After six consecutive road games the Orlando Magic return home Wednesday to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder. While Chris Paul may keep his scoring momentum going look for his teammates to have some rust on the road as the Thunder have lost three of four against Eastern Conference opponents. Grab the Magic. 

During conference play road scheduling is going to endure tough stretches. In the American East conference that’s on full display as UMass Lowell travels to face Albany. For the River Hawks this marks their fifth road game out of seven while Albany is coming off a stretch of six of seven road games. In what may be a sloppy game look for the road team in UMass Lowell to capitalize ATS.

The Syracuse Orange have gained momentum with three straight wins. One of the losses that began to show improvements on the floor for the Orange was a one-point home loss to Notre Dame. Yet Mike Brey is one of the best coaches annually at attacking the zone. The extra effort in half-court should hurt Syracuse’s shooters offensively in Elijah Hughes and Buddy Boeheim. Grab the Irish.

Out in the NEC conference we’ll look for value on St. Francis PA as they host Merrimack. The Warriors have won four straight games to move into a first-place tie with St. Francis. Their ten point win over Northwestern earlier this season is still an ATS attractor. Don’t fall for it here. Grab St. Francis PA. 

The Toronto Raptors and Atlanta Hawks will participate in an early MLK day game. The time frame and travel for the Raptors would be expected to be an issue on a high number. Yet the Hawks defensive efficiency is to poor for a Raptors team that is well coached on a nightly basis. Grab the value on the octane Raptors. 

Tonight the last game on the board presents value for the Pacers. Denver has played well without Jamal Murray due to their extensive depth and shining youth. Both of those intangibles have been strengths of the Pacers. Expect the impressive 17-5 home record of the Nuggets to not withstand tonight. Grab Indiana. 

The Kansas City Chiefs and Tennessee Titans will battle in an unpredicted  AFC championship game. For the Titans they are on the road for their fourth consecutive game. That takes a toll on a team but at this stage expect the Titans to override those doubts. This team defeated the Chiefs earlier this year and will be ready to attack a vulnerable Chiefs defense. Grab the Titans to keep their ATS magic going.

Out in the Missouri Valley Saturday there is value to be had on a struggling Missouri State team. They’ve lost five of seven games.  The bright spot during that stretch was a thirteen point win over Evansville. Off of consecutive home losses  grab the value here on Missouri State. 

The Butler Bulldogs have passed all tests with precision in the half court. Their boost in play and ability to score is seen with several players statistical improvements. Yet look for DePaul to have the answers Saturday. This is a DePaul team that has failed close tests in four straight losses against Seton Hall, Providence, St Johns, and Villanova. 

Friday, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Indiana Pacers will meet for the second time in three days. The Pacers won 104-99 at Minnesota on Wednesday and will get an even more depleted Timberwolves team tonight. Minnesota traded away Jeff Teague Thursday and will continue to be without Karl Anthony Towns. Yet expect the Timberwolves to compete and produce a better second half than Wednesday’s forty points. Grab Minnesota. 

A key matchup will be played tonight in the Atlantic Ten between Saint Louis and Dayton. The Flyers have won six straight and won all their conference games by double digits. But the Billikens are coming off six days rest in between games and have a strong seven to eight man rotation. Look for the Billikens to push through at home if they can handle their free throws.

Wednesday, Furman avoided a two losses in a row with a late run to topple Western Carolina. In a quick turn around they’ll head on the road tonight to take on Wofford. While Wofford has a lot of the players from last year’s tournament team they just are not in sync on the floor. Grab Furman.

Arkansas Little-Rock has inexplicably faltered in consecutive games. A head scratching loss at home to South Alabama was by the score of 52 to 43. Tonight they’ll travel on the road to face a Coastal Carolina team that has no issues scoring. Even with Little-Rock coming off a 43 point effort look for a boost in play tonight. Grab Little Rock. 

The Toronto Raptors travel on the road Wednesday to face an Oklahoma City team that has been red-hot. Winners of eight of their last ten games they’ve been led by a variety of players. Their balanced scoring will be difficult to negate but look for the Raptors to utilize gain from their recent poor stretch. Grab Toronto. 

Monday the Pelicans will embark on their third game on their current road trip. Prior to their last game and loss to the Celtics the Pelicans had been playing better. After surrendering 140 points poor defense is likely to carry over into tonight. Grab the Pistons who will attempt to win just their fourth home game since December 1st. 

The young Arizona Wildcats nearly got a big upset over the Oregon Ducks in their last game. Tonight they’ll face an Oregon State team looking to avoid losing at home to both Arizona colleges. While the Beavers may have the upper hand in terms of experience they are lacking the cohesiveness offensively. Aside from a second half final ten minutes against Colorado they have been off. Grab the young Wildcats in this spot. 

Off a bye week the Green Bay Packers will hope to extend a four game winning streak over the Seattle Seahawks. Remarkably Sunday’s game will mark the eighth straight year that these two have met. While Seattle has the team experience and coaching edge it’s the Packers that are healthy. Look for their home crowd and hunger of Aaron Rodgers to get to the NFC Championship to help them prevail and cash ATS. Grab Green Bay.

The young Memphis Tigers have quickly learned that the transition from non-conference to conference play is a big adjustment. Consecutive losses to Georgia and Wichita State have featured ATS letdowns. Amidst a poor stretch the Memphis Tigers will have to combat consecutive road games. Expected rust from the Tigers should allow the South Florida Bulls to control tempo. Yet look for the Tigers to have enough answers offensively to take over late. Grab Memphis. 

The Golden Eagles will travel on the road to face a red hot Seton Hall Pirates team. The Pirates have won five straight games and are playing their best basketball of the season. Marquette on the other hand have lost two of three but have shown to rise to the occasion in big games. Look for that to occur Saturday. Grab Marquette

The TCU Horned Frogs will take on an Oklahoma State team reeling. They’ve lost two straight in poor fashion against top twenty five teams in Texas Tech and West Virginia. TCU’s slower pace should allow the Horned Frogs an edge defensively to capitalize against the Cowboys. Grab TCU

The Utah Jazz have upped their level of scoring since their recent trade for former Cavaliers guard Jordan Clarkson. They’ve won seven straight games and twelve out of thirteen. They’ll face a Hornets team that has lost eight of ten and has a thin rotation. Look for a competitive game as the last Hornets have covered two consecutive games on the road. Grab Charlotte. 

The Portland Trailblazers are coming off a thrilling win in which Carmelo Anthony drilled a game winner over the Toronto Raptors. That win has moved the Trailblazers to a current three-way tie for the eighth seed in the West. Minnesota on the other hand has been without big man Karl Anthony Towns and is just 5-11 at home. Yet look for the Timberwolves to get necessary contributions from their bench and get the win at home. Grab Minnesota. 

At 10-4 the Michigan Wolverines are hanging by a thread at remaining in the top twenty five. Three straight losses to power five schools have shown the defensive issues the Wolverines have. Thursday they should settle down a bit as they face a Purdue team that’s coming off a 63-37 loss to Illinois. As bad as that loss was the Wolverine have more pressure on them in this spot. Grab the Boilermakers

Out in the SEC Wednesday an intriguing matchup lies between Mississippi State and the Alabama Crimson Tide. Mississippi State has lost two of three games including a home loss Saturday to undefeated Auburn. They’ll need to step up their offense against a Crimson Tide team that has scored ninety or more points in four straight games. In what should be a back and forth game look for the Bulldogs size and athleticism to override Alabama’s frantic pace. Grab the Bulldogs.

West Virginia proved they belong amongst the second or third tier in college hoops with a competitive loss against Kansas. For Oklahoma State they just lost by twenty points against a defensive minded Baylor team. The Mountaineers are successful because of their defense and ability to limit games possessions. Yet Oklahoma State should be able to bounce back and hand the Mountaineers their second straight loss 

The Utah Jazz have been on a tear having won five straight games and ten of eleven overall. Throughout their winning streak the Jazz have found uncanny ways to cover ATS, including narrow spread wins over the Nets, Pistons, and Bulls. Tonight though look for the Pelicans to show some life as they’ve been a team improving. Grab the Pelicans to thwart the Jazz’s incredible surge. 

An obscure point spread is offered Monday in the Sun Belt between UT Arlington and South Alabama. At 5-10 Arlington comes in as a sizable favorite. This is a case where one has to examine a teams losses and Arlington has a plethora by minimal points. While South Alabama nearly defeated Auburn they’re going to run into a buzzsaw motivated Arlington team Monday. Grab Arlington 

The Pac-12 will conclude Sunday night action with a big game as USC travels to play Washington. The Huskies fell out of the top twenty five with a loss against Houston on Christmas Day. That tournament in Hawaii has appeared to effect the Huskies as they were flat in a home loss against UCLA on Thursday. With USC at 12-2 and two capable seniors this could be another poor spot for the Huskies. Instead grab Washington on a trimmed spread to break out of their rut. 

Consecutive years the New Orleans Saints have fell short on controversy. The first came against Sunday’s opponent in the Minnesota Vikings and was their own doing. A defensive lapse on a deep ball gave the Vikings an improbable win. That’s likely on the minds of many in New Orleans as well as the Vikings recent struggles. Yet the Vikings have the personnel and defense to give the Saints problems. Grab Minnesota on a steep line to get the cover. 

Sunday in the Atlantic 10 the Richmond Spiders will travel to take on Rhode Island. The Spiders have a three-win differential over Rhode Island and have defeated teams in Wisconsin, Vanderbilt, and Boston College. Off an embarrassing loss against Brown look for Rhode Island to be prepared for their first Atlantic 10 matchup of the season. Grab Rhode Island.

Saturday an under the radar matchup in the Missouri Valley conference is Southern Illinois vs Illinois State. Neither team has a record above .500 but the Salukis come in having won four straight home games. Illinois State’s limited bench is a concern but look for the Redbirds to build off their big win over Northern Iowa. Grab Illinois State. 

Oklahoma heads into Big 12 play Saturday aiming to stay undefeated at home. They’ll take on a Kansas State team that had a very disappointing non-conference record of 7-5. A main culprit in the Wildcats woes has been inconsistent shooting and a lack of playmakers. Yet opening conference play look for the Wildcats to hold tough against the Sooners. Grab Kansas State. 

Memphis surge into the top ten has been done with just one win over a top twenty-five team. Putting forth two strong halves has been an issue in close wins this year for the Tigers. Saturday they’ll get a big test against Georgia but expect the Tigers to put forth a full forty minutes of great basketball. Grab Memphis.

The Utah Jazz have now won eight of their last nine games. They’ve done so with a an increase in offense without limiting their half court defense. That’s a style adjustment that has led to several blowouts but one that can’t be sustainable. Tonight look for the Bulls to take advantage of their home court and keep this game close. Grab the Bulls. 

Deficiencies offensively from the Auburn Tigers caused a mid-season lag that resulted in three of five losses. Against main competition that resulted in wins the Tigers escaped with an eight point win over Texas A&M, three point win over Alabama, and a six point win over Oregon. Safe to say they’re not use to pulling away from main competition. Today expect that as Minnesota’s offensive system should be affected drastically by the Tigers. Grab Auburn. 

One of the early New Year’s Eve games in the NBA will be between the Clippers and Kings. The Clippers have dealt with a few injuries that have caused them three losses recently. Point guard Patrick Beverly remains out for today’s game. For the Kings they’ve lost seven straight games. The majority of those losses have been competitive games. Yet look for another loss as the Clippers play with an edge to close out 2019.

Typically poor play at the end of non-conference is going to carry over into conference play. For Clemson they have dropped five of their last six games. Scoring points has been the main issue as they’ve failed to score over sixty points in all but one of those losses. Off of an extended nine days break look for Clemson to execute and get the ATS win over the Hurricanes.

The Utah Jazz head into Monday’s game against the Detroit Pistons winners of seven of their last eight games. Expect another big effort from the Jazz as they’re facing a Detroit Pistons team unsettled on both ends of the floor. An uncanny schedule from the Jazz is in the middle of seven of nine road games. Look for the Jazz to take advantage Monday of a home spot before a three game road trip. 

College of Charleston heads to face a Delaware team that’s 11-3. This has been a one-sided rivalry in past seasons by Charleston. They also the benefit of a much tougher non-conference schedule than Delaware. Yet this is a spot where you can lean on Delaware as they have the team to play above the strengths of Charleston. Buck the trend of years past and take Delaware.

Long layoffs from both Xavier and Villanova are factors to consider in Monday’s Big East matchup. Villanova is coming off a big win on December 21st against Kansas but did so with strictly defense. In order to topple Xavier they’ll need to execute more efficiently offensively. Look for that to be the case as Villanova shows they’re ready for Big East action. Grab the Wildcats 

Sunday San Francisco will aim to avenge a Monday Night football loss to their division rivals in the Seattle Seahawks. In that game the 49ers settled for field goals to much and turned the football over countless times. Sunday Seattle’s conundrum at the running back position with injuries will make things interesting. Yet look for the Seahawks to respond off of last week’s clunker and keep the 49ers from gaining home field advantage. Grab the points here with the Seahawks. 

The fire power of Duquesne has led them to a 10-1 record and drawn the eyes. Yet they’re just 5-6 ATS. Marshall has the capability of hanging around in this one and matching the scoring capabilities of Duquesne. With both teams coming off an extended holiday break look for sloppy play and an ATS friendly final for Marshall. 

Horizon league play begins Saturday as Oakland will host Detroit. Neither team has a winning record as Oakland comes in having lost six of seven games. With electric sophomore guard Antoine Davis on Detroit’s side value may seem to be on the Titans. Yet Davis is struggling with a whopping five turnovers a game and a shooting percentage of thirty-seven percent. Grab Oakland to pull away here.

Losses in four of their last six games has landed the Wisconsin Badgers at 6-5. Saturday, before Big 10 play begins they’ll take on the Tennessee Vols. Record wise the Volunteers look the part at 8-3. Yet look for the Badgers to fight hard in this one and play to the level the number suggests. Grab Wisconsin.

The Golden State Warriors have now won three straight games. Their win over the Rockets on Christmas Day showcased their rising youth along with Draymond Green and DeAngelo Russell. Friday they’ll face a Suns team that’s been trending in the wrong direction. Yet look for the Suns to be the aggressor early and end the Warriors win streak. Grab Phoenix 

News of Luka Doncic returning for the Mavericks today is big news for Dallas. Minus Doncic they had struggled with consistency going 3-4 over their last seven games. An area they’ve faltered throughout the year is creating a standout identity on their home floor. Look for tonight’s task against a veteran Spurs team that’s out of sync to be of capitalization. Grab Dallas. 

The Brooklyn Nets come into Thursday’s game against the Knicks with a full five days of rest. Brooklyn has won both matchups this year against the Knicks by a combined margin of six points. This included a matchup on November 24th where the Nets allowed a backdoor cover after nearly surrendering an eleven point lead. Grab the Knicks here for another competitive matchup even with Spencer Dinwiddie playing at an elite level. 

The Miami Hurricanes resume to enter bowl season faltered end of season. They lost to Florida International and then finished out ACC play with a loss to Duke. The Blue Devils had come into the game on a five game losing streak. Yet look for Miami to have an uptick of offense against Louisiana Tech and gain control in the second half. Grab Miami. 

Christmas Day features five main games in the NBA, and I’m eyeing the first. The Boston Celtics will take on a team in the Toronto Raptors that have been outstanding at home. They also got Kyle Lowry back from injury a few games ago. Yet this Celtics team has gained major momentum over the last ten days. Look for their rising strength to show on the road in a tough environment against the Raptors. Grab Boston.

The Minnesota Vikings are the lone team in the NFL with an unblemished home record at 6-0. They’re currently peaking on both sides of the football after a stout victory over the LA Chargers. Yet the Packers have a way of getting teams to play to their pace and style. Look for the Vikings to fall into that trap and for Green Bay to keep this a winnable game ATS through the final minutes. A close result happens either way with the Packers covering. 

The LA Clippers travel up north to face Oklahoma City. It’s their third game in four days and will be a back to back scenario. That likely means no Kawhi Leonard to go up against Paul George’s former team. Keep in mind the Thunder also have a plethora of ex Clippers including veteran leader Paul George. Yet this Clippers team has a different pedigree even minus Leonard. Grab the Clippers. 

The uncertainty surrounding Philip Rivers future with the Chargers is high. He has not looked the same and his continuous turnovers are a big issue. Yet he has also dealt with a new coordinator and Melvin Gordon playing a shortened season. The Raiders few weeks of shine are not a reflection of their 6-8 record. Grab the Chargers to bounce back from losing four of five games. 

Ohio State and Kentucky will be the premier matchup in college hoops Saturday in Las Vegas.  The Wildcats are coming off a sloppy performance and loss to the Utah Utes. Coach Calipari is rarely in a spot for consecutive losses but this is a spot to be leery of. Ohio State has played exceptional against top teams and will not be up for the challenge in Sin City. Grab Ohio State. 

Georgia State has now won six straight games. Their veteran team had held up even with a coaching change over. Yet Saturday they’ll face a Texas State team that knows that let a win slip away against Georgia Southern. Except an aggressive Texas State team early which should give the Panthers troubles. Grab Texas State

Surprisingly the Boston Celtics will meet the Detroit Pistons for the first time this season Friday. The Celtics were able to avoid a three game losing streak by mounting a comeback win over the Dallas Mavericks. The late surge was done via offensive spurts that should carry over against the Detroit Pistons. Grab the Celtics to roll Friday.

Thursday night a big game will take place between the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers. The Rockets have already defeated the Clippers once this season but that was when the Clippers were minus Paul George. Houston has also been sporadic as of late. Yet even with the Clippers strong home record look for the Rockets to play spoiler as they did earlier this season. Grab Houston.

Wednesday the Boston Celtics will look to avoid their first three-game losing streak of the season. They’re on the road against a Dallas Mavericks team that ended the Milwaukee Bucks eighteen straight victories on Monday. It was a big win but also showcased the Mavericks strong away record at 10-2. At home they’re not as strong. Look for the Celtics to take advantage tonight. 

Aside from a blowout losses to Milwaukee and Houston the Orlando Magic have been ATS friendly against teams above .500. A strong reason for that is their immense depth which translates to different scoring options. Yet look for the Jazz to have one of their showcase home wins as they neutralize the Magic’s depth advantage.

Tuesday extended rest is on the side of North Texas as they travel to take on the Dayton Flyers. The Mean Green come in on ten days of rest while Dayton played on the fourteenth. Tail end of non-conference end of first semester has always been a tricky spot for teams. With the Mean Green recent single digit losses to Utah State and Oklahoma don’t expect the Flyers to be lackadaisical. Grab Dayton.  

Remarkably the Pittsburgh Steelers have endured three different quarterbacks and still are in contention for a playoff spot. To inch closer they’ll need to stick to their bread and butter game plan. That involves offensive game management and relying on their defense. Josh Allen still played well against the Ravens but took a beating in the process. Look for the Steelers to keep drilling Allen and capitalize at home. Grab Pittsburgh.

Dallas continues to defeat themselves and now are facing a Rams team rolling. Many can argue that the Rams are clicking at levels seen in early 2018. That means Dallas can ill afford to continue to wait to make a move. Expect them to finally get going and force the Rams Jared Goff into issues seen prior to Thanksgiving. Grab the Cowboys to end their three game losing streak.

One of the more peculiar lines for Saturday in college basketball lies with Wisconsin-Green Bay against Evansville. Evansville and Wisconsin-Green Bay have opposite records in terms of wins and losses with Evansville boasting a 7 and 3 record. Their stand out victory over Kentucky will likely go down as the biggest upset of the season. Yet Wisconsin-Green Bay has been battle tested with seven of their ten games on the road. They hang around in recent double-digit underdog losses against Central Florida and Xavier. Look for a break out game for the Phoenix Saturday. 

    DePaul fell from the list of unbeaten teams in their last matchup against Buffalo. Saturday they'll face an Illinois-Chicago team that is just 4-6 and whom they defeated 70-50 in 2018. Expect an angle of revenge to be at hand for Illinois-Chicago. They may be 0-3 away but have a sound starting five that includes electric scoring guard Tarkus Ferguson. Grab the points here on the Flames

Pre-season expectations can overwhelm teams and that appears to be the case for Michigan State. Three losses have dropped them to sixteenth in the country. They're coming off a game against Rutgers that was closer than the final score of 77 to 65. Expect Michigan State to have a complete two halves of excellent basketball against and cruise against Oakland to begin Saturday's college basketball slate. 

The Knicks just ended their elongated losing streak but still made it difficult on themselves. They blew an 18 point lead against the Warriors and had to win the game in overtime. Friday they’ll face a Kings team that has won three straight games. They also have a road blowout win at Madison Square Garden under their belt. Still look for the Knicks to continue to show fight as they continue on their west coast road trip 

Ineligibility for Oscar Frayer and Jaylen Fischer for Grand Canyon has had a ripple effect on the Antelopes. They opened the year with a loss to a division two school in a pre-season exhibition and also lost their first three games . Dan Majerle’s limited depth have led to playing only seven athletes. They’ll need to find scoring somewhere to hold against a Northern Iowa team that is 9-1 and just upset Colorado. Look for the edge for the Antelopes to come at the free throw line and with a turnover advantage. Grab Grand Canyon. 

Eight straight losses by the Cleveland Cavaliers have put them in another predicament. Trade rumors have began to swirl around big man Kevin Love as the Cavaliers look to go in a complete rebuild mode. Friday they’ll face a Spurs team that has recently patched together wins after losing ten of eleven. Still there are high concerns in uncharted territories for a Spurs team coached by Popovich. Grab the points here on the Cavaliers. 

Matchup issues exist tonight for the Cyclones as they take on in-state rival Iowa. Big man Luka Garza will be the main point of emphasis for Iowa State. Garza on the year is averaging over twenty-two points a game, which included a recent forty-four point effort against Michigan. Garza’s play has led to kick out passes for perimeter shots and extended trips to the free throw line. Look for the Cyclones to feed off their crowd and make enough runs to hold off the Hawkeyes. Grab Iowa State.

The Michigan Wolverines avoided back to back let downs with a win over Iowa. They did so by putting on a clinic offensively and scoring 103 points. Today they’ll face a Big 10 opponent in consecutive games which is also the case for Illinois. The Fighting Illini nearly defeated the Terrapins but failed to execute for two halves. Look for that to change tonight as they look to make a statement against Michigan. 

The Virginia Tech Hokies began the season 6-0 and covered every number in the process. This included a big upset win over Michigan State. Since their play and results on the court have flipped dramatically with three consecutive losses. Today they’ll face a small school opponent in Chattanooga that has value based on the Hokies losing streak. Grab the Mocs.

The Miami Heat’s home dominance has reached double digits at 10-0. Two of their victories have came against tonight’s opponent in the Atlanta Hawks. Both matchups were decided by nine points or more. With the Hawks poor defense and Heat’s ability for explosive offensive quarters a third victory is likely for Miami. Yet I’ll take the points here as Atlanta gives a better effort than the prior two.

The Pittsburgh Steelers elevated level of play has been impressive on both sides of the football. Defensively they’re hindering opponents just enough to keep the offense from being uncomfortable. For Arizona the rookie woes of Kyler Murray were inevitable and showcased in last week’s blowout home loss to the Rams. Sunday look for Murray and the Cardinals to re-establish themselves and get the home cover.

The New England Patriots may only have two losses but the last weeks poor loss has high concerns.  Kansas City’s defense will likely give the Patriots offense plenty of opportunities but look for Andy Reid to continue to have regular season success over the Patriots. Expect another poor performance from the Patriots as Kansas City shines. 

The respect for the top part of the Sun Belt has grown in recent years. Their success in bowl games has stood out amongst the non-power five conferences. Saturday a familiar Sun Belt conference championship matchup will take place between Appalachian State and UL Lafayette. In their lone matchup this season UL Lafayette struggled to move the football and lost at home 17-7. Expect another low scoring matchup but for UL Lafayette to have a bit more success than their October matchup. Grab the points here.

A team that has vastly under performed to start the season has been Providence. Not just from a wins and losses stand point but also ATS. They had lost three straight games before surviving to hold off a hot shooting Pepperdine team. All four of those matchups they faltered ATS. Friday look for a change over as Providence started to find their flow offensively in their latest win over Pepperdine. Grab Providence.

An uncanny conference matchup starts the college hoops schedule off Friday. Michigan will host Iowa looking to redeem themselves from a tough loss against Louisville. They’ll face a Hawkeyes team that has had heavy travel. Iowa had a tournament in Las Vegas last week before traveling to upstate New York against Syracuse. While the Wolverines likely will dictate tempo look for the Hawkeyes to have a scouting report and execution edge over the Wolverines

The High Point Panthers stand at 1-7 with their only win against a non division one school. In fact all of their losses have been by double figures including a 59-33 loss to Boston College and their latest loss 93-70 against North Florida. Yet look for tonight to be a winnable game against an Elon team that’s vulnerable on the offensive end of the floor. Grab the points here. 

With Houston’s loss last night the Mavericks moved up to first place in the division. Winners of eight of their last nine games the Mavericks have shown they are a true elite contender in the West. They’re also returning home from three straight road wins that featured a six-point outright win over the Lakers. I’ll still take the points here as the Mavericks have shown a bit of weakness at home and the Timberwolves on the other hand play better on the road. Grab the Timberwolves. 

South Carolina’s struggles to begin the year have featured three losses. Two losses to non power five schools in Boston and Northern Iowa as well as a blowout loss to Wichita State. The offensively challenged Gamecocks will face a Umass team on a three-game losing streak. Look for South Carolina to impose their defensive presence to offset their offensive issues. Grab the Gamecocks. 

Offensively the Portland Trailblazers have seen a spark since acquiring Carmelo Anthony. Where they still are lacking is defensively. That could be troublesome Tuesday against a Clippers team that prides itself of both ends of the floor. On a big number look for Portland to have a couple of surges offensively to offset the number and Clippers 12-1 home record. 

A young Indiana Hoosiers team will have their hands full Tuesday against Florida State. The Seminoles climbed in the polls thanks to an impressive week that featured wins over Tennessee and Purdue. Yet this Florida State team is missing one more scorer that was vital to their tournament runs in recent years. Look for the young undefeated Hoosiers to gain another win. 

The Miami Heat extend from Brooklyn to Toronto for Tuesday’s big showdown. Miami’s win over the Nets boosted them back over .500 on the road at 6-5. Meanwhile the Raptors have been undeniable at home with a stout 9-0 record. They’ve been able to carry over last year’s title run with a deep roster of talent. Tonight though look for the Miami Heat to match the Raptors intensity and come within the number.

Internal issues have once again carried over onto the court for the Chicago Bulls. Three straight losses have dropped them to 6-14. If not for a dramatic come from behind win against the Hornets they’d be on a five game losing streak. They’ll face a Sacramento Kings team coming off a thrilling crazy fourth quarter against the Nuggets that led to an overtime win. Here though look for the Bulls to finally showcase a formidable effort and get the job done ATS. 

After three of four road games the Seattle Seahawks schedule does not lighten up. They’ll return home to face a Minnesota Vikings team that has shown great balance on both sides of the football. Even with the Seahawks likely to not play their A-game look for their home crowd and Russ Wilson improvisational plays to push them to the home win. Grab them here on a key number.

The Rams have been exposed on both sides of the football all season long. Play calling to mask Jared Goff’s limitations has been harder with the defenses struggles. One thing we know about Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury is he is not going to shy away from play calls. Look for that to be a catalyst for a defense that will have opportunities to get turnovers on rookie quarterback Kyler Murray. On a small road number look for the Rams to prevail ATS. 

A battle in the Big 12 of teams at 7-4 will take place between Iowa State and Kansas State. Look for the Cyclones to air it out plenty against a Kansas State defense that has been susceptible against the big play. In what should be a close game for four quarters expect a late touchdown by the Cyclones to get past the number. 

Saturday the Pittsburgh Panthers will look to bounce back from a shutout loss against Virginia Tech. Already bowl eligible they’ll look to sharpen their miscues against a hungry Boston College team. Boston College must win Saturday to get into bowl season. Yet look for the Panthers to finally clear their woes of winning games by close margins. Grab Pittsburgh.

Saturday’s slate features a bit less of matchups after a heavy board in prior days of college basketball tournaments. A game of focus for Zack will be the Hoyas against UNC Greensboro. Greensboro returned several starters that fell one game short of reaching the big dance last year.  They also played Kansas tough a few weeks ago in a 74-62 loss. Yet Patrick Ewing has the Hoyas trending in the right direction. Grab Georgetown to secure an ATS win with strong offense for two halves 

Tuesday the Washington Wizards will embark on their second west coast road trip of the season. They’ll begin in Denver ahead of back to back scenario Wednesday night against the Suns. Denver has raced out to a 12-3 record while picking up three straight home wins over the Rockets, Celtics, and Suns. That’s created a window of value on a Wizards team that will not let up on the offensive end. Grab Washington. 

Down in Florida in more tournament action Radford will take on Monmouth. Both teams are struggling out the gate with subpar records. The Monmouth Hawks though have faced stiffer competition with losses to power five schools in Kansas State, Kansas, and Pittsburgh. Although Radford has only one win against a division one school expect the Highlanders to pull away here.

One of last year’s opening round thrillers came with New Mexico State losing in the final seconds against Auburn. The Aggies retained several key players heading into the 2019 season but are minus guard AJ Harris (fractured finger). South Florida lacks the depth and scoring power of the Aggies but have adjusted without their injured leader Alexis Yetna. Grab South Florida.

The Murray State Racers may be minus Ja’Morant but they’ve kept their offensive system in line. Today down in Florida they’ll face a La Salle team that is just 1-2 on the year. LaSalle has shot the ball poorly as they look for consistency amongst a young starting five. Look for the neutral court to help the Explorers as they break out of an offensive rut. Grab LaSalle.

Value is to be had on a tough Pittsburgh squad Wednesday. They’ll face a Kansas State team that is undefeated but playing in a tournament format today. That should change the ebb and flow of both halves to better suit Coach Capels solid half court defense. Grab the points here with Pittsburgh 

The Brooklyn Nets will play their in town New York City NBA team in the New York Knicks. For the Knicks they’re coming off a  blowout home loss against a Spurs team that had dropped several straight. As great as the Nets are at scoring look for the Knicks to find rhythm even in a back to back scenario. Grab the Knicks 

The Seattle Seahawks are coming off one of the top outright wins of the season against San Francisco. They were able to enjoy a bye week and will now put their 5-0 road record to the test against the Eagles. Philadelphia’s injury issues have put a high burden on Carson Wentz who has struggled this year against quality teams. Sunday look for a reversal as the Eagles have shown over the last several years to be one of the best late November/December teams. Grab Philadelphia 

The Denver Broncos have covered three weeks in a row. They’ll go for their fourth straight as they take on a Buffalo Bills team that’s aiming to solidify a playoff position. Look for safe calls on both sides of the football to keep Denver in this game for four quarters, and cover on a small number.

A teams free fall that was unexpected in-conference has been Duke. In an ACC conference filled with transitional teams Duke has been unable to capitalize. Last week’s blowout home loss to Syracuse put a new low on Duke’s four game losing streak. Expect a prideful performance against their close in-state rivals of Wake Forest. Grab Duke.

Saturday Texas A&M will get a chance to play spoiler on the road against Georgia. The Bulldogs pulled off an impressive road win a week ago against Auburn but must raise their level of offense. Over the past five games in the SEC they’ve averaged just twenty-two points. Expect the defense to continue to aide the offense as Georgia pushes past the double-digit number. Grab Georgia. 

Both Georgia Southern and Arkansas State became bowl eligible last week. Saturday led by freshman quarterback Layne Hatcher Arkansas State will aim to win their fourth straight game. Even as the road team expect Georgia Southern’s run heavy offense to wear down Arkansas State over four quarters. Grab the small underdog here. 

On a neutral court tonight Fresno State and St. Mary’s will play in Sacramento. The Gaels have one of the best returning backcourts in the country led by Jordan Ford. Ford’s efficient career shooting has carried over to his senior season as he is shooting 47 percent from three point range. Fresno State’s youth depending on two freshman is a bonus ATS tonight. Grab Fresno State as they give the Gaels a sweat for forty minutes.