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

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

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

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

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

Bournemouth is normally capable of putting the ball in the back of the net but is going to have trouble scoring today. Not only has Bournemouth scored only once in the last 4 h2h matches but West Ham is a different team at home. Each of their last three Premier League home matches have seen the Hammers keep a clean sheet. The Hammers are dealing with some missing players. Both clubs are for that matter. That won't help the scoring. The last h2h match was a 1-1 final and the last at London Stadium was a 2-0 final. This one also stays at 2 or less!

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

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

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

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

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

Seeing Xavier laying such a short number at home, many are going to be quick to back the Musketeers. As tempting as that may seem, the Red Storm are currently the better team.

Xavier coach Miller acknowledged at the beginning of the season that his team had gone through a lot of changes and said not to judge them for the first few months. He had hoped that by February and March his team would be peaking. The Musketeers aren't quite there yet, as they just lost their last 2 games by a combined 53 points.

The Red Storm had their way with the Musketeers last month. They are 4-1 against the spread as underdogs. They score us an upset in this one!

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

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

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

Records are the same but only overall. The home/road splits will strongly work in Kent State's favor. The Golden Flashes average 82.2 points per home game. The RedHawks average 70 points on the road. Last time Miami was off a MAC win, it followed it up with a 16 point blowout loss.

Kent State is 3-0 SU and 2-1 against the spread the past 3 meetings. Two double-digit wins. The closer game was at Miami. Flashes have beaten Miami 19 of last 23 times here. They have always been one of the better teams in the conference and this year will end up no different. They remind the RedHawks and their doubters of that tonight.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New Orleans just got humiliated and will want to respond with a better effort. New Orleans won both meetings last season. The Privateers have thrived at the betting window as road underdogs in this range the last few seasons. the Cardinals arent used to being home favorites of this size latel but it hasn't been a good role for them over many years.

Lamar scores a lot but also gives up a lot. New Orleans is 30-14 against the spread its last 44 lined games when facing teams which average 77 or more points, after at least 15 games have been played.

NO is 6-1 SU the past 7 meetings. Grab the big points!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Blues have been finding ways to win but this represents their first game back from a trip out West. That's going to be tough. The Kings' recent struggles are going to have them fired up. They need a win and they know they have beaten the Blues 5 straight times. Los Angeles is better on the road than at home. The Kings 14 road wins is tied for 2nd most in the Western Conference. Their last 6 road games have come against Tampa, Florida, Carolina, Detroit, Dallas and Colorado. None of those are easy rinks. This isn't either but by comparison to Colorado, it'll seem so. Los Angeles will bounce back.

When these schools squared off at Xavier, they combined for 155 points, an 80-75 win for Connecticut. The Musketeers aren't likely going to be able to score as well on the road. Visiting teams have had trouble scoring here. UConn hasn't allowed conceded more than 67 points in a home game this entire season.

In 8 Big East home games, the Huskies are allowing an average of 59 points per game. Creighton was the last guest and it scored only 48 points. Since the game at Xavier, the Huskies have allowed an average of 60 points. The Huskies will continue their strong defensive play at home and keep the final score under the total.

The Mavericks played a very high-scoring game against Atlanta last night. You may have seen the highlights. Doncic had 73 points, tied for 4th most in NBA history.

The Hawks are a very weak defensive team. You might think the same of Sacramento. But it currently isn't true of the Kings. They are 13-8 to the under on the road. They held Dallas to 113 last game here.

The Mavericks were small underdogs for last night's game at Atlanta. They are a perfect 6-0 to the under the past 6 times that they were off a SU win as an underdog. This game will stay under the high total!

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

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

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

We get the Rangers at a reduced price because they lost to Las Vegas last night. Different teams react to back-to-back situations differently though. The Rangers are a team which happens to love playing them!

Eight times the Rangers have found themselves playing 2 games in two days. They won by scores of 7-4, 6-5, 4-1, 2-1, 4-3, 5-1, 2-1 and 5-2. The Rangers are also 13-4 when playing with revenge. Ottawa beat them 6-2 last month and they return the favor today!

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

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

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

Nebraska is 1-4 straight up and against the spread on the road. The Huskers are 0-2 (SU and ATS) on the road when the total was in the 140 to 144.5 range. Going back, Nebraska is 10-18 ATS its last 28 on the road. In their game here one year ago, the Huskers lost 82-63.

The Terrapins are off an important win at Iowa. They are 3-0 against the spread when off a Big Ten victory. A win over Penn State was followed by a 40 point blowout of Alcorn State. A win over Michigan was followed by a win at Illinois. The win over Illinois was followed by a cover at Northwestern. The Terrrapins will move to 4-0 ATS off a conference win by hammering the Huskers!

The Blues beat the Kraken at St. Louis back in the fall. The Blues aren't as strong on the road though. They only score 2.4 goals in games away from St. Louis. They have already won the first two games of this trip and now be thinking about returning home.

The Kraken just ended a losing streak last game. A streaky team, they've got their mojo back. They beat the Blues 5-2 the last time that the teams met in the Emerald City. They will make it 2 in a row and get revenge from the October loss.

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

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

The Knicks are stepping up in class level. With the exception of a game against Dallas, which they lost, the Knicks have been facing some weak opposition for weeks. Opponents included Washington, Portland, Memphis, Orlando, Houston, Washington (again) Toronto and Brooklyn. The defending champions are on a different level. The Knicks are 7-14 against the spread against winning teams.

A small pointspread means that that a victory should also result in pointspread cover. The Nuggets have won 29 of 40 straight up when favored. They have won 3 in a row and this will make 4 straight.

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

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

Two evenly matched teams and we get points with one on its home floor. The Blue Devils have the better record but that doesn't mean that they are more talented. The Knights can still take things to another level. Who can forget their upset of Purdue in the NCAA Tournament last year.

The Blue Devils are 0-2 against the spread the last few seasons as road favorites of 3 or less. Both losses came outright. The Knights are 7-1 against the spread the past 8 times that they faced an opponent with a winning record after 15 or more games. They are also 5-1 ATS when playing with 5 or 6 day's rest in between games. I will take the points but I don't expect to need them.

Portland fought really hard in last night's loss at Oklahoma City. The Trail Blazers lost by only 2 points. Great effort but it will catch up to them tonight!

The Rockets are 16-7 at home, both against the spread and straight up. They allow only 107 points per game here. Portland allows 118 on the road. The Rockets are also a very respectable 9-4 ATS (69.2%) as favorites.

The Rockets had the last 2 days off. My belief is that they will come in fresh and they will dominate this game from start to finish.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Though both teams lost by more than one goal last game, Buffalo is currently in far better form. The Sabres fell 3-1 and the Ducks were on the wrong side of a 5-2 loss. The Sabres previous two games had both resulted in 3-0 victories. They are 5-3 their last 8. The Ducks have dropped 3 straight and 2-10 their last 12.

The Sabres beat the Ducks 6-3 and 7-3 last year. They were favored by -225 and -280. The Ducks are perhaps in worse form now than they were then. The Ducks are 5-14 off a loss of 2 or more goals. The Sabres are 9-6 off a loss by 2 or more. The Sabres will take this one to improve to 23-9 their last 32 against teams with losing records in the 2nd half of the season.

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

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

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

Off a loss at Vegas on Saturday, the Penguins will find things easier tonight at Arizona. The Coyotes are dealing with many injuries. They are 3-6 in 2024.

The Penguins won 4-2 as a -195 home favorite against the Coyotes last month. The price is far more reasonable now because the Penguins are on the road. That's giving us value given that the Penguins have dominated the Coyotes, regardless of venue.

Revenge may be a nice thought for the Coyotes but its hardly a motivator. They are 42-82 their last 124 tries in the revenge role. Pittsburgh continues its recent series dominance with a big win on Monday night.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Homecourt is a big difference maker for these teams. Michigan State is 10-2 at home but 0-3 on the road. Maryland is 2-4 on the road but 9-1 at home.

Michigan State is off a win but didn't exactly impress. Tom Izzo said as much: "We won a game but we did not progress, and I was disappointed."

Fifth-year guard Jahmir Young has been unstoppable for the Terrapins. He's off a 36-point effort on Wednesday and has scored at least 20 points in six of his last seven games. "Maryland coach Kevin Willard said this of Young: "Jahmir was phenomenal, absolutely phenomenal."

Young will have another big day, leading Maryland to an upset on Sunday afternoon.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Buckeyes have struggled in Big Ten Conference play but a visit from the Nittany Lions will fix that. The Buckeyes already lost at Penn State last month and they will not let this team sweep them.

Penn State has been fine at home and is off a win over Wisconsin. The Nittany Lions are 1-7 on the road though and theyv'e been outscored by an average of 85.7 to 75.4

The Buckeyes have also strugged on the road but they are 8-2 at home and have outscored teams by a 76.4 to 63.2 average score here. Homecourt makes the difference with the Buckeyes avenging last month's loss with a blowout victory of their own.

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

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

The Devils are 7-5 against divisional opponents. The Blue Jackets are 3-11 within division play. The Blue Jackets upset Vancouver 4-3 last game as they were catching the Canucks in a difficult spot. Columbus is only 2-10 after scoring 4 or more goals though, 20-52 (-24.4) in that situation the last few seasons. The Devils won 6-3 here last month and were laying -240 at the time. In comparison, this price is a bargain. Devils will win again.

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

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

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

I rarely deviate from the pointspread in ATS sports but the price on the money-line is very fair in relation to the current spread. The Thunder, 18-8 straight-up when the over/under line is 220 or greater, beat the Jazz by 14 last month.

With last month's loss, the Jazz are 4-5 in division games, getting outscored 114 to 110.1. The Thunder are 6-2 in division games, outscoring their rivals by a 121.4 to 104.7 average score.

I was against the Thunder on Tuesday. The 11 point loss was only their 2nd double-digit defeat all season. They bounced back from the first with a 12 point win and they will respond with a victory again tonight.

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

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

The Avalanche are 3-0 to the over on their current road trip. That changes tonight as they are now facing one of the stingiest teams in the National Hockey League. The Bruins are off a 3-0 shutout last game and they allow only 2.63 goals per game. The Avalanche are 3-0 to the under after playing their previous 3 on the road. They are also 9-4-3 5 to the under their last 16 visits to Boston. The Bruins are 40-26-7 to the under their last 63 home games when the total was 6 or more. Go with the Under.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Give me the extra +1.5 goals on the puck-line with the red hot Detroit Red Wings. The Wings have won back-to-back games and 5 of their last 6. The only loss was by 1 goal.

The Panthers recently had a long winning streak. That's over and they've now lost consecutive games. Over the last week, they've had 2 losses and a 1-goal win. Well-rested and playing with revenge, the Red Wings will stay hot.

The Thunder beat up the Clippers at OKC just before Christmas. This time, the Clippers catch them on their home floor. That's a big deal. the Clippers are only 9-10 on the road but they're 16-4 at home. The Thunder are 16-5 at home and 11-7 on the road.

The Clippers were playing their second game in two nights for the first game. OKC was rested. The shoe is on the other foot now. The Clippers are rested and the Thunder played yesterday.

The Clippers are 5-1 against the spread their past 6 tries when off an upset loss. They win big tonight.

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

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

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

This is too many points for SMU to be giving Temple. The Owls have some shortcomings but the Mustangs dont have all the pieces to fully take advantage. The Mustangs are 0-5 against the number their last five tries, as a home favorite in the -12.5 to -15 pointspread range.

Off a loss at North Texas, the Owls will be going all out for a win. They are 11-6 against the spread their last 17 tries, when off a conference loss.

Six straight meetings have been decided by 11 points or less. The last time Temple was here it was a 1-point game. Give me the points.

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

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

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

With the game being moved from Sunday to Monday and that bringing improved weather, the total has climbed by quite a lot. It shot up over key numbers like 34 and 37 and is now too high.

The weather may be improved but its still not going to be pleasant. This game will feature an extra amount of pounding the ball on the ground.

Josh Allen said as much: "The wind may move the ball a little bit. Typically, it's going to be, with weather like this, a game that both teams are going to run the ball, and it's going to be very possession-limited ..."

Both teams were 11-6 to the under and both are coming off a strong defensive effort which stayed below the total. Go with the Under.

High total for a Houston game. The Rockets are among the lower scoring teams in the league (bottom 10) but they are also among the stingiest. They allow the 5th least number of points in the NBA. The 76ers are mere percentage points behind them, allowing the 6th fewest number of points.

The game at Houston was high-scoring. The same was true last year. The rematch at Philadelphia was 28 points lower though. Rockets are 13-8 to the under when playing with revenge.

The 76ers just held high-scoring Sacramento to 93 points. That game stayed below the total by more than 30 points. Go with the Under.

Anytime you can get the Bruins for this price, at home, you have to take a second look. A second looks shows that the should handle the Devils, as per usual. The Bruins are 7-1 in eight meetings the last few seasons, 4-0 here at Boston.

After losing 3 in a row, the Bruins won at St. Louis in their last game. They will be determined not to return to losing. They are 55-24 (+17.5) when off a game versus a Western Conf. opponent. With the Devils only 2-8 when coming off a win by 2 or more goals, Boston makes it 2 in a row.

Both teams were playing a lot of of overs to start the season. Now that Big Ten play has been kicking into high gear, that's been changing. Today's total is still set quite high though. Too high.

Michigan's last game was a 64-57 loss. It marked the third straight Michigan game which went to the under.

Off a 71-60 loss to Wisconsin, Ohio State comes off consecutive games which went to the under. The Buckeyes are 3-1 to the under the last 4 times that they were road favorites of 3 or less. Both teams are badly in need of a win and they will battle on the defensive end. Go with the Under.

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

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

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

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

It hasn't caught up to them yet but Haliburton's absence is going to hurt the Pacers today. He's an elite player and Indiana won't be able to keep up without him.

The Pacers play some very high-scoring games. Fine by Denver. The Nuggets are 23-15-1 against the spread their last 39 home games with a total set at 230 or greater.

One of those wins came here one year ago against the Pacers. The Nuggets were favored by 9 and they won by 23. This will be another blowout.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Bruins are too good a team to go on long losing streaks. When they lose a few in a row, they make it right. They're 5-1 the past few seasons, after having lost their previous 3 games. During that period, they are also 18-6 (+10.4) after scoring 1 or fewer goals in their previous game.

The Blues are 37-40 (-8) in non-conf. games the last few years. The Bruins are 54-26 in non-conf. action. They took both meetings last season and they'll finish on top again today.

I believe Binghampton is the better team. So, getting points is a bonus. The Bearcats fell behind Bryant in their last game but showed a lot of fight to get back and make it a game. Albany isn't nearly as strong as Bryant. The Great Danes have dropped 4 of their last 7 and their last 2 games were both decided by 6 or less. Binghampton has taken 3 of the last 4 in the series and the only win for Albany came by one. Grab the points!

Newcastle earned a much-needed 3-0 victory last weekend. That was an FA Cup match against Sunderland though. The Magpies preceded that win with 3 straight premier league defeats. Manchester City is getting healthier and has found its form. The Citizens have 4 wins and 1 draw their alst 5 league matches. City is a commanding 26-1-5 in 32 matches against Newcastle. This will result in another victory for the superior squad.

Off a 71-60 win at Ohio State, the Badgers showed that they can really play defense. They're going to make scoring difficult for the Wildcats on Saturday afternoon.

Northwestern allows just 64 points a game on the road, scoring only 65. The Wildcats are 4-2 to the under in their away games. Twice within the last month, the Wildcats were held below 50 points.

Last year's game at Northwestern was quite low-scoring. It finished with 129 points. However, the game here at Wisconsin was ultra low-scoring. It finished with only 106 points. The Badgers are 5-2 to the under when the total was in the 130s. Go with the UNDER!

Off an embarrassing 1-0 loss to Middlesbrough in the EFL Cup Semis, the Blues will take it out on Fulham in Saturday's West London Derby. The Cottagers aren't strong on the road, as they can't keep the ball out of the net in their away matches. Chelsea has also had trouble on the road but has been winning at home. The Blues are 3-0 their last 3 home matches.

In addition to having homefield advantage, the Blues benefit from an extra day's worth of rest. Fulham's loss to Liverpool came a full 24 hours after Chelsea's setback to Middlesbrough. Chelsea won 2-0 the last time the clubs faced each other. This will be another home win for the Stamford Bridge faithful.

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

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

The Stars lost 3 straight 1-goal games to ring in 2024. The 3rd of those came against the Predators. Off back to back wins, they have since turned the corner. The Stars won those games by a score of 11-2. Now they will settle the score with Nashville. The Predators are only 2-7 (-6.8) when playing with 2 day's rest. Even considering last week's loss, the Stars are 46-27 their last 73, against divisional opponents. They score more than 4 goals a game on home ice and won't be beaten by the Predators twice in here less than a week. Lay the price with the Stars.

Tyrese Haliburton has been responsible for a great deal of Indiana's success this season. He's been so good that he's a top 10 player in terms of the MVP race. The Pacers won't have their superstar tonight though and the Hawks will hurt them because of it. Haliburton is out with a hamstring strain. The Pacers are going to realize just how much they rely on Haliburton tonight. They hammered the Hawks 150-116 a week ago at Indiana and now they will feel like what its like to be on the other side. The Hawks have wins over the Thunder and the 76ers in their last 2 home games. They haven't had many blowout wins but this will be one of them. Lay the points.

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

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

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

The Vancouver Canucks are nearing the end of a long road trip. It's their longest trip of the entire season. After sweeping their games in New York and New Jersey, not an easy feat to accomplish, they will be ready for a letdown tonight at Pittsburgh. Coach Tocchet said this: "To win three games in New Jersey and New York is tough to do."

The Penguins are healthy and playing well. They are off a win on Monday and are now 7-2-1 their last 10 games. They have won 3 of the last 4 versus the Canucks and are 5-2 the last 7. That includes a 3-0 record the last 3 meetings in Pittsburgh. With Vancouver playing its 3rd road game in 4 days, the Penguins will make it 4 straight home wins in the series tonight!

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

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

Two previous games in Paris have averaged 226.5 points, right around where this O|U number has been set. The defensive minded Cleveland Cavaliers weren't among the previous contestants though. Cleveland ranks in the top 6 in terms of both points allowed and opponents field goal percentage. Both the Nets and Cavaliers play at a slower tempo than the majority of the league.

The under is 96-64-2 the last 162 times that Brooklyn played a game with a total of 220 or more.

The Cavaliers are 7-4-1 to the under this season against losing teams, 54-31-4 to the under, against sub-500 teams, he past few seasons. This game goes Under!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

These were the two worst teams in the Horizon League last year. The Phoenix have been better than the Jaguars so far overall. Not if we look at the home/away splits though. IUPUI is 4-3 at home. Wisconsin Green Bay is 3-7 on the road. Two of those 3 road wins came by 2 points or less.

IUPUI hammered this team 68-53 last season. It was the Jaguars best win of the season. That result will inspire confidence on Wednesday afternoon. Off a cover at Youngstown State, the Jaguars are 27-18 against the spread their last 45 conference games. Give me the big points.

I played against BYU last game. The Cougars came crashing back to earth with a bad home loss to Cincinnati. Apparently, life in the Big 12 isn't going to be quite the cakewalk that some BYU fans had started to envision. Still licking their wounds, the Cougars are now up against a better team.

The Bears spent non-conference play battling teams like Auburn, Florida, Duke and Michigan State. They began Big 12 play with a 5-point win at Oklahoma State. The Bears are 9-2 against the spread as favorites and will add another win to that record tonight.

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

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

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

The Blackhawks defeated Calgary last game but they are not a good team. They are also dealing with numerous injuries including one to superstar Connor Bedard. Their last 4 losses have all come by at least 2 goals.

The Oilers have been one of the hottest teams in hockey for weeks. They are currently on a 7-game winning streak. The last 3 wins all came by 2 or more goals. They beat Chicago 4-1 last meeting.

The Oilers win streak won't last forever but it also won't come to an end tonight. Edmonton averages 3.6 goals and Chicago averages 2.3. Lay the price on the puck-line and look forward to a mismatch. ***ROCKSTAR***

For a game which will likely be decided at the buzzer, this is too many points. The Cowboys are off a 5-point loss to Baylor. Prior to that, they'd won 5 straight games. Their only other loss since the start of December came by 2 points.

The Red Raiders are on a nice winning streak and are off an impressive win over Texas. The victories before Texas were against inferior opposition though and the upset over the rival Longhorns will have them ripe for a letdown.

The last 3 meetings were all won by 3 or fewer points. Scores of 71-68, 71-68 and 52-51. OSU won all three. Grab the points.

I had a big play on the Bearcats in their upset of BYU. Off that big road win, I'll now fade them as favorites against an arguably more talented team than the one they were just double-digit underdogs against.

The Bearcats are 6-13-1 against the spread the last 20 times that they were off a conference win. The Longhorns are 9-5-1 ATS in the same time span, when off a Big 12 defeat. This game will come down to the wire. Grab the points!

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

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

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

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

You guys know I like the Boston Bruins. I backed them in their last game. This is a team that they could face in the Stanley Cup Finals though and there are a few important factors that favor Colorado.

The Avalanche are much better at home than Boston is on the road. Colorado is 16-5 at home. Boston is 12-8 on the road.

The Avalanche lost their last game 8-4 and they are 30-12 (+12.1) their last 42 tries, when off a loss by 2 or more goals.

Over the same time-frame, the Avalanche are 51-30 in non-conf. games and 49-27 after allowing 4 or more goals. Embarrassed from giving up 8 goals and from being swept by the Bruins last year, they will deliver an appropriate response! ***NON-CONF GOW****

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Both these teams got a lot better as the season progressed. The Bears started terribly but have currently won back-to-back games and have victories in 4 of their last 5. The Packers entered November with a 2-5 record but now find themselves at 8-8 and in control of their own playoff destiny.

A big part of the reason for the improvement comes on the defensive side. Since Week 11, the Bears have allowed fewer than 20 points four times. They have 16 takeaways during that time. In fact, the Bears defense now leads the NFL in interceptions.

The Packers just held the Vikings to 10 points to close out 2023. Minnesota managed just 211 yards.

The last meeting at Lambeau finished with 37 points. With both offenses missing some important players, the final score will again stay below the total! ***NFC TOTAL OF THE MONTH***

Still angry about last week's controversy, the Lions say they want to win. The Vikings technically still have hope. Realistically, however, this game likely doesn't mean much. The Vikings won't be going to the playoffs and the Lions will be locked into the #3 seed.

Nick Mullens is back at QB and he threw 4 picks last time these teams met. He will miss throwing to Hockensen. The reliable tight-end had 4 receptions for 58 yards in the first meeting.

For all the bluster, I'm projecting a lower scoring game. Detroit is off a 20-19 loss. Minnesota managed only 10 points last week and has scored just 71 total points over the last 5 games, an average of 14. Vikings are 5-3 to the under on the road. This one will also stay under! ***EARLY RISER***

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

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

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

First game went over but these teams are not the same ones that faced each other at beginning of the season. Both offenses are missing a lot of important weapons. First game had a total of 40.5 This one is much higher. That gives us a lot more room to maneuver.

The Texans defense has come to life. Last week, Houston allowed only 3 points. They gave up just 11 first downs and 187 total yards. Last road game, the Texans allowed only 16 points.

The Colts last 3 games have all finished with 43 points or less. They are going to want to run the ball. The Texans are strong at stopping the run. This will add up to a low-scoring defensive battle. ***AFC TOM***

I'm aware of the O|U stats. Both teams have gone over at an alarming rate. Both this season and for the past few seasons. Obviously, I'm not the only one that sees this. With every passing over, the numbers keep going up and up. Now we get a total approaching 170. That's too high. Even for these teams. For the record, its by far the highest total that either team has seen all year. Games on this floor are averaging 149.6 points this season. They may get a few more than that this game but they won't get enough to finish over the inflated total. Go with the Under! ***TOM***

Both teams got trounced yesterday. Bad luck for Utah. The Jazz will now encounter an angry Philadelphia team. That will be too much for the overmatched visitors.

It doesn't help that Utah played on 1/3. That makes this the 3rd game in 4 days for the Jazz. That's not the case for Philadelphia. Before yesterday, the 76ers last played on the 2nd. This will be Philadelphia's 3rd game in 2024 but Utah's 4th. That extra game will be noticed and felt in the legs.

The Jazz are soft on defense and the 76ers are 21-9 against the number their last 30 tries against teams which allow 116 or more points per game. This will be a wipeout. ***WEEKEND WIPEOUT***

These are 2 good teams but the Bruins have a few important things working for them. They play at home. Not only are the Bruins extremely tough in their own building but the Lightning are poor on the road.

The Bruins are healthier. Tampa's injury list is rather lengthy. The Bruins are off a loss in their last game and they also lost in OT, at Tampa earlier. Both those events will assure their very best performance today. Go with BOSTON! ***ATLANTIC DIV GOM***