The Lakers showed last year that they take the summer league as serious as any team. They played key young talent and both rookies in Lonzo Ball/Kyle Kuzma extended minutes. The same has been showcased this year along with key young talent in Josh Hart and Alex Caruso. Still, look for the Bulls to limit the offensive explosion the Lakers showed in their debut Friday. Grab Chicago. 

A day off of rest and a new arena could be troublesome for the Memphis Grizzlies summer league team. They’ve made the trek down from Salt Lake City as they take on a Detroit team that will be looking to bounce back from a loss yesterday. Summer league play usually has teams switch the look of their rosters as days go on. This should bode to the advantage of the Pistons getting a steep plus four Saturday.

Summer league continues Saturday as the Brooklyn Nets take on the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Nets fell short on Friday as their roster was not indicative of whom they played on the floor. The big name NBA roster players are not playing which has created value against the Thunder whom lost by a point Friday. Terrance Ferguson is one of the big names that generated solid minutes with the Thunder and creates this value opportunity.

Summer league continues Saturday as the New York Knicks will host Trae Young’s Hawks. Anyone whom watched the Hawks saw Young’s struggles as his team looked out of sync. Young couldn’t buy a basket and will now face tougher defense in a bigger tournament in Las Vegas. Yet look for the Hawks to finally display a team effort as they get the cover Saturday. 

Summer league provides opportunities of value based on makeshift short term teams. Value today lies with the fact that the Denver Nuggets first round pick in Michael Porter Jr. won’t be playing throughout the summer league. This comes via a team that traded away some of their younger assets in Emmanuel Mudiay and others. Grab the value on them as slight underdogs. 

Finding value in the summer league can get tighter as days go on. The reason being is more dynamic players begin to rest and some wrap up contracts to play overseas. Yet the new Sacramento/Salt Lake schedule brings high value. One today lies with the Memphis Grizzlies as they take on the host Utah Jazz.  Both teams are coming off day one dynamite victories but look for the Grizzlies to continue to shine offensively. Grab Memphis. 

On paper the Celtics seemingly are under manned. Yet the results beg to differ as the Celtics immense depth has flourished with their youth. They’re under valued home court has dominated ATS in the playoffs with a 5-0 mark. Yet the level of offensive efficiency witnessed in game one is not a familiar scene for the Celtics. Expect the 76ers high talent to adjust appropriately. Grab Philadelphia.

Key returning stars are always hard to re-implement in the playoffs. Steph Curry’s return surely will take away minutes from bench contributors as well as shots from the first-unit. The Pelicans have gelled with their post DeMarcus Cousins roster where nearly every player knows their role. Curry’s return combined with the Warriors game one dominance has created value on the Pelicans for Tuesday.

The Thunder and Jazz series is showing what we’ve become accustomed to with superstar player led teams. A more balanced Jazz team has the arsenal and schemes to outdo the Oklahoma City Thunder. While Carmelo’s downgraded play has been the majority of the season it’s Russ and Paul George’s play that’s more troubling. Both have been held in check for stretches in this series. At home in a potential season ending game value lies on the Jazz.

Recognition of line movement in a playoff series is crucial. After a dominating game three win by the Jazz, oddsmakers curiously lowered the game four spread. It’s noteworthy and centered around the improbability of the Thunder winning the series if they sustain another loss. Expect the Thunder to be much more prepared for game four even as Billy Donovan tinkers with rotation minutes. Grab the Thunder.

Instances of chaos this season amongst the Washington Wizards players were well documented. Yet the fact of the matter is the Wizards missed Wall for key games that derailed their true seed. Games three performance seemed to give the Wizards the jolt they need. While they may not have the same dominating output look for a cash out plus the points.

At the start of the NBA playoffs few teams have shown carry over value from the regular season. One team that has are the Western Conference top-seeded Houston Rockets. Houston destroyed the number and the Timberwolves in game two as the Timberwolves could not contain Houston. Yet, today is a value spot with yet another home team. As great as the Rockets have been against the Timberwolves this is a heightened line. Grab the underdog.  

The Pelicans have now won seven straight games as they defeated Portland in games one and two on the road. Thursday’s game will put to the test both teams as it’s a quick transition of just a couple of days rest. With the Pelicans struggles in second halves this may open the door for another close finish. Yet, look for the Pelicans to continue to get just enough from role players to go along with AD and Holiday. Grab the Pelicans to secure their eighth straight win and small line cover. 

The hindered Celtics looked like the flip-seed of the Bucks in game one. Yet, they had just enough in the tank to withstand the Bucks. While the depth and skillset advantage continues to lie with the Bucks the Celtics continue to have the upper hand in coaching. Knocking two points off game one’s point spread has withered away underdog value and posed proper value on the Celtics. Grab Boston.

Utah’s run post All-Star break was truly a spectacle to watch. They went from a team at 21-28 to a post-season team in the elite Western conference. From an oddsmaker stand point today’s line has more to do with Utah’s rise and layoff. Both the Jazz and Thunder have had four full days to rest after the regular season conclusion Wednesday. It’ll be a tight game but expect the Thunder to beat the number by a mere few points.  

The Pelicans enter the playoffs as the overlooked one-man show team. In this ERA of the NBA it’s almost unheard of seeing a team reach the heights the Pelicans have with one star. Portland’s home dominance and spurts will be a dangerous combination for a Pelicans team susceptible defensively. Still the Trailblazers looked out of sync as the NBA season wound down as they lost four straight games before a win over Utah. Grab the Pelicans to come out the gate in this series and cover.

Pelicans -3.5

Tonight the Pelicans will aim to keep their playoff intensity level secure as they take on the San Antonio Spurs. Having won four games in a row put the Pelicans in the playoffs without a worry in Wednesday’s regular season conclusion. Still, look for old school coach Alvin Gentry to continue to demand a solid output as the Pelicans aim for five wins a row. Grab the Pelicans.

The Celtics blow on losing point guard Kyrie Irving for the remainder of the season is official news. Friday will be the first game that we see how the team handles the situation. Key starters in Al Horford and Jayson Tatum also won’t be playing Friday against the Bulls. That’s created drop down value on the Celtics as the Bulls have shown no signs of tanking with three straight victories. Grab the Celtics.

The Dallas Mavericks travel to face the Orlando Magic Wednesday. This is an interesting spot as the Mavericks are coming off a home win last night against Portland that concluded at 8PM PST. Travel for tonight’s game is further impacted as the Mavericks have decided to sit Dirk Nowitzki, Harrison Barnes, Dwight Powell, and Dennis Smith Jr. Still look for the Magic to showcase a bit of rust as well after a blowout win last night at Madison Square Garden. 

One of the biggest mystiques in the NBA has been the sporadic level of play of the Washington Wizards. This year they received a pass due to John Wall’s health. Now back the Wizards are devalued against the NBA’s ATS juggernaut in the Houston Rockets. In their last two games Houston has not been sharp with a narrow win against the Suns and a blowout loss to the Spurs. Look for the spread to be a factor once again and not on Houston’s side. Grab Washington. 

The assumption that Lebron can get his team to hit another gear at the tail end of the season is a fact. He’s led his Cavs/Heat teams to the title game in countless consecutive years. With just a handful of games left in the regular season this is where you’d expect a playoff intensity performance from the Cavs. Yet, the Cavs are no where near the level of play seen in recent Lebron post-season runs. With a league-wide day off Monday value has been created on the Raptors. Grab Toronto. 

Villanova has continued to play their style of basketball and dominate ATS. They’ve covered all games in the tournament culminating in the best performance seen in the Final Four in quite awhile. Meanwhile Michigan has served as the Loyola-Chicago of power five schools with narrow sloppy victories. Persevering no matter what the scenario has put them as the value play Monday. All tournament Michigan’s guards have been outplayed but this is a matchup that the guards can outshine Villanova’s and where John Beilein can match Jay Wright’s in-game adjustments. Grab Michigan. 

With virtually identical records the Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves will square off Sunday. Where the ATS implications from oddsmakers circle around the log jam of five teams from the 4th-8th position separated by one game. The Timberwolves stout home record is voided here as the Jazz have been one of the hottest teams in the league. Grab the oddsmakers hint and play on the Jazz.  

For the first time on their road trip the Indiana Pacers will face a team that is near full strength in the LA Clippers. LA does not have a starter below 6’5 now that Danilo Gallinari is back. Yet the Pacers should be able to shake off their rusty performance against the Kings and get a hard small number cover in LA. Grab Indiana. 

The Villanova Wildcats are fully healthy and playing at peak ability. It’s an uncommon occurrence to happen yet Jay Wright has found a way to get it done yet again. For Kansas their strong season will be put to the test against Villanova’s uncanny offensive spurts and defense. As was the case two years ago look for a similar pull away outcome from the Wildcats. Grab Nova. 

Phoenix +10

A home dog of double digits is an eye opener but not with the Phoenix Suns. They continue to rest or sit out key starters while signing-starting D-League talent. It’s a scenario oddsmakers have caught onto ATS in spots. Tonight is one of those spots as the Clippers have held well ATS recently. Grab the reverse tank value line here on Phoenix.

Minus Kyrie Irving the Celtics have relied on their young roster. That has resulted in  four straight wins and three consecutive on the road. Heading to Salt Lake City will be a stiffer test as the Jazz have won 24 of their last 29 games. Still in a nationally televised game look for the Celtics to continue their surprise road efforts. Grab Boston. 

For Tuesday, will take the value on the Denver Nuggets in consecutive road games. This comes in a spot that after last night’s blowout loss to the 76ers. This also marks the sixth straight road game for the Nuggets. Toronto’s standout home record has been in reverse with two home losses in their last three. While Toronto likely will maintain a double-digit lead early look for Denver for to finish on the proper side ATS. Grab Denver.  

Certain times top teams get flip-flopped ATS for appropriate reasons. Although Kansas is the one-seed and Duke has nine losses, it’s clear that Duke is the overall better team. This is a region mismatch for Kansas. Surely they’ll hang around but expect Coach K’s adjustments and depth to over ride Bill Self and the Jayhawks. Grab Duke. 

A winning streak is always going to catapult an ATS edge. The Spurs come into Sunday’s road matchup with a six-game win streak. The wins have been over quality teams such as the Pelicans, Timberwolves, Warriors, Wizards, and Jazz. Yet Saturday’s line move against the Bucks has more to do with the status of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Just hours before game time the line has continued to move north on the Spurs, hinting at Giannis resting another game. Either way, expect the Bucks to hold court at an irregular Sunday start time. 

Both Florida State and Michigan have elevated their regular season play in the big dance. Florida State’s combination of size/length is what gave Michigan problems in the Big Ten. Yet this is a case of a power five conference school over achieving and granting ATS buy down with top defeats over Xavier/Gonzaga. Grab Michigan.

Yesterday the Suns lost in blowout fashion on the road in Cleveland, and now travel to Orlando tonight. Phoenix has just one lone victory in their last twenty-one games and that came against tank-friendly Memphis. In a back to back scenario and both teams in tank-mode this is an opportunity to cash in on the underdog Suns. 

Both Texas Tech and Purdue faded late in the season. The Boilermakers lost three straight while Texas Tech lost five of seven. Yet the Red Raiders have the combination of defense and high depth advantage to get by Purdue. In fact, the Aggies are one of the few teams that have used their disposal of depth to over ride an opponents starting five. Not skipping a beat with substitutions in March Madness will be the thin line advantage for Chris Beard. Grab the Aggies.

After a two-game home stand the Miami Heat head back on the road to face Oklahoma City. The Heat have been sporadic on the road which was showcased in their most recent road trip. Yet, they’re coming off two dominant home wins in which they showcased an average of 134 points. Meanwhile Oklahoma City is coming off a sloppy road loss to Boston. Look for OKC to showcase the tired legs returning home. Grab Miami. 

A coaches nightmare in March Madness is facing a conference rival. Friday, West Virginia meets Villanova whom were former conference rivals in the Big East five years ago. While Coach Huggins has adapted his team over time to fit the Big 12, Jay Wright has kept the core philosophy intact for Nova. That’s a high strength for the Wildcats to attack a West Virginia team that lacks consistency. Grab Villanova.

Aside from two home games the Detroit Pistons have spent March on the road. In fact, dating back to February 25th they’ve played ten of thirteen games on the road. Tonight’s matchup in Houston marks their seventh consecutive road game. While Houston has been an ATS juggernaut this is a spot that screams value on Detroit. Grab the Pistons.

Familiar coaches have reappeared in the sweet sixteen. Quietly overlooked over this week has been Michigan’s John Beilein. Perhaps with the conference not in peak form has something to do with it. Yet, tonight’s matchup for Michigan could be their best thus far in the tournament. Texas A&M has dominated with size but still has issues with their back court. Look for Beilein’s plethora of depth at the guard position and offensive balance to offset the Aggies. Grab Michigan. 

Winning consecutive games at the buzzer is a recipe for falling short the next round. For Loyola Chicago having a break before the sweet sixteen was the best thing for them. They can now regroup to face a Nevada team more fortunate than them to be in this scenario. That’s the difference tonight as Loyola has showcased an ability to play forty minutes while Nevada is more of a streaky team. Take Loyola Chicago. 

Monday, St. Mary’s will take on a Washington team that surprised everyone in the Pac-12 this year. New Coach Mike Hopkins has brought in the 2-3 zone from Syracuse. Bettors minds are now infatuated with the zone off of Syracuse’s week and may be setup for the trap here. Washington’s youth combined with the Pac-12’s abysmal showing in March are worrisome. Grab the Gaels here.

Clemson showed off a new skillset against New Mexico State with on outpour of offense. That was against a smaller less athletic team. Can they do the same against Auburn? This is a spot where both teams faded down the stretch in the regular season but for Clemson it was injury driven. They’re the better coached team and likely would have been a three-seed if not for five losses in their final eight games.

The Rockets aim for a four-game series sweep over the Minnesota Timberwolves. All of which have been blowout victories by the margin of eighteen points. With the Timberwolves in a back to back spot and oddsmakers had no choice but to inflate this line. Grab the Timberwolves who have the depth to play in an up and down affair with the Rockets. 

Typically teams from the mid-majors with a strong resume garner much attention ATS. New Mexico State’s been a key force the past several years without any mid-major buzz. Meanwhile Clemson has not been the same force they were in the middle of conference play. They wore down a bit and are missing that one key piece for the tournament. Grab New Mexico State.

Out in the ACC one of the more under-rated teams this year was Virginia Tech. One can argue this team of the Hokies is less talented than last year’s, but they’ve found a way to play true team basketball. Look for the Hokies to snap a late-season slide that saw them lose three of four games. That’s created value against the momentum building Tide. 

The twelve versus five matchup is always circled and has a right to be here. Kentucky came on hot to conclude the regular season but are they a true five seed? Likely not which spells trouble against a Davidson team that boasts two electric scorers. Peyton Aldridge whom averages 21.5 points and Kellan Grady who averages 18. Look for Davidson to hold their own against Kentucky. Grab Davidson.

Once post-season begins you can count on oddsmakers tilting the line on certain teams. Duke is one against an Iona team that isn’t of the caliber of years past. Still, Duke has struggled to contain teams down the stretch in the ACC, and has shown a vulnerability defensively. That’ll be enough for the Gaels to cover a steep number. Grab Iona.

Grand Canyon will aim to defend their stout home record of 17-2 as they take on the Mercer Bears. Out of the Southern conference this is an odd time slot for Mercer coupled with the time zone change. The Bears led by four seniors seemed to show a last hoorah effort towards the end of regular season with eight straight wins. Playing in a post-season tournament of the CBI’s caliber usually is looked down upon from big programs for letdowns. Here, look for that to be the case for a Mercer team that had high hopes to win the Southern Conference. Grab Grand Canyon.

Cal State Fullerton looks to grab a three-game edge on the season over UC Davis. They won a home affair in blowout fashion of 85-70 and a road late season matchup in a close 68-66 game. Those two victories are the difference in CS Fullerton being a subpar Big West team which is who they are. At a neutral site oddsmakers the value lies on UC Davis. Grab the Aggies.

The boosted theme of Arizona being re-energized finally looked the part yesterday. They pulled away from Colorado after a tight first half. Yet this is a tricky spot for Arizona. UCLA is one of the teams that has caught a new level. With them being on the bubble they’ll come out with another heightened game of intensity. Grab UCLA. 

There are typically chase teams in the NBA that bettors can’t get off of. Detroit started the season with an impressive home record with favorable lines. The addition of Blake Griffin has not done much to boost their performance. With a close overtime loss to the Raptors tonight’s game against the down trodden Bulls screams chase. Eight points is far too high. Grab the Bulls.

You hardly see a team with eleven straight victories not get much ATS attention. Yet that’s the case for St. Bonaventure and with good reason. They’ve pulled out wins with late runs and tight finishes. Richmond has been a popular underdog in the A-10 and won with ease against a dark horse Duquense team Thursday. Yet, St. Bonaventure will sense the moment to solidify a bid tonight. Grab St. Bonaventure.

The San Antonio Spurs record may be ten games above .500 but they’ve been poor as of late. Overall they’ve lost eight of eleven games, including a seventeen-point loss at Golden State. Yet a low-point ATS has occurred for the Spurs as they struggled as double-digit favorites at home to defeat the Grizzlies by two points. Golden State keeps surging with big leads but leaves the door open far too much. Grab San Antonio. 

Today Old Dominion will face a Louisiana Tech team that’s been erratic at 17-15. This is the type of team that would have given Old Dominion trouble last year as their offense was prone to dry spells. With a late-season loss to Western Kentucky by twenty-two points Old Dominion looked a bit fatigued. They followed that up with a poor five point home victory over FAU (sixteen point favorites). This has created value in the C-USA tournament. Grab ODU. 

USC is one of the few teams that does not belong on the back line of last teams in March Madness. Yet that’s the predicament they’re in. Minus ineligible guard De’Anthony Melton the Trojans got stronger and a case can be made they have once again minus injured forward Bennie Boatwright. Without Boatwright they had won four straight before a double-digit loss to UCLA. It was a loss masked by an incredible late run by UCLA. Off of Oregon State’s close win over Washington, they have the look of a team primed for another tournament win. Yet, USC will showcase their superior guard play to win and cover ATS. 

Over President’s Day Weekend one of the nail-biter ATS conclusions was Stanford on the road against California. A seesaw sloppy offensive game from both teams resulted in an ATS push. It was a game that Stanford had their opportunities but you could see the Sunday evening slot combined with a road matchup affected them. Oddsmakers pushed this line up by 4 points. Expect a refreshed energized game from the Cardinal.

Boston College has been a team that has shown strides as a turn around program in college basketball. Today they’ll aim to take another big step as they take on NC State. Just a few weeks ago NC State defeated Boston College by sixteen points. Look for Boston College to carry momentum from yesterday’s tourney win and keep within the number.

Milwaukee will look to advance to the Horizon league finals as they take on Wright State. Thus far this season Milwaukee has the upper hand with two wins over Wright State. In a tournament format this is an opportune time to take the points here on Milwaukee. They run a solid half-court offense that should give Wright State problems yet again. Grab Milwaukee.

For the second consecutive year UNC Greensboro will meet East Tennessee State in the Southern Conference finals. For UNC Greensboro they survived an ugly game yesterday against Wofford thanks to the heroic efforts of Francis Alonso. East Tennessee State has the recognition of prior seasons and solid covers in the opening rounds of the Southern Conference. Yet, their late season slide of three losses in a row will rear its head with their third game in three days. Grab UNC-Greensboro.

Today in the Horizon league’s second tournament game IUPUI will take on Oakland. This is a spot where Oakland is likely feeling the opportunity is on their side with Northern Kentucky falling Saturday. Yet even with IUPUI’s subpar record they have a recent 74-67 win over Oakland. Take the points here. 

The Utah Jazz come into Saturday in a back to back scenario against the Sacramento Kings. This is a rematch of mid-January when the Jazz easily handled the Kings as -4 favorites on the road. This was while the Jazz had Rodney Hood, Joe Johnson, and George Hill still. An increased line with the element of consecutive games speaks to the oddsmakers faith in the Jazz. Grab Utah.

Three years ago both Manhattan and Iona were the class of their conference. Now both are having subpar years with the MAAC conference tournament beginning. Defeating a team three times in a year is always tough, but this is even a higher grade. Iona defeated Manhattan handily both times this year but their latest matchup was a mere seven days ago. Grab the value on the Jaspers. 

Pace and tempo have been a huge problem for the Grizzlies all season, which is why oddsmakers have them as an eight point underdog Friday. Winless in the month of February the Grizzlies are sinking to new lows on teams tanking, and are now tied for the worst record. With Denver currently in the eighth seed they can ill afford to look past an opponent regardless of their personnel on the floor. Grab Denver. 

Out in the Sun Belt, a former popular team ATS has rebound their confidence in UT-Arlington. They’ve won five of their last seven games with high improvement offensively. Yet, they have a weak link ATS that should come into play tonight. They’ve lost eight of nine road games including four straight. Grab Texas State.

A revenge spot is in place tonight in the Big 12 as TCU hosts Kansas State. Both teams stand at 20-9 which means tonight’s game huge for seeding advancement. Yet this is a value spot on the underdog Wildcats.  The revenge angle and fact that TCU has blown out their last three opponents at home by double-digits in no sweat easy covers. 

In a back to back scenario the Bulls travel to Charlotte. Post All-Star break the Bulls have lost four straight games. Yet, they’re 2-0 thus far on the year against the Hornets. Still, the Bulls lack of energy on the defensive end of floor is worrisome in a back to back spot. Look for the veteran players of the Hornets to not take this matchup lightly. Grab Charlotte.

The Celtics and Grizzlies will meet for the second time this season on Monday. Earlier this year the Celtics took care of business in Memphis. In that game both teams played in back to back scenarios, with the Grizzlies fading late to lose ATS. Nine straight losses by the Grizzlies have compounded this line far too high. Grab the value on the Grizzlies Monday. 

Out in the CAA no one saw the steep slide and struggles of Elon occurring. They’ve lost four straight games, which all were by double digits. Their opponent today in Northeastern is once again near the top of the conference with a 13-4 overall record. With their twelve point victory earlier this season against Elon, you’d expect a higher spread here. That’s telling by the oddsmakers and value to not ignore. Grab Elon. 

ASU’s loss last Thursday to Arizona was an exact copy of their home loss to Oregon earlier this season.  They were to sporadic offensively and did not have enough left in the tank to fight back at the end. Traveling up to Oregon doesn’t figure to bode well for the Sun Devils, yet there were positives in ASU’s home loss to Arizona. Defensively they fought for more loose balls and had proper spacing offensively. Look for the Sun Devils to hit an unseen gear in conference play tonight. Grab ASU.

Off of two straight losses UT-Arlington is suddenly 16-12. This is not what UT Arlington fans were expecting from a team known for their strong non-conference abilities. Led by seniors Kevin Hervey (20.9 PPG) and senior Erick Neal (15.6 PPG) the Mavericks aren’t finding a defensive angle to uplift their scoring. One team that thwarted UT Arlington in an earlier conference game was Georgia Southern. With UT Arlington leading 21-8 the Eagles went on to hold the Mavericks to 38 points over the last thirty-two minutes. Grab the value on Georgia Southern once again.

Post All-Star break teams far below .500 are expected to retreat further in tank mode. The Orlando Magic at 18-39 went into the break with three straight losses, but managed to cover all three. Meanwhile the Knicks have lost eight straight games. While this may seem like the perfect spot to stop the bleeding, grab the under valued Magic to continue the Knicks free fall.

ATS there may not have been a better team in the month of February than Detroit Mercy. Over the course of the month they went 4-1-1 against the number. Oddly enough their uplift in play came with a huge blow to the program on February 3rd. Multiple players were ruled ineligible due to academics including senior leader Jaleel Hogan. Grab Milwaukee to combat the improved play of Detroit.

Former top fifteen teams can be forgotten in a hurry at this stage of a college basketball season. USC entered the year as a top ten team before fading out in a hurry. USC currently has work to do if they’re going to sneak into the tournament. Looking back on their season one of their turn around games came at home against Colorado. It was the first game USC showed improved defense as they scored at will against Colorado. While many will see this as a revenge spot, look for the Trojans to showcase their hunger to get to the big dance. 

Clemson heads on the road Wednesday as they hope to prevent a three-game losing streak. In both losses to Florida State and Duke, Clemson had great opportunities to pull out the victories. For Virginia Tech they must showcase the same effort as their last game in which they won by twenty points against Georgia Tech. In the last two years in three conference matchups the outcome has been decided by three points or less. Yet, grab the Hokies to inch closer to a tournament bid. Grab Virginia Tech.

Top teams off a disappointing loss are hard to back ATS. Monday Northwestern will play on their home floor forty-eight hours after a heart break loss to Michigan State. In the game they led by 25 points which put their losing streak at three games. Their opponent Monday in Maryland needs to keep padding their resume(18-11) and go far in the Big 10 tournament to have a chance at a March Madness bid. Yet, look for Northwestern to erase the memory of their meltdown against the Spartans and rise to the occasion. Grab Northwestern. 

Mercer out of the Southern conference Saturday  finds themselves as slight home underdogs. This is a case of a conference leader in UNC Greensboro gaining oddsmakers trust with their season performance. This has grown to a peak with their dominating victory Monday over East Tennessee State. Yet look for an under achieving Mercer team to play beyond the level of UNC Greensboro. Grab Mercer.

Out in the MAC we will back Ohio as slight home favorites. The Bobcats are coming off a loss against Toledo in which they were down double digits the majority of the game. Yet they were able to score which should be a confidence booster at home against Miami-Ohio. Look for Miami-Ohio to show the effects from a tough game against Eastern Michigan. Grab Ohio.

Friday, the top two teams in the Horizon league square off in a nationally televised matchup between Northern Kentucky and Wright State. Wright State already has a showcase win on the road against Northern Kentucky but has lost two of four. It appears oddsmakers are valuing the Raiders road win over Northern Kentucky more. Yet don’t discount the veteran Northern Kentucky team that appears poised to get back to March Madness. Grab Northern Kentucky.

Friday, the MAC conference has a quick turn around from Tuesday’s games. Tonight Buffalo is heavy favorites at home against Bowling Green. The Bulls whom are the top team in the MAC conference with an 11-2 record will face the Falcons for the first time this season. Yet, Buffalo has tapered off a tad as their last eight games have been decided by fourteen points or less. They’ve also lost two of their last five games. Still, grab the value on a double-digit spread buy against the second best team in the MAC. Grab Buffalo.

In past seasons SMU has never been a team with a deep roster. Somehow they were able to avoid injuries but that has not been the case this season. Two key players in Shake Milton (hand) and  Jarrey Foster (ACL) are out. Losing freshman Tom Wilson as a transfer to Boise State in late December is also a forgotten piece. Yet, SMU has a style of play that matches up well against an inconsistent Memphis team. Look for better chemistry Wednesday from the Mustangs off an embarrassing 25 point home loss to the Bearcats. 

Through the first half of the NBA season one of the top five teams oddsmakers have had a tough time with are the Indiana Pacers. Wednesday figures to be another hurdle as the Pacers travel to Brooklyn. Mentally the Pacers benefitted from a postponed game against the Pelicans last week. It led to consecutive victories over the Celtics and Knicks in sharp performances. Wednesday may not be a tricky spot in terms of a win for the Pacers but look for the small line to be a factor as the Nets keep it close. 

Friday, Davidson fell woefully short in a poor road performance against A-10 power Rhode Island. Traveling on the road Wednesday they’ll look to redeem that effort against VCU. For VCU this game is vital in their chances on gaining in the conference standings as a loss would put them in danger of the backline for the A-10 tournament. In the end look for Davidson’s better balance offensively to be the key. 

An abnormal point spread typically does not go hand in hand with two teams far below .500. Yet that’s the case tonight as the Dallas Mavericks are sizable home favorites against the Kings. Sacramento has not looked the same since trading away two non-rotation players in Malachi Richardson and George Hill. Off their close loss to the Timberwolves many may look for the underdog value. Instead back the Mavericks.

Sunday, Atlanta came from behind to fend off the Detroit Pistons. Tuesday, they’ll face the Milwaukee Bucks for the second time this season. Their first matchup came on October 29th in which the Bucks were a similar range of favorites of six points. The 1.5 difference is one to ponder as oddsmakers have boosted the Hawks play. With All Star break looming look for the home team to be the one looking ahead to their eight day break. Grab the Hawks.

Consecutive losses by Kentucky has dropped them to seven on the season. Their opponent tonight in Texas A&M is suddenly back in the fold at 16-8. Texas A&M has used a better balanced offense to compete and are coming off their biggest win of the season against Auburn. Yet, Kentucky looked the most comfortable this year in a home win against the Aggies. Look for them to carry that momentum on the road against the Aggies.

Friday, the Milwaukee Bucks lost to the Miami Heat as Dwayne Wade made his debut return. Saturday, they’ll play in back to back nights as they travel up north to Orlando. That is a value booster for the Bucks Saturday, but the biggest is Orlando’s great play as of late. The Magic have won three in a row and four of five games. Look for that mini turn around to end Saturday. Grab Milwaukee.

One of the underperforming teams in conference this year has been Seton Hal. They were expected to contend with Villanova and instead are barely over .500 in conference. They’ve lacked the cohesion shown in non-conference play to be reliable ATS in conference. Five losses in their last seven games surely show a team wearing down. Yet, this is a good spot with a buy down line against a Hoyas team returning from a three-game road trip. Grab the Pirates. 

High value lies with the LA Clippers Friday as they travel to take on the Detroit Pistons. Two obvious angles of value are facing their former teammate in Blake Griffin. Griffin with his new team in the Pistons have won four consecutive games. In fact, Friday marks the Pistons sixth straight home game. Grab the Clippers to perform sharp against their former teammate and pull off the cover.  

It’s obvious the A-10 is a down season. A positive has been Rhode Island who has ascended into the top twenty. Yet, tonight’s matchup also pins them in a tough spot. A nationally televised matchup and facing a team in Davidson that’s well prepared. Even though this is a home game look for Rhode Island look for Davidson to hold fort for forty minutes. Grab Davidson. 

Portland returns home from an East coast road trip with a game Thursday against the Hornets. Portland’s last outing two nights ago featured a blowout loss to the Pistons. They looked as tired as any team this season capping off a road trip and it appears bookmakers have taken notice. The Hornets traveled a shorter distance as they played in Denver Monday. Still, look for Portland to take care of business. Grab the Trailblazers.

Portland is yet another team that is showing out of nowhere signs trending upward. They’ve now won four of their last six games in the West coast conference after beginning league play at 0-6. One of their biggest embarrassments of conference play was an 84-61 home loss to San Francisco. Yet the final score is a bit misleading. Portland was within twelve points at the official timeout of the seven minute mark before San Francisco poured it on. Look for a much more competitive game in a revenge spot for Portland.

A conference team that no one expected to turn around their season was Stanford. Entering Pac-12 play they had a record below .500 at 6-7. Thanks to consecutive wins they’ve now moved to 7-4 in the Pac-12. Now they’ll face a stiff conclusion to their season as five of their last seven games are on the road. While Utah may seem in desperate need of a win, expect Stanford’s confidence to withstand to push through ATS.

Northeastern staved off a feisty UNC Wilmington team Saturday in overtime to avoid a three game losing streak. Thursday they’ll travel to Delaware in hopes of a season series sweep. In the prior matchup Northeastern actually trailed at halftime 31-28 only to explode for 48 second half points. Amidst a six game losing streak a home dog will get support. Yet expect Northeastern to pull away in similar fashion to the first meeting. Grab Northeastern. 

Four of five losses have dropped Louisville from a borderline ranked team to now in jeopardy of March Madness aspirations. Oddsmakers have shaded the line to double digits against a Georgia Tech team that has lost five of six games. Yet, Louisville’s struggles have surged defensively as they were exploited by a poor shooting Syracuse team Monday. Look for the Yellow Jackets to be the latest to find offensive success. Grab the Yellow Jackets.  

LaSalle has showed signs of turning things around in-conference as they’ve won two of their last three games. They’ll travel on the road against a George Washington team that is just 2-8 in conference. In fact, the Colonials have lost eight of their last nine games. Scoring efficiency has been their detriment as well as dynamic scorers in the A-10. Yet, look for George Washington to capitalize on being a slight home underdog. Grab GW.

Two teams with similar records square off Tuesday as the Memphis Grizzlies travel to the Atlanta Hawks. The Grizzlies have lost five of six games and appear to be a team that may be active before the trade deadline. Their 5-19 record in away games is the biggest non attractor from an ATS stand point. Value lies with the Grizzlies with the Hawks returning home off a competitive loss to the Celtics and win in New York.

Virginia continues to get it done on a big scale with just one loss. They’ve done it with improved offense and their suffocating half court defense. Syracuse already has a loss to Virginia earlier in conference play but found their rhythm at the tail end of that game. Look for the Orange to finally showcase some offense and pull out the cover in the dome.

Typically revenge spots are automatically inflated ATS. Add a Warriors dimension and that boosts it even further. Friday the Golden State Warriors take the short trip to other side of Northern California to play against the Kings. Off a twenty point loss to the Jazz the Warriors should be in an aggressive mode. They also lost to the Kings on November 27th on their home floor short handed without Kevin Durant and Steph Curry. Grab the high value Friday on the double-whammy angle.

Two teams with identical conference records at 5-7 meet tonight in Horizon league play. Green Bay will travel to Milwaukee hoping to emulate a home 99-92 victory earlier in conference play. Apparently oddsmakers have boosted Milwaukee in the revenge spot but also a lengthy home stretch. Tonight marks Milwaukee’s sixth consecutive home game that began on January 18th. This also marks Green Bay’s first road game since January 12th. Grab the value on that angle. 

The Nets ended a four game losing streak by defeating the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. Friday they’ll host a Lakers team that has had consecutive woeful performances on their east coast road trip. The issue has been defensively as they’ve surrendered over 120 points in each of those losses. Look for Brooklyn to take advantage and cash against the Lakers. 

Both Mercer and Furman come into Thursday’s matchup with five days rest since last Saturday. Oddsmakers continue to dangle improper value Mercer’s way. Throughout their current 10-12 season they’ve been underdogs of four points or higher only three times this season. They’re talent is apparent on the court but has not developed in the fashion you would expect in the Southern conference. Grab Furman to cash.

An aggressive line lies Thursday with the Detroit Pistons as Blake Griffin makes his debut in a Grizzlies uniform. Typically trades of star magnitude are over inflated by oddsmakers which is the case here. Yet, a team such as Detroit is harder for oddsmakers to pinpoint as they have not had a superstar in years. Look for Griffin’s teammates to feel the energy of the trade and for Coach Van Gundy to want to reap the rewards for the fans in game one. Grab Detroit.