Out in the SEC a battle of mid-tier teams record wise will take place between Arkansas and South Carolina. While the Gamecocks may be .500 they’re fourth in the SEC conference with a 6-3 record. In fact their lone home loss in-conference was against Tennessee. Look for Arkansas to be set to exploit the Gamecocks offensive execution. 

After winning four of five games it appeared that Iona would creep back into MAAC contention. Another losing streak has ended that possibility. The Gaels have lost three straight and now will face a Quinnipiac team that’s in their fourth of five road games. Although Iona has still shown ATS might in the MAAC look for another let down Friday.

Out in the Southern Conference one of the best games on Thursday will be between Wofford and East Tennessee State. Both teams have nineteen wins yet it’s a scheduling scenario that has created value on the Terriers. East Tennessee State returns home after a three-game road trip while Wofford is concluding the third leg of their road trip. Grab the small value on the Wofford Terriers. 

The Hurricanes plummet from the top 25 in November to their current phase is almost unheard of. They’re just 1-8 in ACC play as they’ve been out of sync on both ends of the floor. Tonight they’ll take on a Notre Dame Irish team that is coming off a road win against Boston College but has also had prime issues this season. The depth of the Hurricanes is an issue but look for Miami to play with intensity on their home floor. Grab Miami. 

The disarray of the Miami Heat has hit a season-high. Three straight home losses have occurred including a blowout home loss to the Chicago Bulls. Rotations are in disarray as production just isn’t there for the up tempo style of todays game. Portland routed the Heat on a similar spread last season. Look for the same occurrence Tuesday night.

Boston College is coming off consecutive home losses in which the money side was showing on them. At just 11-9, Boston College must find a way to stay in the game on the road at Duke. Duke on the other hand has been rolling since their win over Virginia. Three straight wins have been by double-digits including a blowout win over St. Johns. Yet this is too high of a number that BC should be able to close within. 

Noteworthy line movements in the NFL are typically correct. A three point line move from the initial Super Bowl offering to the Patriots is for proper reason. Towards the tail end of the season the Patriots utilize their defense to pick up their offense. Now in the playoffs the offense has met the defense to create a better team than last year’s run. Meanwhile the Rams injuries with Kupp/Gurley have diminished the offense. As great as the defense is they’re susceptible to both the run/pass. Look for the Patriots to squeeze out another Super Bowl title to the Belichick/Brady dynasty. 

After a blowout win over the Indiana Pacers the Washington Wizards will be up for a much more difficult challenge Saturday. They’ll take on a Milwaukee Bucks team that is cruising and playing at top levels of the season. Returning to their lineup in a dominant win over Toronto were Eric Bledsoe and Malcolm Brogdon. Expect another surge from the Bucks out the gate but not as effective offense as the Wizards play within the number. 

Out in the A-10 today will be a nationally televised ESPN game between Davidson and St. Bonaventure. At 15-5 Davidson is starting to make some noise as they’re coming off an upset win on the road over Saint Louis. Rest will be on both teams side as they have not played since Saturday. Look for the Bonnies to take advantage of their home court and cash Friday. 

After losing four straight games Penn broke out of their slump with consecutive victories. Today they’ll travel to upstate New York to take on Cornell. Cornell has won three of four games and did play Syracuse to within single digits. Yet expect Penn’s ability to score to give the home team Cornell problems. Grab Penn.

The last time the Warriors returned from a lengthy road trip of five games or more they struggled ATS. In fact they went a stretch of 1-8 ATS after a five game road trip in December. This time the Warriors have concluded a stretch of seven of eight road games. Don’t expect severe missteps this time around as the Warriors have found new ways to get offense with their second unit. Grab the Warriors to put on a show against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Earlier this season on December 9th the Raptors shockingly fell at home as 5.5 point favorites to the Milwaukee Bucks. Positive news for the Bucks heading into tonight’s matchup is that both Eric Bledsoe and Malcolm Brogdon are probable. That’s a big edge for production for the Bucks but look for the Raptors to continue their recent offensive surge. Grab the Raptors in a battle of two top Eastern Conference teams. 

Minus Victor Oladipo the Pacers have had issues adjusting. This has resulted in three consecutive losses. Signs of the Pacers wearing down before All-Star break are evident as the Pacers played extremely well minus Oladipo earlier in the season. On the other hand Orlando has been solid ATS and is desperate for a win. Still look for the Pacers to break out of their funk and cover ATS. 

Tough losses have been the norm for the Penn State Nittany Lions. To start Big 10 conference play they’ve went winless with an 0-9 record. Bench production is lacking as well as an ability to overcome poor shooting. That’s a big problem facing a Purdue team that can switch gears when needed on both ends of the court. Just as in their last three home games expect the opposition to pull away late. Grab Purdue. 

Wednesday, the Atlanta Hawks continue their road trip as they take on the Sacramento Kings. Thus far they’ve covered three straight on the road and are coming off an outright win over the LA Clippers. Oddly enough the Kings last game was also against the Clippers in a blowout loss. Expect the Kings to be re-focused as they return home from a six-game road trip. Grab Sacramento. 

Oddsmakers have recently began to push forward the Knicks underdog number even at MSG. That’s the case on Wednesday as a below .500 Dallas Mavericks team are sizable favorites. This comes as no surprise as the Knicks last home win was December 1st against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Knicks lack the offensive cohesion to keep up with a team as potent as Dallas. Grab the Mavericks. 

UNLV +10.5

One of the more difficult teams for oddsmakers to evaluate ATS is Nevada. They have only one loss and handily defeated teams such as USC, Loyola Chicago, and Arizona State in non-conference. With the wide disparity of the Mountain West Nevada has had a wide range of high numbers ATS. With UNLVs well documented subpar outings this would seem like another blowout. Instead grab the value on the Rebels. 

Zack has a Big 12 prime play available for college hoops Tuesday.  Kansas has lost two of three games and now has to face a Texas team they narrowly beat at home. The result was indicative of the Jayhawks allowing a late flurry from the Longhorns. Meanwhile Texas has underachieved all season with a record that is barely above .500. Grab the value here on the small number with the Longhorns.

Record-wise the Celtics and Nets are only separated by 3.5 games. That’s hard to believe and showcases just how difficult the Celtics transition of success from last year has been. Before the Celtics loss to the Warriors they had won five straight. While the Celtics bench is a question mark versus the Nets, look for the starters to maintain a sizable lead. Grab Boston. 

The New York Knicks woes have been plagued by injuries and benching of veteran Enes Kanter. New York may has not left home aside from a short trek to Brooklyn Friday since January 11th. Yet they’ve lost eight consecutive games. Meanwhile the Miami Heat have struggled all season at generating consecutive wins. Grab the value on them here as they get past the Knicks.

Iowa travels on the road Sunday to take on Minnesota.  Both teams will be looking to erase the memories of a recent loss. Iowa lost in blowout fashion on their home floor to Michigan State while Minnesota was narrowly defeated by Michigan. The Gophers near win over Michigan on the road presents value on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Grab Iowa to take of business on Sunday.

Cleveland State’s struggles are well documented as they’ve lost eight straight games. They’ll take on a Youngstown State team with a similar record at 6-15. This should be labeled as a golden opportunity for Cleveland State to break out of their rut as Youngstown State is in the midst of seven of nine road games. Yet look for the Penguins to have the energy to hold off Cleveland State ATS. Grab the points here on the underdog. 

Letdowns in-conference are inevitable. Fresno State will hope to avoid one as they travel on the road to take on Colorado State. Yet I think the Bulldogs learned a lesson from their last outing against San Diego State in which they came out with a lackluster start. Coming back from a twenty-point deficit is great but also a wake-up call. Look for the Bulldogs to be prepared for a forty minute effort. 

Since East Carolina’s home outright win over the Cincinnati Bearcats they’ve dropped four straight. Today they’ll take on a South Florida team that’s also struggling in American conference play. In fact they’ve yet to win a road game in-conference at 0-3. Off of East Carolina’s big blowout loss to Houston and return from a road trip grab the value on the Bulls.

The Detroit Pistons continue the third game of their current road trip tonight against the Mavericks. Value lies on the Pistons as they used the hot-hand of Blake Griffin to topple the Pelicans two nights ago. That was without Anthony Davis. An uplift of production with Dennis Smith Jr back ended a four-game losing streak for the Mavericks. Yet look for the Pistons lineup to give the Mavericks issues. Grab Detroit. 

The Brooklyn Nets have recently seen their ATS number creep up. Against the Orlando Magic two nights ago they fell just short as a favorite. Tonights scenario marks the first time all season that they’ve been favored three consecutive games as they host the New York Knicks. That’s a value attractor combined with their 1-2 overall ATS mark against the Knicks this season. Grab Brooklyn. 

UC Irvine travels to Hawaii for the final game of Wednesday’s college basketball board. Both teams boast just one loss in-conference in the Big West. The late start time offers value on the away team as well as UC Irvine’s recent string of losses. They’ve lost three of their last seven games. Grab the value here on Irvine to spoil Hawaii’s return home from a two-game road trip. 

For Tuesday there is a rematch between the Phoenix Suns and Timberwolves. Saturday the two met in Minnesota and the Suns played a fairly close game, losing late by a few points. With the Suns knack for tanking it’s always a question to follow suit with them. Yet this is a spot where the Suns can catch a struggling Timberwolves team off guard. Grab the Suns. 

The degree of difficulty for the Rockets to get wins has been highly evident. James Harden once again needed to lead his Rockets from a big deficit against the Lakers in which they won in overtime. They’ll now head back onto the road to face a Philadelphia 76ers team that has been dominant at home. Yet with the Rockets offensive synergy all it takes is one explosive quarter. Grab the value on the underdog Rockets. 

The Tar Heels have started strong to ACC play and return home Monday to host Virginia Tech. Line value for this matchup lies strictly on the Hokies lack of road experience. In non-conference play their lone road matchup was a loss to Penn State. In-conference during a small sample they struggled to beat Georgia Tech and were blown out on the road against Virginia. That Virginia experience will be a big aid for another hostile environment tonight. Grab the Hokies.

The Milwaukee Bucks will be part of an early MLK holiday schedule as they host the Dallas Mavericks. That means they will have had less than forty-eight hours to step onto the court after their road win in Orlando. That’s where the value lies on the Bucks even with the Mavericks horrific road record. Grab the Bucks here.

The LA Clippers have faltered to the degree of five straight losses. Reeling they’ll head onto the road to take on a San Antonio team that is 18-6 at home. Issues with the Clippers have mainly included non-existent half-court defense. During their current losing streak they’ve yielded an average of 118 points per game. Sunday expect a better showing and sense of urgency from the Clippers.

During Tom Brady’s Father Time era he has produced to a high degree especially without Peyton Manning in his way. Sunday is a different story though as the Patriots will not host the AFC Championship. That’s a big key as Tom Brady and the Patriots are just 1-4 on the road in the AFC since 2005. Look for Andy Reid and the Chiefs to have the offensive production to protect quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Grab the Chiefs. 

Thus far the talent mix and chemistry of the Colorado Buffaloes has not transferred over the first portion of the season.  Yet Sunday is an opportunity for on court growth against a Utah team that is over achieving. At .500 they lack secondary and third scoring options leaving them vulnerable on a small home favored line. Grab Colorado 

The Saints turn around a week ago was brilliant from a defensive view. Yet the offense still has not been the same as it was through late November. The same can be said for the LA Rams who’ve limited Jared Goff’s passing and relied heavily on a ground attack. Look for more the Rams to get Goff going early and for the ground attack that the Eagles did not have to carry the Rams in the second half. Take the points here. 

The Iowa Hawkeyes have a chance to improve their top twenty-five position as they host Illinois Sunday. Iowa’s strong start to Big 10 conference play has featured two wins over top twenty-five teams and a big comeback win over Penn State. Yet Illinois has confidence as they played a full forty minutes in a tail-kicking over Minnesota. They’ve also been in close losses thus far in Big 10 play. Grab the points here with Illinois. 

Lately Arizona State has become an ATS detractor. They were blown out last week by Stanford and blew a big lead to cost backers against Oregon State. Now they’ll face an Oregon team that’s grown offensively and is coming off two strong wins over USC and Arizona. This is a game where ASU can lean on their home court edge and minimize their second half offensive issues. Grab ASU. 

The Miami Heat are in a back to back scenario Saturday as they travel to take on the Chicago Bulls. The Heat showed sporadic play in their Friday loss to the Pistons getting down big early before clawing back and eventually losing. Chicago is coming off a long west coast road trip that is embedded into tonight’s line. Look for the lowly Bulls to surprise tonight and grab the ATS cover. 

Texas Tech finds themselves in an unusual spot Saturday, and that’s avoiding a second consecutive loss for the first time this year. They’ll face a Baylor team that has not won consecutive games since non-conference play. Yet I believe we saw two teams hit opposite strides their last game. Look for Baylor to gain in confidence off their win against Oklahoma State and cover as a small underdog.

Friday, the Pelicans continue their fourth game on their current road trip as they travel to take on Portland. The Pelicans are showing much better effort on the road that’s attracted value on a small number tonight. With just a 6-18 road record this is a game where one has to forecast the Pelicans clawing their way back to a decent away record as we enter the mid-point of the NBA season. Grab New Orleans.  

The Toronto Raptors are coming off a nationally televised loss to the Boston Celtics. They return home to host the Phoenix Suns but will be without both Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard whom will rest. This compounds the current absences of OG Anunoby and CJ Miles. With the back to back factor and resting starters scenario there is value to be had on the Raptors. Grab the buy down on the spread. Take Toronto. 

One of the more difficult scenarios for a home team is playing their first game at home after a lengthy road trip. The Charlotte Hornets will attempt to do so after completing a six-game road trip. Thursday they’ll take on a Sacramento team that just defeated them Saturday. While home rust will be evident early look for the Kings woes of melting in second halves to carry over Thursday. Grab Charlotte. 

Butler appears to be in a year of transition as they’ve dropped to 10-7. Consecutive losses by one point have been heart breakers against quality opponents in Seton Hall and Xavier. They’ll face a DePaul team that hung in to defeat both Seton Hall and St. Johns. Look for this moment not to phase the Blue Demons as they take care of business against Butler. 

The Houston Rockets plethora of injuries gets some help Wednesday as guard Eric Gordon is expected back. James Harden’s recent string of high scoring games has made it difficult for teams to match the Rockets offensive output. The Nets also lost to the Rockets by eight points earlier this season at home. Yet look for the Nets to get some traction early and cover the five points here. 

An interesting matchup lies in the Missouri Valley for Wednesday in college hoops between Drake and Bradley. Drake has the impressive record of 12-5 but has just a 1-3 record in-conference. Meanwhile Bradley is even worse in conference ranking dead last at 0-4. This is a spot where the pressure is more on Drake than it is Bradley. Look for Bradley to utilize their ability to be in close games and win the game ATS at the free throw line. 

The LA Clippers will host the New Orleans Pelicans Monday night. Value here lies with the Clippers as they look to handle one of the dominant scorers in the league in Anthony Davis. Davis and the Pelicans have been able to mask their road issues (5-17 on the road) thanks to a recent extended stretch of home games. Although the Clippers have lost four of their last seven grab the value on them here as a small favorite. 

The USC Trojans are coming off another questionable shaky loss against Oregon State. In a matter of forty-eight hours they’ll now face another opponent in the Pac-12 in Oregon. The Ducks have also been inconsistent and are coming off blowing an eight point lead in the last forty seconds against UCLA. Yet the value here is on the Trojans and oddsmakers devaluing the fact that they are winless (0-5) on the road this season. Grab USC.  

The inconsistent Dallas Mavericks will face the Golden State Warriors this evening. The Warriors are coming off their best ATS consecutive covers of the season in blowout wins over the Bulls-Knicks. Traveling on the road they’ve been a better team ATS. In fact they’ve covered six of their last eight road matchups. Yet look for the Mavericks to get balanced scoring and to have an upper hand in the interior with DeAndre Jordan. Grab Dallas. 

The Philadelphia Eagles had the game that every big seed in March Madness has that does well. They survived a game they should have lost against the Chicago Bears. Now they’ll get new life with a prime matchup against a Saints team that blew them out 48-7. Since that game both teams have gone in different directions. While the Eagles still don’t have top notch personnel defensively they’ve grown enough to trust in this tough spot. Back the Eagles here.

The Dayton Flyers have struggled with defensive lapses which has made them tough on steep spreads. Case in point was their melt down two Saturday’s ago on a similar line against Georgia Southern. Yet this is a spot where they should be prepared to avoid such a scenario. Grab the Flyers to overmatch a UMass team reeling on their current losing streak. 

Throughout the final leg of the NFL season the discussion of the Patriots has been Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski’s decline. While the offense has not been stellar guess which unit has? Their defense. Aside from the crazy game against Miami the Patriots defense has surrendered 17 points or less since mid-November. That’s a big key against a Chargers team continuing an East coast road playoff round for the second consecutive week. Grab the value on the Patriots. 

The Timberwolves could not slow down the Dallas Mavericks in last night’s home loss. Now they’re in a back to back scenario taking on the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans are the rested team here not having stepped onto the court since Wednesday. Yet the key reason for the line move is the Timberwolves interim coach in Ryan Saunders. The 32 year old showed will be in a tough spot tonight but look for his team to continue to rally for him. Grab the Timberwolves. 

The Boston Celtics continue their Florida road trip aiming to get back in the win column. Their nationally televised matchup against the Heat was a blowout loss. The Celtics will face a reeling Orlando Magic team currently on a four-game losing streak. Furthermore the Magic will be without key rookie Mo Bamba. Yet the value lies on the Magic as bettors are looking to capture the ATS magic the Celtics recently showed at home.

Out in the Pac-12 ASU will aim to continue their recent momentum. After a mini-slide they’ve blown out fellow conference opponents in California and Colorado. Their Saturday opponent in Stanford has struggled to adjust to conference play with an 0-3 record. Inefficiency on the offensive end has been their problem as that has translated to the defensive end. Yet look for the Cardinal to show some composure and keep within reach of the Sun Devils. 

The Jayhawks depth has allowed them to sidestep missing key starter Udoka Azubuike. In fact it’s allowed them to play smaller at times and utilize some of their guard depth off the bench. Saturday they’ll take on a Baylor team that has two poor losses on their resume against Stephen F Austin and Texas Southern. Yet in conference play coaches know weaknesses to attack. Look for Baylor to pull of the home cover. 

The Minnesota Timberwolves are coming off a big win minus their former Coach in Tom Thibodeau. Friday they’ll take on a Dallas Mavericks team that has been below standard on the road with a 3-18 mark. Yet this should be a nice spot to find value on the underdog as new interim coach Ryan Saunders gets acclimated in his new role.

Value against the Sacramento Kings is back on the upward trend. They’ve lost five of their last six games, while showing inconsistent offensive production. They’ll face a Detroit team that’s known for solid interior defense as well as off the ball. Yet this is a favorable spot to continue cashing against the Pistons who have been on a prolonged stretch of six of seven losses.

A surprise start in Horizon league play has occurred with Detroit. Before their last game loss against Northern Kentucky they had won three straight all by double-digits. Their electric freshman scorer in Antoine Davis combined with new team confidence has been the catalyst. Yet look for Wisconsin-Green Bay to build off their thrilling buzzer-beater win against Cleveland State.

Utah’s transition from an out of nowhere successful team in 2017-2018 has not blossomed this season. An array of chemistry issues has them still a game below .500. Yet after a four-game road trip tonight’s spot against the Orlando Magic offers value. Expect the Jazz not treat this game lightly as it’s their first home game for 2019. Grab Utah.

There are three portions of a college basketball schedule that you re-evaluate a team that’s still not living up to their expectations. Butler is not there yet but there home win against Creighton Saturday could be a positive spark. Tonight they’ll head into a tough road environment against a Seton Hall team that has passed nearly every matchup they’ve had since early November. This is a very important game for Seton Hall as they are coming off three of four on the road including a loss to DePaul. Grab the small line dog value here on Butler.

The Spurs have now won five straight games as they’ve finally discovered their guard rotation minus Dejounte Murray. Wednesday they’ll face a Memphis Grizzlies team that will have revenge on their minds. Just four days ago the Spurs flourished against the Grizzlies in a twenty point victory. While the Grizzlies may build a sizable lead look for the Spurs will to not end their win streak to prevail. Grab San Antonio. 

We’ll grab value out in the Colonial conference as Towson hosts Cornell. Cornell has some talented players that have even shined against strong non-conference opponents. Meanwhile Towson’s basketball program appears a bit rattled. They’ve lost three consecutive matchups to bring their record to 5-11. Tonight look for a confidence boost from the home Tigers as they get it done against Cornell. 

Tuesday, the Charlotte Hornets will continue their Western Conference road trip as they take on the LA Clippers. This is a spot where a veteran team such as the Hornets should treat tonight’s matchup as a tune up before a rigorous weekend. Instead look for a flat performance as the Hornets look ahead to three road games in four nights starting Friday.  

Tuesday, the Red Raiders will hope to start 3-0 in the Big 12 as they host the 23rd ranked Oklahoma Sooners. This will be their toughest matchup since they lost to Duke in a mid-December neutral site matchup. Yet I expect the Red Raiders to matchup well with the Sooners in half court defensive sets. The Red Raiders are just a point below ATS of what the line was when the Sooners faced Kansas. Grab Texas Tech.

Value lies with the Atlanta Hawks as heavy road favorites Tuesday in Toronto. The Raptors had one day of rest in between back to back games. They won both of those matchups including a victory Sunday over the Indiana Pacers with Kawhi Leonard resting. Still grab the value on the Hawks whom have lost their last three road games by an average of nineteen points.

It’s another college football championship and yet another matchup between Clemson and Alabama. While Alabama has a lot of the same key pieces as prior runs, it’s Clemson that has modified their team. A true freshman quarterback and key upgrades defensively have them primed to stay in this game similar to their run with DeShaun Watson. Line detraction for the Tigers lies with suspensions on the defensive side of the football. Yet look for Dabo and his assistants to have a proper game plan in place. Grab Clemson. 

Regrouping at the beginning of conference play is tough to do. The Badgers find themselves in that spot with two straight losses.  They’ll face a Penn State team that’s going to be without their coach because of a one game suspension.  That’s enough of an edge to side with the Badgers

The Miami Heat travel to take on the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday. This is a road trip intermixed with a recent one game home stand. That’s typically a tough spot for a team to keep their composure especially a .500 level Heat team. Yet they have bench infusion with Dion Waiters returning from a full year away with injury. That’s instant offense that should spark the Heat ATS over Atlanta. 

Sunday in the ACC the Miami Hurricanes will travel to take on the Louisville Cardinal.  The Hurricanes once ranked have lost five of their last eight. Furthermore they’ll take on a Cardinal team playing their first game in 2019. With the Hurricanes on shorter rest the value lies with them. Grab Miami

Both San Diego and Pacific sustained losses to open conference play in the WCC. Yet things seem to be more worrisome for a veteran San Diego team. They’ve lost two of their last three games and are dropping off offensively. Pacific on the other hand showed composure to come back in a close loss to BYU. Look for Pacific to continue to show they’re shining youth and cover a sizable road number. 

Against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday the Utah Jazz had a sluggish first half. They reversed course quickly and routed the Cavs for an easy cover. In a back to back scenario Saturday they’ll face a Detroit Pistons team that has not played since Wednesday. Yet the Jazz are a deep team and will be able to secure their second road win in twenty four hours. 

Arizona State is off to a very similar start in conference play as they were a season ago. Consecutive losses one to Princeton and the other against Utah shows just how young the Sun Devils are. The problem is their national attention is not going to fade away. With Colorado coming off a loss in Tucson expect them to have supreme focus in hopes of not leaving Arizona with two losses.

Road travel beats up on teams as conference play for lack thereof in non-conference. That has been the case for Georgia Southern as they will play in their sixth road game in eight games Saturday. Coming into Saturday’s matchup they have lost three straight on the road which has created value for Saturday. Grab the Southern Eagles to bounce back in a nice spot against a young UT Arlington team. 

The returns of both Paul Millsap and Gary Harris is a big boost for the Nuggets. Both came off the bench in their recent home matchup against the New York Knicks. Thursday, they’ll travel to take on a Sacramento Kings team that’s lost three of four and struggled on the defensive end. Still look for the up and down pace to help alleviate the pressure for the Kings of the defensive end. Grab the Kings. 

Throughout non-conference play Kansas was vulnerable ATS but managed to pile up wins. They’ll take on an Oklahoma team that’s had a home friendly schedule. In non-conference play they only went on the road once besides a neutral court tournament. Look for the Jayhawks to be prepared and ready to cruise over the Sooners. Grab Kansas. 

St. John’s spoiled an opportunity this past weekend to defeat Seton Hall. Holding a double-digit lead the Johnnies couldn’t sustain the offense they showed in the first half. That’s a value detractor for Tuesday’s matchup against Marquette. The Golden Eagles have won eight straight games and should have clearance against St. Johns Tuesday.  Grab Marquette

San Diego State on paper has a talented team. Thus their 7-5 record is peculiar especially considering recent losses to Brown and California. Tuesday’s matchup against Cal State Northridge is supposed to be a tune up for Mountain West play for San Diego State. Instead grab the value on the double-digit dog in Cal State Northridge. 

Conditions in San Diego are expected to involve rain. Throughout the year Northwestern was a darling ATS. Covering a plethora of matchups with late surges and underdog outright victories. Yet Utah is a team that has size on the defensive end to prevent Wildcats sustained drives. There offense is never great but look for key plays to lead to a spread clearance. Grab the Utes. 

After extended holiday rest it can be difficult to regroup in college basketball. Detroit will play their second game in three nights both on the road. Cleveland State on the other hand will attempt to rectify their recent home loss.  Value here is tied into that angle and sides with the road team in Detroit 

Northeastern has caught the attention of the betting markets for years with upsets galore over power five conference teams.  They’ll face a Delaware team that’s reeling with a string of losses.  The easy play here would be Northeastern but lean Delaware to play within a big spread 

Most of the games that have NFL playoff implications are slotted in the afternoon slots. With that being said the team needing to win to get in are the Minnesota Vikings. They’ll face a Chicago Bears team that likely knows off the bat that they aren’t going to hurdle the Rams for a bye week. That’s boosted the line too high on the Vikings side. Grab the value on the Bears. 

For the final play of Saturday we’ll grab the value on St. Johns. Their undefeated record has zero opponents even close to the top 75 in the country. Seton Hall on the other hand is on a big winning streak that’s featured wins over Kentucky and Maryland. Yet look for the Johnnies back court strength to key them to an ATS cover over Seton Hall. 

Down the stretch we saw the Virginia Cavaliers fade. They lost three of four in a tough ACC conference, and it appeared quarterback Bryce Perkins wore down a bit. The Cavaliers offensive system puts too much of a burden on Perkins which is a heavy factor in the original point spread. Although South Carolina’s schedule doesn’t match Virginia they’re the right side. Grab South Carolina. 

An aggressive line buy down has made tonight’s night matchup even more intriguing. Washington State will be the second bowl representative out of the Pac-12. It’s well known that the Pac-12 has been subpar and mediocre in bowl seasons of the past. Iowa State’s been a team that will fight no matter the scenario of their game. Yet look for Washington State to be able to counter Iowa State’s in-game adjustments to pull off the cover. Grab Washington State. 

Seeing Auburn finish 3-5 in conference play was shocking. They’ll face a Purdue team that has rose to the occasion this year against top teams such as their win over Ohio State. Senior quarterback David Blough and the Boilermakers will look to replicate their upset last year as a small dog over Arizona. Instead grab the value on Auburn whom has the offensive and defensive balance to topple Purdue ATS. Grab Auburn. 

The LA Lakers are coming off a great performance over the Golden State Warriors. In the rout minus Lebron James they were able to hold off a Warriors rally that closed within two points. The youth makeup of the Lakers is confident and they’ll face a Kings team coming off a game last night in LA. Yet look for a different outcome from the Lakers as they see how much they miss Lebron. Grab the Kings. 

Stumbling into bowl season is typically a recipe for disaster. Vanderbilt comes into tonight’s bowl with impressive late season wins in SEC conference play. That in itself is an ATS inflator with eyes on the impressive SEC. Look for Baylor’s quick strike offense and speed to keep them in this game. Grab Baylor. 

Key injuries to the Denver Nuggets has left them needing to utilize their young bench in key stretches. Wednesday they’ll be in a tough road spot against a Spurs team that is 13-5 at home. Yet look for the Nuggets to be much more prepared on the defensive end than their last outing in which they were blown out 132-111 by the LA Clippers. 

The Raptors will be without Kyle Lowry tonight in Miami. Yet they turned in big outright victories on their recent road trip without Kawhi Leonard and boast one of the top records in the league at 25-10. The question here is will the holiday break disrupt the Heat’s five game streak? ATS it doesn’t grab the plus points in this spot.

The game everyone will be focused on for Christmas is the Lakers vs the Golden State Warriors. As of late the Lakers have struggled losing three of their last four as their defensive efficiency has dipped. That likely will continue against the fast pace electric Warriors. Yet look for the Lakers to match the Warriors intensity from a scoring stand point. Grab the Lakers.

Charlotte +14.5

The Colorado Buffaloes came into the Hawaii tournament boasting an 8-1 record. Consecutive losses have forced them into a first-game Christmas Day matchup against the woeful Charlotte 49ers. While the Buffaloes should come out with a high sense of urgency their defense will be susceptible to a double-digit spread. Grab the points here on the 49ers. 

A losing slump for the Clippers has quickly changed course. They’ve rediscovered their offense and blew out the Nuggets last night.  Doc Rivers second unit substitution tendencies in back to back scenarios are worrisome against an explosive Warriors team. Still look for the Clippers to continue their momentum ATS. Grab LA 

The Seattle Seahawks continue to be small number underdogs or favorites at home. That’s a sign of their team not having much of an identity. During their five game win streak they found ways late to prevail to victory. Last week it finally bit them as they lost in overtime against San Francisco. Sometimes it takes a loss as such for the pendulum of confidence to settle in. Look for the Chiefs to be better prepared after a couple of rusty weeks minus Kareem Hunt. 

The Minnesota Timberwolves talented roster has not matched their on court performance.  This was an issue temporarily resolved after Jimmy Butler was traded.  Their road woes combined with OKC playing in a back to back spot is a tricky scenario.  This is where Billy Donovan’s development of his bench is key. Grab OKC 

For the second consecutive day both San Diego and Drake will take the court in Las Vegas. They’re playing in the Continental Tire Classic at the Orleans Arena, with both teams boasting great records. Trickle down value occurs here based on time of the game action yesterday. San Diego was in the last time slot which means their sleep schedule and rest could potentially be an issue. Yet they’re use to the arena from the WCC tournament and are a team full of upperclassmen. Grab the value on the Toreros.

San Francisco suddenly has has found an offensive package that works for quarterback Nick Mullens. They’ll face a Chicago Bears team that has won seven of eight games and has covered in all victories (10) but one game. That’s created value similar to the small road number the Bears were in a loss to the Giants. Grab San Francisco whom seems to be riding the same end of season wave they had a year ago with Jimmy Garrapollo.

Certain instances in non-conference play present themselves as opportunistic spots. Arizona State increased their level of non-conference play and had opportunities to defeat Nevada and Vanderbilt. With not as much experience as last years team that upset Kansas many may see the value on the number one team in the country. Instead look for Bobby Hurley to outreach Bill Self as he did a year ago, and for the ASU fanbase to be a road distraction for the Jayhawks.

The MAC for years has been a disappointment during bowl season. That has changed to begin bowl play and I look for that to continue this evening with Buffalo. An interesting angle for today’s bowl is that Troy is playing in their home state of Alabama. The MAC is one of the few conferences thats travel is minimal throughout conference play for away games. That presents value on a Buffalo team thats program is on the rise. Grab Buffalo.

Pirates Coach Kevin Willard did a fantastic job adjusting his lineup after early consecutive losses to Nebraska and Saint Louis. Today they’ll get one of their toughest challenges to date against Maryland. The Terrapins two losses on the year were narrow defeats against Virginia and Purdue. Their strength at guard should also help negate the Pirates lone main scorer in Myles Powell.

Look for San Francisco to sharpen back up on the offensive end today against Stanford. Stanford has done well against non top twenty five teams this year. In fact all of their losses have come to teams such as Kansas, North Carolina, Florida, and Wisconsin. Their close loss to Kansas may seem like a value buy for today’s game against a close cross town team. Yet San Francisco’s offense features a bevy of scorers unlike Stanford. Grab San Francisco.