Two teams that are winless in Conference USA are Marshall and Florida International. Bettors have been lured in with Marshall’s current seven game losing streak. This included their last game where the market rose heavily 2.5-3 points against Rice. Yet, this is the spot the betting market should pounce on. Last season Marshall had their way with Florida International winning by 13 and 17 points. Take the Thundering Herd as their shots finally fall. 

Tony Bennett is one of the best college basketball coaches in regards to preparation. His Virginia Cavaliers certainly are not the same caliber as past elite teams. At 10-7, they have to find different ways to win each game. Tonight look for their experience against Pittsburgh in December 3rd’s tight 57-56 victory to give them the X’s and O’s advantage. Take Virginia.

Creighton has taken a step back in Big East play with consecutive poor losses. As a result their point spread today against St. John’s has come down a point and a half overnight. Although the Red Storm have a veteran team they have been poor on the road with three consecutive losses. Take Creighton as their growing pains subside tonight.

Wednesday, out in the Big South Radford will host Hampton. The in-state matchup should provide extra motivation for the home team in Radford. In a down season the Highlanders are still capable of having potent scoring streaks. Grab Radford as they snap a stretch of going 1-7 over their last eight gam

Southern Utah’s days in the Big Sky will be coming to a close as they move to the WAC conference next season. Tonight they play a makeup game against Portland State, and it will be their first action since New Year’s Day. Look for the sixteen days off to affect Southern Utah just enough for Portland State to keep within the number. Take Portland State. 

Out in the SWAC a small number exists between Bethune-Cookman and Arkansas Pine-Bluff. Neither team has won more than four games, and Bethune Cookman has not had a winning streak all season. Trust here lies with that fact and Bethune Cookman’s second road game in forty eight hours. Capture the value here as Bethune Cookman gains their first two game winning streak.

A team that has dipped well below .500 has been Northeastern out of the CAA. As we’ve stated before with Covid pauses causes uncharacteristic patterns for teams. Prior to two covid pause breaks the Huskies were right above .500. No wins since December 7th has placed spread option value on the Huskies. Take Northeastern as they snap out of their prolonged funk.

Monday features heavy holiday college basketball action. Even the Ivy League has a three game slate including Harvard at Dartmouth. The Crimson are coming off a road win Saturday against Columbia. They are clearly the better team from a record stand point, but look for Dartmouth to take advantage of Harvard’s second road game in 48 hours. Play Dartmouth.

In the West Coast Conference bettors can typically catch value on teams coming off bad losses to the top-tier teams. Loyola Marymount is coming off a 97-73 crushing loss to 15-2 San Francisco. That’s created road favored value today against San Diego who have outperformed their capabilities recently. Take Loyola Marymount.

In mid January it’s typical to see quality teams go on conference slides. Currently Alabama is reeling from consecutive losses by six points or less. They battled hard in their latest loss against Auburn, but could not close in the final minute. Look for trouble on the horizon today against the Bulldogs, as Mississippi State has the ability to get out on teams early. Take Mississippi State.

The Sun Belt conference will have a solid matchup today between UL Lafayette and Texas State. Familiarity will be key here as last season there were four matchups between both teams. Two of the matchups were decided by less than two points, and another went to overtime. While the Ragin Cajuns have two impact transfers from St. John’s and Arizona, it’s Texas State that has the more balanced scoring team. Take Texas State. 

Friday, the Mountain West has the late night game between Fresno State and UNLV. Their last four matchups since 2019 have all been decided by three points or less. With UNLV coming off a blowout 85-56 victory over the Lobos, one may lean UNLV. Yet, look for Fresno State’s defense to be a strong catalyst. Over their last six games they have allowed just fifty five points per game. Take Fresno State.

A conference that has stayed the course through Covid-19 has been the MAC. With two to three games a week there are vulnerable spots to catch quality teams for an off night. Kent State may be 7-8, but three of their last four losses have been by three points or less. Take the Golden Flashes tonight as they finally break through in a close game.

Today an unusual sighting from a point spread perspective exists in the MAAC conference. The Siena Saints who are on a three game win-streak find themselves underdogs to Marist. This is peculiar because Siena has went 29-10 in-conference since 2019. Don’t fall for fool’s gold of the past as this Siena team is susceptible and will not be a conference leader. Take Marist.

One of the more expansive conference realignments this season is in the WAC. Four former Southland conference teams joined this season with one of them being Abilene Christian. The Wildcats may have looked ahead to tonight’s matchup against Grand Canyon, as they lost consecutive home games against familiar rivals in Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin. Expect a bounce back spot tonight against a Grand Canyon team that’s 12-2 record does not correlate with their actual play. Take Abilene Christian.

High motivation lies in the Sun Belt conference today as Coastal Carolina travels to face Appalachian State. A year ago these two met in the Sun Belt conference tournament semi-final. In overtime Appalachian State edged Coastal Carolina, 64-61. Expect the Chanticleers to be motivated for revenge and cover against an Appalachian State team that may have peaked during their tournament run. 

Wednesday, Boise State returns after fifteen days since their last game on December 28th. They’ll face a Nevada Wolfpack team that has won six of their last seven. Last season they also defeated Boise State three times. Yet, look for Boise State’s top tier scoring defense to be a catalyst tonight. They rank 11th in the country allowing just 58.2 points per game. Take Boise State.

Smaller conference teams inflation sometimes can be higher than a power five school. A team that has seen their value sky rocket has been Gardner Webb. They’ve won four straight games, which included a seventeen point road victory over SEC Georgia. Yet on the season the Runnin’ Bulldogs have had both of their win streaks halted at four. Take the value here on Presbyterian.

Out in the Big South the Longwood Lancers find themselves as road favorites against the Radford Highlanders. This is despite having just four of their eight wins over division one opponents. A likely reason for this is Longwood will be a highly motivated team against a below average 5-8 Radford squad. Since 2016, Radford has won ten straight games over Longwood, including a 67-66 loss last year that Longwood let slip away. Take Longwood.

Last season Eastern Kentucky was one of the more exciting teams in the Atlantic Sun Conference, boasting a 15-5 record. They lost several key players including guard Wendell Green Jr. who transferred to Auburn. As expected they’ve had a dip in overall play and are 0-2 to begin conference play. Look for North Alabama to be the latest to have their way offensively against the Colonels. Back North Alabama on a steep three point spread rise.

Dayton and the Atlantic 10 have become synonymous with high expectations. The Flyers are typically one of the top four teams in the conference. A win this season over Kansas has helped mask a team that lacks the balance of past Flyer teams. In fact, don’t be surprised to see the Flyers be home underdogs at some point in-conference. Take the Billikens plus the points.

Monday, in Summit Conference play Kansas City will host Nebraska Omaha. The Mavericks began the season at 1-11, but have performed better in conference with a 2-3 record. It is expected for Kansas City to showcase rust as they have not played since December 22nd. Yet, expect UMKC to expose Nebraska Omaha with a big second half run. Take Kansas City on the two point spread drop.

Monday, a contrarian angle exists in the MEAC as Morgan State travels to play South Carolina State. It will mark Morgan State’s first game against a division one school since December 18th. The contrarian spread angle lies with the fact that the Bears are 0-6 on the road this year. Expect that to change in-conference as last year the Bears began MEAC road play with a 4-1 record. Take Morgan State

The highs and lows of power five conference play are patterned in early January. For Wisconsin tonight’s spot is a predictable let down spot. They’re coming off an upset win over Purdue on Monday, and a solid stout nine point victory over Iowa on Thursday. Yet, look for the Maryland Terrapins to play inspired basketball and end their 0-3 Big Ten start. Play Maryland. 

Out in the Big Sky a key Sunday evening matchup lies between Montana and Montana State. For several years Montana has been one of the main consistent top teams in the Big Sky conference. They’re off to another solid start at 4-1, but will face a much improved Montana State team. Furthermore, both matchups were cancelled last season due to Covid-19 issues. Take the Bobcats as they finally have a team that can knock off Montana.

Saturday, in the Missouri Valley Conference Southern Illinois and Valparaiso figure to be in for a tight battle. In two matchups last season both games were decided by three points or less. In a game that should be the low sixties, look for the Salukis to have enough runs to threaten Valparaiso’s solid home record. Grab Southern Illinois.

Each year there are a couple of teams that surpass expectations in non-conference play. This season Iowa State fits that billing as they have defeated Memphis, Xavier, Iowa, Creighton, and are coming off a win over Texas Tech. Yet, look for the rigors of Big 12 play to set them back. Unlike the 5.5-6.5 point underdog spots against Xavier, Iowa, and Creighton look for the Cyclones to stumble. Take Oklahoma. 

Southland conference play begins tonight for Texas A&M Corpus Christi and Nicholls Colonels. Value here exists against Texas A&M’s stout record of 12-3. All three of their losses have been against Power Five schools in Texas A&M, Minnesota, and Notre Dame. Grab the Colonels who lost to Wisconsin by just three points and played hard against Purdue.

In smaller conference play impact scorers elevate their teams play. IPFW’s Jared Godfrey is averaging 17 points per game, and shot 52 percent in two games last year against Youngstown State. Additionally, there is value on IPFW based on their limited experience in the Horizon league. Take IPFW to challenge for an outright win, but take the points. 

Line moves in college basketball can be tricky during today’s elements. One that has rose two full points has been Southern Miss at UT San Antonio. The Golden Eagles have been out of action since December 21st. Additionally, they had lost their last six games to drop to 4-8. While UT San Antonio may have more game experience, their roster is struggling to adjust from last year’s departures. Take the Golden Eagles plus the points.

Thursday, in the Ohio Valley Conference UT Martin will visit Tennessee State. Both teams have been heavily impacted with canceled games over the past month. In fact, Tennessee State’s last game against a division one opponent was December 18th. Yet, the Tigers are better than their sub .500 record suggests. They won four of their last five games and should continue that trend in their firs conference game. Take Tennessee State.

Out in the SWAC Alabama State finds themselves as road favorites against Arkansas Pine-Bluff. Both teams have eleven losses, but the Hornets did play Iowa State and Western Kentucky close. Furthermore, the Golden Lions do not have a win over a division one school. Take Alabama State

Wednesday in MAC action the Buffalo Bulls will host Bowling Green. The Bulls have uncharacteristically dropped three straight games. In fact, their last win over a division one school was December 8th. Issues with Covid and three postponed games disrupted their on court chemistry. Look for the Bulls to get it together tonight against a Bowling Green team that’s had a soft schedule. Play the Bulls.

A team that became a popular non-conference betting action team was UT Rio Grande Valley. The Vaqueros peak was a neck and neck game against ranked Illinois, that saw them lose 94-85. Monday, they’ll play a WAC conference game against Sam Houston State. Look for the Bearkats to utilize their upper hand with elevated guard play from DeMarkus Lampley and Texas A&M transfer Savion Flagg. Grab Sam Houston State.

There’s always a bit of value finding a team that is turning the corner towards the end of non-conference play. Tarleton State began the season just 1-7, losing to teams such as Gonzaga, Stanford, Kansas, Wichita State, and Michigan. Their difficult schedule helped them as they’ve won four of their last five games. Look for the Texans to continue their turn around and get a road win over WAC opponent Dixie State.

The Miami Hurricanes utilized a veteran roster that features multiple starters over the age of 22 to race out to a 9-3 record. This includes 24 year old Kameron McGusty whom has had a breakout campaign thus far averaging 18 points per game. As they begin ACC conference play, look for prior scouting advantages to thwart the Hurricanes. Take NC State as the Hurricanes falter at home.

Arkansas was one of the teams that faltered towards the end of non-conference play. An undefeated start at 9-0 was stymied against better competition as the Razorbacks lost in consecutive games to Oklahoma and Hofstra. That was the wake up call needed before SEC play begins. Take Arkansas to cover in their SEC opener against Mississippi State.

A team that has the look of a potential March Madness first round spoiler is Monmouth. The Hawks have been fantastic to begin the year at 10-2, and have showcased a great balance on both ends of the floor. Their opponent today in Hofsta is coming off an upset win over formerly ranked Arkansas. They also have two close losses against Houston and Maryland. Yet, look for the Hawks to remain focused and avoid the upset. Take Monmouth. 

After beginning the season 1-2, Florida Gulf Coast has now won nine of their last ten games. Wednesday, they will travel on the road to face a Canisius team that is coming off an upset over Buffalo. Prior to that win the Golden Griffins had lost five straight games by six points or more. Take Florida Gulf Coast to avoid a pre-holiday let down.

Tonight, an in-state small school matchup will take place between Santa Clara and San Jose State. Santa Clara has defeated the Spartans in the prior two matchups with current seniors Keshawn Justice and Josip Vrankic. Expect Santa Clara to successfully end their winless record on the road, and end San Jose State’s undefeated home record of 5-0. Play the Broncos. 

A night cash opportunity lies tonight in a true under the radar matchup. Portland State of the Big Sky will travel to take on Cal State Northridge. The Vikings have just one win this season over a division one school. Yet they’ll face a Cal State Northridge team that has lost three straight games. Play the Vikings as they get their first win since December 2nd. 

Oregon State’s woeful start to the season has their record at 1-9. Today, they have a situational spot against Texas A&M. The Aggies had their last game cancelled against Tulane, and may be vulnerable in a pre-holiday road spot. Take Oregon State who will cash as a small home underdog.

Saturday, the Utah Utes will play just their second true road game of the season. They’ll face a Missouri team that has had immense ups and downs on the young season. At just 5-5, they are coming off a thirty-seven point loss to Kansas. Take Utah to handle the Tigers early home crowd, and get their eighth win on the season.

Led by sixth year senior Tommy Kuhse, St. Mary’s has one of the more veteran teams in college basketball. Tonight they’ll partake in a neutral site game in Phoenix against San Diego State. This is yet again a case where the spread is smaller based on nine days rest for the Aztecs. Take St. Mary’s to outlast the Aztecs in what should be a gritty game. 

Over the years Furman has become one of college basketball’s darlings on pushing power five teams in non-conference. They’re coming off a thirteen point loss to North Carolina, but it was a game that was tied at halftime. There is concern for the Paladins against a Bulldogs team that is 6-1 at home, and how they’ll respond facing consecutive power five teams. Still, look for the Paladins offense to be strong enough for both halves.  Take Furman. 

Thursday, UNC Greensboro will play their second game in just three days. It will also mark their third straight road games since Saturday. It’s the main reason they find themselves as underdogs today against a UMBC team that is 3-0 at home this year. Yet, look for the Spartans to be aggressive offensively against a Retrievers team that has surrendered 89 and 100 points in their past two games. Play UNC Greensboro. 

Tuesday, Clemson will face a Miami-Ohio team that has had extended rest since December 4th. The Redhawks are a talented team but are coming into tonight on a three-game losing streak. Clemson should have the depth advantage here and ride their home crowd. Take the Tigers as they improve to 5-0 at home. 

Tonight a situational advantage spot lies with Seattle University against UC San Diego. Seattle has had back to back losses, including their worst of the season in a twenty point defeat against UNLV. Yet, they are 7-1 at home this year and are facing a UC San Diego team that should be rusty after a ten day layoff. Grab Seattle to continue their strong home effort.

On Friday, Rick Pitino caused a bit of a stir on twitter declaring that his whole team is sick with the flu. Today, they’ll face Yale in a neutral site game in New York City. Irregardless of the team being ill, look for the mastery of Coach Pitino’s in-game adjustments to override. Grab Iona on a line move that is proper.

At 3-6, Arizona State’s expectations are long gone on a salvageable season. Thursday, they’ll face a motivated Grand Canyon team that has two Arizona State transfers in Taeshon Cherry and Holland Woods. Look for ASU’s strength of schedule to pay dividends tonight. They’ve faced heavyweight matchups in tournaments and have already played two Pac-12 games. Take ASU on the small line.

St. John’s will be in for a test today against Monmouth. The Hawks are 7-1 overall and only loss was by two points against Charlotte. Furthermore, they start five seniors including former Big East Seton Hall guard Shavar Reynolds. Yet, St. John’s has a knack of speeding up teams. That does not bode well for Monmouth. Take the Johnnies 

Wednesday, BYU continues their matchups against in-state opponents as they face a well rested Utah State team. The Aggies have not played since last Thursday when they lost 60-58 to St. Mary’s. Although BYU played on Saturday, expect the Cougars to be the more efficient team and hand Utah State their first losing streak of the season.

In the latter stage of non-conference play is when one can fade home winning streaks. The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are 5-0 at home but all wins were against lower level opponents. Go against the line movement here as the Buffalo Bulls experienced team ends the Hilltoppers unblemished home record.

The Pepperdine Waves have had a rough start to their season at 2-8. This was due to losing both high level players in Brooklyn Nets forward Kessler Edwards and Colbey Ross. Tonight, they’ll finally get a matchup that can build their confidence against San Jose State. Take Pepperdine to pull away convincingly and cover the favored number.

Monday is a light schedule in college hoops but there will be a fantastic Big Ten matchup between Iowa and Illinois. Illinois came into the season with high expectations rising to tenth in the polls. They’ve won four straight after enduring two losses, and will be ranked once again in a matter of hours. Expect value on Iowa’s side with or without prolific scorer Keegan Murray. The Hawkeyes rank third in the country scoring 91 PPG, and turn the ball over just 7.25 times per game. Take Iowa. 

Cal State Fullerton has been a team that has been a line watcher game to game. Each of their line moves from the market has proved to be incorrect. Tonight against Pacific the line move has went in their favor from two to 3.5. This of course comes after Pacific lost to a UC Davis team that had been beaten by a non-division one art school. Take the points with Pacific. 

Stan Heath’s first season as new coach for Eastern Michigan has begun with just a 2-4 record. This includes an 0-4 road record with their last loss by thirty-eight points to DePaul. Further travel tonight to San Diego compounds their road issues. Yet, San Diego has seen a steep decline in offensive scoring output over their last several games. Take the points here with Eastern Michigan.

A trademark for Jamie Dixon led teams is an easy non-conference schedule. To begin the season they are 5-1, but their lone decent opponent was a nineteen point loss to Santa Clara. Tonight look for the Horned Frogs to continue their undefeated start at home, as Oral Roberts is not the same caliber of last year’s NCAA tournament team. Play TCU. 

Thus far the Big Ten has dominated in the first two days of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. Overall the Big Ten has won six games to the ACC’s one. Expect Miami to contend with Penn State, as the Nittany Lions have three guards with high minutes that are shooting below thirty five percent. Take the Hurricanes with the points.

The Wofford Terriers are coming off an outright win over an SEC school in the Georgia Bulldogs. Wednesday, they’ll host a Richmond Spiders team that has been wildly inconsistent at 3-4. Expect the Spiders to bounce back from a couple of tough losses in the Bahamas, as their offense outpaces Wofford. Grab Richmond to hand Wofford their first home loss of the season. 

For the second time this season Tennessee Tech and Chattanooga will meet. Their first matchup was on November 16th, as the Golden Eagles covered a thirteen point spread losing by seven. Look for another close game as the Mocs are coming off their first loss of the season. Take the underdog with Tennessee Tech.

The San Francisco Dons have used their WCC experience in Las Vegas’s Orleans Arena to continue their hot start. At 7-0, they have a chance to enter the top twenty-five with a win tonight against UAB. Yet, UAB is a deep experienced team that would be undefeated as well if not for a poor half against South Carolina. Take the UAB Blazers to end the Dons undefeated start.

Similar to last year Morehead State is off to a slow start below .500. In fact they have zero wins over division one schools as they’ve lost to Auburn, UAB, and Mississippi State. Yet the Eagles have familiarity as they defeated Arkansas State, 69-61 in last year’s non-conference matchup. Take the Eagles here. 

With so many transfers in college basketball, there are teams that gain experience that benefit a particular matchup. That’s on showcase today as Garrison Brooks the former UNC Tar Heel can give insight for his Bulldogs squad against ACC opponent Louisville. The Cardinal are also still without coach Chris Mack due to his suspension. Although Mississippi State has had a weak schedule, look for them to move to 5-0. 

A battle of undefeated teams in Xavier and Iowa State will take place today at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Both teams come in 4-0, with Xavier entering the top twenty five this week at 25th. Their team balance and offensive identity should pace the way for the Musketeers. Take Xavier on the big number to pull away from the Cyclones. 

A big line move has occurred between Rice and Fordham. We’ll go against the line move as bettors have gravitated early this season on the Owls. It worked in their first game on a heavy line move against Pepperdine, and their solid returning team is hard to ignore. Yet, look for this to be a tricky spot as Fordham’s weak schedule serves as a value indicator. Grab the Rams to play formidable half court defense and bite bettors that go with the line move.

One of the biggest college basketball line moves yesterday was Murray State against East Tennessee State. The line movement proved to be incorrect as East Tennessee State easily handled Murray State. Today should be a different story as East Tennessee State’s offense ranks just 310th compared to Missouri State which ranks 39th. Playing for a second consecutive day look for Missouri State’s offensive execution to be too much for the Bucs. Grab Missouri State.

Valparaiso will take on Coastal Carolina coming off their first win yesterday against Jacksonville State. The Beacons finally found their offense in a big way with fifty second half points. Look for their tournament readiness to give them a leg up against a Coastal Carolina team that has not played in five days. Grab Valparaiso.

A line that continues to move sharply has been East Tennessee State against Murray State. Personally, I liked this line at 3.5 for East Tennessee State, and will take the added three point value here. The Bucs are not as offensively sharp as in prior years but have an NBA prospect in Ledarrius Brewer. Although they are 1-2, we won’t over react. Take the value here on the Bucs against Murray State. 

A weak schedule to open the season for the Saint Louis Billikens featured wins over Central Arkansas, Eastern Illinois, and a non division one school. Saturday, they’ll face a Mercer Bears team that is 1-2 but has had a far tougher schedule. Yet, look for Mercer’s limited seven man rotation to hurt them in the second half against a deeper Saint Louis team. Back the Billikens.

A line that has moved against the favorite has been VCU against Chattanooga. One of the main reasons is VCU has struggled offensively averaging just fifty points per game. Expect an uptick offensively from the Rams, and for their half-court defense to continue to excel against the Mocs. Go against the line move here and back VCU. 

The San Diego Toreros have impressed thus far on the young season. They won on the road against Nevada, and are coming off a pull away victory over a UC Riverside team that upset Arizona State. Yet, Cal State Fullerton is a streaky shooting team that also gets to the free throw line. They average twenty free throws a game and rank fifteenth in the country at 82 percent.

It’s rare to see an 0-2 team favored by a sizable amount. Yet Niagara is this evening against SIU Edwardsville. This is largely due to their strength of schedule and narrow losses to both Ohio State and Xavier. Expect the Purple Eagles to handle the Cougars and get in the win column both ATS and side wise.

A peculiar point spread exists as South Carolina out of the SEC finds themselves as a home underdog against UAB. The Blazers were one of the best teams in Conference USA last season, before a tough loss to Western Kentucky in their conference tournament. Additions via transfer with Quan Jackson from Georgia Southern and KJ Buffen from Ole Miss elevate them immensely. Take the Blazers to handle the Gamecocks. 

Thursday, Coastal Carolina will travel to face UNC Wilmington out of Colonial Athletic Association. For the Chanticleers this will mark just their second game of the season, while this is the fourth for UNC Wilmington. That’s a big early season advantage for the Seahawks in front of their home crowd. Take UNC Wilmington. 

Tuesday, an in-state college hoops matchup will take place as Nebraska hosts Creighton. In the prior two seasons, Creighton walloped Nebraska by 19 points or more in both matchups. A talent drop off for the Bluejays this season gives Nebraska a chance to get revenge. Additionally, the spread would likely be higher on Nebraska’s side if not for an opening loss to Western Illinois. Expect Fred Hoiberg and his coaching staff to be dialed in. Take Nebraska.

A team that continues to be a tad bit over valued ATS are the Richmond Spiders. Richmond has one of the best retuning lineups in college basketball, but needs time to get readjusted on the court. They’ll be in for another tough challenge tonight against a Georgia State team that is excellent in half court offense. Take the Panthers getting a generous amount of points as an underdog. 

Through two games the Minnesota Gophers have won and covered both matchups. Sunday, they’ll continue to play in the Asheville tournament as they face Princeton in the championship. Look for Princeton’s experience led by seniors Jaelin Llewellyn and Drew Friberg to pay off against a Gopher’s team under a new coach. Grab Princeton.

A team that was ill prepared to begin their season was Detroit Mercy. Detroit scored just forty-seven points and were blown out in both halves of action against Wyoming. Expect a much sharper performance from Detroit who shot just 6-27 from three point range against Wyoming, versus being a top fifteen team last year in three pointers made. Take Detroit plus the points against Toledo. 

East Tennessee State begins their season Friday on the road against Appalachian State. The Buccaneers are coming off a disappointing 13-12 season, as they struggled to find consistent scoring. Yet, Appalachian State scored just 53 points in their opener against Iona. Take East Tennessee State on the small number to open their season.

Utah State suffered a stunning loss to open the season to UC Davis, 72-69. Now they’ll need to regroup as they face a Richmond team that has all five starters back, including four players heading into their fifth season. Yet, Richmond experienced key injuries and covid issues last season, and will need time to mesh together. Take the points with Utah State. 

San Jose State will embark on their first game of the season against 0-1 Cal State Fullerton. The Spartans will be without key player Richard Washington who is attempting to appeal an NCAA suspension. Look for Cal State Fullerton to pave the way led by the combination of guards Tray and Dante Maddox Jr. Play Cal State Fullerton.

Both ASU and UC Riverside will compete in their second games of the season on Thursday. For ASU, Bobby Hurley gets another tune up matchup to try and tinker with a new lineup filled with mid-major transfers. Against Portland they needed a second half push but failed to cover the twenty-four point line. Take the Highlanders whose slower pace of play will challenge ASU.

Bowling Green no longer has their top player over the last four years in recent graduate Justin Turner. Yet, they have a solid core of returning talent that can score all over the floor. That will be a problem for a Western Carolina team that lost Mason Faulkner to Louisville as a transfer. Furthermore, they surrendered an average of 82 points per game over their last seven to conclude last season. Take the road favorite in Bowling Green.

Monday, we will find out who will cut down the nets between Baylor and Gonzaga. This was a game we almost had in early December but was cancelled due to Covid-19. Over their last three tournament games Baylor has been impressive and cashed in all ATS-wise against Villanova, Arkansas, and Houston. Yet, expect Gonzaga’s offensive talent and depth to pose a problem for the Bears. Take the Zags to finish off their undefeated season and cash ATS.

The Final Four is the stage when Cinderella stories come to an end. Expect that to be the case for UCLA whose had fortune to survive two overtime games, and several late game blunders from the Michigan Wolverines. The Zags will over power the Bruins, and make another big statement before Monday’s national title game.

Value exists on Houston as all four of their tournament wins have been against double-digit seeds. Yet, Baylor showed down the stretch of the Big 12 season and in March Madness warning signs of deteriorating play. They have lacked the ability to play for forty minutes and isolation half court sets will play into the hands of the Cougars. Take the points here.

Opportunity of new life exists once again for the UCLA Bruins. For the second time in four March Madness games they needed overtime to survive. Top seeded Michigan destroyed a likely over-seeded Florida State team, but UCLA has the balance and momentum on their side to thwart the Wolverines. Also look for the coaching edge to side with the Bruins and Mick Cronin. Play UCLA. 

Thus far the USC Trojans have had advantageous matchups in March Madness. All three wins were by double-figures against two under manned teams in Kansas and Drake, and a familiar Pac-12 opponent in Oregon. That changes today against a Gonzaga team that is too proficient for the Trojans zone defense. Expect Gonzaga to rattle the Trojans early and pull away in the second half. Play Gonzaga. 

Offensively against Villanova, Baylor did not look like a team that should be in the Elite 8. They made up for it with stout defense and the will to not panic amidst a trying first thirty minutes. After surviving that scare look for Baylor to sense the situation and step up their level of play against the Razorbacks. Play Baylor. 

Oregon State will aim to extend their improbable tournament run against the defensive minded Houston Cougars. The Beavers have the upperclassmen to match Houston’s experience, and interior presence to out rebound the Cougars. Look for the Beavers to continue to not play like a twelve loss team as they give the Cougars a battle. Take the points here. 

Florida State’s ability to play both ends of the floor has been uncanny compared to the rest of the field in March Madness. They limited both UNC Greensboro and Colorado to under thirty six percent shooting. It’s been a solid campaign from Juwon Howard and Michigan but look for the Seminoles to continue to hinder their opponent and advance to the Elite 8. 

In the past eight seasons, Villanova has been an underdog by today’s margin only one other time. That speaks to the incredible run of Jay Wright and his staff. Baylor’s elite level of play began November 2019, when they defeated Villanova 87-78. In the contest Baylor shot fifty-eight percent from three point range, got several Villanova players in foul trouble, and committed just five turnovers. The in-game adjustments of Jay Wright won’t be there to keep Baylor at bay. Take Baylor. 

Thursday, an NIT Conference USA battle will take place between Louisiana Tech and Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers had the best regular season record in the conference, but did not get the support from oddsmakers for the Conference USA tournament. In fact, Louisiana Tech was co-favorite with March Madness representative North Texas. Expect the Bulldogs ability to execute better in half court sets, and get the win over Western Kentucky. 

Down the stretch of conference play the Memphis Tigers turned the corner. In fact, all four of their losses since January 17th have been by three points or less. Thursday, they’ll face a well balanced Boise State team offensively, but look for the Tigers to continue to take another step forward into the 2021-2022 season. Take Memphis. 

NC State had one of the easiest wins thus far in any post-season college basketball tournament, defeating Davidson 75-61. The Wolfpack never trailed in the game as the power five representative showcased a clear edge over the Wildcats. Building off wins has been a huge problem for the Wolfpack, grab top-seeded Colorado State to expose the Wolfpack’s inconsistent play. Play Colorado State. 

The Pac-12 has been the hottest topic of discussion for March Madness. The sixth seed USC Trojans shot fifty percent from the field, and limited Drake to twenty nine percent shooting. Yet, similar to yesterday’s Texas Tech and Arkansas matchup, the six seed is improperly favored. Grab Kansas to have a proficient game and have answers for the Trojans in-game adjustments. 

The Big Ten’s shocking downgraded play has left few teams left. Top seed Michigan will aim to keep the hopes of the conference alive against an LSU team that’s won five of their last six. Down Isaiah Livers the Wolverines will showcase their depth and pedigree over a poor defensive LSU squad. Grab Michigan.

One of the hottest teams in college basketball has been the Texas Longhorns. Loaded with NBA talent they are finally starting to emerge as a true contender. Yet, they’ll have their hands full with a well rounded Abilene Christian team. Look for the Longhorns to show vulnerability as they did in January through mid February. Play Abilene Christian. 

A team that sneaks into the big dance is typically one of the most confident. North Texas escaped with a dramatic come from behind in the Conference USA final to topple Western Kentucky. A favorable matchup against Purdue and confidence should spark a solid effort from the Mean Green. Take North Texas.