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.

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 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 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. 

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.

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. 

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 

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. 

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. 

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 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.

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.

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.

DePaul looks to continue it’s surprise start with a home matchup Saturday against Boston College. DePaul’s balance beings with the senior guard tandem of Max Strus (20PPG) and Eli Cain 14 PPG. With an 8-0 home record there is pressure on the Demon Deacons to continue their hot start. Yet look for Boston College to be able to counter the Demon Deacons impact offense. Grab Boston College. 

The Houston Cougars have ascended into the top 25 with quality wins over Oklahoma State, LSU, Oregon, and BYU. Yet they’re not the type of team that’s showcased offensive synergy for two halves. With fan attendance likely down tonight look for Utah State to learn their lessons from losses to ASU and BYU. Grab the Aggies to cover ATS. 

Wednesday we get to see one of the best remaining non-conference matchups between UCLA and Cincinnati. The Bruins have shown flashes of their strong youth to begin the season 7-3. With both teams coming off losses this may seem like a typical Bearcats slow points production game. Instead look for the Bearcats to have their way on both ends of the floor. Grab Cincy. 

Western Kentucky’s starting lineup adjustments from a season ago has produced just a .500 record. They’ll face a Belmont team in which they lost a year ago 75-72. A positive for Western Kentucky is the fact that starting senior guard Lamonte Bearden returned for his first game action in their last outing. That’ll give them a spark but look for Belmont’s winning ways to continue in the win column and ATS.

Tuesday the Lakers will conclude a road trip stretch that spanned six of seven games. After tonight’s matchup in Brooklyn they will not leave the state of California until January 6th. That’s motivation as the team looks to respond after an embarrassing Sunday road performance in Washington. Grab the Lakers to end Brooklyn’s five game win streak.

Consecutive losses from Northern Kentucky on the road offers value as they return home Sunday.  This is a veteran team that many expect to take their conference title. Miami Ohio has the weapons offensively to not be deterred in a road environment. Grab the road value coming out of the MAC in Miami Ohio.

In their last matchup Arizona nearly pulled off a great comeback win over Alabama. They fell short to suffer their first loss against a non top-ten team this season. Saturday they’ll face a Baylor team that’s coming off it’s first road game of the season, a 71-63 loss to Wichita State. That’s presented value on a Bears team that’s at it’s lowest point in the eyes of oddsmakers in quite over seven years. 

The Zags tough non-conference schedule showcased they were susceptible to key runs. Lacking the full offensive repertoire has occurred for the Zags in recent games against Washington and Tennessee. Now further travel to North Carolina puts them in further jeopardy against a Tar Heels team eager to re-showcase itself. It’s last key matchup was a nationally televised 84-67 loss to Michigan. Grab North Carolina.

Transfers amongst top programs are usually skipped over as it’s such a common occurrence. Kentucky’s guard Quade Green made the announcement he will transfer after the Wildcats loss to Seton Hall. Look for his announcement and a week of rest to be a factor ATS against the Utah Utes.  Three recent losses by the Utes against Hawaii, Northwestern, and BYU by double-digits which has skewed today’s line.

Many pre-season analysts harped on the Atlantic 10 as a poor conference this season. While the teams do struggle to score they play above average defense. VCU is one of those teams that’s not going to light up the scoreboard on a nightly basis. Today they’ll face a College of Charleston team with similar makeup but a size advantage. Yet look for free throws to key an ATS decision on the Rams side and end the Cougars five game win streak. 

A young Bulls team was clearly distracted by their new interim coach’s tactics. It didn’t sit well and leaked out to the media. That brought about immense value on a small line in their last game against the Kings. Venturing on the road to Mexico City one would expect issues to further compound. Instead look for a focused Bulls team that can ease their tensions in a non-familiar NBA arena in Mexico City. Grab the Bulls. 

Often times a young team with talent will get a pre-mature high ranking in the polls. Oregon’s 5-3 start to the season has showcased they’re far from being a top 25 team. They’ll face a dangerous San Diego team that has covered in matchups against Washington, Colorado, Ole Miss, and San Diego State. Expect the Toreros to wear down in the second half in a tough road environment. Grab Oregon.

Wichita State has obvious holes in their team makeup that will keep them from the big dance in March. At 4-4 they had respectable close losses to Davidson and Alabama before a blowout road loss this past weekend to Oklahoma. They’ll return home to face a Jacksonville State team that is a bad matchup for the Shockers. Grab the value on Jacksonville State.

It appears that the Pacers guard Victor Oladipo may return to the lineup tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks. Minus Oladipo the Pacers used key contributions from their bench to win six of eight games. They’ll face a Milwaukee Bucks team that’s getting back in rhythm after a recent sporadic stretch. Look for Oladipo’s potential return to be the improper ATS enticement. Grab the Bucks.

Oddsmakers had a tough choice to make when setting tonight’s line between the Raptors and Clippers. LA is coming off an overtime victory last night against the Suns, while the Raptors are on their furthest mileage road trip of the season traveling to LA. Losers of three of four the value is on the Raptors to break out of their slump in LA. Grab Toronto. 

The Cowboys have enjoyed six days off after their thrilling comeback win over South Carolina last Wednesday. After tonight’s game against Denver they’ll be off for ten more days. Rest and the fact that the Cowboys have not left the state of Wyoming since November 28th are factored into this spread. Grab the value on a Denver team that is winless on the road. 

For the second time this season Central Florida will host a smaller school as a ten point favorite. Against Northern Kentucky the Knights used a strong second half run to pull away and cover. Tuesday they’ll face a Georgia Southern team that was a smaller underdog against the Arizona Wildcats last week. Essentially oddsmakers are expecting the third straight road game of Georgia Southern to be an issue. Instead grab the value on Georgia Southern.

Steph Curry returned to the Warriors starting lineup at the tail end of the Warriors East coast road trip. It resulted in three straight wins and ATS covers for the Warriors, including a Friday nationally televised victory over the Bucks. Yet the value lies on the Timberwolves Monday as the atmosphere in the Bay Area with the team back is factored into the spread. Furthermore the Timberwolves 2-9 road record adds further dog value. Play the Timberwolves.

Neither Saint Louis or Oregon State’s strength of schedule is one to write home about. A strong upper class pairing for the Beavers is an advantage with Tres Trinkle Stephen Thompson. Both players are averaging over 17 PPG. With Saint Louis coming off a loss to Southern Illinois value may seem to be against them. Instead look for their defense that clamped down on Seton Hall earlier this season to be on showcase. Grab Saint Louis. 

Gonzaga has passed the gauntlet of tests thus far with wins over Duke, Creighton, and a survival win against Washington. It’s an unusual strong non-conference schedule for the Zags that has propelled them to the top team in the country. If not for an overtime loss to Kansas we could have been watching a one versus two showdown today. Expect the Vols to be the latest team to test the Zags as they cover the small number. 

When the radar is well known on bad teams that’s when attraction can be had. The California Bears were just trounced at home by the San Francisco Dons 79-60.  Yale, St. Mary’s, and San Francisco all toppled the Bears by thirteen points or more this season. Yet look for an unexpected contribution and for the Bears to be able to capitalize on a sluggish finish from the Aztecs. Grab California. 

Undefeated teams with weak non-conference schedules have been falling rapidly this past week in college basketball. After a mini-break in their schedule the Houston Cougars could be next in that department. They’ll face an Oklahoma State team that has dropped two straight on the road after an impressive home win against LSU. That’s where the value lies here as Oklahoma State does not pull off the ATS cover in their home return.

Not seen in college basketball are division one teams in a formidable conference winless. LaSalle is 0-9 but has ATS covers under their belt against both Philadelphia area schools in Temple and Villanova. In their arena today against another Big 5 Philadelphia school one would expect LaSalle to fight to break out of their winless start. Yet look for Penn’s sound basketball play to overwhelm the Explorers. 

The Pepperdine Waves have grown in the 2018-2019 season thanks to a key move by the coaching staff. Their allowing a young back-court to thrive led by sophomore Jade Smith and 19.9 PPG scorer in sophomore Colbey Ross. The continuity is already there with the starting five but takes hits another gear thanks to their sixth man playing starters minutes in senior guard Eric Cooper Jr. Grab Pepperdine on the point drop down against Riverside. 

The makeup of the California Bears does not look like a power five collegiate team. Overall they’re just 2-4 and if not for a couple of tune up non-conference games it likely would be worse. Wednesday they’ll take on a San Francisco team traveling back from Ireland after sustaining their first loss to Buffalo. Look for the Dons to experience a bit of road travel fatigue in the first ten to twelve minutes before toppling a Cal Bears team that isn’t up to their caliber. 

A starting five with balance is hard to deter on their home floor. San Diego State boasts a starting back court of seniors with Devin Watson and Jeremy Hemsley. All five starters are relevant as each is averaging double-figures. Yet look for the Toreros to continue their ascent led by dynamite scorer Isaiah Pineiro.

The Dayton Flyers faced the tough portion of their non-conference schedule and came out of it 1-3. Three straight losses to Virginia, Oklahoma, and Mississippi State were all fairly close respectable losses. Oddsmakers see it that way as they made them sizable favorites against a young but exciting Detroit team. Detroit has an electric freshmen in Antoine Davis. Dayton’s low-scoring ways will have to change to cover a mid-teens line. Expect that to come to fruition as they increase the pace of their offense to prep for Auburn.

Central Florida has shown their versatility as a team filled with upper class-men. To start the year they’re 6-1 and have won in a variety of ways. Their strength of schedule should have them prepared against a Missouri team that’s struggling out the gate. Yet this is also UCF’s first true road game. Look for the number to be a factor and advantage for Missouri. 

The Friars will take on a Rhode Island team transitioning from prior Coach Dan Hurley. Extended rest of a full week for the Rams will not lead to expected synergy against their in-state rivals. Instead grab the value on the Friars Saturday.

Adversity in college hoops sometimes comes with anticipated scheduling. That’s the case for Nevada as they embark on a tough portion of their non-conference schedule. After traveling to Loyola-Chicago they venture to LA to take on the Pac-12 USC Trojans. The Trojans are a high scoring threat and a chance to upset a top team always poses as a scare. Yet look for the veteran Wolf Pack to continue their rapid rise.

Aside from an overtime loss to the Wizards, the Clippers have been flawless. They’ve won eight of nine games while covering the majority of them. Tonight they’ll face a Sacramento Kings team that is coming off its second worst loss of the season, in a 133-112 home loss to the Jazz. Although they’re a young team look for the Kings to bounce back in this spot. 

One of the teams that many pegged to be a formidable team in 2018 were the Utah Jazz. Instead they’ve been inefficient and are quickly fading out of the picture in the West. Wins against struggling teams have to not be taken lightly by the Jazz going forward. Tonight’s an opportunity against a Nets team that is just 3-6 at home. Yet look for Brooklyn to eradicate the issues in blowing a win to the 76ers. Grab the Nets. 

San Diego has jumped out to a 5-1 start and could very easily be 6-0. Boasting four seniors will put them in contention to pose a threat as the second best team in the WCC. Their quality play against Pac-12 schools in Washington and Colorado is a barometer test tonight against an Ole Miss SEC squad that’s in program transition. Yet look for the Rebels depth to pose as an advantage and for the Rebels to squeeze out a late ATS cover. 

One of the eye-popping opening night comebacks in college basketball was Georgia Southern’s against George Mason. Down 20 points at halftime they roared back to win 98-89. It’s a program that’s found their niche in recruiting primarily in Georgia/Florida. While East Tennessee has the better strength of schedule Georgia Southern is the more efficient team. Grab Georgia Southern

Change over amongst the South Carolina Gamecocks features several new starters. The back court features a defensive transfer guard from Georgetown in Tre Campbell, whom should have an impact tonight against Wofford’s electric scorer Fletcher Magee. On the other side Wofford has all five starters back from last year’s blowout 73-52 loss to the Gamecocks. While the personnel has changed for the Gamecocks look for Frank Martin to deploy several defensive strategies with the Terriers veteran roster. Grab South Carolina.