At 8:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Michigan State Spartans (705) and the Maryland Terrapins (706). THE SITUATION: Michigan State (19-9) has won two straight games with their 78-70 win at home over Iowa as a 9.5-point favorite on Tuesday. Maryland (23-5) has won ten of their last eleven contests with their 74-73 win at Minnesota as a 1-point favorite on Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Spartans have seen the Under go a decisive 39-16-3 in their last 58 games after a straight-up win — and they have played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after a victory over a Big Ten rival. Michigan State has also played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a point spread win. Now Sparty goes back on the road where they are just 8-6 this season while making only 43.6% of their shots which is translating into just 70.2 PPG. Michigan State sees their effective field goal percentage of 53.9% drop to a 50.3% mark when they are playing away from their home at the Breslin Center in East Lansing — that ranks 91st in the nation. But the Spartans’ outstanding defense does travel as they hold their home hosts to just 38.7% shooting which results in only 67.6 PPG. The Under is 14-6-1 in their last 21 games on the road — and the Under is also 18-7-1 in their last 26 road games against teams with a winning record at home. Furthermore, the Under is 22-8-1 in Michigan State’s last 31 games against teams with a winning percentage of 60% or higher — and they have played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record. Additionally, in the Spartans’ last 13 games in expected close games where they are listed in the +/- 3-point range, Michigan State has seen 11 of these games finish Under the Total. Maryland allowed the Golden Gophers to make 45.6% of their shots on Wednesday which was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last eight contests. The Terrapins have a bad habit of starting slowly which requires them to dig themselves out of big holes — they had to rally from a 16-point halftime deficit to defeat Minnesota. The Terrapins average only 33.4 points in the first half this season with that number dropping to 31.8 points in the first 20 minutes in conference games. They are making only 43% of their shots at home with an effective field goal percentage of 49.1% which ranks 243rd in the nation. Overall, their Adjusted Offensive Efficiency on the season ranks 35th in the nation — but that number plummets to 73rd in the country when they are playing on their home court in College Park. But Maryland holds their guests to just 36.7% shooting which results in a mere 59.8 PPG when they are playing at home. The Terrapins have played 10 of their last 14 games Under the Total on their home court — and they have played 11 of their last 17 home games Under the Total with the number set in the 130s. Maryland has also played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: These are two of the best defensive teams in the nation with the Spartans and Terrapins ranking 13th and 12th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency respectively. Maryland holds their opponents to just 39.1% shooting — and Sparty has played 8 straight games Under the Total after fifteen games into the season against teams with an opponent’s field goal percentage of 42% or less. And while Michigan State out-rebounds their opponents by +7.6 RPG, the Terrapins have played 6 straight home games Under the Total against opponents who out-rebound their opponents by at least +7.0 RPG. 25* CBB Big Ten Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Michigan State Spartans (705) and the Maryland Terrapins (706). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:35 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Toronto Raptors (530) minus the points versus the Charlotte Hornets (529). THE SITUATION: Toronto (42-16) looks to bounce-back from their 108-97 upset loss at home to Milwaukee on Tuesday as a 1-point favorite. Charlotte (20-38) snapped a two-game losing streak n Wednesday with their 107-101 upset win over New York as a 2-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RAPTORS MINUS THE POINTS: Toronto only made 35.2% of their shots on Tuesday in what was the lowest shooting effort in their last twenty-three games against the outstanding Bucks defense. The Raptors has still won seventeen of their last nineteen games and they should respond with a strong effort tonight. Toronto has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 19 of their last 26 games after a point spread loss. Furthermore, Toronto has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a loss at home by at least 10 points. They did play very well on the defensive end of the court as they limited the Bucks to just 38.1% shooting room the field. The Raptors limited Indiana to just a 32.6% field goal percentage in their previous game — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after not allowing their last two opponents to shoot better than 39% from the field. Toronto named just 18 of their 52 shots from behind the arc against Milwaukee for a 34.6% mark which is a bit below their 37.6% shooting percentage from 3-point land this season. They should fare better tonight against this Hornets team that has failed to cover the point spread in 19 of their last 26 road games against teams who are making at least 36% of their 3-pointers. The Raptors stay at home where they are 23-8 this season with an average winning margin of +9.0 PPG. They are making 47% of their shots at home which has translated into 116.5 PPG. Toronto has covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games at home — and they have also covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games at home against teams with a losing record on the road. The Raptors have also over the point spread in 4 of the last 5 games against teams with a winning percentage no better than 40%. Charlotte has won four of their last six games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread 24 of their last 34 games after winning four or five of their last six games. In their victory over the Knicks, they allowed them to make 50.6% of their shots which was after they allowed the Pacers to shoot 57% from the field in their previous game. The Hornets have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after allowing their last two opponents to shoot at least 50% from the field. Charlotte ranks 26th in the NBA in Defensive Rating this season as they allow 113.0 points per 100 possessions. The Hornets will also be without Malik Monk who has suspended for violating the league’s anti-drug program. Monk was scoring 17.0 PPG over their last thirteen games while making 35% of his shots from behind the arc during that span. Charlotte goes back on the road where they are just 11-21 with an average losing margin of -9.7 PPG. They are allowing their opponents to make 47.8% of their shots which has translated into 109.7 PPG. The Hornets have failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home court. Additionally, Charlotte has failed to cover the point spread in 21 of their last 29 games against teams who are winning at least 60% of their games.

FINAL TAKE: Toronto will not be at full strength as well tonight with Marc Gasol out and both Norman Powell and Serge Ibaka questionable with injuries. But they still have Pascal Siakam, Kule Lowery, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby and the outstanding depth that this organization has compiled on this roster. The issue is whether the Raptors are being asked to lay too many points. I am wary of laying over double-digits in the NBA but I do look closely at team trends to evaluate the personalities of teams regarding how they evaluate situations like this. Toronto has covered the point spread in all 4 of their games this season when they have been laying at least 10 points. Charlotte has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of the 13 circumstances this season where they were double-digit underdogs — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 road games as an underdog getting 12.5 or more points. 25* NBA Game of the Month with the Toronto Raptors (530) minus the points versus the Charlotte Hornets (529). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Georgia State Panthers (852) minus the points versus the Georgia Southern Eagles (851). THE SITUATION: Georgia State (18-11) has lost two straight games after their 86-78 loss at Texas State last Saturday as a 4-point underdog. Georgia Southern (17-12) snapped their two-game losing streak on Saturday with their 81-61 upset victory at UT-Arlington as a 5.5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PANTHERS MINUS THE POINTS: Georgia State should respond with a strong effort tonight as they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a loss on the road — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a double-digit loss on the road. The Panthers have also covered the point spread in 6 straight games after allowing at least 85 points in their last game. Now after being on a road underdog in their last two games, they return home where they are 11-1 this season with an average winning margin of +16.9 PPG. Georgia State has covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after losing two straight games — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after being an underdog in two straight games. The Panthers score a healthy 84.2 PPG on their home court while limiting their guests to just 37.9% shooting from the field which has translated into only 67.3 PPG. Georgia State has covered the point spread in 5 straight home games with the Total set in the 150 to 159.5 point range. They also have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 11 home games as a favorite of no more than 6 points. Georgia Southern made 52.8% of their shots on Saturday in what was the best shooting effort in their last four games — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a game where they scored at least 80 points in their last game. They also held the Mavericks to just 31.8% shooting which was the best defensive effort in their last eleven games. But the Eagles have then failed to cover the point spread in 6 of the last 7 games after an upset victory — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after an upset win against a Sun Belt Conference foe. Furthermore, Georgia Southern has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a win by at least 15 points — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 17 games after a double-digit win over a Sun Belt rival. Now the Eagles stay on the road where they are just 7-9 this season where they are making only 42.7% of their shots from the field. Georgia Southern has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 road games as an underdog getting 3.5 to 6 points.

FINAL TAKE: The Eagles have failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight games after fifteen games into the season against teams with a winning percentage in the 60-80% range. 25* CBB Sun Belt Conference Game of the Year with the Georgia State Panthers (852) minus the points versus the Georgia Southern Eagles (851). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Leicester City (200045) minus the goal-line versus Norwich City (200045). THE SITUATION: Leicester City (W15-D5-L7) looks to bounce-back from a 1-0 loss at home to Manchester City last Saturday. Norwich City (W4-D6-L17) comes off a 3-0 loss at Wolverhampton last Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE LEICESTER CITY MINUS THE GOAL-LINE: This is a get-right game for the Foxes. Leicester has not scored in their last two matches and their best attacker, Jamie Vardy, has not scored in seven straight matches. The team really missed Wilfried Ndidi in the midfield who has been the glue of this team. But the Foxes have also endured a challenging schedule as of late in the English Premier League with their previous matches being against a solid Wolverhampton side that is playing their best soccer of the season along with Chelsea. Leicester City has thrived against the non-Power Six sides in the EPL this season: they are W13-D3-L2 in those contests while scoring 45 goals and conceding just 12 times in those eighteen matches. The Foxes have also been capable when playing on the road where they are W7-D2-L4 in thirteen matches while scoring 28 times and conceding just 12 goals. Vardy is unquestionably out of form but he has been a reliable striker for many years who should eventually get it going again — and he is getting chances. Manager Brendan Rodgers has plenty of capable goal scorers in his starting XI including Harvey Barnes who has scored three goals in the last five weeks along with Ayoze Perez who recently registered a brace and Touri Tielemans who has two assists in 2020. And those names fail to mention the Foxes’ second best offensive player in James Maddison who is also enduring a slump. Norwich City may be just what the doctor ordered for Leicester City. Wolverhampton battered them last week with 19 shot attempts with 13 of them in the box and five big chances that correlated with an Expected-Goals scored metric above the three goals that they scored against the porous Canaries defense. The 51 goals that Norwich has allowed this season is the second most in the EPL — and the 26 goals they have allowed at home is also the second most in the league. The Canaries have lost three of their last four matches in EPL action while failing to score in three straight games. Over their last fourteen EPL matches, they are just 1-5-8 which is why they are in the basement of the standings. Since relegation is likely for this team, they should play this match aggressively since they are desperate for victories with the 3 points they accrue.

FINAL TAKE: There is little chance of Leicester City taking this team lightly since they settled for a disappointing 1-1 draw with them back on December 14th at home in their first meeting. The Foxes are the better team — and they need the victory to jumpstart their season where they hope to qualify in the top four for the Champions League for next season. Leicester City prefers opponents like the Canaries who play with a more open style of play — and, remember, that they had scored 54 goals over a twenty-four match span (while being blanked just once) before their recent two-game slide. 25* EPL Friday NBC Sports Network Match of the Year with the Leicester City (200045) minus the goal-line versus Norwich City (200045). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Arizona Wildcats (651) and the USC Trojans (652). THE SITUATION: Arizona (19-8) saw their three-game winning streak snapped on Saturday with their 73-72 upset loss at home to Oregon as a 5.5-point favorite. USC (19-9) has lost their last two games with their 75-69 loss at Utah as a 1-point underdog last Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Wildcats allowed the Ducks to shoot 42.6% from the field which was the best shooting effort from an opponent in their last four games. Arizona should tighten up on defense — they have played 5 of their last 8 games Under the Total after an upset loss as a home favorite. They have also played 7 of their last 11 games Under the Total after a narrow loss by 6 points or less. The Wildcats rank 21st in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and that mark rises to them being the 5th best team in the nation when playing on the road in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. Arizona holds their home hosts to just 39.8% shooting which is resulting in them allowing only 67.7 PPG in their eleven road games. The Wildcats make only 28.2% of their 3-pointers on the road which is 313rd in the nation — and their effective field goal percentage of 44.3% on the road ranks 318th. Arizona has played 4 of there last 5 road games Under the Total — and they have played 4 of their last 5 road games Under the Total against teams who are winning at least 60% of their games on their home court. Additionally, the Wildcats have played 4 of their last 5 road games Under the Total as the favorite. USC has played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss. The Trojans have also played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after a point spread loss — and they have played 8 of their last 9 home games Under the Total after a point spread defeat. USC allowed the Utes to make 48.2% of their shots on Sunday which was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last six games. The Trojans have the 40th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and that ranking has improved to 31st best in the country in that metric over their last ten games. USC has held their last five opponents to just 37.6% shooting from the field and now they return home after playing their last two games on the road. The Trojans have played 13 of their last 15 games Under the Total after playing their last two games on the road. USC is 11-2 at home while holding their guests to scoring 64.5 PPG on 39.5% shooting from the field. But USC only makes 43.2% of their shots at home given their 47.5% shooting percentage inside the arc which is 285th in the nation. The Under is 39-18-1 in the Trojans’ last 58 home games — and they have played 7 storage home games Under the Total in February. Furthermore, the Trojans have played 20 of their last 28 games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage of 60% or higher.

FINAL TAKE: USC will be looking to avenge an 85-80 loss at Arizona back on February 6th. The Trojans have played 9 of their last 11 games Under the Total when playing with revenge from a loss on the road — and they have played 12 of their last 16 games Under the Total when avenging a loss where they allowed at least 75 points. 25* CBB Thursday ESPN Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Arizona Wildcats (651) and the USC Trojans (652). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Memphis Grizzlies (513) and the Houston Rockets (514). THE SITUATION: Memphis (28-29) has lost three straight games after their 124-97 loss at Los Angeles against the Clippers on Monday as an 11.5-point underdog. Houston (37-20) has won four straight games with their 123-112 win over New York on Monday as a 13.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Grizzlies have played 12 of their last 16 games Under the Total after a loss by at least 10 points — and this includes them playing four of these last five situations Under the Total. Memphis has also played 4 straight games Under the Total both after a straight-up loss and after a point spread setback. Furthermore, the Grizzlies have played 14 of their last 17 games Under the Total after allowing at least 120 points in their last game. Memphis has been playing short-handed with Jaren Jackson, Jr., Grayson Allen, and the recently acquired Justise Winslow all injured. They made only 41.6% of their shots on Monday which was the lowest shooting effort in their last five games. Brandon Clarke also suffered a hip injury in that game which will keep him out for a couple of weeks which further hampers the Grizzlies offensive attack. Memphis has had the fourth-worst offense since the trade deadline with the reason seeming to be that when they dealt away Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill, they lost their two most active shooters from behind the arc. With Kyle Anderson sliding into the starting lineup despite not being a long-range shooting threat, opposing defenses are more comfortable to pack the paint to thwart Ja Morant’s driving lanes while also providing more help in double-teaming Jonas Valanciunas’ post-ups. And it is not helping matters that Dillon Brooks is in the midst of a big shooting slump: over his last nine games, he is shooting only 28.5% from the field while making just 17.1% of his shots from behind the arc. Now the Grizzlies play their fourth straight game on the road — and they have played 6 straight games Under the Total after playing their last three games on the road. Memphis has also played 21 of their last 30 road games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home court. The Grizzlies are scoring 111.7 PPG on the road this year which is not very much when considering tonight’s Total is in the high-230s. Memphis has played 12 of their last 18 games Under the Total with the number set at 230 or higher. And while the Grizzlies are averaging 47.2% shooting this season while holding their opponents to a 45.5% field goal percentage, they are only making 45.4% of their shots over their last five games — but they are limiting their opponents to a 43.7% field goal percentage. Houston has played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a point spread win — and they have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total after a double-digit victory. The Rockets have also played 17 of their last 24 games Under the Total after a game where at least 230 combined points were scored. With the trade of Clint Capela, this team has completely embraced small-ball with them launching even more 3-pointers than ever. But Houston has also played a bit better on the defensive end of the court as they rank 12th in the league in Defensive Rating in their ten games since the All-Star break as compared to their 15th ranking in that metric overall this season. Over their last five games, the Rockets are holding their opponents to 109.2 PPG which is -5.0 PPG below their season average. Houston has played 26 of their last 38 games Under the Total with the number set at 230 or higher.

FINAL TAKE: Russell Westbrook is listed as probable for tonight with his thumb injury but Eric Gordon is questionable with a knee injury — and his absence will impact the Rockets’ 3-point shooting. Houston will be looking to avenge a 121-110 upset loss in Memphis back on January 14th — and they have played 23 of their last 35 games when avenging a loss where they allowed at least 110 points. These two teams have played 7 of their last 10 meetings Under the Total — and they have played 27 of their last 39 encounters in Houston Under the Total. 25* NBA Wednesday ESPN2 Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Memphis Grizzlies (513) and the Houston Rockets (514). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:35 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Milwaukee Bucks (577) and the Toronto Raptors (578). THE SITUATION: Milwaukee (49-8) has won three straight games as well as eight of their last nine games with their 137-134 win at Washington last night as a 12.5-point favorite. Toronto (42-15) has won their last two games as well as seventeen of their last eighteen contests with their 127-81 victory Indiana on Sunday as a 5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Bucks have played 7 straight games Over the Total after a win on the road by 3 points or less. Milwaukee has also played 6 of their last 7 games after a straight-up win where they did not cover the point spread as a favorite. And the Bucks have played 7 of their last 10 games Over the Total after a game where they allowed at least 130 points. Milwaukee made 57% of their shots against the Wizards which the third straight game that they made at least 50% of their shots since the All-Star break — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after making at least 50% of their shots in three straight games. The Bucks are shooting 49% from the field over their last five games which has generated 123.2 PPG. They stay on the road where they are making 47.9% of their shots which is resulting in 118.6 PPG. The Over is 19-7-1 in Milwaukee’s last 27 road games against teams with a winning record at home. The Raptors make 37.7% of their shots from behind the arc — and the Bucks have played 15 of their last 22 games Over the Total in the second half of the season against teams who make at least 36% of their shots from 3-point land. Toronto has played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 8 of their last 9 home games Over the Total after a win on their home court. The Raptors have also played 9 of their last 11 games Over the Total after a point spread win — and they have played 13 of their last 17 home games Over the Total after a point spread victory. And in their last 7 games after a double-digit win, Toronto has played 5 of these games Over the Total. The Raptors held the Pacers to just 32.6% shooting which was the best defensive effort of their season. They also made 51.1% of their shots in that game after nailing 52.5% of their shots in their previous game against Phoenix — and they have played 5 straight games Over the Total after shooting at least 50% from the field in two straight contests. They stay at home where they are 23-7 while making 47.5% of their shots which is producing 117.3 PPG. Toronto has won nine straight games at home while averaging 125.1 PPG in those contests on 51.9% shooting from the field and a 41.3% clip from behind the arc. The Raptors have played 5 of their last 7 home games Over the Total — and they have played 5 of their last 6 home games Over the Total with the number set at 230 or higher. Toronto has also played 9 of their last 13 home games Over the Total against teams with a winning record on the road — and they have played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total as an underdog. And while the Bucks average 91 shots per game in their up-tempo offense, the Raptors have played 8 of their last 12 games Over the Total in the second half of the season against teams who average at least 88 shots per game.

FINAL TAKE: The Raptors will not be at full strength with Norman Powell and Marc Gasol both out with injuries — and that will hurt them more on the defensive end of the court rather than with their scoring. These two teams last played back on November 2nd when the Bucks won on their home court by a 115-105 score. Toronto has played 21 of their last 30 games Over the Total when avenging a loss where they allowed at least 110 points. 25* NBA Tuesday TNT Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Milwaukee Bucks (577) and the Toronto Raptors (578). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Iowa State Cyclones (606) minus the points versus the TCU Horned Frogs (605). THE SITUATION: Iowa State (11-16) has lost two straight games after their 87-57 loss at home to Texas Tech as a 5-point underdog on Saturday.  TCU (15-12) has won two of their last three games with their 67-60 upset victory over West Virginia as a 5-point underdog on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CYCLONES MINUS THE POINTS: Iowa State played one of their worst games of the season on Saturday against one of the hottest teams in the nation in that Red Raiders team. The Cyclones shot just 35.8% from the field which was the lowest field goal percentage in their last ten games. Iowa State also allowed Texas Tech to make 57.1% of their shots which was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last twenty-two contests. The Cyclones have bounced-back to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 6 games after allowing their last opponent to make at least 55% of their shots. Iowa State suffered a terrible blow a few weeks ago with the season-ending injury to their best player, Tyrese Halliburton. Yet Steve Promm’s team immediately responded with an 81-52 blowout win at home against Texas in their first game without Halliburton before losing at Kansas and then at home to the Red Raiders which are two teams that metrics guru Ken Pomeroy ranks in the top-15 in the nation according to his numbers. This team should respond with a strong effort in this winnable game. The Cyclones have covered the point spread in 16 of their last 21 games after a loss by at least 20 points — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a loss by at least 20 points to a fellow Big 12 rival. And while Iowa State has only covered the point spread once in their last four games, they have then covered the point spread in 10 of their last 12 home games after failing to cover the point spread in three of the last four games. The Cyclones are 10-5 at home with an average winning margin of +7.3 PPG while limiting their opponents to just 41.2% shooting from the field. They have covered 4 straight home games as a favorite — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games at home when favored by up to 6 points. And in their last 5 home games with the Total set in the 130 to 139.5 point range, Iowa State has covered the point spread in 4 of these contests. TCU made 44.4% of their shots in their upset win over the Mountaineers which was the best shooting mark in their last eight games. They also held West Virginia to just 40.3% shooting which was also the best defensive effort in their last twelve games. But the Horned Frogs have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games after a straight-up win — and they have also failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games on the road after a win over a conference opponent. Additionally, TCU has failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games after a point spread win. Now the Horned Frogs go back on the road where they are just 2-8 this season. While TCU ranks 90th in the nation in Net Adjusted Efficiency overall, they plummet to 206th in the nation with their Net Adjusted Efficiency when playing on the road. They rank 351st in the nation with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 58.2% when playing on the road — their home hosts are making 47.4% of their shots overall which has resulted in 70.6 PPG. They also have an effective field goal percentage of 42.4% on the road which is 343rd in the nation while making only 37.5% of their shots which is producing just 56.9 PPG. The Horned Frogs are also making only 38.8% of their shots over their last five games which is why they are averaging just 55.8 PPG. TCU has failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 17 games on the road — and they ave failed to cover the point spread in 8 straight games on the road against teams who are winning at least 60 % of their games at home. The Horned Frogs are also just 6-19-2 ATS in the last 27 road games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Head coach Jamie Dixon only uses eight players in his rotation — and TCU may be without starting guard Francisco Farabello who is questionable with a concussion. This has been a disappointing season for the Cyclones — and their postseason aspirations are likely gone with Halliburton’s injury — but look for them to play a good game after their embarrassing loss to Texas Tech. 25* CBB Tuesday ESPNU Game of the Year with the Iowa State Cyclones (606) minus the points versus the TCU Horned Frogs (605). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:05 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Utah Jazz (572) minus the points versus the Phoenix Suns (571). THE SITUATION: Utah (36-20) has lost two straight games after their 120-110 upset loss at home to Houston as a 2-point favorite on Saturday. Phoenix (23-34) has won two of their last three games after their 112-104 win at Chicago on Saturday as a 3-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE JAZZ MINUS THE POINTS: Utah has suffered two straight upset losses as their setback on Saturday was preceded by a 113-104 upset loss at home to San Antonio as a 7-point favorite last Friday. The Jazz should respond with a strong effort as they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games are an upset loss at home by at least 10 points. Utah has also covered the point spread in 7 straight games after a double-digit loss at home — and they have covered the point spread in a decisive 40 of their last 62 home games after a loss at home by at least 10 points. The Jazz allowed the Rockets to make 48.9% of their shots in that contest on Saturday which was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last seven games. Utah stays at home for the fourth straight game where they are holding their guests to just a 44.5% field goal percentage which has translated into only 105.0 PPG — so they should play better on defense tonight. The Jazz are still 20-7 on their home court where they are making 47.8% of their shots which is producing 111.2 PPG. Utah has covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. They have also covered the point spread in 13 of their last 20 games with the Total set in the 220 to 229.5 point range. Over their last five contests, they are shooting a healthy 48.9% of their shots. And in their last 20 games when playing with one day of rest, the Jazz have coved the point spread 14 times. Phoenix is likely due for a letdown as they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after a point spread victory. That was the thirteenth straight game where Phoenix played a game where at least 216 combined points were scored — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 20 of their last 30 games after playing at least three straight games where at least 215 combined points were scored. Now the Suns stay on the road for the third straight games where they are 12-16 while allowing their home hosts to score 114.2 PPG on 47.4% shooting from the field. Phoenix has failed to cover the point spread 5 of their last 6 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home court. Additionally, the Suns have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Phoenix may be just what the doctor ordered for this Utah team that has dominated this series as of late. The Jazz have won the last eight meetings between these two teams along with fifteen of their last sixteen encounters with the Suns. They have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games with Phoenix while also going 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 opportunities to host the Suns in Salt Lake City. The Jazz won the last showdown between these two teams back on October 28th by a 96-95 score in Phoenix — and the Suns have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games when looking to avenge a narrow loss by 3 points or less. 25* NBA Western Conference Game of the Year with the Utah Jazz (572) minus the points versus the Phoenix Suns (571). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys (877) and the Kansas Jayhawks (878). THE SITUATION: Oklahoma State (14-13) has won three of their last four games after their 83-66 win over Oklahoma on Saturday as a 1.5-point favorite. Kansas (24-3) has won twelve straight games with their 64-61 upset win at Baylor as a 1-point underdog on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Cowboys have played 5 of their last 7 games Over the total after a straight-up win. Oklahoma State has also played 8 of their last 10 games Over the Total after playing at least three straight games against fellow Big 12 opponents. Now this team goes back on the road where they have played 4 of their last 5 road games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home court. They also have played 6 of tiger last 9 road games as a double-digit underdog. The Cowboys will be challenged by the outstanding defense that this Jayhawks team plays. Kansas is limiting their opponents to averaging just 60.7 PPG — but Oklahoma State has played 11 of their last 14 games Over the Total after fifteen games into the season against opponents who do not allow more than 64 PPG. The Cowboys rank 98th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency this season — but they have the 46th best Adjusted Offensive Efficiency mark over their last ten games. Kansas has played 9 of their last 13 games Under the Total after a narrow victory by 3 points or less — and they have played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a point spread victory. And while the Jayhawks victory over the Bears fell below the 131 point total, they have then played 15 of their last 21 home games Under the Total after playing a game that finished Under the Total. Kansas has also played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total after a game where both teams did not score more than 65 points. Kansas returns home where they are 12-1 this season while making 49.6% of their shots which is resulting in 78.7 PPG. The Jayhawks have the 9th best offense in the nation based on Adjusted Offensive Efficiency — and they have the 2nd highest Adjusted Offensive Efficiency when playing on their home court. Kansas makes 58.3% of their shots inside the arc when playing at home which is the 11th best mark in the country. Oklahoma State is vulnerable on the defensive end of the court as they rank 9th in the Big 12 in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they allow their home hosts to shoot 50% of their shots inside the arc on the road which is the 138th worst mark in the nation. The Over is 19-6-1 in their last 26 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. Furthermore, the Jayhawks have played 5 of their last 6 home games Over the Total as a favorite — and they have played 18 of their last 28 home games Over the Total as a double-digit favorite. Kansas has also played 8 of their last 12 home games Over the Total with the number set in the 130 to 139.5 point range. And while the Cowboys hold their opponents to 40% shooting this season, the Jayhawks have played 9 of their last 11 home games Over the Total after fifteen games into the season against opponents who do not allow their opponents to shoot better than 40% from the field.

FINAL TAKE: Kansas won the first meeting between these two teams back on January 27th by a 65-50 score. Oklahoma State has played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total when avenging a double-digit loss on their home court. 25* CBB Big Monday ESPN Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys (877) and the Kansas Jayhawks (878). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Philadelphia 76ers (564) minus the points versus the Atlanta Hawks (563). THE SITUATION: Philadelphia (35-22) saw their four-game winning streak snapped on Saturday with their 119-98 loss at Milwaukee as a 9.5-point underdog. Atlanta (17-41) has won their last two games after their 111-107 win over Dallas on Saturday as a 2-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE 76ERS MINUS THE POINTS: Philadelphia made only 35% of their shots on Saturday in what was the worst shooting percentage for them all season. They also allowed the Bucks to make 52.7% of their shots which was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last six contests. The 76ers have bounced-back to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after a loss on the road by at least 20 points. Philadelphia will not be at full strength for this game with Ben Simmons out with a back injury and Tobias Harris dealing with a knee — but that opens up space for Joel Embiid to lead the way without any conflicts with Simmons. Embiid scored 39 points while adding 16 rebounds last Thursday in an overtime victory over Brooklyn in the last opportunity he had to lead the team without Simmons being available to play. The Sixers return home where they are 26-2 this season with an average winning margin of +10.0 PPG. Philly makes 48.3% of their shots at home which results in them averaging 111.9 PPG. The 76ers have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 home games — and they have covered the point spread in 6 straight home games with the Total set at 220 or higher. Furthermore, Philadelphia has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 home games as a favorite — and they are 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 home games against teams who are not making at least 40% of their shots on the road. Atlanta has failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after a victory on their home court. The Hawks are also 7-16-1 ATS in their last 24 games after a point spread victory — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 16 road games after a point spread victory. Atlanta has covered the point spread in two straight games but they have failed to cover the point spread in 19 of their last 28 games after covering the point spread in two straight games. And while they have scored at least 105 points in eight straight games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 8 straight games after scoring at least 105 points in three straight contests. The Hawks go back not he road where they are just 6-24 while being outscored by -13.3 PPG. Atlanta allows their home hosts to make 48.6% of their shots with them averaging 122.2 PPG. The Hawks have failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 26 road games with the Total set in the 220s. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 16 road games as an underdog getting 6.5 to 12 points.

FINAL TAKE: Clint Capela has yet to make his debut for the Hawks after being traded over from Houston — he is dealing with a heel injury and might not play this season. Atlanta is also without DeAndre Bembry who is out with an abdominal injury. Philadelphia is looking to avenge a 127-117 upset loss in Atlanta back on January 30th — and they have covered the point spread in 31 of their last 48 home games when playing with revenge. 10* NBA Blowout Bookie Buster with the Philadelphia 76ers (564) minus the points versus the Atlanta Hawks (563). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between West Ham (200041) and Liverpool (200042). THE SITUATION: West Ham (W6-D6-L14) returns to the pitch after a 2-0 loss at Manchester City back on February 19th. Liverpool (W25-D1-L0) comes off a 1-0 win over Norwich City on February 15th in their last English Premier League match.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Liverpool is playing outstanding defense after a shaky start to the season. The Reds have produced ten clean sheets in their last eleven games while allowing a mere one goal over that span in English Premier League action. The insertion of Joe Gomez into their defensive backline has certainly helped. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has also gotten his group to play a bit more conservatively with an emphasis on defensive tactics after starting the season where they were an offensive juggernaut. The Reds’ offensive attack has been moderated as of late as they have not scored more than two goals in seven of their last eight matches. Liverpool has also scored two goals or less in seven of their last ten matches at home. The team lost an important piece to their midfield last Tuesday in their loss to Atletico Madrid in Champions League play with Jordan Henderson suffering a hamstring injury. Look for the Reds to play a bit more cautiously this afternoon to compensate for his absence on the pitch. West Ham parked the proverbial bus last Saturday in their 2-0 loss to Manchester City. Manager David Moyes will likely deploy the same strategy in this contest with the Hammers trying to fight off relegation. Goal differential could play a role in staving off a return to England’s Champions League so West Ham will not begin to play more aggressively if they fall behind by a goal or two. Moyes will be relatively happy with a 2-0 loss so that the Hammers do not get dinged too badly with the goal differential tie-breaker. West Ham had only three shots against Man City with none of them on target. They have scored only five goals in their last six contests with three of them coming in a 3-3 draw against Brighton. West Ham has scored only 10 goals on the road this season in the EPL which is the second lowest amount in the league. The Hammers have seen 21 combined goals in their seven EPL matches against Big Six sides for a 3.0 combined goals per game average.

FINAL TAKE: There is a high likelihood that West Ham will not score in this match. These two teams played last month on January 29th where Liverpool won by a 2-0 score — and I see that result as the probable score this afternoon. Klopp will substitute early once this match is in hand to save the strength of his key players. With the Reds missing Henderson in the middle, I do not think their offensive attack will be clicking on all cylinders. 25* EPL Monday NBC Sports Network Total of the Year with Under the Total in the match between West Ham (200041) and Liverpool (200042). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Stanford Cardinal (865) and the Washington State Cougars (866). THE SITUATION: Stanford (17-9) snapped a four-game losing streak with their 72-64 upset win at Washington as a 2.5-point underdog on Thursday. Washington State (14-13) has lost three straight games with their 66-57 upset loss to California as a 6.5-point favorite on Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Cardinal has seen the Under go 8-3-2 in their last 13 games after a straight-up win — and the Under is 3-1-1 in their last 5 games after a point spread victory. Stanford has also played 8 of their last 11 games after an upset loss. The Cardinal is one of the best defensive teams in the nation as they rank 6th in the country in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They also rank 7th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing on the road. They hold their hosts to just 42% shooting from inside the arc which helps them post an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 42.5% — both those numbers are 3rd best in the nation for teams playing on the road. The Under is 9-4-2 in Stanford’s last 15 games on the road — and the Under is also 9-4-1 in their last 14 road games against teams with a winning percentage of 60% or better when playing at home. Furthermore, the Under is 3-0-1 in the Cardinal’s last 4 road games as a favorite — and they have also seen the Under go 8-3-1 in their last 12 games as a favorite. Washington State has played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a point spread loss. Additionally, the Cougars have played 4 straight games Under the Total after losing two in a row — and they have played a decisive 36 of their last 51 games at home Under the Total after losing five or six of their last seven contests. They made only 29.8% of their shots against the Golden Bears after shooting just 28.6% from the field in their previous game against USC. Over their last five games, Washington State is shooting just 35.8% which has resulted in only 63.8 PPG. They stay at home where they are making just 40.9% of their shots while ranking 302nd in the nation with a 46.4% field goal percentage inside the arc. Overall, the Cougars have an effective field goal percentage of 46.6% when playing at home which is the 313th lowest mark in the nation. Moving forward, the Cougars have played 5 straight games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% — and they have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: To make matters worse, they may be without their point guard Isaac Bonton who is questionable with a leg injury. Boston leads the team in touches when he is on the court while ranking second in shots — so the Washington State offense will likely suffer if he is not able to play or if he is hindered with his leg. 25* CBB Sunday ESPNU Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Stanford Cardinal (865) and the Washington State Cougars (866). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between Southern Utah Thundercats (771) and the Weber State Wildcats (772). THE SITUATION: Southern Utah (14-12) has lost three straight games after their 68-66 loss at Northern Colorado as a 7-point underdog on Thursday. Weber State (10-16) has lost their last three games with their 77-63 loss at Montana State as a 5-point underdog last Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Thunderbirds have played 7 of their last 10 games over the total after a loss on the road by 3 points or less. They also have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after a point spread victory. Additionally, Southern Utah has played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after losing three straight games to Big Sky opponents. Now the Thunderbirds go back on the road where they have played 5 of their last 7 road games Over the Total against teams with a winning record at home — and they have also played 4 of their last 5 road games Over the Total when listed in the +/- 3-point range. Southern Utah has not made more than three shots from behind the arc in two straight games — but they have then played 22 of their last 30 games Over the Total after failing to make more than three shots from 3-point range in two straight games. They now face a Wildcats team that is 328th in the nation by allowing their opponents to nail 37.3% of their shots from downtown. Weber State allows their opponents to make 45.1% of their shots this season — and the Thunderbirds have played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total against teams who allow their opponents to make at least 45% of their shots. Southern Utah has also played 10 of their last 14 games Over the Total against teams who are not winning more than 40% of their games. Weber State has played 10 of their last 12 games Over the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after a point spread setback. The Wildcats have also played 6 straight games Over the Total after losing two straight games. They return home where they are 7-4 while making 49.4% of their shots which is generating 80.5 PPG. Weber State has played 7 of their last 9 home games Over the Total — and they have played 6 of their last 7 home games Over the Total as an underdog. The Wildcats’ play on the defensive end of the court has waned as of late. They have allowed their last five opponents to make 47.9% of their shots which has resulted in them averaging 71.0 PPG.

FINAL TAKE: Southern Utah will be looking to avenge a 75-65 upset loss at home to Weber State back on January 30th. The Thunderbirds have played 22 of their last 33 games Over the Total when avenging a loss where they allowed at least 75 points — and they have played 11 of their last 14 games Over the Total on the road when playing with revenge from a double-digit loss. 25* CBB Big Sky Conference Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between Southern Utah Thundercats (771) and the Weber State Wildcats (772). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:35 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Milwaukee Bucks (542) minus the points versus the Philadelphia 76ers (541). THE SITUATION: Milwaukee (47-8) has won six of their last seven games with their 126-106 win at Detroit on Thursday as a 13-point favorite. Philadelphia (35-31) has won their last four games with their 112-104 win over Brooklyn on Thursday as an 8-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BUCKS MINUS THE POINTS: Milwaukee made 50.8% of their shots in racing out to a 29-point lead going into halftime against the hapless Pistons — but they still allowed Detroit to make 48.2% of their shots which was the second highest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last seventeen games. The Bucks allowed Indiana to shoot 52.3% from the field in the last game before the All-Star break in a game where Giannis Antetokounmpo did not play with the birth of his child. Expect a better defensive effort from this team tonight. As it is, Milwaukee has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after both a straight-up win and after a point spread victory — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a double-digit victory. The Bucks have also covered the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games after scoring at least 125 points in their last game. Now this team returns home for the first time since February 10th — and they have covered the point spread in 24 of their last 35 home games after being on the road for at least seven days. Milwaukee is 25-3 on their home court where they are outscoring their guests by +13.1 PPG while limiting them to just 41.4% shooting from the field. The Bucks also make 48.5% of their shots on their home court which translate into 121.5 PPG. Milwaukee has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 home games — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 home games against teams with a winning percentage no better than 40% on the road. The Bucks have also covered the point spread in 16 of their last 20 games when favored by 3.5 to 9.5 points. Philadelphia played their best defensive game of the season on Thursday as they held the Nets to just 35.3% shooting. Joel Embiid led the way with 39 points along with 16 rebounds and later proclaimed to be the “best player in the world” after the game. But the 76ers have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 13 games after winning at least four games in a row — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a point spread win. This is a team where the sum of the parts are not as powerful as the individual pieces suggest. Chemistry and team cohesion are significant concerns with Embiid and Ben Simmons battle for the claim of being the leader of this team. Is it a coincidence that Embiid has a big game on Thursday with Simmons out with a back issue? Is it then a coincidence that Embiid boasts he is the “best player in the game?” Are you even the best player on your own team, big guy? The frustrating thing about Embiid is that he will then try to prove himself by launching 3 after 3 — and that is not close to the most effective way for his skills on offense to be utilized. The Sixers have, at times, played their best ball with Embiid out and Simmons leading the way along with Al Horford manning the post. Unfortunately, Horford has been a disappointment when playing on the court at the same time with Embiid with that lineup having one too many big men on the court. Now after playing their last four games at home, Philadelphia goes back on the road where these chemistry issues get exposed while the bench players do not perform at such a high level — and Simmons is listed as probable for this game which reignites the on-floor conflict with Embiid. The 76ers are just 9-19 on the road with an average losing margin of -5.0 PPG. Philly is just 6-19-2 ATS in their last 27 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 road games with the Total set at 220 or higher. Furthermore, the 76ers are just 0-7-1 ATS in their last 8 road games against teams with a winning percentage of 60% or higher on their home court. Philadelphia thrives on the lesser teams in the league — but they are 4-12-1 ATS in the last 17 games against teams with a winning record and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: The Sixers will be looking to avenge a 112-101 loss at Milwaukee back on February 6th — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 straight games when playing with revenge from a loss on the road. Philadelphia has also failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 trips to Milwaukee to face the Bucks. 25* NBA Saturday Night ABC-TV Game of the Year with the Milwaukee Bucks (542) minus the points versus the Philadelphia 76ers (541). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:35 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Memphis Grizzlies (529) plus the points versus the Los Angeles Lakers (530). THE SITUATION: Memphis (28-27) saw their two-game winning streak end last night with their 129-125 loss at Sacramento as a 1-point underdog. Los Angeles (41-12) has won three straight games as well as five of their last six contests with their 120-116 victory on overtime in Denver as a 3-point favorite nine days ago.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GRIZZLIES PLUS THE POINTS: Memphis was sluggish on defense last night in their first game back after the All-Star break. The Grizzlies allowed the Kings to make 50.6% of their shots which was the second-highest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last six games. Yet they did rally from a 15-point deficit in the 4th quarter to almost steal that game. Despite that effort, Memphis has been playing better defense as of late as they have held their last five opponents to just 42.0% shooting which has resulted in 111.6 PPG as opposed to their 114.7 PPG/45.4% defensive marks for the season. The Grizzlies should play better tonight as they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after a point spread setback. Furthermore, Memphis has also covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after allowing at least 125 points in their last game. And in their last 5 games when playing without a day of rest, the Grizzlies have covered the point spread in all 5 games. Memphis stays on the road where they are making a healthy 47.0% of their shots and where they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 road games with the Total set at 230 or higher. The Grizzlies also tend to raise their level of play against good teams as they are 5-2-1 ATS in their last 8 games against teams with a winning record. Los Angeles may suffer from the rust that Memphis did last night after the long All-Star break. Lack of focus has been an issue for this team in the dog days of February — the Nuggets were the third team in their last four contests to make at least 50% of their shots. The Lakers have allowed their last five opponents to make 47.8% of their shots which has resulted in 111.8 PPG. Los Angeles has been winning high-scoring games as of late — they have scored at least 111 points in seven straight contests. But the Lakers have failed to cover the point spread in 32 of their last 44 home games after scoring at least 105 points in five straight games. Los Angeles has also failed to cover the point spread in 19 of their last 29 home games with the Total set at 230 or higher. The biggest Achilles’ heel for this team is the lack of a reliable second scorer after LeBron James. Even with Anthony Davis leading the way with James off the court, the Lakers are scoring only 101.8 points per 100 possessions which would rank more than -2.0 points per 100 possessions below the lowest team mark in the league. Overall, LA averages 113.4 points per 100 possessions with James playing a key role in that high level of efficiency. This makes the Lakers unreliable when asking them to cover double-digit point spreads. And while LA has covered the point spread as the favorite in their final two games before the All-Star break, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 57 of their last 95 home games after covering their last two games as a favorite.

FINAL TAKE: Memphis is a serious contender to make the playoffs with the emergence of rookie superstar Ja Morant. The Grizzlies have a very nice foundation with him joining Jaren Jackson and Brandon Clarke for one of the best young trios of talent in the league — and head coach Taylor Jenkins has been outstanding in getting the most out of his talent. The Grizzlies fare well in expected higher-scoring games like this with that offensive talent. The Lakers average 114.7 PPG on 48.8% shooting — but Memphis has covered the point span in 17 of their last 25 games against teams who score at least 110 PPG and they have covered the point spread in 16 of their last 21 games against teams who make at least 46% of their shots. And while LA allows their opponents to score 107.3 PPG, the Grizzlies have covered the point spread in 27 of their last 41 games against teams who allow at least 106 PPG. 25* NBA Western Conference Underdog of the Year with the Memphis Grizzlies (529) plus the points versus the Los Angeles Lakers (530). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers (871) plus the points versus the Oakland Grizzlies (872). THE SITUATION: Milwaukee (12-14) looks to rebound from their 94-90 upset loss to Wisconsin-Green Bay last Saturday as a 2-point favorite. Oakland (10-17) has won their last two games with their 72-64 win over Youngstown State as a 4-point favorite last Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PANTHERS PLUS THE POINTS: Milwaukee allowed the Phoenix to make 56.9% of their shots last Saturday which was the worst defensive effort of the season. The Panthers should respond with a strong effort tonight as they have bounced-back to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 17 games after a loss at home — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after an upset loss to a Horizon League rival. Milwaukee has also covered the point spread in a decisive 34 of their last 52 games after allowing their last opponent to make at least 55% of their shots — and this includes them covering the point spread in three of these last four situations. Even after that defensive effort last week, the Panthers have held their last five opponents to just 40.4% shooting from the field. They go back on the road where they have won their last two contests — and they have covered the point spread in 32 of their last 40 road games with the Total set in the 135 to 139.5 point range. Milwaukee has also covered the point spread in 31 of their last 47 road games after scoring at least 85 points in their last game — and they are 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 road games against teams with a winning record at home. The Panthers are 2nd in the Horizon League by forcing turnovers in 20.5% of their opponent’s possessions — and this is an area of weakness for the Grizzlies because they rank 7th in the conference by turning the ball over in 19.6% of their conference possessions. Milwaukee is 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog. Oakland has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a win on their home court. They stay at home for the third straight game where they are getting outscored this season despite their 6-5 record. But the advanced metrics rank the Grizzlies as 308th in the nation in home-court advantage when it comes to net Adjusted Efficiency — and Milwaukee ranks 202nd in the nation in net Adjusted Efficiency when playing on the road. Oakland has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games at home — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 26 home games against Horizon League opponents. Furthermore, the Grizzlies have failed to cover the point spread in 27 of their last 40 home games against teams who are not winning more than 40% of their games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 10 home games after fifteen games into the season against teams with a winning percentage in the 40-49% range. Oakland has also been an unreliable favorite as they have failed to cover the point spread in 30 of their last 47 games when favored.

FINAL TAKE: Milwaukee plays at an up-tempo as they average 62 shots per game — and the Grizzlies have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 19 games against teams who average at least 62 shots per contest. 25* CBB Horizon League Underdog of the Year with the Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers (871) plus the points versus the Oakland Grizzlies (872). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Milwaukee Bucks (501) minus the points versus the Detroit Pistons (502). THE SITUATION: Milwaukee (46-8) returns to action after the All-Star break looking to bounce-back from a 118-111 loss at Indiana last Wednesday as a 1.5-point underdog. Detroit (19-38) stumbled into the All-Star break having lost four straight games with their 116-112 loss at Orlando as a 6.5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BUCKS MINUS THE POINTS: Milwaukee was without Giannis Antetokounmpo in that loss to the Pacers with him away from the team with the birth of his son. The Bucks made only 40.7% of their shots in that game which was the lowest field goal percentage in their last fifteen games. They also allowed Indiana to make 52.3% of their shots in that game which was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage all season. Look for this team to make a statement tonight as they return rested and ready to make their push to reach the NBA Finals. Milwaukee has covered the point spread in 26 of their last 35 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a point spread loss. They are 21-5 on the road where they are outscoring their home hosts by +11.0 PPG. They are making 47.5% of their shots on the road which has resulted in 117.6 PPG. The Bucks have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games on the road — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 road games against teams with a losing record at home. Furthermore, Milwaukee has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 road games as a favorite. Detroit is a mess who has fully embraced a complete rebuild after trading Andre Drummond at the trade deadline before dropping Reggie Jackson during the All-Star break who was snatched up by the Clippers. The Pistons are also without Blake Griffin for the rest of the season with his knee injury. And while the focus for this organization is to get younger, they are without one of the foundational pieces in Luke Kennard who has been out for almost two months with his knee injury. Head coach Dwane Casey is left with a roster that looks closer to a G-League group than an NBA team. This collection of players was making only 43.8% of their shots over their last five games — even with Jackson in the mix — which was resulting in just 99.4 PPG. Detroit has failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 22 games after a straight-up loss — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a point spread victory. The Pistons have also failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games when playing with at least three days of rest. They are just 11-19 at home this season — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 14 of the last 18 games in their Little Caesar’s Arena. Furthermore, Detroit has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 8 home games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road — and they have also failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 21 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%.

FINAL TAKE: The Pistons are looking to avenge a 127-103 loss at home to the Bucks back on December 4th — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 19 games when attempting to avenge a same-season loss. Detroit was an 8.5-point underdog in that meeting and now they are getting 13 or so points with their depleted roster. Milwaukee had won their previous six games away from home by double-digits before their loss at Indiana. 25* NBA Central Division Game of the Year with the Milwaukee Bucks (501) minus the points versus the Detroit Pistons (502). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the South Alabama Jaguars (601) plus the points versus the Appalachian State Mountaineers (602). THE SITUATION: South Alabama (16-11) has won four straight games with their 50-49 win over UL-Monroe last Saturday as a 10-point favorite. Appalachian State (15-12) has won three of their last four games with their 62-57 upset win at Georgia Southern last Saturday as a 6-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE JAGUARS PLUS THE POINTS: South Alabama won that game last week despite making only 31.6% of their shots which was the lowest shooting mark for them all season. The Jaguars survived that game due to holding the Warhawks to just 31.5% shooting. South Alabama has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after a game where no more than 125 combined points were scored. The Jaguars have not covered the point spread in their last two games — but they have then covered the point spread in a decisive 42 of their last 65 games on the road after failing to cover the point spread in their last two games. South Alabama has held its last five opponents to just 38.7% shooting from the field. Now the Jaguars go back on the road where they are 7-6 this season. South Alabama forces turnovers — and this attribute travels. The Jaguars 3rd in the Sun Belt Conference by forcing turnovers in 20.4% of their opponent’s possessions — and that mark improves to a 20.5% clip when they are playing on the road which is 53rd best in the nation. This is an area of vulnerability for the Mountaineers as they are 7th in the Sun Belt by turning the ball over in 20.0% of their conference possessions — and that number worsens to a 20.9% clip where they are playing at home which is the 306th worst mark in the nation. South Alabama is 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 games on the road — and they are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 road games against teams with a winning record on their home court. The Jaguars are also 18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 games as an underdog — and they have covered the point spread in six of their last seven games as a dog. Appalachian State may be due for a letdown as they are just 17-35-1 ATS in their last 53 games after a point spread victory. And while they have covered the point spread in five of their last seven games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after covering the point spread in four or five of their last six contests. The Mountaineers return home where they are 8-4 this season but with a small average winning margin of +4.4 PPG. Appalachian State makes only 41.8% of their shots at home which results in just 68.7 PPG — they also rank 310th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency when playing on their home court. The Mountaineers have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 15 home games — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 20 home games with the Total set in the 130 to 139.5 point range. Appalachian State has also failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight games when favored

At 9:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Kansas State Wildcats (839) and the Texas Tech Red Raiders (840). THE SITUATION: Kansas State (9-16) has lost five straight games with their 68-57 loss at TCU on Saturday as a 3-point underdog. Texas Tech (16-9) saw their three-game winning streak snapped on Saturday with their 73-70 upset loss at Oklahoma State as a 3-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Wildcats held the Horned Frogs to just 44.2% shooting which was the best defensive effort in their last four games. Kansas State has played 12 of their last 16 games Over the Total after a straight-up loss. The Wildcats stay on the road where they have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total — and they have played 4 of their last 5 road games Over the Total against teams with a winning record at home. Additionally, Kansas State has played 19 of their last 26 road games Over the Total as an underdog getting 9.5 to 12 points. The Wildcats have also played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total as an underdog overall. And in their last 15 games with the Total set at no higher than 129.5, Kansas State has played 12 of these games Over the Total. Texas Tech has splayed 20 of their last 28 games Over the Total after a loss by three points or less — and they have played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a point spread loss. The Red Raiders return home where they are 12-2 this season while making 48.1% of their shots which has generated 76.6 PPG. Texas Tech has played 6 straight home games Over the Total with the number set no higher than 129.5. They also have played 20 of their last 28 games Over the Total after fifteen games into the season against teams with a losing record.

FINAL TAKE: Kansas State will be looking to avenge a 77-63 loss at home to Texas Tech back on January 14th — and the Wildcats have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total when playing with revenge from a double-digit loss at home. 25* CBB Wednesday ESPN2 Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Kansas State Wildcats (839) and the Texas Tech Red Raiders (840). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:38 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Montreal Canadiens (55) and the Detroit Red Wings (56). THE SITUATION: Montreal (27-26-8) has lost four straight games after their 4-3 loss at home to Dallas in overtime on Saturday. Detroit (14-43-4) has also lost four straight games after their 5-1 loss at Pittsburgh on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Canadiens have played 10 of their last 12 games Under the Total after losing four of their last five games. And while Montreal has allowed four goals in three straight games (and three goals in their contest four games ago), they have then played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after allowing at least three goals in four straight games. Despite these struggles on defense, goaltender Carey Price has still been playing very well as of late. In his ten starts since the All-Star break, Price has a 2.31 Goals-Against-Average with a .923 save percentage. The Canadiens are also struggling to score goals — they are averaging just 1.8 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games while manning just five combined goals in their last three contests. Now Montreal goes back on the road where they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total. Additionally, the Canadiens have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total against teams with a losing record — and they have played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total as a favorite. Furthermore, Montreal has played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total against fellow opponents from the Atlantic Division — and the Under is 7-2-1 in their last 10 games against Eastern Conference rivals. Detroit has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total against Atlantic Division foes — and the Under is 10-1-1 in their last 12 games against Eastern Conference opponents. The Red Wings are probably the worst offensive team in the league. They have been shutout three times in their last nine games while scoring only 12 combined goals over that span. They have also scored only three combined goals in their last three games and just five goals in their last four contests. Head coach Jeff Blashill has his team play very conservatively with the hopes that will keep them competitive in lower-scoring games. They are averaging only 25.8 shots per game over their last five contests which has resulted in just 1.6 Goals-Per-Game over that span. Their best scorer is Dylan Larkin but he has not scored in their last six contests. The Under is 3-0-1 in Detroit’s last 4 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. The Under is also 20-8-1 in their last 29 games after allowing at least five goals in their last game. The Bruins were playing with revenge on their minds on Sunday after losing in Detroit the previous week. But the Red Wings are still getting solid goaltending from Jonathan Bernier who has a 2.52 GAA along with a .922 save percentage in his eight games (seven starts) since the All-Star break. Detroit returns home where they are scoring just 2.1 Goals-Per-Game — and they have played 5 straight games Under the Total on their home ice. Additionally, the Under is 15-5-2 in the Red Wings’ last 22 games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Montreal will be looking to avenge a 4-3 loss in Detroit back on January 7th — and they have played 13 of their last 18 games Under the Total when playing with revenge from a loss where they allowed at least four goals. 25* NHL Atlantic Division Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Montreal Canadiens (55) and the Detroit Red Wings (56). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the West Virginia Mountaineers (616) minus the points versus the Oklahoma State Cowboys (615). THE SITUATION: West Virginia (18-7) has lost three straight games after their 70-59 loss at Baylor on Saturday as a 5-point underdog. Oklahoma State (13-12) has won two straight games as well as three of their last four contests with their 73-70 upset victory at home against Texas Tech as a 3-point underdog on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MOUNTAINEERS MINUS THE POINTS: West Virginia allowed the Bears to make 51.8% of their shots in what was the worst defensive effort in their last five games. The Mountaineers remain the second best team in the nation in terms of Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. And while they have not covered the point spread in their last three games, they have then covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after failing to cover the point spread in at least three straight games. West Virginia should respond with a strong effort tonight as they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after a straight-up loss — and they have also covered the point spread in 11 of their last 15 games after a point spread loss. They return home where they are 12-1 this season with an average winning margin of +17.3 PPG. The Mountaineers hold their guests to just 36.4% shooting from the field which translates into only 59.2 PPG. West Virginia has covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games at home. While the Mountaineers make 45.9% of their shots at home, they do a few other things quite well to give them extra scoring opportunities. West Virginia leads the nation by pulling down 40.3% of their missed shots — and the Cowboys are 202nd in the nation by allowing their opponents to rebound 28.5% of their missed shots. The Mountaineers also lead the Big 12 by forcing turnovers in 24.6% of their opponent’s possessions — and Oklahoma State is 168th in the nation by turning the ball over in 19.0% of their possessions. The Cowboys may be due for a letdown after pulling off two straight upset wins as they also knocked off Kansas State on the road as a 3-point underdog before pulling off the same feat against the Red Raiders. But Oklahoma State has failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 15 games after winning three of their last four games. They stat on the road where they are 6-6 despite making only 43.6% of their shots from the field. The Cowboys have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 road games as an underdog getting 9.5 to 12 points. Furthermore, Oklahoma State has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games with the Total set in the 130s.

FINAL TAKE: The Cowboys will be looking to avenge a 55-41 loss at home to the Mountaineers back on January 6th — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 6 games when playing with revenge from a double-digit loss at home. 25* CBB Tuesday ESPN2 Game of the Year with the West Virginia Mountaineers (616) minus the points versus the Oklahoma State Cowboys (615). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:05 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Portland State Vikings (868) minus the points versus the Idaho Vandals (867). THE SITUATION: Portland State (12-14) has lost two of their last three games with their 89-81 upset loss to Eastern Washington as a 2.5-point favorite on Saturday. Idaho (7-17) had lost eight of their last nine games before they upset Eastern Washington last Thursday as a 15-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE VIKINGS MINUS THE POINTS: Portland State should respond with a strong effort as they have bounced-back to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a point spread loss. They stay at home where they are 7-3 this season with an average winning margin of +10.0 PPG. The Vikings have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 17 games on their home court — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 12 home games against teams with a winning percentage below 40% on the road. Portland State has also covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 home games with the Total set in the 145 to 149.5 point range. The Vikings shoot 46.5% on their home court but there are a few things they do that give them extra possessions which helps them get to their 83.6 PPG scoring average on their home court even their shots are not falling. Portland State is 8th in the nation by pulling down 36.1% of their missed shots — and that mark rises to a 37.4% mark when they are playing at home. The Vikings are also 3rd in the Big Sky Conference by forcing turnovers in 19.6% of their opponent’s possessions. This is an area of weakness for the Vandals as they are last in the Big Sky by turning the ball over in 20.8% of their conference possessions. That mark rises to a 21.5% clip when they are playing on the road which is 272nd in the country. Idaho has not been very consistent after victories as they are 7-18-1 ATS in their last 26 games after a straight-up win — and they have also failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 18 games after a win over a conference rival. Additionally, the Vandals have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after an upset win as a road underdog — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games after a win on the road. Furthermore, Idaho has failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games after a narrow win by 6 points or less. They made 50% of their shots against Eastern Washington after shooting 52.3% from the field in their previous game against Montana — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 22 of their last 32 games after shooting at least 50% from the field in two straight games. The Vandals stay on the road where they are just 3-9 this season with an average losing margin of -7.0 PPG. Idaho scores only 62.7 PPG on the road while ranking 307th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. The Vandals are also last in the Big Sky in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency.

FINAL TAKE: Portland State will be looking to avenge a 72-61 upset loss at Idaho despite being a 6.5-point underdog in that game. The Vikings have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games when playing with revenge from a double-digit loss on the road. 25* CBB Big Sky Conference Game of the Year with the Portland State Vikings (868) minus the points versus the Idaho Vandals (867). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 6:08 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the money-line on the Columbus Blue Devils (33) versus the New Jersey Devils (34). THE SITUATION: Columbus (30-18-11) has won lost four straight games with their 3-1 loss to the New York Rangers on Friday. New Jersey (21-26-10) has lost two of their last three games with their 5-2 loss at Carolina on Friday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BLUE JACKETS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Columbus had been one of the hottest teams in the NHL after going on an 18-2-5 run which included a 9-0-1 finish to that hot streak. Two of their four losses in their current downturn took place in overtime. Injuries have played a role with defenseman Seth Jones going on Injured Reserve to begin the week. But this remains a team that has bounced-back to win 20 of their last 31 road games after a loss by at least two goals. The Blue Jackets have also won 10 of their last 13 road games when playing their fourth game in seven days. Columbus needs to tighten things on defense after allowing seven goals in their last two games. The Blue Jackets have won 14 of their last 19 games after allowing at least three goals in their last two games. Columbus has still allowed only 2.2 Goals-Per-Game in its last five contests. Elvis Merzlinkins will be between the pipes for this game — he has an outstanding 2.18 Goals-Against-Average along with a .930 save percentage this season. Merzlinkins has a 1.51 GAA along with a .943 save percentage in six starts this month. The Blue Jackets have won a decisive 44 of their last 65 road games as a favorite. They have also won 5 of their last 7 games against teams with a losing record. New Jersey has lost 12 of its last 15 games after a loss by at least three goals. The Devils have also lost 4 of their last 5 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last contest. New Jersey returns home where they are just 9-20 this season while surrendering 3.5 Goals-Per-Game. The Devils have lost 17 of their last 24 games on home ice — and they have also lost an incredible 60 of their last 86 home games as the underdog. They turn to Mackenzie Blackwood in goal tonight who has a 2.79 GAA along with a .912 save percentage. Blackwood has not been as effective at home where he sees those marks rise to a 2.82 GAA along with a .902 save percentage. Furthermore, New Jersey has lost 54 of their last 72 games against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: The Devils have lost nine straight meetings with the Blue Jackets with their last contest being on January 18th where they lost by a 5-0 score in Columbus. New Jersey has lost 16 of their last 25 games when playing with at least double-revenge — and they have lost 5 of their last 6 games when attempting to avenge a shutout loss. The Blue Jackets have won their last 6 games in New Jersey against the Devils. 25* NHL Metropolitan Division Game of the Year with the money-line on the Columbus Blue Devils (33) versus the New Jersey Devils (34). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Stanford Cardinal (808) plus the points versus the Arizona Wildcats (807). THE SITUATION: Stanford (16-8) has lost three straight games as well as six of their last seven contests with their 74-69 upset loss at home to Arizona State on Thursday. Arizona (17-7) has won five of their last six contests with their 68-52 win at California on Thursday as a 10.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CARDINAL PLUS THE POINTS: Stanford shot a healthy 52% from the field on Thursday — but it was their defense that let them down as they allowed the Sun Devils to make 54.7% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort of the season. The Cardinal is one of the best defensive teams in the nation — they rank 17th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency while also topping the Pac-12 in that metric. Stanford should respond with a strong effort as they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games after a point spread loss — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games when playing with one day of rest. The Cardinal has also covered the point spread in 28 of their last 42 home games after losing at least two games in a row. They stay at home where they are 12-3 this season with an average winning margin of +12.2 PPG. Stanford is 2nd in the Pac-12 with an effective field goal percentage of 52.6% — and they rank 38th in the nation with an eFG of 55.7% on their home court. Overall, the Cardinal has a field goal percentage of 48.9% at home which has translated into 71.9 PPG — and they are limiting their guests to just 39.6% shooting what results in only 59.7 PPG. Stanford has covered the point spread in 29 of their last 40 games at home — and they have covered the point spread in 17 of their last 24 home games against Pac-12 foes. Furthermore, the Cardinal has covered the point spread in 14 of their last 17 home games against teams with a winning percentage in the 60-80% range — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 home games as an underdog getting no more than 6 points. Arizona made 48.1% of their shots on Thursday in their win over the Golden Bears which was the best shooting mark in their last thirteen games. But the Wildcats have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a double-digit win on the road. Arizona has also failed to cover the point spread in 17 of their last 24 games when playing with one day of rest. The Wildcats are not playing their best basketball as of late. They have allowed their last five opponents to make 43.5% of their shots which is well above their opponent’s 39.4% field goal percentage for the season. And while they are averaging 78.3 PPG this season on 46.1% shooting, those numbers have dropped to just a 69.2 PPG scoring clip over their last five games on 39.3% shooting. Now this team stays on the road where they make only 44.6% of their shots inside the arc which drags down their effective field goal percentage to 45.0% when on the road — those marks rank 279th an 287th in the nation. Arizona averages 78.3 PPG this season — but Stanford has covered the point spread in 12 of their last 15 home games against teams who score at least 77 PPG. And while the Cardinal has an opponent’s field goal percentage of 39.3%, the Wildcats have failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 17 games after fifteen games into the season against teams who do not allow their opponents to shoot better than 42%.

FINAL TAKE: Arizona has failed to cover the point spread in 27 of their last 40 games against teams who are winning 60 to 80% of their games —and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last thirteen games against opponents who are winning at least 60% of their contests. Stanford will be without their 6’9 junior forward Oscar Da Silva who is out with a head injury — but they do have 6’9 Jaiden Delaire and 6’10 Lukas Kisunas who are regular rotational players off the bench who will be asked to play more in this contest. It is also Da Silva’s absence which explains why the Cardinal are underdogs in the 4-point range despite the analytics projecting a 1-point win for the Wildcats. 25* CBB Pac-12 Underdog of the Year with the Stanford Cardinal (808) plus the points versus the Arizona Wildcats (807). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Los Angeles Kings (15) and the Colorado Avalanche (16). THE SITUATION: Los Angeles (20-33-5) snapped a five-game losing streak on Wednesday with their 5-3 win over Calgary. Colorado (33-17-6) saw their five-game winning streak end on Thursday in their 3-2 loss at home to Washington. While a technical home game for the Avalanche, this game will be played at Falcon Stadium which is the football field for the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Kings have played 5 straight games Under the Total after a win — and they have played 9 of their last 10 road games Under the Total after a win at home over a Pacific Division rival. Additionally, Los Angeles has played a decisive 16 of their last 18 games Under the Total on the road after a win at home by at least two goals — and they have played 16 of their last 20 road games Under the Total after a win at home where they scored at least four goals. That offensive explosion was an aberration for this Kings team in what has been a disappointing season. Los Angeles is still scoring only 2.2 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests — and they are scoring just 2.2 Goals-Per-Game away from home this season. They have played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total after scoring at least five goals. Defense has also been an issue for this team as they have allowed at least three goals in their last six games — but they have then played 7 straight games Under the Total on the road after allowing at least three goals in three straight games. The Kings go back on the road where they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total — and they have played 11 of their last 13 road games Under the Total with the Total set at 6 or higher. Colorado has played 5 straight games Under the Total after a loss at home by just one goal. They have also played 10 of their last 13 games Under the Total after winning four of their last five contests. The Avalanche have seen lowering scoring games as of late as they are scoring just 2.8 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games while surrendering just 1.8 Goals-Per-Game over that span as opposed to the 3.6 Goals-Per-Game they are scoring this season along with the 2.8 Goals-Per-Game they are allowing. They are getting outstanding goaltending right now from Philipp Grubauer who has a 1.86 Goals-Against-Average along with a .939 save percentage in his six starts since the All-Star Break. This will be their sixth game in the last ten days — and they have played 17 of their last 25 games Under the Total when playing their sixth game in ten days. Colorado has also played 4 straight games Under the Total when playing with one day of rest.

FINAL TAKE: The weather should be in the 30s so the ice in the outdoor stadium should be in pretty good shape (which can be an issue for these Stadium Series contests). The Avalanche have played 5 straight games Under the Total as a favorite. Los Angeles has played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total against fellow Western Conference foes. 25* NHL Stadium Series Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Los Angeles Kings (15) and the Colorado Avalanche (16). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Liverpool (200149) minus the goal-line versus Norwich City (200150). THE SITUATION: Liverpool (W24-D1-L0) won their sixteenth straight match in English Premier League play two Saturdays ago with their 4-0 win at home against Southampton. Norwich City (W4-D6-L15) comes off a 0-0 draw at Newcastle back on February 1st.

REASONS TO TAKE LIVERPOOL MINUS THE GOAL-LINE: The Reds are clicking on all cylinders with it seeming inevitable that they will capture the EPL crown this season. Liverpool is unbeaten in their last forty-two EPL matches. While some teams might go on auto-pilot at this point of the season, that is unlikely to happen to this Reds team with them chasing the EPL all-time record set by Arsenal in 2004 with their forty-nine game unbeaten streak. Instead, this Liverpool team is rested from the week off while getting healthy again with both Sadio Mane and James Milner both fit to take the pitch again. The Reds have an important Champions League match on deck next week against Atletico Madrid — but with last week off, I expect the manager Jurgen Klopp to get his best players on the pitch for this match to get them back into game shape. Liverpool has dominated the lesser teams in the league this season as they have won all eighteen of their matches against non-Big Six sides while scoring 46 goals and conceding just ten times. Nine of those victories have been on the road where they have scored 25 goals against non-Big Six sides while allowing just six goals. After a slow start on defense this season, Liverpool has been very stingy as of late as they have registered nine clean sheets in their last ten matches while conceding just one goal over that span. The insertion of Joe Gomez in their backline has correlated with the improved play. The issue may come down to whether or not Liverpool scores twice in this contest. The Reds have scored at least two goals in fourteen of their last sixteen EPL contests. Furthermore, Liverpool has won eight of their last eleven matches by at least two goals — and they have won three of their last five matches on the road by at least two goals. Norwich City is winless in their last thirteen EPL matches with eleven of those contests being outright defeats. While the Canaries have registered two clean sheets in their last three matches, they have also scored only two goals in their last four contests after suffering a 4-0 loss at Manchester United. Norwich City is at the bottom of the table while being at severe risk of being relegated. Yet Klopp will have an easy sell to his squad to not have his group take this team lightly since they have defeated Manchester City at home while earning draws with Tottenham and Chelsea. The 47 goals that the Canaries have surrendered this season is the tied for the second most in the EPL.

FINAL TAKE: Liverpool has won their last six EPL matches at Norwich City with 25 combined goals in those contests where they scored at least two goals in each game. With such a talent disparity between the Reds and the promoted Canaries from the Champions League last year — and with Liverpool motivated to break Arsenal’s unbeaten record — look for a decisive victory. 25* EPL NBC-TV Match of the Year with the Liverpool (200149) minus the goal-line versus Norwich City (200150). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Rider Broncs (857) and the Siena Saints (858). THE SITUATION: Rider (14-9) has won five of their last six games with their 73-58 victory over Niagara last Saturday as a 9-point favorite. Siena (11-10) has won four of their last five games with their 65-49 win over Fairfield as an 8-point favorite last Friday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Rider has played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 7 of their last 8 road games Under the Total after a victory. The Broncs won that game over the Purple Eaters by making 54.5% of their shots which was the best shooting effort of their season. But now Rider goes back on the road where they are making just 42.3% of their shots. The Broncs have played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total on the road. Rider is playing their best defense of the year at this point of the season after holding Niagara to just 33.3% shooting on Sunday. The Broncs have held their last five opponents to just 39% shooting which has resulted in just 64.6 PPG which is -6.0 PPG below their season average. Rider will be challenged to defend their defensive glass against this Saints team that leads the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference by pulling down 34.5% of their missed shots. The Broncs are 43rd in the nation by limiting their opponents to rebounding 24.5% of their missed shots. Rider has held their last two opponents to just 5 and 7 offensive rebounds in their last two games — and they have then played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total after not allowing more than 9 offensive rebounds in two straight games. And while Siena averages a +4.6 net Rebounding Per Game margin this year, the Broncs have played 11 of their last 17 games Under the Total after fifteen games into the season against teams who are outrebounding their opponents by at least +4.0 RPG. The Saints have played 22 of their last 32 games Under the Total after a point spread win. Siena has also played 8 straight games Under the Total after not allowing more than 50 points in their last game — and they have played 12 of their last 16 games Under the Total after a game where no more than 125 combined points were scored. The Saints stay at home where they have held their guests to just 41.2% shooting which has generated only 64.7 PPG. Siena has played 21 of their last 28 home games Under the Total against teams with a losing record on the road. Siena is also playing their best defense of the season after limiting the Stags to just 30.2% shooting last Friday. The Saints have limited their last five opponents to only 38% shooting which has resulted in just 63.2 PPG. Siena has covered the point spread in four of their last five games — and they have then played 9 straight games Under the Total after covering the point spread in four or five of their last six games.

FINAL TAKE: Siena will be looking to avenge an 85-77 loss at Rider back on January 5th — and they have played 12 of their last 16 games Under the Total when playing with revenge where they allowed at least 75 points. 25* CBB Friday ESPNU Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Rider Broncs (857) and the Siena Saints (858). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Over the Total in the match between Leicester City (200141) and Wolverhampton (200142). THE SITUATION: Leicester City (W15-4D4-L6) returns to English Premier League action after their 2-2 draw with Chelsea back on February 1st. Wolverhampton (W8-D11-L6) comes off a 0-0 draw at Manchester United on February 1st.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Leicester City has come back to earth after a outstanding stretch in the fall where they won ten of eleven EPL matches. The Foxes have won only three times in their last nine matches since that golden run. Some of the problem was the typical visit from the Regression Gods after outperforming their underlying statistics. Leicester City also enjoyed a favorable group of opponents during that autumn stretch before things got more challenging in December and January. But the biggest concern for this team has been the decline of their play on defense. The Foxes have allowed 16 goals over their last nine matches with too many of them occurring from within six feet. The team missed defensive midfielder Wilfred Ndidi who missed last month with a leg injury — and after suffering a setback in training he will miss this match this afternoon. Leicester City has seen at least three combined goals scored in each of their last eight matches. Forward Jamie Vardy has also seen his production decline after a torrid start as he has not scored in five straight EPL matches. Vardy was averaging a Lionel Messi-like 4 shots per game at his peak during that eleven match run for the Foxes — he has averaged just 1 shot per game since that run. Vardy is wily veteran who should break out of this scoring slump. Leicester City has still scored 13 goals in their last six matches even with Vardy’s slump. The Foxes have also seen their last five road matches all see at least three combined goals where they have scored eleven goals over that span. Leicester City has scored 28 times in their twelve road matches this EPL season. They also have scored 45 times in their seventeen matches against non-Power Six clubs — and they have scoed 25 goals in their eight road matches against non-Power Six sides this EPL season. Wolverhampton produced their first clean sheet in their last ten EPL matches to begin the month. That was also just their second EPL match since the opening game of the season where they were held scoreless. The Wolves have scored or conceded a goal in a league high nineteen matches this season — so the odds are very high that the we will be looking at a 1-1 score (or better for our Over) at one point in this contest. Wolverhampton has seen three of their last four home matches see at least three combined goals scored. They have surrendered 18 goals in their sixteen matches against non-Power Six sides. The Wolves have also allowed the 8th most goals when playing at home this season.

FINAL TAKE: Wolverhampton has won their last two opportunities to host Leicester City in English Premier League action by respective 4-3 scores. Expect both teams to score with at least one side scoring at least twice which will be enough to reach our Over. 25* English Premier League Friday NBC Sports Network Total of the Year with Over the Total in the match between Leicester City (200141) and Wolverhampton (200142). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:30 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Cougars (651) and the Eastern Illinois Panthers (652). THE SITUATION: SIU-Edwardsville (6-19) snapped their four-game losing streak last Saturday with their 83-75 upset victory against Eastern Kentucky as a 2-point underdog. Eastern Illinois (12-12) snapped their three-game losing streak on Saturday with their 71-65 win over Morehead State as a 6-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL:

At 8:05 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Los Angeles Clippers (523) and the Boston Celtics (524). THE SITUATION: Los Angeles (37-17) has lost two of their last three games with their 110-103 upset loss at Philadelphia as a 2-point favorite on Tuesday. Boston (37-16) saw their seven-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday with their 116-105 loss at Houston as a 2-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Clippers will be playing their third game in the last five days tonight before the All-Star break begins tomorrow — they have played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total when playing their third game in five days. Los Angeles stays on the road where they have played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total. The Clippers have also played 9 of their last 11 road games Under the Total against teams who are winning at least 60% of their games on their home court. It is not often when Doc Rivers’ team is getting the points — and that usually means that ramp things up on the defensive end of the court. Los Angeles has played 9 of their last 10 games Under the Total as an underdog. They also have played 24 of their last 32 road games as an underdog which includes them playing seven straight games on the road as a dog getting up to 6 points. Furthermore, the Clippers have played 11 of their last 15 games Under the Total against opponents with a winning percentage of 60% or higher. And while the Celtics are shooting 46.3% from the field this season, Los Angeles has played 22 of their last 33 road games Under the Total against teams with a 46% or better field goal percentage. Boston has not covered the point spread in their last two games — and they have then played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after failing to cover the point spread in their last two games. The Celtics return home where they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total. Boston has also played 5 of their last 7 home games Under the Total against teams with a winning record on the road. Additionally, the Celtics have played 21 of their last 29 games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% overall.

FINAL TAKE: The Clippers won the last meeting between these two teams at home in the Staples Center with their 107-104 victory as a 7.5-point favorite on November 20th. Boston has played 4 of their last 6 games Under the Total when playing with same-season revenge on their minds. 25* NBA Pre-All Star Break Thursday TNT Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Los Angeles Clippers (523) and the Boston Celtics (524). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:05 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Denver Nuggets (522) minus the points versus the Los Angeles Lakers (521). THE SITUATION: Denver (38-16) has won four straight games with their 127-120 win over San Antonio on Monday as a 6.5-point favorite. Los Angeles (40-12) has won two straight games as well as four of their last five contests with their 125-100 win over Phoenix as a 13.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE NUGGETS PLUS THE POINTS: Denver allowed the Spurs to make 48.2% of their shots in the win which was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last four games. The Nuggets have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last  5 games after a point spread loss. Denver has also covered the point spread in 25 of their last 37 games at home after a point spread victory. And while they have covered the point spread in six of their last seven games, they should build off that momentum as they have covered the point spread in 16 of their last 25 games after covering the point spread in five or six of their last seven games. The Nuggets are dealing with injuries right now with Mason Plumlee, Will Barton, and Michael Porter, Jr. have all bee out. But Denver still has Nikola Jokic, Paul Millsap, and Jamal Murray who have helped this team make 50.9% of their shots over their last five games which has resulted in 118.4 PPG. Now the Nuggets stay at home where they are 21-6 with an average winning margin of +6.0 PPG. Denver has covered the point spread in 4 straight games at home — and they have covered the point spread in 5 straight games at home with the Total set at 220 or higher. Additionally, the Nuggets have covered the point spread in 16 of their last 23 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. And in their last 5 games as an underdog, Denver has covered the point spread in 4 of these games. Los Angeles has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a win at home by at least 20 points. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a point spread victory. And while the Lakers are shooting 52.6% from the field over their last five games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after shooting at least 47% from the field over their last five contests. Los Angeles goes back on the road where they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home court. The Lakers have also failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 road games when they are favored. Furthermore, Los Angeles has failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%.

FINAL TAKE: The Lakers will be looking to avenge a 128-104 loss at home to the Nuggets as a 2.5-point favorite back on December 22nd. Los Angeles has failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games when playing with revenge from a loss by at least 20 points. The Lakers have failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 26 meetings with the Nuggets — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 trips to Denver to play this team. 25* NBA Pre-All Star Break Game of the Year with the Denver Nuggets (522) minus the points versus the Los Angeles Lakers (521).

At 9:35 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Boston Celtics (585) and the Houston Rockets (586). THE SITUATION: Boston (37-15) has won seven straight games after their 112-111 win at Oklahoma City as a 1.5-point favorite on Sunday. Houston (33-20) has lost their last two games with their 114-113 upset loss against Utah on Sunday as a 3-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Celtics have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after allowing at least 100 points in their last game. Boston has not covered the point spread in their last two games with their victory over the Thunder preceded by a 112-107 win at home against Atlanta. The Celtics have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after failing to cover the point spread in two straight games — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after winning their last two games by 6 points or less. Boston stays on the road where they have played 16 of their last 23 games Under the Total as an underdog — and they have played 7 of their last 10 road games Under the Total as an underdog getting no more than 6 points. Additionally, the Celtics have played 5 of their last 7 road games Under the Total with the Total set at 220 or higher. Houston has played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after an upset loss as a home favorite. The Rockets have also played 9 of their last 11 games Under the Total after a loss by 3 points or less. Houston has fully embraced small-ball which was cemented with the trade of their center Clint Capela last week. The Rockets are getting killed on the boards as they have been out-rebounded by 10 and 15 boards in their last two games — and they have then played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after being out-rebounded by at least 10 boards in two straight games. Houston has allowed their last four opponents shoot at least 47% from the field while scoring at least 110 points in all four games but they have then played 13 of their last 16 games Under the Total after allowing at least their last three opponents to make at least 47% of their shots — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after allowing at least 110 points in four straight games. Small-ball has not resulted in an uptick of scoring (except for their upset win over the Lakers, unfortunately for us, when Eric Gordon and the rest of the team could not miss from 3-point land): they are making only 42.8% of their shots over their last five games for a 113.4 PPG scoring average which is well behind their 119.3 PPG/45.1% field goal percentage for the season. Houston has played 24 of their last 35 games Under the Total with the Total set at 230 or higher. And in their last 51 expected close games where they are listed in the +/- 3-point range, the Rockets have played 39 of these games Under the Total.

FINAL TAKE: Boston’s biggest weakness is the lack of interior defenders — but that will not be an issue against this Rockets team. The Celtics do a good job of defending the arc as they rank 7th in the league by holding their opponents to make just 34.5% of their shots behind the arc. These two teams have played 13 of their last 16 games Under the Total — and they have played 11 of their last 14 meetings in Houston Under the Total. 25* NBA Pre-All Star Break TNT Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Boston Celtics (585) and the Houston Rockets (586). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Indiana Pacers (560) minus the points versus the Brooklyn Nets (559). THE SITUATION: Indiana (31-22) has lost five straight games with their 124-117 loss at home to New Orleans on Saturday as a 5.5-point favorite. Brooklyn (23-28) saw their two-game winning streak end on Saturday with their 119-118 loss at Toronto as a 6-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PACERS MINUS THE POINTS: Indiana has struggled as of late with slow starts and poor play in the 4th quarter. But hosting this Nets team that they have defeated in eleven of their last twelve encounters. The Pacers have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a point spread loss —and they have also covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after allowing at least 120 points in their last game. And while this is Indiana’s third straight game on their home court, they have then covered the point spread in 4 straight games after losing their last two games at home. The Pacers have lost five of their last six contests — but they have then covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after losing five or six of their last seven games. Indiana has only covered the point spread once in their last five games as well — but they have then covered the point spread in 19 of their last 28 games after failing to cover the point spread in three of their last four games. Indiana is completely healthy at this point in the season with Victor Oladipo back in the mix. He did not play on Saturday in the loss to the Pelicans with head coach Nate McMillan managing his work load but he should be back on the floor tonight. Indiana stays at home where they are 18-9 this season — and they have covered the point spread in 37 of their last 58 home games with the Total set in the 210 to 219.5 point range. They are also 19-6-1 ATS in their last 27 home games against teams with a winning percentage below 40% on the road. And in their last 67 games when favored by 3.5 to 9.5 points, the Pacers have covered the point spread in 42 of these contests. Brooklyn rallied from an 18-point deficit on Saturday to narrowly lose to the Raptors. But the Nets have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games after a straight-up loss — and they have failed to cover the point spread 10 of their last 16 games after scoring at least 115 points in their last contest. Brooklyn is once again playing without Kyrie Irving who is dealing with a knee injury — he will be missing his fourth straight game tonight. The Nets stay on the road where they are just 8-16 this season. The Nets have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 8 road games against teams with a winning record at home. Furthermore, Brooklyn has failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 road games as an underdog — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 road games as an underdog getting 6.5 to 12 points.

FINAL TAKE: The Nets have lost ten of their thirteen games this season against the top-six teams in the Eastern Conference. Brooklyn has failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games against the Pacers — and the have failed to cover the point spread in five of their last seven trips to Indianapolis to play the Pacers. 25* NBA Pre-All Star Break Eastern Conference Game of the Year with the Indiana Pacers (560) minus the points versus the Brooklyn Nets (559). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 6:05 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Chicago Bulls (549) and the Philadelphia 76ers (550). THE SITUATION: Chicago (19-34) has lost four games in a row with their 125-119 loss at home to New Orleans on Thursday as a 6-point underdog. Philadelphia (32-21) snapped their four-game losing streak with their 119-107 win over Memphis as a 6.5-point favorite on Friday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Bulls are struggling on the defensive end of the court — they allowed the Pelicans to make 56.3% of their shots. Chicago allowed the Raptors to shoot 56% from the field in their previous game as well — they have allowed their last four opponents to shoot at least 51.4% and five of their last six opponents have shot at least 50% from the field. The Bulls have then played 14 of their last 16 games Over the Total after allowing their last two opponents to shoot at least 50% from the field — and they have played 5 straight games Over the Total after allowing their last two opponents to make at least 55%. Furthermore, Chicago has played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total after allowing their last three opponents to make at least 50% of their shots. The Bulls have allowed their last five opponents to shoot 54.5% from the field which has generated 122/.2 PPG. But Chicago has also made 47.0% of their shots over that span which has resulted in them averaging 111.0 PPG in those last five games. The Bulls have played 6 straight games Over the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have also played 5 straight games Over the Total after a point spread setback. Chicago has also played 7 of their last 9 games Over the Total after losing at least three straight games in a row. They go back on the road where they have played 4 straight Overs — and they have played 10 of their last 14 road games Over the Total with the Total set in the 210 to 219.5 point range. The Bulls have also played 21 of their last 28 road games Over the Total against teams with a winning record at home. Philadelphia played their best defensive game in their last nine contests on Friday by holding then Grizzlies to just 40.9% shooting from the field. But the 76ers have still allowed their last five opponents to make 47.8% of their shots which has resulted in 119.8 PPG that they have allowed during that span. Philly has allowed their last five opponents to score at least 107 points — and they have then played 18 of their last 26 home games Over the Total after allowing their last three opponents to score at least 105 points. The Sixers stay at home where they are 23-2 while making 48.5% of their shots which has resulted in 111.7 PPG. Philadelphia has played 9 of their last 12 home games Over the Total — and they have played 7 of their last 8 home games Over the Total against teams with a losing record on the road. The 76ers have also played 8 of their last 9 home games Over the Total when favored — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total as a double-digit favorite.

FINAL TAKE: Chicago will be looking to avenge a 100-89 loss at Philadelphia back on January 17th — and they have played 27 of their last 41 games Over the Total when looking to avenge a same-season loss. These two teams have played 13 of their last 19 meetings Over the Total — and they have played 9 of their last 13 games Over the Total when playing in Philadelphia. 25* NBA Pre-All Star Break Eastern Conference Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Chicago Bulls (549) and the Philadelphia 76ers (550). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:35 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Toronto Raptors (536) minus the points versus the Brooklyn Nets (535). THE SITUATION: Toronto (38-14) has won thirteen games in a row with their 115-106 win at Indiana as a 2-point favorite last night. Brooklyn (23-27) has won two straight games as well as four of their last five contests with their 129-88 victory over Golden State as a 6-point favorite on Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RAPTORS MINUS THE POINTS: Toronto should continue to build off their momentum as they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after winning at least six games in a row. The Raptors have also covered the point spread in 15 of their last 22 games when playing without a day of rest. Toronto made 47.7% of their shots last night which was the lowest field goal percentage they have produced in their last six games. They are still making 50.8% of their shots over their last five contests. They return home where they are 19-7 this season with an average winning margin of +8.4 PPG. They limit their guests to just 42.9% shooting from the field when playing at home. The Raptors have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games at home — and they have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 17 home games against fellow Atlantic Division rivals. Toronto has also covered the point spread in 4 straight home games against teams with a winning percentage below 40% on the road. Brooklyn played their best defensive game in their last twelve contests by limiting the Warriors to just 36.5% shooting. But the Nets are likely due for a letdown as they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a win by at least 30 points. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after winning at least two games in a row. Brooklyn has also failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after scoring at least 125 points in their last game. Now they go back on the road where they are just 8-15 this season with an average losing margin of -4.2 PPG while shooting just 43.4% from the field. The Nets have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games on the road. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 11 games as an underdog — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 straight road games as a dog. Furthermore, Brooklyn has failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games against fellow Atlantic Division opponents.

FINAL TAKE: Injuries have impacted both these teams recently. The Nets are without Kyrie Irving against who is out with a knee injury. Toronto has been without Marc Gasol for the last five games along with Norman Powell in the last three contests with injuries and they will also be without Kyle Lowry tonight who suffered a shoulder injury last night. But the strength of this Raptors team has been their great depth — and they still have very good players led by Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, and Serge Ibaka. Toronto defeated Brooklyn by a 121-102 score in the Barclays Center back on January 4th — and the Nets have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games when attempting to avenge a loss on their home court. Brooklyn has also failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 meetings with the Raptors. 25* NBA Pre-All Star Break Atlantic Division Game of the Year with the Toronto Raptors (536) minus the points versus the Brooklyn Nets (535). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Indiana Hoosiers (642) minus the points versus the Purdue Boilermakers (641). THE SITUATION: Indiana (15-7) has lost three straight games after their 68-59 loss at Ohio State last Saturday as a 7.5-point underdog. Purdue (13-10) has won three of their last four games after their 104-68 blowout win at home against Iowa as a 4-point favorite on Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HOOSIERS MINUS THE POINT(S): The Boilermakers are likely due for a big emotional letdown after playing their best game of the season. Purdue nailed 19 shots from behind the arc en route to a 63.1% shooting percentage which was — by far — their best offensive effort of the season. But the Boilermakers have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after scoring at least 90 points in their last game — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after scoring at least 100 points in their last game. Additionally, Purdue has failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after a blowout victory by at least 30 points. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 13 road games after a win over a Big Ten opponent — and they have generally been inconsistent this season as they failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a straight-up victory. In terms of Adjusted Efficiency, the Boilermakers rank number one in the nation when playing at home in Mackey Arena — but they plummet to just 96th in the nation in that metric when playing on the road. Purdue is 3-8 away from home with an average losing margin of -5.3 PPG. Offense is the biggest weakness of this team — they rank 12th in the Big Ten by scoring 68.8 PPG while also ranking 12th with their meager 65.8% free throw percentage along with their 45.0% shooting mark inside the arc. Their shooting is even worse when they are playing on the road where they are making just 36.5% of their shots which is translating into just 59.0 PPG. The Boilermakers are 345th in the nation on the road with an effective field goal percentage of 41.5% due to their 26.5% shooting from behind the arc (335th in the nation) and their 42.8% shooting clip inside the arc (317th in the nation). Purdue is 0-4-1 ATS in the last 5 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight road games in Big Ten play. The Boilermakers are also 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 25 road games with the Total set in the 140 to 144.5 point range. Indiana is desperate for a victory — and they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games after a loss on the road to a Big Ten opponent. The Hoosiers have also covered the point spread in 10 of their last 15 games after losing four or five of their last six contests. Now after playing their last two games on the road where they were the underdog, they return home where they are 12-2 this season with an average winning margin of +13.9 PPG while ranking 23rd in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency. Indiana makes 48.6% of their shots at home which generates a healthy 80.0 PPG. The Hoosiers have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 13 home games with the Total set in the 140 to 144.5 point range. Indiana leads the Big Ten with a Free Throw Attempt-to-Field Goal Attempt ratio of 38.6%. And while Purdue leads the Big Ten by pulling down 34.0% of their missed shots, the Hoosiers also lead the conference by limiting their opponents to rebounding just 24.5% of their missed shots. The Boilermakers average +4.6 net RPG versus their opponents — but Indiana has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 home games after fifteen games into the season against opponents who average at least +4.0 RPG.

FINAL TAKE: Bobby Knight is expected to make his first return to Assembly Hall since 1999 with the University honoring the 1980 National Championship team — so emotions will be very high. Indiana has defeated Michigan State, Ohio State, and Florida State on their home court this season that metrics guru Ken Pomeroy currently ranks in his Top-19 teams in the nation with his analytics. Purdue has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games as an underdog. 25* CBB Big Ten Game of the Year with the Indiana Hoosiers (642) minus the points versus the Purdue Boilermakers (641). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:35 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Utah Jazz (526) minus the points versus the Portland Trail Blazers (525). THE SITUATION: Utah (32-18) has lost five games in a row with their 98-95 upset loss at home to Denver on Wednesday as a 9.5-point favorite. Portland (24-28) has won five of their last six games with their 125-117 win over San Antonio as a 3-point favorite last night.

REASONS TO TAKE THE JAZZ MINUS THE POINTS: Utah has been very frustrating as of late as they have suffered a remarkable five straight upset losses. We have been on the wrong side of at least two of those games including when they blew a 15-point lead in the 3rd quarter against the Nuggets on Wednesday. I do get reluctant to keep chasing a situation — but is one of those moments where I would have more regret not investing in this situation than I would losing once again on the Jazz. Most importantly to ensure I am not simply chasing good money after bad, this presents a strong “play-against” situation against the Trail Blazers. Portland made 53.3% of their shots last night which was the best shooting effort in their last five games. They also held the Spurs to just 44.6% shooting from the field in what was the best defensive effort in their lsat seven contests. The Trail Blazers have then failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after a victory on their home court — and they have also failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 17 games after a game where at least 235 combined points were scored. Damian Lillard has been playing out of his mind with a stretch where he scored 47 or more points in five of six games — but he has come back to earth a bit over his last two contests where he has “only” scored 21 and 26 points. Playing the second game in back-to-back days will not help Lillard replicate his recent Superman powers — and Portland is just 4-9-1 ATS in their last 14 games when playing without a day of rest. The Blazers have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after winning four or five of their last six contests. Now this team goes back on the road where they are jus 10-17 this season while being outscored by -4.9 PPG while making just 44.9% of their shots. Portland has failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games on the road — and they have also failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 road games against teams with a winning record at home. Furthermore, the Trail Blazes have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games as an underdog getting 3.5 to 9.5 points — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 road games as a dog getting 6.5 to 12 points. Utah is questioning their mental toughness right now after suffering five straight upset losses — but head coach Quin Snyder’s team has bounced-back to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 16 games after an upset loss on their home court. The Jazz have also covered the point spread in 13 of their last 17 games after a loss at home — and they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games after a narrow loss by 3 points or less. This team has also covered the point spread in 14 of their last 21 games after failing to cover the point spread in at least three straight games. They made only 41.9% of their shots on Wednesday which was the lowest shooting effort for them in their last twenty-six games. They stay at home where they should shoot better tonight given their 48.0% field goal percentage on their home court this season which is translating into 111.1 PPG. Utah is 18-5 at home with an average winning margin of +7.3 PPG. The Jazz are 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 games at home — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 home games with the Total set at 220 or higher. The knock on this Utah team is that the 19-2 winning stretch they enjoyed before this recent losing streak was due largely to them playing weaker opponents. Perhaps … but we can take heart into the fact that the Jazz have covered the point spread in 6 straight home games against teams with a losing record on the road — and they have also covered the point spread in 11 of their last 15 ames overall against teams with a losing record.

FINAL TAKE: Utah will be motivated to avenge a 124-107 loss at Portland last Saturday as an 8-point favorite. The Jazz have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games when playing with revenge from a same-season loss. The Trail Blazers have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games against Utah in Salt Lake City. Let’s trust the team trends in what looks to be a great situation (albeit one that has burned us with the Jazz twice in the last seven days). 25* NBA Pre-All Star Break Friday ESPN Game of the Year with the Utah Jazz (526) minus the points versus the Portland Trail Blazers (525). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Milwaukee Bucks (506) minus the points versus the Philadelphia 76ers (505). THE SITUATION: Milwaukee (43-7) has won two straight games — as well as eleven of their last twelve contests — with their 120-108 win at New Orleans as a 5-point favorite on Tuesday. Philadelphia (31-20) has lost three in a row with their 137-106 blowout loss at Miami on Monday as a 2.5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BUCKS MINUS THE POINTS: Milwaukee should continue to build off their momentum as they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after a win on the road by double-digit. The Bucks have also covered the point spread in 13 of their last 17 games after winning two of their last three games — and they have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 20 games after winning three of their last four games. Milwaukee has been a juggernaut as of late on offense where they have nailed 49.5% of their shots over their last five games which has generated 126.2 PPG. Defense has been an issue for the 76ers during their recent slide — they have allowed their last five opponents to make 48.2% of their shots. Now the bucks return home where they are 23-3 this season with an average winning margin of +13.3 PPG while making 48.7% of their shots which is resulting in 121.8 PPG. The Bucks are also holding their guests to just 41.5% shooting from the field. Milwaukee has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games at home against teams with a winning percentage below 40% on the road. The Bucks up-tempo offense is helping them average 91 shots per game — and Philadelphia has failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 17 games against opponents that average at least 88 shots per game. And while the Sixers make 46.5% of their shots, Milwaukee has covered the point spread in 20 of their last 29 home games against teams who make at least 46% of their shots. Philadelphia is reeling right now — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a double-digit loss. They also are just 2-5-1 ATS in their last 8 games after a straight-up loss. They allowed the Heat to make 56.5% of their shots on Monday — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after allowing at least 125 points in their last game. Chemistry is a significant problem for this team. Al Horford and Joel Embiid have not been a good fit together since they play similar roles on the court. Embiid is also clashing with Ben Simmons both on and off the court with both players wanting to be the leader of the team — and Simmons is closer to a power forward, in practice, than a point guard so the role allocation on this team continues to be less than ideally optimal. Philadelphia did make some intriguing moves yesterday by adding Glenn Robinson III and Alec Burks from Golden State — but it is questionable if this shooting depth will be able to take the court tonight (and it will likely take some time to effectively transition into the rotation). Philly will also still be without starter Josh Richardson who has been out a couple of weeks with a hamstring injury. The 76ers were playing perhaps their most consistent basketball of the season last month when Embiid was injured. Philly has also been very good at home where they are 22-2 this season — but they have been an ugly 9-18 on the road this year while allowing their opponents to make 46.9% of their shots which has resulted in 110.4 PPG. The 76ers are 6-18-2 ATS in their last 26 games on the road — and they are 1-9-1 ATS in their last 11 road games against teams with a winning record at home. Philadelphia has also failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%.

FINAL TAKE: Milwaukee will be looking to avenge a 121-109 loss at Philadelphia on Christmas Day by a 121-109 score despite being a 2.5-point favorite. Giannis Antetokounmpo missed all seven of his 3-point attempts in that game while making just 8 of his 27 shots for just 18 points. The Greek Freak enters this rematch scoring at least 30 points with 16 rebounds and 6 assists in four straight games. The Bucks have covered the point spread in 16 of their last 20 games when favored by 3.5 to 9.5 points — and the 76ers are 0-6-1 ATS in their last 7 road games as an underdog. 25* NBA Pre-All Star Break Thursday TNT Game of the Year with the Milwaukee Bucks (506) minus the points versus the Philadelphia 76ers (505). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Temple Owls (827) and the Memphis Tigers (828). THE SITUATION: Temple (11-10) snapped their four-game losing streak on Saturday with their 76-64 win at home against East Carolina as a 10.5-point favorite. Memphis (16-5) has won their last two games with their 70-63 win over UConn as a 5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Owls made 48.9% of their shots on Saturday in their victory over the Pirates which was the best shooting mark in their last ten games. But Temple has played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a point spread victory. Now the Owls go back on the road where they are making only 36.4% of their shots which is translating into just 63.4 PPG. Temple ranks only 350th in the nation (out of 353 Division I teams) with an effective field goal percentage of 39.4% due mostly to their 37.7% shooting mark inside the arc which is also 350th in the nation — and they rank 310th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency when playing on the road. The Owls have played 26 of their last 36 games Under the Total on the road — and they have played 9 of their last 10 road games Under the Total against teams with a winning record at home. Temple has also played 6 straight road games Under the Total with the number set in the 135 to 139.5 point range. The Owls are last in the American Athletic Conference overall in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency — but they play strong defense for head coach Aaron McKie. Temple ranks 33rd in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency with that ranking improving to 24th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing on the road. Memphis has been outstanding on defense this season for head coach Penny Hardaway — they rank 10th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency based on their nation-leading opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 41.7%. The Tigers have played 16 of their last 21 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 6 straight home games Under the Total after a win over a conference opponent. Memphis has also played 14 of their last 17 games Under the Total after a point spread victory. But this team has struggled to score points as of late as they are making just 41.5% of their shots over their last five games which is has resulted in just 59.8 PPG. The Tigers stay at home where they are limiting their guests to only 34.2% shooting from the field which has translated into just 59.8 PPG. Memphis has the 3rd best Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing on their home court. They have played 15 of their last 22 home games Under the Total as the favorite.

FINAL TAKE: Memphis has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record — and Temple has played 10 of their last 14 games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. 25* CBB Wednesday CBS Sports Network Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Temple Owls (827) and the Memphis Tigers (828). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:05 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the San Antonio Spurs (569) plus the points versus the Los Angeles Lakers (570). THE SITUATION: San Antonio (22-27) saw their two-game winning streak snapped last night with their 108-105 loss at Los Angeles against the Clippers as a 9-point underdog. Los Angeles (37-11) ended their two-game losing streak on Saturday with their 129-113 win in Sacramento as a 7-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE SPURS PLUS THE POINTS: San Antonio made only 42% of their shots last night which was the lowest field goal percentage for them in their last four games — they had made 56.1% and 51.7% of their shots in their previous two games. The Spurs also allowed the Clippers to make 46% of their shots which was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last five contests. San Antonio is 6th in the NBA in Defensive Rating over their last five games where they are holding their opponents to just 43.8% shooting from the field. They should play better tonight as they are 12-3-1 ATS in their last 16 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a point spread loss. The Spurs have also covered the point spread in 4 straight games after a straight-up loss on the road where they covered the point spread as an underdog. San Antonio is healthy right now so their good depth should help them tonight when playing the second straight games in the Staples Center. The Spurs have covered then point spread in 4 of their last 5 games when playing without a day of rest. San Antonio has covered the point spread in 4 straight games on the road — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 road games against teams with a winning record at home. And in their last 10 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%, the Spurs have covered the point spread in 8 of these contests. Los Angeles responded to their flat performance on Friday at home against the Trail Blazers in their first game since the tragic death of Kobe Bryant by playing one of their better games of the season the next night in Sacramento. The Lakers shot 51.2% from the field which was the best shooting effort in their last eight contests. They also held the Kings to just a 42.9% field goal percentage which is the lowest mark in LA’s last four games. But the Lakers have struggled on the defensive end of the court as they have allowed their last five opponents to make 46.1% of their shots which has resulted in them scoring 110.6 PPG. Los Angeles is 10th in the league in Defensive Rating over those last five games as compared to their overall ranking this season in that metric at 4th best in the NBA. The biggest weakness for this team right now is that they lack a reliable second scorer who can create his own shot in the half-court offense after LeBron James (even Anthony Davis struggles to create his own shooting opportunities). This helps explain why the Lakers have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games as the favorite. Los Angeles has also failed to cover the point spread in 45 of their last 71 home games in the second half of the season against teams with a winning percentage in the 40-49% range. Furthermore, the Spurs are an up-tempo team that averages 90 shot attempts per game while averaging 25 assists per game. The Lakers have failed to cover the point spread in 17 of their last 28 games in the second half of the season against opponents who average at least 88 shot attempts per game — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 26 of their last 43 games in the second half of the season against opponents who average at least 23 assists per game.

FINAL TAKE: San Antonio will be looking to avenge a 114-104 loss at home to the Lakers back on November 25th. The Spurs have covered the point spread in 26 of their last 37 opportunities to avenge a same-season loss — and they have covered the point spread in 31 of their last 38 games when playing with revenge from a loss where they allowed at least 110 points. 25* NBA Pre-All Star Break Tuesday TNT Game of the Year with the San Antonio Spurs (569) plus the points versus the Los Angeles Lakers (570). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Memphis Grizzlies (558) minus the points versus the Detroit Pistons (557). THE SITUATION: Memphis (24-25) saw their four-game winning streak snapped on Friday with their 139-111 loss at New Orleans as a 7.5-point underdog. Detroit (18-33) ended their five-game losing streak yesterday with their 128-123 upset win against Denver as a 2-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GRIZZLIES MINUS THE POINTS: Memphis allowed the Pelicans to nail 53.7% of their shots on Friday which was the worst defensives effort in their last eighteen games. The Grizzlies also made just 46.9% of their shots which was the worst shooting performance in their last five games. Memphis should respond with a big effort as they have covered the point spread in 4 straight games after a double-digit loss. The Grizzlies have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a point spread setback. Memphis has also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after allowing at least 125 points in their last game. Jalen Jackson was suspended for the game on Friday but he will be back on the court night. Now after playing their last two games on the road, the Grizzlies return home where they had covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games when favored. Additionally, Memphis has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games after playing their last two games on the road. And in their last 10 games against teams with a losing record, the Grizzlies have covered the point spread in 7 of these contests. Detroit is just 4-12-1 ATS in their last 17 games after a straight-up win — and they are 4-12-1 ATS in their last 17 games after a point spread victory. Additionally, the Pistons have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after scoring at least 125 points in their last game. And Detroit has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games when playing without a day of rest. The Pistons are not playing very good defense as of late — the Nuggets made 50% of their shots which was the fourth straight opponent to enjoy at least a 50% field goal percentage against Detroit. The Pistons are 25th in the NBA over their last five games in Defensive Rating while allowing their opponents to make 49.3% of their shots which is resulting in 117.8 PPG by their opponents over that span. They are also plaguing undermanned with a host of injuries. Blake Griffin is, once again, on the shelf with a knee injury and Derrick Rose is also out for tonight with a groin injury. Reggie Jackson and Markieff Morris are both questionable tonight as well with back and hip injuries respectively. Detroit goes back on the road where they are just 8-16 this season. The Pistons are 7-15-1 ATS in their last 23 games on the road — and they are also 3-10-1 ATS in their last 14 road games against teams with a winning record at home. Furthermore, Detroit has failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games as an underdog getting 3.5 to 9.5 points.

FINAL TAKE: The Pistons will be motivated to avenge a 125-112 loss at home to the Grizzlies on January 24th as a 2-point favorite — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 27 of their last 42 games when playing with revenge from a loss by double-digits. Detroit has also failed to cover the point spread 4 of their last 5 meetings with Memphis. 25* NBA Pre-All Star Break Non-Conference Game of the Year with the Memphis Grizzlies (558) minus the points versus the Detroit Pistons (557). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 6:30 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Kansas City Chiefs (102) minus the point(s) versus the San Francisco 49ers (101). THE SITUATION: Kansas City (14-4) has won eight straight games with their 35-24 victory over Tennessee on January 19th in the AFC Conference Championship Game as a 7.5-point favorite. San Francisco (15-3) joined them in the Super Bowl later that day with their 37-20 victory over Green Bay as an 8-point favorite. The Super Bowl will be played on a neutral field in Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CHIEFS MINUS THE POINTS: Frankly, I began to consider Kansas City a team of destiny when they rallied from their 24-0 deficit to Houston to win that game by a 51-31 score in the AFC Divisional Playoffs. With New England losing to the Titans that weekend, it just looked like the seas were beginning to part for head coach Andy Reid to finally win his first Super Bowl after long being considered one of the dean’s of NFL coaches. Reid has led his teams to victory in twenty-one of their last twenty-four games after a bye week with his teams also posting a 19-9 ATS record after a bye week in his coaching career. After everything went as I expected in both Conference Championship Games, I was prepared to officially endorse the Chiefs in this game — but I decided to wait to watch the line movement for a few days while also clearing my head to help ensure I was not succumbing to confirmation bias. The best argument for the San Francisco side of the equation relates to the success of underdogs in the Super Bowl coming in with the better defense. So I looked at the Chiefs record against Top-Ten defenses (as decided by the weighted DVOA metric at Football Outsiders). Kansas City faced three top-seven defenses this season: at New England (#4th in DVOA weighted defense); home to Minnesota (#7th in DVOA weighted defense); home to Baltimore (#2nd in DVOA weighted defense). The Chiefs won all three games with the average score being 27.3-22.3. Furthermore, Kansas City averaged 408.7 YPG in those three games with 288 of those yards coming in the air at a 7.71 Yards-Per-Attempt clip — and those numbers compare pretty favorably to their 29.8 PPG, 383.4 total YPG and 283 passing YPG at a 7.9 YPA season average entering this game. The most telling game seems to be the Chiefs’ 33-28 win against the Ravens since the Baltimore team’s physical presence along with their emphasis on a power rushing attack is similar to the San Francisco formula for success. I then looked at how Kansas City performed against Top-Ten rushing attacks (as defined by DVOA). The Chiefs had five games against Top-Eight rushing offenses according to DVOA. I threw out the loss to Green Bay since that was one of the two games that Patrick Mahomes missed due to injury. Kansas City was 2-2 in those other four games as they defeated the Ravens while losing to Indianapolis and splitting two games with the Titans. The average score in those two games was 28.3 to 26.8 in favor of the Chiefs. And while they allowed 173.3 rushing YPG in those four contests with opposing rushers averaging 5.5 Yards-Per-Carry, that did not stop the Mahomes-led offense to average 440.3 total YPG (almost 60 YPG above their season average). With those past results, I am unpersuaded that the elite 49ers defense nor their ability to effectively run the football will significantly slow down Mahomes and this powerful KC offense. It is hard to then ignore that the Chiefs have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after a double-digit victory — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after winning at least two in a row by double-digits. Kansas City has also covered the point spread in 17 of their last 26 games after scoring at least 30 points in their last game including those last four situations. San Francisco is riding high after their easy win over the Packers where they raced out to a 24-0 halftime lead. But the 49ers have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after a win by at least two touchdowns — and they have failed to cover the point spread in a decisive 35 of their last 54 road games after a victory by at least 14 points. Furthermore, San Francisco has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after scoring at least 24 points in the first half of their last game. The red flag regarding the outstanding 49ers’ defense is they have tended to struggle against mobile quarterbacks. In looking at their four games against NFC West rivals Seattle and Arizona with Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray along with their game against Baltimore with Lamar Jackson, San Francisco did win just three of those games with the average scoring being 26.2-23.8 (and while that is still a winning margin, it is -9.9 net PPG plummet from their +12.3 PPG net differential for the season). The Niners held the offenses in those five games to 318 YPG which is still very low — but it is also +39 YPG more than their season average. Those quarterbacks completed 67.5% of their 154 combined passes in those games while averaging 192.0 passing YPG which was +22.8 passing YPG above their season average. Perhaps most importantly for this game, the quarterbacks ran for a combined 284 yards in those five games on 43 carries for 6.6 Yards-Per-Carry average while adding 56.8 rushing YPG. What is critical about these rushing numbers is that they are more likely to occur on 3rd and 4th downs and/or in the Red Zone. Mahomes is usually frugal when deciding to run the football — but he did average 15.6 rushing YPG this season on 5.1 Yards-Per-Carry. This is an area where he may take advantage of the Niners’ outstanding four-man rush. Mahomes will likely also pick on 49ers’ cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon who Pro Football Focus ranks as the 50th of the 95 cornerbacks who had at least 300 snaps this season. Witherspoon has wilted at times this season when his confidence gets shaken while struggling in the Red Zone — and this Chiefs’ offense is loaded with weapons that will preclude the Niners from hiding Witherspoon. The Niners did bench Witherspoon in the playoffs for undrafted free agent Emmanuel Moseley — but at 5’11 and 190-lbs, he is a matchup nightmare against the 6’5 and 260-lb Travis Kelce even if his player was an improvement over Witherspoon. Kansas City is 5th in the NFL by averaging 281.1 passing YPG — and the 49ers have failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight games after eight games into the season against teams who average at least 260 passing YPG.

FINAL TAKE: Once I concluded that the San Francisco defense is not likely to slow down Mahomes and this Chiefs’ offense, the edge Kansas City has at quarterback will likely be the difference. Jimmy Garoppolo is a fine QB who has executed quite well on 3rd down and deserves tons of credit for outdueling Drew Brees in the Niners’ 48-46 win in New Orleans. But Garoppolo is still a bit inexperienced in big games when compared to Mahomes who was winning a coin flip away from winning the AFC Championship Game in overtime last year against the Patriots from reaching the Super Bowl. There are also some throws that Garoppolo struggles with as he continues to develop. While it doesn’t mean everything, it does something that head coach Kyle Shanahan asked Garoppolo to throw the ball only 14 times after his bad interception in the NFC Divisional Playoff round game against Minnesota. Frankly, probably every QB in the NFL right now is at a disadvantage to Mahomes. KC also has a decided edge in Special Teams in this game. With the point spread closer to pick ‘em than the hook, look for Superman Mahomes to fulfill what seems to be his destiny while finally codifying Reid in the pantheon of the elite head coaches in NFL history. 25* NFL Game of the Year with the Kansas City Chiefs (102) minus the point(s) versus the San Francisco 49ers (101). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 6:30 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Over the Total in the Super Bowl between the San Francisco 49ers (101) and the Kansas City Chiefs (102). THE SITUATION: San Francisco (15-3) joined them in the Super Bowl later that day with their 37-20 victory over Green Bay as an 8-point favorite. Kansas City (14-4) has won eight straight games with their 35-24 victory over Tennessee on January 19th in the AFC Conference Championship Game as a 7.5-point favorite. The Super Bowl will be played on a neutral field in Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The adage is that matchups make prizefights — and I say that matchups also go a long way in assessing whether a game will go Over or Under the Total. Both these teams had Top-Eight scoring offenses and defenses in the regular season. I think it will be the offenses that have the edge for both teams in what should push into a higher scoring game. The Chiefs enter the Super Bowl averaging 283 passing YPG — and the 49ers have played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total in the second half of the season against teams who average at least 230 passing YPG. Kansas City also allows their opponents to average 351.7 total YPG in their eighteen games this season — and San Francisco has played 10 of their last 13 games Over the Total in the second half of the season against opponents who allow at least 350 YPG. The weakness of this Chiefs defense is against the run — even after their seeming improvement over the last eight games of the season, Kansas City ranked 27th in the NFL over that span in Expected Points Allowed per rushing attempt faced. The Chiefs allowed 4.8 Yards-Per-Carry this season — and the Niners have played 9 of their last 12 games Over the Total in the second half of the season against teams that allowed their opponents to average 4.5 or more YPC. San Francisco has scored 64 combined points in their two playoff games — and they have then played 30 of their last 45 games on the road Over the Total after scoring at least 25 points in two straight games. The 49ers have also played 13 of their last 16 games on the road Over the Total when playing with two weeks of rest and preparation. Kansas City has scored at least 26 points in four straight games — and they have played 6 straight games on the road Over the Total after scoring at least 25 points in four straight games. And while the Chiefs have scored 21 and 28 points in the first half of their last two games, they have then played 10 of their last 12 games Over the Total after scoring at least 17 points in the first half in two straight contests. Kansas City has won their last five games all by at least 10 points — and they have then played 6 straight games Over the Total after winning at least two straight games by at least 10 points. They are averaging 29.8 PPG when accounting for their two playoff games — but the 49ers best that with their 30.2 PPG scoring average after their two playoff victories. The Chiefs have played 11 of their last 15 games Over the Total against teams who score at least 24 PPG. And while the Niners average 4.7 Yards-Per-Carry in their rushing attack, Kansas City has played 7 straight games Over the Total in the second half of the season against teams who average at least 4.5 YPC.

FINAL TAKE: The Chiefs have played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total against teams who are winning at least 75% of their games. San Francisco has played 10 of their last 15 games Over the Total against teams with a winning record. The winner of this game likely scores at least 30 points with both teams likely score at least 24 points one way or another. 25* NFL Total of the Year with Over the Total in the Super Bowl between the San Francisco 49ers (101) and the Kansas City Chiefs (102). Best of luck for us — Frank (and to get my Super Bowl Props Betting Report for my top three prop bets, follow me on Twitter and contact me for this Report as a free courtesy: @FrankSawyer_HS ).

At 10:35 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Utah Jazz (531) minus the points versus the Portland Trail Blazers (532). THE SITUATION: Utah (32-16) has lost three straight games after their 106-100 upset loss at Denver as a 2.5-point favorite on Thursday. Portland (22-27) has won three straight games after their 127-119 upset victory in Los Angeles over the Lakers last night as a 13-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE JAZZ MINUS THE POINTS: Utah needs to get back to their winning ways with this three-game losing streak — they had won nineteen of twenty-one games before this recent slide. Quin Snyder’s team has bounced-back to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after an upset loss to a divisional rival — and they have also covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a point spread loss. Additionally, while the Jazz have failed to cover the point spread in their last three games, they have then covered the point spread in 14 of their last 19 games after failing to cover the point spread in three straight games — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 10 games on the road after only covering the point spread once in their last four games. Despite this recent slide, Utah is still making a healthy 47.8% of its shots which has translated into 115.6 PPG. They stay on the road where they have covered the point spread in 17 of their last 24 road games with the Total set at 220 or higher — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 road games against teams with a winning record on their home court. The Jazz have also covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games against teams with a losing record. I was wrong about Portland last night as they were the team that responded to the emotion of it being the first game in the Staples Center after the tragic death of Kobe Bryant. In a game that had, at times, the defensive intensity of an NBA All-Star Game, Damian Lillard went off with 48 points along with 10 assists and 9 rebounds to best embody the “Mamba Mentality” while the Lakers seemed to still be suffering from their grief. It will be difficult for the Trail Blazers to maintain that energy — especially without a day of rest. As it is, Portland is 4-9-2 ATS in their last 15 games after a point spread victory — and they are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 games when playing without rest. The Blazers made 50.5% of their shots last night in what was the best shooting effort in their last four games — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after scoring at least 125 points in their last game. Portland returns home where they are just 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 games — and they are 2-6-2 ATS in their last 10 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. Additionally, the Blazers are just 1-5-1 ATS in their last 7 home games as an underdog — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games as a dog getting 3.5 to 9.5 points.

FINAL TAKE: Utah is scoring 111.2 PPG this season — and Portland has failed to cover the point spread in 16 of their last 23 games against teams who are scoring at least 110 PPG. The Trail Blazers are allowing 114.9 PPG — and the Jazz have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 19 road games in the second half of the season against teams who are allowing at least 110 PPG. 25* NBA Pre-All Star Break Northwest Division Game of the Year with the Utah Jazz (531) minus the points versus the Portland Trail Blazers (532). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Colorado Buffaloes (819) and the USC Trojans (820). THE SITUATION: Colorado (16-5) saw their two-game winning streak snapped on Thursday with their 72-68 upset loss at UCLA as a 4.5-point favorite. USC (17-4) has won five of their last six contests with their 56-52 win over Utah as an 8-point favorite on Thursday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Buffaloes have played their last two games Over the Total — and they have then played 27 of their last 36 games Under the Total after playing at least two straight Overs. Colorado stays on the road where they are making only 38.9% of their shots which is resulting in just 65.6 PPG. The Buffaloes are making just 41.3% of their shots inside the arc on the road which is 338th in the nation. This difficulty in shooting 2-pointers has dragged their effective field goal percentage on the road to just a 44.2% mark on the road which is 300th in the country. Colorado has played 25 of their last 34 road games Under the Total — and they have played 20 of their last 26 road games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home court. But this Buffaloes teams does play excellent defense — they rank 18th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. And that ranking improves when only looking at how teams play on the road where Colorado ranks 13th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. USC has played 30 of their last 44 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have also played 4 straight games Under the Total after a point spread victory. Additionally, the Trojans have played 21 of their last 28 games Under the Total after a win against a Pac-12 rival — and they have played 12 of their last 16 games Under the Total after winning at least two in a row against conference opponents. USC has also played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total after not allowing more than 55 points in their last game. The Trojans stay at home where they have played 20 of their last 27 games Under the Total — and they have also played 8 of their last 9 home games Under the Total against teams with a winning record after fifteen games into the season. USC also plays tough defense — they rank 28th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency while also ranking 2nd in the Pac-12 in that metric in conference play. They hold their visitors to just 38.7% shooting on their home court.

FINAL TAKE: Colorado out-rebounds their opponents by +6.1 RPG — but the Trojans have played 13 of their last 14 games Under the Total after fifteen games into the season against teams who out-rebound their opponents by at least +4.0 RPG. And while USC is outscoring their opponents by +6.3 PPG, the Buffaloes have played 6 straight games Under the Total after fifteen games into the season against teams who outscore their opponents by +4.0 PPG. 25* CBB FS1-TV Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Colorado Buffaloes (819) and the USC Trojans (820). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:35 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Philadelphia 76ers (525) and the Boston Celtics (526). THE SITUATION: Philadelphia (31-18) saw their two-game winning streak snapped on Thursday with their 127-117 upset loss at Atlanta as a 6-point favorite. Boston (32-15) has won two straight games as well as five of their last six contests with their 119-104 win over Golden State as a 13.5-point favorite on Thursday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The 76ers allowed the Hawks to make 48.3% of their shots on Thursday which was the worst opponent’s field goal percentage in their last nine games. Philadelphia has played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total after allowing at least 125 points in their last game. This is the Sixers just fourth game in the last ten days — and they have played 25 of their last 34 games when playing no more than their fourth game in the last ten days. Philly stays on the road where they have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total — and they have played 5 of their last 6 road games Under the Total against teams with a winning record at home. Additionally, the 76ers have played 7 straight games Under the Total as an underdog — and they have played 6 straight games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage of 60% or higher. Boston nailed 47.7% of their shots on Thursday in what was their best shooting performance in their last four games. The Celtics have then played 4 straight games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a victory by at least 10 points. Boston has also played 4 straight games Under the Total after a point spread victory. The Celtics have scored at least 108 points in eight straight games — but they have then played 15 of their last 22 games Under the Total after scoring at least 105 points in three straight games. Boston has also played 19 of their last 27 games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60%.

FINAL TAKE: The Celtics will have revenge on their minds as they have lost their last four encounters with the 76ers with their last meeting being on January 9th where Philly defeated them by a 109-90 score. Boston has played 10 of their last 15 games Under the Total when playing with revenge — and they have also played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total when attempting to avenge at least three straight losses to their opponent. 25* NBA Pre-All Star Break ABC-TV Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Philadelphia 76ers (525) and the Boston Celtics (526). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 1:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Connecticut Huskies (619) and the Memphis Tigers (620). THE SITUATION: UConn (11-9) snapped their four-game losing streak on Wednesday with their 78-63 win over Temple as a 4.5-point favorite. Memphis (15-5) ended their two-game losing streak on Wednesday when they defeated Central Florida in their gym by a 59-57 score as a 1.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Huskies have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a point spread victory. UConn has also played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after a win by at least 15 points. The Huskies managed that victory despite making just 35.5% of their shots. UConn has not shot better than 39.7% over their last three games — and they have played 10 of their last 15 games Under the Total after failing to shoot better than 40% in three straight games. Over their last five contests, the Huskies have a 39.5% field goal percentage. UConn is last in the American Athletic Conference with an effective field goal percentage of just 42.5% — and they are also last in the conference by making just 26.0% of their 3-point attempts. It gets even worse for the Huskies when they are playing on the road where they are scoring just 64.0 PPG. UConn’s Adjusted Offensive Efficiency is just 307th in the nation when playing on the road — and they are making only 24.2% of their 3-pointers in their true road games. But the good news for head coach Dan Hurley’s team is that they play very good defense on the road as they rank 20th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing on the road. UConn has played 4 of their last 5 road games Under the Total — and they have played 4 straight road games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home court. The Huskies have also played 6 straight road games Under the Total as an underdog getting no more than 6 points. Memphis has played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 13 of their last 16 games Under the Total after a point spread victory. The Tigers have also played 6 straight home games Under the Total after a narrow win by 6 points or less. Memphis averages 73.7 PPG this season but that mark has plummeted over their last five games to a mere 59.4 PPG scoring average with a 42.8% field goal percentage. But head coach Penny Hardaway can lean on the outstanding defensive this team played. The Tigers lead the nation with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 41.8% fueled by their tough interior defense that is limiting their opponents to just 39.2% shooting inside the arc which is 2nd best in the country. Overall, Memphis ranks 15th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and that number improves to them being 7th in the nation in that metric when they are playing on their home court. The Tigers limit their guests to scoring just 60.9 PPG on 34.3% shooting. Memphis has played 4 of their last 5 games at home Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage no better than 40% on the road.

FINAL TAKE: The Tigers have played 4 straight games Under the Total against teams with a winning record — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total with the number set in the 130s. 25* CBB CBS-TV Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Connecticut Huskies (619) and the Memphis Tigers (620). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:35 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Los Angeles Lakers (514) minus the points versus the Portland Trail Blazers (513). THE SITUATION: Los Angeles (36-10) takes the court again for the first time since last Saturday where they were upset in Philadelphia to the 76ers by a 108-91 score as a 5-point favorite. Portland (21-27) has won three of their last four games with their 125-112 upset win at Houston as a 5-point underdog on Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE LAKERS MINUS THE POINTS: It will be a very emotional night in the Staples Center with this being the first game the Lakers have played since the tragic death of Kobe Bryant. I expect a very focused and determined from Los Angeles as a small tribute to their fallen star. The Lakers are 16-5 on their home court with an average winning margin of +10.1 PPG. Los Angeles makes 48.3% of their shots on their home court while limiting their opponents to just 42.8% shooting from the field. The Lakers are 11-3-1 ATS in their last 15 home games against teams with a winning percentage below 40% — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 home games with the Total set at 220 or higher. Los Angeles is laying plenty of points tonight — and while I tend to be remiss to lay double-digits, I think the urgency to make a statement tonight by this team for their fans will be very strong. I also feel comfortable laying the 13 or so points because the Lakers have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 home games when laying at least 12.5 points. This is also a great opportunity to fade the Trail Blazers. Portland has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after a win at home — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 15 games after a game where at least 235 points were scored. The Blazers made 51.7% of their shots on Wednesday which was the third straight game where they made at least 50.5% of their shots. But Portland has then failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after making at least 47% of their shots in three straight games. The Trail Blazers now go back on the road where they are just 9-16 this season while making just 44.9% of their shots. Portland has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 road games against teams with a winning record at home. The Blazers have also failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games where the Total is set at 230 or higher. Additionally, Portland has failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games as an underdog — and they are 5-12-2 ATS in their last 19 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%.

FINAL TAKE: Portland will not have the services of Carmelo Anthony who is taking a personal day for this contest. Anthony Davis is listed as questionable for the Lakers with his gluteus injury — but even if he does not play, look for LeBron James to take his team on his shoulders tonight with a big performance.The Trail Blazers will be looking to avenge a 128-120 loss at home to the Lakers back on December 28th — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games when playing with revenge from a loss at home. 25* NBA Western Conference Game of the Month with the Los Angeles Lakers (514) minus the points versus the Portland Trail Blazers (513). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers (878) plus the points versus the Wright State Raiders (877). THE SITUATION: Milwaukee (10-11) saw their two-game winning streak snapped last Saturday with their 70-53 upset loss at Cleveland State as a 3-point favorite. Wright State (18-4) has won two straight games with their 95-63 win over Northern Kentucky last Friday as a 4.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PANTHERS PLUS THE POINTS: Milwaukee has bounced-back to cover the point spread in 16 of their last 25 games after an upset loss by double-digits. The Panthers have also covered the point spread in a decisive 54 of their last 81 games after a loss by at least 10 points to a Horizon League rival — and this includes them covering the point spread in 8 of these last 12 situations. Milwaukee allowed the Vikings to make 51.1% of their shots in that game which was the most defensive field goal percentage in their last seven games. Even worse, the Panthers made only 25.4% of their shots in that game which was the worst shooting performance for them all season. Milwaukee has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after a game where they did not make at least 28% of their shots. This team does have ways to generate more scoring opportunities if their shots are not falling. The Panthers lead the Horizon League by forcing turnovers in 21.8% of their opponent’s possessions. Milwaukee also returns home where they are pulling down 36.9% of their missed shots which is 19th best in the nation. The Panthers are 7-3 on their home court with an average winning margin of +7.1 PPG while holding their opponents to just 42.9% shooting. Milwaukee has covered the point spread in 14 of their last 23 home games as an underdog getting 3.5 to 6 points. Wright State enjoyed their best shooting mark of the season last week as they nailed 61.1% of their shots. The Raiders rushed out to a 48-28 halftime lead against the Norse — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after being up by at least 20 points at halftime of their last game. Wright State has also failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after a point spread win. Now after playing their last three games at home, the Raiders go back on the road where they are making just 43.2% of their shots. Wright State also makes only 65.5% of their free throws when on the road which is 310th worst in the nation — so don’t give up hope if the Raiders are covering the point spread late in this game. Wright State averages 81.5 PPG — but Milwaukee has covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games after fifteen games into the season against teams who score at least 77 PPG. And while the Panthers make just 40.5% of their shots, the Raiders have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after fifteen games into the season against teams who do not make more than 42% of their shots. Furthermore, Milwaukee has covered the point spread in 6 straight games against teams with a winning record after fifteen games into the season.

FINAL TAKE: The Panthers will be looking to avenge an 82-70 loss to Wright State back on December 30th. Milwaukee has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 13 games when avenging a same-season loss — and they have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 19 games when playing with revenge from a loss on the road. 25* CBB Horizon League Game of the Month with the Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers (878) plus the points versus the Wright State Raiders (877). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:35 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Atlanta Hawks (573) plus the points versus the Philadelphia 76ers (574). THE SITUATION: Atlanta (12-36) has lost two of their last three games with their 130-114 loss at Toronto on Tuesday as a 13-point underdog. Philadelphia (31-17) has won two straight games as well as six of their last seven contests with their 115-104 victory at home over Golden State on Tuesday as a 13.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HAWKS PLUS THE POINTS: The 76ers have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a double-digit victory. Philadelphia got Joel Embiid back for that game against the Warriors where he scored 24 points while pulling down 10 rebounds and displaying little rust after being on the shelf for nine games. The Sixers won six of those games without Embiid with his absence offering a more stable role for Al Horford who they signed in the offseason. Head coach Brett Brown has not figured out how to effectively work both Embiid and Horford on the court at the same time with both big men playing similar roles. However, that might not be an issue tonight with Horford listed as questionable with a knee issue. The other dynamic that changed in Embiid’s absence is that it opened up space for Ben Simmons to play more aggressively. Simmons averaged 21.6 PPG in those nine games without Embiid while bailing a remarkable 65.3% of his shots as compared to 14.9 PPG scoring average in the 36 games before Embiid’s injury on 56.3% shooting. Philly needs Simmons to continue to be aggressive but the perceived need to get Embiid his touches may work against this notion. Now this team leaves the Wells Fargo Center where they are 22-2 this season — yet they are just 9-15 on the road with an average losing margin of -3.2 PPG. The 76ers are just 1-7-1 ATS in their last 9 games on the road — and they are 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 road games against teams with a winning percentage below 40% on their home court. And while the Hawks are being outscored by an ugly -9.3 PPG this season, Philadelphia has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games against opponents who are being outscored by at least -9.0 PPG. Atlanta has coped the point spread in 4 straight games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a point spread loss. The Hawks have also covered the point spread in 4 straight games after a double-digit loss. Atlanta returns home where they are being outscored by -4.1 PPG. But the Hawks have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 home games against teams with a losing record on the road — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 home games as the underdog. Atlanta will likely be without big men Alex Len and Bruno Fernandes who are dealing with injuries — but their absences on Tuesday offered the opportunity for big man John Collins to step up with 28 points and 12 rebounds. And the Hawks will have rising star Trae Young who has registered four straight double-doubles while scoring 42 and 45 points in two of those games. Young scored 45 points in his last game at home in a 152-133 win against Washington. Atlanta has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. The Hawks have also covered the point spread in their last four opportunities to host the Sixers.

FINAL TAKE: The 76ers have only defeated opponents on the road this season by more than 7 points — they beat the Cavaliers in Cleveland by 9 points on November 17th before winning in Detroit against the Pistons by 16 points on December 23rd. Since that win in Detroit, the Sixers have lost seven of their last nine games on the road. Atlanta has covered the point spread in four of their last five games at home as an underdog getting at least 2 points — and they have pulled the upset in three of those games. 25* NBA Underdog of the Month with Atlanta Hawks (573) plus the points versus the Philadelphia 76ers (574). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Northeastern Huskies (619) and the William & Mary Pride (620). THE SITUATION: Northeastern (11-10) has lost two of their last three games with their 76-74 loss to Delaware on Sunday as a 7.5-point favorite. William & Mary (15-7) has lost two of their last three games as well after their 70-58 loss to Towson State as a 5-point favorite on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Huskies have played 26 of their last 38 games Over the Total after a narrow loss by 3 points or less — and this includes them playing 8 of their last 12 games Over the Total after a narrow loss by 3 points or less at home. This is an outstanding team in shooting the basketball that ranks 6th in the nation with an effective field goal percentage of 56.3%. Northeastern also ranks 4th in the nation by making 40.4% of their shots behind the arc. Those numbers do not fall off much when they are playing away from — they nail 37.7% of their 3-pointers on the road which is 26th best in the country which helps maintain their effective field goal percentage of 55% which is 11th best in the nation for teams playing on the road. The Huskies have played 14 of their last 20 games Over the Total on the road — and they have played 9 of their last 12 road games Over the Total against teams with a winning record on their home court. Northeastern should score plenty of points against this Pride defense that ranks 232nd in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. The Huskies average 72.7 PPG on the road — and they are scoring 76.8 PPG in their last five games while making 48.5% of their shots from the field. But Northeastern has allowed their last five opponents to also make 48.5% of their shots as well. William & Mary has played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after a straight-up win. And while that game finished Under the 137 point Total, the Pride have then played 11 of their last 12 home games Under the Total after a game that finished Under the Total. William & Mary should be able to keep up with the Huskies scoring as they rank 14th in the nation with an effective field goal percentage of 54.8%. The Pride will likely live inside against Northeastern — they rank 19th in the nation by making 54.7% of their 2-point shots while the Huskies rank 321st in the country by allowing their opponents to make 54.3% of their shots inside the arc. William & Mary is making 47.9% of their shots on their home court which has resulted in 76.7 PPG. The Pride have played 36 of their last 52 games Over the Total on their home court — and they have played 7 of their last 8 home games Over the Total against teams with a winning record on the road. Additionally, William & Mary has played 23 of their last 34 home games Over the Total as the favorite — and they have played 10 of their last 12 home games Over the Total in expected close games where they are listed in the +/- 3-point range.

FINAL TAKE: This is a rematch of William & Mary’s 66-64 upset victory over the Huskies back on January 4th. Northeastern shot just 43.5% from the field in that game while making just 6 of 19 (31.6%) of their shots from behind the arc in a game that saw only 65 respective possessions. The tempo should be quicker in this rematch (with the Huskies making more shots) — the Pride average 67.6 possessions per game while Northeastern averages 67.5 possessions in conference play. 25* CBB Colonial Athletic Association Total of the Month with Over the Total in the game between the Northeastern Huskies (619) and the William & Mary Pride (620). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:05 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Oklahoma City Thunder (565) minus the points versus the Sacramento Kings (566). THE SITUATION: Oklahoma City (28-20) saw their five-game winning streak snapped on Monday with their 107-97 loss at home to Dallas as a 4.5-point underdog. Sacramento (17-29) has won two in a row after being on a six-game losing streak with their 133-129 win at Minnesota on Monday as a 3-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE THUNDER MINUS THE POINTS: Oklahoma City has bounced-back to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a point spread setback. The Thunder have also covered the point spread in 4 straight games after a double-digit loss at home. Oklahoma City did not have the services of Chris Paul in that game with him taking a personal day after the news of the death of Kobe Bryant. The Thunder made only 39.5% of their shots without Paul in what was the worst shooting effort in their last 35 games. Paul is expected to be back on the court tonight — and Oklahoma City has covered the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games after winning at least four of their last five games. Even with their disappointing shooting performance on Monday, the Thunder is still averaging a 49.8% field goal percentage over their last five games which has generated 116.4 PPG over that span. Now Oklahoma City goes back on the road where they have covered the point spread in 20 of their last 27 games — and they have covered the point spread in 6 straight road games against teams with a losing record at home. Additionally, the Thunder have covered the point spread in 16 of their last 21 games against teams with a losing record — and they have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 21 games when listed in the +/- 3-point range. Sacramento outscored the Timberwolves by a 21-4 margin over the last 2:30 in the 4th quarter to force overtime to eke out that game. The Kings made 50% of their shots in what was the best shooting effort in their last five games. But Sacramento has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a point spread win. The Kings have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight games after scoring at least 125 points in their last game. Now this team returns home for the first time since January 15th — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 home games after being on the road for at least seven days. Sacramento is 8-13 at home — and they are just 2-10-1 ATS in their last 13 games on their home court. The Kings are also just 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 home games as an underdog — and they are 0-4-1 ATS in their last 5 games against teams with a winning record. Sacramento may not be at full strength for this game with Marvin Bagley III listed as questionable with a foot injury.

FINAL TAKE: Oklahoma City is looking to avenge a 94-93 loss at Sacramento back on December 11th in the last meeting between these two teams. The Thunder have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games when avenging a loss on the road. 25* NBA Road Warrior of the Month with the Oklahoma City Thunder (565) minus the points versus the Sacramento Kings (566). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Alabama Crimson Tide (809) plus the points versus the LSU Tigers (810). THE SITUATION: Alabama (12-7) has won four games in a row with their 77-74 win over Kansas State on Saturday in the Big 12/SEC Challenge as a 9.5-point favorite. LSU (15-4) has won eight games in a row with their 69-67 upset win at Texas on Saturday in their Big 12/SEC Challenge matchup where they were 2-point underdogs.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CRIMSON TIDE PLUS THE POINTS: Alabama has covered the point spread in 9 of their last 10 games after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a point spread win. And while that game finished above the 146 point total, the Crimson Tide have then covered the point spread in 11 straight games after playing a game that finished Over the Total. Alabama allowed the Wildcats to make 35.1% of their shots which — while low — happened to be the worst defensive effort in their last five games. The Crimson Tide have the second-lowest Adjusted Defensive Efficiency in SEC play — and they have held their last five opponents to just 34.7% shooting from the field. Now Alabama goes back on the road where they are outscoring their opponents despite a 4-6 record. The Tide have covered the point spread in 5 straight games on the road — and they have covered the point spread in 5 straight road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home court. LSU is just 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 13 home games after narrow win on the road by 3 points or less. The Tigers have been very fortunate to eke out close games. LSU has won their last six games by a combined 15 points with all those victories by 4 points or less and with three of them decided by 1 or 2 points. The Tigers return home where they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games. Head coach Will Wade lost three starters from last year’s Sweet Sixteen squad — but he did return five contributors from that group while complementing them with five transfers. Yet scoring may be a problem for this team against this Crimson Tide defense. LSU is making only 44.0% of their shots over their last five games — and they make only 25.8% of their 3-pointers on their home court which is 341st in the nation. The Tigers do lead the SEC by rebounding 41.1% of their missed shots in conference play — but Alabama is 2nd in the SEC by limiting their opponents to rebounding just 26.9% of their missed shots.

FINAL TAKE: The Crimson Tide are beginning to thrive under first-year head coach Nate Oaks who has this team playing at the quickest adjusted tempo in the nation. Over their last ten games, the advanced metrics list Alabama as the 21st best team in the nation — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 11 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. Those metrics rank LSU at just 45th in the nation over their last ten games despite them being ranked once again in the Top-25 for the first time in ten weeks. The Tigers are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 games against teams with a winning record — and they are 0-4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as a favorite. 25* CBB Underdog of the Month with the Alabama Crimson Tide (809) plus the points versus the LSU Tigers (810). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:45 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Liverpool (200081) minus the goal-line versus West Ham (200082). THE SITUATION: Liverpool (W22-D1-L0) has won fourteen straight matches in English Premier League action with their 2-1 win at Wolverhampton last Thursday. West Ham (W6-D5-L12) looks to rebound from their 4-1 loss at Leicester City last Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE LIVERPOOL MINUS THE GOAL-LINE: The big news for the Reds is that they will be missing their star midfielder, Sadio Mane, who injured his hamstring in the match against the Wolves which will keep him out for (at least) their next two EPL contests. But this Liverpool team remains loaded led by Mo Salah in the middle of the pitch along with Robert Firmino up top. Since the start of the 2017-18 EPL season, Salah has scored 14 goals with 11 assists. Salah has also scored six goals with two assists in his last four EPL matches when playing without Mane. Expect this team to step up in Mane’s absence to be play a very focused match as they look to continue their historic campaign. The Reds’ defensive backline remains in tact for this match — they had racked up seven straight clean sheets in EPL action before Wolverhampton scored on them last week. Most of the key starters did not play on Sunday in Liverpool’s 2-2 draw in FA Cup action at Shrewsbury Town — so the players on the pitch today should be rested. And while the FA Cup is not at the forefront of the team’s championship goals this season, they should be feisty to get back to their winning ways in this one. The Reds have won seven of their last fourteen EPL matches by more than one goal. They are W10-D1-L0 on the road in the EPL this season where they have scored 23 times while conceding just six times. Liverpool also takes care of business against the lesser teams in the EPL as they are a perfect W16-D0-L0 against non-Power Six sides while averaging 2.5 Goals-Per-Game in those contests and conceding just 10 times for a 0.62 Goals-Per-Game allowed rate. Eight of those victories against non-Power Six sides have been on the road where they are averaging 2.4 Goals-Per-Game while allowing just just 0.5 Goals-Per-Game. West Ham was crushed by Leicester City despite the Foxes not playing with Jamie Vardy for half that game when he left the pitch with an injury with the score just 1-0. The Hammers have been dealing with injuries — they hope to get back midfielder Robert Snodgrass and goaltender Lukasz Fabianksi for this contest. But midfielder Felipe Anderson will likely miss this game again with his injury which leaves the West Ham offensive attack limited. The Hammers have scored only two combined goals in their last three games — and they have only scored more than one goal in a match just once in their last ten matches.

FINAL TAKE: West Ham has upset Manchester United by a 2-0 score at home this season but that was their only victory in their four home matches against Power Six sides this season. They lost the other three matches at home — and they have been outscored by an 11 to 6 margin in those four matches at home against Power Six teams. 25* EPL NBC Sports Network Match of the Month with the Liverpool (200081) minus the goal-line versus West Ham (200082). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Memphis Grizzlies (550) minus the points versus the Denver Nuggets (549). THE SITUATION: Memphis (22-24) has won two straight games as well as nine of their last eleven contests with their 114-109 victory on Sunday as a 2-point favorite. Denver (32-14) has won two straight games with their 117-110 win over Houston as a 2-point favorite on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GRIZZLIES MINUS THE POINTS: Memphis should continue to build off the momentum of their victory on Sunday as they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a point spread victory. Led by rookie sensation Ja Morant, the Grizzlies are steadily improving with a balanced scoring attack with five players that average at least 10 PPG. Memphis made 52.4% of their shots on Sunday — and they shot 54.4% from the field in a 114-109 victory in Detroit against the Pistons in their previous contest. The Grizzlies have then covered the point spread in 19 of their last 28 games after scoring at least 110 points in two straight games. Memphis has also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after making at least 50% of their shots in two straight games. The Grizzlies have a field goal percentage of 48.6% over their last five games. They stay at home where they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games. Memphis has also covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 home games as the favorite — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games at home when favored by no more than 6 points. The Grizzlies are also 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. Memphis is undermanned in this game with Jae Crowder doubtful with a knee injury and Grayson Allen is out with a hip injury. But the Nuggets are also missing some important players with Jamal Murray, Paul Millsap, and Mason Plumlee all out with injuries as well. Denver has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games after a straight-up win. The Nuggets have also failed to cover the point spread in 19 of their last 26 road games after scoring at least 115 points in their last game. Furthermore, Denver has failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 18 games after winning two games in a row. The Nuggets have covered the point spread in two straight games as well as three of their last four games. Denver has then failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight games after covering the point spread in two straight games. The Nuggets go back on the road for the fourth time in their last five contests — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 straight road games after covering the point spread in three of their last four games.

FINAL TAKE: Denver has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 trips to Memphis to face the Grizzlies. Memphis will be looking to avenge a 119-110 loss to the Nuggets back on December 28th. The Grizzlies have covered the point spread in 16 of their last 22 home games when playing with revenge from a same season loss. 25* NBA Western Conference Game of the Month with the Memphis Grizzlies (550) minus the points versus the Denver Nuggets (549). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (628) minus the points versus the Purdue Boilermakers (627). THE SITUATION: Rutgers (15-5) has won three of their last four games with their 75-72 win over Nebraska as a 13.5-point favorite on Saturday. Purdue (11-9) snapped a two-game losing streak last Friday with their 70-57 victory over Wisconsin as a 4-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE SCARLET KNIGHTS MINUS THE POINTS: The Boilermakers are likely due for a letdown after playing one of their best games of the season against the Badgers. Purdue has failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after a point spread win. Additionally, the Boilermakers ave failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 16 games on the road after a win over a Big Ten opponent. But Purdue has still only covered the point spread twice in their last seven games — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 17 games on the road after failing to cover the point spread in four or five of their last six games. Now this team goes back on the road where they have a completely different team than they are at home where they are 9-2 this season at Mackey Arena. But the Boilermakers are just 2-7 on the road where they are being outscored by -6.0 PPG. Purdue is not a good shooting team — they are 256th in the nation in effective field goal percentage and that number drops to 42.9% in Big Ten play which is last in the conference. The Boilermakers also have the worst Adjusted Offensive Efficiency in the Big Ten. Their shooting is even worse away from home as they are making just 35.4% of their shots which is resulting in just 58.3 PPG. Pursue has an effective field goal percentage of 39.5% on the road which is 348th in the nation. They make only 23.8% of their 3-pointers on the road while making just 41.5% of their shots inside the arc on the road which ranks 345th and 327th in the nation. The Boilermakers also make things very difficult for themselves on the road by not getting to the free-throw line — they rank 329th in the nation with a Free Throw Attempt-to-Field Goal Attempt ratio of 21.3%. Purdue is just 1-5-1 ATS in their last 7 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 19 of their last 27 road games against Big Ten opponents. Rutgers is 6-0-1 ATS in their last 7 games after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 16 games after a victory over a Big Ten opponent. And while the Scarlet Knights have won nine of their last eleven games, they have then covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games after winning at least four or five of their last six games. Rutgers won seven games in Big Ten play last season with head coach Steve Pikiell returns seven of the top eight scorers from that team. The Scarlet Knights stay at home where they are 14-0 with an average winning margin of +17.1 PPG. This Rutgers team plays outstanding defense as they rank 9th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. The Scarlet Knights hold their guests to just 35.6% shooting on their home court which results in 56.0 PPG. Rutgers rank 3rd in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing at home. They will make things very difficult for the Boilermakers’ shooters as they rank 20th in the nation with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 44.0%.

FINAL TAKE: The Scarlet Knights have already defeated Seton Hall, Penn State, Indiana, and Minnesota on their home court — metrics guru Ken Pomeroy ranks all four of those teams in the top 39 teams in the nation. Purdue is just 1-6-1 ATS in their last 8 games as an underdog. 25* CBB Big Ten Game of the Month with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (628) minus the points versus the Purdue Boilermakers (627). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Cleveland Cavaliers (527) and the Detroit Pistons (528). THE SITUATION: Cleveland (12-34) has lost seven straight games after their 118-106 loss to Chicago on Saturday as a 1-point favorite. Detroit (17-30) has lost two straight games as well as three of their last four contests after their 121-111 loss to Brooklyn on Saturday as a 2.5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Cavaliers have played 9 of their last 11 games Over the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have also played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total after a point spread loss. Additionally, Cleveland has played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a double-digit loss — and they have played 4 straight games Over the Total after a double-digit loss at home. Defense has been a significant problem for this team under first-year head coach John Beilein. The Cavaliers have allowed their last five opponents to make 52.2% of their shots from the field. Cleveland now goes back on the road where their home hosts are making 49.5% of their shots which has translated into 115.4 PPG. The Cavaliers gave played 12 of their last 17 road games Over the Total. Cleveland has also played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage below 40%. Detroit has played 4 straight games Over the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 4 straight games Over the Total after a point spread setback. The Pistons made only 41.3% of their shots on Friday which was the lowest field goal percentage for them in their last six contests. Detroit does expect to get Reggie Jackson back tonight as he is listed as probable despite his back issues. The Pistons stay at home where they are making 47.5% of their shots which has resulted in 111.9 PPG. Detroit is also allowing its visitors to score 112.1 PPG on 47.2% shooting from the field. The Pistons have played 19 of their last 26 home games Over the Total — and they have played 9 of their last 10 home games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage below 40% on the road. Furthermore, Detroit has played 10 of their last 11 games Over the Total as a favorite.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have played 6 straight meetings Over the Total. Expect another high scoring game between these two teams. 25* NBA Central Division Total of the Month with Over the Total in the game between the Cleveland Cavaliers (527) and the Detroit Pistons (528). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the North Carolina State Wolfpack (866) minus the points versus the North Carolina Tar Heels (865). THE SITUATION: NC State (14-6) saw their three-game winning streak snapped on Saturday with their 64-58 loss at Georgia Tech as a 1-point underdog. North Carolina (9-10) snapped their five-game losing streak with their 94-71 win at home against Miami (FL) as a 7-point favorite on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE WOLFPACK MINUS THE POINTS: NC State should respond with a strong effort as they have bounced-back to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after a point spread loss. Furthermore, the Wolfpack have covered the point spread in 31 of their last 48 games after a loss on the road where they did not score at least 60 points. And while NC State has only covered the point spread once in their last three games, they have then covered the point spread in 6 straight games after failing to cover the point spread in two of their last three games. This is an experienced team that returned six of their top seven starters from last year's 24-win team. The Wolfpack are 11-1 on their home court where they are outscoring their opponents by +14.3 PPG. NC State holds its opponents to just 40.4% shooting on their home court which has resulted in only 64.3 PPG. The Wolfpack have also held their last five opponents to just 38.1% shooting. North Carolina has failed to cover the point spread 9 straight games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a point spread victory. The Tar Heels made 58.1% of their shots which was by far the best shooting performance of this team all season — the next highest field goal percentage they enjoyed was in their first game of the season where they made 46.7% of their shots against Notre Dame. But North Carolina is just 3-7-1 ATS in their last 11 games after scoring at least 90 points in their last game. Yet this remains a highly disappointing season for head coach Roy Williams who lost his top five scorers from last year’s team. Injuries have further exposed the talent deficit on the roster this season. Veteran big man Sterling Manley and four-star freshman Anthony Harris are out the season with injuries. But the biggest loss has been with five-star freshman guard Cole Anthony who has out for a month and a half with a knee injury. At one point, Anthony was considered the possible number one pick in the June NBA draft. The Tar Heels go back on the road where they are just 4-5 this season while making only 40.4% of their shots. North Carolina has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 road games against teams with a winning percentage of 60% or better on their home court. North Carolina has also failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 25 road games as an underdog getting 3.5 to 6 points — and this includes them failing to cover the point spread in those last three situations. The Tar Heels only make 27.6% of their shots from behind the arc in true road games which is 308th in the nation — and their 43.7% effective field goal percentage in true road games is just 304th in the country. North Carolina only makes 58.2% of their free throws in hostile environments as well which is 304th in the nation. The Tar Heels try to make up for these shooting deficiencies by crashing the offensive glass — they are out-rebounding their opponents by +9.4 RPG. North Carolina out-rebounded the Hurricanes on Saturday by a 41 to 21 margin — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after out-rebounding their last opponent by at least 20 boards. Furthermore, NC State has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games against teams that out-rebound their opponents by at least +5.0 RPG.

FINAL TAKE: The Wolfpack are outscoring their opponents by +7.2 PPG while holding these foes to just 41.9% shooting from the field. North Carolina has failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games against teams who do not allow their opponents to shoot better than 42% — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games against teams who are outscoring their opponents by at least +4.0 PPG. 25* CBB Big Monday ESPN Game of the Month with the North Carolina State Wolfpack (866) minus the points versus the North Carolina Tar Heels (865). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 6:05 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the New Orleans Pelicans (516) minus (or plus) the point(s) versus the Boston Celtics (515). THE SITUATION: New Orleans (17-29) has lost two straight games as well as three of their last four contests with their 113-106 loss to Denver as a 4-point favorite on Friday. Boston (30-14) has won three straight games with their 109-98 upset win at Orlando on Friday as a 3-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PELICANS MINUS (OR PLUS) THE POINT(S): New Orleans shot just 46.3% of their shots in their loss to the Nuggets which was their worst shooting effort in their last five games. The Pelicans are still scoring a robust 123.4 PPG over their last five games while making 49.9% of their shots. New Orleans has bounced-back to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a straight-up loss. This team has been jumpstarted by the debut of rookie phenom Zion Williamson who has averaged 18.5 PPG while rebounding 6.5 RPG despite not playing 20 minutes per game in his first two contests. His presence on the court should provide plenty of energy and enthusiasm for this team. They have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games at home — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 home  games against teams with a winning record on the road. Additionally, the Pelicans are 9-1-1 ATS in their last 11 games as an underdog — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 home games as a dog. Furthermore, New Orleans is 5-2-2 ATS in their last 9 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. Boston has won their last three games all by at least 11 points — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after winning at least three in a row by double-digits. And while the Celtics have covered the point spread in all three of those games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after covering the point spread in three straight games. Boston held the Magic to just 40% shooting on Friday which tied for the lowest opponent’s field goal percentage they have allowed in their last fourteen games. Yet this team is not playing at full strength with Enes Kantor still out with a foot injury while both Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are questionable with an ankle and groin issues. The Pelicans are allowing 117.6 PPG this season — but the Celtics have failed to cover the point spread in 29 of their last 42 games in the second half of the season against teams who allow at least 110 PPG. Boston has also failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 6 games with the Total set at 230 or higher.

FINAL TAKE: New Orleans will be looking to avenge a brutal 140-105 loss in Boston back on January 11th — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games when avenging a loss on the road by at least 20 points. 25* NBA Pre-All Star Break ESPN Game of the Year with the New Orleans Pelicans (516) minus (or plus) the point(s) versus the Boston Celtics (515). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:35 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Philadelphia 76ers (510) minus the points versus the Los Angeles Lakers (509). THE SITUATION: Philadelphia (29-17) saw their four-game winning streak snapped on Wednesday with their 107-95 loss at Toronto as a 6.5-point underdog. Los Angeles (36-9) has won two straight games as well as twelve of their last fourteen contests with their 128-113 win at Brooklyn as a 5.5-point favorite on Thursday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE 76ERS PLUS THE POINTS: Philadelphia should respond with a strong effort tonight as they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games after a double-digit loss to Atlantic Division rivals. The 76ers have also still covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after winning three of their last four contests. Philly will be undermanned for this showdown with Joel Embiid missing his ninth straight game with his finger injury and now Josh Richardson will be out with a hamstring — but this puts the onus on Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris to raise their games. The Sixers have played surprisingly well without Embiid as Simmons has stepped up to be the best player on the team in his absence while Al Horford has gotten to play more minutes with his role on the team being perhaps too duplicative to that of Embiid when both are healthy and on the court. Now after playing their last three games on the road, Philadelphia returns home where they are 20-2 with an average winning margin of +9.9 PPG. The Sixers made only 38.1% of their shots on Wednesday which was the lowest field goal percentage for them in their last six games. Philly should shoot better tonight back at home where they are nailing 48% of their shots. The 76ers have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games at home — and they have also covered the point spread in 36 of their last 53 home games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road. Los Angeles nailed 50% of their shots on Thursday in what was the best offensive performance in their last five games. The Lakers are just 2-8-1 ATS in their last 11 games when playing with one day of rest. Los Angeles is also playing their fifth straight game on the road and third in five days as they conclude this east coast swing tonight. The Lakers have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 15 games when playing their third game on the road in five days. Los Angeles has failed to cover the point spread in 31 of their last 47 games against teams from the Eastern Conference. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%.

FINAL TAKE: The Lakers will not be at full strength tonight either with JaVale McGee questionable with an illness and Anthony Davis questionable once again with a gluteus injury. Los Angeles has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 road games as the favorite. Philly has covered the point spread in 4 straight games at home as the underdog. Expect a close game that the Sixers will have an opportunity to win. 25* NBA Saturday ABC-TV Game of the Month with the Philadelphia 76ers (510) minus the points versus the Los Angeles Lakers (509). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 4:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Arkansas Razorbacks (692) minus the points versus the TCU Horned Frogs (691). THE SITUATION: Arkansas (14-4) has lost two straight games with their 72-70 loss at Mississippi State as a 4.5-point underdog on Wednesday. TCU (13-5) snapped a two-game losing streak on Tuesday with their 65-54 upset victory over Texas Tech as a 2.5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RAZORBACKS MINUS THE POINTS: Arkansas needs to get focused back on sharing the basketball to establish better looking shots — they have managed only 12 and 8 assists in each of their last two games. The Razorbacks have covered the point spread in 4 straight games after not generating more than 12 team assists in two straight games. Arkansas only attempted 11 free throws on Wednesday as well while the Bulldogs got to the line 31 times which resulted in a -21 point differential for them at the line. The Razorbacks have covered the point spread in 16 of their last 25 games after a game where they attempted at least 20 fewer free throws than their opponent. Arkansas returns home where they are 10-1 this season with an average winning main of +17.9 PPG. The Razorbacks are playing sound fundamental defense under first-year head coach Eric Musselman who came over from Nevada — they are holding their guests to just 56.9 PPG on 38.4% shooting on their home court. Arkansas has covered the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games at home — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 home games against teams with a winning percentage at 40% or less on the road. The Razorbacks are 20th in the nation in forcing turnovers in 23.5% of their opponent’s possessions — and the Horned Frogs are vulnerable on this front as they turn the ball over in 20.2% of their possessions (238th in the nation) with that mark being even worse in Big 12 play at a 21.9% clip. TCU also likes to force turnovers — they are 26th in the nation by forcing turnovers in 23.5% of their opponent’s possessions. But good luck forcing turnovers against this Arkansas team that leads the SEC by turning the ball over in just 12.2% of their possessions. The Horned Frogs made 46.9% of their shots in their upset win over the Red Raiders which was the best shooting effort in their last five games. But TCU has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after pulling off an upset win in conference play. The Horned Frogs have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a double-digit win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after a straight-up victory. Now this team goes back on the road where they are 2-3 with an average losing margin of -7.0 PPG. TCU is likely to get a visit from the Regression Gods this afternoon when it comes to their shots falling as they make only 37.0% of their shots away from home. They are also nailing just 36.8% of their shots over their last five games. Jamie Dixon’s team is taking 49.5% of their shots from behind the arc in Big 12 play — but that will be a chore against this Razorbacks’ team that leads the nation by holding their opponents to just 23.9% shooting from behind the arc. The Horned Frogs had also allowed their previous two opponents to make 53.7% and 57.7% of their shots before holding Texas Tech to just 43.1% shooting. TCU ranks a dismal 347th in the nation with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 58.7% when they are playing on the road. The Horned Frogs have failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight games after not allowing more than 55 points in their last game. TCU has also failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home court.

FINAL TAKE: The Horned Frogs are just 3-9-2 ATS in their last 14 road games as an underdog. And while they hold their opponents to 62.3 PPG, Arkansas has covered the point spread in 33 of their last 48 home games after fifteen games into the season against opponents who do not allow more than 64 PPG. 25* CBB Big 12/SEC Challenge Game of the Year with the Arkansas Razorbacks (692) minus the points versus the TCU Horned Frogs (691). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Michigan Wolverines (610) minus the points versus the Illinois Fighting Illini (609). THE SITUATION: Michigan (11-7) has lost three straight games as well as four of their last five contests after their 72-63 upset loss at home to Penn State on Wednesday as a 4.5-point favorite. Illinois (14-5) has won five straight games with their 79-62 win at Purdue as a 5.5-point underdog on Tuesday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE WOLVERINES MINUS THE POINTS: Michigan made only 35.3% of their shots against the Nittany Lions which was the worst shooting effort in their last ten games — and it was their lowest field goal percentage they have generated all season when playing on their home court. The Wolverines certainly miss Isaiah Livers who has been over a month with a groin injury. But keep in mind that three of the four losses they have suffered over their last five games have been on the road in the rugged Big Ten against teams who all are projected to make the NCAA Tournament. This is a battled tested team that is desperate for a victory this afternoon. Michigan did defeat a good Purdue team at home this month even without Livers by a 84-78 score in their other home game this month before this contest. Even without Livers in five of their seven Big Ten contests so far this season, they are still 2nd in the conference in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. Look for the Wolverines to respond with a strong effort as they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games after suffering an upset loss. They are also 16-5-1 ATS in their last 22 games after a straight-up loss — and they are 10-3-1 ATS in their last 14 games after a point spread loss. Michigan is 8-2 on their home court with an average winning margin of +15.7 PPG. They are making 49.2% of their shots on their home court which has translated into 83.1 PPG — so the Wolverines should nail more of their shots than they did on Wednesday. Michigan is 18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 games at home — and they are 9-3-1 ATS in their last 13 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. And in their last 22 home games against Big Ten foes, the Wolverines have covered the point spread 16 times. Illinois nailed 55.1% of their shots in their upset win on the road against the Boilermakers which was the best shooting mark they have enjoyed in their last twelve games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 3 of their last 4 games after making at least 55% of their shots in their last game. The Fighting Illini are just 2-5-1 ATS in their last 8 games after a straight-up win — and they are 8-20-1 ATS in their last 29 games after a point spread victory. The Illini stay on the road where they are 3-4 this season while making only 42.3% of their shots. Illinois make only 28.2% of their 3-pointers away from home which is 292nd in the nation. The Fighting Illini are 11th in the Big Ten with an effective field goal percentage of 46.1%. And Illinois has failed to cover the point spread in 24 of their last 37 road games with the Total set in the 135.5 to 139 point range.

FINAL TAKE: Michigan will also be motivated to avenge a 71-62 loss at Illinois back on December 11th where they were 1.5-point underdogs. The Wolverines have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 opportunities to avenge a same-season loss — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games then playing with revenge from a loss on the road. Michigan still has their wily veteran point guard leader in Xavier Simpson along with big man Jon Teske and a cadre of scrappy role players that rookie head coach Juwan Howard has done a good job in empowering this season. 25* CBB FS1-TV Game of the Month with the Michigan Wolverines (610) minus the points versus the Illinois Fighting Illini (609). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Butler Bulldogs (868) minus the points versus the Marquette Golden Eagles (867). THE SITUATION: Butler (15-4) has lost three games in a row with their 76-61 loss at Villanova as a 3.5-point underdog on Tuesday. Marquette (14-5) has won three in a row with their 82-68 win over St. John’s as an 8-point favorite on Tuesday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BULLDOGS MINUS THE POINTS: Butler needs to stop their three-game losing streak in Big East play but they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 16 games after losing three in a row to conference rivals. And their loss at Villanova came upon the heels of a 13-point upset loss at DePaul — but they have then covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after suffering two straight double-digit losses to Big East rivals. Furthermore, while the Bulldogs have failed to cover the point spread in three straight games, they have then covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after failing to cover the point spread in at least three straight games. Butler returns home where they are 9-1 with an average winning margin of +17.0 PPG. The Bulldogs made only 40.6% of their shots against the Wildcats which was the worst shooting effort in their last five games. They should shoot better tonight as they are making 47.8% of their shots at home which has resulted in 72.1 PPG. Butler has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 home games with the Total set in the 130s. The Bulldogs have also covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 home games as a favorite laying 6.5 to 9 points. This team is playing outstanding defense as they are 19th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. They have held their last five opponents to just 39.2% shooting from the field — and they limit their guests to just 54.1 PPG on 36.0% shooting on their home court. Butler is vulnerable to teams that force turnovers as they are coughing it up in 20.2% of their conference possessions — but that is not this Golden Eagles team who only force turnovers in 12.4% of their Big East opponent’s possessions which is last in the conference. Marquette has scored at least 82 points in three straight games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after scoring at least 80 points in three straight games. And while they 20 fewer shots than the Red Storm on Tuesday, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after attempting at least 20 fewer shots than their opponent in their last contest. Now the Golden Eagles go back on the road where they are 4-4 but being outscored by -3.0 PPG. They make only 41.6% of their shots on the road — and they are making just 41.6% of their shots in their last five contests. Marquette has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home.

FINAL TAKE: The Golden Eagles have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games as an underdog. 25* CBB Big East Game of the Month with the Butler Bulldogs (868) minus the points versus the Marquette Golden Eagles (867). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Boston Celtics (563) and the Orlando Magic (564). THE SITUATION: Boston (29-14) has won two straight games with their 119-95 win over Memphis on Wednesday as a 7-point favorite. Orlando (21-24) has lost three of their last four games after their 120-114 loss to Oklahoma City on Wednesday as a 2.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Magic played their worst defensive game of the season on Wednesday against the Thunder as they allowed them to make 60.5% of their shots. Orlando has played 9 of their last 11 games Under the Total after allowing their last opponent to make at least 60% of their shots. The Magic have also played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after a point spread loss. Furthermore, Orlando has played 24 of their last 35 games Under the Total after a narrow loss by 6 points or less including four of these last five situations. The Magic also nailed 47.8% of their shots against the Thunder which was tied for second-best in their last nineteen contests. Now Orlando returns home where they are holding their opponents to just 43.9% shooting from the field. The Magic have played 7 of their last 8 home games Under the Total — and they have played 9 of their last 12 home games Under the Total against teams with a winning record on the road. Orlando has also played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total as a favorite. Boston has played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a double-digit victory. The Celtics now go on the road where they are scoring 108.5 PPG on 44.1% shooting from the field — and those numbers are a bit below their 112.5 PPG scoring average overall on 46.1% shooting. Boston will be undermanned tonight with Jayson Tatum out with a groin injury along with Enes Kanter who is dealing with a foot injury — and Jaylen Brown is questionable with the ankle injury that he has been dealing with all month. That means more playing time for Marcus Smart who is an outstanding defender but inconsistent on the offensive end of the court. The Celtics have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total against teams with a losing record.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total — and Boston has played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total when playing the Magic in Orlando. 25* NBA Eastern Conference Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Boston Celtics (563) and the Orlando Magic (564). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 11:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Oregon State Beavers (684) minus the points versus the UCLA Bruins (683). THE SITUATION: Oregon State (12-6) has lost two straight games as well as three of their last four contests with their 89-76 loss at Washington State as a 3.5-point favorite on Saturday. UCLA (9-9) snapped a three-game losing streak on Sunday with their 50-40 win at home against California as a 9-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BEAVERS MINUS THE POINTS: Oregon State allowed the Cougars to nail 50.9% of their shots which was their worst defensive effort of the season. The Beavers should play better tonight as they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 18 games after a point spread setback. Oregon State is a strong offensive team that ranks 18th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. The Beavers take 44.2% of their shots at the rim which is the 20th highest mark in the nation. They also get to the free-throw line with a free throw attempt-to-field goal attempt ratio of 40.4% which is 23rd in the nation. Oregon State should get to the free-throw line plenty of times tonight against this Bruins team that has an opponent’s FTA-to-FGA ratio of 37.9%. Now head coach Wayne Tinkle’s team returns home where they are 8-1 this season with an average winning margin of +14.0 PPG. The Beavers’ reliable method of generating points at the rim or the free-throw line has helped them score 80.8 PPG on their home court where they also make 50.4% of their shots. Oregon State also played solid defense at home as they limit their guests to just 40.7% shooting. The Beavers have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games at home — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. UCLA’s win against California was ugly by both teams. The Bruins made just 41.3% of their shots which happened to also be their best offensive effort in their last three games. The Golden Bears made only 30.4% of their shots which was the lowest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last ten games. However, Cal probably needs to take more of the credit/blame for that ghastly number that the UCLA defense considering they experienced a scoreless spell lasting 10:59 minutes in that game. The Bruins have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games on the road after a straight-up victory. Now after playing their last three games at home, UCLA goes back on the road where they are 2-5 with an average losing margin of -4.5 PPG. The Bruins have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games after playing their last three games on the road. UCLA struggles to score points under first-year head coach Mick Cronin — they rank 252nd in the nation with an effective field goal percentage of 47.4%. They are making only 42.3% of their shots on the road which has resulted in only 65.9 PPG in those seven games away from home. The Bruins are making just 40.6% of their shots in their last five contests. UCLA does get much of their offense from second-chance opportunities as they pul down 36.1% of their shots which is 13th best in the nation. The Beavers are doing a good job in Pac-12 play of limiting second-chance opportunities as are limiting conference opponents to rebounding just 26.1% of their missed shots. UCLA has failed to cover the point spread in 35 of their last 51 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 16 of their last 21 road games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: The Bruins beat Washington earlier this season but they have also endured a bad loss at home to Cal-State Fullerton. UCLA has failed to cover the point spread in 19 of their last 26 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. This Oregon State team returned four key contributors from last year’s group that finished 18-13 — and they have already register quality wins against Arizona, Colorado, and Iowa State at home in Corvallis. 25* CBB Thursday FS1-TV Game of the Month with the Oregon State Beavers (684) minus the points versus the UCLA Bruins (683). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Connecticut Huskies (663) and the Houston Cougars (664). THE SITUATION: UConn (10-7) has lost two straight games as well as four of their last five contests with their 61-55 loss at Villanova on Saturday as a 9.5-point underdog. Houston (15-4) has won two straight games as well as eight of their last nine games after their 65-54 upset win at Wichita State on Saturday as a 4-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Huskies have played 12 of their last 14 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 13 of their last 16 games Under the Total after a point spread setback. UConn made 49% of their shots in their losing effort to the Wildcats in that game which was the best shooting effort in their last six contests. Yet the Huskies are only making 40.3% of their shots still over their last five games. They stay on the road where they are making just 41.8% of their shots which is resulting in just 64.7 PPG. UConn has played 7 of their last 10 games on the road Under the Total — and they have played 6 of their last 7 road games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home court. Houston has played 16 of their last 22 home games Under the Total after a double-digit win on the road. And while the Cougars have only allowed 25 and 20 points in the first half of their last two games, they have then played 26 of their last 38 games Under the Total at home after not allowing more than 30 points in the first half in at least two straight games. Houston returns home where they are holding their visitors to just 35.2% shooting from the field which is resulting in just 60.9 PPG. The Cougars are improving on the defensive end of the court as they have held their last five opponents to just 38.2% shooting. But Houston is not as dynamic on offense when playing on their home court this season. The Cougars are 13th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency while posting an effective field goal percentage of 49.5% — but when playing at home, their effective field goal percentage drops to 49.1% while their Adjusted Offensive Efficiency plummets to just 64th in the nation. Houston has played 5 of their last 7 home games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage below 40% on the road.

FINAL TAKE: UConn has played 11 of their last 13 games Under the Total — and they have played 7 straight road games Under the Total when getting the points as the underdog. 5* CBB Thursday ESPNU Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Connecticut Huskies (663) and the Houston Cougars (664). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Over the Total in the match between Liverpool (200077) and Wolverhampton (200078). THE SITUATION: Liverpool (W21-D1-L0) continued their historic run in the English Premier League this season with their 2-0 victory over Manchester United on Sunday. Wolverhampton (W8-D10-L5) comes off a 3-2 comeback victory at Southampton on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Wolves have now generated 18 points after finding themselves in a losing position in an EPL match this season — so don’t count out the Over if Liverpool takes an early lead in this game. Wolverhampton had a well-deserved reputation of being a defensive team last season in their first year back promoted to the EPL — but they are playing higher-scoring matches this season. The Wolves have seen at least three combined goals scored in six of their last eight matches. Wolverhampton has a hot striker right now in Raul Jimenez who is in form after scoring two late goals against the Saints to rally his team to victory. The Wolves are 7th in the EPL with 34 goals this season — and they have been held scoreless only twice this season (with one of those matches being the opening match of the season). In their four home matches against Power Six sides this season at Molineux, Wolverhampton has scored seven times. But after being tied for 7th in the EPL in fewest goals allowed at home last season, the Wolves have allowed 15 goals in their eleven home matches this season which is just 13th stingiest in the league at home. Liverpool has registered seven straight clean sheets which will certainly make the Under attractive to many bettors. But the Reds backline looked shaky on Sunday against Manchester United as they were outshot by a 9 to 6 margin with their defenders looking a bit tired late in the match. Liverpool was underachieving for most of the first half of the season when it comes to stopping the opposing offensive attack. Perhaps what jumpstarted that group was the injury to Joel Matip which cleared space to Joe Gomez to take his spot to solidify the Reds’ back four. There has not been an EPL team to win nine straight matches with clean sheets since Manchester United pulled this feat off in February of 2009 — so history may not be on the side of a ninth straight clean sheet for the Reds this afternoon. With the goal-line dropping in many spots to Liverpool only being a -0.5 Goal-Line favorite, many bettors consider the Wolves a live dog. I prefer the wiser investment is redirecting that sentiment into the Over. We should not be surprised if Liverpool scores at least three goals in this match. The Reds have scored 38 times in their fifteen matches against non-Power Six sides this season. Liverpool  has also scored 17 times in their seven road matches against non-Power Six clubs in the EPL this year for a 2.43 Goals-Per-Game average.

FINAL TAKE: Liverpool did win the first meeting between these two teams at home in Anfield by 1-0 score. Sadio Mane scored in the 42nd minute of that match with the Reds settling in at home in the second half to earn the clean sheet. That was just the second time that the Wolves were held scoreless since the opening week of the season in August. Liverpool has scored at least two goals in eleven of their other twelve matches with another 1-0 win over Tottenham being the other exception. But remember that the Reds’ last two victories over Man United and then the Spurs were against teams without their best scoring attackers in Marcus Rashford and Harry Kane who are both dealing with injuries. I think the Wolves break the Liverpool clean sheet streak this afternoon (but a Liverpool 3-0 result would not be a surprise) — but the chance of a draw or outright upset for Wolverhampton being a higher likelihood than two or less combined goals being scored in this rematch. 25* EPL NBC Sports Network Total of the Month with Over the Total in the match between Liverpool (200077) and Wolverhampton (200078). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the South Dakota State Jackrabbits (824) minus the points versus the North Dakota State Bison (823). THE SITUATION: South Dakota State (14-8) saw their five-game winning streak snapped on Sunday with their 99-84 loss at South Dakota as a 2.5-point underdog. North Dakota State (13-6) has won two straight games as well as five of their last six contests with their 83-74 win over North Dakota as an 8-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE JACKRABBITS MINUS THE POINTS: South Dakota State allowed the Coyotes to make 64.4% of their shots which was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage they have allowed all season. The Jackrabbits do have the lowest opponent’s effective field goal percentage in Summit League play at 48.3% — and they are 2nd in the conference in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. South Dakota State is 23-9-1 ATS in their last 33 games after a point spread loss. Now they return home where they are a perfect 11-0 this season with an average winning margin of +19.8 PPG. The Jackrabbits hold their guests to just 38.8% shooting from the field which has resulted in only 62.4 PPG. South Dakota State was expected to take a couple of steps back this season after the graduation of their senior leader Mike Daum. Head coach T.J. Otzlelberger than departed to Las Vegas to take the UNLV head coaching gig and All-Summit League shooting guard David Jenkins decided to transfer to the Runnin’ Rebels to join him in Vegas as well. But assistant head coach Eric Henderson has maintained the consistency with this basketball since, despite losing 83% of their scoring from last season, they are leading the Summit League on Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. The Jackrabbits are 10th in the nation with a 54.9% effective field goal percentage — and that mark rises to a 61.3% mark in conference play. South Dakota State has made at least 50% of their shots in seven straight games — and they are averaging 82.2 PPG on their home court while making 50% of their shots. The Jackrabbits are a decisive 34-16-1 ATS in their last 51 games at home — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. South Dakota State has also covered the point spread in 7 straight home games as the favorite. North Dakota State has failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight games on the road after a game where they scored at least 80 points. This Bison team returns ten of their eleven regular contributors that lost to Duke in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. But this team was just 9-7 in Summit League play last season before their depth helped them win the conference tournament to seize the automatic tournament bid. They then defeated a mediocre NC Central team in the four-four in Dayton before getting clobbered by the Blue Devils. This team lacks a superstar and relies on their depth to keep them competitive. They are just 5-5 on the road this season where they are making only 39.6% of their shots. North Dakota State is just 17-37-1 ATS in their last 55 games on the road as an underdog — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 13 road games as an underdog or pick ‘em. This team is also just 10-21-1 ATS in their last 32 games against teams with a winning record — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: North Dakota State’s best win was against East Tennessee State that metrics guru Ken Pomeroy ranks as the 57th best team in the nation. Their next best win was a 2-point win at home against South Dakota that Pomeroy ranks as the 187th in the country. The Bison have a very bad loss at home to Utah Valley who Pomeroy ranks at 276th in the nation. South Dakota State has an impressive 7-point loss earlier in the season at Arizona. Lay the points with the Jackrabbits. 25* CBB Summit League Game of the Month with the South Dakota State Jackrabbits (824) minus the points versus the North Dakota State Bison (823). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:35 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Memphis Grizzlies (543) plus the points versus the Boston Celtics (544). THE SITUATION: Memphis (20-23) saw their seven-game winning streak snapped on Monday with their 126-116 upset loss at home to New Orleans as a 3-point favorite. Boston (28-14) snapped their three-game losing streak on Monday with their 139-107 upset win at home over the Los Angeles Lakers as a 2.5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GRIZZLIES PLUS THE POINTS: The Celtics stepped up to play one of their best games of the season on national television on Monday. They shot 55.9% from the field which was their best shooting mark in their last twenty games. But Boston has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after making at least 55% of their shots in their last game. The Celtics also held the Lakers to just 43.8% shooting from the field which was the lowest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last five contests. But Boston has still allowed their last five opponents to shoot 49.1% overall. An emotional letdown is like for this team that has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a victory by at least 10 points. The Celtics have also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a point spread victory. Furthermore, Boston has failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 25 games after a game where at least 235 combined points were scored — and they are just 2-6-1 ATS in their last 9 games after scoring at least 125 points in their last game. This is another expected higher-scoring game tonight — and the Celtics have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games with the Total set at 230 or higher. Boston stays at home where they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. And in their last 8 games as a favorite, the Celtics have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of these contests. Memphis allowed the Pelicans to make 47.7% of their shots on Monday which was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last four contests — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after allowing at least 125 points in their last game. But the bigger aberration in that game was that the Grizzlies made only 44.7% of their shots which was their lowest shooting mark in their last fourteen games. Memphis has still shot 48.5% from the field over their last five games — and while they rank 16th in the NBA in Offensive Rating, they have raised their mark to 6th in the league over their last fifteen games. They have scored at least 110 points in fourteen straight contests — and they have then covered the point spread in 14 of their last 20 games after scoring at least 110 points in at least two straight games. Rookie Ja Morant looks to be an emerging superstar in the league for years to come — but what makes this team dangerous is the combination of him with Jalen Jackson, Jr., Dillon Brooks, and Brandon Clarke which gives this team one of the most promising core group of younger players in the NBA. Rookie head coach Taylor Jenkins has also pushed all the right buttons for this team — the Grizzlies outscored their opponents by +61 net points in the 3rd quarter during their recent seven-game winning streak. The Grizzlies have bounced-back to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a point spread loss. Additionally, Memphis has covered the point spread in 4 straight games after a game where at least 230 combined points were scored — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games in expected higher scoring games with the Total set at 230 or higher. Now this team goes back on the road where they are 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home — and they are 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 road games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: The Celtics saw the return of Kemba Walker and Jaylen Brown on Monday to help jettison them to victory but Brown is questionable for this game with an ankle. The Grizzlies have covered the point spread in 16 of their last 20 trips to Boston to face the Celtics. 25* NBA Underdog of the Month with the Memphis Grizzlies (543) plus the points versus the Boston Celtics (544). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:30 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Leicester City (200066) minus the goal-line versus West Ham (200065). THE SITUATION: Leicester City (W14-D3-L6) has lost two straight English Premier League matches with their 2-1 loss at Burnley on Sunday. West Ham (W6-D5-L11) comes off a 1-1 draw to Everton on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE LEICESTER CITY MINUS THE GOAL-LINE: The Foxes need a victory after dropping two straight games. This is a team that is a bit out of form — but the circumstances have been a bit strange as well. They took a 1-0 lead at Burnley on Sunday but surrendered two second half goals to lose that contest. Jamie Vardy also missed a penalty shot which would have likely resulted in the draw. Vardy is in a bit of a slump. After their disappointing 4-0 loss at home to Liverpool last month, Vardy then missed two matches to an ankle injury and then for the birth of his child. In his three EPL matches since returning to the pitch, Vardy has managed only three combined shots. Vardy still has 17 goals this season with 6 assists this season — and he has thrived under Brendan Rodgers leadership since he took over as manager last season. Leicester City was also without defender Ben Chilwell and midfielder Hamza Chaudhary after they missed a practice session before that match with Burnley but Rodgers expects them back for this match. The Foxes previous loss last week was at a surging Southampton side — so that is understandable. But Leicester City now finds themselves on both a two-game losing streak and a two-game slide at home at Kings Power Stadium after that loss to Liverpool. The Foxes had been on an W11-D3-L1 run at home — and the six goals they have allowed in their last two home matches is the same number of combined goals they had allowed in their previous thirteen matches at home. Leicester City remains a side that is W7-D2-L2 at home this season while scoring 20 goals an conceding just 11 times. The Foxes also thrive against the bottom teams in the EPL as they own a W12-D2-L2 record against non-Power Six sides while scoring 41 goals in those sixteen matches and conceding just 11 goals. West Ham is W1-D1-L1 since bringing back David Moyes as their manager to begin the new calendar year but they are still fighting off relegation with their mere 23 points which currently has them tied for second-to-last place on the EPL table. The concern for the Hammers is the Expected Goals metric translates into them predicted to have just 19.66 points at this point of the season — so they may actually be overachieving relative to their actions on the pitch. West Ham is W3-D3-L5 in their eleven matches on the road — but their 12 points in those matches far exceeds their Expected Goals prediction of just 7.57 points. The metrics suggest that the Hammers have been rather fortunate in only allowing 34 goals this season given their Expected Goals Allowed comes in at 41.18. Furthermore, while West Ham has allowed only 14 goals on the road, the Expected Goals Allowed away from home jumps to 22.72. The Hammers will not be at full strength for this game either. Their outstanding goalkeeper, Lukas Fabianski, is out with an injury while one of their most creative players on offense in midfielder Felipe Anderson is also out with a back injury.

FINAL TAKE: Leicester City won the initial meeting between these two teams on the road by a 2-1 score on December 28th. West Ham has five losses and one draw in their last six evening kickoffs in EPL play. And Rodgers has not seen three straight losses as a manager in the EPL since November 2014 when he was the skipper for Liverpool. This looks like a bounce-back match for Leicester City against a struggling and undermanned Hammers side. 25* English Premier League Match of the Month with Leicester City (200066) minus the goal-line versus West Ham (200065). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Purdue Boilermakers (606) minus the points versus the Illinois Fighting Illini (605). THE SITUATION: Purdue (10-8) has lost three of their last four games after their 57-50 loss at Maryland on Saturday as a 6.5-point underdog. Illinois (13-5) has won four games in a row with their 75-71 win over Northwestern on Saturday as a 12.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BOILERMAKERS MINUS THE POINTS: Purdue should respond with a strong effort as they are 9-1-2 ATS in their last 12 games after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a point spread victory. This team has been a much different team at home than on the road this season. The Boilermakers are 8-1 at Mackey Arena this season where they are outscoring their opponents by +22.8 PPG. Purdue has won fifteen straight home games in Big Ten play — and they have outscored the five major conference opponents they have hosted this season by +24 points per 100 possessions. The Boilermakers are an outstanding defensive team — they rank 6th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They have held six of their opponents to under 50 points. Purdue has held their guests to just 36.8% shooting which has translated into only 54.6 PPG. Scoring has been the problem for this Boilermakers team when playing on the road. They made only 35.7% of their shots in their loss at Maryland on Saturday. But Purdue ranks 10th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency when playing at home — and that has helped them also post the top home-court rating in Adjusted Efficiency this season. The Boilermakers have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games on their home court — and they are 8-3-1 ATS in their last 12 home games against teams with a winning percentage of 40% or less on the road. Illinois comes off a 50% shooting mark against the Wildcats which was the best shooting mark in their last five games. But the Fighting Illini are 1-5-1 ATS in their last 7 games after a straight-up win. And while the Illini have won five of their last six games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after winning five or six of their last seven contests. This Illinois team will likely struggle to score baskets tonight against this outstanding Boilermakers defense as they rank just 10th in the Big Ten in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. The Illini are 11-1 at home this season but just 2-4 away from home where they are being outscored by -6.0 PPG. Illinois makes only 40.6% of their shots on the road which translates into just 65.5 PPG. The Illini are also making only 39.5% of their shots over their last five contests. Illinois ranks 256th in the nation with an effective field goal percentage of 44.9% due to their low 3-point shooting percentage of 25.3% which is 331st in the nation. Nailing 3-pointers will be very tough in Mackey Arena where the Boilermakers are holding their visitors to just 26.2% shooting from behind the arc which is the 22nd lowest mark in the nation. Additionally, the Fighting Illini have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 road games against teams with a winning record at home.

FINAL TAKE: Purdue will also be looking to avenge a 63-37 loss at Illinois back on January 5th in a game where they made only 15 of their 60 shots from the field. The Boilermakers are 15-5-1 ATS in their last 21 home games as the favorite. The Illini have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games as an underdog. 25* CBB Tuesday ESPNU Game of the Month with the Purdue Boilermakers (606) minus the points versus the Illinois Fighting Illini (605). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:30 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between Newcastle United (200049) and Everton (200050). THE SITUATION: Newcastle (W8-D5-L10) enters this match coming off a 1-0 win over Chelsea on Saturday. Everton (W8-D5-L10) comes off a 1-1 draw at West Ham on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Everton will be playing this match undermanned as they currently have been hit with the injury bug. Richarlison is dealing with a knee injury while fellow midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson has a groin injury. Both players did not play in the match against West Ham — and the team has also been without Alex Iwobi who has been out for over a month. The Toffees are getting nice play out of forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin but he will not have much help on the pitch for this contest with all three of those injured players unlikely to return for this midweek match. Everton has scored just one goal in each of their last three matches. But this group has tightened things up on the other end of the pitch under new manager Carlo Ancelloti. The Toffees are W3-D1-L0 in their four matches since he took over in late December. They have allowed only four goals in those five contests. Furthermore, outside a 2-1 loss at Manchester City, they have allowed more than one goal just once in their last seven matches while registering three clean sheets during that span. Everton returns home for this match where they have scored just 13 times in their eleven matches — but they have only conceded 11 goals in those eleven matches. Newcastle has seen just three combined goals scored in their last two matches. The Magpies have scored only 22 goals this season which is tied for the third lowest in the English Premier League. In their last seven matches, Newcastle has not scored more than one goal in each contest while getting blanked twice during that span. The Magpies now go back on the road where they have scored only 10 times in their eleven matches. Over the last five games on the road, Newcastle has scored just four times while conceding eight goals — and four of those goals were in a 4-1 loss to Manchester City.

FINAL TAKE: This is a rematch of Everton’s 2-1 win at Newcastle back on December 28th. The Toffees host this rematch — and they have seen only fourteen combined goals scored in their seven home matches against non-Power Six sides this season. 25* EPL Total of the Month with Under the Total in the match between Newcastle United (200049) and Everton (200050). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:05 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Portland State Vikings (882) minus the points versus the Weber State Wildcats (881). THE SITUATION: Portland State (9-10) has won two of their last three games with their 82-76 win over Idaho State on Saturday as a 7.5-point favorite. Weber State (6-11) snapped their three-game losing streak on Thursday with their 76-68 victory at Idaho State as a 1-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE VIKINGS MINUS THE POINTS: Portland State is 11-5-1 ATS in their last 17 games after a straight-up win. And while the Vikings have not covered the point spread in their last two games, they have then covered the point spread in 4 straight games after not covering the point spread in two of their last three games. Portland State is led by Holland Woods who might be the best point guard in the Big Sky Conference. He leads an offense that tops the conference in Adjusted Efficiency. The Vikings also live off their offensive glass as they rank 7th in the nation by pulling down 37.1% of their missed shots. Portland State should get plenty of second-chance opportunities against this Weber State team that is 11th in the Big Sky by allowing their opponents to rebound 32.8% of their missed shots. The Vikings stay at home where they are 5-2 with an average winning margin of +12.1 PPG. Portland State has covered the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games at home — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 home games against teams with a winning percentage below 40% on the road. Weber State has failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight games after a straight-up win. The Wildcats have also failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 20 games after a point spread victory including failing to cover the point spread in five straight after cover the spread. It has been a disappointing season for head coach Randy Rahe in the thirteenth season with the program. The Wildcats have a good backcourt consisting of Jerrick Harding and Cody John but they are not getting much help in the frontcourt. They stay on the road for a third straight game where they are just 2-8 with an average losing margin of -13.1 PPG. Weber State makes only 40.9% of their shots on the road — and they allow their home hosts to make 50.1% of their shots from the field. The Wildcats have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games on the road.

FINAL TAKE: Weber State has failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight road games as an underdog. Portland Sate has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 home games when favored by 3.5 to 6 points. Look for the Vikings to overwhelm this struggling Wildcats team. 25* CBB Big Sky Game of the Month with the Portland State Vikings (882) minus the points versus the Weber State Wildcats (881). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 6:40 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the San Francisco 49ers (312) minus the points versus the Green Bay Packers (311). THE SITUATION: San Francisco (14-3) has won three straight games after they dispatched of Minnesota last week by a 27-10 score as a 7-point favorite. Green Bay (14-3) has won six straight games with their 28-23 win over Seattle last week as a 4.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE 49ERS MINUS THE POINTS: The Packers have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a point spread win. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after winning at least three games in a row. This Green Bay team has been difficult to figure out when considering that they are being outgained this season. The Packers have seen ten of their opponents win the yardage battle against them which is a hard way to win fourteen of one’s seventeen games. The football analytics community is well behind other sports (most notably, basketball) in appreciating that, while winning or losing close games often is a function of luck (or, better phrased: coin flip situations that can go either way that then have a disproportionate impact on the outcome of the game), there are attributes that help teams win close games. Free throw proficiency helps teams win close games in basketball. Outstanding quarterback play helps teams win close games in football. Aaron Rodgers may have seen his productivity decline since 2016 — but he is still very good in crunch time (and he avoids negative plays like interceptions). So, having said all that regarding my appreciation for this Packers’ team, this is a bad matchup for them. San Francisco controls the clock on offense for 32:01 minutes per game — and Green Bay has failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight games against teams who average at least 32 minutes per game on offense. The Niners are 2nd in the NFL by averaging 29.9 PPG — and the Packers have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games in the second half of the season against teams who score at least 24 PPG. And while the San Francisco defense holds their opponents to just 5.2 Passing Yards-Per-Attempt, Green Bay has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games against teams who do not allow more than 5.2 YPA in the passing game after eight games into the season. San Francisco has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a straight-up win at home. The 49ers have also covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after winning four or five of their last six contests. The San Francisco defense flexed their muscles in that game by holding the Vikings to just 147 total yards. The 49ers have then covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after not allowing more than 250 yards in their last game — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after not allowing more than 200 yards in their last contest. And while their game last week finished well below the 44.5 point total, San Francisco has then covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after playing a game that finished Under the Total. The Niners defense ranks 2nd in the NFL by holding their opponents to just 281.8 total YPG — and this unit has been fortified with the return of Kwon Alexander and Dee Ford from injuries. The 49ers get to host this game in Levi Stadium where they are 7-2 this season with an average winning margin of +13.2 PPG. San Francisco has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. The 49ers have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: Green Bay is looking to avenge a 37-8 loss at San Francisco back on November 24th. A concern with this Packers team is that they are soft on the offensive and defensive line — and the physical 49ers were able to expose that vulnerability. Maybe (probably). I am persuaded with Green Bay failing to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games when attempting to avenge a loss where they surrendered at least 28 points — and they have also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games when playing with revenge from a loss by at least four touchdowns. 25* NFC Game of the Year with the San Francisco 49ers (312) minus the points versus the Green Bay Packers (311). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:05 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Tennessee Titans (313) and the Kansas City Chiefs (314). THE SITUATION: Tennessee (11-7) comes off a 28-12 upset win at Baltimore as a 10-point underdog. Kansas City (13-4) rallied from a 24-0 deficit last Sunday to crush Houston by a 51-31 score.

THE SITUATION: The Titans have won three straight games — and they have then played 4 straight games Over the Total after winning three of their last four games. Tennessee has not allowed more than 14 points in those three victories — but they have then played 8 of their last 11 games Over the Total after not allowing more than 14 points in three straight games. The Titans defeating the Ravens last week despite surrounding 530 yards of offense. Tennessee allowed 6.02 Yards-Per-Play to Baltimore while giving up 345 passing yards. The Titans have then played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total after allowing at least 250 passing yards in their last game — and they have played 11 of their last 17 games Over the Total after giving up at least 6.0 YPP. Now the Titans go back on the road where they have played 4 of their last 5 road games Over the Total as an underdog getting 3.5 to 7 points. The Tennessee defense is perhaps not as good as advertised as they rank 21st in the NFL by allowing 359.5 total YPG. They also surrender 255.0 passing YPG which is 24th in the league — and that is not a good sign when facing this Chiefs offense led by Patrick Mahomes which is 5th in the NFL by averaging 281.1 passing YPG. Kansas City has won seven straight games — and they have played 8 of their last 11 games Over the Total after winning six or seven of their last eight contests. The Chiefs generated 434 yards against the Texans last week — and they have then played 10 of their last 14 games Over the Total after generating at least 350 yards in their last game. Kansas City has covered the point spread in all seven of their victories on their hot streak — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total after winning at least three straight games while covering those games as the favorite. The Chiefs host this game where they have played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total. Kansas City has also played 4 of their last 5 home games Over the Total against teams with a winning record on the road — and thy have played 6 of their last 8 home games Over the Total with the number set at 49.5 or higher. Furthermore, the Chiefs have played 10 of their last 13 home games Over the Total as a favorite laying 3.5 to 7 points.

FINAL TAKE: Kansas City has played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total against teams with a winning record. And while the Chiefs allow 350 YPG this season, the Titans have played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total against opponents who allow at least 350 YPG. Look for Kansas City to exceed the 29.4 PPG scoring average they manage when playing at home with Tennessee playing catch-up and scoring in the 20s. 25* AFC Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Tennessee Titans (313) and the Kansas City Chiefs (314). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Boise State Broncos (822) minus the points versus the Utah State Aggies (821). THE SITUATION: Boise State (11-8) has lost two straight games as well as three of their last four contests with their 85-78 upset loss at Air Force on Wednesday as a 1-point favorite. Utah State (14-5) snapped a three-game losing streak last Saturday with their 80-70 win at home over Nevada as a 9.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BRONCOS PLUS THE POINTS: Boise State has bounced-back to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a straight-up loss. Head coach Leon Rice has five of his top six scorers from last season return from a group that finished a disappointing 13-20 — that was the first time in the last seven seasons that the Broncos did not register at least 20 wins. This Boise State team expects to return to the postseason. All three of their most recent losses were on the road — now they return home where they are 8-1 this season with a signature victory over BYU. The Broncos are outscoring their guests by +21.8 PPG due to a prolific offensive attack that scores 83.8 PPG with a 47.9% field goal percentage. They also hold their visitors to just 39.3% shooting from the field. Boise State has covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games at home — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 12 home games as an underdog. The Broncos do a great job of protecting their defensive glass as they rank 14th in the nation by holding their opponents to just a 22.8% offensive rebounding rate. Utah State played one of their best games of the season last Saturday to end their losing streak as they made 46.3% of their shots while holding the Wolf Pack to just 39% shooting from the field — both those marks were the best statistical performances in their last four games. But the Aggies have then failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a straight-up loss. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 16 road games after scoring at least 80 points in their last game. Expectations are very high for this team that returned four starters from last year’s 28-7 team that made the Big Dance after winning the Mountain West Conference tournament. But this team has struggled away from home with a 5-4 record which includes recent losses at UNLV and the Air Force. Utah State is making only 41.8% of their shots when on the road which has resulted in only 67.8 PPG. Their effective field goal percentage of 44.1% when on the road ranks a disappointing 282nd in the nation — and they are making only 26.5% of their 3-pointers on the road which is 317th in the country. The Aggies have failed to cover the point spread in 20 of their last 27 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home court. Utah State has also failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight games as a road favorite. Their struggles on offense extend beyond shooting poorly when on the road. The Aggies are making just 39.3% of their shots in conference play — and their Adjusted Offensive Efficiency of 98.9 against MWC foes is just 9th in the conference. Furthermore, interior defense has been a concern for this group as they rank 8th in the MWC by allowing their opponents to make 50.5% of their shots inside the arc.

FINAL TAKE: This is not a good matchup for Utah State. Boise State averages 8 made 3-pointers per game — and the Aggies have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 12 road games against teams who make at least 8 shots from downtown per game. The Broncos have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games against teams with a winning record. 25* CBB ESPNU Game of the Year with the Boise State Broncos (822) minus the points versus the Utah State Aggies (821). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:08 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Dallas Stars (79) versus the Minnesota Wild (80). THE SITUATION: Dallas (27-16-4) has lost two of their last three games after their 4-1 loss at home to Buffalo on Thursday. Minnesota (21-20-6) snapped a four-game losing streak on Thursday with their 3-2 upset win against Tampa Bay where they were priced as a nice +135 dog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE STARS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Dallas should respond with a strong effort tonight. They have won 36 of their last 52 games after a loss at home by at least three goals — and this includes them winning ten of these last fourteen situations. The Stars have also won 6 straight games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. Goalie Ben Bishop only allowed two goals on Tuesday before the Sabres scored two late empty netters. Bishop might be the leader of the pack for the Vezina Trophy this season with his 2.22 Goals-Against-Average along with a .929 save percentage. Bishop has a sparkling 1.51 GAA along with a .951 save percentage in four starts this month. Dallas has still won seven of their last nine games — and they are allowing just 1.8 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests. They have won 4 of their last 5 games on the road — and they have won 11 of their last 16 road games with the total set at 5 or lower. Minnesota is just 4-5-1 in their last ten games — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 games after a victory. The Wild have also lost 35 of their last 52 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. They stay at home where they have lost 17 of their last 25 games in the second half of the season. They will likely use Devan Dubnyk between the pipes who is struggling with a 3.35 GAA with a .892 save percentage this season — and, despite having a strong tendency in the past to play much better at home, he has just a .897 save percentage on home ice this season. Even worse, over his last three starts, Dubnyk has a 4.03 GAA with a .846 save percentage. Minnesota has lost 9 of their last 13 games against Central Division foes. And in their last 7 games against teams with a winning record, the Wild have lost 5 of these games.

FINAL TAKE: Dallas has won 5 of their last 6 encounters with Minnesota — but their most recent meeting ended in a 3-2 upset victory for the Wild. The Stars have won 13 of their last 20 games when playing with revenge from an upset loss in their last meeting with their current opponent. 25* NHL Pre-All Star Break Central Division Game of the Year with the money-line on the Dallas Stars (79) versus the Minnesota Wild (80). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (57) versus the Winnipeg Jets (58). THE SITUATION: Tampa Bay (28-15-4) has lost two of their last three games after their 3-2 loss in Minnesota last night. Winnipeg (25-18-4) snapped a two-game losing streak on Tuesday with their 4-0 shutout victory over Vancouver.

REASONS TO TAKE THE LIGHTNING WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Tampa Bay should respond with a strong effort tonight as they have won 31 of their last 39 games after a loss on the road — and they have also won 18 of their last 21 games after a narrow loss by just one goal on the road. Additionally, the Lightning have won a decisive 44 of their last 56 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. And they have won 5 of their last 7 games when playing without a day of rest. Curtis McElhinney was between the pipes last night so it will be Andrei Vasilevskiy who will be in goal tonight for Tampa Bay. Vasilevskiy has a 2.58 Goals-Against-Average with a .916 save percentage this season — but he sees those numbers improve to a 2.32 GAA along with a .924 save percentage in his fifteen starts on the road. Furthermore, Vasilevskiy has been on fire this month with a 1.15 GAA along with a .961 save percentage with two shutouts in his six starts. The Lightning have allowed only 1.8 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests. They stay on the road where they have won 5 of their last 7 games — and they have won a decisive 35 of their last 52 road games when favored. Furthermore, Tampa Bay has won 4 straight games against teams with a winning record. Winnipeg has lost 5 of their last 6 games after a win — and they have lost 10 of their last 13 games after a win by at least four goals. The Jets have also lost 6 straight games after a shutout victory. It was not all good news for Winnipeg on Tuesday as they lost defenseman Carl Dahlstrom for four to six weeks with a hand injury after he was playing in his first game back since being out for two weeks with another injury. That is a tough loss for a team that was already dealing with a depleted blue line. The Jets stay at home where they have lost 6 of their last 7 games. They have also have lost 10 of their last 14 games as an underdog including five straight home games when trying to pull the upset. Connor Hellebuyck should be tonight’s goaltender for Winnipeg — and the best time to get him is in night games. Hellebuyck has an outstanding 1.89 GAA along with a .940 save percentage in his nine starts during day games — but those numbers plummet to just a 2.79 GAA with a .910 save percentage in his thirty appearances at night. The Jets average 30.7 shots per game — but the Lightning have won 12 of their last 15 games against teams who average at least 29.5 shots per game. Winnipeg has lost 8 of their last 11 games against teams with a winning record. The metrics are not bullish on the Jets underachieving this season either with their Corsi-For Percentage and Fenwick-For Percentage ranking 22nd and 26th in the league. Tampa Bay, on the other hand, ranks 6th and 8th in the NHL in Corsi-For and Fenwick-For.

FINAL TAKE: The Lightning will be motivated to avenge a 4-3 loss at home to Winnipeg back on November 16th. Tampa Bay has won 34 of their last 55 games when avenging a loss where they allowed at least four goals. 25* NHL Pre-All Star Break Game of the Year with the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (57) versus the Winnipeg Jets (58). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Philadelphia 76ers (532) minus the points versus the Chicago Bulls (531). THE SITUATION: Philadelphia (26-16) has won three of their last five games after their 117-106 win over Brooklyn on Wednesday as a 7-point favorite. Chicago (15-27) has won two of their last three games with their 115-106 win over Washington on Wednesday as a 3.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE 76ERS MINUS THE POINTS: The Bulls made 50.6% of their shots again the Wizards which was tied for the best shooting effort in their last eleven games. Chicago is likely due for a letdown now. As it is, they have failed to cover the point spread in 27 of their last 38 games are a straight-up win — and they have also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a victory on their home court. The Bulls have also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after scoring at least 115 points in their last game. Now this team goes on the road where they are just 7-13 this season. Chicago is 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 road games — and they are 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 road games as an underdog. The Bulls have also failed to cover the point spread in 32 of their last 49 road games with the Total set in the 210 to 219.5 point range. Defense had been the calling card for this team under head coach Jim Boylen despite the players on this team appearing to not appreciate his coaching style — but they have allowed their last five opponents to make 48.9% of their shots while ranking 24th in the NBA in Defensive Rating over that span. Perhaps Boylen is having his team begin to sacrifice defense for offense at this point of the season? But while the Bulls’ Offensive Rating ranking 20th in the league over their last five games is a bump up over their 27th ranking this year, the drop in defense has been more significant considering that they rank 9th in NBA in Defensive Rating. Chicago has still lost seven of their last ten games. And they are 1-5-1 ATS in their last 7 games as an underdog. Philadelphia covered the point spread in just their second game in their last seven contests on Wednesday — but they have then covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after failing to cover the point spread in five or six of their last seven games. The 76ers are very tough to beat at home where they are now 19-2 with an average winning margin of +9.8 PPG. The Sixers make 48% of their shots at home which has generated 111.9 PPG. Philadelphia has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games at home — and they are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 home games against teams with a winning percentage below 40% on the road. The 76ers are still without Joel Embiid who is out with a dislocated finger but his absence opens up playing time for Al Horford who has not been a good fit for this team when sharing playing time on the court with Embiid.

FINAL TAKE: Philadelphia is 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 games against teams with a losing record. Chicago is 0-5-1 ATS in their last 6 games against teams with a winning record. Look for the Sixers to pull away in this game. 25* NBA Friday ESPN Game of the Month with the Philadelphia 76ers (532) minus the points versus the Chicago Bulls (531). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:30 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the California Golden Bears (693) and the USC Trojans (694). THE SITUATION: California (8-8) has won two straight games with their 61-58 upset win at home against Washington on Saturday as a 6.5-point underdog. USC (13-3) has won seven of their last eight games after their 74-63 upset win at UCLA last Saturday as a 1-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Trojans shot 57.4% from the field in their upset win over the Bruins which was their best shooting effort of the season. USC also held UCLA to just 37.9% shooting with that defensive performance being more indicative of their level of play since they have held their last five opponents to just 37.3% shooting from the field. USC has played an eye-popping 15 of their last 17 games Under the Total after a game where they made 57% of their shots while holding their opponent to no better than 43% shooting from the field. Additionally, the Trojans have played 29 of their last 40 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 10 of their last 14 games Under the Total after a point spread victory. Now after playing their last three games on the road, USC returns home to make their Pac-12 debut in front of their home fans this season. The Trojans have played 7 of their last 8 home games Under the Total after playing their last three games on the road. The Under is 35-16-1 in USC’s last 52 games at home — and the Under is 21-8-1 in their last 30 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. And in their last 9 home games in conference play, the Trojans have played 8 of these games Under the Total. California has played 6 straight games Under the Total after a win over a Pac-12 opponent — and they have played 10 straight games on the road Under the Total after playing a game at home as an underdog. And while the Golden Bears have covered the point spread in their last two games, they have then played 9 of their last 10 games Under the Total after covering the point spread in their last two games. Cal looks to build off their best defensive performance of the season as they held the Huskies to just 29.5% shooting from the field. But now the Golden Bears go back on the road where they are scoring just 56.0 PPG while making only 36.2% of their shots. Cal ranks 353rd in the nation with an effective field goal percentage of just 35.3% in their three true road games. And over their last five games, the Golden Bears are making just 39.6% of their shots. Cal has played 17 of their last 23 road games Under the Total. The Golden Bears have also played 35 of their last 55 games Under the Total as an underdog including the Under going 3-0-1 in their last 4 games when getting the points.

FINAL TAKE: Cal has played 19 of their last 26 road games Under the Total against teams with a winning record — and they have played 20 of their last 27 road games Under the Total after fifteen games into the season against teams with a winning record. 25* CBB Pac-12 Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the California Golden Bears (693) and the USC Trojans (694). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (646) plus the points versus the Texas State Bobcats (645). THE SITUATION: Louisiana-Monroe (6-10) has lost three straight games with their 84-62 loss at Georgia State as a 12.5-point underdog last Saturday. Texas State (10-8) has won two straight games as well as three of their last four contests with their 82-57 win over Appalachian State as a 7-point favorite on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE WARHAWKS PLUS THE POINTS: UL-Monroe allowed the Panthers to nail 57.7% of their shots which was their worst defensive effort of the season. The Warhawks should respond with a stronger effort as they are 5-2-1 ATS in their last 8 games after a point spread loss — and they are 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 games after a loss by at least 20 points. Furthermore, UL-Monroe has covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after losing at least two straight games to Sun Belt Conference opponents. Now after playing their last three games on the road, the Warhawks return home where they are 6-3 this season with an average winning margin of +9.2 PPG. UL-Monroe should play better on defense as they limit their visitors to just 40% shooting this season. The Warhawks have covered the point spread in a decisive 38 of their last 60 games after allowing at least 80 points in their last game — and this includes them covering the point spread in twelve of these last seventeen situations. UL-Monroe has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games at home as an underdog — and they have covered the point spread in 6 straight home games as a dog getting up to 6 points. Texas State nailed 53.8% of their shots last Saturday against the Mountaineers which was their second-best shooting effort all season. The Bobcats have then failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a point spread victory. Now Texas State goes back on the road where they are just 2-6 with an average losing margin of -4.1 PPG. A concern for this team is finding offense after their three-year starter on the wing in Nigel Pearson. The Bobcats are making only 41.6% of their shots on the road — and they have made just 41.3% of their shots in their last five games despite their nice shooting performance on Saturday. Much of the Texas State offense comes from getting to the free-throw line — they rank 12th in the nation with a Free Throw Attempt-to-Field Goal Attempt ratio of 41.6%. Getting these calls is not as reliable when playing in hostile environments. The Bobcats have failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games on the road — and they have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games as a favorite. Additionally, Texas State has failed to cover the point spread in 8 straight games against teams with a winning percentage of 40% or less.

FINAL TAKE: The Bobcats will have success forcing turnovers as they rank 2nd in the Sun Belt by forcing turnovers in 21.9% of their opponent’s possessions — and the Warhawks are 10th in the conference by turning it over in 22.2% of their conference possessions. But UL-Monroe should be able to make this up to stay competitive with their 3-point shooting. The Warhawks are 2nd in the Sun Belt by making 39% of their shots from behind the arc — and they are 22nd in the nation by nailing 41.7% of their 3-pointers at home. Texas State is 287th in the nation by allowing their opponents to make 36.0% of their 3-point shots. 25* CBB Sun Belt Conference Underdog of the Month with the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (646) plus the points versus the Texas State Bobcats (645). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the New Jersey Devils (27) and the Washington Capitals (28). THE SITUATION: New Jersey (17-22-7) saw their two-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday with their 7-4 loss at Toronto. Washington (31-11-5) has won four of their last six games with their 2-0 win at home over Carolina.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Devils have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after allowing at least five goals in their last game — and they have played 14 of their last 19 games Over the Total after allowing at least 6 goals in their last contest. Additionally, the Over is 5-1-1 in New Jersey’s last 7 games after a loss by at least three goals. New Jersey is allowing 3.8 Goals-Per-Game in their last five contests — and they have surrendered at least three goals in five straight games. But the Devils have also scored 3.6 Goals-Per-Game over these last five games — and they have scored at least four goals in four of their last six contests. Louis Domingue will likely be between the pipes for this team tonight after getting pulled in that game against the Maple Leafs are allowing five goals in just over 30 minutes of play. Domingue has done his best work at home where he has a 1.68 Goals-Against-Average in three starts with a .934 save percentage — but he has been saddled with a 4.93 GAA with a .856 save percentage in his seven games (five starts) on the road. Regardless of who starts in net tonight for New Jersey, they have allowed their home hosts to score 3.6 Goals-Per-Game. The Devils have played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total on the road. New Jersey has also played 9 of their last 13 games Over the Total as an underdog. Washington has played 21 of their last 28 games Over the Total after a victory — and they have played 10 of their last 13 games Over the Total after a win at home. Additionally, the Capitals have played 11 of their last 14 games Over the Total wen playing an opponent that allowed at least five goals in their last game. Washington is scoring a healthy 3.5 Goals-Per-Game this season. They have played 19 of their last 27 games Over the Total when playing at home — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage of 40% or less. With rookie Ilya Samsonov earning the shutout on Tuesday, the Braden Holtby will be in goal tonight. The veteran has underachieved this season with a 3.02 GAA along with a .899 save percentage — and he has a rough 3.34 GAA with a .868 save percentage in his three starts this month.

FINAL TAKE: The Capitals will be motivated to avenge a 5-1 loss at home to the Devils on Saturday. Washington has played 33 of their last 50 games Over the Total when avenging a loss at home by at least three goals. The Capitals have also played 23 of their last 33 games Over the Total when avenging a loss to their opponent scored at least four goals — and they have played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total when playing with revenge from a loss where they allowed at least five goals. 25* NHL Pre-All Star Break Metropolitan Division Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the New Jersey Devils (27) and the Washington Capitals (28). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:45 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Providence Friars (838) minus the points versus the St. John’s Red Storm (837). THE SITUATION: Providence (10-7) saw their four-game winning streak snapped last Friday with their 70-58 loss at home to Butler as a 1-point underdog. St. John’s (12-5) snapped a three-game losing streak last Saturday with their 74-67 win at home to DePaul as a 3-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE FRIARS MINUS THE POINTS: Providence made only 31.7% of their shots against the Bulldogs which was their second-worst shooting effort of the season. They also allowed Butler to make 55.6% of their shots which was the highest mark any opponent has shot against them all season. This was probably the worst overall effort for Ed Cooley’s team all season which was a disappointment because they had registered quality wins against Texas, Georgetown, DePaul, and then Marquette before the loss to the Bulldogs. This team returned all five starters from last year’s team that made the NIT. Expect a strong effort tonight as the Friars ave bounced back to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a loss at home to a conference rival — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a double-digit loss at home. This veteran group needs to get back to sharing the basketball after managing only 8 assists on Friday — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after failing to generate more than 9 assists in their last game. Providence stays at home where they are 7-2 this season with an average winning margin of +17.4 PPG. They play tough defense at home by limiting their opponents to just 39.1% shooting which translates into just 60.8 PPG. The Friars rank 17th in the nation in Net Adjusted Efficiency Margin when playing on their home court. St. John’s has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a win at home against a fellow Big East rival. The Red Storm made 40.3% of their shots which seems pretty low — but it was actually the best shooting effort in their last five games. St. John’s is one of the worst shooting teams in the nation — they rank 308th in the nation with an effective field goal percentage of 45.6%. They have made only 36.8% of their shots over their last five games which has contributed to them playing six straight Unders — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after playing at least three straight Unders. The Red Storm will be playing in just their third true road game tonight — they are 351st in the nation on the road with an effective field goal percentage of 37.6% while making only 17.1% of their 3-point shots on the road which is 352nd in the nation. St. John’s are 1-6-1 ATS in their last 8 games on the road. This Red Storm team compensates for this poor shooting with a full-court press under first-year head coach Mike Anderson. His “forty minutes of hell” approach has led the Red Storm to 18th in the nation by forcing turnovers in 24.2% of their opponent’s possessions. The Friars are vulnerable as they turn the ball over in 19.0% of their possessions (140th in the nation) but that mark has dipped to a 17.5% mark in their four conference games. Providence does force turnovers as well at a 23.0% rate which is 36th in the nation. The Friars should seize an advantage in the possession battle on the offensive boards as they pull down 32.6% of their missed shots which is 57th in the nation — and St. John’s allows their opponents to pull down 31.2% of their missed shots which is 294th in the nation. The Red Storm have been out-rebounded by at least 7 boards in four straight games — and they have then failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 16 games after being out-rebounded by at least six rebounds in three straight games.

FINAL TAKE: St. John is 1-6-1 ATS in their last 8 road games against teams with a winning record at home. Providence has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. 25* CBB Wednesday FS1-TV Game of the Month with the Providence Friars (838) minus the points versus the St. John’s Red Storm (837). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Philadelphia 76ers (502) minus the points versus the Brooklyn Nets (501). THE SITUATION: Philadelphia (25-16) has lost two straight games as well as six of their last eight contests after their 101-95 loss at Indiana on Monday as a 3.5-point underdog. Brooklyn (18-20) had won their last two games before losing last night at home to Utah by a 118-107 score as a 3.5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE 76ERS MINUS THE POINTS: Philadelphia has struggled as of late as they have only covered the point spread once their last six games — but they have then covered the point spread in 24 of their last 34 games after failing to cover the point spread in four or five of their last six games. The Sixers have been without Joel Embiid who is out with a dislocated finger — but his absence gives Al Horford more of an opportunity who has not been a good fit when playing on the floor at the same time as Embiid. The stronger explanation for those six losses over their last eight games is that they all occurred on the road where Philadelphia is just 7-14 this season. Now the 76ers return home where they are a dominant 18-2 with an average winning margin of +9.7 PPG. The Sixers are scoring 111.6 PPG at home while making 47.8% of their shots from the field. They are 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 home games against teams with a winning percentage below 40% on the road. Philadelphia is also 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 games against teams with a winning record. Brooklyn has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games against teams with a winning percentage in the 60-80% range. The Nets have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a straight-up loss — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a point spread setback. Additionally, Brooklyn has failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after a double-digit loss. And in their last 19 games when playing without a day of rest, the Nets have failed to cover the point spread 13 times. This team has seen Kyrie Irving return to the court after he missed 26 games to an injury. But questions remain if Irving elevates or gets in the way of his teammates — Brooklyn was 13-13 while he was injured but just 5-7 with him healthy and in the mix. Now this team goes back on the road where they are 7-12 while making just 43.1% of their shots. The Nets have failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight road games against teams with a winning record at home.

FINAL TAKE: Philadelphia is looking to avenge a 109-89 upset loss at Brooklyn back on December 15th as a 4-point underdog. The 76ers have covered the point spread in 30 of their last 46 games at home when avenging a loss. They also have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 meetings with the Nets. 25* NBA Wednesday ESPN Game of the Month with the Philadelphia 76ers (502) minus the points versus the Brooklyn Nets (501). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Monday, January 13th, we will be playing the Clemson Tigers (283) plus the points versus the LSU Tigers (284) in the National Championship Game. THE SITUATION: Clemson (14-0) reached the National Championship game for the second straight season with their 29-23 win over Ohio State on December 28th as a 2.5-point favorite. LSU (14-0) joined them earlier that day with their 63-28 blowout win over Oklahoma as a 16.5-point favorite. This game will be played on a neutral field in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.

REASONS TO TAKE CLEMSON PLUS THE POINTS: The various Power Ranking quantitive analytical forecasts for this game have things closer to a pick ‘em — LSU entered the playoffs overvalued and those inclinations were rewarded with their blowout victory over the Sooners. Both semifinals games were an interesting example of how one or two big plays can dramatically swing the balance of the game. Clemson was on the verge of being blown out by the Buckeyes before a targeting penalty was called on a questionable hit on quarterback Trevor Lawrence. That resurrected a dead drive which the Tigers then scored a touchdown to completely reverse the momentum of that game. Oklahoma might have seen the same fortune if an obvious pass interference call was made to sustain an early drive for them — instead, the refs missed it and a frustrated defense was soon called for targeting themselves which not only fueled another LSU touchdown but resulted in an undermanned Sooners’ defense seeing a key defensive back ejected from the game. And the route was on. LSU has now covered the point spread in three straight games after gaining a whopping 532 total yards against an Oklahoma defense missing several key pieces via team suspension and then that in-game ejection. But LSU has failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after gaining at least 450 yards in their last game — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 19 of their last 27 games after covering the point spread in at least three straight games. I am still not sold on this LSU defense that has surrendered 29.3 PPG along with 429.6 total YPG in their seven games away from home. They held their last three opponents to just 15.0 PPG but those games were against a tapped-out Texas A&M team along with an offensively-challenged Georgia group before the Sooners. LSU allowed more than 450 yards in four of their games with Texas, Florida, Ole Miss, and Alabama all scoring at least 28 points against them. Clemson took their first big punch to the mouth this season but got off the mat to defeat an Ohio State team I think is at least as talented as LSU. The quants that measure in-season performance mostly rated Ohio and LSU as the better team — but those quantitative assessments do not take into account anything from last season. Dabo Swinney returned twelve starters from last year’s perfect 15-0 national champion squad including is a phenom at quarterback in Trevor Lawrence. I am just not going to hand out any demerits for the Tigers' failure to overly impress the College Football Playoff committee by failing to generate enough style points against teams like Syracuse and North Carolina early in their schedule. Given that Clemson was likely to reach the playoff even if they suffered an early-season loss, it was reasonable for Swinney to prime his team to play their best football in the second half of the season. Clemson has now allowed only 42 combined points in their last three playoff games over the last two seasons. The Tigers have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 12 games in December — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 11 bowl games. Clemson has also covered the point spread in 17 of their last 22 games against teams with a winning record including their last seven contests against winners — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games against teams with a winning percentage of 75% or higher. The Tigers are rarely the underdog — but they have covered the point spread in 37 of their last 55 games when getting points. Swinney’s teams at Clemson have also covered the point spread in 8 of their 9 postseason games as an underdog while pulling the upset six times. Additionally, Clemson has covered the point spread in 17 of their last 21 games played on a neutral field — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 10 games on a neutral field as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: LSU will have a geographical advantage with this game being played 81.3 miles away from their Baton Rouge campus. I just do not assign much value at all to the potential crowd noise that a team may enjoy on a neutral field. The familiar environment along with the routine of being at home play as much (or more) of a role for home-field advantage than potential crowd noise — especially in a dome where the audience cheering and yelling tends to get drowned out. However, I think the championship experience that this Clemson team enjoys over LSU’s players and coaching staff gives them another big edge. 25* CFB National Championship Game *A-List* Special with the Clemson Tigers (283) plus the points versus the LSU Tigers (284). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the National Championship Game between the Clemson Tigers (283) and the LSU Tigers (284). THE SITUATION: Clemson (14-0) reached the National Championship game for the second straight season with their 29-23 win over Ohio State on December 28th as a 2.5-point favorite. LSU (14-0) joined them earlier that day with their 63-28 blowout win over Oklahoma as a 16.5-point favorite. This game will be played on a neutral field in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The offenses are getting all the headlines — and most of the bettor’s attention with the Total approaching the 70 threshold — yet I think both defenses of these teams are being under-appreciated. Clemson surrendered 516 yards of offense to Ohio State but it was their ability thwart three Red Zone trips by the Buckeyes in the first half of that showdown which kept the Tigers in that game. After giving up 16 points in the first 22:20 minutes of that game, the Tigers only gave up one final touchdown over the remaining 37:40 minutes of that game. Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venerable is one of the best in the business — keep in mind his ability to make in-game adjustments if LSU racks up the points early in this game. In the Tigers’ last three Championship Games (all with Venerable), Clemson allowed only 7 combined points in the second half while registering nine combined sacks. On paper, this may be a better statistical defense this season than the one that limited Tua Tagovailoa and a potent Alabama offense to just 16 points in last year’s National Championship Game. Last year’s Tigers’ defense allowed touchdowns in 10.8% of their opponent’s possessions while forcing turnovers in 12.1% of their opponent’s possessions and allowing 29.6% of the available yards per drive to their opponent. The 2019 Clemson defense improved on all those numbers against a comparable schedule: they held their opponents to TD drives in just 8.0% of their possessions while forcing a turnover in 18.0% of their drives while allowing only 26.4% of the available yards per drive to their opponent. The Tigers led the country by allowing their opponents to -152 YPG below their season average. LSU will offer a stiff challenge with them averaging 397.2 passing YPG with a 10.7 Yards-Per-Attempt average — but Clemson has played 12 of their last 16 games Under the Total against teams who average at least 8.0 YPA and they have also played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total against teams who average at least 250 passing YPG. The extra week to prepare for this game should help Venable as well as they have played 33 of their last 45 games Under the Total with at least two weeks to prepare including seven straight Unders. Clemson has also played 10 of their last 13 games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage of at least 75% — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total against teams who are outscoring their opponents by at least +17.0 PPG. LSU is outscoring its opponents by +27.8 PPG after their blowout victory over the Sooners. Defensive coordinator Dave Aranda devised a scheme that limited the explosive Oklahoma offense to just 322 yards of offense. It was key plays early in that game that stalled the Sooners’ offense which put them behind the eight-ball versus the Joe Burrow-Tigers offense. LSU held its last four opponents to 270 total YPG. Even better, after taking out that fourth game against Arkansas, the Tigers held their last three opponents to just 15.0 PPG along with only 259.0 total YPG against three above-average offenses in Texas A&M, Georgia and Ole Miss. LSU did generate 692 total yards against a depleted Oklahoma defense — but they have then played 13 of their last 19 games Under the Total after gaining at least 575 yards in their last game. And while the Tigers have scored at least 37 points in six straight games, they have then played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after scoring at least 37 points in four straight games.

FINAL TAKE: LSU has played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total on a neutral field as a favorite. Clemson has played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total on a neutral field — and they have played 13 of their last 14 games in a dome Under the Total. While the field conditions help the speed of the offenses, it also helps the speed of the defenses. It does not take many Red Zone stops to keep the scoring below the number when it is approaching the 70 point range. Try to wait in placing this bet since I suspect the number will keep being pushed up by the betting public. 25* CFB Bowl Total of the Year with National Championship Game between the Clemson Tigers (283) and the LSU Tigers (284). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 6:40 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Seattle Seahawks (307) and the Green Bay Packers (308). THE SITUATION: Seattle (12-5) snapped their two-game losing streak last Sunday with their 17-9 victory at Philadelphia as a 1-point underdog. Green Bay (13-3) takes the field again on a five-game winning streak after their 23-20 win at Detroit back on December 29th as a 13.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Seahawks have played 11 of their last 16 games Over the Total after not allowing more than 14 points in their last game. Of course, the outcome of their game last week changes dramatically if Eagles’ quarterback Carson Wentz does not get concussed by Jadeveon Clowney early in that contest. Wentz threw only four passes for 3 yards before that late hit before giving way to the game but overmatched Josh McCown who began the season coaching high school football. This Seattle defense is 26th in the NFL by allowing 381.6 total YPG. The Seahawks stay on the road for this game where they have played 8 of their last 11 games Over the Total. Seattle has also played 9 of their last 13 games Over the Total on the road against teams with a winning record at home. Additionally, the Over is 7-2-1 in the Seahawks’ last 10 games as an underdog — and they have played 10 of their last 11 games Over the Total in the playoffs as an underdog. Green Bay has played 11 of their last 16 games Over the Total after a win on the road by a field goal or less. They have also played 25 of their last 37 games Over the Total after winning five games in a row. The Packers went into the locker room trailing by a 17-3 score — and they have played 8 of their last 9 games Over the Total after not scoring more than 3 points in the first half in their last game. They did end up gaining 432 yards in that game with Aaron Rodgers completing 27 of 55 passes for 323 yards. Green Bay has played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after passing for at least 400 yards in their last game — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after attempting at least 50 passes in their last contest. The Under may be tempting for many bettors with the Packers having played four straight Unders. But Green Bay has played a decisive 52 of their last 83 games Over the Total after playing at least two straight Unders — and they have played 20 of their last 29 games Over the Total after playing at least three straight Unders. They have also played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total after playing at least four straight Unders.

FINAL TAKE: The Packers have played 7 of their last 10 home games Over the Total as a favorite laying 3.5 to 7 points. The Seahawks have seen the Over go 7-2-1 in their last 10 games against teams with a winning record. A final word on the weather: the temperature will be in the mid-20s with snow possible in the second half of the game. These are two cold weather teams — with the Total just in the mid-20s, I don’t think the weather changes this game going over the number. 25* NFC Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Seattle Seahawks (307) and the Green Bay Packers (308). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:05 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Kansas City Chiefs (306) minus the points versus the Houston Texans (305). THE SITUATION: Kansas City (12-4) ended the regular season winning six straight games with their 31-21 victory at home against the Los Angeles Chargers as a 10-point favorite. Houston (11-6) has won three of their last four contests with their 22-19 win over Buffalo in overtime last Saturday as a 2.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CHIEFS MINUS THE POINTS: Kansas City is 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 games after a straight-up win. The Chiefs have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a point spread loss. They should build off the momentum of their six-game winning streak as they have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 19 games after a double-digit victory — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after a double-digit win against a divisional rival. And in their last 7 games after a home win against an AFC West foe, Kansas City has covered the point spread 6 times. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has not had as spectacular a fantasy season this year — but he still leads a potent offense that is 5th in the NFL by scoring 28.2 PPG while leading a passing attack that is also 5th in the league by averaging 281.5 passing YPG (despite their dynamic wide receiver, Tyreek Hill, missing some games). But the impressive aspect of this Chiefs’ team is the bump in the play of defensive coordinator’s Steve Spagnuolo unit in the second year in his system which has become commonplace after similar results occurred at his previous spots (including with a Super Bowl-winning NY Giants team). Kansas City has held its last six opponents to just 11.5 PPG — and their last three opponents have scored only 9.0 PPG while averaging just 283.7 total YPG. The Chiefs ended the season 8th in the NFL in opponent’s Expected Points Added per play and 7th in opponent’s EPA on pass plays. Kansas City now retains big situational advantages getting an extra week to rest and prepare while staying at home for three weeks. Head coach Andy Ryan has seen his teams cover the point spread in 18 of their 27 games coming off a bye week in his career. The Chiefs are 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 games at home. And in their last 10 games when laying 3.5 to 10 points, Kansas City has covered the point spread in 7 of these games. Houston may be due for a letdown as they are 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a point spread victory. Frankly, this is a team that has been carried by Deshaun Watson who is frequently asked to overcome a shaky defense and a head coach in Bill O’Brien who does not always put his team in the best position to succeed given his tactical decisions. The Texans are being outscored this season by -0.5 PPG. They are also being outgained by -26.3 YPG — and this gets worse on the road where they have been outgained by -48.0 net YPG when playing on the road. Houston’s defense is below average as they allow 388.3 total YPG which is 28th in the league — and they have surrendered 442.3 total YPG over their last three contests. The Texans have spent much of the season trailing in their games which is very strange for a team that won eleven games in the regular season. And this Houston team has been outscored by a 34-0 score in the first half of their last two playoff games under O’Brien’s command after going into halftime last week at home by a 13-0 score to the Bills. Mahomes will punish this Texans team if they continue to be that anemic in the first half of this one. Now after playing their last two games at home, Houston goes on the road where they have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 15 road games against teams with a winning record at home.

FINAL TAKE: This is a rematch of the October 13th encounter between these two teams in Arrowhead Stadium as well where the Texans pulled off a 31-24 upset victory as a 3.5-point underdog. Kansas City has covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games when avenging a loss decided by a touchdown or less — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games when playing with same-season revenge from an upset loss. 25* AFC Game of the Year with the Kansas City Chiefs (306) minus the points versus the Houston Texans (305). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:15 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Tennessee Titans (303) and the Baltimore Ravens (304). THE SITUATION: Tennessee (10-7) has won their last two games after their 20-13 upset victory at New England as a 4.5-point underdog last Saturday. Baltimore (14-2) has won twelve games in a row with their 28-10 upset win at Pittsburgh to end the regular season as a 2-point underdog back on December 29th.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Baltimore was an underdog in that game with the Steelers since they rested key players including quarterback Lamar Jackson. The Ravens still scored four touchdowns with Robert Griffin III under center against a good Pittsburgh defense that needed a win along with a Titans loss to reach the playoffs. Baltimore has played 6 of their last 9 games Over the Total after a double-digit win at home. So here comes a rested Jackson along with Mark Ingram whose injured calf is improving late this week who lead an offense that leads the NFL by scoring 33.2 PPG while ranking 2nd in the league by averaging 407.6 total YPG. What makes this Ravens’ offense so difficult to stop is their ability to play in “13” personnel with one running back and three tight ends who can all catch the ball. While the formation helps a heavy rushing attack, all three of those tight ends can catch the ball while offering Jackson a huge target down the field. Jackson faces a Titans’ defense that ranks 24th in the NFL by allowing 255.0 passing YPG. Baltimore also boasts the NFL’s top rushing attack that averages 206.0 rushing YPG. The Ravens have rushed for at least 218 yards in three straight games — and they have then played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total after rushing for at least 150 yards in two straight contests. What may score some bettors off the Over is the outstanding defense that Baltimore plays. They limited the Steelers to just 168 total yards on a mere 3.5 Yards-Per-Play average — but they have then played 4 straight games Over the Total after not allowing their last opponent to average more than 3.5 YPP. And while the Ravens have allowed only 25 combined points in their last two games, they have then played 9 of their last 14 games Over the Total after not allowing more than 17 points in two straight games. Tennessee has played 13 of their last 17 road games Over the Total after an upset victory on the road as an underdog. Derrick Henry battered the Patriots last week as he led a ground game that generated 201 rushing yards — and the Titans have played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after rushing for at least 150 yards in their last game. Now this team stays on the road where they are scoring 27.7 PPG while averaging 378.7 total YPG. Tennessee has played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total on the road — and they have played 5 of their last 7 road games Over the Total against teams with a winning record at home. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill only threw the ball 15 times last week in the win against the Patriots — but he should not be underestimated to move the football in the air in this contest. Since taking over as the starting quarterback in Week Seven, Tannehill led the NFL for the rest of the regular season by averaging 6.94 Yards-Per-Attempt in the passing game — and he was tied for 2nd in touchdowns and 6th in QBR. The Titans have played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: While Tennessee head coach would love to slow this game down by running Henry and burning time off the clock, this strategy is neutralized if Baltimore races out to a big lead — and the Ravens are averaging 17.7 PPG in the first half this season. The Titans have played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total against teams from the AFC — and the Ravens have played 8 of their last 12 games Over the Total against fellow AFC foes. 25* AFC Divisional Playoff Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Tennessee Titans (303) and the Baltimore Ravens (304). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 4:35 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the San Francisco 49ers (302) minus the points versus the Minnesota Vikings (301). THE SITUATION: San Francisco (13-3) closed out the regular season winning their last two games after their 26-21 victory at Seattle for Sunday Night Football back on December 29th as a 3.5-point favorite. Minnesota (11-6) snapped a two-game losing streak last Saturday with their 26-20 upset win in overtime at New Orleans as a 7.5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE 49ERS MINUS THE POINTS: That was a huge emotional victory for tat Vikings team on the road and particularly for Kirk Cousins who may have permanently removed the proverbial money that has been on his back regarding his failure to step up in big games. Cousins was solid but not spectacular against the Saints by completing 19 of 31 passes for 242 yards with a touchdown pass. But this situation is eerily similar to Minnesota’s miracle victory over New Orleans in the playoffs two years ago under head coach Mike Zimmer which was then followed up by them being completely flat on the road to another number one seed in the NFC at Philadelphia with the Eagles crushing them by a 38-7 score. As it is, the Vikings have only covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a straight-up win. Frankly, I don’t think Minnesota wins that game if Drew Brees does commit that rare fumble that he suffered in what looked like a go-ahead drive midway through the 4th quarter. And then winning the coin flip in overtime helped tremendously as the Vikings then scored a touchdown to negate Brees get another chance with the football. Despite the victory, Minnesota is still only scoring 18.3 PPG over their last three contests while averaging just 267.0 total YPG over that span which is far below their 25.4 PPG and 353.5 total YPG season average. They did get running back Dalvin Cook back last week after he took the last couple of games off to close out the regular season — but he is still averaging just 3.3 Yards-Per-Carry in his last seven games. The Vikings wide receivers are also less than 100% this week with Stefan Diggs dealing with an illness and Adam Thielen suffering an ankle injury that may slow him down. These are not great developments for a team that is used to playing on artificial turf as they did again last week. But when playing on grass as will be the case in Levi Stadium, Minnesota has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 14 games. San Francisco secured their bye week and home field throughout the NFC playoffs with their clutch victory on the road against the Seahawks. The 49ers held Seattle scoreless in the first half of that game — and they have then covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after not allowing more than a field goal in the first half of their last game. QB Jimmy Garoppolo was very sharp in that game as he completed 18 of 22 passes for 285 yards while leading an offense that generated 398 total yards. The Niners are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 games after gaining at least 450 yards in their last game. San Francisco has won five of their last seven games — and they have then covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after winning four or five of their last six contests. The 49ers are 2nd in the league by scoring 29.9 PPG — and that number rises to 32.4 PPG at home where they are outscoring their opponents by +12.8 PPG and outgained their guests by +108.3 net YPG. San Francisco is also 2nd in the NFL by limiting their opponents to only 281.8 total YPG — and they will be getting the heart and soul of their defense back for this game in Kwon Alexander who has missed half the season with his chest injury.

FINAL TAKE: Teams unfamiliar with this Niners team has struggled as they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games against non-divisional opponents. San Francisco has also covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning record. Minnesota’s victory last week was just their first win on the road against a team with a winning record all season. It was also just their first playoff win on the road since 2004. Yet the Vikings have still failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 19 games against teams with a winning record. 25* NFC Divisional Playoff Game of the Year with the San Francisco 49ers (302) minus the points versus the Minnesota Vikings (301). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Iowa Hawkeyes (838) plus the points versus the Maryland Terrapins (837). THE SITUATION: Iowa (10-5) has lost their last two games after their 76-70 upset loss at Nebraska on Tuesday as an 8-point favorite. Maryland (13-2) has won three in a row after their 67-55 win at home over Ohio State on Tuesday as a 3-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HAWKEYES PLUS THE POINTS: Iowa has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 15 games after a loss on the road. The Hawkeyes have also covered the point spread in 6 straight games after a point spread loss. Iowa played one of their worst games of the season against the Cornhuskers. They allowed Nebraska to make 49.1% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in their last six games. They also shot just 41.6% from the field which was the worst offensive effort in their last eight contests. The Hawkeyes made only 4 of their 33 shots (12.1%) from 3-point land — but they have then covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after failing to make at least 20% of their shots from behind the arc in their last game. Iowa made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament but suffered a tough blow last month when Jordan Bohanan decided to take a medical redshirt this season to fully recover from the hip surgery he had in the offseason. While the loss of Bohanan probably lowers the ceiling regarding the potential of the team, the Hawkeyes are likely still an NCAA Tournament team again this season given their depth along with two very good players in junior Luka Garza and sophomore Jon Weiskamp who is a likely future NBA player. Iowa has defeated Texas Tech and Cincinnati this season on neutral courts while also recording a nice win at home against Minnesota. The Hawkeyes are 6-1 at home this season where they are outscoring their opponents by +18.3 PPG due to their potent offense that scores 83.6 PPG on 48% shooting from the field. Head coach Fran McCaffrey has built an offensive juggernaut in Iowa City as this team ranks 5th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. The Hawkeyes have covered the point spread in 5 straight games at home — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 home games as an underdog. They are also 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 games against teams with a winning record. Maryland comes off their biggest win of the season against a Buckeyes team that was ranked number one in the nation earlier in the season. They held Ohio State to just 31.3% shooting from the field in that game in what was the best defensive effort in their last six contests. But the Terrapins have then failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 road games after a double-digit win at home. Maryland has also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after winning two games in a row against Big Ten opponents. And while they have covered the point spread in their last two games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 15 games after covering the point spread in their last two contests. The Terrapins also reached the second round of the Big Dance last season but expectations are higher for this team with all but one of their contributors from that team back this season. However, the departure of big man Bruno Fernando to the NBA has left a void with Maryland missing his 13.0 PPG, 10.6 RPG, and 2.0 APG. The lack of a consistently reliable scorer in the post has held back this team at times. They have been riddled with slow starts which have them living on the edge before senior point guard Anthony Cowan bails them out. They have been much too loose with the basketball as they are turning the ball over in 19.5% of their possessions in Big Ten play. This is also not a great shooting basketball team as they rank just 227th in the nation with an effective field goal percentage of 48.0% — and they are making just 38.2% of their shots on the road. Furthermore, now after playing their last three games at home in College Park, the Terrapins go on the road for just their third true road game in a hostile environment — and they have lost their first two road games at Seton Hall and Penn State. Shooting has been the biggest problem for this team in those games as they rank just 303rd in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency on the road due to their terrible 36.2% effective field goal percentage in those games which is the worst mark of all Division I teams. Maryland has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 road games against teams with a winning record at home. The Terrapins have also failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 4 road games as a favorite — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 22 of their last 34 road games as a favorite of 3 points or less.

FINAL TAKE: Shot volume may make the difference in this game. Maryland was outshot by the Buckeyes in their last contest by a 67 to 46 margin — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games after being outshot by at least 20 in their last game. Iowa outshot Nebraska by a 77 to 53 margin in their loss on Tuesday — but they have then covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after outshooting their last opponent by at least 20. 25* CBB Friday FS1-TV Game of the Month with the Iowa Hawkeyes (838) plus the points versus the Maryland Terrapins (837). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Portland Trail Blazers (505) and the Minnesota Timberwolves (506). THE SITUATION: Portland (16-22) Portland (16-22) has won two of their last three games with their 101-99 upset win at Toronto as a 2.5-point underdog on Tuesday. Minnesota (14-22) saw their two-game winning streak on Tuesday with their 119-112 loss at Memphis as a 4.5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Defense has been for the Trail Blazers this season but they stepped up on Tuesday by holding the Raptors to just 36.5% shooting from the field. With Rodney Hood on the shelf with an Achilles’ injury, his absence allows head coach Terry Stotts to deploy more defensive-friendly lineups. But missing Hood over the last month takes away from Portland’s offensive attack. They are scoring 3.4 PPG less over their last five games versus their 112.0 PPG season average. They are playing their fifth straight game on the road tonight — and they abbe played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total when playing their fourth game on the road in the last seven days. The Trail Blazers have played 8 of their last 10 road games Under the Total — and they have played 7 straight road games Under the Total against teams with a losing record at home. Furthermore, Portland has played 6 straight road games Under the Total as a favorite. Minnesota will look to play better on the defensive end of the court tonight after surrendering 68 points in the second half including a whopping 37 points in the final 12 minutes in their loss to the Grizzlies. Head coach Ryan Saunders had his team playing much better defense as of late. While the Timberwolves rank 15th in the NBA in Defensive Rating, they are 3rd best in the league over their last five games even after their dismal second half effort on Tuesday. Minnesota has played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 8 of their last 9 games Under the Total after allowing at least 100 points in their last game. The T-Wolves return home where they are making only 41.2% of their shots which has translated into 108.5 PPG. Minnesota will likely be without their best offensive player tonight as well with Karl Anthony-Towns listed as questionable with his knee injury that has kept him out the last eleven games. Over their last five games with Anthony-Towns, the Timberwolves are scoring only 105.4 PPG on 44.9% shooting from the field — and their 26th Offensive Rating are a few notches below their 23rd ranking overall for the season. Minnesota has played 7 of their last 10 home games Under the Total — and they have played 5 of their last 6 home games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage below 40% on the road. The Timberwolves have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Minnesota will be looking to avenge a 113-106 loss at Portland back on December 21st. The Timberwolves have played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total when avenging a loss on the road to their opponent. 25* NBA Pre-All Star Break Northwest Division Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Portland Trail Blazers (505) and the Minnesota Timberwolves (506). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Nashville Predators (60) versus the Boston Bruins (59). THE SITUATION: Nashville (19-15-7) has lost four of their last five games after their 5-4 loss in overtime at Anaheim on Sunday. Boston (24-8-11) has last three straight games as well as eleven of their last fifteen contests with their 4-1 loss at home to Edmonton on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PREDATORS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: That loss was the final straw for Nashville President of Hockey Operations and General Manager David Poile who fired head coach Peter Laviolette along with associate coach Kevin McCarthy yesterday. Look for the players to respond with a strong effort with the entire organization now being put on notice. The Predators made the Stanley Cup Finals three years ago before being ousted in the second round and then the first round of the playoffs last year. There is still time for this team to turn this season around like the St. Blues did last season after firing their head coach midseason before regrouping for their Stanley Cup championship run. But if Poile could also embrace a fire sale of the roster before the trade deadline if this group does not immediately start playing better. With an interim head coach still not named as of this writing, the onus is squarely on the veteran players. Expect a strong effort from this team tonight. As it is, the Predators have won 15 of their last 23 games after losing a game in overtime. Nashville has also won 18 of their last 27 games after losing three of their last four games. What has been frustrating for this team is that they too often play up or down to their completion. They rank 4th and 3rd in the NHL in Corsi-For Percentage and Fenwick-For Percentage measuring puck possession. They also have won 33 of their last 50 games against teams who outscore their opponents by at least +0.5 Goals-Per-Game including five of their last eight games this season against those opponents — and the Bruins are outscoring their opponents by +0.7 Goals-Per-Game. The Predators have also won 5 of their last 6 home games as an underdog. Boston had their nine-point game streak end on Saturday in that three-goal loss to Edmonton — and they have lost 12 of their last 18 games after a loss. They also have lost 7 of their last 10 games after a loss at home — and they have lost 6 of their last 9 games after losing three of their last four games. The Bruins have also lost 7 of their last 8 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. Boston is averaging only 2.0 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games. Tuukka Rask should be between the pipes tonight — but he has been more effective at home where he owns a 2.20 Goals-Against-Average with a .926 save percentage as opposed to his 2.47 GAA and .919 save percentage on the road. The Bruins rank a middling 13th and 14th in the league in Corsi-For and Fenwick-For Percentage. They have lost 7 of their last 10 games against teams with a losing record. And while the Predators average +4.4 more shot attempts per game than their opponents, Boston has lost 6 of their last 9 games against opponents who outshoot their opponents by at least +3.0 shots per game.

FINAL TAKE: The Bruins will be motivated to avenge a 4-3 loss at home to the Predators on December 21st — but they have lost 6 of their last 8 games when playing with revenge from a loss at home to their opponent. Boston has also lost their last 5 games in “Nashvegas” against the Predators. 25* NHL Pre-All Star Break Underdog of the Year with the money-line on the Nashville Predators (60) versus the Boston Bruins (59). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Marquette Golden Eagles (602) minus the points versus the Providence Friars (601). THE SITUATION: Marquette (11-3) has won six of their last seven games with their 71-60 win over Villanova as a 2-point favorite on Saturday. Providence (9-6) has won three in a row as well with their 66-65 win at DePaul as a 1-point underdog on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GOLDEN EAGLES MINUS THE POINTS: Marquette should continue to build off their momentum as they have covered the point spread in 19 of their last 28 games after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 6 straight games after a win at home over a conference rival. The Golden Eagles defeating the Wildcats despite making only 37% of their shots which was their worst shooting effort of the season. This team can overcome bad shooting performances because they get plenty of easy ones at the free-throw line — they rank 8th in the nation with a Free Throw Attempt-to-Field Goal Attempt ratio of 42.5% which is 8th best in the nation. The Friars will put them on the free-throw line tonight as they rank 231st in the nation with an opponent’s FTA/FGA ratio of 34.3%. Marquette only made 5 of their 21 shots from behind the arc for a low 23.8% shooting mark — and that is far below their 40.8% shooting percentage from 3-point land which is 3rd best in the nation led by their superstar guard Markus Howard. The Golden Eagles are a perfect 8-0 at home with an average winning margin of +20.7 PPG. They are playing much better defense under head coach Steve Wojciechowski than in past seasons — they are holding their visitors to just 34.9% shooting which has resulted in 60.0 PPG. Marquette has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games at home — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 home games as a favorite. Providence has failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games after a point spread victory. Expectations were high for head coach Ed Cooley’s team this season that returned all five starters from a team that missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time in six seasons. They have registered their three best wins of the season in their current winning streak with victories against Texas, Georgetown, and DePaul — but they have also endured bad losses to Long Beach State, Penn, and Charleston. The Friars have struggled on the road where they are just 2-5 while being outscored by -8.6 PPG. Providence makes only 36.4% of their shots when playing on the road. They have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home. The Friars have also failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 21 games after playing a game where they were an underdog on the road.

FINAL TAKE: Providence has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games as an underdog. Marquette has been bolstered with the strong play of Utah State transfer Kobe McEwan to complement Howard as a second scoring threat. The Golden Eagles are top-40 in both Adjusted Offensive and Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. 25* CBB Tuesday FS1-TV Game of the Month with the Marquette Golden Eagles (602) minus the points versus the Providence Friars (601). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:30 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the Lending Tree Bowl between the Miami (OH) RedHawks (279) and the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (280). THE SITUATION: Miami (OH) (8-5) has won six of their last seven games after winning the Mid-American Conference Championship Game on December 7th with their 26-21 upset victory over Central Michigan as a 5.5-point underdog. Lafayette (10-3) saw their six-game winning streak snapped in the Sun Belt Conference Championship Game on December 7th with their 45-38 loss at Appalachian State as a 5-point underdog. This game is being played at Land Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The RedHawks have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 5 straight games Under the Total after a pint spread victory. Miami (OH) has also played 10 of their last 16 games Under the Total after winning at least four of their last five games. And while the RedHawks have only forced one turnover in each of their last two games, they have then played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total after not forcing more than one turnover in two straight contests. Miami has a better defense than their numbers suggest — those statistics are skewed a bit from a difficult non-conference schedule that included road games at Ohio State, Iowa, and Cincinnati. The RedHawks will look to run the ball to control the Time of Possession — they averaged 38 rushing attempts per game while running on over 63% of their offensive snaps. But Miami averages only 3.5 Yards-Per-Carry while ranking just 122nd in the nation by averaging 305.9 total YPG. The RedHawks average -84 YPG below their opponent’s season defensive average. The Ragin’ Cajuns have a good defense that allowed only 19.9 PPG which was 20th best in the nation. It will be particularly difficult for freshman quarterback Brett Gabbert to throw on the Lafayette defense that is 16th in the nation by allowing just 193.8 passing YPG. The Ragin’ Cajuns have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total — and they have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after winning at least four of their last five games. Lafayette did generate 513 yards of offense in their loss to the Mountaineers — but they have played 4 straight games Under the Total after gaining at least 450 yards in their last game. The Ragin’ Cajuns have scored at least 31 points in seven straight games — but they have also played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after scoring at least 31 points in four straight contests. Lafayette has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record. They also have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total as a favorite — and they have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total when favored in the 10.5 to 21 point range.

FINAL TAKE: Miami has played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total when playing on a neutral field. With the RedHawks scoring only 18.5 PPG when away from home, they will only need to slow down the Ragin’ Cajuns offense a bit to keep this game below the number. 25* CFB Group of Five Bowl Total of the Year with Under the Total in the Lending Tree Bowl between the Miami (OH) RedHawks (279) and the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (280). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Illinois Fighting Illini (846) minus the points versus the Purdue Boilermakers (845). THE SITUATION: Illinois (9-5) has lost two of their last three games after their 76-56 loss at Michigan State on Thursday as a 10-point underdog. Purdue (9-5) has won their last two games with their 83-78 win against Minnesota at home in double overtime as a 7-point favorite on January 2nd.

REASONS TO TAKE THE FIGHTING ILLINI MINUS THE POINTS: Illinois shot just 29.3% from the field against the Spartans in what was their worst shooting effort of the season. Illinois has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a straight-up loss — and they have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a point spread loss. This team returned eight of their top nine scorers from last year’s team that had just a 12-21 record last season. But they also added a 7’0 290-lb freshman in Kofi Cockburn who has helped the team rank 3rd in the nation by pulling down 39.3% of their missed shots. The Illini return home where they are 8-1 with an average winning margin of +24.5 PPG. Illinois is making 51.6% of their shots on their home court which is generation an 86.7 PPG scoring average. They also limit their visitors to just 41.1% shooting. The Illini are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 games at home — and they are also 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 home games when laying the points. Purdue has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 14 road games after a win at home against a Big Ten rival. This team lost three starters from last year’s team with the biggest hole being the graduation of Carsen Edwards that has left this team without a reliable go-to scorer. The Boilermakers go back on the road where they are just 2-4 while scoring just 60.0 PPG because they are making only 36% of their shots. Purdue really struggles to make baskets away from home — they rank 314th in the nation with an effective field goal percentage of just 41.5% when playing on the road. The Boilermakers connect on only 24.7% of their 3-pointers on the road which is 325th in the nation. They are also making a mere 52.3% of their free throws in true road games which is 343rd in the nation. Purdue has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 road games against teams with a winning record. Together, these team trends produce our specific 50-14-2 ATS combined angle for this situation. 

FINAL TAKE: Purdue’s best win this season was at home against a Virginia team who does not look nearly as good as advertised when entering the season. The Boilermakers also lost on the road at Nebraska by 14 points to a Cornhuskers team that metrics guru Ken Pomeroy ranks as just the 152nd best team in the nation. Pomeroy places Illinois at 44th in the nation who has a signature win at home against Michigan. Purdue has failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games as the underdog. 25* CBB Sunday FS1-TV Game of the Month with the Illinois Fighting Illini (846) minus the points versus the Purdue Boilermakers (845). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 4:40 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Philadelphia Eagles (148) plus the points versus the Seattle Seahawks (147). THE SITUATION: Philadelphia (9-7) has won four straight games with their 34-17 win at New York against the Giants as a 4-point favorite. Seattle (11-5) has lost two straight games as well as three of their last four contests.

REASONS TO TAKE THE EAGLES PLUS THE POINTS: Both of these teams are hit hard by injuries. The good news for Philadelphia is that it looks like tight end Zach Ertz, running back Miles Sanders, and cornerback Jalen Mills will take the field today. Yet even relying on former practice squad, head coach Doug Pederson and his offensive coaching staff have been making things work. Over their last three games, the Eagles have scored 29.3 PPG along with averaging 415.3 total YPG. The foundation has been quarterback Carson Wentz who has asserted himself as the leader of this team. Philadelphia has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after a point spread victory. Additionally, the Eagles have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 14 games after a double-digit victory. The coaching staff has been forced to be innovative with all their injuries but they are finding ways to move the football. For example, since Week Fourteen, Wentz has completed 28 of his 31 screen passes for 237 yards which is the most in the NFL over that span. Pederson is not stranger to coaching his team up in the playoffs as an underdog — over the last three seasons, he has lead his team to four upset wins in five playoff games when getting the points. Philadelphia has covered the point spread in 10 of their last 11 playoff games as the underdog. The Eagles have also covered the point spread in 6 straight games in January. Furthermore, Philadelphia has held their eight visitors to just 16.7 PPG along with only 273.6 total YPG which has helped them cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. Additionally, the Eagles have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 home games as an underdog. Seattle has been the beneficiary of turnover luck and mossed field goal luck which has helped them overcome getting outgained in yardage this season. And while the Seahawks are 7-1 on the road this year, they are being outgained by -6.8 net YPG overall in those games. Seattle has lost their original top three running backs on their depth chart to injury. Left tackle Duane Brown is also out with his biceps injury which takes away the most effective offensive lineman from a unit that ranks just 24th in Adjusted Sack Rate. The Seahawks are being outgained by -74.7 net YPG over their last three games given a slowed-down offense that is scoring only 21.3 PPG while averaging 333.3 total YPG during that span. Russell Wilson’s potential MVP campaign has waned in the second half of the season. After posting 100+ QB Ratings in eight of his first nine games, Wilson has registered just one game earning a QBR of 100 or better over his last seven starts. Seattle did not score in the first half last week against the 49ers — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 6 games after failing to cover the point spread after failing to score at least a field goal in the first half of their last game. They also are 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 games against NFC opponents. And in their last 7 games in the playoffs, the Seahawks have failed to cover the point spread 5 times.

FINAL TAKE: This is a rematch of Seattle’s 17-9 victory in Philly back on November 24th. The Eagles have covered the point spread in 32 of their last 52 games when looking to avenge a loss at home — and they have covered the point spread in 32 of their last 52 games when playing with revenge from a loss where they did not score at least 14 points. 25* NFL Wildcard Playoff Game of the Year with the Philadelphia Eagles (148) plus the points versus the Seattle Seahawks (147). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 1:05 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Minnesota Vikings (145) and the New Orleans Saints (146). THE SITUATION: Minnesota (10-6) has lost two straight games with their 21-19 loss to Chicago at home last week as a 5-point underdog. New Orleans (13-3) has won three straight games as well as six of their last seven contests with their 42-10 win at Carolina last Sunday as a 13.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Vikings have played 20 of their last 28 games Over the Total after a straight-up loss where they covered the point spread as an underdog. And while Minnesota lost those two games despite being at home, they have then played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total after losing their last two games at home. Now the Vikings go back on the road where they are scoring 26.5 PPG while averaging 375.7 total YPG which is +22.2 net YPG above their season average. Minnesota has played 5 straight road games Over the Total — and they have played 7 of their last 10 road games Over the Total against teams with a winning record at home. The good news for the Vikings is that they expect to get back running back Dalvin Cook for this game after missing time (and rested) with his shoulder injury. But Minnesota may be forced to abandon the run game if they fall behind by multiple scores in this contest. The Vikings have been vulnerable in their pass coverage with opposing quarterbacks posting a Passer Rating of 99.7 with clean pockets which was just 16th in the league. Cornerback Xavier Rhodes has been torched this season with opposing quarterbacks completing 80% of their passes against them. Ever since their 26-9 loss at home to Atlanta on November 10th, the Saints have been dynamite on offense as they have scored at least 26 points in all seven games while scoring at least 34 points in each of their last four contests. Quarterback Drew Brees has a sensational 15:0 touchdown-to-interception ratio in those last four games — and he is completing 75.9% of his passes with 19 touchdown passes and a Passer Rating of 125.9 since Week 11. Furthermore, since Brees’ return in Week Eight after missing five games earlier to injury, New Orleans has ranked 3rd in the NFL in Expected Points Adder per play. The emergence of tight end of Jared Cook as a viable deep threat has made a big difference. Cook has six catches of at least 20 yards since Week Eleven. But the defense has been a concern for this team since they put defensive linemen Sheldon Rankins and Marcus Davenport on Injured Reserve. After ranking 7th in the NFL with 29.3% pressure the quarterback rate, that number has dropped to just a 23.7% QB pressure rate over their last three games without both players which is 18th in the league. The Saints have played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a blowout win of at least four touchdowns over an NFC South rival — and they have played 12 of their last 16 games Over the Total after winning and covering the point spread in three straight games as the favorite. New Orleans is scoring 28.4 PPG at home while averaging 420.4 total YPG — and the Over is 13-5-1 in their last 19 games at home. The Saints have also played 6 of their last 8 home games Over the Total in the playoffs.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have played 8 of their last 11 meetings Over the Total. New Orleans is clicking on offense — but look for the Vikings to resort to their passing game to keep up. 25* NFC Wildcard Playoff Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Minnesota Vikings (145) and the New Orleans Saints (146). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 4:35 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Buffalo Bills (141) and the Houston Texans (142). THE SITUATION: Buffalo (10-6) enters the playoffs having lost their last two games along with three of the last four games with their 13-6 loss at home to the New York Jets last Sunday as a 1.5-point underdog. Houston (10-6) saw their two-game winning streak snapped last week with their 35-14 loss at home to Tennessee as a 10-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Bills have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after a point spread loss. Buffalo plays outstanding defense — they rank 2nd in the NFL by allowing only 16.2 PPG and they rank 3rd in the league by giving up just 298.2 total YPG. But the issue for this team is scoring as they average just 19.6 PPG — and they have managed to score only 13.3 PPG in their last three games. The Bills go on the road where they have played 19 of their last 26 games Under the Total — and they have also played 7 of their last 8 road games Under the Total against teams with a winning record at home. Additionally, Buffalo has played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record. Houston has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a point spread loss. The Texans have also played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after a double-digit loss at home. Furthermore, Houston has played 12 of their last 16 games Under the Total after failing to score more than 14 points in their last game — and they have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after allowing at least 30 points in their last contest. The Texans will be without wide receiver Will Fuller for this contests who has been downgraded to doubtful with his groin injury. Fuller plays a critical role in this offense with his speed giving Houston the ability to stretch the field. In their 325 passing plays with Fuller on the field, the Texans averaged 7.0 yards per passing plays with 31 plays that gained at least 20 yards — but in their 303 passing plays without Fuller, they averaged just 5.8 yards per play with just 17 plays gaining at least 20 yards. Houston has played 8 of their last 10 home games Under the Total as a favorite.

FINAL TAKE: Buffalo has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total against fellow AFC opponents — and the Texans have played 21 of their last 31 games Under the Total against teams from the AFC. These two teams have also played 4 of their last 5 meetings Under the Total. 25* NFL Wildcard Playoff Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Buffalo Bills (141) and the Houston Texans (142). Best of luck for us — Frank.