Opportunity of new life exists once again for the UCLA Bruins. For the second time in four March Madness games they needed overtime to survive. Top seeded Michigan destroyed a likely over-seeded Florida State team, but UCLA has the balance and momentum on their side to thwart the Wolverines. Also look for the coaching edge to side with the Bruins and Mick Cronin. Play UCLA. 

Thus far the USC Trojans have had advantageous matchups in March Madness. All three wins were by double-figures against two under manned teams in Kansas and Drake, and a familiar Pac-12 opponent in Oregon. That changes today against a Gonzaga team that is too proficient for the Trojans zone defense. Expect Gonzaga to rattle the Trojans early and pull away in the second half. Play Gonzaga. 

Offensively against Villanova, Baylor did not look like a team that should be in the Elite 8. They made up for it with stout defense and the will to not panic amidst a trying first thirty minutes. After surviving that scare look for Baylor to sense the situation and step up their level of play against the Razorbacks. Play Baylor. 

Oregon State will aim to extend their improbable tournament run against the defensive minded Houston Cougars. The Beavers have the upperclassmen to match Houston’s experience, and interior presence to out rebound the Cougars. Look for the Beavers to continue to not play like a twelve loss team as they give the Cougars a battle. Take the points here. 

The Raptors free fall has featured ten of eleven losses. Dealing franchise player Kyle Lowry was expected but not did not happen. Retaining Kyle Lowry sends a message that the Raptors are going to work through their struggles. Look for a solid effort today against a Trailblazers team working in Norman Powell, and Jusuf Nurkic. Grab Toronto.

Florida State’s ability to play both ends of the floor has been uncanny compared to the rest of the field in March Madness. They limited both UNC Greensboro and Colorado to under thirty six percent shooting. It’s been a solid campaign from Juwon Howard and Michigan but look for the Seminoles to continue to hinder their opponent and advance to the Elite 8. 

In the past eight seasons, Villanova has been an underdog by today’s margin only one other time. That speaks to the incredible run of Jay Wright and his staff. Baylor’s elite level of play began November 2019, when they defeated Villanova 87-78. In the contest Baylor shot fifty-eight percent from three point range, got several Villanova players in foul trouble, and committed just five turnovers. The in-game adjustments of Jay Wright won’t be there to keep Baylor at bay. Take Baylor. 

The Lakers finally showed some fight Wednesday night, in a competitive 109-101 loss to the 76ers. Yet, it had more to do with the 76ers letting off the gas in the fourth quarter than the Lakers veteran roster showing growth. Take the Cavaliers with the points to be the latest team to give the Lakers problems minus Anthony Davis and Lebron James.

Last night’s loss to the Portland Trailblazers extended the Miami Heat’s losing streak to five. Tonight’s matchup against the Hornets is advantageous due to the Hornets adjusting minus Lamelo Ball and adjustments to the minutes of Bismack Biyombo and Cody Zeller. Look for the Heat to also take advantage of the Hornets returning from a five game road trip. Take the Heat. 

Thursday, an NIT Conference USA battle will take place between Louisiana Tech and Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers had the best regular season record in the conference, but did not get the support from oddsmakers for the Conference USA tournament. In fact, Louisiana Tech was co-favorite with March Madness representative North Texas. Expect the Bulldogs ability to execute better in half court sets, and get the win over Western Kentucky. 

Down the stretch of conference play the Memphis Tigers turned the corner. In fact, all four of their losses since January 17th have been by three points or less. Thursday, they’ll face a well balanced Boise State team offensively, but look for the Tigers to continue to take another step forward into the 2021-2022 season. Take Memphis. 

NC State had one of the easiest wins thus far in any post-season college basketball tournament, defeating Davidson 75-61. The Wolfpack never trailed in the game as the power five representative showcased a clear edge over the Wildcats. Building off wins has been a huge problem for the Wolfpack, grab top-seeded Colorado State to expose the Wolfpack’s inconsistent play. Play Colorado State. 

A revenge spot exists tonight on the road against the Thunder for the Memphis Grizzlies. Ten days ago the Thunder defeated the Grizzlies 128-122, thanks to outscoring Memphis by sixteen points in the fourth quarter. Expect the Grizzlies to atone for that fourth quarter let down and take the season series 2-1. 

The Pac-12 has been the hottest topic of discussion for March Madness. The sixth seed USC Trojans shot fifty percent from the field, and limited Drake to twenty nine percent shooting. Yet, similar to yesterday’s Texas Tech and Arkansas matchup, the six seed is improperly favored. Grab Kansas to have a proficient game and have answers for the Trojans in-game adjustments. 

The return of key players for the Houston Rockets with John Wall, Christian Wood, and the insertion of Kevin Porter Jr. has made the Rockets more formidable on paper. On the court though they’re still struggling. The Toronto Raptors should be the latest to hand the Rockets a substantial loss. Grab the Raptors to hand the Rockets their 21st straight loss. 

The Big Ten’s shocking downgraded play has left few teams left. Top seed Michigan will aim to keep the hopes of the conference alive against an LSU team that’s won five of their last six. Down Isaiah Livers the Wolverines will showcase their depth and pedigree over a poor defensive LSU squad. Grab Michigan.

The Wizards below average season had one monumental win. That came earlier this season against the Brooklyn Nets, with a miraculous late flurry that featured a Russ Westbrook three pointer on a steal in the final seconds. Brooklyn may have Blake Griffin, but expect the Wizards to have confidence with Kevin Durant off the floor. Play the Wizards.

One of the hottest teams in college basketball has been the Texas Longhorns. Loaded with NBA talent they are finally starting to emerge as a true contender. Yet, they’ll have their hands full with a well rounded Abilene Christian team. Look for the Longhorns to show vulnerability as they did in January through mid February. Play Abilene Christian. 

The Philadelphia 76ers have become accustomed to being without key contributors. That is the case once again Saturday as they will be without Joel Embiid and Seth Curry. They’ll take on a Kings team that has won consecutive games, but is in a back to back spot. Expect a poor effort in what is their fifth straight road game. 

The Indiana Pacers will aim to get back on track Friday against the Miami Heat. A prolonged ten game slump for the Pacers has featured a 2-8 record. Settling in Miami for three days for a two-game series should benefit Indiana. Expect a concerted effort and the Pacers to finish within the spread. Grab Indiana. 

A team that sneaks into the big dance is typically one of the most confident. North Texas escaped with a dramatic come from behind in the Conference USA final to topple Western Kentucky. A favorable matchup against Purdue and confidence should spark a solid effort from the Mean Green. Take North Texas.

The experience of Wisconsin is a key attribute to a tournament team’s success. The Badgers boast four senior starters and senior Micah Potter off the bench. Yet, the Badgers have not been able to shake the inability to finish off games, with a string of close losses. Look for Tar Heels starting freshman guards in Caleb Love and Kerwin Walton to rise to the challenge. Play North Carolina. 

A great play-in game exists Thursday between UCLA and Michigan State. The Bruins come into the tournament on a four game losing streak, but have the intangibles to give Michigan State trouble. Expect Mick Cronin to have his team fully engaged as questions get raised on if Michigan State should have been a participant. Play UCLA. 

One of the best NBA comebacks of the season happened two nights ago as the Trailblazers stormed back from a seventeen point deficit to defeat the Pelicans. The deflating loss for the Pelicans should give the Trailblazers an edge Thursday. Expect the Trailblazers to take advantage of a quarter of down play from the Pelicans, and get another win. Play Portland.

The SMU Mustangs never got traction in-conference because of ten games being cancelled. As a result they played just sixteen games total. In fact, they have played just one game over the last thirty eight days. Seek the value on the Mustangs led by Kendric Davis, and the experience of senior Ethan Chargois who scored sixteen points in a win over Boise State his freshman year. Play SMU. 

Expectations for post-season aspirations were preset for St. Mary’s. An up and down year meant the NIT was their likely destination. On the contrary, Western Kentucky was two minutes away from representing Conference USA as an at large seed, but surrendered a 48-41 lead to North Texas. Look for motivation to be on the side of St. Mary’s led by senior Tommy Kuhse. Play St. Mary’s. 

The Sacramento Kings woeful February and March road trips on the east coast have resulted in a 1-6 overall record. In Monday’s loss against the Hornets the Kings had full control until the final minutes of the fourth quarter. Minus Marvin Bagley who injured his hand expect the Wizards to end their four game losing streak. Play the Wizards.

Tuesday, the Bulls have a revenge spot against the Oklahoma City Thunder. On January 15th the Bulls surrendered an eighteen point halftime lead, and lost in overtime to the Thunder. With Oklahoma City limited depth-wise, expect the Bulls to take advantage and push past the number. Play Chicago.

By parting ways with Lamarcus Aldridge the San Antonio Spurs have suddenly shifted to their younger core talent. Yesterday, with Demar Derozan out the Spurs lost by a whopping thirty-five points to the Philadelphia 76ers. The outing will serve as a wake up call as the Spurs and Coach Popovich take it to a Pistons team that’s lost three straight games. Grab the Spurs. 

Oregon State’s veteran senior backcourt tandem of Ethan Thompson and Zach Reichle have sprung the Beavers to the Pac-12 title game. They’ll face a Colorado Buffaloes team that has had two close calls against California and USC in the Pac-12 tournament. Expect the Buffaloes to raise their level of play and defeat Oregon State handily for the third time this season. Play Colorado.

Tired legs were evident Friday for North Texas in their narrow victory over Louisiana Tech. Saturday the Mean Green will play their sixth game in eight days as they take on conference leader Western Kentucky. Expect North Texas to continue to play stingy defense and rely on timely baskets and get an at large March Madness bid. Play North Texas. 

Two teams that have had prolonged losing streaks will face off tonight in Houston versus Sacramento. The Kings have lost eleven of their last thirteen games, while the Rockets have lost thirteen straight. Sacramento’s lack of consistency in their rotation should leave the Rockets opportunities to finally play a close game. They may not win outright but the points are worthy backing. Grab Houston.

Thursday, the Chicago Bulls will face an undermanned Philadelphia 76ers team minus Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. This should give the Bulls an advantage considering Joel Embiid scored fifty points against the Bulls on February 19th. Take the Bulls to cover and even the season series against the undermanned Philadelphia 76ers.

Mid-February Indiana looked like a team that had March Madness aspirations. Unfortunately a bad stretch resulted in the Hoosiers losing their final five games, which also correlated ATS. The grind of conference play wore them down, but they can play spoiler starting with today’s matchup against Rutgers. Look for the Hoosiers to play an inspired game and get their first cover in over three weeks. 

UTSA turned around their season thanks to winning nine of their last eleven games. Wednesday, they’ll face a Charlotte team that has lost eight straight games and not won since the month of January. Yet, Charlotte’s guard heavy lineup matches up well with UT San Antonio. Grab the value here on the underdog in the first day of action for Conference USA’s tournament. 

Arizona State ended the regular season with one of the worst head scratching defeats. They fell at the hands of the Utah Utes 98 to 59. Several Covid pauses never allowed the roster to fully develop, along with injuries to star freshman Josh Christopher and Marcus Bagley. With limited depth look for ASU seniors Remy Martin and Alonzo Verge Jr. to carry the Sun Devils today against Washington State. Play ASU

Marquette goes into the Big East tournament having won four of their last five games. Wednesday they’ll face a Georgetown team that played Marquette tough in a 64-60 loss on January 2nd. In the performance the Golden Eagles erased a sixteen point halftime deficit. Expect those second half adjustments made by Coach Wojciechowski and a proper game plan to lead Marquette to a better all around performance today. Take Marquette.

On a point spread line dip take Cal State Fullerton. They’ll face off in the first round of the Big West conference tournament agains Cal Poly. Over Cal Poly’s last six games they’ve went 5-1 ATS, but it does not take away from their overall record of 3-19. Expect a lethargic performance from Cal Poly and Cal State Fullerton to take advantage. Play Cal State Fullerton

The Miami Hurricanes have began adapting to their limited roster. They played competitively against Clemson and Virginia, and finally ended their losing streak by defeating Boston College. Expect another close game as the Hurricanes look for revenge against a Pittsburgh team that defeated them by fifteen earlier in the season.

Appalachian State has had a mini spurt down the stretch of the season. This began by erasing a huge deficit in a comeback win over Georgia Southern last week. They used that to erase a deficit yesterday and defeat Texas State in overtime. Expect Appalachian state to carry their momentum over against Coastal Carolina as this is the first time they’ve faced each other this season. Play App State.

Sam Houston State’s one kryptonite this season has been the upper echelon of the Southland conference. In fact, their lone two conference losses have come against Abilene Christian and today’s opponent in Stephen F. Austin. Expect the Bearkats to go toe to toe with the Lumberjacks four starting seniors, and get a confidence boosting win heading into conference tournament play.

Led by senior Storm Murphy the Wofford Terriers exceeded expectations with a 12-5 regular season in the Southern Conference. Saturday, they’ll take on a tough team in the Mercer Bears. The Bears are an up and coming team with several scorers that should give Wofford problems. Take the points here as the Bears aim to avoid a three-game season sweep from Wofford. 

The Mean Green will have a chance to avenge a Friday loss to UAB, 65-51. The loss was North Texas’s first double-digit loss against a non-power five school all season. Fifty-one points was twenty points below their season average. Expect a better all around effort as North Texas redeems themselves in a big way. Play North Texas. 

Out in the Missouri Valley eyes have been on Drake and Loyola Chicago. A team that is more than fully capable of contending with both of those teams is Missouri State. Friday, the Bears will aim to complete a three-game season series sweep over Valparaiso. The prior two wins Missouri State won by double-digits. Expect a third win as the Bears  have their eyes set on advancing and getting an automatic bid. 

 The Thundering Herd have a dynamic back court with Andrew Taylor, and Taevion Kinsey that should be a supreme advantage over Charlotte. The 49ers at times have shown the ability to hang around with opponents but lack the fire power to play for forty minutes. Expect the Herd to resemble the team that won five of six conference games by double-digits in January to mid-February. Take the Herd.

ACC conference play has been dreadful for both Miami and Boston College. Friday, expect a motivated Hurricanes team to aim to avenge a January 12th, 84-62 loss against Boston College. Additionally, senior day for starters Kameron McGusty, Nysier Brooks, and Elijah Olaniyi should boost the level of play for the Hurricanes.

A featured top twenty-five matchup exists Thursday between Texas and Oklahoma. The Longhorns are playing in their third straight road game, but matchup well against the Sooners. Expect their offense to pick up where it left off against Iowa State, as the Longhorns make a late season push up the polls. Grab Texas. 

Conference struggles are not customary for Murray State. This year they were .500 in the Ohio Valley at 10-10, including two losses against Jacksonville State. Yet the pressure is now on the Gamecocks for a third win. Grab Murray State to get the win that matters most and advance in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament.

Thursday, the New York Knicks should be able to replicate Sunday’s 109-90 blowout win at Detroit. In the contest the Pistons shot just 39 percent from the field and received just forty-seven points from their starting lineup. A victory also would put the Knicks over .500 heading into the All-Star break. Grab the Knicks who should be motivated from start to finish. 

The Minnesota Timberwolves head into Wednesday on an eight game losing streak. One of their closest losses occurred against the Charlotte Hornets, 120-114. With the Hornets on a current six game road trip this may seem like a fade worthy spot. Instead look for the Hornets to add to the Timberwolves woes. Grab Charlotte.

Amidst several postponements, Wichita State has endured for a five game winning streak. In their last outing they upset the Houston Cougars, and the win removed the interim label for Coach Isaac Brown. Look for a bit of rust today as Tulane looks to spoil the Shockers tournament aspirations. Play Tulane.

Stakes are high today in the ACC between Duke and Georgia Tech. Both teams are on the back end of potential March Madness aspirations. On January 26th, during a 2-6 stretch of Duke’s season they mustered a 75-68 victory over Georgia Tech. Grab Duke to bounce back and continue their late tournament surge. 

The Atlanta Hawks will now have Nate McMillan as their new interim coach. They’ll face a Miami Heat team Tuesday that may be without Jimmy Butler, but look for the Heat to continue to build off the success they had last outing against the Hawks. Their retooled lineup and boosted bench play will be the difference. 

The Buffalo Bulls are playing their best basketball of the season. They’ve won three consecutive games by double-digits. Expect their momentum to continue against an Akron Zips team that’s lost consecutively by double digits. Take the Bulls in an early MAC Tuesday game.

A program that has stepped backwards this season has been East Tennessee State. Their matchup today against UNC Greensboro was one of the former top matchups of the Southern Conference. Yet, East Tennessee State is in the midst of losing four of their past five. A positive is their games have remained competitive. Look for East Tennessee State to play tough as they close out the regular season strong. 

Tonight the Charlotte Hornets will continue their west coast road trip as they take on the Golden State Warriors. On Wednesday, they toppled the Phoenix Suns 124-121. Contributions were made up and down the roster as seven players scored in double-figures, led by 29 points off the bench by Malik Monk. Take the Hornets to cover for the second time in a week against the Warriors.

Friday, out in the Sun Belt Arkansas-Little Rock will aim to end a six-game losing streak. They’ll face a UL Lafayette team that is streaky offensively led by guard Cedric Russell. Yet, their bench has taken a hit as Devin Butts has seen his minutes reduced since returning from suspension. Grab UALR to gain the season-series edge 2-1 over Lafayette.

Bowling Green continues to show signs of the team preseason prognosticators predicted would finish near the top of the MAC. They’ve won three consecutive games and are coming off a big comeback win over Eastern Michigan. With confidence on their side look for the Falcons to sidestep their fourth straight road game, and gain another cover against Akron.

The Northwestern Wildcats have one of the longest in-conference losing streaks at thirteen games. Thursday, they’ll face a Minnesota Gophers team that has free failed from the top twenty-five to the bottom of the standings in the Big Ten. This is an opportunity for the Wildcats effort to outdual an unmotivated Gophers. Grab Northwestern. 

Pre All Star break high caliber teams tend to lose their motivation. On the road tonight look for the Clippers to falter slightly against the Memphis Grizzlies. A poor stretch from the starters or second unit will spark a run from the Grizzlies to cover a large spread. Take Memphis. 

On Tuesday the Sacramento Kings lost their eighth straight contest as they fell to the Brooklyn Nets. Yet, they hung around the spread for the majority of the game until the waning minutes. Another positive was Harrison Barnes return as he scored eighteen points. Take the Kings in a buy low spot on a small number against the Knicks.

On January 10th, Xavier defeated Providence thanks to a last second three point shot, 74-73. The loss for the Friars spoiled a career-high seven made three pointers by guard David Duke. Xavier’s record may be 12-4 overall, but they are just 5-4 in the Big East. Take the Friars to avenge January’s loss.  

One of the best under the radar matchups today lies with Sam Houston State and Abilene Christian. As home underdogs back on January 20th, the Bearkats defeated the Wildcats, 64-57. It was a sloppy outing from Abilene Christian who shot below forty percent from the field, and fifty-eight percent from the free throw line. Expect a higher degree of efficiency from both ends of the floor as Abilene Christian regains the top spot in the Southland conference. 

The Butler Bulldogs appear to be a team worn down by Big East conference play as the season winds down. They’ve lost six of eight and have dropped their scoring output in each of their past four losses. Look for the Pirates to sweep the season series and topple the spread late at the free throw line. Play Seton Hall. 

Bowling Green has bounced back with consecutive wins after losing the prior six. Tuesday, they’ll face an Eastern Michigan team that’s just 1-8 overall in-conference. Expect Bowling Green to continue their upward momentum and cash ATS in their third straight road game. 

The Richmond Spiders will host UMass in an Atlantic 10 Tuesday matchup. The Minutemen have not played in seventeen days due to Covid-19, while Richmond just played three days ago. Expect UMass to tire out late as Richmond does enough to push past the number in the final minutes.

Out in the Northeast conference Bryant will meet Merrimack for a second consecutive day. Saturday, the Bulldogs outlasted Merrimack for a close two point victory. The win came after a long stretch off that is a value indicator to go against Sunday. Grab Merrimack to make slight adjustments and get the win against Bryant. 

Typically one does not see a team that has lost five straight home games a favorite on the road. Yet that’s the case with the Sacramento Kings as they travel to face the Chicago Bulls. In their prior matchup the Kings had seven players score in double-figures. Expect their offense to overwhelm the Bulls as the Kings finally get back in the win column. 

Eastern Kentucky is in the middle of a jam packed road stretch. Saturday will mark their sixth straight road game as they take on Southeast Missouri State. The Colonels have not skipped a beat on the road trip with octane offense that averages 83 points per game. Grab the Colonels to overwhelm Southeast Missouri State.

Ball State has shown the ability to play to the level of other MAC opponents, it just hasn’t translated to wins. They’ve went just 1-5 over their last six games. Yet, the one win was over conference leader Toledo. Friday’s opponent in Akron routed Ball State by thirty-two points, and also limited the Cardinal to forty-two points. It won’t be as easy this time but grab the Zips.

A team that has had an extended layoff in the Sun Belt has been Appalachian State. They have not been on the floor in twenty days. That’ll make it tough tonight as they host conference leader South Alabama. The Jaguars have won six straight games but five straight have been decided by seven or less. Take Appalachian State as they thrive on slower pace close games. 

In their last matchup against Michigan, the Badgers surrendered a double-digit lead. They’ll aim to regroup Thursday against Iowa who has won consecutive games by double-digit points, including a thirty point win over Michigan State. Yet, look for the Badgers to continue their pattern of a loss followed by a win. Take the Badgers.

A repeat matchup exists Thursday in the Big South conference between USC Upstate and Presbyterian. On Monday, Presbyterian broke a 50-50 tie with a 10-2 run. With three days off in between the contest look for USC Upstate to have better offensive execution, and cut down nineteen turnovers from Monday’s contest. Take USC Upstate.

Tuesday, the Boston Celtics handily defeated the Denver Nuggets. In a back to back scenario Wednesday they’ll face the Atlanta Hawks. Yet, the Celtics will be without Kemba Walker thinning their rotation even further. Expect Brad Stevens to elevate Payton Pritchard’s usage, and for the Celtics to finally end an elongated stretch without consecutive wins. Take the value here on the Celtics. 

A team that has trended upward in the Southern Conference have been the Mercer Bears. Six of their eight losses have been by single digits, including a six point loss against today’s opponent in East Tennessee State. The Buccaneers second half defense resulted in a fourteen point swing. Tonight, look for East Tennessee State to complete the season sweep and gain the cover. 

Wednesday, in the Northeast Conference, St. Francis (NY) will meet Fairleigh Dickinson for the second consecutive day. Tuesday, St. Francis won the first matchup 83-75. The loss was the third straight for the Knights who have spiraled defensively. Expect a sharper performance tonight as the Terriers have not won consecutive games since January 8th. 

The UConn Huskies will aim to avenge an eleven point loss to the Providence Friars last Wednesday. On Saturday, they ended a losing skid that featured four of five losses with an eight point win over Xavier. Bench production of forty-one points was the main catalyst. They may also have James Bouknight back in the lineup tonight. Take the Huskies.

Monday, the Miami Heat will continue their road trip as they take on the LA Clippers. With the Clippers in a back to back scenario look for the Heat to take advantage. They’ve won four of their last five, and are beginning to show the life of being the defending Eastern Conference champion. Grab the Heat.

Monday, the Chattanooga Mocs will aim for a season-sweep over East Tennessee State. The two teams previously met on February 6th, as the Mocs won 67-65. A win today for the Mocs would be five straight and their best in-conference stretch since 2016-2017. Take the Mocs. The win is part of a current four-game win streak for Chattanooga. 

UC San Diego’s debut to division one basketball has not been fluid. Two stretches of postponements have disrupted the team’s ability. Yet, Friday they played an inspiring second half of basketball against today’s opponent in Cal State Bakersfield. They erased a fourteen point half-time deficit by scoring forty-six points in the second half. Expect a carry over effort from the Tritons. Take the points. 

Out in the Sun Belt, UL-Monroe will finish off a home and away series against UL Lafayette. On Thursday, the Warhawks won in upset fashion with a 72-66 victory. It ended a ten game losing streak and also exceeded their best offensive output in seven games. Take UL Monroe to continue their success against UL Lafayette.

University of Texas San Antonio has finally started to look like the team many anticipated in pre-season. They’ve won six of seven games to get back over .500 at 11-9. Saturday, they’ll face Florida Atlantic for a second consecutive day. Grab the Owls to keep the game close as they did Friday in a four point contest. Play Florida Atlantic.

Nebraska’s return from a near-month layoff has resulted in three double-digit losses. Cold shooting has shown they are not in rhythm and ready for game action. Attempting to play their fourth game in less than a week is a value angle against Illinois. Take the value on the Cornhuskers having their legs under them offensively, and competing Friday night. 

The young Chicago Bulls have had ups and downs but have been one of the best ATS-wise. They’re coming off a surprising blowout win as home underdogs against the Pelicans. In the victory Zach Lavine scored 46 points. Yet, the Clippers are a different caliber and should excel against a Bulls team prone to lapses. Take the Clippers.

The Washington Wizards have been one of the Best Buy against teams each and every night in the NBA. Now for Friday they’ll be minus Bradley Beal. With the Knicks being a defensive minded team this sets up for another bad outing for the Wizards. Yet look for the Wizards to finally rally for a solid home game. Grab Washington. 

Friday, Miami-Ohio will aim to secure their first victory against the upper tier of the MAC. On the season they are 0-4 against opponents that’s conference record is above .500. Yet they have the skillset to compete with Akron’s guards for forty minutes. Take the value here on the Redhawks.

Thursday, the Boston Celtics return home after a five-game west coast road trip. Unable to gain traction the Celtics have went 2-5 over their last seven games. In fact, both wins were by four points against the Clippers and Warriors. That’s created ATS value tonight on the Celtics who should respond in a good way at home. Take Boston.

UT-Arlington has turned around their season thanks to going 7-3 over their last ten games. The increase in play has featured a strong reliance on the Mavericks defense, as they’ve held oppositions to an average of sixty five points or less in three straight games. Yet, Texas State is responding well to a difficult recent schedule. Expect their intensity to continue to increase as they gain another win.  

The Charlotte Hornets have been sparked by the insertion of Lamelo Ball into the starting lineup. They’re also getting upgraded play from forward Gordon Hayward. With the Grizzlies desperate for a win, look for a close competitive game. One that will likely be decided by the final possession, and keep the Hornets within the number. 

Western Carolina’s struggles in the Southern Conference have featured a 1-9 record. Today, they’ll aim for revenge against the team that defeated them by the biggest margin, an 87-61 victory for VMI. The Kadets will once again aim to go up and down the floor and take advantage of Western Carolina’s weaknesses defensively. Take the Keydets. 

Out in the WCC Pepperdine will face a San Francisco team that’s had over two weeks off. That may be an advantage for the Dons who have a solid defensive team that has had strong victories this year, including defeating Virginia. Yet, look for familiarity and the strength of Colby Ross to keep Pepperdine within the number. 

In a back to back scenario grab the value on the Spurs over the Warriors. This is the third matchup between both teams, with the Warriors controlling seven of the eight quarters. The Spurs strong fourth quarter Monday night, should carry over against a Warriors team that is now in last place in the Pacific division. Take the Spurs.

Tuesday, Bowling Green will host a Kent State team they lost 96-91 on January 27th. The loss is apart of a current five-game losing streak for the Falcons. Yet, Kent State is showing signs of wearing down. In their last matchup they had a halftime deficit of twenty points against Akron, and in their prior game they allowed a 17-0 run by Miami-Ohio. Take the value here on Bowling Green ending their losing streak. 

The Elon Phoenix have been woeful this season as they are just 3-6 overall. In-conference they are actually 0-5, and today will face a James Madison team that destroyed them in their last matchup. Yet, both teams have had consecutive games postponed. Look for a boost in play from the Phoenix as they cover the five.

Sunday’s lone night cap features California and Stanford. These two teams met three days ago as Stanford won 70 to 55. The conundrum here ATS-wise is Stanford does not typically score over 75 points. That means they’ll need to rely on solid defense to cover this double-digit spread. Look for proper execution as California continues to fade. Play Stanford. 

Once 2-4, Cal Irvine has used the Big West conference to roll off eight of nine victories. In fact, their only loss during that stretch came by one point in overtime against Hawaii. After Friday night’s seventeen point victory over Cal State Bakersfield, this is a perfect sell high spot on the Anteaters. Play Cal State Bakersfield to play a closer game. 

Playing in a back to back scenario is always tough in the NBA. For the Toronto Raptors it may be a good thing with how fluid they are suddenly playing. They’ve won three straight and are coming off a torrid shooting performance against the Nets Friday. Play the Raptors to extend the Hawks home losing streak to five games.

One of the more predictable home and away conference series has been Arizona and Colorado. Since the 2015 season each series matchup has been won by the host team. Earlier this year Colorado suffered their worst loss of the season against Arizona in an 88-74 contest. Look for the series trend to continue and Colorado to amp up their level of play to avenge December 28th’s loss. Play Colorado.

Texas State has had one of the more redundant schedules in college basketball. They’ve played conference opponent UL Lafayette four times, and today will mark their fourth matchup against Arkansas Little Rock. All three prior matchups were won by Texas State by an average margin of eight points, including yesterday’s 57-47 matchup. Look for a closer matchup today as both team’s are very familiar with each other. Take Arkansas Little Rock. 

The Auburn Tigers youth has had it’s ups and downs this season. They’re coming off consecutive losses for the first time since early January. Yet, the value stands on Ole Miss to stick to the game plan from January 9th’s 72-61 victory over Auburn. Furthermore, their road record of 1-5 over their last six is another value angle. Take the points here.