added his eighth assist on Tuesday, is on pace for his 10th consecutive 20-goal season of his career. Neal and the rest of Vegas' explosive offense (team ranks 3rd with 3.44 GPG) will have to put pucks behind Pekka Rinne.

Nashville: Rinne comes in 16-4-2 with a 2.38 goals-against average and 926 save percentage on the season. However, the bigger story here in Vegas goalie Malcolm Subban (6-2-0, 2.26, .923), who recently returned to action after missing more than a month with a lower-body injury. Subban blanked Anaheim in the shootout Tuesday night. He is the brother of Nashville's P.K. Subban and that makes it a compelling storyline. For the first time in a regular-season game, the Nashville defenseman will try to shoot pucks past his brother, while their father Karl Subban watches as part of the Golden Knights' first Fathers' Trip. P.K. logged a game-high 23:53 of ice time in a 5-2 victory at Dallas on Tuesday, marking Nashville's third straight win but his season-high point drought was extended to seven games .

The pick: There was a Subban vs. Subban matchup in a 2013 Montreal-Boston exhibition game when P.K. was playing for the Canadiens and Malcolm was a prospect with the Bruins. However, that can't come close to carrying the importance of this contest. The issue for Vegas is the team's road struggles, where the team is just 6-7-1 while allowing 3.64 GPG. Nashville is 11-2-1 at Bridgestone Arena, averaging 3.79 GPG. Make Nashville an 8* play.

The set-up: It's early but the Vancouver Canucks are "thinking playoffs" after winning three in a row to climb into a playoff position in the Western Conference at 14-10-4 (32 points have them 3rd in the Pacific Division). The Canucks have missed the playoffs each of the last two seasons and three of the past four, but can match their best run of the campaign by beating the rejuvenated Flyers tonight at home. Philadelphia comes into this contest having posted back-to-back wins over Calgary and Edmonton, after enduring a 10-game losing streak (0-5-5). The thought of being in the playoffs is surely not on anyone's mind in Philly right now, as the Flyers check in just 10-11-7 on the season and tied for last in the Metropolitan Division with Carolina at 27 points.

Philadelphia: The Flyers limited Edmonton to 26 shots on Wednesday while receiving two points each from captain Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds in a 4-2 triumph and improved to 2-0-0 on its three-game Western Canada trip, as well as being 6-5-3 on the road for the season. Jakub Voracek notched his fourth assist on the trip Wednesday and leads the team with 34 points, while Giroux (11 G / 19 A) reached 30 points and fellow forward Sean Couturier (14 & 14) gives Philadelphia three players with at least 28. "We have to stay hungry for wins," Flyers winger Dale Weise told Philly.com. "I think, when you lose 10 in a row, you kind of get that hunger back -- not that we didn't have it at the beginning of the year, but I think we've got that urgency in our game now where we just hate to lose and it really bothers every guy in here."

Vancouver: The Canucks have allowed four goals during their three-game winning streak with Jacob Markstrom recording his first shutout in his 129th career game on Tuesday (a 3-0 victory over Carolina). Defenseman Derrick Pouliot was acquired from Pittsburgh in an early-season trade and has made a solid impact (he had a goal and two assists on Tuesday). “I’m starting to add things to my game,” Pouliot, a former first-round pick, told reporters. “So, if I’m playing well defensively, that’s where it starts, and I can add the offensive stuff after that.” Brock Broeser leads with 25 points (13 & 12), while the team's second-leading scorer is Bo Horvat (10 & 10 for 20 points points), although he left Tuesday’s game with what coach Travis Green said was “a small injury” and his status for Thursday is uncertain.

The pick: The Flyers are mired well below the playoff bar in the Eastern Conference and have won two successive games only twice this season. They will be playing the second of back-to-back road games here, as well as their third road game in four nights. Tough spot for teh Flyers and the Canucks will be hoping to match their 5-2 victory back on Nov. 21 at Philadelphia. The Fyers have suddenly "perked up" and I'm not sure I trust Vancouver just yet, so I'll make the Over a 10*

The set-up: The Eastern Washington Eagles dropped their second straight game 84-65 this past Sunday to the Seattle Redhawks, falling to 3-5 on the season. They will travel to War Memorial Gymnasium in San Francisco on Thursday to take on the San Francisco Dons, who snapped their two-game losing streak and improved to 4-3 on the season after defeating the Central Arkansas Bears 78-76 this past Monday night.

Eastern Washington: The Eagles allowed Seattle to shoot 50.9% from the floor, including 52.9% (9-17) from beyond the arc in Sunday's loss. Clearly, that kind of defense won't cut it for a team which is averaging only 70.1 PPG (273rd) on some very poor shooting (39.7% ranks 324th!). Eastern Washington's leading score is Bogdan Bliznyuk (14.1-4.5- 2.4), a 6-6 guard, plus a trio of guards add 6.9-to-9.0 PPG to the mix. The 6-7 Hunt (6.6 & 5.8) and the 7-0 Gruciunas (6.4 & 5.1) are the best big men.

San Francisco: The Dons held off a late Central Arkansas run to pick up the two-point victory in their last game. San Francisco shot just 38.1% from the floor but did out-rebound the Bears by a 43-30 margin in the victory. San Francisco doesn't score any better than Eastern Washington, averaging 71.4 PPG (246th) and shoots poorly as well, connecting on 39.1 percent (336th). Jordan Ratinho had 17 points in the win and leads the Dons on the season with 12.7 PPG (also 4.3 RPG). 6-5 SF Chase Foster adds 11.3 PPG and a team-high 6.0 RPG.

The pick: Eastern Washington has had a tough early schedule and it is taking a toll. The Eagles limp in just 1-6 ATS in their last seven road games and while San Francisco is "more in their class," the Dons are 6-0 ATS in their last six games vs. a team with a winning percentage below .400. Make San Francisco a 10* play.

The set-up: The Phoenix Suns opened the season 0-3 with two losses of 40 points or more. That prompted the firing of head coach Earl Watson, who was replaced by Jay Triano. The Suns have been more competitive since that horrific start (nowhere to go but up!), going 9-14 SU but also 12-10-1 ATS. The team just completed a 2-4 road trip but SG Devin Booker went down with a strained left adductor in Tuesday's 126-113 setback at Toronto. However, the Suns hope to have Booker available when they host Washington Wizards on Thursday. The 13-11 Wizards opened their five-game road trip with a 116-69 loss at Utah on Monday but quickly bounced back the next night in Portland, winning 106-92.

Washington: SG Bradley Beal posted a career-high 51 points in Tuesday's win, as with Washington operating without All-Star PGJohn Wall (knee), he's being asked to take on more responsibility. Beal, as well as the entire team, laid an egg in Utah but all was right in Portland, especially with Beal who was 21-of-37 from the floor in his career-best effort. "I was really upset with the way we played, especially with myself individually," Beal told reporters in reference to the Utah debacle. "I just came in (to Portland) with the mindset that I was going to be aggressive, not thinking about anything else but trying to get a win and playing my game." Beal leads with 23.3 PPG with Wall (he has missed six games and remains sidelined because of left knee inflammation) second on the Wizards in scoring at 20.3 PPG (leads in assists with 9.2 per game). The Wizards are 3-3 with Tim Frazier starting in Wall's place.

Phoenix: Booker (24.3-4.5-4.1) had to be helped off the court on Tuesday after scoring 19 points in 39 minutes and will undergo further testing to determine the severity of the injury. Booker had missed the first game of the road trip but was on fire over the rest of the trip, averaging 31.6 points on 50.5 percent shooting, including a 46-point outburst in a 115-101 win at Philadelphia on Monday. The Suns saw eight players score in double figures in the loss at Toronto and will ask even more of players like T.J. Warren (18.4 & 5.7) (9.2 & 3.5) and rookie Josh Jackson if Booker is unable to go.

The pick: John Wall played (scored 21 points) and Bradley Beal scored 40, points back on Nov. 1 in Washington, yet the Wizards were still outscored by the Suns, 122-116 (as an 11-pont underdog). Warren exploded for a career-high 40 points on 16-of-22 shooting while adding 10 rebounds in that one, as Phoenix overcame a 22-point deficit to secure the victory. Center Greg Monroe collected 11 points and 10 rebounds on Tuesday to mark his third double-double in nine games with the team and enters doing a nice job since the trade (10.8 & 7.4). Revenge for Washington? I'm not buying it, as the Wizards are the only team in the Southeast Division with a winning record. The home dog barks loudly in this one. Make Phoenix a 10* play.

The set-up: The 9-3 New Orleans Saints lead the NFC South at 9-3 with the 8-4 Carolina Panthers sitting one game back. The Panthers are tied with the 8-4 Seahawks, with Seattle winning the tie-breaker to give them the NFC's No. 1 wild card spot. The Panthers on the No. 6 seed but a third member the the division is the 7-5 Atlanta Falcons (the defending NFC champs), who are lurking just one game back of the Seahawks and Panthers. Week 14's Thursday Night Football features the Saints and Falcons from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

New Orleans: The Saints saw their eight-game winning streak snapped in a Week 12 loss at the LA Rams but bounced back last Sunday with a 31-21 home win over the Panthers. Drew Brees is still a potent force (71.5% with 17 TDs and just 5 INTs / 104.2 QB rating) but the performances of RBs Mark Ingram Alvin Kamara have somewhat re-defined the Saints' offense. The New Orleans rushing game is averaging 142.6 YPG (3rd), with Ingram gaining 922 yards (5.1 YPC / 9 TDs) and Kamara adding 606 yards (7.0 YPC / 5 TDs). Kamara has four more TDs on 59 catches, while Ingram has 42 catches but no TDs. Then there is the New Orleans' D, which has been a (the?) major reason the Saints have missed the playoffs three straight seasons going 8-8, 8-8 and 7-9. Starting from that 7-9 season, New Orleans' had allowed 26.5 PPG on 384.0 YPG, then 29.8 PPG on 413.8 YPG and finally 28.4 PPG on 375.4 YPG. This year's unit is allowing 20.2 PPG on 330.1 YPG, with both figures ranking 12th-best!

Atlanta: The Falcons welcomed the Vikings to Atlanta last Sunday on a three-game winning streak. However, QB Matt Ryan passed for just 173 yards on 16-of-29 with 0 TDS and INTs, while Atlanta was not able to score a TD (had three 38 FGs in a 14-9 loss). Ryan (3,057 yards with 16 TDs and eight INTs / 95.4 QB rating) has not played like he did last year when he was league MVP (he threw for 4,944 yards with TDs, 7 INTs and had a QB rating of 117.1). Atlanta boasts a potent pair of RBs in its own right in Devonta Freeman (589 yards / 4.6 YPC / 3 TDs and Tevin Coleman (569 yards / 4.3 YPC / 6 TDs. Freeman returned from a concussion in a 14-9 loss to Minnesota on Sunday, gaining 74 yards on just 12 carries. However, the Atlanta rushing attack averages a more modest 115.6 YPG to rank 11th. WR Julio Jones owns an NFC-best 1,063 receiving yards (68 catches) but was limited to two catches for 24 yards versus the Vikings. Atlanta led the NFL in averaging 33.8 PPG last season but comes in averaging only 22.8 PPG in 2017, which ranks 14th. The defense has been solid, allowing 20.3 PPG (13th) on 321.0 YPG (8th).

The pick: The Saints have already beaten the Panthers twice in 2017 and now play the Falcons tonight and then again in Week 16 (two times in three weeks). A win here would put New Orleans in a great spot and put Atlanta's playoff chances on 'life support.' Matt Ryan and offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian seemed to have finally gotten on the same page in Atlanta's three-game winnings (had averaged 31.7 PPG) but it all collapsed against the Minnesota D. Yes, New Orleans' D is greatly improved but shutting down Atlanta a second straight week will be tough, especially considering how badly Atlanta needs this game. These teams played a pair of shootouts in 2016, with Atlanta winning both by scores of 45-32 and 38-32. I'll stay away from calling for an Atlanta win but will say make the Over a 10* play.

The set-up: New Orleans Pelicans squandered a 20-point halftime lead on Monday at home against the defending champs, eventually falling 125-115. Frustration seemed to boil over in the final minutes as a slew of technical fouls were handed out and DeMarcus Cousins was ejected (shocking!). The 12-12 Pelicans will try to re-group tonight, when the welcome the 13-10 Denver Nuggets to the Smoothie King Center. Denver opened its six-game trip with a 122-105 loss at Western Conference-worst Dallas on Monday, falling to 3-8 on the road, compared to the team's 10-2 home mark. Both teams are missing key performers, as Anthony Davis (25.2 & 11.0) is sidelined with a groin injury and Nikola Jokic (15.5 & 10.6) with an ankle injury.

Denver: The Mavs rank among the lowest-scoring teams in the league but shot 57 percent from the floor against Denver on Monday. "They get their 3s from dribble penetration," Nuggets head coach Michael Malone told reporters of the Mavericks. "When you can't guard their guards and they live in the paint for scores and they live in the paint for kick-out 3s, they got everything tonight. You're not going to beat anybody when you're giving up that kind of productivity in the paint and behind the arc." Is Malone serious? If the Mavs are "tough to guard" for his team, where are the Nuggets headed? The Nuggets fell behind by 25 points in the first half and could not recover despite 22 points from Murray and 21 from Harris. Murray is averaging 14.4 PPG, joining fellow guards Barton (15.8), Harris (14.4) and Mudiay (10.0) in double digits. With Jokic sidelined for at least a few games and PF Millsap (15.7 & 6.2) also out until late-February with a wrist injury, Denver will need help from forwards Chandler and Faried, as well as center Plumlee. Not sure that will happen, though.

New Orleans: "I keep telling our guys, as bad as this loss is, what we keep proving is that we have the ability to play extended minutes with the world champs," Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry told reporters after the 125-115 loss. "We have to now find a way to not do it for 32 or 36 minutes, but for 48." New Orleans is operating without Davis, who had an MRI on his groin reveal no major damage and is now considered day-to-day with a left adductor strain. New Orleans is making up for the loss of production by asking more of its backcourt, and Jrue Holiday (34) and E'Twaun Moore (27) combined for 61 points on Monday. Holiday (16.3-4.4-5.5) is playing off the point with Rajon Rondo (6.6 & 7.3 APG) running the offense and has seen his scoring tick up to an average of 22.6 points in the last five games, with Rondo averaging nine assists in that span. Moore averages 12.6 PPG on the season, the only other player in double digits other than Cousins (25.3 & 12.2).

The pick: Talk about a revenge motive! Denver shot 62.9 percent from the floor in a 146-114 home win over New Orleans back on Nov. 17! It was the team's best shooting percentage since 2012, and the Nuggets made 18 of 35 attempts from long range. They also recorded a season-high 37 assists and their starting five combined for 101 points. Davis played only 21 minutes in the first game against Denver but still led the Pelicans with 17 points. He is listed as day-to-day for Wednesday but he said Monday he was still experiencing sharp pain in his left groin area when making lateral cuts. No reason to expect Davis to play here but let's remember the Nuggets are now 3-8 SU and 3-9 ATS on the road (are allowing 10.9 PPG) and as head coach Malone noted, had no answers for the pathetic Mavs' offense. Lay it and make the Pelicans a 10* play.

The set-up: The Florida Gators opened 5-0, including a 111-105 win over Gonzaga. However, Florida then allowed Duke to come back from a 17-point deficit with 10 minutes left to beat the Gators 87-84 for the Motion Bracket championship at the Phil Knight Invitational tournament. Things went from bad-to-worse in Florida's next game, as the Gators were humbled 83-66 in a home loss to the unranked Seminoles on Monday. Mike White's team looks to bounce back tonight against the 8-1 Loyola-Chicago Ramblers, who are off to the school's best start since also winning eight of their first nine contests back in 1965-66.

Loyola-Chicago: The Ramblers are 13-2 in their last 15 games versus non-Missouri Valley Conference opponents but of course in No. 5 Florida, it's a bit of a 'horse of a different color.' The team opened the season with seven straight victories before splitting its last two, an 87-53 loss at Boise State and then Saturday's 24-point win over Illinois-Chicago. Senior forward Aundre Jackson spearheaded the attack, hitting 10-of-11 shots for a game-high 23 points, his second-highest total of the season and the second time he has topped 20 points in the last four games. Freshman Lucas Williamson chipped in with a career-high 14 points. Loyola-Chicago averages 79.1 PPG (110th) but shoots 52.2% from the floor, which ranks 8th! Four players are averaging in double figures led by senior forward Jackson (13.8 & 4.2) plus guards Townes (13.4 & 5.2), Custer (13.4 & 4.3 APG) and Ingram (12.3 & 6.9).

Florida: "They (Florida State) threw the first three or four punches and continued throwing most of them and connected on most of them until the final buzzer. Very disappointing effort," coach White told reporters afterward. "… I thought they played harder than us; I thought they were tougher than us for 40 minutes." Like Loyola, four players are averaging in double figures, led by junior guard Jalen Hudson (20.9 &4.4). Joining him are fellow guards Koulechov (16.7 & 6.6), Allen (13.7 & 3.4) and Chiozza (11.7-5.6-6.4). However, the Gators offense couldn't get anything going against Florida State, scoring 33.5 points fewer than its season average coming into the game (99.5). They wound up shooting a dismal 36.2 percent from the floor and hitting just 6-of-25 from three-point range (both their second-worst showings of the young season).

The pick: No reason to think the Gators won't bounce back here, as Mike White's team is 3-1 in Gainesville with a 29.7 point average margin of victory in the three wins. As for Loyola, the Ramblers will be going for their first victory over a team ranked in the top-five since 1984 and in fact, they have not beaten ANY ranked team in nearly nine years. The Gators hope to responded to consecutive losses to Duke and Florida State in early December games last year, ripping off seven straight victories. Same story here, at least for one night (note Loyola's 83-57 loss at Boise State). Make Florida a 10* play.

The set-up: The Calgary Flames surrendered 12 goals in dropping two games in a row to close out a 1-3-0 homestand and now, at 14-12-1 on the season, hit the road for back-to-back games Wednesday and Thursday beginning tonight in Toronto. The Flames opened their recent disappointing homestand with a 4-1 loss to these same Maple Leafs on Nov. 28 and look for some revenge tonight in Toronto. The Maple Leafs' bid for a three-game sweep of their three-game trip through Western Canada came up short when they lost 2-1 loss at Vancouver on Saturday night.

Calgary: The Flames were ripped by the Oilers 7-5 on Saturday, before losing a 5-2 decision to the Flyers, who had dropped 10 in a row before Monday's victory. “Whenever you lose, especially two at home in big games and three of your last four at home, there’s frustration in your game and in the players,” said Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan. "We certainly didn’t have the homestand we wanted, so there’s frustration.” Calgary's lone win on the four-game homestand was a 3-0 victory over Western Conference-worst Arizona, but it was outscored 16-8 in the three defeats.

Toronto: "You spend the whole night giving away two points because you weren’t prepared," head coach Mike Babcock said after Saturday's loss to the Canucks. "The schedule is set up the way it is, we have to do a better job, that’s all there is to it.” Center Tyler Bozak missed the final game of the road trip due to food poisoning but finally returned to practice Tuesday, although Babcock said there's a chance he could have William Nylander at center between James van Riemsdyk and Mitch Marner. "It’s something that … who knows?" Babock said. "If we got to use him, we will maybe try him there.

The pick: I guess one could focus on the fact that while Calgary is just 7-8-0 at home, they have a 7-4-1 road record.However, the Flames will take on Toronto goaltender Frederik Andersen who has never lost to Calgary in regulation, improving to 6-0-1 after last week's victory. His job has been made easier lately, as Toronto has killed 13 of 14 power plays over the past six games. Make Toronto an 8* play.

The set-up: Both the NY Islanders and the Tampa Bay Lightning failed to make the playoffs last season. However, both teams' strong starts make it look as if that won't be an issue here in the 2017-18 season. The Islanders have earned at least one point in five of their last six games (4-1-1) after grinding out a 5-4 shootout victory at Florida on Monday. New York sits at 16-8-2 and the team's 34 points has them in second-place in the Metropolitan Division, one point behind first-place Columbus. Things have not gone a smoothly lately for the Lightning, although they snapped out of a 2-4-0 mini-slump Saturday in a 5-2 victory over San Jose. Tampa Bay is 18-6-2 and its 38 point not only has them in first in the Atlantic Division but the Lightning are tied with Winnipeg for the most points in the NHL.

NY Islanders: Anders Lee extended his goal-scoring streak to four games in Monday's win with his fifth tally in that span and captain John Tavares netted his team-leading 17th, as New York won for the fifth time in its last six on the road. Josh Bailey notched an assist in Monday’s victory and leads the team with 31 points, including 13 in his last nine games, and Tavares is just one behind his linemate. Lee’s goal against Florida was his 100th in the NHL and defenseman Nick Leddy notched an assist to give him 12 points in his last 10 contests. Goalie Thomas Greiss (8-2-2, 3.61 GAA & .896 SP) sat out Monday’s win but will likely get the start after making 36 saves against Tampa Bay in mid-November to improve to 4-2-0 lifetime versus the Lightning.

Tampa Bay: Nikita Kucherov moved onto the line with center Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat and tallied twice while Tyler Johnson was switched from third-line center to right wing with captain Steven Stamkos and Vladislav Namestnikov and scored a pair of goals Johnson’s two tallies snapped a 15-game goal-scoring drought during which he posted a minus-5 rating and registered 24 shots. “That’s how hockey goes,” Johnson told reporters. “Sometimes you get the chances and the bounces don’t go your way, and other times you kind of get those garbage goals that find a way to go in."

The pick: Andrei Vasilevskiy (17-4-1, 2.22 GAA & .932 SP) is expected to be in goal for Tamp Bay and as you can see, his numbers are significantly better than Greiss'. However, the Lightning were 15-2-2 the last time the Islanders visited Amalie Arena (Nov. 18), with New York skating away with a 5-3 victory. The Islanders have overtaken the Lightning as the league's top scoring team (New York averages 3.73 GPG and Tampa Bay, 3.62) and I'm taking the 1 1/2-goals. Make the Islanders a 6* play.

The set-up: The 9-16 Suns rolled to a 115-101 win last night in Philadelphia, behind 46 points from star Devin Booker. Phoenix will cap its six-game road trip (2-3 so far) with a visit to the Air Canada Centre tonight in hopes of breaking even of its road trek. The Toronto Raptors look to match their season-best four-game winning streak,when Toronto won four in a row in mid-November. The Raptors are well-rested (last played on Friday) and enter having averaged 119.3 PPG during their current three-game stretch. What's more, while the Raptors have played the fewest home games of ant NBA team so far this season, they also own the league's best home mark, going 8-1.

Phoenix: The 21-year-old Booker connected on five 3-pointers and was 17-of-32 from the floor last night, establishing a season-best for points (his career high is 70). "He gets that look," Suns head coach Jay Triano told reporters afterward, "and it doesn't matter how closely you guard him, it doesn't matter who guards him - he just finds a way to create space and be electric." Booker is averaging 34.8 points over his past four games and is up to 24.5 PPG on the season. Small forward T.J. Warren checks in averaging 18.7 & 5.9 but there's a big drop-off after that. Only Greg Monroe (10.8 & 7.1) and Mike James (10.1) reach double digits among the rest of the Suns.

Toronto: The three days off in the schedule gave the Raptors some time to rest, recuperate and practice. They will be playing only their third game in eight days on Tuesday. Second-year center Jakob Poeltl missed Monday's practice but Toronto hopes to have the 7-footer after his terrific performance in the club's last game. Poeltl () flashed his potential with a career-high 18 points on 8-of-8 shooting in Friday's 120-115 victory over the Indiana Pacers - the best showing of his young career. The backcourt of DeMar DeRozan (23.4-4.3-4.7) and Kyle Lowry (16.4-6.3-7.0) lead the way with PF Ibaka (11.5 & 5.7), center Valanciunas (10.5 & 7.00 and swingman Miles (10.2) all adding solid support.

The pick: The Suns are at the end of a six-game trip and will now play their sixth game in 10 days (third game in five nights). The rested Raptors are well-aware of the Suns' tough recent schedule. "You see that," Toronto head Dwane Casey said. "We understand the schedule, how many games and the number of days. You try to watch that, but we've got to take care of who we are. This team has come in the last couple of years and beat us and at the time they weren't playing particularly well. One time we had them on a back-to-back and we didn't come in and take care of business." Phoenix road games have averaged 224.4 PPG and Toronto home games 219.0 PPG but the bottom line is, this over/number is just too high. In fact, Toronto has gone 'under" in five of its last seven games and in last year's two meetings (Suns won both!), the fianls averaged 204.0 PPG (about 20 points under this total!). Make the Under a 10* play.

analysis soonThe set-up: With 161 wins, Gonzaga is the winningest team in Division I basketball since the beginning of the 2013-14 season. Villanova, with 15 wins, ranks third. The 8-0 Wildcats (No. 4 in the latest AP poll) will take on the 7-1 Bulldogs, who are currently No. 12, at Madison Square Garden in the first game of the Jimmy V Classic (UConn and Syracuse follow). It feels like an "Old Big East get-together" ('Nova, 'Cuse and UConn), with the little school from from Spokane playing the role of "interloper."

Villanova: The Wildcats are averaging 86.4 PPG (30th) and are coming off one of their best shooting games ever. Villanova connected on 64.6 percent from the floor in Saturday's . 41-point rout of Saint Joseph's. Mikal Bridges, Phil Booth and Omari Spellman each made four 3-pointers Saturday, as Villanova drained a school-record 19. A pair of 6-9 forwards, Paschall (10.4 & 5.5) and Spellman (9.0 & 7.4) join a four-guard rotation of Bridges (17.9 & 6.2), Brunson (17.9 & 4.5 APG), DiVincenzo (11.4) and Booth (11.1). Villanova knows how to put points on the board but also knows how to stop its opponent on the defensive end of the court, allowing 61.6 PPG (20th).

Gonzaga: The Bulldogs are a "scary good" offensive team, averaging 92.9 PPG (4th) on 51.2 percent shooting (15th). The 6-9 Williams (15.9 & 6.9) is one of six players in double digits, along with PG Perkins (14.2 & 4.5 APG). The 6-9 Hachimura comes off the bench and is just shy of double digits, averaging 9.8 PPG plus 5.4 RPG. 6-8 freshman Corey Kispert (10.4 & 3.7) started the Zags' first seven games but missed the win over Creighton with an ankle injury. He is uncertain to be on the court Tuesday. The Bulldogs trailed Creighton (then ranked No. 25) by seven at halftime in their last game, before destroying the Bluejays 54-30 after intermission.

The pick: The Wildcats won the 2016 national championship over North Carolina, while the Bulldogs advanced to the 2017 NCAA Tournament title game before losing to the Tar Heels. This is the first real test for the Wildcats and it's the biggest game on Gonzaga's remaining schedule. Potential Wildcats matchups with Arizona and Purdue never materialized in the Bahamas. Instead, when the Battle 4 Atlantis bracket was busted, Villanova beat Northern Iowa for the title. Sure, 'Nova plays excellent D but this is a game between two outstanding offensive teams and the Over is an 8* play.

The set-up: The Vermont Catamounts lost their season-opener at Kentucky but only 73-69 as 12-point underdogs. They then won six straight before falling this past Saturday 81-77 at Bucknell. Vermont will visit BMO Harris Bradley Center on Tuesday evening when they face the host the Marquette Golden Eagles. Marquette is 5-3, after seeing its three-game winnings streak snapped in 73-66 home loss to Georgia.

Vermont: The Catamounts are led by 6-6 forward Lamb (14.9 & 6.5), who is joined by three other double digit scorers. They are guards Bell-Haynes (12.2 & 5.0 APG) and Duncan (11.9) plus the 6-8 Henson (11.5 & 5.8). Vermont did not look good for most of that Bucknell game and except for a run in the final minutes, the final score would have been a little more lopsided. Vermont will need a much better effort here.

Marquette: Leading scorer Andrew Rowsey (22.6 & 4.2 APG) was held to 15 points in the loss to Georgia but his high-scoring backcourt partner Markus Howard (21.0) scored 29 points. Another guard, Hauser, averages 12.4 PPG and 6.0 RPG, but the scoring drops off from there, as no other player scores more than 6.4 PPG.

The pick: The Golden Eagles won the only prior meeting between the teams but that was some time ago, 89-58 back on Dec. 22, 1995. Marquette has struggled to pick up resume-building wins against ranked teams and major conference opponents early in the season, falling to Purdue, Wichita State and Georgia, The Golden Eagles will be tested by Vermont, a mid-major with past success but this is a game the home team need badly and I'll back them. Make Marquette a 10* play.

The set-up: The 8-11-7 Philadelphia Flyers are opening a three-game trek through Western Canada Monday against the Calgary Flames and things can't get worse. The Flyers haven't won since topping Chicago 3-1 on Nov. 9 but after earning a point in five of six contests (0-1-5), have lost four in a row to fall to 0-5-5 in their last 10 games. The 14-11-1 Calgary Flames are looking to break even on their four-game homestand, after falling to 1-2-0 with Saturday's 7-5 loss to Edmonton.

Philadelphia: Saturday's 3-0 home setback against Boston has matched the slide the team had from Dec. 2-27, 2006 (0-9-1) and equaled from Feb. 6-23, 2008 (0-8-2). Philadelphia has been shut out six times overall this season and three times during its current skid, which began with back-to-back blankings against Minnesota. The Flyers are now averaging just 2.69 goals-per-game, to rank 27th in the league. "We're just squeezing our sticks," Flyers captain Claude Giroux said Saturday after Philadelphia's sixth shutout loss of the season. "We just need that first win so we can have a breather. It's not a good time right now. We need to figure it out and figure it out soon.

Calgary: Johnny Gaudreau tops Calgary with 36 points but endured a three-game drought before notching a goal and an assist against the Oilers on Saturday. The 24-year-old from New Jersey has netted 12 tallies in 26 games this season after registering only 18 over 72 contests in 2016-17. Sean Monahan has scored a team-leading 14 goals but has gone four games without one, after recording six over his previous four contests.

The pick: Getting away from home (under the circumstances) is probably a good thing for the Flyers but I want no part of this slumping team which hasn't won in 10 straight outings and comes off back-to-back home losses in which it has scored a total of just one goal. Calgary's 'no prize' but Ferland (11) joins Monahan and Gaudreau with double digits in goals plus goalie Mike Smith (2.68 GAA & .920 SP) is more than adequate. Make Calgary an 8* play.

The set-up: The 13-9 Denver Nuggets haven't lost a home game in a month (seven straight wins since losing to the Warriors at Pepsi Center on Nov. 4th) but are not only about to kick off a six-game road trip but the team will be without its best player. Center Nikola Jokic (15.5 & 10.6) is expected to miss several games due to a sprained ankle. The Nuggets (3-7 on the road) open their trip with a visit to Dallas, which is 6-17, including just 4-10 at home. However, the Mavericks just pounded the Los Angeles Clippers 108-82 on Saturday to earn head coach Rick Carlisle his 700th career win. "I really wasn't counting, to tell you the truth," Carlisle told reporters. "It just means that I've been very fortunate. I've had three great owners and great players. But we've got a long way to go, and I've really never been one to count that kind of stuff."

Denver: The Nuggets beat the Lakers 115-100 for a seventh straight home win, giving them a 10-2 mark at home this season. Jamal Murray scored 28 points in the win to bounce back from a five-point performance on 1-of-9 shooting against Chicago on Thursday. Murray is averaging 14.1 PPG, joining fellow guards Barton (15.5), Harris (14.6) and Mudiay (10.1) in double digits. With Jokic sidelined for at least a few games and PF Millsap (15.7 & 6.2) also out until late-February with a wrist injury, Denver will need help from forwards Chandler and Faried, as well as center Plumlee (Good luck!).

Dallas: The Mavs are trying to clinch a winning three-game homestand after falling to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday, before blasting the Clippers on Saturday. Veteran point guard J.J. Barea (12.4 & 5.2 APG) led the way with 21 points and 10 assists against Los Angeles and is averaging 13.2 points and 7.3 assists in the six wins. "I was able to come off the bench with a lot of energy and help the team out," Barea told reporters. "Everything was clicking from passing to shooting the ball from the outside, so it was great. It was great to be out there and to get this win. We needed it after a bad loss last time, so hopefully we carry this over." Barnes (18.3 & 7.5) is again leading the team in scoring plus rookie guard Smith (14.2) has been a nice surprise. Matthews (11.6) and Dirk (11.2 & 5.7) are also in double digits but Dallas is averaging just 99.8 PPG (27th).

The pick: Denver was already really hurting minus Millsap and now with Jokic out, I expect the poor-traveling Nuggets (even when healthy), to struggle. As noted, Dallas is not much of an offensive team anymore, so the Under is the 8* play.

The set-up: The Steelers and Bengals have developed a big rivalry over the years but in fairness, it's been pretty much one-sided (Pittsburgh leads the series 61-35). The Steelers will visit Paul Brown Stadium for MNF on a six-game winning streak and looking to match New England's 10-2 record (with a win) for the AFC';s top mark. The Bengals enter on a modest two-game winning streak, after wins over the sad-sack Broncos (eight straight losses) and Browns (0-12 on the season). Cincinnati checks in at 5-6 and an upset would keep them alive in what's becoming a very crowded AFC wild card field.

Pittsburgh: The latest version of the "Killer Bs" lead the Pittsburgh offense. QB Ben Roethlisberger is rounding into form after a shaky start to the year and has 2,948 yards with 20 touchdowns and 12 INTs, "Big Ben" threw five iNTs in that Oct. 8 home loss to the Jags but in the team' six-game winning streak, has 14 TDs and just five total INTs. Le’Veon Bell held out in the preseason and started slowly but he's re-established himself as the NFL's most dominant RB with 981 rushing yards (5 TDs) plus 61 receptions for 396 yards. Only Atlanta's Julio Jones can make an argument against Antonio Brown being the NFL's best WR and I'm not buying Jones. Brown has 80 catches for 1,195 yards and eight TDs. The Pittsburgh defense (as always) is among the NFL's best units. The Steelers allow 289.4 YPG (3rd) and 17.5 PPG (4th).

Cincinnati: The Bengals are off a 30-16 win in Week 12 over the Browns but enter averaging just 18.1 PPG (25th) on an NFL-low 274.3 YPG (note; Cincy has scored 30 points just twice in 2017, both times against the still win-less Browns!). Good news last week was rookie RB Joe Mixon finally showing some sizzle by rushing for a season-high 114 yards and a TD and catching three passes for 51 yards. However, it did come against Cleveland and the Bengals' rushing attack averages only 75.6 YPG (ranks dead-last at 32nd). QB Andy Dalton has nine TDs and zero INTs since the team's Week 7 loss to the Steelers but he will likely remember that he was sacked four times, picked off twice and the Bengals managed a meager 19 total yards in the second half in that 29-14 loss. Wideout A.J. Green has a team-high 809 receiving yards (52 catches / 6 TDs), which is more than double any other Bengals player (2nd-best has 373 yards receiving). As noted. the offense ranks 32nd overall and in rushing, so Dalton's job is not an easy one. However, the Cincy D has been solid, allowing 19.5 PPG (10th) on 330.5 YPG (14th).

The pick: The Bengals have won two in a row to stay within striking distance of the final playoff berth in the AFC but they will be taking a major step up in class against this bitter rival. Cincinnati's last three wins have come over the Browns, Broncos and Colts! The Bengals were dominated by the Steelers 29-14 in Pittsburgh in Week 7 (see above) and will it change much here, even in Cincy? I can't see why it should. The Steelers have beaten the Bengals five straight and have not lost at Paul Brown Stadium since 2013. Make Pittsburgh a 10* play.

The set-up: The Missouri State Bears will travel to the Scheels Center in Fargo on a five-game winning streak and with an overall record of 7-2. Awaiting the Bears will be the North Dakota State Bison, who come off back-to-back losses leaving them at 43-4 to open the new season.The Bison are off a 19-win season, after four straights years of 20-plus wins, and return eight players. Missouri State has known success in the past (remember Steve Alford?) but last year's 17-win season came after winning just 11 and 13 games the previous two years. However, four starters returned this year and maybe this year's 7-2 start means the Bears are looking at getting back to 20 wins.

Missouri State: Seven players are averaging 21-plus minutes per game with the 6-9 Johnson leading the team in scoring (13.7) and rebounding (10.3). Guard Miller (10.2 & 4.1) is the only other double digit scorer but SF Scurry just misses (9.7), despite averaging only about 15 minutes of playing time. Defense has been the key for Missouri State, which is holding opponents to an average of 62.4 PPG (33rd) on 36.8% shooting (14th).

North Dakota State: The Bison were a little out of their league in losing 83-59 at Mississippi State this past Thursday. North Dakota State had no answers for the Bulldogs and Tyson Carter (35 points), as the Bison couldn’t fight back after falling behind by a 63-38 margin with 11:13 left in regulation. North Dakota State shot just 28.6% (10-35) from beyond the arc ant-d was out-rebounded by the Bulldogs by a 41-28 margin. Leading the way for the Bison was Paul Miller who had 19 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Miller tops a guard-oriented team in averaging 14.7 & 6.6, with three other guards following. They are Ward (11.6), Hunter (10.1) and Jacobson (9.1).

The pick: Missouri State is not quite Miss. State (7-0) but the Bears have looked awfully good in their five-game winning streak. North Dakota State has struggled on the offensive end this season (67.3 PPG ranks 306th) and that's not good news against an excellent Missouri State defense Make the Bears a 10* play.

The set-up: The 76ers are finally starting to give some positive signs that "The Process" is beginning to come together. Philly welcomes the Phoenix Suns to ton sporting an overall 13-9 record. The 76ers are 5-1 in their last six games and 7-3 in their last 10, losing only to the Warriors, Cavaliers and Celtics. This just in...Those three teams are pretty good. As for the Suns, Phoenix finds itself 8-16 on the season. The Suns fell to 1-3 on their six-game road trip with a 116-111 loss at Boston on Saturday and have surrendered an average of 122 points in the three losses on the trip.

Phoenix: The Suns rank 30th (last) in the NBA in points allowed at 115.9 per game and after allowing the Celtics to shoot 52.5 percent from the floor on Saturday, rank 26th in defensive FG percentage at 47.1%. The Suns nearly erased a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter at Boston but in the end, it was just another loss. "We competed well, we've just got to not make mistakes and compete for more possessions than we did tonight," interim coach Jay Triano told reporters after the game. "It's just understanding the game and what's available and not making mistakes down the stretch. Our discipline has to be better." Shooting guard Devin Booker poured in 39 points on 16-of-29 shooting in Boston and is averaging 31 points on 55 percent shooting over the last three games. He leads the team at PPG 23.6 PPG, with small forward T.J. Warren adding 18.4 & 5.8 RPG.

Philadelphia: The 76ers are already "thinking playoffs." They rode 25 points and 10 rebounds from center Joel Embiid (23.1 & 11.3) to a 108-103 win over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday, pulling it out in the fourth quarter after squandering a lead in the third. "That's a good win for us," Embiid told reporters. "Getting those wins against what could be (a playoff team) is always good, learning the style of play." Rookie PG Ben Simmons scored just five points on Saturday (his first game scoring in single digits) but on the year is averaging 17.9-9.4-7.1. SG Redick (15.6), SF Covington (15.6) and PF Saric (11.5-6.4) are also in double digits.

The pick: Yes, the 76ers are 7-4 SU (8-3 ATS) at home but laying double digits? To say the least, the 76ers don’t have much of a track record as a double-digit favorite these last four-plus seasons. How about they are 0-0 when laying nine points or more. Take the points and make the Suns (6-3-1 ATS last 10 as a road dog) a 10* play.

The set-up: The Houston Rockets are currently 17-4 and have pretty much owned the West's best record since the beginning of the current season (once the Clippers' 4-0 quickly disappeared). Houston just completed a 4-0 homestand and will open a three-game road trip at the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday at Staples Center. You may have heard that LA has a rookie PG named Lonzo Ball. Lonzo is working on one of the NBA's worst-ever shooting seasons and after the team's fourth loss in a row (115-100 in Denver last night), the 8-14 Lakers will be hard-pressed to find the energy to keep up with the high-scoring Rockets.

Houston: After taking four straight during its just completed homestand (by an average of 20 points per), Houston has won six in a row and 12 of 13. The Rockets' current six-game run, during which they have averaged 120.7 PPG, coincides with the return of PG Chris Paul from a knee injury. The veteran has been running the show with incredible efficiency, handing out 72 assists while committing only nine turnovers in seven games this season. "The court's so open, you get in there, you make the easy play for the most part," Paul told reporters. "I don't expect to have any (turnovers). It's like a quarterback. You don't plan to have interceptions because every time you turn it over, it's an opportunity for the other team." James Harden is leading the NBA in scoring (31.5) and assists (9.8), while also adding 5.2 RPG. Gordon got extra "PT' with Paul sidelined and is the team's second-leading scorer at 19.2 PPG. With Paul now playing regularly (11.1 & 10.3 APG), the Rockets have six players in double digits and check in at 113.9 PPG (2nd-best). The defense has been plenty good enough, allowing 103.1 PPG (9th).

LA Lakers: The Lakers were 8-10 before their four-game skid. LA is in a 15-game stretch in which the Lakers play the top two teams in the Western Conference, the Rockets and Golden State Warriors, three times each. They played well in their first meeting of the season against the Warriors on Wednesday, losing 120-115 in overtime after missing a game-winning shot at the end of regulation. They overcame a 12-point deficit to take a four-point halftime lead Saturday night at Denver, but were then outscored 15-0 over the final 3:43 of the 115-100 loss. Ball actually leads LA in rebounding and assists (7.1 per in each) but there are no words to describe his horrific shooting. The numbers say, 31.8% from the floor, including 25.7% on threes.

The pick: The Rockets have won their last five road contests by an average of 21.6 PPG and are 9-1 on the road this season. Houston just completed a 12-1 November, outscoring its opponents by an average of 16.769 points, the largest margin of victory for the month since the Boston Celtics won by an average of 16.833 points in 1963. "We're winning by big margins, but we're not playing great," Houston forward P.J. Tucker told the Houston Chronicle. "We have to challenge ourselves to get better." The Lakers allowed 118.8 PPG during their four-game slide and just how will they slow the Rockets? The Over is a 10* play.

The set-up: NBC Sunday Night Football gets Week 13's marquee NFL matchup as the 10-1 Philadelphia Eagles, owners of a nine-game winning streak and the NFL's best record, visits CenturyLink Field to take on the the 7-4 Seattle Seahawks. This could be a battle of QBs. Philly's Carson Wentz leads the NFL's top-ranked scoring unit (31.9 PPG) per game). He tossed three TD passes in the Eagles' 31-3 Week 12 win over the Bears and has thrown 22 of his NFL-best 28 TD passes in the last seven games to put his name firmly in the mix for MVP honors. Wentz' counterpart is Seattle's Russell Wilson, who is third in the league in passing TDs (23), is tied for fourth in passing yards per game (275) and is responsible for nearly 86 percent of his team's scrimmage yards (talk about a "one-man gang!").

Philadelphia: Wentz has had a terrific sophomore season with 20 TDs and zero interceptions in the red zone. He's got a developing corps of receivers led by TE Ertz (55 catches / 7 TDs) plus WRs Jeffrey (43 catches / 7 TDs) and Agholor (33 catches / 6 TDs). The running game is strong, averaging 147.5 YPG (2nd). LeGarrette Blount led the team with 97 yards vs. the Bears and has 658 yards on the season (4.8 YPC). Philly traded for Miami' Ajayi and while he seems to be just a 'spot' player, let's note that in three games, he has 194 rushing yards while averaging 9.7 YPC! Let's not move on until mentioning the Philly D, which allows just 17.4 PPG (3rd) on 291.6 YPG (6th).

Seattle: The Seahawks are currently one game behind the 8-3 Rams in the NFC West plus find themselves losing a tie-breaker to the Atlanta Falcons for the NFC's final wild card spot. The Seahawks stayed one game back of the Rams with last Sunday's 24-13 win at San Francisco. Russell Wilson was 20 of 34 for 228 yards with two TDs and one INT. He has 23 TDs and just eight INTs on the season plus is Seattle's leading rusher with 401 yards (6.2 YPC / 3 TDs). WR Baldwin leads with 58 catches but TE Graham is coming on strong with 49 receptions and a team-high eight TD catches (all in the last seven games). Seattle's "Legion of Boom" defense has suffered key injuries but Seattle remains a solid defensive team, allowing 19.3 PPG (9th) on 311.7 YPG (8th)

The pick: The Eagles have been terrific but they have played just two teams which currently own a winning record, Kansas City (a Week 2 loss) and Carolina (a Week 6 win). A check of the record book reveals that Russell is an impressive 37-7 SU (.841) at home as a starting QB in the regular season. Seattle as a home dog? I can't pass on that! Make Seattle a 10* play.