01/17 12:30 PM  CB   (577) GEORGIA STATE VS (578) APPALACHIAN STATE edit

Take: (578) APPALACHIAN STATE 

Reason: Play Appalachian State plus 10.5 Appalachian State may be a 4-10 team but they've had displays of solid basketball against Georgia Tech and Charlotte. They also beat Virginia Tech and lost to Alabama by one point. Georgia State is one of those small school teams that attracts bettors money because of potential NBA prospect RJ Hunter, Louisville transfer Kevin Ware, and Kentucky transfer Ryan Harrow. They can be explosive on occasion, but poor shot selection from Hunter and bad decisions by Harrow are tough to take on for a favorite of 10.5 on the road. They're also a subpar defensive team. Take App State plus 10.5.

01/17 08:00 AM  CB   (517) TULSA VS (518) SOUTH FLORIDA edit

Take: (518) SOUTH FLORIDA 

Reason: Play South Florida plus 6.5 Tulsa is off to a great start in conference play by defeating Houston, Central Florida, UConn, and Temple. In three of the four games they have done so with sound defense, timely baskets, and horrendous offense from opposing teams. South Florida at home in an early start should bold well for the home team. 6.5-7 points is a steep number for a team that is struggling like Tulsa is on the offensive end. South Florida gets 1-3 advantage games over the last ten years even with mediocre talent. Traveling to Tampa, Florida is one of the hardest travel cities for the American and former Big East conference. Grab the Bulls plus the points.

01/16 07:35 PM  NBA   (825) CLEVELAND CAVALIERS VS (826) LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS edit

Take: (825) CLEVELAND CAVALIERS 

Reason: Play Cleveland plus 8 Cleveland is in a bit of limbo with LeBron back and all the latest trades/offseason acquisitions trying to perform together. It'll take some time but one thing LeBron has always been able to do on teams is decide when to turn the on-button on. Trades happened while he was hurt for key above average talent. I'm sure the goal was to go on a mini-spurt before the All-Star break and continue to grow as a team from there. The Cavs are coming off a game last night and their performance in general has this line a bit inflated. The Clippers struggle for stretches especially at home. With national tv eyes just on this Cavs team days ago against Phoenix (in which they were down 18) I think there is value on the dog here. Take Cleveland.

01/15 07:00 PM  CB   (547) CS NORTHRIDGE VS (548) CAL SANTA BARBARA edit

Take: (547) CS NORTHRIDGE 

Reason: Play CS Northridge plus 13 Cal State Northridge has had their issues off the court with several players being suspended. The bulk of the team have been starters for 3 seasons. Their on-court play has not resembled a team that improved a season ago but the talent is still there. I do not expect CS Barbara to cover a steep line of 13 points.

01/15 04:00 PM  CB   (517) WISC GREEN BAY VS (518) OAKLAND edit

Take: (518) OAKLAND 

Reason: Oakland plus 7 Wisconsin Green-Bay has surged as of late and are looking like the clear run away team in the Horizon league. Oakland has played solid basketball in spurts but if they put it together for 40 minutes they have a chance to win this game outright. I expect Oakland to rise to the occasion in a matchup against their top rival in-conference.

01/12 04:35 PM  NBA   (701) HOUSTON ROCKETS VS (702) BROOKLYN NETS edit

Take: (702) BROOKLYN NETS 

Reason: Play Brooklyn plus 6.5 The Rockets are playing sound basketball which featured five solid games besides a fourth quarter collapse against the Bulls. Brooklyn may be on a losing streak of five games but they've been competitive in all. There should be an added edge of points for the home dog Nets. Look for them to cover the six at home

01/10 04:00 PM  CB   (633) SAINT LOUIS VS (634) DAVIDSON edit

Take: (634) DAVIDSON 

Reason: Play Davidson -13.5 For as solid as Saint Louis was in their last game against George Washington, they still allowed two big offensive runs by a team that is not an offensive team. Davidson's scoring ability is right up there with one of the best running offense's in the country. It'll be very difficult for Saint Louis to match this Davidson team on the road. This should be an A10 statement game for Davidson---the newcomer from the Southern Conference.

01/10 04:00 PM  CB   (635) NC CHARLOTTE VS (636) MARSHALL edit

Take: (635) NC CHARLOTTE 

Reason: Play NC Charlotte -6 NC Charlotte has driven their fans and bettors crazy with their underachieving play to start the season. The talent is there but for some reason the play has not been. Their head coach Alan Major took an indefinite leave of absence before their last game against Western Kentucky. They fought hard in that game but came up short in the final five minutes to cost bettors yet again. I think the green light is finally upon us for this NC Charlotte team. Without their inconsistent play this line would easily be 8.5-9.5 points. This is great value and Charlotte should finally put up a quality game against an overwhelmed Marshall team.

01/10 03:00 PM  CB   (621) PEPPERDINE VS (622) SAN DIEGO edit

Take: (622) SAN DIEGO 

Reason: Play San Diego -5 This is one of the golden opportunities in a college season where you can capitalize off a late game scenario less than 48 hours ago. Pepperdine is coming off a thrilling win over BYU in which they were 15 point underdogs---they led the entire game. That game was a late night fare on Thursday which means the team traveled back to campus at Pepperdine for sleep and walk throughs Friday. They probably bused to San Diego midday. These are college kids. The emotional high from that win is probably still pumping through their veins. San Diego isn't a blow you out of the gym team, but they play sound basketball. Expect Pepperdine to come out sluggish or to fall apart in the final ten minutes. Play SD.

01/10 02:30 PM  CB   (609) OLD DOMINION VS (610) WESTERN KENTUCKY edit

Take: (609) OLD DOMINION 

Reason: Play Old Dominion -1.5 This Old Dominion team is not a one week enter and exit top 25 ranked mid-major school that we are use to seeing. This team has balance and it shows on both ends of the floor. Western Kentucky surely will come out with strong intensity to try and knock off the only team ranked in Conference USA, but in the end ODU will come out victorious and keep their ranking.

01/10 01:00 PM  CB   (683) THE CITADEL VS (684) MERCER edit

Take: (683) THE CITADEL 

Reason: Play Citadel plus 11 Mercer's play as of late has vastly improved but not to the extent to be favored by double digits against an opponent. Citadel has shown to be a much improved veteran team with the same core of players from last year's bunch that struggled mightily. While Mercer's rotation has been much more set and solid I do not see them covering a double digit spread against Citadel.

01/10 01:00 PM  CB   (583) DEPAUL VS (584) VILLANOVA edit

Take: (584) VILLANOVA 

Reason: Play Villanova -21 Money is going to likely come in on DePaul after three outright wins as underdogs to Marquette, Xavier, and Creighton. Villanova is a different beast though and I expect Jay Wright's team to keep the momentum going that they've displayed both offensively and defensively. This is an overmatch play where the line may bait people to take the underdog. Lay the points with Nova.

01/10 12:00 PM  CB   (569) LOUISIANA TECH VS (570) TEXAS SAN ANTONIO edit

Take: (570) TEXAS SAN ANTONIO 

Reason: Play UT San Antonio plus 10.5 Were seeing some extra points being given to UT San Antonio because of the beat down LTech put on UTEP the other night. Former Orlando Magic guard Brooks Thompson has done a sound job with this UT San Antonio team and I expect them to be prepared defensively to limit Tech's two standout players in Kyser and Hamilton. 10.5 is a good number for the dog in this spot.

01/10 08:00 AM  CB   (519) CINCINNATI VS (520) CONNECTICUT edit

Take: (519) CINCINNATI 

Reason: Cincinnati plus 4.5 For as sound as UConn's defense has been lately, Cincinnati has the type of style that can impose itself on defense as well. The Bearcats have an edge in the interior with size and strength over Brimah and Daniel Hamilton of UConn. Look for Cincinnati to keep UConn's backcourt limited and to cover the 4.5 here.

01/08 05:30 PM  CB   (599) EASTERN KENTUCKY VS (600) TENNESSEE MARTIN edit

Take: (600) TENNESSEE MARTIN 

Reason: Play Tenn Martin plus 3 This should be an under rated game on the card Thursday. Tennessee Martin has some solid talent including UNLV transfer Deville Smith. Tennessee Martin's athletes are going to give Eastern Kentucky some problems. Look for Tennessee Martin to get out to an early lead and do enough in the second half to grab this cover at home. This should be a game that comes down to the last bucket.

01/08 04:00 PM  CB   (587) MERCER VS (588) EAST TENN STATE edit

Take: (587) MERCER 

Reason: Play Mercer plus 4 Two weeks ago this line would have been 5.5 to 6 points. Mercer lost poorly at home to Dartmouth but has since rebounded nicely as a team. They fought a solid Georgia team in overtime and have had some nice wins over the stretch. East Tennessee State style of play bodes well for this Mercer team. Play the plus 4.

01/07 09:00 PM  CB   (793) CAL POLY SLO VS (794) HAWAII edit

Take: (793) CAL POLY SLO 

Reason: Play Cal Poly plus 4 This is a line bait game on Hawaii. They get to face a Cal Poly team that just traveled to Indiana and defeated IPFW. While Hawaii has the sports bettors attraction with wins over Colorado, Nebraska, and an overtime loss to Wichita State recently. You can't be fooled by tournament games around Christmas. That three game stretch by Hawaii was on the 23rd, 24th, and 25th. There was little defense played and the upper hand was in Hawaii's favor for a tournament on their home floor. Obviously scouting reports are limited in those type of tournaments. Cal Poly has a deep veteran team that will be prepared for this Big West matchup. Also Hawaii starts three sophomores and has nine players playing 15 or more minutes. The bench rotation needs to be shortened for Hawaii to allow for more consistent play on the floor and in-conference. Grab Cal Poly in a favorable spread of plus 4.

01/06 06:00 PM  CB   (531) OHIO STATE VS (532) MINNESOTA edit

Take: (532) MINNESOTA 

Reason: Play Minnesota -2 Ohio State has upper classmen that are talented but personnel that will not make it into the NBA. They'll have their fair share of struggles in the Big Ten and likely end up as a 6th-7th seed in the NCAA tournament. Minnesota has solid efficiency on offense that will challenge Ohio State's team to match the same effort. Look for Minnesota to win this game by a much larger number than the spread.

01/06 04:00 PM  CB   (525) SAINT LOUIS VS (526) GEORGE WASHINGTON edit

Take: (525) SAINT LOUIS 

Reason: Play Saint Louis 17.5 George Washington is a solid team that is a borderline top 25 squad as of now. Saint Louis has worked through some issues on the defensive end of the floor that should give George Washington a tough challenge in half court sets. 17.5 is too high of a number in my estimation for an A-10 battle. This is a number that may teeter a few times but I do not see George Washington sustaining the near 18 point cover.

01/06 04:00 PM  CB   (509) CENTRAL FLORIDA VS (510) HOUSTON edit

Take: (509) CENTRAL FLORIDA 

Reason: Play Central Florida plus 7 Central Florida is the type of team that can score points with no problem on the offensive end of the floor. Houston as a team I do not believe has the talent to take advantage of Central Florida's defensive weaknesses enough to cover seven points. Collectively Houston is taking bad shots and does not have the chemistry on offense for this high of a line. Grab Central Florida plus 7.

01/05 07:05 PM  NBA   (717) LOS ANGELES LAKERS VS (718) PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS edit

Take: (717) LOS ANGELES LAKERS 

Reason: Play Lakers plus 12.5 This is a bit of an inflated line as the Trailblazers are coming off a home loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Talent wise the Trailblazers are obviously the better team, but the style of play of these two teams is awfully similar. Look for the Lakers to cash on this high number and play a sound game in Portland.

01/05 04:35 PM  NBA   (703) DALLAS MAVERICKS VS (704) BROOKLYN NETS edit

Take: (703) DALLAS MAVERICKS 

Reason: Play Dallas -6 Both of these teams played Sunday with Dallas playing in Cleveland and the Nets in Miami. Dallas had full control of their game against Cleveland and seemed to do so with flawless effort. I like the synergy this team has on the court right now and think they'll be able to carry it over in a matchup against the Nets. Take the Mavericks Monday -6

01/05 04:00 PM  CB   (731) NOTRE DAME VS (732) NORTH CAROLINA edit

Take: (731) NOTRE DAME 

Reason: Play Notre Dame plus 8 This game is going to be a much tougher test for North Carolina than the line indicates. They've been great at cashing ATS lately with a resounding road cover against Clemson, against Ohio State, and a few small school opponents. But Notre Dame is a team that plays team basketball on offense and matches physically on the defensive end with North Carolina. In North Carolina's resounding wins they've been able to beat opponent's that have clear weaknesses against them. That's not the case tonight against Notre Dame. I expect Notre Dame to play like the higher ranked team that they are tonight and get the ATS cover.

01/04 05:00 PM  CB   (853) LOUISVILLE VS (854) WAKE FOREST edit

Take: (853) LOUISVILLE 

Reason: Play Louisville -12.5 Strange occurrences happened in Louisville's last matchup vs LBState in which Rick Pitino moved two starters to the bench to make a point. That message was heard loud and clear as the Cardinal won a sloppy game against LBState by 15 points. It's hard to win a game sloppy but they were sluggish in all phases. Wake Forest is a team that plays with heart on the offense end but is turnover prone. That doesn't bode well against Louisville's pressure and the fact that Wake Forest plays below average defense. Look for the Cardinal to grab the cover in easy fashion Sunday against Wake Forest.

01/04 04:35 PM  NBA   (807) MILWAUKEE BUCKS VS (808) NEW YORK KNICKS edit

Take: (807) MILWAUKEE BUCKS 

Reason: Play Milwaukee -6 Milwaukee has already made a turn around with a young up and coming bunch paired with Jason Kidd. Jason Kidd doesn't accept let downs and I don't expect that to happen at MSG today. It's no secret that in the front office with Phil Jackson, coaching with Derek Fisher, and on-court personnel just aren't working out over the first few months of this NBA season. Expect Jason Kidd to get his Bucks to a solid win at 

01/04 10:00 AM  CB   (829) WISC MILWAUKEE VS (830) DETROIT edit

Take: (830) DETROIT 

Reason: Play Detroit -8 Detroit had money fall on them in their last game against Wright State that proved to be wrong. Today the cash should come as they get to face a demoralized Milwaukee team. Milwaukee played about as good of a game as they could against Cleveland State and led for 28-29 minutes of the game. But the final ten minutes were a team crusher. Milwaukee gave up 57 second half points. Detroit is in search of a solid win and should come out with high energy. After less than 48 hours since their loss to Cleveland State on the road I expect a rusty lethargic Milwaukee team

01/03 08:00 PM  CB   (627) BYU VS (628) SAN FRANCISCO edit

Take: (628) SAN FRANCISCO 

Reason: Play San Francisco plus 5 I fully expect this line to come down before game time. San Francisco has been one of those teams that has played beneath their capability to start the season. Teams in that mold tend to get awoken once conference play begins. In the WCC BYU is the team that gets everyones attention. Expect the Dons to be ready in this one and to keep this within the number.

01/03 04:30 PM  CB   (519) PENN STATE VS (520) RUTGERS edit

Take: (520) RUTGERS 

Reason: Play Rutgers plus 2 Rutgers enters Big Ten Play in basketball with a home game against Penn State. Penn State is a solid team but one of those teams that either A. Doesn't pull away from a team, or B. Plays to the level of their competition. Rutgers has had better play from their forwards and center in Junior Etou. At home I think they have the upper hand on the defensive side of the court and should be able to pull off the win at home.

01/03 02:30 PM  CB   (599) VIRGINIA VS (600) MIAMI FLORIDA edit

Take: (599) VIRGINIA 

Reason: Play Virginia -7.5 Miami is coming off a lopsided win over College of Charleston but it's hard not to ignore their losses before that game. At home they lost to Eastern Kentucky, Green Bay, and in New York to Providence. I do not like the guard position matchups for Miami in this game. Transfers Sheldon McClellon and Angel Rodriguez both continue to get starting minutes but I wouldn't be surprised as the season goes on to see Davon Reed earn his job back. There just is a bit of stagnant basketball with this Miami team as they try to figure out their rotation. Virginia is one of those teams that may get down for 50-70% of the game but when they turn it on defensively it's lights out for the other team. The uncertainty of Miami's core lineup does not bode well against a veteran Virginia team that's set on getting a number one seed in March.

01/03 12:00 PM  CB   (561) RHODE ISLAND VS (562) SAINT LOUIS edit

Take: (561) RHODE ISLAND 

Reason: Play Rhode Island -7.5 One of the more under the radar teams in the country is Rhode Island. They took their licks last year but even then they looked like a team with solid makeup. Saint Louis is in a complete rebuilding year after losing several seniors from last year's team. They're starting two freshman and a transfer from Villanova. It's going to be a tough season for them in a strong A-10 conference. Look for Rhode Island to put a little payback to Saint Louis for losses in prior years. Play Rhode Island.

01/03 11:00 AM  CB   (541) CONNECTICUT VS (542) FLORIDA edit

Take: (541) CONNECTICUT 

Reason: Play UConn plus 10 This is an over reaction line from UConn's home loss to Temple. Ryan Boatright is listed as questionable and without him will be a key detriment for UConn. But 10 points is still too many. UConn had a sluggish game against Temple but has the talent to fill the void with Boatright out. Offensively the team needs to shift the offense from guard Rodney Purvis and rely more on Hamilton/Kenton Facey/and Terrence Samuel. Samuel matches up nicely against this Florida team. These two played twice last year---once in December and then in the final four. UConn won both times. Revenge will be on sports bettors minds but look for the Huskies to keep this within the spread.

Play Monmouth Plus 5

This is a late afternoon add on Monmouth. Monmouth has free falled as a team but are better than their below .500 record. In MAAC conference play they should have enough familiarity with a Canisius team that lost their star player in Billy Baron to graduation. There is still talent on the floor for Canisius but this is an almost must-win game for Monmouth. Look for them to come out with forty minutes of focus.

Play Wisconsin Milwaukee plus 10

Cleveland State wants to run against Milwaukee and win with their better offense. Milwaukee has struggled all season to score and will look to shorten this game and try to win with hustle points. Look for Milwaukee to be able to hang in this game. We are getting a non-conference point spread in this one, where I think it should be closer to 7.5-8

12/31 06:00 PM  CB   (767) BOISE STATE VS (768) COLORADO STATE edit

Take: (767) BOISE STATE 

Reason: Play Boise State plus 8 The loss of Drmic for the season is huge for Boise State but this team will push forward with a solid head coach and core group of players. Conference play begins and Colorado State is one of those undefeated teams that has tinkered with a loss a handful of times. They will be targeted highly right out the gate by the Mountain West to go down. Oddsmakers inflate any undefeated team just a tad and I think we are getting a solid full two points here. Grab Boise plus 8.

12/31 02:00 PM  CB   (753) MARQUETTE VS (754) DEPAUL edit

Take: (753) MARQUETTE 

Reason: Play Marquette -5 Something has gone awry with this DePaul team. After an impressive win over Stanford and a blowout win over Milwaukee they have fallen flat in a major way. Energy is missing and if there is one team that doesn't lack energy it's Marquette. DePaul has lost six straight games and all three in the Hawaii Airlines Classic. I don't see the team snapping back in the first Big East matchup against an ever-improving Marquette team.

12/31 11:30 AM  CB   (733) BUTLER VS (734) VILLANOVA edit

Take: (733) BUTLER 

Reason: Play Butler plus 11 Villanova has been great ATS but is doing so with great endings in the last 8-10 minutes. I have been a bit disappointed with the guard play over the last 5-6 games as well as Villanova's continued offense in the post with Daniel Ochefu. Butler is an intense physical team that should give Villanova a good matchup from start to finish.

12/31 10:00 AM  CB   (727) TEMPLE VS (728) CONNECTICUT edit

Take: (728) CONNECTICUT 

Reason: Play UConn -7 buy the half point My first reaction was to play Temple plus the points here. But you have to look beyond what Temple has done in just a few games with newly inserted starter Jesse Morgan. Yes he has brought a new dimension to the team but Kansas and Delaware State were not the best of defensive challenges. Temple lacks an interior presence and this is where a team with strong guard defense as UConn can thrive. Expect UConn to win this with solid half court defense that frustrates the perimeter heavy Temple Owls offense. Grab UConn in this spot.

12/31 10:00 AM  CB   (773) EAST TENN STATE VS (774) TENNESSEE edit

Take: (773) EAST TENN STATE 

Reason: Play East Tenn State plus 10.5 Over the last year watching these two teams I have noticed a big area of opportunity for both. Tennessee plays down to their competition while East Tenn State may struggle at times against weaker opponents they play up to better competition. It's common to see this across the collegiate landscape. In this matchup we will take the 10.5 points with East Tenn State having a a talented trio of upperclassmen against a newly formed Tennessee Volunteers lineup.

12/30 01:00 PM  CB   (547) LONG BEACH STATE VS (548) LOUISVILLE edit

Take: (548) LOUISVILLE 

Reason: Play Louisville -18 This is a high number but one that should be able to cash. First off, Rick Pitino gets his players to feed off his energy. After losing yet again in the state of Kentucky--this time at home--to Coach Cal you can bet Louisville will come out ready to pounce on the next opponent. LB State is that next opponent and I would not be surprised to see Louisville get out in front on this spread in the first half. Second LB State is on one of the more painful road stretches I have ever seen a college basketball team participate in. They've played on the road since Dec 5th and actually gave solid efforts against SD State and Texas. But in their latest matchup against Syracuse they played a B game and were blown out by 18. Expect Rick Pitino to have an extensive scouting report from his old buddy Jim Boeheim and the Cardinal to roll.

12/30 03:00 PM  CB   (533) DAVIDSON VS (534) VIRGINIA edit

Take: (533) DAVIDSON 

Reason: Play Davidson plus 16.5 This Virginia team has been a covering machine this season. The one game they did struggle was against George Washington. In that matchup George Washington ran their offensive sets and played great defense, before they were overran in the final 12 minutes. I'm still not sold on Virginia's offense when it comes to March Madness. Teams that do not rely on 1-2 scorers can hang with Virginia. Coastal Carolina showcased this as a 16th seed against #1 Virginia last year. Davidson is as offensive balanced as a team as there is in the country. Expect ten days off for this team to be able to execute well and for the rest for Virginia to prove rusty for an already below average offensive team.

12/30 02:00 PM  CB   (531) MARYLAND VS (532) MICHIGAN STATE edit

Take: (531) MARYLAND 

Reason: Maryland plus 6.5 Oddsmakers have not caught up to this Maryland Terrapins team. After losing three players as transfers they were expected to self destruct. That has not been the case as the players that have stayed along with key freshman have lifted this team tremendously. They are as confident as any team in the country and you can see it by their style of play. Michigan State on the other hand is the exact opposite. This team reminds me of the North Carolina team a few years ago. Oddsmakers keep giving point spread love that may last a full month before they finally adjust. The fact of the matter is that Michigan State does not have the supreme talent to be a formidable team this year. If they had an above average backcourt it would create more shots for their average forwards and power forwards. But Travis Trice continues to make poor decisions and reminds me of Greg Paulus from Duke years back. He probably shouldn't be getting starters minutes but Tom Izzo has no choice. 6.5-7 points in this spot is a gift.

12/30 01:00 PM  CB   (529) CINCINNATI VS (530) NORTH CAROLINA STATE edit

Take: (529) CINCINNATI 

Reason: Play Cincinnati plus 4 In my estimation this is a poor matchup for NC State. NC State lacks the skill set on offense for a go-to-guy to create their own shot or off the dribble move. There aren't many teams that play true tenacious defense in college basketball but Cincinnati is one of them. As bad as their half court offense is there is a defense to offense part of Cincinnati basketball that can't be ignored. Expect the Bearcats to be able to get 20-25 points off of bad offense from NC State.

12/28 12:00 PM  CB   (837) RUTGERS VS (838) MONMOUTH edit

Take: (838) MONMOUTH 

Reason: Play Monmouth -2.5 People may assume that this is an eye-popper to see a Monmouth team below .500 still as a favorite against Rutgers which is a 7-5 team. Rutgers is just not a balanced team on either end of the court with guards Myles Mack and Kadeem Jack leading the way. Monmouth on the other hand matches up well against this Rutgers team. Even though they are coming off a big loss to St. Francis they have risen to the occasion in matchups against Iona, Maryland and for stretches against SMU. This is also a big battle in the state of New Jersey as a team of Monmouth's caliber is not supposed to trump Rutgers. Grab Monmouth as they should pull out a close win over Rutgers.

12/27 02:00 PM  CB   (533) OAKLAND VS (534) MARYLAND edit

Take: (533) OAKLAND 

Reason: Play Oakland plus 17.5 One of the trademarks of Oakland is to schedule an extremely tough non-conference schedule. Maryland has been an offensive juggernaut this season and returns another weapon with Dez Wells Saturday. Sometimes a key returning player can cause a bit of rust from the chemistry that was added when a player was out. New roles have to be redefined. Maryland can fill up the basket but does not have the strong defense in place to cover a full 17.5 points.

12/27 10:00 AM  CB   (525) GEORGIA STATE VS (526) WISC GREEN BAY edit

Take: (525) GEORGIA STATE 

Reason: Play Georgia State plus 5 Something has been a little bit off with this Wisconsin Green Bay team since they lost in their conference tournament to Milwaukee a season ago. They have the talent to be a top 30-35 team in the country but continue to under perform. Georgia State has the offensive fire power to keep up with Green Bay on the road and has already defeated Green Bay in lopsided fashion earlier this season. I expect Green Bay's woes to pop up at one point or another in this game and allow Georgia State to grab a lead late. This line should be closer to 3. Lets take the extra points with Georgia State

12/25 06:00 PM  CB   (517) GEORGE WASHINGTON VS (518) WICHITA STATE edit

Take: (518) WICHITA STATE 

Reason: Play Wichita State -7.5 Advantages in this game are clear. George Washington has a bit of inside advantage with Kevin Larsen but there is a big gap when it comes to guard play. Wichita State's athletic and high percentage shooters are a contrast to George Washington. George Washington has two big guards in Patrico Garino and Kethan Savage. Neither are capable of keeping up defensively with Wichita State's triple threat. Wichita State has had it's troubles over the last week and a half against Utah, Detroit, and Hawaii but this should be a Christmas day matchup that they turn the corner a bit. George Washington also is not a deep enough team to keep pace with a potent Wichita State team. Note the George Washington losses this season (Penn State, Seton Hall, and Virginia all came with clear advantages at the guard position).

12/23 05:00 PM  CB   (739) GEORGIA TECH VS (740) DAYTON edit

Take: (740) DAYTON 

Reason: Play Dayton -5.5 Sometimes negative attention can sway bettors minds. Dayton may have dismissed a couple of players but they still have a solid group to represent on the court. Teams with size may cause them problems but there aren't too many teams in the A-10 that have that, and Georgia Tech of the ACC doesn't as well. Georgia Tech has a freshman point guard starting and South Florida sophomore transfer Jordan Heath as backup point guard. Dayton's on-ball defense will cause problems for both. Also big guard Marques Georges-Hunt will have a tough time carving room against this Dayton team. Dayton just needs to focus on making their free throws which has been a team problem. Overall though I think they win this game by double digits thanks to their half court defense.

12/23 12:00 PM  CB   (725) DETROIT VS (726) ARIZONA STATE edit

Take: (726) ARIZONA STATE 

Reason: Play Arizona State -8.5 Detroit has been free-falling a bit and it's because they have not developed a second scorer behind Juwon Howard Jr. Paris Bass and Anton Wilson have been inconsistent contributors. Arizona State's a prolific scoring team that should get back in a big way a win after losing to Lehigh in three overtime. I also like the individual matchup of Shaq McKissic guarding Howard Jr. It'll likely be the toughest defender Howard Jr. has had to face offensively this season.

12/22 04:30 PM  CB   (591) WOFFORD VS (592) WEST VIRGINIA edit

Take: (592) WEST VIRGINIA 

Reason: Play West Virginia -9 This line may have been around 12.5 to 13 if West Virginia had not faltered and came close to losing to Marshall, while Wofford pulled off an impressive road win against NC State. Wofford's record is solid at 9-2 and they may even get a chance to represent their conference in the tournament now that Davidson is in the Atlantic 10. But they're an extremely vulnerable team against potent fast break and quick trigger teams from behind the arc. Wofford likes to play in the half court defensively and that's a wide contrast to the Mountaineers. The Terriers just are not the type of team that plays well against teams that score in the 70 point range consistently. This is one of the better line value plays for Tuesday.

12/21 09:00 AM  CB   (719) HARVARD VS (720) VIRGINIA edit

Take: (719) HARVARD 

Reason: Play Harvard plus 10 Virginia has been a dominating team this season from a defensive standpoint. Offensively though they have struggled. Creation of their points comes from their defense. A great coach like Tommy Amaker should be able to suit a game plan to attack Virginia's offensive weaknesses. This is tough to do but this Harvard team has a veteran group that has challenged some top rated teams before. Ten points is a lot here. Take the points as Harvard should battle Virginia much closer than the spread indicates.

12/20 04:00 PM  CB   (563) RICHMOND VS (564) PEPPERDINE edit

Take: (563) RICHMOND 

Reason: Play Richmond -3.5 Points This game will be played in New York as part of the Gotham Classic. This is the type of game where conference play should trump. Richmond is 5-4 but has depth at the 1-5 position and has played stiffer competition to start the season. Pepperdine has the best player on the floor in Stacy Davis but lacks the team defense or guard play to cover this number. Grab Richmond

12/20 02:00 PM  CB   (555) WAKE FOREST VS (556) FLORIDA edit

Take: (555) WAKE FOREST 

Reason: Play Wake Forest plus 12.5 This is not the Florida of the past five to eight years. Much like Syracuse they are in a rebuilding year, that will look like a blip on the basketball program come 2015-2016. Wake Forest is in their first year of transition but still has a lot of talent on the floor;especially offensively. This team is going to give a few hard fought battles in the right spots and I think they've got a solid matchup here against Florida. Take the points.

12/20 02:00 PM  CB   (553) NORTHEASTERN VS (554) SANTA CLARA edit

Take: (553) NORTHEASTERN 

Reason: Play Northeastern -1 If Northeastern had played better and beat Cal-Poly the other night this line would be 3-3.5. The loss has oddsmakers undervaluing the line a bit against Santa Clara. This Northeastern team has a core group of players that don't wow you but have a style suited to match up well against Santa Clara. Santa Clara is a typical California division one school (Pepperdine, Long Beach St, Cal State North, San Fran). They have little balance offensively from the 1-5 positions. Jared Brownridge may be an electric scorer for Santa Clara but to me he hurts the team more than he aids with poor shots. Grab Northeastern in this one.

12/20 01:00 PM  CB   (551) DAVIDSON VS (552) COLL OF CHARLESTON edit

Take: (551) DAVIDSON 

Reason: Play Davidson -4 There may not be a team in college basketball with more offensive synergy than Davidson. They spread the floor and seem to have constant fluidity with passing, shooting, and creating for one another. They will be a tournament team and would not surprise me to see them make the sweet 16. Charleston on the other hand is not running smooth offense or defense. They had a seven minute stretch against Charlotte with two made baskets, two five-minute stretches against Citadel with only a couple of free throws, and other poor patterns of the inability to score. Davidson's just too much of an offensive juggernaut for Charleston to keep up.

12/20 12:00 PM  CB   (575) EASTERN MICHIGAN VS (576) MISSOURI STATE edit

Take: (576) MISSOURI STATE 

Reason: Play Missouri State -2 Eastern Michigan has one of those early season records that jump-out at you at 8-2. Then midway through conference play you take another look and they're barely above .500. They're extremely limited offensively. To win games they have to play sharp defense for 40 minutes and win the turnover and free throw battle. Eastern Michigan's key players have been struggling mightily. Karrington Ward has shot a combined 12 of 48 from the field over his last four games. Raven Lee is 13 of 40 the last three games. It comes to the point where a team's intense defense crumbles along with their poor shooting. Look for Missouri State to get out early in this one and maybe run away with it.

12/20 10:00 AM  CB   (523) SYRACUSE VS (524) VILLANOVA edit

Take: (524) VILLANOVA 

Reason: Play Villanova -11 I can't remember the last time I saw Syracuse as a double digit underdog. That should tell you something right there. Villanova may have played all their yearly matchups against the Big 5 schools in Philadelphia, but there is not a matchup in college basketball over the last ten years that compares to Syracuse and Villanova. These two teams play hard and despise each other. From the blowout win of Syracuse's in 2010 over Nova to claim the #1 ranking in the country, to tight matchups and finishes over the last four seasons. Last year Villanova got off to a 25-7 lead at the Carrier Dome only to see the lead evaporate before halftime. Syracuse's zone last year and year's prior was formidable and a grade of 8.5/9 out of 10. Now it's vastly below average with offensive liabilities in the starting five. Knowing how intense this matchup has been I expect Nova to take this game to heart and show the country how good they are/and how much rebuilding Syracuse is doing this season.

12/20 10:00 AM  CB   (601) THE CITADEL VS (602) VIRGINIA TECH edit

Take: (601) THE CITADEL 

Reason: Play Citadel plus 14 Citadel is going to be a double digit underdog throughout this season. They went 7-26 a year ago. But a high quality with this Citadel team is they have the same nucleus of players from a year ago. This team fights hard each and every night on the court. Virginia Tech has pieces to the puzzle with new head coach Buzz Williams but is still a vast work in progress. Williams has always been one to stretch the minutes of his players to eight/nine players and is still settling in his lineup for the Hokies. Take the points as Citadel's fight should keep this game close to within the number and pull off a 3-4 point cover for us.

12/20 09:00 AM  CB   (517) VA COMMONWEALTH VS (518) CINCINNATI edit

Take: (517) VA COMMONWEALTH 

Reason: Play VCU plus 2 This is the speed bump test game Shaka Smart has been waiting for. His team has had a tough schedule to start the season and should be prepared to play/defeat a Cincinnati team with no offensive identity. VCU is the deeper team and should be able to offset the Bearcats physical style of play with quick buckets and turnovers. The game plan should be simple from Shaka Smart. Keep the Bearcats from shooting free throws early by not letting them get in the bonus, and execute in half court offense to keep the Bearcats from getting easy transition layups. If those two keys are executed I like VCU to win this game by double digits. If one falters this will be a tighter game but I still like the Rams to cover.

12/20 09:00 AM  CB   (515) NC CHARLOTTE VS (516) GEORGETOWN edit

Take: (515) NC CHARLOTTE 

Reason: Play Charlotte plus 13.5 Charlotte's head coach, Alan Major, has to be wondering when his team will play a full 40 minutes of basketball. They've been the worst team in college basketball at doing so. Their last two games they had to claw back from double digit deficits against Appalachian State and College of Charleston. Oddly in both they showed the ability to close games and come close to covering the high spreads. Overall they've played three overtime games which is another indicator of a team playing hard the last ten minutes of the second half instead of out the gate. A veteran team like Charlotte has to wake up sooner or later and I think this spot against Georgetown should be the awakener they need. Josh Smith should struggle inside as Charlotte has two bruisers inside in Mike Thorne Jr and Willie Clayton that will give Smith problems. This line is vastly inflated and should show throughout that this game will not reach a high margin on Georgetown's side. Expect this game to stay in the single digit range for 85% of it.

12/18 04:00 PM  CB   (533) WRIGHT STATE VS (534) WESTERN CAROLINA edit

Take: (533) WRIGHT STATE 

Reason: Play Wright State -2, buy the hook from 2.5 Wright State isn't going to wow anyone with athleticism, but they play sound basketball. Defensively and offensively your going to see consistent play from Wright State. The same can't be said for Western Carolina. They've lost five of their last six games. In the last three alone they have averaged giving up 91 points a game. Look for Wright State to capitalize off of a Western Carolina team that may be the worst in the country defensively. Play Wright State at 2

12/17 06:00 PM  CB   (739) EASTERN MICHIGAN VS (740) MICHIGAN STATE edit

Take: (740) MICHIGAN STATE 

Reason: Play Michigan State -14 Eastern Michigan has held tough against Dayton and won outright against Michigan. They're doing so thanks to poor offense from the opposing teams, as they've struggled themselves. Coach Rob Murphy has an entire nucleus of new players besides guards Raven Lee, Karrinton Ward, and bench reserve Mike Talley. Michigan State's not going to struggle offensively like other teams have against Eastern Michigan, and that should expose Eastern Michigan's deficiencies offensively. Take MIchigan State -14

12/17 04:30 PM  CB   (727) DETROIT VS (728) CENTRAL FLORIDA edit

Take: (728) CENTRAL FLORIDA 

Reason: Play Central Florida plus 4.5 Central Florida just lost poorly to Florida Atlantic and scored just 41 points. Detroit on the other hand played tough against Wichita State and has done so versus Michigan/Oregon as well. But Detroit is as one-dimensional offensively as any team in the country. Their prime player to score is Juwon Howard Jr who is averaging over 20 points per game over the last six. You see teams that play above their heads in a game come out flat in the next game all the time. I believe this line should be closer to the 1.5-2 range not 4.5. Grab the points here.

12/16 05:00 PM  CB   (515) COLL OF CHARLESTON VS (516) NC CHARLOTTE edit

Take: (515) COLL OF CHARLESTON 

Reason: Play Coll of Charleston plus 9.5 UNC Charlotte is one of those teams that just can't put teams away. They play up or down to their competition. College of Charleston is getting a lot of points in this spot because of their poor shooting overall this season. The talent is there though as this team boasts solid guards and big man in Adjehi Baru. Charlotte may build a 10 to 15 point lead in this game but as I've stated they do not put teams away. Expect one big run from charleston to keep this within the number.

12/16 04:00 PM  CB   (527) BELMONT VS (528) VA COMMONWEALTH edit

Take: (528) VA COMMONWEALTH 

Reason: Play VCU -14 VCU is the type of team that could be a top twelve to fifteen team right now. Unfortunately their flaws of poor free throw shooting, foul trouble, and poor transition defense out of their havoc defense have caused them a poor start on the season. The talent is there and tonight should be a clear overmatch where we see the havoc defense work like Coach Shaka Smart wants. Belmont lost three starters from the team of a year ago that played well with VCU in 2012 and 2013. On top of it a key starter in Craig Bradshaw is doubtful with a calf injury. VCU has had several players start to shoot the ball better with their reserves and starters. VCU's never been a first half team which makes me feel more comfortable with a mid teen line than a high teen to low 20's. They'll roll in the second half and should have one great run intermixed with 3-4 average runs.

12/16 04:00 PM  CB   (529) DARTMOUTH VS (530) MERCER edit

Take: (529) DARTMOUTH 

Reason: Play Dartmouth plus 5 Dartmouth is off an ugly loss to Jacksonville State a few nights ago. They've been poor on the road as a team but are getting a higher line value on the road against Mercer. Mercer of course is coming off a great tournament run from a season ago. This year's team boasts all returning players but four of them are getting near 20 minutes higher than they did a year ago. When ever you see that big of a jump with a team there is going to be a gap of growing pains. The ball hasn't moved as fluid for Mercer and they're turning the ball over at a high rate. Dartmouth is the opposite with five starters with key experience. Experience will prevail in a tight game. Grab the key number here.

12/16 04:00 PM  CB   (531) EAST TENN STATE VS (532) EASTERN KENTUCKY edit

Take: (531) EAST TENN STATE 

Reason: Play East Tenn State plus 6 Eastern Tennessee State is coming off a shocking loss as 12 point favorites to UNC Greensboro, but I like the points in this spot against Eastern Kentucky. Both of these teams boasts athletes and shooters all over the floor. But I believe the difference in this one should come from East Tenn State's better perimeter defense and overall guard play. Don't be surprised if the Buccaneers win this outright.

12/14 01:00 PM  CB   (827) LOUISIANA TECH VS (828) SYRACUSE edit

Take: (827) LOUISIANA TECH 

Reason: Play Louisiana Tech plus 8 Syracuse is still a conundrum for oddsmakers. Everyone knows this is a down Syracuse team--yet they've been a powerhouse team at home in non conference play for a decade. Stats/trend guys will be gobbling that up for a play on Syracuse. Don't do so. Syracuse has zero identity offensively. By midseason I think they'll have it squared away by feeding the ball more inside with Christmas and freshman McCullough. But for now they're still trying to force feed guard Trevor Cooney--who frankly just can't get it done. Louisiana Tech is a sharp shooting team that will be able to find the gaps in Syracuse's vulnerable zone this season. Another note is that the Carrier Dome can be one of the loudest when Syracuse has a good team but also dead silent when they're a vulnerable team. Sundays have been historically quiet from the dome crowd. Play Louisiana Tech plus 8.

12/13 07:00 PM  CB   (585) TEXAS ARLINGTON VS (586) CAL IRVINE edit

Take: (586) CAL IRVINE 

Reason: Play UC Irvine -12--buy the half point UC Irvine has been one of the more disappointing teams in the country. They returned almost all of the key players from last year's team that had some quality games--including a resounding upset at Washington. For whatever reason they've struggled out the gate, but this matchup should be just what the doctor ordered. Texas Arlington struggles at shooting the basketball at just over 40%. I do not see them being able to keep up with the offense of Cal Irvine. Play Irvine in a rout at home.

12/13 04:00 PM  CB   (553) NORTHERN IOWA VS (554) VA COMMONWEALTH edit

Take: (553) NORTHERN IOWA 

Reason: Play Northern Iowa plus 6 This is a peculiar line to me, with how bad VCU has struggled. Four of their last five games VCU has trailed for lengths of the game, and lost three overall. Northern Iowa is undefeated and has the same core group of players back that defeated VCU's press a season ago. The problem with VCU is they're a jumbled mess. Their press is giving up easy layups at the same rate that they're creating turnovers. Leads they do get evaporate quickly because of this. They are also one of the worst free throw shooting teams in the country. It's hard to back VCU at this high of a spread until they show the ability to grab and build on a lead. I have yet to see it happen and don't think it will happen Saturday versus Northern Iowa.

12/13 12:15 PM  CB   (535) UTAH VS (536) KANSAS edit

Take: (536) KANSAS 

Reason: Play Kansas -3.5 Utah's back to back impressive wins over BYU and Wichita State has this point spread undervalued. Utah has done a terrific job defensively which has helped them stay in games. At this point of the season though you always see 2-3 teams slip that will bounce back into the fold come March. Utah has that look of a team that needs Jordan Loveridge back to excel further. Kansas looks like a legit top ten team and is starting to show confidence after a comeback win over Florida and a win at Georgetown. Play Kansas Saturday.

12/13 11:15 AM  CB   (525) SAINT MARYS CA VS (526) CREIGHTON edit

Take: (525) SAINT MARYS CA 

Reason: Play St. Mary's plus 5.5 I'm shocked that this line is as high as it is. Creighton is extremely vulnerable as a team as coaches get to game plan their new look lineup from a year ago. They're struggling in the interior and our relying heavily on guards Devin Brooks and Antonio Chatman. Saint Mary's has the guards to contain both and at least neutralize one of the other. An off game by either is going to require an unproven player to emerge and have a breakout game. I don't see that happening and believe St. Mary's will bounce back after a poor loss to Boise State.

12/13 11:00 AM  CB   (531) PEPPERDINE VS (532) ARIZONA STATE edit

Take: (531) PEPPERDINE 

Reason: Play Pepperdine plus 8 In my estimation Herb Sendek has done one of the best jobs in the country with the talent he has this season--one month in. Yet the team is just 5-3, with close losses to Texas A@M, Alabama, and Maryland. Defense just is not ASU's strength. To stay in games they have been relying on hot shooting. Against A@M they made 12 of 29 threes, and 14 of 27 against Maryland. Pepperdine is a veteran group that has the better team in my opinion. I do not see ASU having an answer for double-double machine Stacy Davis. Davis also hails from Laveen, Arizona, which is 12-15 minutes away from ASU's campus. By not being recruited by the Sun Devils, Davis should have extra motivation that should draw more fire from his teammates. Play Pepperdine

12/13 09:00 AM  CB   (517) WICHITA STATE VS (518) DETROIT edit

Take: (517) WICHITA STATE 

Reason: Play Wichita State -12 This is the first play on the board from me for Saturday. Wichita State has been one of the best teams in the nation at covering against the spread the last several seasons. They do it by scoring in bunches. And that's exactly what Detroit is incapable of doing. Detroit wins games based on their defense and timely offense. They really only have two reliable scorers in Juwon Howard Jr and Anton Wilson. The biggest key here that makes this a play is that they go on big offensive lulls in games. Against Oregon they went scoreless for a big portion of the second half that blew a golden cover. Against Michigan they also had a second half lull, and even in their latest game against South Florida they nearly blew a nine point lead late. Wichita State should roll on the road.

12/13 09:00 AM  CB   (643) RADFORD VS (644) GEORGETOWN edit

Take: (644) GEORGETOWN 

Reason: Georgetown -14 I love this college basketball Saturday every year to find those 2-3 tune-up games ATS. This is a tune up game for Georgetown. They may have lost to Kansas but they grew as a team on the floor. I was impressed with Josh Smith's play and from freshman LJ Price. There is room for this team to grow immensely before January. RJ Price of Radford has been sizzling from three point range but one thing John Thompson III has always done is take away a team's key player. Price is shooting just 35% from the field and taking nearly 8 three pointers a game. That's a sign of poor shot selection coming from the point guard. Of the top four scorers from Radford--all four are shooting below 43 percent. To add to it Georgetown is coming off a game in which they gave up ten of 17 three pointers to Kansas and also gave them 25 freebies at the foul line. Expect a better defensive showing and for Georgetown to have its way offensively.

12/13 08:00 AM  CB   (641) USC-UPSTATE VS (642) MARYLAND edit

Take: (641) USC-UPSTATE 

Reason: Play USC Upstate plus plus 15.5 USC Upstate is one of those small schools that oddsmakers have not caught up too. I've been key on the Atlantic Sun ever since Florida Gulf Coast made their run a few seasons ago; it's the same conference that also holds Mercer. It's an underrated conference and I believe USC-Upstate is the best team in the conference this season. They just upset Georgia Tech who has just as much talent if not more athleticism than Maryland. Maryland has been one of the hottest shooting teams in the country over their last two games. This is an early game which should lead to a rusty start from a Maryland team boasting freshman in the starting lineup because of injuries. I like USC Upstate to try and pad their resume for March with a good showing against Maryland.

12/12 05:00 PM  CB   (825) IOWA STATE VS (826) IOWA edit

Take: (826) IOWA 

Reason: Play Iowa -6 This is a matchup of contrasts and an in-state rivalry in Iowa. Iowa is a team that has taken a step back from last year but is still filled with quality upper classmen. It's not a flashy group but they play a physical style of basketball that does not bode well for Iowa State. Iowa State thrives against teams that want to run up and down the court with them. But against teams that play physical they have struggled. Take a look at their losses over the last several seasons and in the NCAA tournament(s). Oddsmakers set this line steep and I believe they got this right all along. The contrarian play will be on Iowa State and it's the wrong side. Iowa covers this one nicely.

Play George Washington -9

DePaul is a much improved team that has shown growth on the basketball court to start the season. But George Washington has the defensive/offensive combination that DePaul has not faced yet this season. George Washington has a sound starting five, including a three guard rotation that features Patrick Garino and Kethan Savage. I expect the three to create turnovers on DePaul and give DePaul point guard Billy Garrett Jr a hard time. Inside Kevin Larsen is one of the more versatile big men in the country. He will be able to defend Tommy Hamilton who likes to stretch away from the block for his points. On the block Larsen has an array of moves to control the paint. This will be a down to Earth game for DePaul.

12/10 04:00 PM  CB   (573) NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL VS (574) MARYLAND edit

Take: (573) NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL 

Reason: NC Central plus 11 Give all credit to Maryland coach Mark Turgeon for how successful his team has been to start the season. Last season's team vastly underachieved with a solid starting five. Three players decided to transfer at season's end, including Nick Faust, Seth Allen, and Charles Mitchell. Mitchell (Georgia Tech) and Faust (Long Beach State) are already having solid impacts on their new teams (Allen is sitting out a transfer year for Virginia Tech). The big surprise has been how well Turgeon's with freshman Melo Trimble and Jared Nickens being solid contributors. The key in this game is the fact that Dez Wells and Evan Smotrycz will be out. Wells is expected to miss a month and Smotrycz is doubtful for tonight. Maryland was able to pull away from Winthrop after a close first half but I expect NC Central to hang in this game. Don't forget they were the 14th seed last year in the NCAA tournament. They aren't a regular molded lower tier team. This team boasts four seniors and plays sound defense. Look for NCCU to give Maryland trouble.

Play Eastern Michigan plus 15

This is a game many anticipate that Michigan will race out to an early lead and run away with a victory over Eastern Michigan because of Michigan's performance and loss to NJIT. If only it were that easy. Michigan is a talented young team at the guard positions but is a program that is still trying to recover from a massive overhaul at key positions the last two years. They lost Stauskas, McGary, Robinson III, Tim Hardaway II, Jon Horford to a transfer to Florida, and Trey Burke. Six key players. It's been emphasized that both Spike Albrecht and Caris LeVert have grown as players but were not highly recruited players. Eastern Michigan is no slouch. Raven Lee may be the best player on the floor in this game. Michigan will certainly go on an aggressive couple of runs but I believe the game will not run away from Eastern Michigan and they can keep this within the 15 points.

Texas A@M plus 6.5

Out of all the lines on the board today, I believe this is the best value line out there. Kenny Cherry is still out indefinitely for Baylor with a foot injury, leaving a huge void in the Bears lineup. Royce O'Neal is a solid Big-12 player and Taureen Prince has done a great job at filling the scoring void on this Bears team. But the rest of the Bears have been awfully quiet for production. Prince/O'Neal scored 41 of their teams 66 points against Vanderbilt, 22 of their 54 against Illinois, and 36 of their 71 against Memphis. This team is too heavily reliant on these two players. A balanced team such as Texas A@M should be able to exploit this weak part of the Bears team. Texas A@M has two key transfers in their starting lineup with Daniel House from Houston and Jalen Jones from SMU. This combined with 3rd/4th year players at the other starting positions with Roberson, point guard Alex Caruso, and Jordan Green. This team has seen Baylor's aggressive defense before as members of the Big 12 and should be able to come close to an outright win and capture an ATS win against the 6.5.

Play Villanova -4

Illinois will be another tough test for Villanova but once again I think they triumph over the Fighting Illini. Villanova has been a stalwart at covering ATS. That's a good sign of a team underranked but also getting better before conference play. There isn't a bench more developed in the country as Villanova's. You'll notice that Jay Wright doesn't wait for subs if a starter is struggling. He started this last year and the team as a whole has embraced team basketball. Nova will need to guard the perimeter and win this game with the upper hand on the sidelines with coaching.

12/07 06:00 PM  CB   (847) SAN DIEGO STATE VS (848) WASHINGTON edit

Take: (847) SAN DIEGO STATE 

Reason: Play San Diego State -1 Most money will be on the Huskies to achieve a 7-0 mark at home, but I will lean on San Diego State. There aren't many teams in the country that play sound defense for 40 minutes like the Aztecs do. Coach Fischer has a core group that won't wow on the offensive side of the floor but get it done the old school way. Expect Washington to struggle shooting as the bulk of their points come from guards Andrew Andrews and Nigel Williams-Goss

12/07 02:00 PM  CB   (837) UTAH STATE VS (838) USC edit

Take: (837) UTAH STATE 

Reason: Play Utah State plus 4.5 Utah State has lost three in a row but I like them in a high value spot against USC. Utah State has high energy forward Jalen Moore paired with two new JUCO transfers that have made an impact. They're the better team from an X's and O's standpoint from the free throw line, three point line, field goal percentage and overall defense. Grab Utah State plus 4.5

12/07 11:00 AM  CB   (821) WISC MILWAUKEE VS (822) DEPAUL edit

Take: (822) DEPAUL 

Reason: Play DePaul -6.5 You have to love a team that knows its role. Each player on DePaul has a role that stays balanced game in and game out. That's hard to find on a lot of teams in college basketball. Oliver Purnell has quietly built this DePaul team led by PG Billy Garret and inside presence Tommy Hamilton. Illinois transfer Myke Henry has been a pleasant surprise. Balanced scoring from the Demons gets them a double digit win against Wisc Milwaukee

12/06 02:15 PM  CB   (547) ST. JOHNS VS (548) SYRACUSE edit

Take: (547) ST. JOHNS 

Reason: Play St. Johns plus 6 St. Johns has a group of upperclassmen that have been waiting to catch a Syracuse team down. DeAngelo Harrison and several other Johnnies have been defeated by the Cuse in embarassing fashion over the years. Dion Waiters put on a show in the Garden in a regular season matchup just a few seasons ago, and Michael-Carter Williams had his top highlight of his Syracuse career dunking over a Johnnies player on a one-man fast break. Last year St. John's was over matched and still put up a good fight against Syracuse. Right now Syracuse just doesn't have the fire power to give six against a hungry team as St. John's. The offense isn't there for Syracuse and holes are still being found with too much inexperience in the zone.

12/06 12:00 PM  CB   (537) SOUTH FLORIDA VS (538) DETROIT edit

Take: (538) DETROIT 

Reason: Play Detroit -6 South Florida is in one of those odd change overs where the new head coach is still using talent from last year but trying to breed his philosophy. South Florida has never been a tempo team that can shoot the ball. Detroit held tough and had leads against both Oregon and Michigan only to let those leads slip in the second halves. This team has balance led by Juwon Howard Jr. and I expect them to handle an overmatched South Florida team trying to find their identity.

12/06 11:00 AM  CB   (551) EASTERN MICHIGAN VS (552) DAYTON edit

Take: (551) EASTERN MICHIGAN 

Reason: Play Eastern Michigan plus 11 Flashback to March Madness and Dayton's epic run featured a big win over Syracuse. Dayton did not defeat the zone in that game, in fact they struggled, and got some timely fortunate three pointers with the shot clock running down. Eastern Michigan plays zone defense the second most in the country behind head coach Rob Murphy, a former Boeheim assistant through 2011. Eastern Michigan lacks size but does have three sound guards to compete in this game with Dayton with Karrington Ward, Raven Lee, and Mike Talley. Gone from Dayton are key pieces in players Cavanaugh, Dhari Price, and key leader Devin Oliver. The zone should cause problems like it did in March for Dayton's offense, and eleven point should be more than enough for the cover.

 12/05 04:00 PM  CB   (847) WESTERN CAROLINA VS (848) MINNESOTA edit

Take: (848) MINNESOTA 

Reason: Play Minnesota -20 Minnesota is in the portion of their schedule most major college teams are heading in, and that's the soft portion of December before conference play begins. Western Carolina plays the style of basketball that fits right in to a huge blowout loss to Minnesota. Their objective is to score, score, score and wear teams down. That worked last year and almost got them a tournament berth but they fell short to Wofford in the conference championship game. They lost four of their five starters, including Tawaski King (8 ppg), Trey Sumler(17 ppg), and Brandon Boggs (12ppg). Minnesota is going to score in the range of 90-100 points in this game and continue their recent hot shooting. Look for the blowout here Friday.

12/05 04:00 PM  CB   (833) WYOMING VS (834) SMU edit

Take: (834) SMU 

Reason: Play SMU -4 I like to refer to Wyoming as the Florida Gulf Coast of the West. They have athletes that thrive in mid-tier conferences such as the Mountain West. But that changes when you face stiffer competition such as SMU. SMU can match Wyoming's athletes and has a savvy point guard in Nick Moore. SMU needed a few games under their belt to rebuild chemistry lost from last year's departures and Mundlay decommitting to go to China. I like the way they looked against Monmouth and I think they continue to thrive tonight versus Wyoming.

12/02 04:30 PM  CB   (551) THE CITADEL VS (552) COLL OF CHARLESTON edit

Take: (551) THE CITADEL 

Reason: Play Citadel plus 11.5 This is a vastly inflated line. Citadel was one of those teams that was awful for 85% of last season. They won only one game out of twenty two during their worst stretch. But towards the last eight games of the season they started to mature as a team. They lost games in the single digits to Furman and Davidson and then went on a three game win streak. They have a talented guard in Ashton Moore and the team will look to avenge last year's blowout loss to Charleston.

12/02 04:00 PM  CB   (521) MINNESOTA VS (522) WAKE FOREST edit

Take: (521) MINNESOTA 

Reason: Play Minnesota -5 Wake Forest is in transition mode after losing their coach last season and having to deal with players transferring, including Tyler Cavanaugh. Minnesota on the other hand is in the second year of being led by Richard Pitino. Pitino has emulated his father with a strong half court press and has scorers led by juniors/seniors all over the floor. Minnesota should run away with this and give the Big Ten another victory.

12/02 04:00 PM  CB   (581) STEPHEN F. AUSTIN VS (582) MEMPHIS edit

Take: (581) STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 

Reason: Play Stephen F Austin plus 6.5 The heat is on Josh Pastner and his Memphis Tigers. It all started last season when Antonio Barton and Tariq Black transferred to finish their senior seasons elsewhere as graduate transfers. Both played important roles on their new teams (Kansas, Tennessee). This year's team is lost and has no identity. Shaq Goodwin is their main option on both ends of the floor and I'm not sure he'd be the main guy a a school in the top 60-75 range in the country. Stephen F Austin has the makeup to head into Memphis and come away with an outright win.

Play East Tennessee State +8

East Tennessee State was in the Atlantic Sun conference last year and now heads is in the Southern Conference. They're a talented ball club that could get at an at large berth now that they aren't in the crowded Atlantic Sun. They have physical on the ball defense and speed at the guard positions. Unlike most teams with those combinations they do not suffer in half court offense. This team can shoot the ball and should hang in on an inflated line of eight points against Morehead State.

I liked a couple other NCAAB plays but narrowed it down to just one. Lets concentrate on NFL and cash CBB at the start of the week.

11/30 01:30 PM  CB   (831) DELAWARE VS (832) VILLANOVA edit

Take: (832) VILLANOVA 

Reason: Play Villanova -30 In my opinion this game should not even be on the board. These two teams play every year and for the last three seasons the matchup has been decided by ten points or less, including last year's narrow win by Villanova of just four points. Delaware has zero starters back from those teams as all five departed from last year's 2013-2014 team. Villanova is a top five team under ranked currently and has bench depth that stretches to a total of nine players. With a big lead in the first half the second unit players should be able to keep extending the lead. I wouldn't be surprised to see this game start off 35-9 and balloon to a 50 point win.

11/29 08:30 PM  CB   (555) COLORADO STATE VS (556) CAL SANTA BARBARA edit

Take: (555) COLORADO STATE 

Reason: Play Colorado State -4 This Colorado State team may lack offensive explosion at the guard position but they have as balanced of an attack as any team in the country with power forward JJ Avila and Daniel Bejarno. Bejarno personifies what type of program Colorado State is. They take on the type of players that want to play for four years--whether it's via transfer or initial recruits. Avila transferred from Navy and Bejarno from UofA. They play sound defense as a team and get to the free throw line more than their opponents. Cal Santa Barbara will not be able to match Colorado State's physicality. Play CSU -4.

11/28 04:00 PM  CB   (791) GONZAGA VS (792) ST. JOHNSedit

Take: (792) ST. JOHNS 

Reason: PLAY ST. JOHNS plus 6.5 This is a college basketball line I've been waiting 48 hours for. This is an optimal value underdog line. Gonzaga has been lights out shooting while the Johnnies have realistically only played one sound half of basketball this season. Look for that to change today as the Johnnies have the formula that have plagued Gonzaga teams for years. Physical guards/forwards that will contest the Zags thriving half court offense. I was hoping for this line to be between 4-6 points. 6.5 is a steal.

11/28 04:00 PM  CB   (801) BRADLEY VS (802) TCU edit

Take: (802) TCU 

Reason: Play TCU -7.5 TCU's offense is just a few notches better than Bradley's plain and simple. Bradley lost a few seniors from last year's team that underachieved. Now they are in transition mode and facing a TCU team that is looking to win their sixth game of the season on a nationally televised game in Corpus Christi, Texas post Thanksgiving. Grab TCU.

11/28 03:00 PM  CB   (771) CS FULLERTON VS (772) USC-UPSTATEedit

Take: (772) USC-UPSTATE 

Reason: Play USC Upstate -4.5 USC Upstate may be a tournament qualifier from a conference that has made some noise with Florida Gulf Coast/Mercer over the years in the Atlantic Sun. I like the makeup of this team led by three seniors and a junior. They also disperse minutes with their bench well. CS Fullerton won last night with solid defense and 24 free throws. This is the second day of a tournament held in USC-Upstate's own state of South Carolina and I expect them to handle Fullerton with ease.

11/28 12:30 PM  CB   (773) UTEP VS (774) XAVIERedit

Take: (773) UTEP 

Reason: Play UTEP plus 8 Xavier is a bit over valued currently thanks to a cake walk first part of their schedule. They lost a good core of their team from a season ago. UTEP has three starting seniors---all which have played a bulk of minutes for their entire career since freshman at UTEP. That's unheard of. They also have a strong sophomore in the lineup in Vince Hunter who is averaging 18 points and 12 boards this season. Grab the Miners plus 8

11/27 03:00 PM  CB   (539) CS FULLERTON VS (540) WRIGHT STATE edit

Take: (539) CS FULLERTON 

Reason: PLAY CS FULLERTON PLUS 7 This line opened at 4.5 and has jumped all the way to seven points. CS Fullerton shoots the ball poorly but has stayed in close games including a narrow defeat to USC. Wright State is a talented Horizon league team but Fullerton should be able to hang around the original number. Seven is just too much. Take the underdog CS Fullerton.