With the Bulls poor road record of 12-18 we're seeing an abnormal line against the .500 Detroit Pistons. Adding to the spread is Dwayne Wade missing tonight's game. Still, the Bulls are playing inspired basketball thanks to all around better play. This has been done with Jimmy Butler playing at a subpar level. Grab the value here on Chicago.

After upsetting Oakland and Cleveland State, Youngstown State looks poised for another upset. After all they defeated Northern Kentucky just a few weeks ago on their home floor. Yet, I believe Northern Kentucky has the value here. They under achieved all season and now sense the opportunity to land an at large bid. Grab Northern Kentucky.

Road favorites in the NBA by a wide margin are always tricky. Sunday, we get an even trickier situation as the Celtics travel all the way to Phoenix for a road game. Still, we have an opposite of the spectrum view here. The Celtics continue to elevate their play on court, while the Suns are in clear uprooting mode. They've given minutes to Derrick Jones Jr. and Alan Williams, while not playing veterans Brandon Knight and Tyson Chandler. An extra side note is current GM Danny Ainge's past affiliation with the Suns as player/coach. Grab the Celtics.

We continue to see oddsmakers entice bettors on the Wizards. After an incredible run that lasted through All Star break, the Wizards have fallen back to Earth. Trade acquisitions to boost their team haven't helped on court yet. While Orlando is not a stalwart they're worthy of backing here as a double digit dog.

Seeing a small number for a team that is 5-24 is not supposed to happen. Yet, oddsmakers have adjusted on Tulane whom have showed a better spirited effort at the tail end of the season. Tulsa's 8-9 overall conference record is a bit misleading as they've won just two of their last nine games. Grab Tulane.

Earlier in conference play the Bearcats dominated the Huskies on a steep mid-teen number. The Huskies were able to sneak inside of that thanks in large part to a twenty point lead the Bearcats held. To end the regular season look for UConn to show a spirited effort. Seniors Amidah Brimah and Rodney Purvis will show some grit to end their Huskies career on a positive note. Grab the Huskies

After a nationally televised record breaking win, the Cavaliers take a short trek down to Miami. Miami on the other hand faltered in a big way as 4.5 point road favorites to the Orlando Magic. Still, I'm leery here of the Cavaliers settling for three pointers tonight. We saw how dangerous that became yesterday as the Hawks erased a steep fourth quarter deficit in a quick span. Grab the Heat to reverse their fortune off of a poor loss last night.

Philadelphia was able to do enough to hold off the New York Knicks to win a game they were favored. For Saturday they'll host the Detroit Pistons, a team they blew out with a weaker lineup back in December. Detroit returned the favor though three weeks ago. Don't expect the Pistons to take the 76ers lightly here. Grab the Pistons.

Neither Boston College or Clemson has boded well in the ACC, but the results are misleading. Clemson's lost six ACC games by close decisions which could have put them in contention for March Madness. While Boston College has played better as of late they seem to be worn down in second halves. Grab Clemson

The battle in Florida today takes place in the ACC. Earlier this year Florida State routed Miami on their home floor with a dominating second half. While many folks have Florida State dubbed as the most dangerous team of the tournament, they've not playing basketball capable of fitting that mold. Miami's sound defense will not be exposed to the tune of 75 points as in the last matchup.

Oddsmakers continue to over adjust on Central Michigan. The flair of having a potent attack caught the attention of the media early on the season with Central Michigan. Yet, MAC conference opponents have caught up to the attack. Earlier in conference play Western Michigan blew a sizable lead that Central Michigan showcased their last true full explosive offensive effort. Grab Western Michigan to not take their foot off the gas tonight.

In the first round of conference tournaments you're going to get poor match ups. The Horizon league features two as we'll tackle one between Milwaukee and Detroit Friday. This is a matchup that Detroit defeated Milwaukee less than a week ago on the road. The quick turn around may figure to bode to a Milwaukee team that is trying to avoid losing a tenth straight game to end the season. Grab the value on the slight favorite in Detroit.

Western Carolina takes on Wofford in the first round of the southern conference. Wofford is one of those teams that gave a strong second half effort to a season that looked like it was spiraling to bottom tier status of the Southern Conference. While Western Carolina has not enjoyed a solid season they're starting to see the fruits of a young team starting to play together at the end of the season. Grab Western Carolina today.

A loss of Kevin Durant's extent would seem troublesome on a lengthy east coast road trip. Yet this is a Warriors team that has utilized it's depth to a better extent than years prior. Look for the Warriors to showcase to the NBA world that they're not going to miss a beat with Durant out.

The vulnerability of the Bearcats has lurked recently after losing two of their last five games. On the other hand Houston has won seven of their last eight games. With the Bearcats offense struggling this would seem like a high number against a very efficient Cougars offense. Yet, look for the Bearcats to use their physical presence to stymie the Cougars in a tough travel game from Texas to Ohio. Keep in mind the Cougars traveled to Memphis Sunday.

The Suns have played two close games on the road post All-Star break. Surrendering a lead and losing to the Bulls in overtime, and also losing a tight one against the Bucks. Both games witnessed the Suns run out of gas with sizable leads in the third quarter. Look for that issue to lurk against a defensive minded Grizzlies team that has had immense success against the Suns. 

Tuesday, at home the Detroit Pistons look for a series sweep over the Portland Trailblazers. In Portland, the Pistons staged a heroic final minute overtime win to steal a game. Yet, they may have been where the Pistons peaked on the season. Since that moment the Pistons are 10-10 and remain far too inconsistent on both ends of the floor. Although Portland has lost seven of ten they've shown a different level of focus out the gate from All Star break. Grab the Trailblazers to keep this one close.

Not having a prime backup point guard and back line depth is starting to show severe issues for the Wizards. John Wall has had fifteen turnovers in two games post All-Star break, including nine in the Wizards loss to the Jazz. After a marginal road win by the Warriors last night in Philadelphia this may seem like a spot to back a Wizards team strong at home. Instead, grab the Warriors who will hit another gear tonight.

The Pirates post-season aspirations are in danger with a poor effort tonight against Georgetown. These two also played an overtime affair on February 4th. In fact, all five of the Pirates February wins have been by seven points or less. Tonight though look for a better all around effort to stray from the Pirates February pattern of close wins.

Sometimes a break can derail team momentum. Out of the break the Wizards lost a head scratcher to the 76ers but now return home to take on Utah. Utah is a team that has fared well on East coast road trips. They also have newfound confidence amongst their young talented players relying on All-Star Gordon Heyward. With Rodney Hood back in the lineup the Jazz should be able to challenge a Wizards team that's over achieved at home with a 24-7 record. Grab the Jazz.

George Mason +3.5

George Washington comes into Sunday as slight favorites after winning three of their last four. They'll take on a George Mason team they defeated by nineteen points on the road earlier in conference play. While the upward momentum seems to be there for a George Washington veteran team, I'll take the points of a younger George Mason team looking to avoid a three game skid.

The Hornets travel west after blowing a steep lead and losing in overtime to the Pistons. To make matters worse the Hornets fell just short of the number. Now they criss cross the country to take on a Kings team that over achieved in game one from the All Star break. Confidence is on the young Kings but look for the veteran core of the Hornets in Kemba Walker, Batum, etc to give the young Kings a long night.

A week ago it appeared that Furman could be the favorites to win the Southern Conference. Consecutive losses by double-digits have adjusted views and boosted Saturday's point spread value against Wofford. Wofford is a team growing in confidence and already has defeated Furman at home this season. Look for the underdog to spoil the 'revenge' factor as Furman looks to avoid their first three-game losing streak in their regular season finale. 

Trade deadline acquisitions of Serge Ibaka and PJ Tucker have bolstered a needed defensive presence for the Raptors.  Boston on the other hand is coming off a road trip of five of six games. With the break at the tail end there is a likely possibility that the Celtics come out flat in the tough home building of the Raptors. Yet, teams can gain confidence when no deadline moves are made. GM Danny Ainge has perpetually added pieces but restrained this year. Look for the Celtics to showcase the confidence of a team that has a chance to go five games in front of the Raptors.

Illinois Chicago +8.5

Northern Kentucky will look to continue momentum off a solid series sweeping win over Wright State. They'll take on a UIC team that's lost seven of ten games, one which included a seventeen point home loss to Northern Kentucky. Yet, this is a spot where you can look for Northern Kentucky to be vulnerable. They'll face conference leader Valparaiso on Sunday in their regular season finale before the Horizon conference tournament begins. Grab the value on UIC Friday.

Today figures to be a tricky spot for the home Creighton Blue Jays. They're coming off a convincing win against Georgetown, yet receiving the same favored number against Providence. The Friars have two consecutive 'revenge' wins against Xavier and Butler, both whom they lost to by substantial amounts earlier this season. Tonight, grab Creighton to end that momentum and surge past the Friars in similar fashion to their away win in Providence.

At the end of the season, sometimes you can gain ATS value on future building teams. Tonight I see that as the case with the Demon Deacons who have shown bright spots but were perhaps a bit to young in the rugged ACC. Pittsburgh on the other hand is a veteran team filled with five starters over the age of 21, with four over the age of 23. After their best win of the season against Florida State, this is a letdown spot as their graduates start to envision their overseas careers.

Two teams in the ACC that have received opposite oddsmaker attention have been Clemson and Virginia Tech. After the Hokies lost Chris Clarke for the season on February 12th, oddsmakers over compensated which resulted in three straight easy covers for the Hokies. Yet, the Hokies return back home tonight a tired team having been on the road six of their last eight games. Grab Clemson to avenge an 82-81 loss to the Hokies from January 22nd.

Since a troubling loss to SMU, UConn has regrouped to win six of their last seven. It's created an end of season issue for oddsmakers to implement a proper line for the Huskies. Temple on the other hand has only four wins in American Conference play with two coming against Memphis. The personnel of the Huskies against the Owls fits the strategies Kevin Ollie has been held back at implementing this season. Grab UConn to continue their upward end of season finish.

Youngstown State

Saturday value lies in the Horizon league with the home team of Youngstown State. After receiving backing in their last home game against Wright State, Youngstown State faltered with a poor final fifteen minutes. Northern Kentucky on the other hand edged out an improving Cleveland State team after nearly surrendering a twelve point lead. Look for Northern Kentucky's issues with controlling pace/lead to lurk here on the road.

The A-10 hasn't received top twenty-five recognition but that hasn't derailed solid play. Friday in-state conference rivals meet, as VCU travels to take on Richmond. In-conference Richmond has gone 9-4 by using their veteran talent to take advantage of a young conference. VCU holds even more veteran leadership featuring a nine-man rotation with five seniors and two juniors. In a nationally televised game this is a chance for the Rams to make a statement to boost their at-large March Madness hopes. Grab the Rams. 

Thursday, the Oregon Ducks will look to gain a season-sweep over the Utah Utes. After a tight win in Salt Lake City just three weeks away, one may be leery of the Ducks having a flat performance. Yet, this Ducks team is starting to show proper maturation from last year's Elite 8 run and with sixth-year senior PG Dylan Ennis. They'll be ready for Utes system offense and defense and notch the ATS cover.

Tonight the Wizards will travel too Indiana having won seventeen of their last twenty. On February 11th they defeated the Pacers by five points falling short of the closing number of six. In fact, all three games in the series this season have been decided by six points or less. With the Pacers lineup missing Thaddeus Young and likely Lavoy Allen this figures to be a tricky spot in a back to back scenario. Star player Paul George has shown severe signs of fatigue with all three of his season low point totals coming in February with one coming last night against the Cavaliers. Instead look for Pacers star Paul George to bounce back nicely and for the Pacers to play the Wizards tight once again. 

Typically one won't see a team below .500 favored less at home than they were on the road against the same opponent. That's the case with the Pistons who were higher favorites on the road in a slim ATS victory over the Mavericks on December 14th. Adjustments to the Mavericks lineup with Seth Curry and health are main elements for the oddsmakers adjustments here. Still, the Pistons are a lethal home team especially against poor defensive teams. Grab the value on the Pistons.

An abnormal steep line resides in the Southern conference on Wednesday between Samford and East Tennessee. A prime reason for this is oddsmakers see a worn down Samford team on a current three-game road trip. They've lost to Wofford in a four overtime affair, and that effort resulted in tired legs as they lost to Furman by seventeen points on Saturday. Climbing up the ladder in competition yet again against East Tennessee State figures to be another downfall game for the Bulldogs. Yet, East Tennessee State has a knack of pulling off the gas and letting teams back in. Grab the value on Samford.

On a rapid decline have been the UCF Knights who have lost six of their last seven games. A disheartening effort after receiving public backing in their latest loss to UConn figures to lessen their ATS value today. Yet, this is a smaller line thanks to the Knights losing streak and a blown late lead to Tulsa in January. Grab the Knights Tuesday, to get back into a proper offensive flow.

Sunday, we'll grab value on the home Mustangs as they take on the Bearcats. This is a crucial game for the Mustangs as they aim to improve committee eyes for seeding in March. In a two point loss in Cincinnati earlier this season, the Mustangs in-game adjustments proved to be too late as they whittled away a double-digit deficit. Yet, look for the Mustangs to attack weaknesses exposed late in that game to grab an early lead and hold on ATS.

Oddsmakers did a splendid job in pin-pointing a precise line in the Jazz versus Celtics first matchup, and have done so again here. In Boston, the Jazz were playing in back to back nights as a 5.5 point underdog to the Celtics. Boston pulled away late tow in 115-104. Tonight look for the Jazz to utilize their home court altitude edge to wear down 5'9 Isaiah Thomas. An added bonus here is for former Butler players in Shelvin Mack and Gordon Hayward to get a win versus their college coach.

Wisconsin-Green Bay +3.5

Wright State will look to exact revenge from a 17 point loss earlier in conference play to Wisconsin-Green Bay. Yet, I look for Green Bay's dynamic offense to pose similar problems as their first matchup. Grab Green Bay to sweep the season series against the Raiders.

Villanova -3.5

Villanova is raking up the wins but they're falling short against the number. It's the exact opposite of what occurred a season ago. Saturday will be another tough matchup  as Xavier is searching for a statement tournament resume game. While Villanova's been playing a notch below their capabilities on both ends of the floor, they're a veteran group ready to take down an overachieving Musketeer team.

Friday the Spurs play in their third of eight road games as they take on the Detroit Pistons. Thus far they lost by fifteen points to the Grizzlies and defeated the 76ers in a tight contest by eight points.  New balance offensively has helped ignite the Pistons in winning seven of eight home games. Yet, becoming a more potent offensive team has hurt them defensively. Grab the Spurs to have no problem matching the pace of the Pistons on Friday.

Thursday, Mercer will aim to duplicate an earlier conference win against VMI in which they won 68-50. At home, VMI has been competitive as of late losing by just a basket to Samford and holding a seven point halftime lead over East Tennessee State. Traveling on the road for the first time in five games is a cause of concern for a young Mercer team. Yet, the Bears have a knack for winning the battle at the free throw line with wide disparity. Grab the Bears to sweep the series.  

Losing Zach Lavine to a season ending injury has derailed the Timberwolves even further. They've lost consecutive games at home and just signed Lance Stephenson to a ten day contract. Meanwhile the Toronto Raptors just received All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan back from an ankle injury in their latest rout win over the Clippers. Still, the Raptors haven't been playing sharp basketball. The Timberwolves have enough offense to hang in this one on their home floor.

We'll grab the value here on Western Michigan traveling on the road against Miami-Ohio. Both teams have records well below .500, with Western Michigan playing far below their talent level. Issues that have caused both teams to falter are inconsistent halves of play. Western Michigan is known to blow first half leads, while Miami-Ohio digs themselves in too far of a hole in the first half. Tonight, look for the opposite as Miami-Ohio sustains an early first half lead with Western Michigan utilizing their balance to pull away in the second half.

Sunday is where a two week layoff of preparation will be all the difference to side with the Patriots. While the Falcons are the hottest team, the Patriots just know how to win games. Not only is that trait a huge factor, but the Patriots also have experience of playing against the ultra hot NFC Super Bowl opponent (Giants twice) and losing. Matchups are everything and the Falcons are the NFC opponent the Patriots wanted. Taking the Falcons out of their game plan with methodical drives against an over rated defense, will force the pressure on a short attack Falcons offense. Grab the Patriots.

Clemson +7.5

Florida State returns to their home floor Sunday after a topsy turvy three game road trip. They'll face a Clemson team that's on a two-game win streak after losing six straight. Even though FSU stormed past Miami in their latest game, there are still too many issues to back them at this number. Clemson is a veteran team that is in dire need to improve a poor tournament resume. Back the Tigers here. 

We'll jump in here with money being bought down on the Wizards side from 8.5 to 7. Seemingly the sudden out of no where momentum from the Wizards has caught bettors/oddsmakers off guard. Records aside the Wizards are playing the best basketball in the Eastern conference as they're currently a third seed. Tonight, the edge on a sizable number should come via the Pelicans inconsistent interior play. While the guard play has been terrific the balance alongside Anthony Davis just isn't there (Where they miss R Anderson). Solomon Hill has been the biggest free agent bust (Yes, ahead of Evan Turner), Terrence Jones has peaked his last ten games, Dante Cunningham is at the end of the line of a solid career after being undrafted, and Motiejunas team chemistry isn't there. An added bonus points wise should come via Markieff Morris after his twin brother Marcus poured in a career high 36 points last night for Detroit.

The Horizon league has been a tough conference to figure out this season. Two teams aiming to gain momentum before the Horizon conference tournament are Northern Kentucky and Wright State. While, Wright State is the hotter team I believe Northern Kentucky has glaring matchup advantages to be a top road underdog play for Saturday. Grab the Norse here.

Northern Illinois may have lost three of their last four, but they showed strong upside in a close loss to top conference opponent in Akron. Eastern Michigan themselves is also on the same slide. Coach Rob Murphy runs the same 2-3 zone defense he brought over from Syracuse six years ago. It's a style that is hard to run in power five conferences as fatigue sets in mid-way through conference play. Running it in the MAC with lesser skilled athletes wears even further. Look for Northern Illinois to have a field day against the zone Saturday.

Two teams that figured to have upside at the tail end of last season in the Atlantic ten were George Washington and Richmond. George Washington's success was thwarted with the firing of their former coach, and Richmond's failed to live up to the expectations of boasting a roster filled with upper classmen. Yet, Saturday expect Richmond's leadership and on-court skill to flourish against an overwhelmed George Washington team.

How much worse can Shaka Smart's 2016-2017 campaign get in Texas? Saturday could get ugly as TCU is returning home after an abysmal stretch. Before they went on the road to Texas Tech they Horned Frogs stood at 14-3 overall. They've lost four of their last five, and needed overtime to defeat Kansas State. Look for a refocused TCU team that will be the latest Big 12 school to pick on the Longhorns.

The Pacers look to continue momentum of a four game win streak as they travel to Brooklyn Friday. Indiana has won eleven of their last fifteen thanks to Nate McMillan's proper lineup adjustments. Former starter Monta Ellis now comes off the bench with equally important young forward Glenn Robinson III. On a nightly basis teams typically count on a sixth man spark in the form of a guard, but the Pacers do so with big man Al Jefferson. Jefferson's averaging 8.6 points per game in just under fifteen minutes. While the Pacers lost game two this year in Brooklyn as six point favorites, this is a team with newfound chemistry from the starting five to the first five off the bench. Steep road favorites have poured it on in Brooklyn but don't be surprised if the Pacers impress at an elite level.

A team not use to a subpar season is Wofford of the Southern Conference. Thursday they must aim to avoid another season low against in-conference and also fellow South Carolina school in Citadel. Citadel has already had a prime upset over Wofford as a fifteen point underdog. Yet, Citadel is giving up a whopping 92 points a game over an eight game stretch. Grab Wofford to get revenge on a down season for them.

Central Florida will be playing their second road game in Texas, having lost to Tulsa on Saturday. In the contest UCF went from a 2.5 point underdog to Pick, in a line move that was unwarranted in an eleven point loss for UCF. Still, I'll side with UCF's advantage having defeated Houston already this year at home. Take the Knights to bounce back in Texas against a stronger opponent.

Suddenly the Miami Heat have won seven straight games. During the streak one of their more difficult wins came against the Nets. Down eighteen points the Heat needed a miraculous fourth quarter to pull out the victory. The nature of the win may look attractive to ride the dog tonight with a near double digit line. In fact, the Nets have scored an average of 110 points over their last nine games(Including a recent eight point loss in Cleveland). Still, look for the Heat to to dictate this game with the same defense they showcased in their fourth quarter comeback win days ago in Brooklyn. Grab the Heat.

In a quick turn around the Suns will aim to get payback against a Nuggets squad that's defeated them twice this season. Dating back to last year the Nuggets have defeated the Suns four games in a row. Still, the Suns offensively have been receiving additional points from the bench and bottom end starters. With the Nuggets shootout mentality on a nightly basis, look for the Suns scoring depth to payoff Saturday.

Saturday in the WCC Pacific will look to end a four game losing streak as they host San Francisco. The losing streak started with a lopsided 72-51 loss at the hands of the Dons. While, San Francisco is at the end of a three-game road trip look for them to bounce back nicely after a poor second half against St. Mary's.

The most discussed look ahead loss this week was Kentucky's to Tennessee. In my eyes it was Florida State's loss to Georgia Tech. Since Syracuse joined the ACC the Orange have dominated the Seminoles with three blowout wins. The Seminoles got their first win over the Orange late last season, and will look to end Syracuse's unblemished ACC record.

Perhaps no team has been less talked about that has had to endure a complete overhaul from last season than Atlanta. The Hawks traded away Shelvin Mack, lost Al Horford/Jeff Teague in the off-season, and recently traded Kyle Korver. Korver's lost presence is a bigger void than anticipated, as the Hawks have found themselves in steep early deficits recently against the 76ers, Bulls twice, and were blown out by the Pistons and Clippers. Grab the momentum of the Wizards to take care of business Friday.

An underachieving Old Dominion team will look to regain form on the road against conference opponent Rice. Having lost consecutive games facing an opponent in Rice that they defeated a few weeks back would seem to be a confidence booster. Instead, look for Rice to be better prepared here on their home floor. Grab the slight favorite here.

Both Arizona State and Washington have had extreme downfalls in their hoops programs. Yet, ASU is coming off spirited basketball on their latest three game road trip. All were losses to Utah, UCLA, and USC, but they challenged each team. Although both teams are below .500, ASU has the scoring prowess to run away in this one. Grab the Devils.

Since Stan Van Gundy received a vote of confidence, not only has he coached better but his team has performed at an elite level. The return of Reggie Bullock from injury has provided the team with the necessary forward play missing. Sacramento did fall just short against the Bulls in their last matchup, but tonight are running into a team with higher confidence. Grab the Pistons

Earlier this season we nabbed an early Sunday morning blowout win with the Hawks in Philadelphia. Now the tide turns as both teams are playing in back to back nights. With Philadelphia coming back to defeat Portland, one has to wonder what energy they have left. They'll also be without big man Joel Embiid. Meanwhile Atlanta in a blowout spot nearly let the Bulls back in with a 21 point fourth quarter disadvantage. Look for Atlanta to carry over the lackluster finish and for Philadelphia to cover this time around.

We'll grab the value here on the home dog South Florida Bulls for Saturday. After seeing their coach let go, the Bulls have suffered blown out losses. Yet, they showed signs of better offensive play against Central Florida. Look for South Florida to take advantage of home advantage with a Tulsa team traveling across the country consecutive Saturday's.

It's always difficult for a team to go right back on the road. That's the case with the Bulls as they lost their lone home game sandwiched in between against the Mavericks. Compounding decreased value on them is the fact that the Hawks were obliterated in their latest game a road loss to the Pistons. Still, I like the Bulls to get back on track here. They played a methodical game in their last outing against the Mavericks but were still in a winnable position. Grab Chicago.

The Raptors just have not been able to get back into proper flow since their extended west coast trip. It may be until the All-Star break that they get refreshed completely. Yet, I like the value on them for Friday at Charlotte. The Hornets themselves have lost a step after a five consecutive losses on the road. Don't be fooled by their twenty-two point win against the Trailblazers on Wednesday.

Just two Friday's ago, Oakland was four point underdogs against Valparaiso on the road. The dominating win now looks like it may have over valued them. Over the Golden Grizzlies last three games they defeated UIC by one point, lost to Detroit as 17 point favorites, and lost to Cleveland State. Although Northern Kentucky already has lost to Oakland, I expect them to use their home crowd and aggression to attack a vulnerable Oakland team.

A reeling UConn Huskies squad will travel to Texas to take on an SMU team that's rolling. Over the years SMU has had it's way against UConn including an 80-54 loss in Dallas last season. Still, as much as UConn is down, this is a contest that the Huskies match up well in. They have the interior defense to pose problems for SMU, and an edge in the back court. We'll take the points here on heightened decreased value on the Huskies.

The Bulls new look lineup has been the plus side of expectations. A road victory over Memphis should carry over at home against the Mavericks. Yet, Dallas is starting to show some rhythm with a veteran lineup. Look for the road team's current upside to carry over on the road against the Bulls.

The road show continues for the Rockets as they are coming off a dominating ATS cover as fourteen point road favorites against Brooklyn. This is a back to back scenario for the Rockets, but they have the depth and skill to overlook that factor. Miami blended this team together last minute and it shows on a nightly basis. They have far too many scoreless periods to trust as a steep home dog. Grab the Rockets.

The Jazz have been a completely different team with health on their side. At home they've exhibited solid play that's translated to their ATS rise. They've been especially dominant in fourth quarters. That should happen again here today against a Suns team that's played two games in a week in Mexico city. Usually you don't see a home team exhibit wear late in games, but I'll take the value of it happening tonight.

A traumatic team loss due to injury is the normal ATS value decliner. Losing a team leader via transfer is becoming more and more of an issue for oddsmakers to adjust. Before Isaac Copeland decided to transfer the Hoyas were already playing subpar. Without him they've somehow managed to find a better team identity. Look for that to be on display once again at home against a Friars team that's at the back end of the Big East this season.

Monday, we'll grab the value on DePaul as they travel to take on the Johnnies in NYC. DePaul's coming off a demoralizing 83-58 loss to Marquette just on Saturday. The Johnnies also defeated DePaul in Chicago by the score of 79-73. DePaul's grueling schedule of facing six top fifteen teams in their next nine games may obscure value. But look for them to challenge St John's as they did on their home floor.

We'll grab ahold of the Wizards as a slight home favorite against the Portland Trailblazers. Portland's been riding the hot hands of their back court but also improved defense. Washington's coming off a sloppy first half performance against the 76ers, but were able to hit a new gear in the second half. They've found something with the elevated play of Otto Porter Jr. combined with surging offense. Grab the home Wizards.

In years past Dallas would be due for a let down. We've seen it time and time again. Yet, Jerry Jones entrusted his Coach in Jason Garrett and built a solid team to be primed for Sunday. While Green Bay's amazing run has been a showcase, they've done it against one-dimensional teams. Dallas has in-line running back depth, a multi-dimensional quarterback, and a confident defense. Back the Cowboys here to end the Packers run.

We'll grab a play on the 76ers as they travel to take on the Washington Wizards. Here we have two teams playing much better, as the Wizards have won three of four and the 76ers three in a row. The factor here is the young 76ers are heading into a back to back scenario after a home win last night against the Hornets. Keep in mind this 76ers team defeated the Wizards earlier this season for their second win. Grab the value on the 76ers here as they show their growth as a young team.

By no means has Seattle made anything look pretty and easy. Even their cover and win last week at home by Detroit looked subpar. During the regular season Atlanta, felt like they let one slip away in Seattle. With the bye week to prepare one would believe the Falcons as the side here. Instead, I expect the Seahawks to continue to elevate the brand of football we typically see from them in the playoffs. Grab the Seahawks.

Earlier in the season Temple showcased a glimmer of positive basketball. In consecutive games they defeated teams currently in the top ten in West Virginia and Florida State. Since, they've vastly under performed. In fact, they've lost six of their last ten games. This is a spot where you can count on Temple taking advantage of a Tulsa team off a strong win against Memphis. Grab the Owls.

We'll grab the Friars as an early AM play. At 12-4 Seton Hall seems to have the far upper hand against a Friars team that's lost five of their last six. An advantage here for the Friars is they're at home, which wasn't the case in four of their recent losses. Look for the Friars to step up to the challenge and jump on a Seton Hall team in the midst of a three-game road trip.

We'll take the points here as Wisconsin Green Bay has won seven straight, and coming off a win over Horizon power Northern Kentucky. In fact there's a 1.5 difference from oddsmakers from their matchup against Northern Kentucky. Both Wright State and Green-Bay are coming off polar opposite second half performances, in which Wright St. blew a fourteen point halftime lead while Green Bay came back to win down ten points at half. Look for Wright State to have a better defensive performance in a tough road spot. Grab Wright State.

Cleveland

The Cavaliers continue their west coast road trip where they've looked every bit of a team on a road trip. On a similar trip last year they were blown out in Portland. After losing last night to Utah one would expect tired legs again in a hostile environment. Instead grab the value here on the Cavs.

We'll land Louisville here. This is where coaching strength plays a pivotal role ATS. Coach Pitino and his staff have the upper hand here on a Pittsburgh team filled with experienced players. Meanwhile a new staff at Pittsburgh just showed it's woes against familiarity as they were crushed by an underperforming Syracuse team. While Louisville tends to have lapses offensively, this should be a game they get both strong defense and offense. Grab the Cardinal.

Tuesday, we have two teams in the Big Ten that have fallen out of the Top 25 in Indiana and Maryland. The Hoosiers dropping out of the top twenty-five comes as a bigger surprise as they were pre-season ranked in the top fifteen. Two strong wins against UNC and Kansas have remained their lone ATS value signal callers. From a talent standpoint Maryland is no where near the level they were the last three seasons. Yet, they're getting better all around play from defined roles. That'll be the difference Tuesday. Grab the Terrapins.

What a matchup Monday for the title. Alabama has been exceptional this year, which may be their downfall Monday. Clemson as a whole has always been the type of team that plays up or down to their competition, as witnessed on several occasions in ACC and non-conference play. There is unfinished business here from a Tigers team that has the arsenal to take advantage of the few cracks of Alabama. Quarterback DeShaun Watson is already confident from last year's game, while the defense wants to raise their level of play from their letdown a year ago. Had Clemson ran the table there is no doubt this spread would be closer to 4. We'll grab the points and see a close finish similar to last year.

The Pelicans have played both better defensively and offensively recently, with shooting guards Tyreke Evans and Buddy Hield sparking the Pelicans. Still it has not translated to wins as they're on a current three game losing streak and remain winless in 2017. The Knicks current losing stretch has been seven of their last eight games. While some may grab the Pelicans here off their twelve point win versus the Knicks on December 30th, grab the value on the Knicks to get back on track.

Five year gaps from a major playoff run can deter bettors. Both the Giants and Packers are in that realm from their Super Bowl runs years back. While the Packers strength of schedule to get into the playoffs was subpar, there is no doubting they're playing a peak level of football. In my view there is not a player-coach combo that when at their peak excels better than Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy. Both are there while the Giants have shown to many issues all season long to have faith in their 11-5 record. Grab the Packers.

In non-conference play Purdue's lone losses were against Louisville and Villanova. Fresh in people's minds was their home loss last week at home against Minnesota. In the game I profiled how Purdue let their opponent play to their strength on their home floor. While Wisconsin is a difficult team to game plan for, they are a team that has exceeded everyone's expectations offensively thus far. On the road against a quality opponent like Purdue I expect the 50/50 balls to head to the home team, and for the Boilermakers to showcase there a true contender. 

While the Seattle Seahawks have done little to warrant the big spreads they've had all season, Saturday will be a time I back them. Detroit comes in with a topsy turvy style of play on both sides of the football. While they manage first halves decently, second halves have been a disaster from game management, turnovers, and overall play. This may truly be Seattle's last chance to shine with the key veterans amongst Pete Carroll. They won't take the Lions lightly after a near scare last year on MNF.

Usually it's an ATS rule not to back a team that has had an extensive road trip (Raptors six games), followed by one home game, than back on the road. That is the case here with the Raptors as they struggled to muster the effort to beat a fatigued Jazz team a few nights ago. Furthermore, Kyle Lowry was dinged up in the game. While Chicago's new look lineup defeated the Cavaliers and has been better minus Rondo, this Raptors team is more than capable of digging deep in a conference game. Keep in mind all six of the Raptors recent road trip games were against Western Conference opponents. Back the Raptors here.

Saturday in the ACC we have several factors to make Florida State a play. One, in the opening week of conference play ACC opponents beat up on each other. Secondly, Virginia Tech's appearance in the Top 25 coupled with FSU's entrance has perceived value on the underdog Hokies. Yet, Virginia Tech is a team that I have tabbed as being a non-conference flip flopper. Meaning their strength in non-conference will not carry over to ACC play. They lack depth, size, and are a jump shooting/putback team. That doesn't bode well against a Florida State team that excels at all of VTech's mediocre strengths. Grab FSU. 

The Grizzlies continue game four of their California road trip Friday against the Warriors. They've lost their last two by fourteen to the Lakers and blew a steep lead to the Clippers on Wednesday. To make matters worse the Grizzlies annihilated the Warriors on their home floor for their worst loss of the season. While revenge may be on the mind of the Warriors they have not won a game by double digits in their last five wins. Grab the Grizzlies to give the Warriors a run for their money.

Two familiar top Horizon opponents square off Friday between Oakland and Valparaiso. Over the years this has been Valparaiso's conference to run. With several upperclassmen leading the way including Tevonn Walker and Alec Peters, one would believe Valpo is the side here. Yet, the departure of former Coach Bryce Drew has left this team with an unclassified strength. Oakland's balanced scoring will be enough to cover this small number on the road.

The Wizards have been a tough team to back lately but perhaps no team is as frustrating to watch currently than the Minnesota Timberwolves. On court chemistry has not blended properly since Ricky Rubio returned to the lineup. They're also collectively settling for poor shots. While Washington's depth is a concern here, this is too small of a number for a reeling Timberwolves squad.

ASU's a team that has had as many issues as any major conference team. Second year coach Bobby Hurley lost every nationally televised game in lopsided fashion to Kentucky, Creighton, and Purdue. This is where you can envision the strength of a non-conference schedule raising value. As Colorado played a subpar non-conference schedule that featured their strongest wins as a two-point win over Xavier and a win over an over rated Texas team. Grab ASU here to cover as a slight home underdog.

Coaching at the start of conference play is an obvious strength for top programs. A forgotten top coach has been Mark Few of the Zags. He has his Zags in line for a strong year and delivered an obvious message at halftime in their latest victory against Pacific. In the win the Zags trailed 34-29 at halftime before hitting a new gear in the second half. The Dons are a competitive team but no match for the defensive intensity the Zags are capable of. Grab the Zags as steep road favorites.

Detroit's free fall has continued as they are 2-8 overall in their last ten. Consistent reshuffling of the lineup by Coach Stan Van Gundy has made the team better offensively, but they're still highly susceptible defensively. Charlotte may have tired legs after a solid comeback win over OKC but they'll have enough in the tank to tackle a Detroit team prone for poor quarters.

Out in the Colonial conference we'll aim to grab value on Delaware as a double digit road underdog against Northeastern. Northeastern has the standout value attractive to sports bettors with wins on the road over UConn and Michigan State. Yet, they're also a team that was below .500 at 4-5 December 6th. Five straight wins has skied their value ATS. Facing off against a Delaware team that has a tall order of issues offensively would seem to pose value for Northeastern to reach 10-5. They might but look for the Blue Hens under rated defense to be a factor, and for the Blue Hens to convert some three point shots. Grab Delaware.

Is this the moment of the season Richmond starts to show their veteran poise? Led by senior TJ Cline the Richmond Spiders are coming off their most impressive win of the season in a road victory over Davidson. Still of their seven wins this season they've only mustered one winning streak (Robert Morris-Hampton), which is a cause for concern in a conference game. With Fordham having lost seven of their last eight games value is detracted from this point spread by a solid margin of two to three points. Grab the Rams here.

Today, we'll make a play on the Raptors as they continue their road trip in game number six against the Spurs. The angle here is decreased value on a Raptors team that's trending backwards ATS. They had a difficult time defeating the Trailblazers undermanned team, were blown out by the Warriors, lost to the Suns, and needed a strong second-half to cover against the Lakers by a half point. Meanwhile the Spurs have resurged and are coming off a tough road loss against Atlanta that featured an abnormal spark from Tim Hardaway Jr (11-13 FGs). Instead of envisioning a Spurs refocused game here at home, grab the value on the Raptors to rise to the occasion in a formidable matchup for them.