Thursday, out in the Sun Belt James Madison will host Old Dominion in an important battle for fourth place in the conference. Both teams met recently on February 2nd with James Madison defeating the Monarchs on their home floor by five points. It’s the only game that Old Dominion has lost since January 21st, but they have also been on the road in five of their past seven games. Take James Madison to pull away on the big number.

On today’s light college basketball slate, both of my plays are in the Colonial conference. The conference has several teams struggling at the bottom with five and six wins. Two of those teams with just six wins each will meet as Hampton faces Elon. Hampton does have spurts of offense but their record is indicative of a team that struggles mightily defensively. Grab Elon on the big number as they’ve won four of their past five games. 

Monmouth which began the season 1-20, had their four game win streak snapped on Saturday 86 to 57 at the hands of conference co-leader Hofstra. Monday, they’ll face the team that they began their win streak against in North Carolina A&T. In that outing, North Carolina A&T’s Kam Woods had a rare off night in which he went 1 for 13 from the floor. Look for Woods and the Aggies to not take Monmouth lightly this time as they gain the win.

Stephen F Austin -6

Heavy road travel is a big factor in handicapping college basketball in the months of February. There are going to be numerous lay an egg spots, but there are also opportune favorites to jump on. Today, Stephen F Austin is on their third straight road game, and sixth in their past eight games. They’ve actually lost four straight on the road, but sandwiched in between was a seventeen point home victory over UT Rio Grande. That ties as the their best margin of victory this season over a division one school. Lay the points here.

Thursday, Radford has a chance to take the season series over Gardner Webb. Back on January 7th, the Highlanders topped the Runnin’ Bulldogs by four points. It was a stretch of basketball for Gardner Webb that featured extensive losses against the top four teams in the conference. In fact, their record dropped all the way to 8-11. They’ve since won five straight games albeit against bottom level competition. Expect a tight game and for Gardner Webb to challenge Radford’s nine game winning streak. Take the points with the underdog. 

Louisiana Tech is in the midst of the toughest stretch of their season with four of five games on the road. Today, they’ll face a Florida International team that they have won three straight close games against. The Bulldogs have also shown a quality in conference in tight games, as they are 2-0 in-conference in games that go to overtime. With their guards excelling in Cobe Williams and Isaiah Crawford back Louisiana Tech.

It’s rare to see a one win team suddenly go on a win streak at any juncture of a season. Yet, here we are as the Monmouth Hawks have surged with three straight wins over North Carolina A&T, Delaware, and Drexel. Although the Seawolves are 1-6 over their last seven games they handled Monmouth relatively easily in an early January win. Take the Seawolves as they complete the season sweep over Monmouth.

The Duke Blue Devils have pulled off four of five wins, with three being close calls. Wins over Wake Forest and Miami were by a mere two points, and they defeated UNC Saturday in what was a tied game with two minutes to go. Their prior win over Miami and a quick turn around from Saturday to Monday should make tonight another close grudge match. Miami’s lone Saturday to Monday game experience was a sloppy first 30 minutes against Syracuse. Take the points here with Duke. 

Seattle has been one of the top juggernauts over the last two seasons, where they have shined in WCC play. A season ago they jumped out to an 8-0 conference record, and jumped out to a 7-0 conference record this season. Early February has plagued them as they sustained consecutive losses last year including a fifteen point loss at New Mexico State. On a current three-game slide, tail the Aggies who have confidence coming off their first conference win.

A rare neutral site game will take place today in the Legacy Classic between Norfolk State and Hampton. This is a main network telecast which will give both teams a national spotlight. While Hampton has the ability with a veteran team to hang around, expect Norfolk State to have no issues scoring at will. A barrage of points will help Norfolk State pull away from the number. Lay it with the Spartans.

Thursday, the Southern Conference Mercer Bears will be aiming for revenge against UNC Greensboro. The Spartans toppled the Bears three games ago by hindering Mercer to just 48 points. It’s the only game over Mercer’s past five that the Bears have lost. While UNC Greensboro has the stout conference record at 8-2, this is a tough road spot with a Bears team growing at the tail end of the season. Grab the home underdog.

In their last outing College of Charleston suffered just their second loss of the season to Hofstra. The loss took Charleston out of the top twenty five, and now the Cougars will go on the road to face Drexel. Although this marks Charleston’s third road game over their past four, I expect a refocused team that shakes off their loss to Hofstra. Take Charleston as the big road favorites.

The Aztecs are a team that has jumped back into the top twenty five this week. They’re a team that will drive you nuts with in-game letdowns, but their talent and depth is a big advantage in the Mountain West. Off the bench they are going to get 30 to 35 points consistently from Micah Parrish, Adam Seiko, and Jaeden Leedee. Tail the Aztecs to outlast the Wolf Pack who have dropped three of their last five games.

As dominant as Alabama has been with an 8-0 SEC conference record, they are coming off their worst loss of the season against Oklahoma. They have also been on the road three of their past four games, with the lone home game being a three point win against a Mississippi State team that is 1-7 in conference. On a line that has jumped up two points grab the value on Vanderbilt, which is 4-0 on the road in SEC conference play.

Arizona State has hit the conference wall that plagues a majority of non top twenty five teams in college basketball. They have dropped three straight games to formidable Pac-12 opponents in UCLA, USC, and Washington. Facing Washington State has always been a challenge as their last three matchups have all been decided by six points or less. Take the Cougars to even the season series as ASU continues to spiral.

The majority of the season California Baptist was floating around .500. They have now shown some upward momentum with victories in five of their last six games. Look for their winning trajectory to continue today against UT Rio Grande Valley who has just one win in-conference, and has lost three straight by double figures. Play California Baptist

Maine is certainly not an upper tier team with just eight wins, and Albany has their own stuggles with just six wins. But Maine has actually had success against Albany. Last year they had a victory in one game and the other they let a big lead slip away in the final minutes. Off their first two conference wins play Maine has the slim road favorite.

Mount St. Mary’s first season in the MAAC conference has led to a 3-8 start. Today they should have a winnable game on their home floor against a St. Peter’s team that has a tough time after last seasons’ Elite 8 run. They lack the consistency to score for stretches and that should bog them down on the road today. Grab the Mountaineers on the small number.

New Mexico is a very talented team that will likely make some noise in March Madness. Yet, Friday is a bad spot for them as they’ve played consecutive over time games. They also lost to Nevada in a demoralizing way blowing a five point lead in the first overtime, and losing in the second overtime due to a flagrant foul on Morris Udeze with sixteen seconds left. New Mexico defeats Air Force but does not cover he double digit line.

Marist has suffered consecutive losses to Mount St. Mary’s and Saint Peter’s, whom are both towards the bottom of the conference. Expect a reverse of fortune tonight as Marist will host Rider. Rider may be towards the top of the conference but six of their last seven games have been decided by five points or less, and five by three points or less. Grab the points with Marist.

After making it to March Madness last season, Wright State has not been able to replicate their success this year. Trey Calvin is still a dynamic scorer but they are subpar defensively and rank 174th in the country in rebounding. Although they did defeat Milwaukee earlier this season, look for the Panthers to play much better as the leader of the Horizon Conference. Take the points.

Out in the Colonial Conference Drexel is a dark horse contender for the conference. Today they’ll face a North Carolina A&T team that is above .500 in their first season in the Colonial Conference. Yet, their wins have all come against the bottom level teams in Elon, Stony Brook, Hampton, and William and Mary. Take Drexel as the small road favorites

Samford has had one of the best turn arounds of any mid-major team. At the tail end of non-conference play they lost seven straight games, including one against a non division one school. The Bulldogs have resurged with an 8-0 start in-conference. Yet, only one of those wins came agains a team that is not floating around .500. Furman excels offensively where they rank 18th in the country in PPG, and is has two role players in JP Pegues and Alex Williams coming off of season highs. Take Furman

The Huskies downfall in Big East play began with a road loss at Xavier. The Musketeers challenged the Huskies defense and were the first team to score more than eighty points against UConn. Yet, the main problem in that contest was the Huskies allowing Xavier to have a nineteen point edge at the free throw line. Look for the Huskies to play a much better all around game and even the season series against Xavier.

In conference play typically every team is going to have that arduous consecutive games of road travel. For the Mercer Bears that junction of their season is today, as their matchup against UNC Greensboro will mark their third straight game. I have this spread a tad bit to high based on that fact, and coupled with UNC Greensboro’s 6-1 start in-conference. Grab Mercer who have quietly used this road trip to get some momentum, as they’ve won two straight.

Buffalo responded off of consecutive losses by pouring on one hundred points in a twenty nine point victory over Bowling Green. They’ll face a Toledo team that has started to regain some of the form of last year’s MAC regular season title team. They’ve won three of their last four games by double digits, with sophomore transfer Dante Maddox Jr. becoming more comfortable in the Rockets guard heavy lineup. Lay the number with Toledo. 

Saint Peter’s has had an expected tough transition minus their former coach in Shaheen Holloway and several transfer exits. They’re last in the standings in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, and have dropped five straight games. Yet, they’ve fought in each of those five losses outside of a double-digit loss to Iona. Seek the value on St. Peter’s against an over achieving Marist team on a three-game win streak.

Two teams in the MAC with identical records at 8-9 will meet today as Buffalo hosts Bowling Green. Buffalo is 7-1 on their home floor and has won both MAC matchups at home. Last season the Bulls actually scored an average of 106 points against Bowling Green in two matchups. That’s troublesome considering Bowling Green is coming off allowing 108 points in a loss to Western Michigan. Yet, this is not the same talent level Bulls team from the past two seasons. They rank 325th in college basketball in turnovers, and also struggle as a team at the free throw line at 67 percent.

Canisius has won consecutive games for the first time this season. Tonight they will have a golden opportunity to push their winning streak to three against Marist. Marist may have the better record but is coming off just their first win in MAAC conference play, with a victory over conference newcomer Mount St. Mary’s. Look for Canisius to speed up Marist on the offensive end of the floor to dictate pace and notch their third straight victory.

Last season Bellarmine shocked college basketball with how quickly they were able to perform well on the division one level. This year their woes have been compounded with inconsistencies on their home floor. In fact, Bellarmine has dropped three straight home games to division one opponents, and is just 1-3 at home this year against division one schools. Grab Stetson to improve to 5-0 in conference play.

In non-conference play there may not have been a quality lower level division one school that hit a wall as hard as Samford. They dropped seven straight games including a loss to a non division one school in Tennessee Southern. Yet, the light switch came on when Southern Conference play began as the Bulldogs are 4-0. Look for Wofford’s aggressive defense to give the Bulldogs trouble on their home floor and threaten to end their unblemished conference record. 

The Mercer Bears have begun Southern Conference play winless at 0-4. Two of the losses have been by twenty eight points or more, and another by nine points. That spells trouble tonight against a Furman team that has defeated Mercer fourteen straight times. Take the Paladins who aren’t as potent as prior teams but still have Mike Bothwell to lead the way.

UMass Lowell was one of the darling stories of non-conference play as they began the season 14-2. Losses they had were to Rutgers by just eight points and a game against Rhode Island they had won before allowing the game to go to overtime. Anytime a team starts so strong and then gets blown out in-conference it’s not a good sign. The River Hawks just lost 89 to 63 in their last game against Albany, and in their prior two games won by less than three points in both. Take the warning signs and back the road Vermont team.

Tonight in MAAC conference play Fairfield finds themselves as small home favorites against a Niagara team that has a better overall record at 8-5. A clear distinction with the Purple Eagles is their home and away record. They’ve won five of their last six games, but on the season are just 1-5 on the road. Take Fairfield to bounce back off their home loss to Siena. 

Certain teams just can’t avoid one team that has their number. SIU Edwardsville has the clear talent edge over Tennessee State but that did not help in 2021. Of Tennessee State’s eleven wins last season, three came against SIU Edwardsville with two of the victories by fifteen points. I do expect SIU Edwardsville to have an edge early on based on last year’s performances, but look for Tennessee State to have the answers in the second half to grab the underdog cover. 

Monmouth’s transition to the Colonial Athletic Conference from the MAAC has proven to be an immense issue in terms of wins and losses. They are just 1-13 on the year and will face a Stony Brook team that has won three of their past five games. For a team like Monmouth that is playing so poorly they are going to need a given edge outside of the court for an advantage. That is in play tonight as Stony Brook has played three of their past four games on the road. They also should be a little rusty on the offensive end with a four day layoff. Take Monmouth.

Last year the Marshall Thundering Herd were one of the poorest teams based on talent in college basketball. This season they’ve turned it around led by Taevion Kinsey’s transformation to utilize his NBA skill level better. He’s picking his spots much better as a facilitator and dominant scorer. Marshall’s jump to the Sun Belt from Conference USA also gives them a leg up on prior scouting disadvantages. Take Marshall as heavy road favorites as they have bounced back from each of their three losses this season with a new winning streak (Purchase the hook to 7)

East Tennessee State was 4-9 in non-conference play but is already 2-0 in Southern Conference play to boost their record to 6-9. Yet, Western Carolina finally has a golden opportunity to take advantage of a vulnerable East Tennessee State team. Since East Tennessee State joined the Southern Conference in 2014 they have defeated Western Carolina every home game. Grab the points here as the Catamounts sense an opportunity to end that streak.

Cal State Fullerton is not going to wow you with their offensive scoring capabilities. They rank 301st in the country in scoring at 68.5 points and give up a point less per game in 67. So to be a big favorite it has to be the right matchup. The Titans have been able to boost their scoring average against Cal State Northridge as they scored 81 and 79 in last year’s wins over the Matadors. Take Cal State Fullerton.

California Baptist is a team that showed promise towards the end of conference play a season ago. With Taran Armstrong back their subpar non-conference play thus far can change in trajectory in-conference. Today is a chance against a Seattle team that was stout a season ago but has taken a hit talent-wise. Take California Baptist plus the points in Seattle’s first conference game of the season.

It’s never easy making a coaching transition after a great run with a smaller college like Shaheen Holloway had last season with St. Peter’s. Seton Hall does not really have anyone that is going to wow you, but they do have experience with three seniors and two juniors. Kadary Richmond has started to blossom in the past couple of games for Seton Hall scoring 28 against Providence and 17 against Xavier. While the Pirates may be 0-2 in Big East play both losses were by four points or less. Take the Pirates to give Marquette their first competitive match on their home floor and challenge the Golden Eagles unblemished 7-0 home record.

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are coming off a lopsided road loss against Louisville in which they were favored by seven points. That was Louisville’s first win of the season and has created a smaller road favored spot for the Hilltoppers today. South Carolina may be 4-0 at home but are a team that will be lucky to win 12-13 games all season. Take the Hilltoppers. 

St. John’s has impressed record-wise at 11-1, but oddsmakers know of the Johnnies struggles once Big East play begins. The 2019 season they started 11-2 in non-conference, but preceded to lose six of their first seven Big East conference games. Last season as well they were 8-2 in non-conference, and then dropped five of their first seven conference games. Villanova may be adjusting without Jay Wright but matchup well with the Johnnies. Buy the hook and play the home team Wildcats.

Typically if a team is playing in a back to back spot in college basketball it’s tournament related. That is not the case tonight as Southern Indiana travels to play IPFW after defeating IUPUI yesterday. They’ve won four straight games and can use the energy from yesterday’s performance for a good start against IPFW. Play the points here on the underdog.

At times this season Kennesaw State has impressed, which included ending a long road drought in defeating Mercer. Out of all teams in college basketball the Owls are one of the top teams that have a wide disparity of home games versus road. Tonight will actually mark their first home game this season against a division one opponent. This is a big number but look for Kennesaw State’s guard play to excel and lead to a double digit victory.

Without a doubt there was not a mid-major team more gutted by the transfer portal than St. Bonaventure, as they lost all five starters and four to the portal. It’s led to disarray from oddsmakers who have been wildly off every game the Bonnies have played this season. While Florida Gulf Coast may have the veteran roster, the Bonnies answer their runs and improve to 6-0 at home.

Bethune Cookman is winless on the road this season at 0-4, yet are just a 1.5 point underdog today against Incarnate Ward. This likely has to do with the fact that Incarnate Ward is a team that is more on their level than road games this season against Iowa and Indiana. Look for Bethune Cookman to get their first road win as Incarnate Ward comes in having lost three of their past four. 

Taking away Oregon State’s first three games that were victorious this year, they have lost 24 of their past 25 games. This season alone they have dropped six of their past seven games. Bettors have recognized this as today’s line has shifted in favor of Seattle. Yet, the Beavers have been a different team at home this year where they are 4-1. They’ll have the defense to force Cameron Tyson into tough shots as they cover the small number. 

UC Irvine has a big win on the season over Oregon, and came close to knocking off San Diego State. Tonight they’ll find themselves as small underdogs on the road against another quality smaller California school in Santa Clara. The Broncos may have the better starting five, but from a depth stand point that upper hand goes to the Anteaters. Santa Clara has also had a string of close games, with three of their past four wins coming by four points or less. Grab the underdog.

Furman is not the same caliber team they’ve been in recent years, but they still have two fifth year seniors in guard Mike Bothwell and forward Jalen Slawson. A trait that has stuck with Furman over the years is their ability to play to the level of Power Five competition. Last year they defeated Louisville and lost by just three to Mississippi State. The year prior they lost just by three points to Alabama, and took Auburn to overtime three seasons ago. They’ll continue to play within the number and keep it close on the road at NC State. 

A team that has had reverse fortune to their young season has been Samford. They began the year 6-0, and now have stumbled with four straight losses. One of the losses was to a non division one school in Tennessee Southern. A positive and big take away is all four of the Bulldogs losses have been by five points or less, and three of the four by three points or less. They’ll keep it within range here on the road against a team they matchup well with in UL Lafayette. Play Samford.

Competitive games in non-conference play against smaller schools are noteworthy to spotlight ATS. Nevada had to fight for the full forty minutes in their victory over Pepperdine, prevailing with a late push. At 8-2, look for a letdown road spot today against an Oregon team hungry for a showcase game. Lay it with Oregon

After a string of five straight victories by eight points or more Florida Gulf Coast lost by thirty-two points against Florida Atlantic. The road loss was their worst of the year even surpassing their thirty one point loss against Tennessee. Unlike their loss against Tennessee that sparked their win streak, this loss has made them a vulnerable team. Mercer has the team to compete with Florida Gulf Coast and keep this within the number of six points. Play Mercer. 

On Colorado’s resume are two big wins over Texas A&M and Tennessee but they’ve lost consecutive games against Pac-12 conference mates in Arizona State and Washington. Regrouping against in-state school Colorado State will not be an easy task. Look for a much more heightened effort from the Rams after they took the smaller in-state school in Northern Colorado lightly in their last outing. Play the points here with Colorado State. 

Some nights a team just does not have it. On Tuesday the Hawkeyes were flat for the majority of forty minutes against a Duke team that took advantage of the big stage at Madison Square Garden. In less than forty eight hours since the Hawkeyes must regroup to take on an Iowa State team that embarrassed them a season ago 73 to 53. This should be a completely different level of display from the Hawkeyes against a Cylclones team that may be a tad bit over rated thanks to wins over a now unranked North Carolina and Villanova teams.

A theme throughout college basketball thus far has been revenge spots off of a loss last season in non-conference. It’s happened continuously as profiled on the Early Edge, and has another opportune spot to happen tonight. Last season UMass Lowell lost against the bigger school in UMass by eleven points. New Coach Frank Martin has refreshed UMass and has them off to a 7-1 record, but UMass Lowell has the interior game with Allin Blunt and guard play to cover. Take UMass Lowell. 

Hampton boosted their home record to 2-0 with a pull away victory over Howard. Once again they find themselves as a small home underdog to Loyola Maryland because of two reasons. One they are just 2-6 on the season and last year Loyola Maryland defeated Hampton by thirteen points.  Yet and experienced team and a bit better offense is at hand for Hampton. Tail the home underdog as they get revenge from last year’s defeat.

We’ve seen several top teams falter out of the rankings with Gonzaga and North Carolina. Michigan State is another team that has faltered with a string of losses. Although they’ve had rest on their side and a scouting report edge tonight against Penn State, I still don’t see them turning it around on the road. Tail Penn State as they hand Izzo’s squad another loss.

Unranked unbeaten teams into December in college basketball are red flagged for a reason. UNLV has improved immensely but has been prone to offensive droughts. San Diego is the type of team that can match UNLV’s defense, and has enough offensive skillset players to hand UNLV their first loss tonight. Take the points though as Coach Lavin has his Toreros ready for a great game. 

Expect a flat road spot tonight for Utah Tech as they travel in-state to face Weber State. The Trailblazers exceeded expectations in their last game against Utah State, battling to a five point loss. Weber State is not the same caliber team of last season’s that started 8-0, but can lean on the experience of last year’s 87 to 70 victory over Utah Tech. Take the small home favorite here in Weber State.

A conference as a whole that has vastly under performed thus far this season has been the Big Sky. With most teams at or below .500 now is an opportune buy low spot for several Big Sky teams including Southern Utah. Their opponent tonight in Idaho State has five losses by four points or less, including one against BYU. Look for that to change tonight as Southern Utah puts forth a great road effort.

There are teams early in the season that have multiple losses that are respectable. Xavier fits that mold as all three of their losses have come against current or former top ten teams in Duke, Gonzaga, and Indiana. West Virginia will certainly be another high end challenge but look for Coach Miller and Xavier to find a way at home.

A Big Ten battle that will take center stage on the night slate for college basketball is Illinois and Maryland. Illinois may have the big stage attention in college basketball with their early season schedule, but Maryland is ready to pose a shockwave of their own tonight. They are 7-0, and and took down Illinois by sixteen points at home last season. Play the Terrapins.

Expect a seesaw affair in tonight’s matchup between Kennesaw State and Mercer. On the year six of Mercer’s eight games have been decided by single digits. The pressure is also on the Bears to bounce back from a ten point home loss in their last outing against Towson. With this being an in-state small school matchup expect a competitive tight game. Take the points with Kennesaw State in what was a matchup decided by two points last season. 

A team that has underperformed at home versus on the road has been Pacific. They have dropped four straight games at home all by four points or less. Now the script as a favorite has flipped as they travel on the road to face UC Davis. Expect Pacific to remain competitive as they have and to possibly win outright. Play the points.

Cornell is a two point loss away against Boston College from having an undefeated record. Since that performance they have went on to win five straight games, including an eighteen point road victory against Monmouth. Yet, today’s opponent in Delaware should challenge them with upgraded skill level on the defensive end of the floor. Grab the Blue Hens on their home floor.

Texas has the explosiveness on both ends of the floor to put a clinic on against Creighton. Creighton caught attention in their tournament action a week ago but will have a hard time going up and down the floor against Texas. Lay the points here with the Longhorns.

Seattle University may have the best kept secret in college basketball with guard Cameron Tyson. Tyson is one of the top scorers in college basketball averaging twenty eight points per game. This is a marquee game for Seattle to play the big school in the state of Washington. Take the points with the Red Hawks after Washington’s shocking outright win over St. Mary’s. 

The Longwood Lancers will make the road journey tonight to face San Diego. The Toreros are coming off consecutive losses in Las Vegas against New Mexico State and Nicholls. That has dropped the spread value to a favorable situational spot for Longwood. Although they are 0-2 on the road they have deep experience to keep this game close. Take Longwood.

Non conference- tournament action can lead to a false perception on a teams true identity. Milwaukee has surpassed expectations with recent wins over UC Davis and a blowout win over Boston. They also bolstered their resume with non-conference competition against Purdue and Iowa State. Look for recent tournament action to lead to rusty play from the home team Milwaukee tonight. Play Southeast Missouri.

Sacramento State has been absolutely torched their past couple of games against UC Davis and Hawaii. Both games quickly turned in a matter of minutes which show how vulnerable Sacramento State is defensively. Yet, Southern Utah is lacking that spurt ability on the offensive end of the floor. Grab Sacramento State to establish a lead and hang on to cover on the number. 

East Carolina is one of the strangest teams in college basketball from an ATS stand point. They continue to be underdogs but have past the test with several outright wins. At 5-1 they now travel for a non neutral site game to face Old Dominion. This is also a smaller point spread. The Pirates play well again but lose at the end with Old Dominion making the necessary free throws.

Undefeated early in a college basketball season does have merit but also creates ATS value against. Quinnipiac is 6-0 with wins over Rhode Island and a resounding win over Stephen F Austin. Yet, Montana State can also play a grind it out style of basketball with limited possessions. They’ve underachieved to begin the season and should have the fire power to end Quinnipiac’s undefeated start. Take Montana State.

A late game that should be entertaining is Texas State vs Southern Utah. Texas State has knocked down two opponents in California and Rhode Island that have boosted their ATS ground. Yet, look for Southern Utah to be their match as they play solid team basketball. This is one that should be a pull away spot for Southern Utah.

One bad half of basketball downgraded the Butler Bulldogs. They held their own for one half against Tennessee and absolutely fell apart in the second half en route to a complete beat down. Yet, they are a team that should get better as the season extends. Facing NC State should be a close neck and neck game but I like Butler’s tenacity and guard play to elevate them. Take Butler.

Mercer has three losses on the season but could very well be undefeated. They let a big lead falter against East Carolina, lost to Georgia State in overtime, and could not pull through against Florida State. Sometimes certain teams are in a bad spot post holiday and this is a letdown spot for Mercer. Tail Robert Morris plus the points.

A neutral site game played just off the strip will take place in Las Vegas tonight between UC Riverside and Weber State. Weber State is off to a rough start but have not had the opportunity to face a division one school on their level yet. Look for the Wildcats to settle in the second half as they aim for their first win over a division one school this season. Take the small underdog here in Weber State.

Early season ranked teams from the West Coast are under valued because of their late start times. San Diego State has a golden opportunity with a spotlight showcase today against Ohio State. The Aztecs have focused on pushing the basketball and have improved vastly from a team that averaged just sixty five points per game. Additionally, their top player in Matt Bradley has yet to get going as he has averaged just seven points. He will turn it around today, as San Diego State’s team basketball pushes past the Buckeyes.

Georgia Tech will have their first true test Monday against a power five school. At 3-0, they have had a subpar schedule out the gate with victories over Georgia State, Northern Illinois, and a non-division one school in Clayton. Look for Utah’s size and better execution in half court to be the difference. Take the Utes in a bounce back spot after losing to Sam Houston as a double-digit favorite.

With several neutral site tournaments there is value to be had on small schools. Santa Clara will take on DePaul later this evening as slight underdogs. DePaul already has notched a power five win over Minnesota but will face a Santa Clara team that will challenge them on the defensive end of the floor. The Broncos have an under the radar transfer in Parker Braun and a big time scorer in Brandin Podziemski that is averaging 25 points per game. Take Santa Clara.

A team that endured a plethora of injuries last season with players in and out of the lineup was Nevada. To start this year they have come out the gate 3-0. UT Arlington’s weak schedule has seen them defeat two non division one schools. Sometimes that type of tune up can prepare you better for higher level competition. At home look for the Mavericks to keep this close to cover the spread.

Starting off 0-3 has cast a shadow of embarrassment on Leonard Hamilton and his Florida State Seminoles squad. Yet, it is early in the season and I expect the Seminoles to regroup and put forth a better effort today against Florida. This is an over reaction spot spread wise. Take the points with the Seminoles.

An aggressive point spread rise Thursday that proved correct was on Troy. From start to finish they had no issues defeating Merrimack and won by nineteen points. They also have a road victory over Florida State. Yet playing in consecutive days is tough for any team and St. Thomas will want to respond after an embarrassing showcase yesterday against Montana. Play the underdog.

A poor loss early in non-conference can actually create immediate value ATS. Oklahoma State did go down 61 to 60 against Southern Illinois, but quickly regrouped to blowout Oakland 91 to 62. Their balance especially at the guard position will be tough for Central Florida to contain. Look for a solid contribution off the bench from former Texas State guard Caleb Asberry to spark the Cowboys. Lay it -6.

Traveling across the country is not an easy task for any school. Hofstra has been great ATS including a big home win against Iona. Yet, San Jose State has created a bit of a radar blotch on themselves as well. They are 3-0 and have shown to be one of the most improved teams in college basketball. Look for their early season magic to continue. Play the home underdog

Out in the SWAC I’ll do a late add with Alabama A&M. The Bulldogs were competitive against a North Alabama team that was better than their record indicated a season ago. The SWAC is also an underrated conference for it’s skill level especially on the offensive end of the floor. Tennessee State prevails but Alabama A&M gets the cover as an underdog.

A lot of rosters are completely made over in college basketball with transfers that are upperclassmen but inexperienced. UTEP is one of those teams. After losing by fifteen points to a top team in Texas it can be hard to regroup for their second game. UTEP may lack experience but has a group of players that have had high repetition of practices with their former teams. This new playing time is what they covet and should carry over in a win against New Mexico State. Play UTEP.

Binghamton out of the American East conference should have a solid revenge spot today against Marist. A season ago the Bearcats hosted Marist and lost 64 to 51. A spark plug for Marist in that contest was Jao Ituka, who has now transferred to Wake Forest. This should be a slower paced contest and low scoring. Go against the line move here and play Binghamton. 

One more late add with Cal State Fullerton getting a small number at home. Early in the season one can't over react to a big blowout win. Pepperdine blew out an opponent in Rice that they had a revenge angle on. Last year Rice defeated them in double digit fashion to open the season. Cal State Fullerton does not score in bunches but does play solid defense with experience. Take Cal State Fullerton.

Sometimes we see power five schools take a major dip, and take years to rebuild. Georgia has a new look roster of a difficult combination of transfers. It’s going to take some time to build up the talent level of this current roster. Expect Wake Forest to perform better than they did in their first game against Fairfield, and pull away from Georgia.

It was not going to be an easy transition for new South Carolina Coach Lamont Paris. The Gamecocks former Coach in Frank Martin had three of his former South Carolina players transfer to UMass with him. While the Gamecocks had their issues defeating South Carolina State in their opener, they did shoot 44 percent from the field. Expect better execution Friday and for South Carolina to cover against Clemson.

Coach Pitino has done what expected at Iona and that is maximize his roster year over year. This was on display in Iona’s first game as they stormed the six point spread with ease. Today, expect more of a battle even with Hofstra losing a few key players from last season. Hofstra has grit and always plays tough in non conference. Take the points. 

Early season neutral site tournaments can be of opportune value in the betting market. UL Lafayette against Harvard should be an optimal spot. The Ragin Cajuns are a deep talented team that should project to be a dangerous 12 or 13 seed in March. Led by former Power five player Jordan Brown, and former St. John’s guard Greg Williams UL Lafayette has only built a more dangerous squad around them. Play UL Lafayette.

Delaware returns several starters from last year’s March Madness tournament team, and added L.J. Owens a transfer from UMBC. Their talent will put them in the driver’s seat once again to make a big run in the CAA, but for Friday they’ll be on the road for the first time this season. Their next game will also be on the road against Duke. Take the home underdog from the Mountain West in Air Force. 

We will grab the Torreros who will face Florida Gulf Coast tonight. It’s always tough when a team pulls off an upset in their opening game to play a fluid second game. This should the case tonight with Florida Gulf Coast who had no issues in defeating USC. Grab SD as their defense will keep Gulf Coast in check.

The Mercer Bears will have to find a way to replace their top three scorers from last season, including Felipe Haase and Neftali Alvarez who transferred to Southern Miss. While the offense will be a work in progress I expect the Bears to showcase higher energy on the defensive end of the floor. This was an area severely lacking with last year’s team that were blown out of several games in-conference. Take Mercer as East Carolina loses a season opener for the first time in over twenty years.  

Duke has grown immensely throughout the tournament, but now they’ll face a North Carolina team with top intel on the Blue Devils. UNC already defeated Duke exactly three weeks ago by a score of 94 to 81. Do not expect North Carolina to be afraid of the moment, and a deficit for Duke would spell trouble. Take the Tar Heels.

A short handed Villanova Wildcats team will take on a surging Kansas Jayhawks team. The top seed maybe has had the easiest path of all the Final Four teams, which could play into the hands of Villanova. Expect, Jay Wright to devise a game plan that suits Villanova attempting to take the game in the final ten minutes of the second half. This will be a tight game and one Villanova keeps within the spread.

The Basketball Classic championship will finally take place tonight as Fresno State travels to Coastal Carolina. This is the Bulldogs longest road trip of the season, as the furthest they’ve traveled is against Mountain West opponents. Yet, expect the Bulldogs to be focused and handle a Coastal Carolina team that has shown a knack for getting behind the past two matchups. Grab Fresno State.

In their respective NIT semi-final matchups on Tuesday both Xavier and Texas A&M put together complete games. This will make Thursday’s championship a true must watch game. Prior to the championship all matchups in the NIT were spaced out. Expect the two day turn around to bode to the advantage of the Aggies, as they continue their strong defensive effort in the NIT. Buy the hook and purchase the Aggies -4.