At 9:20 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Connecticut Huskies (676) minus the points versus the Purdue Boilermakers (675) in the National Championship Game. THE SITUATION: Connecticut (36-3) has won 12 games in a row after their 86-72 victory against Alabama as a 10-point favorite on Saturday.   Purdue (34-4) has won 11 of their last 12 games after their 63-50 victory against North Carolina State as a 9.5-point favorite on Saturday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HUSKIES MINUS THE POINTS: UConn nailed 10 of their 25 shots (40%) of their shots from behind the arc on Saturday en route to a 50% shooting effort overall. Connecticut made 51.7% of their shots in the Elite Eight against Illinois which was the fourth time in their last five games where they shot at least 50% from the field — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games on the road after shooting 50% or better from the field in two or more games in a row. The Huskies have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 15 games after scoring 85 or more points in their last game. They have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games after covering the point spread as a double-digit favorite. UConn has won all five of their games by at least 14 points — and they have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 18 games after winning four or more games in a row by double-digits. Additionally, the Huskies have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games when playing with one day or less of rest. UConn has covered the point spread in 4 of their 5 games this season against teams winning 80% or more of their games. And while the Boilermakers are outscoring their opponents by +14.1 Points-Per-Game, the Huskies have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after 15 games into the season against teams who are outscoring their opponents by +8.0 or more PPG. Purdue has failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 17 games after not allowing more than 60 points in their last contest. They have covered the point spread in all five of their games in the Big Dance — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games after covering the point spread in five or six of their last seven games. They have all failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 25 games after winning five or more games in a row. If there is one area that particularly concerns me about the Boilermakers is their propensity to get sloppy with the basketball. After committing 16 turnovers against the Wolfpack, Purdue is turning the ball over in 17.8% of their possessions when playing on a neutral court, ranking 187th in the nation. I also think there is a big edge in coaching tonight. I think Matt Painter is fine for Purdue — but Dan Hurley is simply at the top of his game right now with the rare mix of combining work ethic with being the top tactician in the game. His teams have always been very good on the defensive end of the court — but he has been tremendous in raising the level of play when his team has the basketball with very tight schemes and formations.

FINAL TAKE: The Huskies have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 12 games played on a neutral court as a favorite or pick ‘em — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games played on a neutral court as a favorite from 6.5 to 12 points. 10* CBB Purdue-Connecticut TBS-TV Special with the Connecticut Huskies (676) minus the points versus the Purdue Boilermakers (675). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:20 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Purdue Boilermakers (675) and the Connecticut Huskies (676) in the National Championship Game. THE SITUATION: Purdue (34-4) has won 11 of their last 12 games after their 63-50 victory against North Carolina State as a 9.5-point favorite on Saturday. Connecticut (36-3) has won 12 games in a row after their 86-72 victory against Alabama as a 10-point favorite on Saturday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Both of these teams are outstanding on the offensive end of the court — but I suspect the strength of their play on defense will dictate the flow of this game. Purdue ranks fourth in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing away from home. In their 12 games played on a neutral court, they are allowing -5.0 fewer points per adjusted possessions. They only made 40.0% of their shots on Saturday — but it was their defense that carried the day as they held the Wolfpack to just 36.8% shooting in their 13-point victory. The Boilermakers have played 6 of their last 9 games Under the Total after playing a game where neither team scored more than 65 points. They have covered the point spread in all five of their games in the Big Dance — and they have played 21 of their last 30 games Under the Total after winning and covering the point spread in three or more games in a row. UConn ranks second in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing on a neutral court. They are giving up -10.7 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions in their 11 games played on a neutral court. The Huskies have played 12 of their last 17 games Under the Total on the road after a win by 10 or more points. They have also played 15 of their last 22 games Under the Total on the road after a straight-up win — and they have played 22 of their last 34 road games Under the Total after a point spread victory. And while UConn has made at least 50% of their shots in their last two games, they have then played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total after making 50% or more of their shots in two or more games in a row. Furthermore, the Huskies have played 14 of their last 19 games Under the Total after 15 games into the season against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: The Boilermakers have played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total in the NCAA Tournament — and the Huskies have played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total in the Big Dance. 25* CBB Total of the Year is with Under the Total in the game between the Purdue Boilermakers (675) and the Connecticut Huskies (676). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:49 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide (671) and the Connecticut Huskies (672) in the Final Four Semifinals of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Alabama (25-11) has won four games in a row with their 89-82 victory against Clemson as a 3-point favorite in their Elite Eight game last Saturday. Connecticut (35-3) has won 11 games in a row after their 77-52 victory against Illinois as an 8-point favorite in their Elite Eight contest last Saturday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: UConn has won all four of their games in the Big Dance by 17 or more points. The Huskies have then played 12 of their last 16 games Under the Total after winning two games in a row by double-digits — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games Under the Total after winning three or more games in a row by 10 or more points. And while they have covered the point spread in five straight games, they have then played 10 of their last 15 games Under the Total after winning and covering the point spread in two or more games in a row. Illinois made the decision to attack the rim and not let the presence of 7’2 Donovan Clingan change how they want to play on offense. In hindsight, that decision was a mistake since the Illini made only of their 38 shots in the 22 minutes that Clingan was on the court for a mere 14 points overall during that span. Alabama players and head coach Nate Oats have indicated they will not make that mistake — but that means they will rely on 3-point shooting or midrange shots which is out of character for this Crimson Tide team. The Huskies rank second in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when they are playing on a neutral court (ten games). UConn allows -12.0 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing at a neutral site. Their four NCAA Tournament opponents have made only 18 of their 80 shots (22.5%) from behind the arc — and Northwestern shot the best against them with a 26.7% clip from 3-point range but making only four of their 15 shots. Good defensive teams can slow down this Alabama fast-paced attack. They only scored 74 points against Tennessee in the SEC Tournament — and they only put up 72 points in their victory against Grand Canyon in the Round of 32. The Crimson Tide have played 26 of their last 36 games Under the Total as an underdog getting 10 or more points. And while the Huskies average 19 Assists-Per-Game, Alabama has played 44 of their last 71 games Under the Total after 15 games into the season against teams who dish out 16 or more Assists-Per-Game.

FINAL TAKE: UConn has played 12 of their last 16 games after 15 games into the season Under the Total when facing a team winning 60-80% of their games — and they have played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total when playing on a neutral court. 10* CBB Saturday Late Show O/U Bailout with Under the Total in the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide (671) and the Connecticut Huskies (672). Best of luck for us — Frank. 

At 8:49 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Connecticut Huskies (672) minus the points versus the Alabama Crimson Tide (671) in the Final Four Semifinals of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Connecticut (35-3) has won 11 games in a row after their 77-52 victory against Illinois as an 8-point favorite in their Elite Eight contest last Saturday. Alabama (25-11) has won four games in a row with their 89-82 victory against Clemson as a 3-point favorite in their Elite Eight game last Saturday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HUSKIES MINUS THE POINTS: Even  with their Final Four run, Alabama only ranks 46th in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency in their last ten games which is far below their ranking of 14th on the season overall. For comparisons sake, North Carolina State ranks 11th in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency in their last ten games which encompasses their run to win the ACC Tournament. The fundamental problem the Crimson Tide have tonight is their porous defense. They rank 189th in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency in their last ten games. When playing away from home, their defense ranks 175th in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and the +9.8 more points per 100 adjusted possessions they give up when away from home is the eighth worst disparity in the nation. Alabama has given up 87 and 82 points in their last two games — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 20 games after allowing 80 or more points in two roomer games in a row. Both those games finished Over the Total — and the Crimson Tide has failed to cover the point spread in 26 of their last 35 games after playing two or more games Over the Total. UConn has covered the point spread in 22 of their last 31 games after a win by 20 or more points. They have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 15 games after not allowing more than 55 points in their last game. The Huskies have not allowed more than 58 points in five straight games — and they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games after not allowing more than 65 points in four or more games in a row. And in their last 21 games as a double-digit favorite, UConn has covered the point spread 14 times.

FINAL TAKE: UConn has covered the point spread in 13 of their last 16 games in the Big Dance — and they have ten games in a row in the NCAA Tournament by 13 or more points. 10* CBB Alabama-Connecticut TBS-TV Special with the  Connecticut Huskies (672) minus the points versus the Alabama Crimson Tide (671). Best of luck for us — Frank.         

At 6:09 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the North Carolina State Wolfpack (673) and the Purdue Boilermakers (674) in the Final Four Semifinals of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: North Carolina State (26-14) has won nine straight games after their 76-64 upset victory against Duke as a 7-point underdog in their Elite Eight game on Sunday. Purdue (33-4) has won 10 of their last 11 games after their 72-66 victory against Tennessee as a 3-point favorite in their Elite Eight game last Sunday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: NC State held the Blue Devils to just 32.2% shooting last Sunday which was the best defensive effort of their season. Getting Kyle Filipowski into foul trouble helped — and Duke made only five of their 20 shots (25%) of their shots from behind the arc. The Wolfpack have played 10 of their last 13 games Under the Total after a double-digit win against an ACC rival. And while they only scored 21 points in the first half of that game, they have then played 4 of their last 6 games Under the Total after not scoring more than 25 points in the first half of their last contest. Head coach Kevin Keatts will want to slow this game down — not only because they are a big underdog but to also protect D.J. Burns from not getting into foul trouble. Look for Keatts to full-court pressure against the Boilermakers as well — not necessarily to force turnovers but simply to slow Purdue’s offensive attack down and get them out of rhythm. The Boilermakers score 83.5 Points-Per-Game — and NC State has played 9 of their last 14 games Under the Total against teams who score 77 or more PPG. Purdue has played 8 of their last 13 games Under the Total when playing with five or six days of rest between contests. And while they have covered all four of their NCAA Tournament games, they have then played 4 of their last 6 games Under the Total after winning and covering the point spread in three or more games in a row. They have not turned the ball over more than ten times in their four NCAA Tournament games — and they have then played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after not turning the ball over more than 11 times in four or more games in a row.

FINAL TAKE: Purdue is outscoring their opponents by +14.1 Points-Per-Game — and the Wolfpack have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total against teams who are outscoring their opponents by +12.0 or more PPG. The Boilermakers have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total in the Big Dance. 10* CBB Saturday Daily Discounted Deal with Under the Total in the game between the North Carolina State Wolfpack (673) and the Purdue Boilermakers (674). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 6:09 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Purdue Boilermakers (674) minus the points versus the North Carolina State Wolfpack (673) in the Final Four Semifinals of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Purdue (33-4) has won 10 of their last 11 games after their 72-66 victory against Tennessee as a 3-point favorite in their Elite Eight game last Sunday. North Carolina State (26-14) has won nine straight games after their 76-64 upset victory against Duke as a 7-point underdog in their Elite Eight game on Sunday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BOILERMAKERS MINUS THE POINTS: NC State held the Blue Devils to just 32.2% shooting last Sunday which was the best defensive effort of their season. Getting Kyle Filipowski into foul trouble helped — and Duke made only five of their 20 shots (25%) of their shots from behind the arc. The Wolfpack’s improbable run after trailing a bad Louisville team at halftime in the opening round of the ACC Tournament has included seven upset victories. They have survived two overtime games. And they have probably been fortunate with opponent 3-point shooting woes since their last eight opponents have made only 26.2% of their shots behind the arc despite posting a 35.8% opponent shooting percentage from 3-point land after rallying to defeat the Cardinals a month ago. I expect the bubble to burst tonight — and in a big way — against this Boilermakers team. NC State’s run has been centered on the improved and inspired play of D.J. Burns whose playground post-up moves have baffled opponents. But the 275-pounder’s mojo is not going to fly when now being guarded by Zach Edey, who has seven inches and 25 pounds on him. Burns has thrived on taking advantage of opposing defenders leaning in on him to slow him down since he has the agility to spin by those guys. Edey does not need to do that — he’s just going to stand there and raise his arms. He doesn’t even draw fouls because simply staying vertical is imposing enough on potential shooters. Burns can attempt to attack the rim — and Edey’s 7.0% block rate of opposing shots he defends comes into play. The Wolfpack face an even bigger challenge trying to defend Edey — the conundrum is a huge challenge for head coach Kevin Keatts. If he uses Burns to try to defend him, he risks getting him into foul trouble since Edey is so good at drawing fouls. Opposing big men have fouled out in 29 of the 37 games Purdue has played this season. Burns is too small to stop Edey’s hook shot. And he’s slow. Keatts could deploy Mohamed Diarra who is an inch taller than Burns — but he is spotting Edey 85 pounds. Another problem would then be that Burns would be forced to defend on the perimeter (probably against the 6’6 Mason Gillis) since Purdue plays the other four players with Edey out on the perimeter where they all can make 3s. Keatts could try a zone defense to bypass these problems — but then Edey will have even more room to crash the boards for second-shot opportunities. He ranks third in the country by pulling down 18.5% of his team’s missed shots when he is on the court. And this potential zone would open up more 3-point opportunities for the Boilermakers who rank second in the nation by nailing 40.6% of their 3s. Purdue has scored 1.12 Points-Per-Possession in the rare times teams have attempted to deploy a zone defense against them. NC State has failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 25 games after a double-digit win — and they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 13 games after a double-digit win against an ACC rival. And teams in the NCAA Tournament coming off a win that eliminated Duke from the Big Dance have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their next 9 games. Purdue only made 45.3% of their shots against the tough Volunteers defense last week which was the worst shooting effort in their last four games. The Boilermakers did control the boards by out-rebounding Tennessee by a 47-26 margin — and they have covered the point spread in 6 straight games after out-rebounding their last opponent by 20 or more boards. Purdue has covered the point spread in 12 of their last 14 games against teams outside the Big Ten — and they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 13 games played on a neutral court.

FINAL TAKE: NC State has failed to cover the point spread in 3 of their last 4 games after 15 games into the season against teams winning 80% or more of their games. The Boilermakers have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 road games against teams winning 60-80% of their games — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their 9 games in the Big Dance under head coach Matt Painter when favored by nine or more points. 25* College Basketball Game of the Year on the Purdue Boilermakers (674) minus the points versus the North Carolina State Wolfpack (673). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Indiana State Sycamores (681) and the Seton Hall Pirates (682) in the Championship Game of the National Invitational Tournament. THE SITUATION: Indiana State (32-6) reached the finals of this tournament with their 100-90 victory against Utah as a 4.5-point favorite on Tuesday. Seton Hall (24-12) advanced from their semifinal contest in an 84-67 victory against Georgia as a 5.5-point favorite on Tuesday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Indiana State allowed the Utes to make 52.3% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in their last 33 games. But they won the game comfortably because they nailed 56.9% of their shots which was the best shooting effort in their last five contests. This victory came on the heels of their 85-81 victory at home against Cincinnati back on March 26th — and they have played 4 straight Unders after playing two or more games in a row where 165 or more combined points were scored. The Sycamores have also played 6 straight games Under the Total after playing two games in a row where 75 or more points were scored by both teams. And in their last 8 games after allowing 80 or more points in two or more games in a row, Indiana State has played 6 of those games Under the Total. Seton Hall made 47% of their shots on Tuesday which was the worst shooting effort in their last three games — but they have played 10 of their last 14 games Under the Total after making at least 47% of their shots in three or more games in a row. This victory came on the heels of their 91-68 victory against UNLV in the quarterfinals last Wednesday — and they have played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total after winning and covering the point spread in two or more games in a row. They have also played 6 straight Unders after winning two games in a row by 15 or more points — and they have played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total after scoring 75 or more points in two or more games in a row. The Pirates have played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total when playing with one day of rest. And in their last 5 games with the Total set in the 150s, they have played 4 of these games Under the Total.

FINAL TAKE: The Pirates have played 5 of their last 8 games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage of 80% or higher. 10* CBB Thursday Night Discounted O/U Deal with Under the Total in the game between the Indiana State Sycamores (681) and the Seton Hall Pirates (682). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Indiana State Sycamores (681) minus the points versus the Seton Hall Pirates (682) in the Championship Game of the National Invitational Tournament. THE SITUATION: Indiana State (32-6) reached the finals of this tournament with their 100-90 victory against Utah as a 4.5-point favorite on Tuesday. Seton Hall (24-12) advanced from their semifinal contest in an 84-67 victory against Georgia as a 5.5-point favorite on Tuesday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.

REASONS TO TAKE THE SYCAMORES MINUS THE POINTS: Indiana State allowed the Utes to make 52.3% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in their last 33 games. The Sycamores have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after allowing 90 or more points in their last game. They have also covered the point spread in 24 of their last 34 games after a win by 10 or more points — and they have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 23 games after scoring 80 or more points in their last contest. And while they have won 10 of their last 11 games with their lone setback being against Drake in the Missouri Valley Conference title game that kept them from making the NCAA Tournament (despite 28 wins at the time), they have covered the point spread in 16 of their last 24 games after winning six or seven of their last eight contests. Indiana State does sacrifice defense for their explosive offense most of the time — but there is one area that head coach Josh Schertz has his team focus on when playing on the defensive end of the court. The Sycamores limit their opponents to pulling down only 23.9% of their missed shots when they are playing away from home which is the 11th-best mark in the nation. Their defensive rebounding will be critical tonight since the Pirates rank 19th in the county by rebounding 35.6% of their missed shots. They held Utah to just five offensive rebounds on Tuesday — and they have covered the point spread in 17 of their last 22 games after not allowing their opponent to pull down more than five offensive rebounds in their last game. Indiana State will win this game with their innovative offense under Schertz. They play at the 26th fastest pace in the nation by averaging only 15.9 seconds per possession. The Sycamores lead the nation with an effective field goal percentage of 59.9% — and they lead the nation by making 62.6% of their shots inside the arc. They fall all the way down 11th in the country with their 38.1% shooting percentage from behind the arc — and they rank sixth in the nation by taking 49.3% of their shots from behind the arc. Led by the bespectacled Robbie Avila, they have scored at least 80 points in nine of their last eleven games. Seton Hall wants to slow this game down and engage in some bully-ball — but the spacing that the Sycamores engage in on offense takes away their opponent's ability to muck things up in the lane. The Pirates only have a 47.5% effective field goal percentage when on the road which ranks 264th in the nation. If they cannot get second chance opportunities, they will struggle to score points. As it is, they rank only 112th in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency when playing away from home. They do not force turnovers to increase their potential scoring opportunities either — they rank 130th in the nation by forcing turnovers in only 17.7% of their opponent’s possessions. Seton Hall has covered the point spread in three straight games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 16 games after covering the point spread in three of their last four games. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games when playing for the second time in seven days.  

FINAL TAKE: The Pirates have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 14 road games in tournament action — and the Sycamores have covered the point spread in 21 of their last 32 games when favored. While I think the “home court” edge for Indiana State is overplayed a bit since they are playing on a neutral court that both teams just played on, it certainly does not hurt our cause that the crowd will be mostly cheering on the home state Sycamores. 25* CBB NIT Game of the Year with the Indiana State Sycamores (681) minus the points versus the Seton Hall Pirates (682). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Seton Hall Pirates (664) minus the points versus the Georgia Bulldogs (663) in the Semifinals of the National Invitational Tournament. THE SITUATION: Seton Hall (23-12) has won five of their last six games after their 91-68 victory against UNLV as a 6-point favorite last Wednesday. Georgia (20-16) has won four of their last five games after their 79-77 upset victory at Ohio State as a 9-point underdog last Tuesday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PIRATES MINUS THE POINTS: Seton Hall comes into this game with momentum after beating their last two opponents in the NIT by 38 combined points. The Pirates have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 16 games after a win by 20 or more points. They were one of the three teams this season to beat UConn — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after 15 games into the season against teams with a winning percentage in the 51-60% range. They should get plenty of second-chance scoring opportunities against this Bulldogs team that struggles to protect their defensive glass. Seton Hall pulls down 35.6% of their missed shots, ranking 19th in the nation. Georgia allows their opponents to rebound 30.4% of their missed shots, ranking 238th in the country. The Bulldogs have pulled off two straight upset victories in this tournament to reach the semifinals. The Bulldogs shot 47.8% from the field against the Buckeyes which was the best shooting effort in their last ten games. Georgia has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after playing a game on the road where both teams scored 75 or more points. They ranked just tenth in the SEC and currently rank 105th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. In their five games played on a neutral court, the Bulldogs are scoring -12.2 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions. Another problem they are likely to experience tonight is they lack a Plan B if their shots are not falling. They only pull down 27.3% of their missed shots, ranking 238th in the nation. They also only force turnovers in 16.2% of their opponent's possessions, ranking 240th.

FINAL TAKE: The Bulldogs have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games played on a neutral court as an underdog or as a pick ‘em. 8* CBB Tuesday Night Discounted Deal with Seton Hall Pirates (664) minus the points versus the Georgia Bulldogs (663). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Georgia Bulldogs (663) and the Seton Hall Pirates (664) in the Semifinals of the National Invitational Tournament. THE SITUATION: Georgia (20-16) has won four of their last five games after their 79-77 upset victory at Ohio State as a 9-point underdog last Tuesday. Seton Hall (23-12) has won five of their last six games after their 91-68 victory against UNLV as a 6-point favorite last Wednesday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Bulldogs shot 47.8% from the field against the Buckeyes which was the best shooting effort in their last ten games. Georgia ranked just tenth in the SEC and currently ranks 105th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. In their five games played on a neutral court, the Bulldogs are scoring -12.2 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions. Georgia has played 10 of their last 11 games Under the Total after playing a game where 155 or more combined points were scored. Their game with Ohio State finished Over the 150-point Total — and they have played 11 of their last 15 games Under the Total when coming off a game that finished Over the Total. They have also played 5 of their last 8 games Over the Total after winning three or more games in a row. And in their last 12 games with the Total set in the 140s, the Buckeyes have palled 8 of these games Under the Total. Seton Hall made 56.5% of their shots against the Runnin’ Rebels which was the best shooting effort in their last 19 contests. But the Pirates have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after making 55% or more of their shots in their last game. They have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after playing a game where 155 or more combined points were scored. They have played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total after a win by 20 or more points on their home court. Seton Hall beat North Texas by a 72-58 score in their previous game in the NIT — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after winning two straight games at home by double-digits. They have played 7 straight games Under the Total after winning two games in a row where they covered as the favorite. Additionally, they have played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total when playing with five or six days of rest. On the road, the Pirates score -9.7 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions.            

FINAL TAKE: Seton Hall has played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total when listed as the favorite or a pick ‘em. Georgia has played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total on a neutral court with the Total set in the 140s — and they have played 11 of their last 14 games in tournament settings. 25* CBB NIT Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Georgia Bulldogs (663) and the Seton Hall Pirates (664). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 5:05 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the North Carolina State (657) and the Duke Blue Devils (658) in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: North Carolina State (25-14) has won eight games in a row after their 67-58 upset win against Marquette as a 7.5-point underdog on Friday. Duke (27-8) has won six of their last eight games after their 54-51 upset win against Houston as a 4-point underdog on Friday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The second half of Duke’s game with Houston was the second slowest second half in terms of tempo of the entire season in Division I college basketball. There is a clear trend of the Blue Devils’ head coach Job Scheyer to slow down his offense — especially when Duke has the lead. Not coincidentally, the slowest team on offense in the Mike Krzyzewski era as the Blue Devils head coach was in the 2009-10 campaign when Scheyer was the starting point guard for that team. After Duke’s final two losses in the regular season and the ACC Tournament to this Wolfpack team saw 71 and 70 possessions, their three games in the Big Dance have seen 60, 64, and 56 possessions. The Blue Devils averaged 66.5 adjusted possessions in the regular season — but that number has dropped to 63.7 adjusted possessions in their last ten games, ranking 344th in the nation. Duke has played 21 of their last 29 road games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 19 of their last 25 road games Under the Total after winning two games in a row. They have not allowed more than 55 points in this tournament — and they have then played 6 straight road games Under the Total after not allowing more than 60 points in two or more games in a row. Head coach Job Scheyer has his team playing their best defense of the entire season right now. They have not allowed an opponent to generate an effective field goal percentage higher than 43.3%. Their three opponents in the Big Dance have an Adjusted Offensive Efficiency no higher than 85.2 — and Duke only had two better defensive games than that in terms of Adjusted Defensive Efficiency before this tournament started. Scheyer benefits from having faced the Wolfpack for the third time since March 4th — the two previous games against him should help inform how they should scheme against him. The Blue Devils have played 17 of their last 24 road games Under the Total after playing a game that finished under the Total. Duke has played 20 of their last 32 games Under the Total when favored — and they have played 13 of their last 16 games Under the Total on a neutral court. NC State is also playing at a slower pace. After four of their five games in the ACC Tournament had at least 70 possessions (the exception being their game against Virginia who perennially play at one of the slowest paces in the nation), the Wolfpack have not played a game in the Big Dance with more than 69 possessions including their overtime win against Oakland. In their 12 games played on a neutral court, NC State is holding their opponents to -3.7 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions than what they give up at home. The Blue Devils make 48.0% of their shots this season — but the Wolfpack have played 5 straight Unders against teams who make at least 48.0% of their shots.  

FINAL TAKE: Duke has played 11 of their last 17 games Under the Total after 15 games into the season against teams with a winning record. And while the Blue Devils are outscoring their opponents by +13.0 PPG, the Volunteers have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total against teams outscoring their opponents by +12 or more PPG. 10* CBB NC State-Duke CBS-TV O/U Special with Under the Total in the game between the North Carolina State (657) and the Duke Blue Devils (658). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 5:05 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Duke Blue Devils (658) minus the points versus the North Carolina State Wolfpack (657) in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Duke (27-8) has won six of their last eight games after their 54-51 upset win against Houston as a 4-point underdog on Friday. North Carolina State (25-14) has won eight games in a row after their 67-58 upset win against Marquette as a 7.5-point underdog on Friday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BLUE DEVILS MINUS THE POINTS: Duke advanced despite making only 40.8% of their shots which was the worst shooting effort in their last 21 games. The Blue Devils have covered the point spread in 16 of their last 24 games after winning four or five of their last six games. They have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after not allowing more than 60 points in their last game. Head coach Job Scheyer has his team playing their best defense of the entire season right now. They have not allowed an opponent to generate an effective field goal percentage higher than 43.3%. Their three opponents in the Big Dance have an Adjusted Offensive Efficiency no higher than 85.2 — and Duke only had two better defensive games than that in terms of Adjusted Defensive Efficiency before this tournament started. The Wolfpack make 45.1% of their shots — but the Blue Devils have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games against teams who make 45% or more of their shots. Duke has covered the point spread in 4 straight games when playing for the second time in three days. On the road, the Blue Devils are scoring +2.6 more points per 100 adjusted possessions. Duke has covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 road games in March. And while NC State is outscoring their opponents by +4.1 Points-Per-Game, the Blue Devils have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 19 games against teams outscoring their opponents by +4.0 or more PPG. NC State played their best defensive game of the season by holding the Golden Eagles to just 33.3% shooting. Marquette scored at just an 0.84 Points-Per-Possession rate despite ranking 21st in the nation by scoring at an adjusted 1.18 PPP rate. Some of that was just bad shooting luck for the Golden Eagles who could not hit the side of a barn from outside as they only made 4 of 31 shots from behind the arc despite getting tons of open looks. The Wolfpack’s opponents in the Big Dance are making only 23 of their 97 shots from behind the arc. ACC opponents made 36.2% of their 3s against NC State — so I am expecting a visit from the Regression Gods regarding the 23.7% shooting percentage of the Wolfpack’s opponents in this tournament. Of concern for NC State is that they only scored at a 0.97 PPG rate on Friday — and they missed six of their 12 free throws. The Wolfpack has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 6 games after not making more than 53% of their free throws in their last game. They held Marquette to only 24 points in the first half — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after not allowing more than 25 points in the first half of their last game. They have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games when playing for the second time in three days. And while they have covered the point spread in six of their last seven games (with six upset victories in that run), NC State has then failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games after covering the point spread in four or five of their last six games.                                                                                   

FINAL TAKE: The Wolfpack have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games played on a neutral court with the Total set from 140 to 144.5. The Blue Devils have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games played on a neutral court. 25* CBB ACC Game of the Year with the Duke Blue Devils (658) minus the points versus the North Carolina State Wolfpack (657). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:20 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Purdue Boilermakers (656) minus the points versus the Tennessee Volunteers (655) in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Purdue (32-4) has won nine of their last ten games after their 80-68 victory against Gonzaga as a 4.5-point favorite on Friday. Tennessee (27-8) has won ten of their last 12 games with their 82-75 victory against Creighton as a 3.5-point favorite on Friday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BOILERMAKERS MINUS THE POINTS: Purdue made 57.1% of their shots including 45% of their 3-pointers to overwhelm the Bulldogs on Friday. Gonzaga did make 49.2% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in the Boilermakers' last 14 contests. Purdue is making 53.6% of their shots in this Big Dance including 43.3% of their shots from behind the arc. They also own a +55 net rebounding edge in their three games in this tournament. The Boilermakers scored 106 points in their previous game against Utah State — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after scoring 80 or more points in two or more games in a row. They have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 road games after winning four or five of their last six games. Purdue has covered the point spread in 11 of their last 13 games against teams outside the Big Ten. They have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games played on a neutral court. Furthermore, they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 road games against teams winning 60-80% of their games. And while the Volunteers are outscoring their opponents by +11.8 Points-Per-Game, the Boilermakers have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games against teams outscoring their opponents by +8.0 or PPG. Tennessee has filed top over the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games on the road after winning three of their last four games. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games when playing for the second time in the last three days. I worry about this team given the massive funk that Santiago Vescovi is mired in right now. After scoring 12.9 Points-Per-Game and making 39% of his 3-pointers in the previous two seasons, he limped into this tournament with a 3.3 PPG scoring average in his last seven games while making only 23% of their shots including just 4 of 22 (18.1%) of his shots from behind the arc. In his first two NCAA Tournament games, Vescovi has only scored eight combined points with a 33.3% shooting percentage with only two made 3s in his seven attempts. Vescovi was the only player not to play on Friday against the Bluejays — he claims it was because of the flu, but it is suspicious that he could not take the floor at all in this single-elimination tournament. His confidence could be shot. The Volunteers have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 17 games with the Total set in the 140s. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games played on a neutral court.

FINAL TAKE: Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes has failed to cover the point spread in 16 of his last 21 coached games in the NCAA Tournament going back to 2010 during his time with Texas and now the Volunteers. Even worse, when his team was not a double-digit favorite in those games in the Big Dance, his teams failed to cover the point spread in 14 of those 16 contests. 10* CBB Sunday Afternoon Discounted Deal with the Purdue Boilermakers (656) minus the points versus the Tennessee Volunteers (655). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:49 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Alabama Crimson Tide (654) minus the points versus the Clemson Tigers (653) in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Alabama (24-11) has won three games in a row after their 89-87 upset victory as a 4.5-point underdog on Thursday. Clemson (24-11) has pulled off their second-straight upset victory in the Big Dance with their 77-72 upset win against Arizona as a 7-point underdog on Thursday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CRIMSON TIDE MINUS THE POINTS: Alabama should build off their momentum tonight as they have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 19 games after a point spread win — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after winning three of their last four games. They trailed at halftime by a 54-46 score before holding the Tar Heels to only seven points in the first ten minutes of the second half. The Crimson Tide have covered the point spread in 6 straight games after allowing 45 or more points in their last game. They have also covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games when playing with one day of rest. Alabama makes 36.8% of their 3-point shots — and the Tigers are vulnerable to 3-point shooting teams since their opponents take 40.6% of their shots from behind the arc when they are playing on the road, ranking 286th in the nation. The Crimson Tide have covered the point spread in 9 of their 12 games this season when the Total is set at 160 or higher. They have also covered the point spread in 11 of their last 18 games against teams with a winning record. Clemson made 49.2% of their shots against the Wildcats which was the best shooting effort in their last five games. The Tigers are due a visit from the Regression Gods after their three opponents in the Big Dance have missed 58 of their 75 shots from behind the arc. Clemson has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 6 games when playing their second game on the road in the last three days. On the road, the Tigers are scoring -2.0 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions.

FINAL TAKE: Clemson makes 46.8% of their shots while holding their opponents to just 41.2% shooting — but the Crimson Tide have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 15 games against teams who make at least 46.8% of their shots and hold their opponents to no better than 42% shooting. 10* CBB Saturday Night Discounted Deal with the Alabama Crimson Tide (654) minus the points versus the Clemson Tigers (653). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 6:09 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Illinois Fighting Illini (651) and the Connecticut Huskies (652) in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Illinois (29-8) has won seven straight games after their 72-69 upset victory against Iowa State as a 1.5-point underdog on Thursday. Connecticut (34-3) has won ten games in a row with their 82-52 victory against San Diego State as a 12-point favorite on Thursday. This game is being played on a neutral court at TD Garden Arena in Boston, Massachusetts.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Fighting Illini played their best game on defense in their last five contests by holding the Cyclones to just 39.7% shooting from the field. But defense is not a staple for this Illinois team that ranks 98th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. When playing away from home, they are still allowing +5.4 more points per 100 adjusted possessions — and that is the 316th worst drop in efficiency when compared to a team’s defensive efficiency when playing at home. They rank 129th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency in their 19 games away from home — and that is not simply a function of playing in hostile environments since they also rank 172nd in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency in their eight games played on a neutral court. To make matters worse for head coach Brad Underwood, it is very difficult to prepare for Huskies’ head coach Dan Hurley’s complex offensive sets — especially with only one day to prepare. The Illini only made 42.1% of their shots against the tough Iowa State defense — and that was the worst shooting effort in their last five contests. The Fighting Illini are a powerhouse on that end of the court. They lead the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency in their last ten games — and they also lead the nation in that metric when playing away from home. They score +12.3 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing away from home which is the biggest jump in the nation. They make 47.6% of their shots including 36.4% of their 3-pointers resulting in 85.6 Points-Per-Game on the road which is +1.4 more PPG than their season average. But they allow their opponents to make 45.0% of their shots including 36.1% of their 3s resulting in 78.1 PPG which is +4.9 PPG above their season average. Illinois has played 22 of their last 28 games Over the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 17 of their last 23 games Over the Total after a point spread win. They have played 11 of their last 14 games Over the Total with the Total set in the 150s — and they have played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total when playing on a neutral court. UConn made 46.2% of their shots on Thursday which was the worst shooting effort in their last three games. The Huskies are scoring 82.7 PPG in this Big Dance despite only making 30.6% of their 3-pointers. They make 36.2% of their 3s on the season while ranking number in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. When playing on the road, they fall to second in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency, just behind the Illini. They outrebounded the Aztecs by a 50-29 margin — and they have played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total after outrebounding their previous opponent by +20 or more boards. But the Huskies have played four straight Unders on the strength of their defense and they have not allowed more than 58 points in those four games. A few things about this Under trend. UConn has played 10 of their last 15 games Over the Total after not allowing more than 60 points in two or more games in a row — and they have played 14 of their last 22 games Over the Total after playing two or more Unders in a row. They have won all four of those games by at least 16 points — and they have played 11 of their last 17 games Over the Total after winning four or more games in a row by double-digits. They have played 4 of their last 6 games Over the Total against teams who score 84 or more PPG. On the road, they are also giving up +5.4 more points per 100 adjusted possessions than when they are at home. The Huskies have a great roster but they probably lack the player who can slow down the Illini’s Terrence Shannon.

FINAL TAKE: UConn attempts 24 shots from behind the arc per game — and Illinois has played 13 of their last 14 games Over the Total against teams who take at least 21 shots from 3-point range per game. The Fighting Illini have played 21 of their last 29 games Over the Total against winning teams — and they have played 15 of their last 19 games Over the Total after 15 games into the season against teams with a winning record. 25* CBB Elite Eight Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Illinois Fighting Illini (651) and the Connecticut Huskies (652). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:10 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Creighton Blue Jays (641) and the Tennessee Volunteers (642) in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Creighton (25-9) has won five of their last six games after their 86-73 victory in double-overtime against Oregon as a 4-point favorite last Saturday. Tennessee (26-8) has won nine of their last 11 games after their 62-58 win against Texas as a 6.5-point favorite on Saturday. This game is being played at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Bluejays only made 38.7% of their shots against the Ducks last weekend — but they did convert on 15 of their 39 shots (38.5%) of their shots from 3-point range (many of them in the second double overtime period to ruin our Oregon play). Creighton lives and dies by their 3-point shooting — they rank seventh in the nation by taking 48.7% of their shots from behind the arc. Their reliance on 3s could spell trouble when facing this stout Volunteers defense that ranks 28th in the nation by holding their opponents to just 30.9% of their 3-pointers. The Bluejays score -10.7 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing away from home — that discrepancy is the 352nd worst split in the nation. The problem for Creighton is they lack a Plan B if their 3s are not falling. They are dead last in the nation by forcing turnovers in 11.1% of their opponent’s possessions. They only rebound 26.2% of their missed shots, ranking 273rd in the nation. They are the only team left in the Big Dance that has a negative Shot Volume mark relative to what they surrender. But head coach Greg McDermott’s squad is a good defensive team that ranks 23rd in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. Sacrificing offensive rebounding allows the Bluejays to get back on defense — and not going for turnovers limits the fouls they commit. They have the best defensive foul rate in the nation. They play great half-court defense by ranking 10th in the nation with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 46.2%. The focus on defense is to get their opponent off the 3-point line — they rank sixth in the nation with their opponents only taking  27.6% of their shots from behind the arc. Made 3s consist of only 25.1% of their opponent’s points which is the 336th lowest mark. Creighton has played 12 of their last 15 games on the road Under the Total after scoring 85 or more points in their last game. They have played 8 of their last 9 road games Under the Total after playing a game that finished Over the Total. Tennessee has played 7 straight games Under the Total after a straight-up victory where they did not cover the point spread. This Volunteers team was supposed to be different and not offensively challenged given the emergence of Dalton Knecht. But Knecht and Zakai Zeigler combined to miss 14 of their 16 shots from behind the arc. These primary scorers may be feeling the pressure to compensate for the massive funk that Santiago Vescovi is mired in right now. After scoring 12.9 Points-Per-Game and making 39% of his 3-pointers in the previous two seasons, he limped into this tournament with a 3.3 PPG scoring average in his last seven games while making only 23% of their shots including just 4 of 22 (18.1%) of his shots from behind the arc. In his two NCAA Tournament games, Vescovi has only scored eight combined points with a 33.3% shooting percentage with only two made 3s in his seven attempts. His struggles are impacting the flow of the offense — not only did Tennessee only make 33.8% of their shots against the Longhorns, but they had more turnovers than assists. Creighton will give the Vols the midrange — but Knecht only connects on 39% of his midrange jumpers. Tennessee will rely on its defense that held Texas without a 3-pointer for 24 straight minutes on Saturday. The Volunteers rank third in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. Their 44.1% opponent’s effective field goal percentage ranks fourth in the nation — and they hold their opponents to 44.1% shooting inside the arc. Tennessee has played 30 of their last 44 road games Under the Total when playing with five or six days of rest.

FINAL TAKE: Tennessee has played 10 of their last 15 games Under the Total with the Total set in the 140s including all four of their games played on a neutral court. 25* CBB Sweet 16 Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Creighton Blue Jays (641) and the Tennessee Volunteers (642). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:40 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Duke Blue Devils (645) plus the points versus the Houston Cougars (646) in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Duke (26-8) has won five of their last seven games after their 93-55 victory against James Madison as a 6-point favorite last Sunday. Houston (32-4) has won 13 of their last 14 games after their 100-95 victory in overtime against Texas A&M as an 8.5-point favorite on Sunday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BLUE DEVILS PLUS THE POINTS: Duke nailed 14 of their 28 shots from behind the arc against the Dukes — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after making 50% or more of the 3-pointers in their last game. They have also covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after not allowing more than 60 points in their previous game. The Blue Devils opened their Big Dance with a 64-47 win against Vermont as a 12.5-point favorite — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after covering the point spread in two straight games as the favorites. They have also covered the point spread in 14 of their last 21 games after winning five or six of their last seven games. Houston has failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games after scoring 80 or more points in their last game. They have scored at least 86 points in both their games in the Big Dance — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games after scoring 75 or more points in two or more games in a row. And while they have covered the point spread in four of their last six games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after covering the point spread in four or five of their last six games. Houston is an elite defensive team — but getting to play them away from the Fertitta Center helps a lot. The Cougars give up +13.1 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing away from home.

FINAL TAKE: The Blue Devils have covered the point spread in 4 of their 5 games played on a neutral court this season. 8* CBB Friday Night Discounted Deal with the Duke Blue Devils (645) plus the points versus the Houston Cougars (646). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:39 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Gonzaga Bulldogs (639) plus the points versus the Purdue Boilermakers (640) in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Gonzaga (27-7) has won 11 of their last 12 games after their 89-68 victory against Kansas as a 4-point favorite on Saturday. Purdue (31-4) has won eight of their last nine games after their 106-67 win against Utah State as an 11.5-point favorite on Saturday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BULLDOGS PLUS THE POINTS: Purdue exorcised some of their demons last week after Fairleigh Dickinson knocked them off in the Round of 64 last year despite being a one seed. The Boilermakers had an easy time of it in a 78-50 victory against Grambling State before their 39-point win against the Aggies over the weekend. But this remains a program that has not advanced beyond the Sweet 16 since 2019 — so nerves may play a role for this team that has been National Championship or bust ambitions all season. Purdue made 55.9% of their shots against Utah State which was the best shooting effort in their last eight games. They also held the Aggies to 35.9% shooting which was the best defensive performance in their last 15 contests. But the Boilermakers have failed to cover the point spread in 17 of their last 25 games after a win by 15 or more points — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games after a win by 20 or more points. Additionally, they have beaten six teams this season by 30 or more points — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of those 5 next contests going into tonight’s showdown. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after winning two games in a row by 15 or more points. Since getting outrebounded by Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament, Purdue has outrebounded their next three opponents by at least 14 boards. But the Boilermakers have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 10 road games after outrebounding two straight opponents by ten or more boards — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight road games after outrebounding three straight opponents by ten or more rebounds. Away from home, Purdue scores -7.9 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions which ranks 337th in the nation in the worst drop-off from the home offensive efficiency. The Bulldogs hold their opponents to 40.2% shooting — and the Boilermakers have failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 17 road games after 15 games into the season against teams with an opponent’s field goal percentage of 42% or lower. And while Gonzaga outscores their opponents by +16.2 Points-Per-Game, Purdue has failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 27 games after 15 games into the season against teams outscoring their opponents by +4.0 or more PPG. There is a national perception that this is a down year for head coach Mark Few’s Bulldogs — but this is a better team since Few inserted Ben Gregg into the starting lineup in mid-January. The 6’10 big man makes 38.6% of his 3-pointers — his ability to play on the perimeter opens up space for superstar point guard Ryan Nembhard and Graham Ike to operate their pick-and-rolls with plenty of room. Gonzaga ranks ninth in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency in their last ten games led by a nearly unstoppable offense that ranks third in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency during that span. They lead the nation in their last ten games with an effective field goal percentage of 61.5% -- leading the nation with a 44.2% clip from behind the arc and ranking fourth with a 59.6% mark from inside the arc. The Bulldogs will slow down the Boilermakers' rebounding edge — they outrebound their opponents by +7.4 Rebounds-Per-Game while ranking 52nd in the nation by pulling down 33.3% of their missed shots. On the road, Gonzaga ranks 29th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they allow -2.9 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing away from home. The Boilermakers make 49.0% of their shots — but the Bulldogs have covered the point spread in 6 straight road games after 15 games into the season against teams who make 48% or more of their shots.

FINAL TAKE: This showdown is a rematch of Purdue’s 73-63 victory against the Bulldogs in the Maui Invitational on November 20th. A few things from that game. First, Few had yet to insert Gregg into the starting lineup which unleashed the offensive attack. Second, Gonzaga neutralized the Boilermakers’ rebounding edge with both teams pulling down 38 boards. Third, Purdue’s Zach Edey was not called for a foul while Ike was in foul trouble all game with four personal fouls — that is not likely to happen again. Few has had a long time to consider how to adjust to the Boilermakers’ motion offense — and the Bulldogs have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 16 road games when avenging a same-season loss. 25* CBB Sweet 16 Underdog of the Year with the Gonzaga Bulldogs (639) plus the points versus the Purdue Boilermakers (640). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:10 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Illinois Fighting Illini (631) and the Iowa State Cyclones (632) in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Illinois (28-8) has won six straight games and nine of their last ten contests after their 89-63 victory against Duquesne as a 10-point favorite on Saturday. Iowa State (29-7) has won five games in a row and nine of their last ten games after their 67-56 victory against Washington State as a 6.5-point favorite on Saturday. This game is being played on a neutral court at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Cyclones outlasted the Cougars on Saturday despite only making 40.4% of their shots which was the worst shooting effort in their last six games. Despite that underwhelming performance, Iowa State is still making 47.8% of their shots in their last five games -- and they rank 40th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. And while the Cyclones rank second in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency, they allow +7.5 more points per 100 adjusted possessions which is the 341st worst drop in that metric when compared to their home court split stats. Illinois has played 14 of their last 18 games Over the Total after a straight-up win by ten or more points — and they have played 14 of their last 18 games Over the Total after winning two or more games in a row. The Fighting Illini have played 18 of their last 23 games Over the Total after scoring 80 or more points. And in their last 22 games when playing for just the second time in seven days, they have played 18 of these games Over the Total. Furthermore, Illinois has played 8 of their last 9 games Over the Total on a neutral court with the Total set in the 140s.

FINAL TAKE: The Fighting Illini have played 21 of their 28 games this season Over the Total against teams with a winning record — and they have played 15 of their last 18 games after 15 games into this season Over the Total against teams with a winning record. 8* CBB Thursday Late Show O/U Bailout withOver the Total in the game between the Illinois Fighting Illini (631) and the Iowa State Cyclones (632). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:40 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the North Carolina Tar Heels (636) minus points versus the Alabama Crimson Tide (635) in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: North Carolina (29-7) has won two straight games and ten of their last 11 contests after their 85-69 victory against Michigan State as a 4-point favorite on Saturday. Alabama (23-11) has won three of their last four games after their 72-61 victory against Grand Canyon as a 5.5-point favorite on Sunday. This game is being played on a neutral court at Crytpo.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.

REASONS TO TAKE THE TAR HEELS MINUS THE POINTS: North Carolina should feed off their momentum tonight as they have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 19 games after a double-digit victory. They have also covered the point spread in 12 of their last 18 games after scoring 80 or more points in their last contest. They defeated Wagner by a 90-62 score in their opening game in the NCAA Tournament — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games after winning two games in a row by double-digits. Head coach Hubert Davis has this team playing outstanding defense — they rank sixth in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. On the road, the Tar Heels have been even better by allowing -1.1 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions — they rank fourth in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. Alabama held the Antelopes to just 32.1% shooting which was the best defensive effort in their last 19 contests. But the Crime Tide still allows +9.6 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing away from home — and that is the 354th worst discrepancy versus their home defensive metrics. Alabama benefited from playing two mid-major teams in Grand Canyon and Charleston in their first two games in the Big Dance. They lost four of their final six games in the SEC — and one of those victories required overtime against a mediocre Arkansas team. The Crimson Tide have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games with the Total set at 170 or higher. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: The Tar Heels have covered the point spread in 17 of their 28 games this season against teams with a winning record — and they have covered the point spread in 8 straight games in the Big Dance. 10* CBB Thursday Night Discounted Deal with the North Carolina Tar Heels (636) minus points versus the Alabama Crimson Tide (635). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:39 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Connecticut Huskies (634) minus the points versus the San Diego State Aztecs (633) in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Connecticut (33-3) has won nine games in a row after their 75-58 victory against Northwestern as a 13.5-point favorite on Sunday. San Diego State (26-10) has won two in a row and four of their last five after their 85-57 victory against Yale as a 5.5-point favorite on Sunday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HUSKIES MINUS THE POINTS: I don’t always love laying double-digits but am willing to do it in this instance in this rematch of last year’s National Championship Game. UConn won that game by a 76-59 score — and while they may be even better this season, the Aztecs are not quite as good as that group was last year. While San Diego State ranked eighth in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing on the road last season, they fall to 22nd in that metric when playing away from home this season. The Aztecs give up +4.9 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing on the road versus at home this season — and that is the 308th worst discrepancy in the nation. San Diego State has failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 17 road games against teams with a winning record — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 11 road games after 15 games into the season against teams with a winning record. The Aztecs' offense is too one-dimensional as they rely too much on big man Jaedon LeDee (who was coming off the bench last year). Huskies head coach has a three-headed monster to slow down LeDee in starters Donovan Clingan and Alex Karaban along with Samson Johnson coming off the bench. San Diego State did make 52.7% of their shots against Yale on Sunday but that was the best shooting effort in their last ten contests. The Aztecs have failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 18 games on the road after a straight-up win. They have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 11 road games after winning two or more games in a row. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight games when playing for the third time in seven days. UConn’s three losses this season have either come from an ice-cold shooting performance or running into a team on fire from behind the arc. But San Diego State only makes 31.8% of their 3-pointers, ranking 283rd in the nation. The Huskies have won three straight games by 16 or more points — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games after winning three or more games in a row by 15 or more points. They rank eighth in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency after not allowing more than 58 points in three straight games — and they have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 17 games after not allowing more than 65 points in three or more games in a row. They have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games on the road after covering the point spread as a double-digit favorite. Furthermore, UConn has covered the point spread in 24 of their last 35 games when favored — and they have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 20 games as a double-digit favorite. They have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games played on a neutral court.

FINAL TAKE: While San Diego State has revenge on their minds, don’t underestimate the motivation the Huskies have in this game as a measuring stick regarding how this year’s group compares to last year’s squad. UConn has covered the point spread in 36 of their last 55 games against teams with a winning record — and they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games against teams with a winning record after 15 games into the season. The Aztecs have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 17 games after 15 games into the season against teams with a winning record. 25* CBB Sweet 16 Game of the Year with the Connecticut Huskies (634) minus the points versus the San Diego State Aztecs (633). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:30 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Seattle Redhawks (618) minus the points versus the Fairfield Stags (617) in the Semifinals of the College Basketball Invitational. THE SITUATION: Seattle (21-14) has won two games in a row after their 71-57 victory against Evansville as a 9-point favorite yesterday in the Quarterfinals of this tournament. Fairfield (24-12) has won two in a row and six of their last seven after their 77-74 victory against Chicago State as a 4.5-point favorite on Monday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida.

REASONS TO TAKE THE REDHAWKS MINUS THE POINTS: Seattle is a solid team out of the Western Athletic Conference who beat Grand Canyon while losing a second game on the road against them in overtime. They also beat Louisiana Tech and lost in double overtime to Washington. Head coach Chris Victor has his team play very good defense — they rank 64th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency off the strength of their half-court defense. They rank 18th in the nation with an effective field goal percentage of 46.8%. The Stags live and die by the 3-point shot — but the Redhawks rank seventh in the nation by limiting their opponents to just 29.7% shooting from behind the arc. Seattle should build off their momentum as they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 18 games after a point spread win. On the road, they are scoring +7.0 more points per 100 adjusted possessions. The Redhawks have covered the point spread in 8 of their 11 games this season against teams winning 60-80% of their games. And while Fairfield outscores their opponents by +5.1 Points-Per-Game, Seattle has covered the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games against teams who outscore their opponents by +4.0 or more PPG. The Stags nailed 57.7% of their shots yesterday which was the best shooting effort in their last 22 games. But Fairfield has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a straight-up win where they did not cover the point spread as the favorite. They have only covered the point spread once in their last four games — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after failing to cover the point spread in three of their last four contests. And while they have won nine of their last 11 games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games after winning eight or more of their last ten games. The Stags are a good offensive team — but they struggle to stop their opponents on the other end of the court. Fairfield ranks 243rd in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. The problems are with their interior defense. They allow their opponent to make 53.1% of their shots inside the arc, ranking 303rd in the nation. They also allow their opponents to pull down 30.8% of their missed shots, ranking 268th in the nation. Seattle limits their opponents to 41.4% shooting — and the Stags have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games against teams with an opponent’s field goal percentage of 42% or less. Fairfield had a 10-4 record when playing at home — but they rank 272nd in the nation with their drop in Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing away from home. The Stags have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 14 games after 15 games into the season against teams winning 51-60% of their games including all five of those circumstances this season.

FINAL TAKE: Fairfield has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their 5 games played on a neutral court this season — and the Redhawks have covered the point spread in 4 straight games on a neutral court when favored or a pick ‘em. Seattle has also covered the point spread in 5 of their 6 games in a tournament setting. 25* CBB College Basketball Invitational Game of the Year with the playing the Seattle Redhawks (618) minus the points versus the Fairfield Stags (617). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Utah Utes (848) minus the points versus the Iowa Hawkeyes (847) in the second round of the National Invitational Tournament. THE SITUATION: Utah (20-14) won for the second time in their last three games after their 84-75 victory against UC-Irvine as an 8-point home favorite on Tuesday. Iowa (19-14) snapped a two-game losing streak with their 91-82 victory at home against Kansas State as a 5.5-point favorite on Tuesday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE UTES MINUS THE POINTS: Utah ranks top-50 in the nation in both Adjusted Offensive Efficiency and Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They have beaten six teams that made the NCAA Tournament: Saint Mary’s, BYU, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington State. They are particularly tough to beat at home where they enjoy an altitude edge in Provo — especially against teams from the east like Iowa. The Utes have a 15-2 record at home with an average winning margin of +16.5 Points-Per-Game. They hold their opponents to 38.7% shooting including a 31.5% mark from behind the arc that results in 67.9 PPG on their home court. They make 49.4% of their shots including 38.9% of their 3-pointers resulting in 84.4 PPG. They rank 18th in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing at home — and they enjoy the 24th biggest jump in that metric when compared to playing away from home. Utah has covered the point spread in 11 of their 17 games at home this season — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 15 home games when favored or a pick ‘em. They have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games against teams outside the Pac-12. Iowa made 48.3% of their shots on Tuesday which was the best shooting effort in their last three contests — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 16 games after scoring 85 or more points in their last game. They scored 78 points in their 12-point loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games after scoring 75 or more points in two or more games in a row. The Hawkeyes rank 15th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency — but they struggle on the other end of the court. They rank 151st in the Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they drop to 188th in that metric when playing in hostile environments. Interior defense is a significant problem as they allow their home hosts to make 57.9% of their shots inside the arc. Iowa has failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 17 road games when playing for the second time in seven days. They have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 14 games as an underdog. And in their last 13 games with the Total set in at 160 or higher, they have failed to cover the point spread 9 times.

FINAL TAKE: Utah outscores their opponents by +5.5 PPG — and Iowa has failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 21 road games against teams who outscore their opponents by +4.0 or more PPG. The Hawkeyes have also failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 27 games against teams with a winning record. 25* CBB 2nd Round NIT Game of the Year with the Utah Utes (848) minus the points versus the Iowa Hawkeyes (847). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:10 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Grand Canyon Antelopes (839) plus the points versus the Alabama Crimson Tide (840) in the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Grand Canyon (30-4) has won six games in a row after their 75-66 upset victory as a point underdog in their opening game in the NCAA Tournament on Friday. Alabama (22-11) has won two of their last three games after their 109-96 victory against Charleston as an 8.5-point favorite in their first game in the Big Dance on Friday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Spokane Veterans Arena in Spokane, Washington.

REASONS TO TAKE THE ANTELOPES PLUS THE POINTS: Any concern that this Grand Canyon team was a paper tiger that benefited from an easy schedule out of the Western Athletic Conference got dismissed them dominating one of the best Saint Mary’s teams their legendary head coach Randy Bennett has had there in his tenure. The Antelopes are playing with house money now — and they should feed off their momentum tonight. Grand Canyon has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after winning six or seven of their last eight games. And while they have covered the point spread in six straight games, they have then covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after covering the point spread in two or more games in a row. Head coach Bryce Drew has a veteran team full of transfers who play in a style that makes them very dangerous against this Crimson Tide squad — and all these skills travel on the road. The Antelopes lead the nation with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 45.1% when playing away from home. They will challenge Alabama which loves to shoot 3s as they rank 18th in the nation by holding their opponents to 30.4% shooting when playing on the road. They also rank fifth in the nation with an opponent’s shooting percentage of 44.8% inside the arc. Grand Canyon does some things to generate more scoring opportunities if their shots are not falling. They rank 81st by pulling down 31.5% of their missed shots when on the road — and the Tide are vulnerable in this department as their opponents to pull down 32.3% of their missed shots in their seven games played on a neutral court, ranking 236th in the nation (and they rank 236th in defensive rebounding overall). Furthermore, the Antelopes lead the nation by forcing turnovers in 20.1% of their opponent’s possessions when playing away from home, ranking 21st in the nation. And the Antelopes' attacking style has them lead the nation in getting to the free throw line when playing on the road — and Alabama is a fouling machine that ranks 342nd in defensive foul rate. The Crimson Tide outscore their opponents by +9.8 Points-Per-Game — and Grand Canyon has covered the point spread in 25 of their last 35 games on the road against teams outscoring their opponents by +8.0 or more PPG. They have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games played on a neutral court. Alabama is adored by the laptops — but their season stats include plenty of the empty calories that come from the luxury of the carefree launching of more and more 3s when bullying lesser opponents. The Crimson Tide made 60% of their shots against the Cougars on Friday — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after making 60% or more of their shots. The problem with Alabama is that do not play defense - they rank 178th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when on the road. They give up +10.8 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing away from home which is the 355th worst discrepancy from their home defensive efficiency. Alabama has given up 80 or more points in eight straight games — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games after allowing 80 or more points in three or more games in a row. The Tide live by the three — but they die by relying too much on the 3 as well. They rank 19th in the nation by taking 49.1% of their shots from the field from behind the arc when playing on a neutral court — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games played on a neutral court.

FINAL TAKE: The Antelopes have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games against teams winning 60-80% of their games — and the Crimson Tide have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games against teams with a winning percentage of 80% or higher. 10* CBB Sunday Night Discounted Deal with the Grand Canyon Antelopes (839) plus the points versus the Alabama Crimson Tide (840). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:10 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Marquette Golden Eagles (830) minus the points versus the Colorado Buffaloes (829) in the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Marquette (26-9) has won four of their last five games after their 87-69 victory against Western Kentucky as a 14.5-point favorite in their opening-round game in the NCAA Tournament on Friday. Colorado (26-10) has won two straight games as well as ten of their last 11 contests with their 102-100 victory against Florida as a 1-point favorite in their first game in the Big Dance on Friday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GOLDEN EAGLES MINUS THE POINTS: Colorado made 63.0% of their shots on Friday — but still needed K.J. Simpson to nail a last-second game-winner to eke out their game with the Gators in a final score that looked more like a Miami Heat contest than a college basketball game. That was the best shooting performance in the Buffaloes’ last 30 contests — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 26 of their last 35 games after scoring 95 or more points in their last game. And while Colorado made 6 of their 10 shots from behind the arc in that game, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games after a game where they made at least 50% of their 3-pointers. The Buffaloes have also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a win by three points or less — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 16 games after a win by six points or less. Colorado struggled with the Florida press late in the game on Friday — they rank 254th in the nation by turning the ball over in 18.1% of their possessions. Here comes the Golden Eagles who rank 20th in the nation by forcing turnovers in 21.2% of their opponent’s possessions. Marquette got Tyler Kolek back on Friday who was able to play 38 minutes while enjoying a strong second half en route to 18 points and 11 assists. The Golden Eagles have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 16 games after a double-digit win — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games after a win by 15 or more points. They have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games when playing for the second time on the road in three days.

FINAL TAKE: Colorado has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their 14 games this season against teams winning 60-80% of their games — and Marquette has covered the point spread in 8 of their 10 games after 15 games into this season against teams winning 60-80% of their games. The Golden Eagles have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games played on a neutral court with the Total set in the 140s — and the Buffaloes have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games played on a neutral court with the Total set in the 140s. 10* CBB Sunday Afternoon Discounted Deal with the Marquette Golden Eagles (830) minus the points versus the Colorado Buffaloes (829). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:40 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Oregon Ducks (793) plus the points versus the Creighton Bluejays (794) in the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Oregon (24-11) has won five games in a row after their 87-73 victory against South Carolina as a 2.5-point favorite in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. Creighton (24-9) has won four of their last five games after their 77-60 victory against Akron as a 12-point favorite in their first-round game on Thursday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

REASONS TO TAKE THE DUCKS PLUS THE POINTS: Creighton played their best defensive game in their last 12 contests by holding the Zips to just 37.9% shooting. They also made 56.5% of their shots which was the best shooting effort in their last eight contests. But head coach Greg McDermott’s team is vulnerable because they tend to live by the three but die by the three. They take 48.6% of their shots from behind the arc which is the eighth most aggressive tactic in the nation. They rank 352nd in the percentage of points they generate from inside the arc or the free throw line. If Creighton’s 3-point shots are not falling, they don’t have a Plan B (outside of great defense). They do not crash the glass since they only pull down 25.8% of their missed shots, ranking 284th in the nation. They rank 351st in getting to the free-throw line for some easy points. They do not force turnovers as their opponents cough the ball up just 11.1%  of the time, ranking 361st. And they play at a slow pace by averaging 67.0 adjusted possessions per game, ranking 208th, so their style of play does not help the Regression Gods appear if they are not hitting their 35.6% clip from behind the arc. Creighton was hot on Thursday as they nailed 10 of their 17 shots from 3-point range for a 58.8% clip. But the Bluejays have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 18 games after making 55% or more of their shots including five of those seven occasions this season. When playing on their home court, Creighton makes 38.5% of their 3s — but when away from home, that clip drops to 34.6% which is only the 109th-best percentage in the nation. They score -10.6 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing away from home — and that is the 13th worst decline in the country. Additionally, the Bluejays have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games after covering the point spread as a double-digit favorite. Creighton has also failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 13 games against teams winning 60-80% of their games. Oregon is playing their best basketball of the season now that head coach Dana Altman has found the most successful style and identity for this team. Injuries have plagued the Ducks all season with four players suffering season-ending injuries. But after only playing one time before January 13th, their 6’11 big man N’Faly Dante is demonstrating his vast NBA potential. In his last five games, Dante is scoring 20.6 Points-Per-Game while pulling down 8.8 Rebounds-Per-Game and adding 2.8 Steals-Per-Game and 1.6 Blocks-Per-Game. He is likely the best player on the court tonight. And while Creighton averages 11 made 3s per game, the Ducks have covered the point spread in 6 of their 9 games this season against teams who make 8 or more 3s per game. Furthermore, the Ducks have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: This matchup means a lot to Altman who was the head coach at Creighton for 16 years before taking the Oregon job in 2010. In Altman, we trust — he has a 16-6-1 ATS mark in the 23 games he has coached in the NCAA Tournament. 5* CBB Round of 32 Underdog of the Year with the Oregon Ducks (793) plus the points versus the Creighton Bluejays (794). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 6:10 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Washington State Cougars (799) and the Iowa State Cyclones (800) in the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Washington State (25-9) has won two of their last three games after their 66-61 upset victory as a 1-point underdog on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Iowa State (28-7) has won four straight games as well as eight of their last nine contests after their 82-65 victory against South Dakota State as a 15-point favorite on Thursday in their opening game in the Big Dance. This game is being played on a neutral court at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Washington State has now played 14 of their last 18 games Under the Total on the road against teams outside the Pac-12 after their game with the Duquesne finished below the 138-point total. The Cougars have also played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total when playing for the second time in the last three days. They have also played 10 of their last 12 road games Under the Total when playing for the second time in seven days. They have also played 24 of their last 33 games Under the Total after winning two of their last three games. Washington State ranks 11th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing on the road. Iowa State is likely to get a visit from the Regression Gods after making 57.9% of their shots on Thursday which was the best shooting effort in their last 24 contests. The Cyclones have played 13 of their last 20 games Under the Total after winning four of their last five games. And while they have covered the point spread in four straight games, they have then played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total after covering the point spread in four of their last five games.

FINAL TAKE: Washington State has played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total when playing on a neutral court — and Iowa State has played 13 of their last 20 games Under the Total when playing on a neutral court. 8* CBB Saturday Daily Discounted O/U Deal with Under the Total in the game between the Washington State Cougars (799) and the Iowa State Cyclones (800). Best of luck for us — Frank.      

At 9:55 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the TCU Horned Frogs (771) minus the points versus the Utah State Aggies (772) in the Round of 64 of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: TCU (21-12) has lost four of their last six games after their 60-45 loss to Houston as an 11.5-point underdog last Thursday in the Quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament. Utah State (27-6) had their six-game winning streak snapped in an 86-70 loss to San Diego State as a 5-point underdog last Friday in the Semifinals of the Mountain West Conference Tournament. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HORNED FROGS MINUS THE POINTS: TCU shot a season-low 23.3% from the field in their loss to the Cougars who might be the best defensive team in the country. But head coach Jamie Dixon should have his team ready to play tonight. The Horned Frogs have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games after failing to score more than 60 points in their last game. And while they missed 18 of their 20 shots from behind the arc in that game, they have then covered the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games after failing to make at least 20% of their 3-pointers — including all four of those occasions this season. TCU has been resilient under Dixon’s guidance — they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games after a double-digit loss. Additionally, they have covered the point spread in 25 of their last 35 games after a straight-up loss including eight of their previous 11 losses this season. They have also covered the point spread in 21 of their last 30 games after a loss to a Big 12 rival including six of those nine occasions this season. They have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after losing two of their last three games. Dixon has his team engage in a style of play that leads to success in single-elimination games because he emphasizes seizing extra possessions. The Horned Frogs rank 20th in the nation by pulling down 35.5% of their missed shots. They also rank 22nd in the nation by forcing turnovers in 20.8% of their opponent’s possessions. They are also an above-average 3-point shooting team that makes 35.0% of their shots from behind the arc when playing away from home. TCU scores +1.5 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing on the road as opposed to being at home. And while the fact that they give up +3.8 more points per 100 adjusted possessions on the road is concerning, when looking at just their six games played on a neutral court, they allow -0.1 points per 100 adjusted possessions versus home and true road games — and those six contests include four games against NCAA Tournament teams. Utah State has failed to cover the point spread in 24 of their last 35 games on the road after a double-digit loss. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after winning 15 or more of their last 20 contests. I worry about this Aggies team in tournament settings because they lack a Plan B if their shots are not falling. Under first-year head coach Danny Sprinkle, this team plays like his previous Montana State teams. They get to the free throw line — and they are an outstanding shooting team inside the arc where they rank tenth in the nation by making 57.1% of their shots. But they only make 32.1% of their 3-pointers, ranking 270th in the nation. They do not create many second chances for themselves on the offensive glass as they pull down only 28.5% of their missed shots, ranking 192nd in the nation. And they force turnovers in only 16.4% of their opponent’s possessions, ranking 223rd in the nation. On the road, they are scoring -2.9 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions — so the old-school Bobby Knight style of play on offense does not travel well for them. And they do not play the same quality of defense as those Knight teams from the 1970s and 80s. Utah State ranks 67th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they rank 303rd in the nation by allowing their opponents to make 53.1% of their shots inside the arc. The Aggies have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 23 games in the postseason — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 appearances in the NCAA Tournament. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 10 games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Utah State has failed to cover the point spread in 16 of their last 25 games after 15 games into the season against teams winning 60-80% of their games including five of their eight games this season under Sprinkle. TCU has covered the point spread in 15 of their last 23 games against teams winning 80% or more of their games — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games against those teams when playing them 15 games into the season. This Horned Frogs team has high-profile wins against Houston and Baylor. Lastly, TCU ranks 296th in the nation in Ken Pomeroy’s Luck Factor rankings based on his analytics while the Aggies rank 14th in that metric — so perhaps this is a game that the Regression Gods have circled. 25* CBB NCAA Tournament Round of 64 Game of the Year with the TCU Horned Frogs (771) minus the points versus the Utah State Aggies (772). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:40 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the James Madison Dukes (761) plus the points versus the Wisconsin Badgers (762) in the Round of 64 of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: James Madison (761) rides a 13-game winning streak after their 91-71 victory against Arkansas State as a 5.5-point favorite back on March 11th in the Championship Game of the Sun Belt Conference. Wisconsin (22-13) saw their three-game winning streak snapped in a 93-87 loss to Illinois as a 4-point underdog in the Semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament on Saturday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

REASONS TO TAKE THE DUKES PLUS THE POINTS: James Madison beat Michigan State in the Breslin Center to begin their season — and they are going to be a tough out for any team trying to snap their 13-game winning streak. The Dukes are a dangerous underdog because they do things to force additional possessions if their shots are not falling. They rank 40th in the nation by forcing turnovers in 19.8% of their opponent’s possessions. They also rank 79th in the nation by pulling down 32.0% of their missed shots. They make 36.4% of their shots from behind the arc, ranking 38th in the nation. They only take 38% of their shots from 3-point land — but they may get more aggressive as an underdog against a Big Ten power in this contest. The Badgers are certainly vulnerable in this regard since they rank 345th in the nation by allowing their opponents to nail 37.4% of their 3-pointers. James Madison nailed a season-high 62.5% of their shots against the Red Wolves while holding them to just 35.6% shooting. I tend to expect an appearance from the Regression Gods after seeing outlier numbers like that but the Dukes have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after nailing 60% or more of their shots — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after playing a game where they made at least 57% of their shots and held their opponent to no better than 43% shooting. They have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games against teams outside the Sun Belt Conference — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games when playing on a neutral court. Wisconsin has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games after a straight-up loss — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 17 games after a point spread loss. The Badgers are a vulnerable favorite since they play at such a slow pace — they rank 358th in the nation by averaging 19.1 seconds per possession. On the road, Wisconsin scores -4.1 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions — and they rank 207th in the nation in terms of their drop in Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing away from home.

FINAL TAKE: The Dukes have covered the point spread in 18 of their last 25 games against teams with a winning record. 10* CBB Friday Late Show Bailout with the James Madison Dukes (761) plus the points versus the Wisconsin Badgers (762). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 6:50 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Texas A&M Aggies (779) and the Nebraska Cornhuskers (780) in the Round of 64 of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Texas A&M (20-14) was on a five-game winning streak before their 95-90 loss to Florida as a 2.5-point underdog in the Semifinals of the SEC Tournament on Saturday. Nebraska (23-10) had their three-game winning streak snapped in a 98-87 loss to Illinois as a 5-point underdog in the Semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament on Saturday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Texas A&M leads the nation in offensive rebounding by pulling down 42.0% of their missed shots. Crashing the glass travels — the Aggies score +5.8 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing away from home. Texas A&M has played 8 straight Overs after scoring 85 or more points in their last game — and they have played 6 straight Overs after allowing 80 or more points in their last contest. They have played 8 of their last 10 games Over the Total after playing a game where 165 or more combined points were scored. They have played 9 of their last 10 games Over the Total after winning four or five of their last six games. The Aggies have played 11 of their last 14 games Over the Total on the road against teams outside the SEC — and they have played 7 straight Overs when playing on a neutral court. Additionally, they have played 8 of their last 10 games Over the Total as an underdog. Nebraska has played 18 of their last 26 games Over the Total after a double-digit loss to a Big Ten rival. They have also played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total on the road after allowing 80 or more points in their last contest. Additionally, they have played 9 of their last 11 games Over the Total after winning six or seven of their last eight games — and they have played 12 of their last 17 games Over the Total when playing for just the second time in seven days. And while the Cornhuskers have covered the point spread in seven of their last nine games, they have played 8 of their last 9 road games Over the Total after covering the point spread in four or five of their last six games.

FINAL TAKE: Nebraska has played 16 of their last 22 games Over the Total against teams with a winning record — and Texas A&M has played 13 of their last 18 games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage in the 60-80% range. 8* CBB Friday Night Discounted O/U Deal with Over the Total in the game between the Texas A&M Aggies (779) and the Nebraska Cornhuskers (780). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:05 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Drake Bulldogs (745) and the Washington State Cougars (746) in the Round of 64 of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Drake (28-6) has won five straight games as well as 10 of their last 11 contests after upsetting Indiana State in the Missouri Valley Conference Championship Game as a 3-point underdog on March 10th. Washington State (24-9) has lost two of their last three games after their 58-52 loss to Colorado as a 2-point underdog in the Semifinals of the Pac-12 Tournament on Friday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Bulldogs nailed 51.7% of their shots in their upset victory against the Sycamores 11 days ago which was the best shooting effort in their last six games. With the extended layoff between games, their shooting may be rusty tonight — and they have played 8 of their last 13 games Under the Total after scoring 80 or more points in their last game. They also allowed Indiana State to make 52.5% of their shots in that game which was the worst defensive effort in their last five contests — so head coach Darian DeVries will likely have his team tighten up on that end of the court. Drake struggled on the defensive end of the court in hostile environments where they had an Adjusted Defensive Efficiency of 103.9 — but their Adjusted Defensive Efficiency in their seven games on neutral courts of 97.8 this season was in line with their 98.5 defensive efficiency clip when playing on their home court. The Bulldogs have played 4 of their last 6 games Under the Total after allowing 80 or more points in their last game — and they have played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total after playing a game where 155 or more combined points were scored. And while they have played their last two games Over the Total, they have then played 5 straight Unders after playing two or more Overs in a row. Furthermore, Drake has covered the point spread in four straight games — and they have played 14 of their last 19 games Under the Total after playing two straight Unders and 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total after covering the point spread in three or more games in a row. Drake scores -2.7 fewer Points-Per-Game when playing away from home — and they do not engage the things to increase their scoring opportunities if their shots are not falling. They only pull down 24.1% of their missed shots, ranking 314th in the nation. They force turnovers in just 17.4% of their opponent’s possessions, ranking 142nd. They rank 186th in getting to the free-throw line. The Bulldogs have not gotten great point guard play from sophomore Conor Enright or freshman Coby Colby who split time — it is why DeVries has resorted to deploying his son, Tucker, as a point forward. But that may not be effective against the outstanding half-court defense of the Cougars. Drake can’t get mired into being too reliant on outside shooting where they do make 35.8% of their shots from behind the arc when on the road. Washington State ranks 51st in the nation by holding their opponents to a 31.6% shooting clip from behind the arc when playing away from home — and they rank 16th in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing away from home. Myles Rice is their only player who has the skills to create Despite their loss to the Buffaloes last week, they held them to just 43.1% shooting. They surrender -3.1 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing away from home. But they also only score 69.7 PPG on the road which is -4.7 fewer PPG than their season average — and the -8.7 points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing on the road represents the 342nd worst drop in scoring efficiency when compared to their home numbers. Head coach Kyle Smith is going to slow this game to a crawl — the Cougars rank 315th in the nation with only 64.9 adjusted possessions per game. Washington State has played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total on the road after a point spread loss. And while the Bulldogs make 47.9% of their shots, the Cougars have played 14 of their last 18 games Under the Total against teams who make at least 45% of their shots.                                                                                            

FINAL TAKE: This game shapes up to be a rock fight given the lack of scoring options for both teams. Washington State has played 14 of their last 19 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record — and they have played 5 straight Unders against teams winning 80% or more of their games. The Cougars are outscoring their opponents by +7.4 Points-Per-Game — and Drake has played 21 of their last 32 games Under the Total against teams who are outscoring their opponents by +4.0 or more PPG. 25* CBB NCAA Tournament Round of 64 Total of the Year is with Under the Total in the game between the Drake Bulldogs (745) and the Washington State Cougars (746). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:40 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Texas Tech Red Raiders (734) minus the points versus the North Carolina State Wolfpack (733) in the Round of 64 of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Texas Tech (23-10) had their four-game winning streak snapped in an 82-59 loss to Houston as a 10.5-point underdog in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament on Friday. North Carolina State (22-14) has won five games in a row after their 84-76 upset victory as a 10-point underdog against North Carolina in the ACC Championship Game on Saturday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RED RAIDERS: Texas Tech only made 33.3% of their shots against the Cougars last week which was the worst shooting effort of their season. They also allowed Houston to make 49.2% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in their last four contest. The Red Raiders have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a loss by 15 or more points. Texas Tech should shoot the ball better tonight. They rank 11th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency when playing on the road fueled by their making 38.8% of their shots behind the arc which is fourth fourth-best shooting mark on the road. An encouraging part of the Red Raiders late in the season has been their ability to get to the free throw like. Despite averaging 20 free throw attempts per game, they have gotten to the charity stripe 24, 24, and 25 times in their last three games. Texas Tech has taken 14 and 10 more shots from the line in their last two games — and they have covered the point spread in 5 straight games after taking ten or more free throw attempts than their opponent in two straight games. And while the Red Raiders have covered the point spread in four of their last five games, they have then covered the point spread in 15 of their last 22 games after covering the point spread in four of their last five games. North Carolina State made 54.9% of their shots in their upset win against North Carolina to win the ACC Tournament — and that was the best shooting effort in their last 28 games. They also held the Tar Heels to 37.3% shooting which was the best defensive effort in their last 15 games. After pulling off four straight upset victories last week in the ACC Tournament necessary for them to make the Big Dance, expect a visit from the Regression Gods now that they have had time to exhale. They have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games after covering the point spread in two or more games in a row — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after covering the point spread in four or five of their last six games. Defense is an area of concern for the Wolfpack as they rank 98th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing away from home. They are especially vulnerable to good 3-point shooting teams like the Red Raiders as they rank 270th in the nation by allowing their opponents to make 36.2% of their shots behind the arc when playing on the road.

FINAL TAKE: The Wolfpack have not covered the point spread in their last 3 games in the first round of a tournament (including last week as a favorite against Louisville in the ACC Tournament) — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games played on a neutral court as an underdog getting 3.5 to 6 points. 10* CBB Thursday Late Show Bailout with the Texas Tech Red Raiders (734) minus the points versus the North Carolina State Wolfpack (733). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 4:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the South Carolina Gamecocks (738) plus the point(s) versus the Oregon Ducks (737) in Round of 64 of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: South Carolina (26-7) was on a two-game winning streak before their 86-55 loss to Auburn as a 7.5-point underdog in the Quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament last Friday. Oregon (23-11) rides a four-game winning streak after their 75-68 upset victory against Colorado as a 2.5-point underdog to win the Pac-12 Tournament on Saturday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GAMECOCKS PLUS THE POINTS: South Carolina is on upset alert perhaps overseeded by the tournament committee as a six-seed — but I don’t care about seeds, I care about point spreads. With the Gamecocks now getting points in many locations, the value rests with this otherwise solid team that has something to prove after getting crushed by 31 points in their last game. They made only 28.1% of their shots which was the worst shooting effort of their season. But South Carolina has bounced back to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games on the road after a straight-up loss to an SEC rival. They have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 road games when playing for just the second time in seven days. And while their game with the Tigers finished Under the 144.5-point total, they have then covered the point spread in 12 of their last 15 games after playing a game that finished Under the Total. The Gamecocks were without Myles Stute against an Auburn but the wing’s hip injury has improved enough for him to take the court. South Carolina ranks 38th in the nation in both Adjusted Offensive Efficiency and Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing away from home. They defeated Mississippi State, Texas A&M, and Tennessee all in true road games. The Gamecocks have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games as an underdog. Oregon needed two straight upset victories to win the Pac-12 title after rallying from a double-digit deficit to Arizona in the semifinals before their upset win against the Buffaloes last Saturday. The Ducks have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 14 games after a straight-up win against a Pac-12 opponent. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 15 games after covering the point spread in two or more games in a row. Additionally, Oregon has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after winning four or more games in a row. The Ducks rank 35th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency when playing away from home — but they only rank 88th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing on the road. Oregon does not play effective defense in the half-court. They rank 213th and 260th in the nation when playing on the road by allowing their opponents to make 52.2% of their shots inside the arc and 36.0% of their 3-pointers. UCLA, Arizona, and Colorado combined to make only 17 of their 62 shots from behind the arc last week —  that 27.4% mark from 3-point range may speak more about those team’s ineffective shooting than it does about a sudden surge in the Ducks’ perimeter defense. Those three conference rivals did still convert 43 of their 83 shots inside the arc — and that 51.8% shooting percentage is right in the range of Oregon’s suspect interior defense for the season. The Ducks have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 17 games played on a neutral court — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games played on a neutral court as a favorite of up to six points.

FINAL TAKE: Oregon has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games after 15 games into the season against teams with a winning record. South Carolina has covered the point spread in 17 of their last 24 games against teams with a winning record. 10* CBB Don't Need te Points (but we will take the points) Underdog Special with the South Carolina Gamecocks (738) plus the point(s) versus the Oregon Ducks (737). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:10 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Boise State Broncos (704) plus the points versus the Colorado Buffaloes (703) in the First Four Round of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Boise State (22-10) has lost two of their last three games after their 76-66 loss to New Mexico in a pick ‘em match last Thursday in the Quarterfinals of the Mountain West Conference Tournament. Colorado (24-10) was on an eight-game winning streak before their 75-68 upset loss to Oregon as a 2.5-point favorite in the finals of the Pac-12 Tournament on Saturday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BRONCOS PLUS THE POINTS: Colorado is a bit challenging to figure out as they played their best basketball of the season down the stretch. The Buffaloes did deal with some injuries this season with freshman phenom Cody Williams missing 13 games being the most impactful. He is back on the court again, although he may not be 100%. I appreciate the narrative that this team underperformed high preseason expectations — but they are playing at that level now that they are close to 100% again. But problems remain. For starters, Colorado played much better at home in Boulder where they usually have an advantage over their visitors given the high altitude. With a 16-1 record at home, they rank 17th in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency when evaluating home court edges. Of note is their 42.7% shooting percentage from behind the arc which ranks fifth best in the nation for home teams. But when away from Boulder, the Buffaloes drop to 47th in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency — and their statistical drop represents the 292nd biggest split in the nation. They allow +5.8 more points per 100 adjusted possessions, ranking 321st in the country in the biggest rise in opponent scoring. Colorado is simply not a great defensive team away from home as they rank 91st in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency on the road. On offense, the Buffaloes score -4.7 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions on the road, ranking 284th in the nation with that drop in offensive efficiency. They make 35.8% of their 3-pointers on the road which still ranks 59th in the country — but that -6.9% drop represents the 325th worst loss of shooting effectiveness. They also turn the ball over in 19.5% of their possessions away from home, ranking 297th in the nation. Colorado has failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games played on a neutral court as a favorite or pick ‘em. And while their game with the Ducks finished Over the 140-point Total, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 18 road games after playing a game that finished Over the Total. The Buffaloes have not been reliably resilient under head coach Tad Boyle after setbacks either. Colorado has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after an upset loss — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a straight-up loss. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after winning eight or more of their last ten games — so a letdown may be looming for this team. Boise State has been stewing to get back on the court after making only 29.4% of their shots against the Lobos in what was the worst shooting effort of their season. The Broncos have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a straight-up loss to a conference rival. They have also covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after losing two of their last three games — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games when playing for the second time in eight days. They have converted at least 10 shots from behind the arc in two straight games — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after making at least 10 shots from distance in two or more games in a row. Boise State ranks 49th in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing away from home led by its defense that ranks 28th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They rank 15th in the nation by holding their opponents to 30.0% 3-point shooting away from home. Overall, the Broncos rank 28th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they rank fifth in the nation by holding their opponents to pulling down only 23.1% of their missed shots.

FINAL TAKE: Boise State’s Leon Rice is one of the most underrated in the business — and he has led the Broncos to now three straight NCAA Tournaments. This is Colorado’s first trip to the Big Dance in three years. The public loves the Buffaloes tonight — and the fact that Mountain West Conference teams are 23-46-2 ATS in the Big Dance since 2006 (not sure if that counts Colorado State’s victory last night) is probably playing a role in that sentiment. Besides Colorado’s tournament inexperience, their best victory this season was likely against a Washington State team that ranks 42nd in the nation at KenPom despite playing in the Pac-12. Boise State played a top-30 schedule in the nation — and they have seven victories that all rate better than that using KenPom’s metrics: Saint Mary’s (#18th); San Diego State twice (#20th); New Mexico twice (#22nd); Colorado State (#30); Nevada (#34th). With the Buffaloes now laying -3 to even -3.5s, the strong value is with the battle-tested underdog. 25* CBB First Four NCAA Tournament Game of the Year with the Boise State Broncos (704) plus the points versus the Colorado Buffaloes (703). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:10 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Colorado State Rams (671) plus the points versus the Virginia Cavaliers (672) in the First Four Round of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Colorado State (24-10) had their four-game winning streak snapped in a 74-61 loss to New Mexico as a 2.5-point underdog in the semifinals of the Mountain West Conference Tournament on Saturday. Virginia (23-10) had won two games in a row before their 73-65 upset loss in overtime to North Carolina State as a 2.5-point favorite in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament on Friday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio.

REASONS TO THE RAMS PLUS THE POINTS: Colorado State only managed to make 34.3% of their shots in their loss to the Lobos which was the worst shooting effort for them all season. But the Rams have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after losing three of their last four games. And while they have only covered the point spread once in their last seven games, they have then covered the point spread in 4 straight games after failing to cover the point spread in six or seven of their last eight games. Colorado State is a good defensive team that ranked 38th in the nation and third in the Mountain West Conference in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They hold their opponents to 42.9% shooting away from home resulting in 69.7 PPG — and they give up -1.4 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing on the road. The Rams have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games against teams outside the Mountain West Conference. Virginal has failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 13 games on the road after winning two of their last three games. And while they have played three straight Overs, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after playing two or more Overs in a row. On the road, the Cavaliers only make 40.5% of their shots resulting in 60.4 Points-Per-Game — and those marks are -2.9 % and -3.2 PPG below their season averages. Their lack of secondary scoring threats will present a problem for them tonight. They rank 225th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency — and they are scoring -4.8 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions. But the bigger issue is the play of their defense. While they rank third in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing at home, they surrender +13.8 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing on the road. Virginia has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games after 15 games into the season against teams with a winning percentage in the 60-80% range. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 27 of their last 40 games in the postseason.

FINAL TAKE: The Rams have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games played on a neutral court as a pick ‘em or favorite of up to six points. 8* CBB Tuesday Late Show Bailout with the Colorado State Rams (671) plus the points versus the Virginia Cavaliers (672). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:10 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Colorado State Rams (671) and the Virginia Cavaliers (672) in the First Four Round of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Colorado State (24-10) had their four-game winning streak snapped in a 74-61 loss to New Mexico as a 2.5-point underdog in the semifinals of the Mountain West Conference Tournament on Saturday. Virginia (23-10) had won two games in a row before their 73-65 upset loss in overtime to North Carolina State as a 2.5-point favorite in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament on Friday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Cavaliers tend to get into rock fight contests — especially against teams unfamiliar with their brand of the pack line defense. Virginia ranks seventh in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They also like to slow the pace of the game to a crawl. They rank 352nd in the nation by averaging 19.7 seconds per possession — and they rank 362nd in the nation by averaging 59.9 adjusted possessions per game. Head coach Tony Bennett has had his team slow things down even more lately. In the Cav’s last three games, they have averaged 21.0, 21.5, and 22.6 seconds per possession. For some context, Air Force was the slowest team in the nation averaging 20.5 seconds per possession — so Bennett has his team going even slower than that. Virginia has played 6 of their last 9 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss. And while this is their third game since Thursday, they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total when playing for the third time in the last seven days. On the road, the Cavaliers only make 40.5% of their shots resulting in 60.4 Points-Per-Game — and those marks are -2.9 % and -3.2 PPG below their season averages. Their lack of secondary scoring threats will present a problem for them tonight. They rank 225th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency — and they are scoring -4.8 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions. Virginia has played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total against teams outside the ACC. They have also played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total as an underdog — and they have played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after 15 games into the season against teams with a winning record. Colorado State has played 8 straight Unders after winning four of their last five games. And while the Rams have only covered the point spread once in their last seven games, they have then played 4 straight Unders after failing to cover the point spread in four or more of their last five games. Colorado State is a good defensive team that ranked 38th in the nation and third in the Mountain West Conference in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They hold their opponents to 42.9% shooting away from home resulting in 69.7 PPG — and they give up -1.4 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing on the road. But the Rams’ 46.4% shooting percentage and 72.4 PPG scoring mark away from home are 2.4% and -4.4 PPG below their season averages. They score -4.6 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions away from home. They rank 241st in the nation by making only 31.8% of their shots from behind the arc away from home — and their inability to make 3s will make solving the Virginia pack line defense very difficult. They are led by point guard Isaiah Stevens — but he has a difficult challenge tonight when he will be guarded by Reece Beekman who is a glove defensively. Colorado State has played 26 of their last 39 road games Under the Total against teams with a winning record — and they have played 15 of their last 20 road games Under the Total against teams winning 60-80% of their games. They have also played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total when listed in the +/- 3-point range.

FINAL TAKE: Colorado State has played 12 of their last 18 games Under the Total when on a neutral court — and Virginia has played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total on a neutral court with the Total set no higher than 129.5. 25* CBB First Four NCAA Tournament Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Colorado State Rams (671) and the Virginia Cavaliers (672). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the North Texas Mean Green (673) plus the points versus the LSU Tigers (674) in the first round of the National Invitational Tournament. THE SITUATION: North Texas (18-14) saw their two-game winning streak snapped in a 77-71 loss to FAU as a 5.5-point favorite on Friday. LSU (17-15) has lost two of their last three games after their 70-60 loss to Mississippi State as a 5-point underdog on Thursday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MEAN GREEN PLUS THE POINTS: North Texas only made 40.7% of their shots in the quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference tournament last week. The Mean Green have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games after a loss to a conference rival — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games after a point spread loss. North Texas should be highly motivated tonight — not only are they the defending NIT champions from last season but they can make a statement by defeating a power five conference opponent in their building. The Mean Green’s defense travels — they rank 11th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing away from home. They also rank 37th in the nation by pulling down 33.9% of their missed shots. They should expose a Tigers defense that ranks 290th in the nation by allowing their opponents to pull down 31.3% of their missed shots. North Texas has covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 road games with the Total set in the 130s. They have also covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 road games as an underdog. LSU only made 38.0% of their shots in their loss to the Bulldogs last week — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 10 games after failing to score more than 60 points in their last game. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 21 of their last 32 games after a straight-up loss. The Tigers get to host this game in Baton Rouge — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 11 home games with the Total set in the 130s. Furthermore, they have failed to cover the point spread in 16 of their last 22 home games when the favorite or listed as a pick ‘em — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 17 home games against teams outside the SEC.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams played on a neutral court in Charleston with LSU winning by a 66-62 score as a 2-point favorite on November 17th. The Mean Green have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 6 opportunities to avenge a loss on the road. 10* CBB Tuesday Daily Discounted Deal with the North Texas Mean Green (673) plus the points versus the LSU Tigers (674). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:30 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Illinois Fighting Illini (650) minus the points versus the Wisconsin Badgers (649) in the Championship Game of the Big Ten Tournament. THE SITUATION: Illinois (25-8) has won three straight games as well as six of their last seven contests after their 98-87 victory against Nebraska as a 4.5-point favorite in their semifinal showdown yesterday. Wisconsin (76-75) has won three games in a row after their 76-75 upset victory in overtime against Purdue as a 5.5-point underdog in their semifinal game yesterday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

REASONS TO TAKE THE FIGHTING ILLINI MINUS THE POINTS: Illinois was locked in with their 3-point shooting yesterday as they nailed 13 of their 35 shots en route to their victory. They should build off that momentum this afternoon. The Fighting Illini have covered the point spread in 4 straight games after making at least 13 shots from behind the arc in their last game. They lead the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency when playing on the road — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games after scoring 95 or more points in their last game. They have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after winning three or more games in a row. And they have covered the point spread in 26 of their last 40 games after a win by double-digits. The Illini did allow the Cornhuskers to make 46% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in their last three games — but they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after allowing 85 or more points in their last contest. The Fighting Illini rank fifth in the nation's Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing away from home — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 13 road games against teams with a winning record. Wisconsin may be due for a physical and emotional after outlasting the Boilermakers in overtime yesterday. This is a tough matchup for the Badgers against this Illinois team that plays fast and scores tons of points. The Fighting Illini score 83.7 Points-Per-Game while launching 24 shots from behind the arc per game. Wisconsin has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games against teams who score 77 or more PPG. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games against teams who take at least 21 shots from 3-point land per game. The Badgers struggle with their perimeter defense — they rank 347th in the nation by allowing their opponents to convert on a whopping 37.2% of their 3-point shots. Wisconsin’s opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 52.0% ranks 262nd in the nation. Inexplicably, Purdue only attempted 16 shots from behind the arc yesterday with their head coach Matt Painter seemingly lost control of the script and still freaked out regarding how to have his team play in one-and-down contests after they got upset as a number one seed last year in the Big Dance. Illinois head coach Brad Underwood will not make that mistake today. The Badgers score -5.1 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing on the road — and they rank 209th in the nation in the drop off in their Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing away from home.

FINAL TAKE: Wisconsin has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games when listed in the +/- 3-point range — and Illinois has covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games when listed in that +/- 3-point range. 25* CBB Big Ten Game of the Year with the Illinois Fighting Illini (650) minus the points versus the Wisconsin Badgers (649). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 11:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the UT-Arlington Mavericks (639) plus the points versus the Grand Canyon Antelopes (640) in the Championship Game of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament. THE SITUATION: UT-Arlington (20-13) has won eight games in a row after their 87-84 victory against Tarleton State as a 1-point favorite in their semifinal contest in this tournament yesterday. Grand Canyon (28-4) has won four games in a row after their 80-72 victory against Seattle as a 6-point favorite in their semifinal game on Friday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MAVERICKS PLUS THE POINTS: UT-Arlington outlasted Tarleton State yesterday despite allowing them to make 50% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in their last six games. The Mavericks have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games after allowing 80 or more points in their last game. They have also covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games after a straight-up win against a WAC rival — and they have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 22 games after a point spread victory. UT-Arlington has several routes to pull the upset tonight. They rank fourth in the WAC by pulling down 31.3% of their missed shots — and the Antelopes struggle in this department as they rank eighth in the conference by allowing their opponents to rebound 30.6% of their missed shots. They also force turnovers in 20.8% of their opponent’s possessions, ranking third in the conference. Grand Canyon turns the ball over in 18.0% of their possessions. The Mavericks lead the WAC by making 36.6% of their shots from behind the arc — and they also lead the conference by launching 41.4% of their shots from 3-point range. These attributes have helped UT-Arlington cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games after 15 games into the season against teams with a winning record. They have also covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games played on a neutral court. Grand Canyon has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games when playing with one day or less of rest. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 14 games after winning four or more games in a row. All four of the Antelopes' losses were on the road where they score -5.0 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions.

FINAL TAKE: Grand Canyon swept both regular-season meetings with the Mavericks after their 67-61 win on the road as a 6-point road favorite back on January 27th. UT-Arlington has covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 opportunities for revenge — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 10 games when playing with double-revenge. 8* CBB Saturday Late Show Bailout with the UT-Arlington Mavericks (639) plus the points versus the Grand Canyon Antelopes (640). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the North Carolina Tar Heels (634) minus the points versus the North Carolina State Wolfpack (633) in the Championship Game of the ACC Tournament. THE SITUATION: North Carolina (27-6) has won eight games in a row after their 72-65 victory against Pittsburgh as a 7.5-point favorite on Friday. North Carolina State (21-14) has won four games in a row after their 72-65 upset victory against Virginia as a 2.5-point underdog yesterday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C.

REASONS TO TAKE THE TAR HEELS MINUS THE POINTS: North Carolina outlasted Pittsburgh despite only making 43.3% of their shots which was the worst shooting effort in their last six contests. The Tar Heels have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after winning five or more games in a row. They have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games against teams with a winning percentage in the 51-60% range. North Carolina has a 13-5 record on the road with an average winning margin of +7.0 Points-Per-Game. They rank fourth in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing away from home — and they rank seventh in the country overall in Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing on the road. North Carolina State has pulled off three straight upset victories against Syracuse, Duke, and Virginia to reach this championship game — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games after covering the point spread in two or more games in a row. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 20 of their last 29 games after winning two or more games in a row. They rank just 64th in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing on the road with the perimeter defense being a significant vulnerability. The Wolfpack allow their opponents to make 37.0% of their 3-pointers when playing away from home, ranking 333rd in the nation. North Carolina ranks 36th in the nation by nailing 36.4% of their 3-pointers when playing away from home.       

FINAL TAKE: The Wolfpack lost both contests against the Tar Heels in the regular season after a 79-79 loss in Chapel Hill as an 11-point underdog on March 2nd. North Carolina State has failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 16 opportunities for some same-season revenge. 8* CBB Saturday Night Discounted Deal with the North Carolina Tar Heels (634) minus the points versus the North Carolina State Wolfpack (633). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Texas-El Paso Miners (631) and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (632) in the Championship Game of the Conference USA Tournament. THE SITUATION: UTEP (18-15) has won five straight games after their 65-63 upset win against Sam Houston State as a 5-point underdog yesterday afternoon. Western Kentucky (21-11) has won two games in a row after their 85-54 victory against Middle Tennessee as a 6-point favorite in their semifinal contest yesterday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: UTEP only made 43.7% of their shots yesterday — but they held the Bearkats to just 41.2% shooting while holding them to just 53 points. The Miners have played 5 of their last 8 games Under the Total after a straight-up win against a Conference USA opponent — and they have played 3 of their 4 games Under the Total after a win by six points or less this season. They have played 7 of their last 11 games Under the Total after a point-spread victory. And in their last 9 games played with one day or less of rest, they have played 6 of these games Under the Total. UTEP only makes 41.3% of their shots on the road resulting in just 65.5 Points-Per-Game — and those numbers are -3.7% and -7.2 PPG below their season averages. They rank 324th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency on the road — and they are scoring -4.1 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions on the road which is the 262nd worst drop in the country. But the Miners also rank 27th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing on the road — and they are giving up -1.6 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing away from home. A key dynamic for this contest is that UTEP leads the nation by forcing turnovers in 26.5% of their opponent’s possessions when playing on the road. The Hilltoppers play at the fastest pace in the nation — but the pressure the Miners present will slow down their attack. Western Kentucky ranks 262nd in the nation by turning the ball over in 18.2% of their possessions. UTEP has played 13 of their last 17 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record — and they have played 12 of their last 16 games Under the Total as an underdog. They have also played 4 of their last games Under the Total as an underdog of six points or less on a neutral court — and they have played 5 of their last 6 tournament games Under the Total. Western Kentucky wants to build off their strong defensive effort yesterday after limiting the Blue Raiders to just 31.0% shooting in their 31-point victory. The Hilltoppers have played 14 of their last 19 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 13 of their last 18 games Under the Total after a win by double-digits. And while they made 11 of their 22 shots from behind the arc yesterday, they have then played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total after making 50% or more of their 3-pointers. They have also played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total after scoring 85 or more points in their last game. Western Kentucky has scored 85 or more points in their two tournament games this week — but they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after scoring 80 or more points in two or more games in a row. They have scored at least 79 points in five straight games — but they have then played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after scoring 75 or more points in four or more games in a row. The Hilltoppers’ fast pace makes Overs tempting when considering them but they only make 45.4% of their shots on the road resulting in 77.7 PPG — and those numbers are -1.4% and -3.0 PPG below their season averages. They are scoring -3.6 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing on the road. They are also giving up -4.9 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing away from home. Western Kentucky has played 9 of their last 14 games Under the Total on a neutral court — and they have played 26 of their last 39 games Under the Total on a neutral court as a favorite of up to six points.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams split their two regular-season contests after Western Kentucky won on their home court by a 90-80 score on February 15th. The Miners have played 5 of their 6 opportunities to avenge an earlier loss this season Under the Total. They have also played 36 of their last 55 games Under the Total when playing with revenge from a double-digit loss on the road. 25* CBB Conference USA Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Texas-El Paso Miners (631) and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (632). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:30 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Washington State Cougars (858) plus the points versus the Colorado Buffaloes (857) in the Semifinals of the Pac-12 Conference Tournament. THE SITUATION: Washington State (24-8) has won three of their last four games after their 79-62 victory against Stanford as an 8-point favorite in their Quarterfinals contest in this tournament last night. Colorado (23-9) has won seven games in a row after their 72-58 victory against Utah as a 4.5-point favorite in their Quarterfinals game last night. This game is being played on a neutral court at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

REASONS TO TAKE THE COUGARS PLUS THE POINTS: Washington State should build off their momentum from yesterday as they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 16 games after a straight-up victory. And while they have covered the point spread in two of their last three games, they have then covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after winning two of their last three games. They have also covered the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games after winning two of their last three games. Colorado has won eight of their last ten games — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after winning eight or more of their last nine games. The Buffaloes have covered the point spread in three straight games, but they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after covering the point spread in three straight games. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 28 of their last 40 games on the road after covering the point spread in three or more games in a row. Furthermore, Colorado has failed to cover the point spread in 19 of their last 29 games with the Total set in the 140s — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games played on a neutral court as a favorite or pick ‘em.

FINAL TAKE: Colorado wants to avenge a 78-69 loss at Washington State as a 2-point underdog on January 27th — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 3 of their 4 opportunities for revenge this season. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games when attempting to avenge a loss where they gave up 75 or more points. 8* CBB Friday Late Show Bailout with the Washington State Cougars (858) plus the points versus the Colorado Buffaloes (857). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:30 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Alabama A&M Bulldogs (306503) and the Texas Southern Tigers (306504) in the Semifinals of the Southwest Athletic Conference Tournament. THE SITUATION: Alabama A&M (12-21) has won three of their last four games after their 75-63 upset victory against Alcorn State as a 3-point underdog in the Quarterfinals of this tournament on Wednesday. Texas Southern (15-15) has won six of their last seven contests after their 72-62 victory as a 3-point favorite yesterday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Alabama A&M has pulled off two straight upsets relying on their defense. After holding Southern University to 37.2% shooting last Saturday in their 66-56 victory, they limited Alcorn State to just a 37.0% field goal percentage in their upset victory on Wednesday. The Bulldogs rank fourth in the SWAC in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they lead the conference with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 44.7%. Alabama A&M has played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total after covering the point spread in two or more games in a row. They have played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total after winning two of their last three games — and they have played 6 straight road games Under the Total after winning two of their last three contest. But the Bulldogs rank only 356th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency when playing away from home. Granted, we are talking about a SWAC team in what is not one of the strongest conferences in the nation. But they rank just 10th in the SWAC on Adjusted Offensive Efficiency — and they fall to 11th in that metric when playing on the road. They are making only 40.6% of their shots on the road including just 25.8% of their 3-pointers resulting in only 66.4 Points-Per-Game. They are scoring -7.2 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing away from home. But back to their defense which has held their last five opponents to 64.4 PPG from 39.7% shooting from the field — and those marks are -11.0 PPG and -2.7% below their season averages. They lead the SWAC by limiting their opponents to making only 41.7% of their shots inside the arc. SWAC opponents are making only 38.5% of their shots against them overall — and they have played 14 of their last 19 games Under the Total in conference play. Furthermore, Alabama A&M has played 42 of their last 69 games Under the Total as an underdog. Texas Southern comes off their best defensive game of the season after limiting Jackson State to a 32.3% shooting percentage yesterday. While I often think that is a mark screaming out for the Regression Gods, in this instance I suspect it is reflective of the tough defense this team has embraced under head coach Johnny Jones as they enter the postseason. That game finished Under the 140.5-point total — and the Tigers have played 10 of their last 15 games Under the Total after playing an Under in their previous game. Texas Southern is second in the SWAC in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they lead the conference in that metric when playing on the road. They also rank a very respectable 60th in the nation with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 48.2%. The Tigers have played 12 of their last 15 road games Under the Total after a win against a conference rival — and they have played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after a double-digit win. They have played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total after winning two of their last three games — and they have played 14 of their last 18 road games Under the Total after winning two of their last three. On the road, Texas Southern holds their opponents to -7.7 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions. But unfortunately for them, they also score -4.8 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions. They only make 39.3% of their shots including 29.1% of their 3-pointers away from home resulting in just 65.8 PPG — and those marks are -2.1% and -4.4 PPG below their season averages. Their last five-game scoring numbers are up — but that comes from three games on their home court where they scored at least 79 points in each game while generating 84.0 PPG. But in their last three games away from home, they have not scored more than 77 points. The Tigers have played 24 of their last 35 road games Under the Total against teams with a losing record — and they have played 23 of their last 34 road games Under the Total in conference play.      

FINAL TAKE: Texas Southern won the only previous meeting between these teams this season in an 85-69 victory at home. The Bulldogs have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total when playing with revenge from a loss on the road. 25* CBB Southwest Athletic Conference Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Alabama A&M Bulldogs (306503) and the Texas Southern Tigers (306504). Best of luck for us — Frank. 

At 3:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the UAB Blazers (830) minus the points versus the Wichita State Shockers (829) in the Quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference Tournament. THE SITUATION: UAB (20-11) has won two straight games after their 74-70 victory against SMU as a 1.5-point favorite on Sunday. Wichita State (15-18) won for the fourth time in their last five games with their 71-65 upset victory against Memphis as an 8.5-point underdog in the second round of this tournament yesterday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BLAZERS MINUS THE POINTS: UAB enters this tournament rested and ready — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games when playing for just the second time in eight days. They have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after a victory against an American Athletic Conference rival — and they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games after winning two of their last three games. The Blazers are one of the best offensive-rebounding teams in the country — they rank 22nd in the nation by pulling down 35.3% of their missed shots. They also rank 22nd in the nation in getting to the free throw line — and they led the American Athletic Conference by making 75.7% of their shots on the charity stripe. These team attributes travel — UAB scores +4.9 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing away from home. Overall, they rank 28th in the nation in their improvement when Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing away from home. Wichita State held the Tigers to just 36.2% shooting which was the best defensive effort in their last five games. But the Shockers have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 21 games after a win against a conference rival. They have covered the point spread in two straight games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games after covering the point spread in two or more games in a row. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 16 of their last 22 games after winning three of their last four games so an emotional letdown this afternoon appears likely. Wichita State ranks only 205th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency — and they score -3.4 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing away from home. Overall, they rank 321st in the nation in the drop in their Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing away from home. The Shockers have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 15 games as an underdog — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games on a neutral court when an underdog getting up to six points.

FINAL TAKE: Wichita State won the only meeting between these two teams back on February 28th by a 74-66 score as a 7.5-point underdog. The Blazers have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 17 games playing with revenge including all four of those opportunities this season. 25* CBB American Athletic Conference Game of the Year with the UAB Blazers (830) minus the points versus Wichita State Shockers (829). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (818) minus the points versus the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (817) in the Semifinals of the Conference USA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Western Kentucky (20-11) snapped their four-game losing streak with their 89-69 victory against New Mexico State yesterday as a 6.5-point favorite. Middle Tennessee (14-18) has won two of their last three games after their 70-67 upset victory against Louisiana Tech as a 9-point underdog in their Quarterfinals contest in this tournament yesterday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BLAZERS MINUS THE POINTS: We were on UAB to embrace the reset the conference tournament offered — and they responded with the easy 20-point victory. The Blazers have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 16 games after a win by double-digits. We expected a better defensive effort from them yesterday — and they held the Aggies to 45.2% shooting which was the best defensive effort in their last four games. Western Kentucky is a pretty good defensive team — they ranked fourth in Conference USA in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency in the regular season. They are allowing -3.6 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing away from home. Their raw numbers are propped up by their uber-fast pace. The Hilltoppers rank fourth in the nation by averaging only 14.6 seconds per possession — and their 75.1 adjusted possessions per game is the top number in the nation. They combine this fast pace with great shooting — they lead Conference USA with an effective field goal percentage of 54.6%. Western Kentucky has scored 79 or more points in four straight games — and they have then covered the point spread in 7 straight games on the road after scoring 75 or more points in two or more games in a row. Additionally, they have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 14 games after losing four or five of their last six games. Middle Tennessee played their best defensive game in their last four contests yesterday by holding the Bulldogs to just 39.7% shooting. But the Blue Raiders have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a win by six points or less. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after winning two of their last three games. On the road, Middle Tennessee ranks just 330th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency — and they are scoring -6.3 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing away from home. The Hilltoppers are outscoring their opponents by +5.7 Points-Per-Game — and the Blue Raiders have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games on the road against teams who are outscoring their opponents by +4.0 or more PPG.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams split their two regular-season games after the Blue Raiders won the most recent meeting by a 74-72 score as a 3.5-point home underdog on February 24th. The Hilltoppers have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games when playing with revenge from a loss on the road to their opponent. 8* CBB Friday Afternoon Discounted Deal with the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (818) minus the points versus the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (817). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (798) minus the points versus the New Mexico State Aggies (797) in the Quarterfinals of the Conference USA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Western Kentucky (19-11) has lost four games in a row after their 82-79 loss at Liberty as a 6.5-point favorite on Saturday. New Mexico State (13-18) has won two games in a row after their 77-70 win against Florida International as a 4-point favorite on Saturday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HILLTOPPERS MINUS THE POINTS: Western Kentucky allowed the Flames to make 51.1% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort of their season. They had not allowed an opponent to make 50% or more of their shots until their last two contests. The Hilltoppers have given up 82 or more points in three straight games — but they have then covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after allowing 75 or more points in two or more games in a row. They have also covered the point spread in 26 of their last 38 road games after allowing 75 or more points in two or more games in a row. Western Kentucky is a pretty good defensive team — they rank fourth in Conference USA in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They are allowing -3.9 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing away from home. Their raw numbers are propped up by their uber-fast pace. The Hilltoppers rank fourth in the nation by averaging only 14.6 seconds per possession — and their 75.1 adjusted possessions per game is the top number in the nation. They combine this fast pace with great shooting — they lead Conference USA with an effective field goal percentage of 54.6%. Western Kentucky has scored 79 or more points in three straight games — and they have then covered the point spread in 6 straight games on the road after scoring 75 or more points in two or more games in a row. Additionally, they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 13 games after losing four or five of their last six games. This is just their second game since March 2nd — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games when playing for just the second time in the last eight days. New Mexico State nailed made 44.9% of their shots on Saturday which was the best shooting effort in their last six games. They rank 297th in the nation and last in the Western Athletic Conference in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. The Aggies scored 49 points in the first half of that game — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after scoring 45 or more points in the first half of their last game. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games on the road after a straight-up win. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after winning two of their last three games. Now they go back on the road where they have just one victory in 16 games — and they are getting outscored by -16.2 Points-Per-Game in those contests. New Mexico State only makes 40.5% of their shots including 25.5% of their 3-pointers on the road resulting in just 63.4 PPG. But the decline in defense when playing away from home is even more dramatic. They allow their opponents to make 37.8% of their 3-pointers when playing away from home resulting in 79.6 PPG. They are giving up +11.0 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing on the road. They rank 356th in the nation in the drop they experience in Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing away from home. The Aggies have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 8 road games against WAC rivals. Another intangible dragging this team down is that they rank 349th in the nation in putting their opponents on the free throw line — and the Hilltoppers make 73.4% of their free throws. New Mexico State has failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 20 games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams split their two regular season games after Western Kentucky won the last meeting by a 72-58 score as a 9.5-point favorite on February 17th. But the Aggies have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their 6 games this season when attempting to avenge a double-digit loss to their opponent. The Hilltoppers have covered the point spread in 40 of their last 61 games in conference tournament action. 25* CBB Conference USA Game of the Year is with the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (798) minus the points versus the New Mexico State Aggies (797). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 6:30 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Niagara Purple Eagles (791) plus the point(s) versus the Marist Red Foxes (792) in the Quarterfinals of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. THE SITUATION: Niagara (16-15) has won two of their last three games after their 67-65 victory against Siena as a 10.5-point favorite on Tuesday. Marist (17-12) snapped a two-game losing streak with a 63-62 win against Niagara as a 3.5-point favorite on Saturday. This game is being played on a neutral court at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PURPLE EAGLES PLUS THE POINT(S): Niagara should build off the momentum of their victory in the first round of this tournament on Tuesday — they have covered the point spread in 6 straight games after a win by three points or less in their last game. They have also covered the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games after winning two of their last three games. And in their last 12 road games when playing with one day or less of rest, they have then covered the point spread in 10 of those contests. The Purple Eagles are a good team away from home where they allow -10.0 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions. They also score +2.7 more points per 100 adjusted possessions away from home. Overall, they rank third in the nation in the bump they receive in Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing away from their home court. They lead the MAAC in getting to the free throw line — and the Red Foxes rank ninth defensively in that category in conference play. Niagara has covered the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games as an underdog. They have also covered the point spread in 16 of their last 23 games against teams with a winning record — and they have covered the point spread in 7 straight games on the road after 15 games into the season against teams with a winning record. Marist can struggle to score baskets — they rank 321st in the nation and ninth in the conference in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. They held the Purple Eagles to just a 42.9% shooting percentage on Saturday which was the best defensive effort in their last three games — but the Red Foxes have then failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after a game where neither team scored more than 65 points. They have covered the point spread only once in their last six games — and they have then failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after failing to cover the point spread in three of their last four games. Marist ranks 229th in the nation in the drop in Adjusted Net Efficiency margin when playing away from home — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games played on a neutral court with the Total set in the 120s. Furthermore, they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games in March.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams split their two regular season games with the Purple Eagles winning by five points in January. Niagara has covered the point spread in 15 of their last 20 opportunities for revenge — and they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 13 games when avenging a loss on the road. 25* CBB Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Underdog of the Year with the Niagara Purple Eagles (791) plus the point(s) versus the Marist Red Foxes (792). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 5:30 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the UCLA Bruins (777) plus the points versus the Oregon Ducks (778) in the Quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Conference Tournament. THE SITUATION: UCLA (16-16) has won two games in a row after their 67-57 victory against Oregon State as a 6-point favorite in the quarterfinals yesterday. Oregon (20-11) snapped a two-game losing streak with a 66-65 victory against Utah as a 4.5-point favorite on Saturday. This game is being played on a neutral court at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BRUINS THE PLUS THE POINTS: UCLA should build off their momentum from their triumph yesterday — they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 14 games after a straight-up win. They have also covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games on the road after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 7 straight games on the road after a point-spread victory. They have covered the point spread in 21 of their last 30 games when playing with one day of rest. Additionally, the Bruins have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after a win against a Pac-12 rival — and they have covered the point spread after beating two straight conference opponents. Head coach Mick Cronin has this team playing better defense during this winning streak as they held both those opponents to just 53.5 Points-Per-Game. UCLA ranks 46th in the nation and third in the Pac-12 in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. And while they had lost five games in a row before this recent run, they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games after losing five or six of their last seven games. Oregon held the Utes to just 41.1% shooting on Saturday which was the best defensive effort in their last five games. But the Ducks still rank only tenth in the Pac-12 in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. Oregon has failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after a straight-up win against a Pac-12 opponent — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a win at home against a conference opponent. Additionally, they have failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 23 games when favored.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams split their two regular-season meetings after the Bruins upset the Ducks by a 71-63 score as a 2.5-point underdog on February 3rd. Oregon has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games when playing with revenge. 10* CBB Thursday Afternoon Discounted Deal with the UCLA Bruins (777) plus the points versus the Oregon Ducks (778). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 1:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Mississippi State Bulldogs (767) minus the points versus the Louisiana State Tigers (768) in the second round of the SEC Tournament. THE SITUATION: Mississippi State (19-12) has lost four games in a row after their 93-89 upset loss to South Carolina in overtime as a 5-point favorite on Saturday. LSU (17-14) has won three of their last four games after their 84-80 victory against Missouri as a 7-point favorite on Saturday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BULLDOGS MINUS THE POINTS: Mississippi State can reset their season after stumbling down the stretch of the season — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after losing two or more games in a row to an SEC rival. They have also covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after losing four of their last five games. The Bulldogs still have designs on making the NCAA Tournament after registering high-profile victories against Tennessee and Auburn. They also have wins against Washington State and Northwestern — and all three of those teams rank from #40 to #45 in the nation using Ken Pomeroy’s analytics. But Mississippi State cannot afford a slip-up in this game. The Bulldogs rank 25th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they are sixth in the nation by limiting their opponents to making just 29.4% of their 3-point attempts. They also rank 19th in the nation by pulling down 35.9% of their missed shots — and they should control the glass against this Tigers team that ranks 302nd in the nation by allowing their opponents to pull down 31.6% of their missed shots. Mississippi State has covered the point spread in 6 straight games played on a neutral court. LSU has been inconsistent all season. They have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after a straight-up win on their home court — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 16 of their last 20 games after winning four or five of their last six contests. Additionally, the Tigers have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 22 games when playing for just the second time in seven days. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 24 of their last 35 games as an underdog including ten of their fifteen games as a dog this season.

FINAL TAKE: LSU wants to avenge an 87-67 loss to the Bulldogs at home back on February 24th where they were 3-point home dogs — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 opportunities for some sweet same-season revenge. Mississippi State pulled down 16 offensive boards in that game representing 42.1% of their missed shots. 10* CBB Blowout Bookie Buster with the Mississippi State Bulldogs (767) minus the points versus the Louisiana State Tigers (768). Best of luck for us — Frank.

t 9:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the California Golden Bears (676) plus the points versus the Stanford Cardinal (675) in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament. THE SITUATION: California (13-18) has lost three games in a row after their 80-58 loss at Stanford as a 4.5-point underdog last Thursday. Stanford (13-17) snapped a six-game losing streak with that victory. This game is being played on a neutral court at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GOLDEN BEARS PLUS THE POINTS: California limps into the postseason having lost three straight games by double-digits. But all three of those games were true road games played in hostile environments. They get a clean slate now playing in Las Vegas — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after losing two or more games in a row. After losing by 29 points in their game before facing the Cardinal, they have also covered the point spread in 14 of their last 22 games after losing two games in a row by 15 or more points. The Golden Bears have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 20 games as an underdog — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games played on a neutral court. Stanford held Cal to just 35.0% shooting which was the best defensive effort in their last 17 contests. That game finished Under the 154.5-point Total — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games after playing an Under in their last game. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 3 of their last 4 games after losing four of their last five games — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games played with five or six days of rest. And while the Cardinal has covered the point spread in their last two games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 6 games after covering the point spread in two games in a row — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games after covering the point spread in two of their last three games. Stanford goes back on the road where they are making only 43.4% of their shots resulting in 68.9 Points-Per-Game — and those marks are -3.6% and -7.6 PPG lower than their numbers on their home court. They are scoring -12 fewer points per 100 possessions when away from home — and they rank 337th in the nation in the drop in Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing on the road. Stanford is getting outscored by -8.4 PPG when on the road — and they have failed to cover the points spread in 11 of their last 15 games played on a neutral court with the Total set in the 150s.

FINAL TAKE: Cal did win the first meeting between these two teams — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games when motivated by some sweet same-season revenge. 10* CBB Wednesday Late Show Bailout with the California Golden Bears (676) plus the points versus the Stanford Cardinal (675). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Lehigh Mountain Hawks (306541) plus the points versus the Colgate Raiders (306542) in the Championship Game of the Patriot League Tournament. THE SITUATION: Lehigh (14-17) has won two games in a row — and seven of their last nine contests — after their 84-79 win in overtime at Boston University as a 2-point favorite in the semifinals of this tournament on Sunday. Colgate (24-9) is on a four-game winning streak after their 68-65 victory against Bucknell as a 12-point favorite in their semifinal contest on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MOUNTAIN HAWKS PLUS THE POINTS: Lehigh was terrible in the first half on the road against the Terriers as they fell behind by 21 points before going into the locker room trailing by 18 points. They only made 40.0% of their shots in that game which was terrible worst shooting effort in their last three games. But they nailed 12 shots from behind the arc, made 24 of their 30 shots at the charity stripe, and forced 16 turnovers in 20.8% of Boston University’s possessions to rally back and steal the game. With that lesson in hand, the Mountain Hawks should play much better tonight and not dig themselves such a hole. They have held their last five opponents to 41.7% shooting resulting in just 66.0 Points-Per-Game. Their defense travels where they are quite comfortable — they are holding their home hosts to -3.9 points per 100 adjusted possessions. Even better, they score +8.8 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing in hostile environments. Overall, Lehigh ranks fourth in the nation in their net improvement in Adjusted Efficiency Margin when playing in true road games. Not surprisingly, the Mountain Hawks have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 18 games on the road — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 11 road games with the Total set in the 130-134.5 point range. They have also covered the point spread in 11 of their last 13 games as an underdog. Colgate held Bucknell to just 38.2% shooting which was the best defensive effort in their last five games. But despite their four-game winning streak, the Raiders have not covered the point spread in three straight games — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after two or more wins in a row where they did not cover the point spread as the favorite. They have only covered the point spread once in their last seven games — and they have failed to cover the point spread 7 of their last 9 games after failing to cover the point spread in four or five of their last six contests. Colgate is vulnerable even as a Patriot League giant because they do not create additional scoring possessions. They only pull down 23.6% of their missed shots in conference play and they only force turnovers in 16.7% of their opponent’s possessions — and both those marks rank sixth in the Patriot League. They thrive by usually making the shots they take — but they were cold from behind the arc on Sunday as they made only 5 of their 25 (20%) shots from 3-point range. The Raiders have then failed to cover the point spread in 3 of their previous 4 games after failing to make more than 20% of their 3-pointers in their last game. They earned the right to host this game after winning the regular season crown — but they rank 246th in the nation in the drop Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing at home as opposed to their efficiency numbers when playing on the road. Colgate has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 8 home games with the Total set in the 130s — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 3 of their last 4 home games with the Total set in the 130-134.5 point range.  

FINAL TAKE: Colgate swept both meetings with the Mountain Hawks in the regular season — but both their victories were by just three points including a 60-57 escape at home as an 11-point favorite on January 22nd. The Raiders then won by a 63-60 score on March 2nd — but Lehigh has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games when playing with same-season revenge. 25* CBB Patriot League Tournament Game of the Year with the Lehigh Mountain Hawks (306541) plus the points versus the Colgate Raiders (306542). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Fresno State Bulldogs (665) and the Wyoming Cowboys (666) in the first round of the Mountain West Conference Tournament. THE SITUATION: Fresno State (11-20) has lost seven games in a row after their 86-47 upset loss to this Wyoming team as a 1.5-point favorite on Saturday. Wyoming (15-16) snapped a four-game losing streak with that victory. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Bulldogs allowed the Cowboys to make 57.4% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in their last five games and second-worst of their entire season. After losing by 39 points just four days ago, head coach Justin Hutson will make sure his team plays harder in this rematch. Fresno State has played 20 of their last 28 games Under the Total after allowing their last opponent to make 55% or more of their shots. But Hutson may not be able to do much to help the Bulldogs improve on their dreadful 28.6% shooting in that game (other than pray to the Regression Gods). They rank 279th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency — and they have scored only 95 combined points in their last two games. Fresno State has played 4 of their last 6 games Under the Total after failing to score more than 60 points in their last game — and they have played 10 of their last 15 games Under the Total after failing to score more than 60 points in two or more games in a row. The Bulldogs have also played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a double-digit loss to a Mountain West Conference rival — and they have played 6 of their last 9 games Under the Total after a loss by 15 or more points. Wyoming certainly overachieved in the shooting department in that contest — it was their best shooting mark in their last 30 games going back to their season opener. Now playing away from Laramie, they only make 43.6% of their shots when on the road. Head coach Jeff Linder loved the defensive performance from his team — and the Cowboys have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after not allowing their previous opponent to make more than 33% of their shots.

FINAL TAKE: Both of these teams may need to knock some of the cobwebs loose with this being a local tip-off time at 11 AM PT. Wyoming has played 9 of their last 11 games Under the Total on a neutral court. Fresno State has played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total on the neutral court as an underdog or pick ‘em. Wyoming has played 9 of their last 11 games Under the Total on a neutral court. The Bulldogs have also played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total when avenging a loss where they gave up 75 or more points. 10* CBB Wednesday Afternoon Discounted O/U Deal with Under the Total in the game between the Fresno State Bulldogs (665) and the Wyoming Cowboys (666). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Oakland Grizzlies (624) minus the points versus the Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers (623) in the Championship Game of the Horizon League Tournament. THE SITUATION: Oakland (22-11) has won three straight games as well as seven of their last ten contests after their 74-71 victory against Cleveland State as a 3.5-point favorite in the semifinals of this tournament last night. Wisconsin-Milwaukee (20-14) has won six straight games after their 82-75 upset victory against Northern Kentucky as a 1.5-point underdog in their semifinal contest last night. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis, Indiana.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GRIZZLIES MINUS THE POINTS: Oakland should have covered the point spread last night — but rather than letting a flung half-court shot by the Vikings go uncontested the Grizzlies player fouled the Cleveland State shooter giving them three shots at the charity stripe. Even after that, Oakland covers the -3.5 if they hit their final free throw with only a second or two left in the game — but, nope. The Grizzlies still won that game despite only making 38.7% of their shots which was the worst shooting effort in their last four games. Oakland has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games after a victory by six points or less — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games on the road after a win against a Horizon League rival by six points or less. They have also covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games when playing with one day or less of rest. Oakland has a 12-8 mark when playing away from home — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 12 road games after winning three of their last four games. They have also covered the point spread in 12 of their last 17 games on the road after a straight-up win. They rank 11th in the nation with their improvement in Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing away from home. The Grizzlies have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games played on a neutral court when favored by six points or less — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games in tournament action. They have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games with the Total set in the 150s. Wisconsin-Milwaukee held the Norse to host 39.1% shooting last night which was the best defensive effort in their last eight contests. But the Panthers still rank 312th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. Milwaukee has failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 19 games after winning two or more games in a row against conference rivals. And while they have covered the point spread in three of their last four games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 road games after covering the point spread in three of their last four games. The Panthers score -5.9 fewer points per 100 adjusted 100 possessions when playing on the road — and they rank 204th in the nation with their drop in Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing away from home. The Grizzlies make 45.0% of their shots — and Milwaukee has failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 17 road games against teams who make at least 45.0% of their shots. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games played on a neutral court.

FINAL TAKE: Oakland swept the two regular season games between these two teams after their 90-87 win on the road on January 27th — and the Panthers have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games when avenging a loss where they gave up 75 or more points. 25* CBB Horizon League Tournament Game of the Year with the Oakland Grizzlies (624) minus the points versus the Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers (623). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 5:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the New Hampshire Wildcats (306527) and the Vermont Catamounts (306528) in the Semifinals of the America East Conference Tournament. THE SITUATION: New Hampshire (16-14) snapped their four-game losing streak with a 77-64 victory against Binghamton as a 3.5-point favorite in the Quarterfinals of this event on Saturday. Vermont (26-6) has won eight straight games after their 75-72 victory against Albany as a 16-point favorite in their Quarterfinals contest in this tournament on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Wildcats made 44.4% of their shots on Saturday which was the best shooting mark in their last five contests. But New Hampshire has then played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 8 of their last 12 games Under the Total after a point spread win. They have played 25 of their last 37 games Under the Total on the road after a win on their home court. And in their last 17 games after losing four of their last five games, they have played 14 of those games Under the Total. Now they go back on the road where they are making only 40.4% of their shots including just 32.8% of their 3-pointers resulting in 72.1 Points-Per-Game (due their fast pace). They do hold their home hosts to 44.6% shooting and a 29.9% clip from behind the arc. New Hampshire has played 11 of their last 17 games on the road Under the Total with the Total set in the 130s. Now they face a Catamounts team that leads the America East in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. Vermont ranks 35th in the nation with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 45.6% when playing at home. They also rank 13th in the nation on their home court by limiting their opponents to pulling down 22.6% of their missed shots — and they rank fifth in the nation in putting their opponents on the free throw line on their home court. Albany made 46.6% of their shots against them on Saturday which was the Catamounts' worst defensive performance in their last four games. Vermont has played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total after a straight-up win at home against a conference rival. They have also played 16 of their last 21 games Under the Total when playing for the second time in seven days. They stay at home where they are holding their opponents to just 39.3% shooting including a 31.3% mark from behind the arc resulting in just 58.5 PPG. And while they do score +1.4 more PPG when playing at home, that is nullified by the -4.7 fewer PPG they give up when it comes to this Under play. The Catamounts have played 7 of their last 8  home games Under the Total with the Total set in the 130s.

FINAL TAKE: New Hampshire plays at the 18th fastest rate in the country — but they have seen -0.6 fewer adjusted possessions per game in their last ten contests. But now they play this Vermont team that loves to slow games down to a crawl. The Catamounts rank 326th in the nation by averaging 18.9 seconds per possession — and they rank 350th in the nation by averaging 63.4 adjusted possessions per game. Vermont has played 12 of their last 16 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record. 10* CBB Tuesday Afternoon Discounted O/U Deal with Under the Total in the game between the New Hampshire Wildcats (306527) and the Vermont Catamounts (306528). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 11:30 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the San Francisco Dons (873) and the Gonzaga Bulldogs (874) in the Semifinals of the West Coast Conference. THE SITUATION: San Francisco (23-9) snapped their two-game losing streak with a 72-51 victory against Portland as a 16-point favorite in the Quarterfinals of this tournament on Saturday. Gonzaga (24-6) has won eight straight games after their 70-57 upset victory at Saint Mary’s as a 3.5-point underdog on March 2nd. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Dons made 52.8% of their shots on Saturday which was the best shooting effort in their last three games. They stepped up their play on defense by holding the Pilots to just 32.7% shooting — and they have played 21 of their last 27 road games Under the Total after not allowing more than 55% of their shots in their last contest. Additionally, San Francisco has played 11 of their last 12 road games Under the Total after a win by 20 or more points against a West Coast Conference rival. They have played 12 of their last 15 road games Under the Total when playing with one day or less of rest. And they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after losing two of their last three games. They are making 45.7% of their shots on the road resulting in 71.5 Points-Per-Game — and those numbers are -3.3% and -8.4 PPG below their season averages. They are scoring -4.9 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing in those road games. But on the other end of the court, they are holding their opponents to just 42.2% shooting with a 32.2% clip from behind the arc resulting in 66.9 PPG. The Dons rank 33rd in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they improve to the eighth-best defense in the nation in that metric when playing away from home. They have an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 42.2% on the road ranking 21st in the nation — and they are giving up -8.0 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions on the road. San Francisco has played 23 of their last 33 road games Under the Total against teams with a winning record. Gonzaga made 51.7% of their shots against the Gaels which was the worst shooting effort in their alt three games — but they have played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total after making at least 50% of their shots in two or more games in a row. They have also played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after not allowing more than 60 points in their last game. They have won six straight games by 13 or more points — and they have then played 6 straight road games Under the Total after winning two or more games in a row by 10 or more points. And in their last 13 games on the road after winning four or more games in a row, they have then played 11 of these games Under the Total. The Bulldogs are scoring 80.3 PPG away from home with a 49.6% field goal percentage — but those numbers are still -5.3 PPG and -2.3% below their season averages. They hold their opponents to 42.7% shooting and 69.9 PPG on the road — and they are giving up -3.9 fewer points per 100 possessions on the road. They rank 19th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency on the road. Interestingly, head coach Mark Few has his team playing at a slower pace lately — they are averaging 1.3 fewer possessions per game in their last ten games. The Dons are outscoring their opponents by +12.3 PPG — and Gonzaga has played 7 straight Unders against teams who are outscoring their opponents by +12.0 more PPG.

FINAL TAKE: San Francisco has played 16 of their last 20 games Under the Total when playing on a neutral court — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games on a neutral court with the Total set in the 150s. Gonzaga has played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total when playing on a neutral court — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total on a neutral court with the Total set in the 150s. 25* CBB West Coast Conference Tournament Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the San Francisco Dons (873) and the Gonzaga Bulldogs (874). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Oakland Grizzlies (856) minus the points versus the Cleveland State Vikings (855) in the Semifinals of the Horizon League Tournament. THE SITUATION: Oakland (21-11) has won two games in a row with six victories in their last seven contests after their 75-65 win against IUPUI-Fort Wayne as a 4.5-point favorite on Thursday. Cleveland State (20-13) has won three games in a row after their 82-70 upset victory as a 10-point underdog on Thursday. This game is being played on a neutral court at Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis, Indiana.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GRIZZLIES MINUS THE POINTS: Oakland is heating up on the offensive end of the court lately — they are making 48.1% of their shots in their last five games resulting in 79.0 Points-Per-Game. The Grizzlies should continue their momentum as they have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 18 games after a point spread win — and they have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 19 games when playing for just the second time in eight days. Oakland has an 11-8 mark when playing away from home — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 road games after winning three of their last four games. They have also covered the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games on the road after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games on the road after a point spread victory. Additionally, the Grizzlies have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games played on a neutral court — and they have covered the point spread in 4 straight games in tournament action. Cleveland State has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a straight-up win on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games on the road after a straight-up victory. They have failed to cover the point spread after winning two games in a row — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after winning three of their last four games. And while they have scored 44 points in the first half in two straight games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 11 road games after scoring 40 or more points in the first half in two or more games in a row. Cleveland State ranks only seventh in the Horizon League in both Adjusted Offensive Efficiency and Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. When playing away from home, they are allowing their opponents to make 57.4% of their shots inside the arc and pull down 34.7% of their missed shots, ranking 353rd and 338th in the nation respectively. The Vikings are allowing +4.7 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing on the road — and they rank 324th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing away from home.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams split their two regular-season meetings after the Grizzlies’ 83-71 victory as a 3.5-point home favorite on February 3rd — and the Vikings have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games when playing with same-season revenge. 10* CBB Monday Daily Discounted Deal with the Oakland Grizzlies (856) minus the points versus the Cleveland State Vikings (855). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 4:00 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Lehigh Mountain Cats (306507) minus the point(s) versus the Boston University Terriers (306508) in the Semifinals of the Patriot League Tournament. THE SITUATION: Lehigh (13-17) snapped a two-game losing streak with their 76-61 victory at UL-Lafayette as a 2.5-point favorite in the quarterfinals of this event on Thursday. Boston University (16-16) has won six straight games after their 70-61 victory as a 3.5-point favorite on Thursday in their quarterfinals contest.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MOUNTAIN HAWKS MINUS THE POINT(S): Lehigh has still won six of their last eight games — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games after a victory by 15 or more points. They have also covered the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games after losing two of their last three games. The Mountain Hawks have not allowed more than 64 points in four straight contests — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after not allowing more than 65 points in two or more games in a row. They have held their last five opponents to 39.9% shooting resulting in just 61.0 Points-Per-Game. Their defense travels where they are quite comfortable — they are holding their home hosts to -4.3 points per 100 adjusted possessions. Even better, they score +8.8 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing in hostile environments. Overall, Lehigh ranks second in the nation in their net improvement in Adjusted Efficiency Margin when playing in true road games. Not surprisingly, the Mountain Hawks have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 17 games on the road — and they have covered the point spread in 18 of their last 24 road games with the Total set in the 130s. Boston University has survived two overtime games during their six-game winning streak — including their upset win on the road against Lehigh on February 28th. The Terriers held the Midshipmen to 36.1% shooting in their most recent game which was the best defensive performance in their last four contests. But the Terriers have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 15 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after a point spread victory. And while they have won eight of their last ten games, they have also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of the last 6 games after winning eight or more of their last ten contest. They get to host this semifinal contest as the higher two-seed in this tournament — but they are surrendering +14.2 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing at home. They rank 334th in the nation and ninth in the Patriot League in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing at home. Boston has failed to cover the point spread in 16 of their last 21 games at home as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Boston swept both regular-season meetings against the Mountain Hawks after that 64-62 upset win on the road as a 6-point underdog on February 28th — but Lehigh has covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 opportunities for some sweet same-season revenge. 10* CBB Sunday Afternoon Discounted Deal with the Lehigh Mountain Cats (306507) minus the point(s) versus the Boston University Terriers (306508). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Arizona Wildcats (727) and the USC Trojans (728). THE SITUATION: Arizona (88-65) has won four games in a row as well as 10 of their last 11 contests after their 88-65 victory as a 9.5-point favorite as a 9.5-point favorite on Thursday. USC (13-17) has won two games in a row after their 81-73 victory as a 9.5-point favorite on Thursday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Wildcats made 51.9% of their shots against the Bruins which was actually the worst shooting effort in their last three games. They are making 51.8% of their shots in their last five contests. Arizona ranks sixth in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency — and they are scoring 90.3 Points-Per-Game. They have scored 85 or more points in four straight games as well as nine of their last 11 contests. But they have also allowed 75 or more points in five of their last eight contests as well. They play at a very fast pace — they average only 15.1 seconds per possession which is the eighth quickest mark in the nation. The Wildcats have played 9 of their last 11 games Over the Total on the road after a straight-up win against a Pac-12 rival — and they have played 6 straight games Over the Total after a double-digit win on the road. They have also played 8 of their last 9 road games Over the Total after a win on the road where they scored 85 or more points. Furthermore, they have played 14 of their last 19 road games Over the Total after winning four of their last five games. And while this is just their second game since February 28th, they have then played 7 of their last 8 road games Over the Total when playing for just the second time in seven days. They have also played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total when playing with just one day of rest. Arizona stays on the road where they rank third in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency — and they are scoring +4.0 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing away from home. But they are also giving up 80.6 PPG on the road — and the +8.6 points per 100 adjusted possessions they are giving up away from home represents the 342nd biggest jump in the nation. The Wildcats have played 7 of their last 10 games Over the Total on the road — and they have played 19 of their last 28 road games when favored or a pick ‘em. They have also played 16 of their last 22 games Over the Total against teams with a losing record. USC has played 13 of their last 20 games Over the Total against teams with a winning record. The Trojans have scored 163 combined points in their last two games — and they are making 48.6% of their shots in their last five contests resulting in 77.8 PPG. But they have allowed three of their last five opponents to make at least 50% of their shots after the Sun Devils enjoyed a 50% shooting clip against them on Thursday. USC has played 23 of their last 34 games Over the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total after a victory against a Pac-12 rival. They have also played 6 of their last 9 games Over the Total after winning two of their last three games.  They stay at home where they are scoring +3.4 more points per 100 adjusted possessions. But the Trojans rank 10th in the Pac-12 in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they have played 9 of their last 14 home games Over the Total on their home court. USC has also played 10 of their last 13 games Over the Total as an underdog — and they have played 6 of their last 7 home games Over the Total as a dog or as a pick ‘em.

FINAL TAKE: Arizona won the first meeting on January 17th by an 82-67 score as a 20.5-point favorite — and the Trojans have played 7 of their last 10 games Over the Total when playing with revenge. They have also played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total when avenging a same-season loss on the road. 25* CBB Pac-12 Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Arizona Wildcats (727) and the USC Trojans (728). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Fresno State Bulldogs (696) minus the point(s) versus the Wyoming Cowboys (695). THE SITUATION: Fresno State (11-19) has lost six straight games after their 79-58 loss at New Mexico as an 18-point underdog on Wednesday. Wyoming (14-16) snapped their four-game losing streak with their 74-63 win at home against Air Force as a 6.5-point favorite on Tuesday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BULLDOGS MINUS THE POINT(S): Fresno State has endured some tough luck during their current losing streak. They lost by only two points at home to UNLV before losing in overtime at home to Utah State. They only made 32.7% of their shots in Albuquerque against the Lobos which was the second-worst shooting effort of their season. But the Bulldogs have then covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after losing two or more games in a row to Mountain West Conference rivals — and they have covered the point spread in 22 of their last 32 games after losing three or more games in a row. Additionally, Fresno State has covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after a double-digit loss this season — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after failing to score more than 60 points in their last game. They return home where they are making 47.4% of their shots resulting in 70.9 Points-Per-Game. They are scoring +7.4 more points per 100 adjusted possessions on their home court. They rank 58th in the nation by making 56.0% of their shots at home inside the arc — and the Cowboys are vulnerable defending the interior as they rank 345th in the nation by allowing their home hosts to make 57.0% of their shots inside the arc. The Bulldogs have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 home games when favored or a pick ‘em. Wyoming held the Falcons to just 41.2% shooting which was the second-best defensive effort of their season. But the Cowboys have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games after a double-digit victory — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 straight games after a win by ten or more points against a conference rival. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after losing two of their last three games. They go back on the road where they only have a 5-11 record with an average losing margin of -8.4 PPG. They only make 42.7% of their shots on the road resulting in just 67.2 PPG — and they are scoring -4.7 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions on the road. Wyoming has failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 21 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 road games as an underdog or as a pick ‘em.

FINAL TAKE: The Bulldogs want to avenge a 68-67 loss to the Cowboys in Laramie as a 3.5-point underdog back on January 13th — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games when attempting to avenge a loss by three points or less. 10* CBB Saturday Night Discounted Deal with the Fresno State Bulldogs (696) minus the point(s) versus the Wyoming Cowboys (695). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 1:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Rhode Island Rams (613) and the Fordham Rams (614). THE SITUATION: Rhode Island (11-19) has lost seven games in a row after their 69-57 loss at home to George Mason as a 4-point underdog on Wednesday. Fordham (12-18) has lost two games in a row as well as six of their last eight contests after a 66-64 loss at Massachusetts as a 9.5-point underdog on Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Rhode Island made only 29.4% of their shots on Wednesday in what was the worst shooting performance of their season. That game finished well Under the 142.5-point total — but these Rams have played 15 of their last 21 games Over the Total after playing an Under in their last game. They have played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total after losing five or more games in a row. And while they have not covered the point spread in six straight games, they have then played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after not covering the point spread in three or more games in a row. Rhode Island has let their last five opponents make 50.5% of their shots resulting in 84.0 Points-Per-Game. They go back on the road where they rank 337th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They are allowing their opponents to make 48.8% of their shots and 37.3% of their 3-pointers when on the road resulting in 81.9 PPG. They are surrendering +5.6 more points per 100 adjusted possessions on the road — but they are also scoring +1.2 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when away from home as well. They rank 35th in the nation by making 37.6% of their 3-pointers when away from home — and Fordham allows their guests to make 40.7% of their shots from behind the arc when playing at home, ranking 359th in the nation. Rhode Island has played 8 of their last 10 games Over the Total — and they have played 4 of their last 5 road games Over the Total as an underdog getting 6.5 to 12 points. They have also played 5 straight road games Over the Total with the Total set in the 140s. Rhode Island should also get plenty of points from the charity stripe as they lead the Atlantic 10 in free throw rate — and Fordham is last in the conference in putting their opponent on the line. Fordham has played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total after a straight-up loss. And while they have covered the point spread in three of their last four games, they have then played 13 of their last 17 games Over the Total after covering the point spread in three of their last four games. Their loss against the Minutemen on Wednesday finished Under the 143-point Total — but they have then played 8 of their last 12 games Over the Total after playing an Under in their last game. Fordham ranks 10th in the Atlantic 10 in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they return home where they rank 222nd in the nation in that metric. They allow their opponents to guests to make 46.0% of their shots resulting in 73.7 PPG — and they are giving up +9.5 more points per 100 adjusted possessions on their home court. They are also scoring +3.6 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing at home. The hosting Rams have played 11 of their last 16 games Over the Total at home — and they have played 7 of their last 8 home games Over the Total when favored. Furthermore, they have played 4 straight Overs at home when playing 6.5 to 12 points.

FINAL TAKE: Fordham won the first meeting between these two teams by a 71-68 score as a 2.5-point underdog on January 24th — and Rhode Island has played 9 of their last 14 games Over the Total when playing with revenge. 25* CBB Atlantic 10 Conference Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Rhode Island Rams (613) and the Fordham Rams (614). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Pepperdine Wave (891) and the San Diego Toreros (892) in the second round of the West Coast Conference Tournament. THE SITUATION: Pepperdine (13-19) snapped their two-game losing streak in a 102-43 thrashing of Pacific as a 10-point favorite yesterday. San Diego (17-14) ended their three-game losing streak with an 81-69 victory as a 10.5-point favorite last Saturday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Wave held the Tigers to just 25.0% shooting yesterday which was the best defensive effort all season. Pepperdine has played 6 straight road games Over the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 9 of their last 11 games Over the Total on the road after losing two of their last three games. That final score finished below the 151-point total — and they have played 15 of their last 21 games Over the Total on the road after playing an Under in their last contest. They have also played 12 of their last 14 games Over the Total after scoring 85 or more points in their last contest. The Wave is nailing 51.8% of their shots in their last five games resulting in 81.4 Points-Per-Game. They stay on the road where they are scoring +3.7 more points per 100 adjusted possessions. But Pepperdine is also allowing their opponents to score +6.0 points per 100 adjusted possessions on the road. They are giving up 52.2% shooting including a 45.8% mark from behind on the arc say from home resulting in 82.1 Points-Per-Game. Those marks represent +7.5 and +3.6% higher marks than their season average. The Wave have played 20 of their last 28 games Over the Total with the Total set in the 150s. San Diego held the Tigers to 44.0% shooting last week which was the best defensive effort in their last four contest. The Toreros have played 13 of their last 18 games Over the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 8 of their last 9 games Over the Total after a double-digit victory. They have also played 19 of their last 28 games Over the Total after losing two of their last three games. They go back on the road where they are scoring +2.3 more points per 100 adjusted possessions. On the other end of the court, they are giving up +1.6 more points per 100 adjusted possessions away from home. They are allowing these opponents to make 49.5% of their shots including 37.2% of their shots from behind the arc resulting in 82.3 PPG. Those marks are +5.1 and +3.7% higher than their season average. San Diego has played 15 of their last 21 games Over the Total as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: The Toreros won the last meeting between these two teams by a 69-67 score as a 7.5-point underdog on January 27th — and the Wave have played 23 of their last 33 games Over the Total when avenging a loss by three points or less. 10* CBB Friday Night Discounted O/U Deal with Over the Total in the game between the Pepperdine Wave (891) and the San Diego Toreros (892). Best of luck for us — Frank. 

At 8:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Western Illinois Leathernecks (885) plus the points versus the Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans (886) in the Semifinals of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. THE SITUATION: Western Illinois (21-11) won for the fourth straight time with their 61-59 triumph against Tennessee State as a 2.5-point favorite in the quarterfinals of this event yesterday. Arkansas-Little Rock (20-11) has won nine straight games after their 81-43 victory against Tennessee Tech as a 13.5-point favorite last Saturday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana.

REASONS TO THE LEATHERNECKS PLUS THE POINTS: Western Illinois survived yesterday’s game despite making only 37.5% of their shots which was the worst shooting effort in their last four games. But the Leathernecks controlled the boards with a 52-36 edge in rebounds — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after out-rebounding their previous opponent by +15 or more boards. This team does two things well that usually translate to neutral courts. First, Western Illinois ranks 13th in the nation by pulling down 37.1% of their missed shots — and they lead the Ohio Valley Conference by rebounding 39.2% of their misses. They grabbed 19 second chances yesterday representing 45.2% of their missed shots. They should control the offensive glass tonight as well — the Trojans rank 227th in the nation by allowing their opponents to pull down 30.0% of their missed shots. Second, the Leathernecks play great half-court defense. They rank 14th in the nation with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 46.1%. They also rank 20th in the nation in putting their opponents on the free-throw line — so they make it very tough on their opponents to score points. Western Illinois has not allowed more than 65 points in their last two games — and they have ten covered the point spread in 7 straight games after not allowing more than 65 points in two straight games. They have also covered the point spread in 6 straight games on the road after not allowing more than 60 points in their last game. They have covered the points spread in 15 of their last 19 games when playing with one day or less of rest. They have covered the point spread in 17 of their last 23 games after failing to cover the point spread in their last game. Additionally, they have only covered the point spread once in their last three games — and they have covered the point spread in 6 straight games after failing to cover the point spread in two of their last three contests. They have an 11-6 record away from home where they are scoring +2.0 more points per 100 adjusted possessions while holding their opponents to -4.0 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions. They rank 25th in the nation in their improved play away from home in terms of Adjusted Net Efficiency. They are holding teams to just 40.6% shooting including a 28.9% clip from behind the arc resulting in 66.8 Points-Per-Game. Western Illinois ranks eighth in the nation with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 45.6% when playing on the road. They hold these teams to just 46.8% shooting inside the arc, ranking 21st in the nation — and they allow these opponents to make only 28.9% of their 3-pointers, ranking ninth in the nation. The Leathernecks have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 road games against Ohio Valley Conference opponents. Little Rock held Tennessee Tech to just 30% shooting last week which was the best defensive effort in their last eight contests. The Trojans have scored at least 80 points in five straight games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 15 road games after scoring 75 or more points in three or more games in a row. They have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 20 road games after winning five or more games in a row — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 12 road games after winning six or more games in a row. On the road, they have a 6-7 record while making 46.0% of their shots. They only hit 30.0% of the 3-pointers away from home, ranking 297th in the nation. They score -2.4 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions away from home. But the bigger concern is on the other end of the court where they allow +7.9 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when away from home. They rank 335th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing on the road.

FINAL TAKE: Little Rock won the first meeting between these two teams in a 63-60 upset win as a 1.5-point road underdog back on February 28th — but the Leathernecks have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games when playing with revenge from a loss at home to their opponent. 25* CBB Ohio Valley Conference Underdog of the Year with the Western Illinois Leathernecks (885) plus the points versus the Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans (886). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 11:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Oregon State Beavers (774) plus the points versus the Utah Utes (773). THE SITUATION: Oregon State (12-17) has lost eight of their last nine games after their 78-71 loss at Oregon as a 13.5-point underdog last Thursday. Utah (18-11) has won three of their last four games after their 88-59 victory against California as a 9-point favorite on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BEAVERS PLUS THE POINTS: Oregon State allowed the Ducks to make 49.0% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in their last four games. The Beavers have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a straight-up loss on the road — and they have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 17 home games after a straight-up loss. They have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after winning two of their last three games — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after losing six or seven of their last eight games. Now after playin' their last three games on the road, they return home where they have an 11-5 record with an average winning margin of +5.6 net Points-Per-Game. They are scoring +1.2 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing at home — and they are giving up -8.8 points per 100 adjusted possessions on their home court. Oregon State ranks eighth in the nation in the bump up in Adjusted Net Efficiency when they are playing on their home court. The Beavers hold their opponents to just 41.1% shooting and a 30.9% mark from behind the arc resulting in 67.6 Points-Per-Game. The Beavers have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 18 home games as an underdog or pick ‘em — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 home games as an underdog getting 6.5 to 12 points. Utah nailed 50.8% of their shots on Saturday which was the best shooting mark in their last 16 contests. They also held the Golden Bears to 34.4% shooting in what was the best defensive effort in their last 11 games. After playing one of their best games of the season, the Utes have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after a win against a Pac-12 rival in their last game. They have failed to cover the point spread in 17 of their last 23 games after winning two of their last three games. And while they have covered the point spread in three of their last four games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games after failing to cover the point spread only once in their last four games. Now after playing their last two games at home, they go back on the road where they have a 4-9 record with an average losing margin of -7.9 PPG. Utah is only making 43.5% of their shots on the road including just 32.1% of their 3-pointers resulting in 71.3 PPG. They are scoring -7.2 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing in hostile environments. They are allowing their home hosts to make 47.8% of their shots including 38.0% of their 3-pointers resulting in 79.2 PPG. The Utes are giving up +11.0 more points per 100 adjusted possessions in true road games. Utah ranks 171st in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing in hostile environments — and their opponent's effective field goal percentage of 55.2% ranks 319th in the nation. Furthermore, they rank 361st in the nation in the drop in Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing in hostile environments. Utah has failed to cover the point spread in 22 of their last 31 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 8 road games in conference play. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 road games with the Total set in the 140s — and they have also failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 road games as a favorite or a pick ‘em.  

FINAL TAKE: Utah won the first meeting between these two teams at home at Salt Lake City by a 74-47 score as a 15-point favorite. The Beavers have covered the point spread in 10 of their 13 opportunities for revenge — and they have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 18 game games when avenging a loss on the road. 25* CBB Pac-12 Underdog of the Year with Oregon State Beavers (774) plus the points versus the Utah Utes (773). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Oregon Ducks (752) minus the points versus the Colorado Buffaloes (751). THE SITUATION: Oregon (19-10) has lost two of their last three games after their 103-83 loss at Arizona as a 14-point underdog on Saturday. Colorado (20-9) has won four games in a row after their 81-71 victory as a 12-point favorite on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE DUCKS MINUS THE POINTS: Oregon allowed the Wildcats to make 60.9% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort of their season. The Ducks have then covered the point spread in 14 of their last 18 games after allowing 80 or more points in their last game — and they have covered the point spread in 6 straight games after allowing 85 or more points in their last game. Furthermore, Oregon has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after a double-digit loss to a Pac-12 rival — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games after a loss by 15 or more points. Now after playing only one time at home in their last five games, they return to Eugene for only the second time since February 10th to defend their 12-2 record. The Ducks are outscoring their guests by +9.6 Points-Per-Game. They are holding their visitors to just 43.7% shooting including a 30.9% mark from behind the arc. Colorado has made at least 50% of their shots in five straight games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 23 of their last 32 games after making 47% or more of their shots in three or more games in a row. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games after shooting 50% or better from the field in three or more games in a row. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 15 games after a point spread win. The Buffaloes have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after winning four of their last five games. And while they have won their last three games by double-digits, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 16 of their last 21 road games after winning at least two games in a row against Pac-12 rivals by 10 or more points. After playing their last three games at home, Colorado goes back on the road where they have a 4-8 record with an average losing margin of -2.5 PPG. They are allowing their home hosts to make 47.2% of their shots including 37.2% of their 3-pointers resulting in 77.2 PPG.    

FINAL TAKE: The Buffaloes have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 32 of their last 46 road games as an underdog getting 3.5 to 6 points. 10* CBB Colorado-Oregon ESPN2 Special with Oregon Ducks (752) minus the points versus the Colorado Buffaloes (751). 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 Navy Midshipmen (306575) and the Boston University Terriers (306576) in the Quarterfinals of the Patriot League Tournament. THE SITUATION: Navy (13-17) has won five games in a row after their 64-48 victory against Loyola-Maryland as a 6.5-point favorite in the first round of this tournament on Tuesday. Boston University (15-16) has won five games in a row as well after their 94-84 victory against Holy Cross as a 9-point favorite last Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Midshipmen held the Greyhounds to just 27.0% shooting from the field on Tuesday which was the best defensive effort in their last 27 games. But Navy has played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total after allowing no more than 60 points in their last game — and they have also played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total after playing a game where no more than 125 combined points were scored. They have also played 8 of their last 12 games Over the Total after holding their previous opponent to no better than 33% shooting. They have played 8 of their last 12 games Over the Total after a point-spread victory. Now the Midshipmen hit the road against where they are allowing their opponents to make 46.5% of their shots resulting in 71.9 Points-Per-Game — and those numbers are +3.2% and +5.3 PPG above their season averages. They are allowing +6.7 points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing in hostile environments, the 308th worst drop in the nation. They are also scoring +1.1 points per 100 adjusted possessions in true road games. Navy has played 9 of their last 14 games Over the Total on the road — and they have played 10 of their last 15 games Over the Total as an underdog. Boston has played 12 of their last 16 games Over the Total after a win in conference play — and they have played 8 of their last 12 games Over the Total after a double-digit win at home. They have also played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after winning four or more games in a row. The Terriers stay at home where they rank 343rd in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They are giving up +15.0 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing at home — the 362nd worst decline in the nation. Boston’s guests are scoring 69.9 PPG which is +3.7 more PPG than what they give up overall. They are also scoring +12.0 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing at home. The 72.3 PPG they score at home is +6.3 more PPG than their season average. The Terriers have played 10 of their last 13 games Over the Total at home — and they have played 7 of their last 9 home games Over the Total with the Total set in the 130s.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams split their two regular season games but the Terriers won the last meeting by a 74-65 score as a 3.5-point home favorite on February 17th. Navy has played 5 of their 8 opportunities for revenge this season Over the Total. 10* CBB Thursday Daily Discounted O/U Deal with Over the Total in the game between Navy Midshipmen (306575) and the Boston University Terriers (306576). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:30 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Utah State Aggies (713) and the San Jose State Spartans (714). THE SITUATION: Utah State (24-5) has won three games in a row and five of their last six after their 72-60 victory against Air Force as a 17.5-point favorite on Friday. San Jose State (9-21) has lost five games in a row after their 68-50 loss at UNLV as a 13.5-point underdog on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Aggies rank 11th in the nation by making 57.5% of their shots inside the arc — and they lead the Mountain West Conference with an effective field goal percentage of 54.8%. Utah State has played 11 of their last 14 games Over the Total after a win in conference play — and they have played 22 of their last 33 games Over the Total after winning three or more games in a row. They have also played 9 of their last 11 games Over the Total after a double-digit win — and they have played 8 straight Overs after a win at home by 10 or more points. Additionally, they have played 10 of their last 12 games Over the Total after allowing 60 or more points in their last game. They go back on the road where they are scoring 76.4 Points-Per-Game while giving up 72.5 PPG. They rank second in the MWC in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency but sit just eighth in the conference in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing on the road. They are scoring +2.6 points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing on the road — and they are giving up +8.5 points per 100 adjusted possessions when on the road in hostile environments. The Aggies have played 10 of their last 11 games Over the Total on the road — and they have played 14 of their last 16 road games Over the Total with the Total set in the 140s. They have also played 6 straight Overs on the road as the favorite or as a pick ‘em. San Jose State has played 8 of their last 11 games Over the Total after a straight-up loss on the road — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total after a double-digit loss on the road. They have also played 4 straight Overs after a loss where they did not score more than 60 points — and they have played 12 of their last 16 games Over the Total after failing to score more than 55 points in their last game. And while their loss to the Runnin’ Rebels finished Under the 138.5-point total, they have then played 8 of their last 9 home games Over the Total after playing an Under in their last game. The Spartans return home where they are nailing 47.8% of their shots resulting in 76.1 PPG — and those marks represent a +6.2 PPG and a +3.1% bump over their season averages. But they are also allowing their guests to make 47.4% of their shots including 39.4% of their 3-pointers resulting in 76.9 PPG which is +2.2 PPG higher than their season defensive average. San Jose State scores +8.1 points per 100 adjusted possessions when at home which ranks 29th in the nation in the biggest jump. They also allow +4.6 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing at home, ranking 307th worst in the country. The Spartans have played 11 of their last 13 games Over the Total when at home — and they have played 6 of their last 7 home games Over the Total as an underdog or as a pick ‘em.

FINAL TAKE: San Jose State is one of the worst defensive teams in the nation as they rank 281st in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They also rank 331st in the nation with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 53.8% which does not bode well against a great shooting team like the Aggies. Utah State made 60% of their shots including a 6 of 12 mark from behind the arc en route to their 82-61 victory against the Spartans at home on January 30th — and San Jose State has played 12 of their last 16 games Over the Total when playing with revenge from a loss on the road. 25* CBB Mountain West Conference Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Utah State Aggies (713) and the San Jose State Spartans (714). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Iowa State Cyclones (702) minus the points versus the BYU Cougars (701). THE SITUATION: Iowa State (23-6) has won three games in a row as well as seven of their last eight contests after their 60-52 victory at Central Florida as a 3.5-point favorite on Saturday. BYU (21-8) has won two games in a row after their 87-75 victory as a 6.5-point favorite on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CYCLONES MINUS THE POINTS: The Cougars nailed 52.5% of their shots against the Horned Frogs which was the best shooting mark in their last nine contests. But BYU has then failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games after a straight-up win at home where they beat a conference rival. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after winning two of their last three games. They go back on the road where they have lost six of their eight games this season. While the Cougars rank 18th in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency in one set of power rankings I follow, they drop to 45th in the nation using those numbers when playing in hostile environments. They are scoring -6.4 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing in true road games — and they are allowing +8.3 more points per 100 adjusted possessions in those games. Their drop in Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing in hostile environments is the 317th-worst discrepancy in the nation. They rank just 131st in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they are allowing their home hosts to make 35.8% of their 3-pointers, ranking 224th in the nation. BYU has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games on the road. Iowa State has covered the point spread in 15 of their last 21 games after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 19 games after a point spread victory. They have also covered the point spread in 11 of their last 15 games after winning three of their last four games. They return home where they are 17-0 and rank third in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency when assessing home court play. The Cyclones have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 17 games at home — and they have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 21 games when favored.                      

FINAL TAKE: Iowa State wants to avenge an 87-72 loss at BYU as a 4-point road underdog back on January 16th — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 opportunities for revenge from a loss on the road. 8* CBB BYU-Iowa State ESPN2 Special with the Iowa State Cyclones (702) minus the points versus the BYU Cougars (701). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Minnesota Golden Gophers (708) minus the points versus the Indiana Hoosiers (707). THE SITUATION: Minnesota (18-11) snapped their two-game losing streak with a 75-70 victory against Penn State as a 6.5-point favorite on Saturday. Indiana (16-13) has won two games in a row after their 83-78 upset win at Maryland as a 9-point favorite on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GOLDEN GOPHERS MINUS THE POINTS: Minnesota covered the point spread in 14 of their last 17 games after a straight-up win. And while they have scored 75 or more points in their last two games, they have then covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games after scoring 75 or more points in two or more games in a row. The Golden Gophers stay at home where they have a 16-2 record this season with an average winning margin of +12.7 Points-Per-Game. They are nailing 48.2% of their shots resulting in 78.6 PPG. They are also holding their guests to 41.7% shooting including a 33.7% mark from behind the arc resulting in just 65.9 PPG. Minnesota has covered the point spread in 17 of their last 19 games at home — and they have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 14 games when favored. Indiana has pulled off two straight upset victories as their victory in College Park was preceded by a 74-70 upset win at home against Wisconsin. But the Hoosiers have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after an upset victory on the road. Now Indiana goes back on the road where they are just 5-8 with an average losing margin of -7.0 PPG. Head coach Mike Woodson is running an offense Bobby Knight would appreciate as they rely on shooting inside the arc and getting to the free-throw line. But this approach may be outdated — and they rank 315th in the nation by only making 29.7% of their shots from 3-point land. This Indiana team does not play defense like Knight’s team of old either — they are allowing 78.8 PPG when playing on the road. The Hoosiers have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 12 road games as an underdog of up to six points or as a pick ‘em.

FINAL TAKE: Minnesota wants to avenge a 74-62 loss at Indiana back on January 12th — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 12 opportunities for revenge. The Golden Gophers have also covered the point spread in 6 straight games when playing with revenge for a loss on the road. 10* CBB Wednesday Night Discounted Deal with the Minnesota Golden Gophers (708) minus the points versus the Indiana Hoosiers (707). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the North Texas Mean Green (700) plus the points versus the Florida Atlantic Owls (699). THE SITUATION: North Texas (16-12) has won two games in a row after their 84-69 victory against East Carolina as a 9-point favorite on Sunday. Florida Atlantic (22-7) has won two of their last three games after their 79-73 victory against Tulane as a 16.5-point favorite on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MEAN GREEN MINUS THE POINTS: Even in victory, North Texas allowed the Pirates to make 53.2% of their shots in what was the worst defensive effort of their season. The Mean Green have then covered the point spread in 17 of their last 24 games after a double-digit victory — and they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games after a win by 10 or more points on their home court. They have also covered the point spread in 20 of their last 29 games after winning two or more games in a row. North Texas stays at home where they have an 11-3 record with an average winning margin of +12.5 Points-Per-Game. The Mean Green ranks fifth in the nation by making 42.2% of their 3-pointers when playing at home. They also rank third in the American Athletic Conference by pulling down 37.0% of their missed shots when playing at home. They also rank third in the conference in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency in AAC action. They are holding their opponents to 39.5% shooting including a 31.1% mark from behind the arc resulting in 61.6 Points-Per-Game. North Texas has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games on their home court. They have also covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games against teams winning 60-80% of their games — and they have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 20 games as an underdog. FAU has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games after a straight-up win against a conference rival — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 10 games after a straight-up victory at home where they did not cover the point spread as the favorite. Now the Owls go back on the road where they have lost six of their seven games this season. They rank 252nd in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing in hostile environments. They also rank 247th in the nation by allowing their home hosts to rebound 31.2% of their missed shots. FAU has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 24 of their last 35 road games as a favorite or as a pick ‘em. The Owls are scoring -6.3 points per 100 adjusted possessions in hostile environments while allowing their home hosts to score +9.6 more points per 100 adjusted points — and those marks represent the 355th worst drop in terms of Adjusted Net Efficiency in the nation.

FINAL TAKE: The Mean Green are motivated to avenge a 66-63 loss at FAU as a 9.5-point underdog back on January 28th — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games when avenging a loss on the road. 10* CBB Don’t Need the Points (but take the points) Underdog Special with the North Texas Mean Green (700) plus the points versus the Florida Atlantic Owls (699). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 11:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (654) plus the points versus the San Diego State Aztecs (653). THE SITUATION: UNLV (18-10) has won four games in a row as well as nine of their last ten contests after their 68-50 victory against San Jose State as a 13.5-point favorite on Saturday. San Diego State (22-7) has won two games in a row after their 72-64 win against San Jose State as a 21.5-point favorite last Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RUNNIN’ REBELS PLUS THE POINTS: UNLV should continue their big momentum tonight as they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 4 straight games after a win at home by double-digits. They have also covered the point spread in 13 of their last 17 games when playing for the second time in seven days. They have a 10-4 record on their home court with an average winning margin of +9.7 Points-Per-Game. The Runnin’ Rebels have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games at home. They have also covered the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games in conference play. Over their last ten games, they rank 36th in Adjusted Net Efficiency — and this improvement has been fueled on the defensive end of the court where they rank eighth in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency in those ten games. San Diego State has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after a win against a Mountain West Conference rival — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after winning two games in a row against a conference opponent. They have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games after winning three of their last four games. And while they have only covered the point spread once in their last three games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 27 games after failing to cover the point spread in two of their last three games. All seven of their losses are away from home this season — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games on the road.   

FINAL TAKE: San Diego State won the first meeting between these two teams by a 72-61 score on January 6th — but the Runnin’ Rebels have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games when playing with revenge. 8* CBB Tuesday Late Show Bailout with the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (654) plus the points versus the San Diego State Aztecs (653). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders (635) and the Oklahoma State Cowboys (636). THE SITUATION: Texas Tech (20-9) snapped their two-game winning streak with an 81-70 victory as a 2.5-point favorite on Sunday. Oklahoma State (12-17) has lost three games in a row with their 81-65 loss at Texas as a 10-point underdog on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Red Raiders rank 20th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency — but they are 12th in the Big 12 in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They have played 23 of their last 35 games Over the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 18 of their last 25 games Over the Total after a point spread win. And while their game with the Mountaineers finished just Under the 151.5-point total, Texas Tech has played 10 straight Over on the road after playing an Under in their last game. They stay on the road where they are making 46.2% of their shots including 39.1% of their 3-pointers resulting in 74.5 Points-Per-Game. But the Red Raiders are allowing their opponents to make 46.1% of their shots including 38.6% of their 3-pointers resulting in 76.0 PPG. Texas Tech has covered the point spread in 13 of their last 18 games Over the Total on the road — and they have played 10 of their last 13 games Over the Total with the Total set in the 140s. Oklahoma State (12-17) has played 9 of their last 12 games Over the Total after allowing 80 or more points in their last game. They return home where they are making 47.3% of their shots including 37.1% of their 3-pointers resulting in 76.9 PPG. They are scoring +5.1 PPG and making +2.7% of their shots at home. The Cowboys have played 11 of their last 17 games Over the Total on their home court. They have also played 9 of their last 14 games Over the Total as an underdog — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total when listed in the +/- 3-point range.

FINAL TAKE: Oklahoma State wants to avenge a 90-73 loss to the Red Raiders as a 7.5-point underdog on January 9th — and they have played 7 of their last 11 games Over the Total when playing with revenge. 10* CBB Tuesday Night Discounted O/U Deal with Over the Total in the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders (635) and the Oklahoma State Cowboys (636). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Eastern Kentucky Colonels (306510) minus the points versus the Jacksonville Dolphins (306509) in the Quarterfinals of the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament. THE SITUATION: Eastern Kentucky (17-13) has lost two games in a row after their 81-67 loss at Lipscomb as a 3.5-point underdog on Friday. Jacksonville (15-16) snapped their two-game losing streak before their 92-86 upset win at Kennesaw State as a 2.5-point underdog in the first round of this tournament last night.

REASONS TO TAKE THE COLONELS MINUS THE POINTS: The Dolphins broke out by making 50.0% of their shots last night in what was the best shooting effort in their last 22 games. They nailed 13 of their 21 shots 61.9% from behind the arc in that game — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 15 games after making 50% or more of their 3-pointers in their last game. That performance was well out of character for this Jacksonville team that ranks last in the Atlantic Sun in both Adjusted Offensive Efficiency and their 47.3% effective field goal percentage. They rank 281st in the nation by making only 30.3% of their shots from behind the arc. I hate the situation the Dolphins are now in having to travel from Georgia to Kentucky without a day of rest as this tournament continues. As it is, Jacksonville has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games when playing with one day or less of rest — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight road games when playing for the second time in three days or less. Additionally, they have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 13 games after a straight-up win on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after a point spread victory. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after allowing 80 or more points in their last contest. The Dolphins are just 3-13 away from home — and they rank 330th in the nation and last in the Atlantic Sun in Adjusted Net Efficiency in hostile environments. Jacksonville has failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread on the road with the Total set in the 140s. They have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 14 road games as an underdog or as a pick ‘em. They face an angry Eastern Kentucky team that only made 39.7% of their shots last Friday which was the worst shooting effort in their last nine games. The Colonels have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games after a loss on the road -- and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a double-digit loss on the road. And while they have not covered the point spread in their last four games, they have then covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after not covering the point spread in four or more games in a row. Eastern Kentucky returns where they have a 10-3 record with an average winning margin of 14.3 Points-Per-Game. They rank 203rd in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency on their home court (not bad for a low mid-major) while leading the Atlantic Sun in that metric. They are scoring 87.1 PPG at home from 48.7% shooting from the field and a 38.4% clip from behind the arc, ranking 42nd in the nation. The Dolphins play pretty good defense — but they rank 313th in the nation by allowing their home hosts to make 38.1% of their 3-pointers. The Colonels have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 15 home games with the Total set in the 140s — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 16 home games when favored by 6.5 to 12 points. Eastern Kentucky ranks third in the conference in both Adjusted Offensive Efficiency and Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games in March. They also lead the Atlantic Sun with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 42.7%.

FINAL TAKE: Jacksonville wants to avenge a 75-59 loss at Eastern Kentucky as an 11-point underdog on January 25th — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 opportunities for revenge from a loss where they did not score more than 60 points. 25* CBB Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament Game of the Year with the Eastern Kentucky Colonels (306510) minus the points versus the Jacksonville Dolphins (306509). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (884) versus the Northern Colorado Bears (883). THE SITUATION: Northern Arizona (14-17) has lost two of their last three games after their 85-58 loss at Weber State as a 12.5-point underdog on Saturday. Northern Colorado (18-12) snapped a two-game losing streak with an 81-79 upset victory against Idaho State as a 2-point underdog on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE LUMBERJACKS PLUS THE POINTS: Northern Arizona only made 31.5% of their shots on Saturday which was the worst shooting effort in their last 15 games. They also allowed the Wildcats to make 50.8% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in their last seven contests. The Lumberjacks should bounce back tonight — they have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 17 games after a double-digit loss to a Big Sky Conference rival including five of those last seven circumstances this season. They have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 13 games after losing two of their last three games. They return home where they have a 7-4 record this season while holding their opponents to just 43.9% shooting including a 30.2% mark from behind the arc. Northern Arizona plays solid half-court defense when playing at home — they rank fourth in the Big Sky with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 49.9% on their home court and they rank in the top-four in both 3-point defense and 2-point defense at home in conference play. The Lumberjacks have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games at home as an underdog or a pick ‘em — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 13 home games as an underdog of up to six points or as a pick ‘em. Head coach Shane Burcar led his team to a big March run last year — they reached the Big Sky Conference Tournament Championship Game despite a 5-13 record in conference play in the regular season. Under Burcar, Northern Arizona has covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games in March. They have also covered the point spread in 29 of their last 47 games as an underdog. They now host a Northern Colorado team that is a vulnerable road favorite. The Bears rank 323rd in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing in hostile environments — and they rank eighth in the Big Sky in that category when on the road. They have a 7-9 record on the road while getting outscored by -1.2 Points-Per-Game. They allow their home hosts to score 81.9 PPG while making 47.2% of their shots including 37.0% of their 3-pointers, ranking 287th in the nation when assessing play on the road. They rank 304th in the nation with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 54.8%. Northern Colorado has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 road games as a favorite or as a pick ‘em — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 road games as a favorite of up to six points or as a pick ‘em. They made 60.0% of their shots on Saturday against the Bengals which was the best shooting effort in their last six contests. They have scored 81 points in two straight contests — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after scoring 80 or more points in two or more games in a row. And while they have covered the point spread in three of their last four games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 15 games after covering the point spread in three of their last four games. The Lumberjacks are vulnerable against good offensive rebounding teams — but that is not the Bears who rank 307th in the nation in that category. And while Northern Arizona only makes 43.6% of their shots, the Bears have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after 15 games into the season against teams who are not making more than 45% of their shots.

FINAL TAKE: Northern Arizona looks to avenge a 92-87 loss at Northern Colorado on December 30th — and they have covered the point spread in 3 of their 4 games this season when playing with revenge from a loss by 10 or more points. The Lumberjacks have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games after 15 games into the season against teams winning 51-60% of their games. 25* CBB Big Sky Conference Underdog of the Year with the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (884) versus the Northern Colorado Bears (883). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:00 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Iona Gaels (833) and the Marist Red Foxes (834). THE SITUATION: Iona (13-15) has lost four games in a row after their 82-64 upset loss to Quinnipiac as a 3.5-point favorite on Thursday. Marist (16-10) won for the sixth time in their last seven games in a 58-55 upset victory against Fairfield as a 1.5-point underdog on Thursday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Gaels are only making 38.6% of their shots in their last five games resulting in 66.0 Points-Per-Game — and those marks are -4.4% and 6.6 PPG below their season average. This slumping Iona team has not scored more than 65 points in three of their last four games. The Gaels have played 15 of their last 18 games Under the Total on the road after a loss by double-digits to a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference rival. And while they have suffered upset losses in two straight games, they have then played 29 of their last 44 games Under the Total after losing two games in a row to a conference opponent. They have not covered the point spread in six straight games — and they have played 11 of their last 14 games Under the Total after failing to cover the point spread in five or six of their last seven games. They go back on the road where they rank 242nd in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency when playing in hostile environments. But Iona does play better on the other end of the court when playing in true road games. They rank 86th in the nation in the Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing in hostile environments — and the adjusted -7.3 points per 100 possessions they give up in hostile environments represents the 16th improvement in the nation. The Gaels have played 7 of their last 11 games Under the Total on the road — and they have played 13 of their last 18 games Under the Total with the Total set in the 130s. Marist has played 13 of their last 19 games Under the Total with the Total set in the 130s. The Red Foxes made 40.4% of their shots on Thursday which was the best shooting mark in their last three games. Marist has not scored more than 60 points in three straight games — and they have played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total after not scoring more than 60 points in two or more games in a row. They have also played 9 of their last 11 games Under the Total at home after not scoring more than 60 points in their last game. But the Red Foxes are playing outstanding defense right now. They have held five of their last seven opponents to no more than 55 points — and their last five opponents are only making 37.0% of their shots resulting in 58.2 PPG. They held the Stags to just 28.3% shooting on Thursday — and they have played 10 of their last 13 games Under the Total after not allowing more than 60 points in their last game. Additionally, Marist has played 11 of their last 15 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 7 straight games Under the Total after a straight-up victory on their home court. The Red Foxes lead the MAAC in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they stay at home this afternoon where they hold their guests to just 37.3% shooting and a 30.1% clip from behind the arc resulting in 57.6 PPG. They are only scoring 65.5 PPG from a 44.4% shooting percentage when playing at home. Marist has played 9 of their last 11 home games Under the Total — and they have played 6 of their last 8 home games Under the Total when favored by 3.5 to 6 points.

FINAL TAKE: Marist won the first meeting between these two teams by a 68-64 score back on November 29th despite being a 7.5-point underdog. Iona has played 4 straight games Under the Total when playing with revenge. 10* CBB Sunday Daily Discounted Deal with Under the Total in the game between the Iona Gaels (833) and the Marist Red Foxes (834). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Alabama Crimson Tide (772) minus the points versus the Tennessee Volunteers (771). THE SITUATION: Alabama (20-8) has won four of their last five games after their 103-88 victory at Mississippi as a 5.5-point favorite on Wednesday. Tennessee (22-6) has won five games in a row after their 92-84 victory against Auburn as a 7-point favorite on Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CRIMSON TIDE MINUS THE POINTS: Alabama has covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games at home after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 4 straight games after a straight-up win on the road. They have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 home games when playing for the second time in seven days. The Crimson Tide lead the nation in Adjusted Offense Efficiency. They have scored 80 or more points in nine straight games — and they have scored 90 or more points in five straight contests. They return home where they rank seventh in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency. Alabama has a 14-1 record on their home court with an average winning margin of +25.2 Points-Per-Game. They are making 50.1% of their shots on their home court including 41.1 of their 3-pointers which ranks 15th best in the nation. And after allowing Kentucky and then Ole Miss to make 63.1% and 51.9% of their shots against them, they come back home where they are holding their guests to 39.7% shooting including a 28.3% mark from behind the arc resulting in 70.6 PPG. The Crimson Tide has covered the point spread in 12 of their last 15 games at home — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 home games with the Total set at 160 or higher. They have also covered the point spread in 15 of their last 20 games when favored. Tennessee has failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 16 road games after a straight-up win at home. And while they have won and covered the point spread in their last two games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 7 straight games on the road after covering the point spread as the favorite in two or more games in a row. They scored 86 or more points in both of those games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games after scoring 85 or more points in two or more games in a row. And while the Volunteers have covered the point spread in four of their last five games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 8 straight games on the road after covering the point spread in four or five of their last six games. Tennessee ranks fourth in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing at home, they go back on the road where they drop to 17th in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing in hostile environments. The Volunteers rank 228th in the nation in putting their opponents on the free throw line in true road games. They also rank 276th in the nation by allowing their home hosts to make 36.5% of their 3-pointers. Tennessee has failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 road games as an underdog of up to six points or as a pick ‘em.

FINAL TAKE: The Crimson Ride will be motivated to avenge a 91-71 loss at Tennessee in their lowest-scoring game of the season as they missed 17 of their 21 shots from behind the arc. But Alabama has still covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after 15 games into the season against teams with a winning record. Tennessee has failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 16 games as an underdog. 10* CBB Tennessee-Alabama ESPN Special with the Alabama Crimson Tide (772) minus the points versus the Tennessee Volunteers (771). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 6:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders (721) and the West Virginia Mountaineers (722). THE SITUATION: Texas Tech (19-9) has lost three of their last four games after their 81-69 upset loss at home against Texas as a 3.5-point favorite on Tuesday. West Virginia (9-19) has lost six of their last seven contests after their 94-90 loss in overtime at Kansas State as a 9.5-point underdog on Monday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Red Raiders only made 35.6% of their shots against the Longhorns which was the worst shooting effort of their season. Texas Tech has played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total after a double-digit loss to a Big 12 rival. They have also played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total after allowing 80 or more points in their last game. And in their last 22 games when playing for just the second time in seven days, they have played 16 of those games Over the Total. The Red Raiders go back on the road where they rank 22nd in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency in true road games. They are making 46.1% of their shots in hostile environments resulting in 74.0 Points-Per-Game — and they rank fifth in the nation by making 41.0% of their shots in true road games. Their effective field goal percentage of 56.6% in hostile environments ranks fourth best in the nation. But Texas Tech’s play on defense is faltering. They rank 77th in the nation and 12th in the Big 12 in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They have allowed their last five opponents to score 73.8 PPG which is +4.4 PPG above their season average. On the road, they are allowing their home hosts to make 45.8% of their shots including 41.4% of their 3-pointers, ranking 355th worst in the nation. Overall, the Red Raiders are giving up 76.5 PPG in true road games — and they rank 215th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency in hostile environments. West Virginia made only 39.0% of their shots against the Wildcats which was the worst shooting effort in their last four contests. The Mountaineers have then played 6 of their last 9 games Over the Total after a loss to a Big 12 rival — and they have played 26 of their last 38 games Over the Total after losing four or five of their last six games. This team also struggles on the defensive end of the court. They are last in the Big 12 and 131st in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They are allowing 81.4 PPG in their last five games which is +6.3 PPG above their season average. But they are also scoring 75.4 PPG in those previous five games — and that mark is +6.0 PPG above their season average. West Virginia returns home where they have played 19 of their last 27 games Over the Total. They have also played 7 of their last 8 home games Over the Total at home as an underdog or as a pick ‘em. The Mountaineers rank 40th in the nation in getting to the free throw line when playing at home — and the 72.2 PPG they are scoring at home is +2.8 PPG above their season average.

FINAL TAKE: West Virginia has played 11 of their last 14 home games Over the Total after 15 games into the season against teams with a winning record. Texas Tech has played 25 of their last 36 road games Over the Total against teams with a losing record — and they have played 14 of their last 19 games Over the Total when listed in the +/- 3-point range. 10* CBB Saturday Daily Discounted O/U Deal with Over the Total in the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders (721) and the West Virginia Mountaineers (722). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the UNC-Asheville Bulldogs (306581) and the Radford Highlanders (306582). THE SITUATION: UNC-Asheville (19-11) saw their five-game winning streak snapped in a 78-77 upset loss at home against Gardner-Webb as a 5.5-point favorite last Saturday. Radford (15-15) had their two-game winning streak end in a 58-57 upset loss at Charleston Southern as a 5.5-point favorite on Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Bulldogs made 50% of their shots in their loss last week which was actually the worst shooting effort in their last three games. UNC-Asheville has played 19 of their last 28 games Over the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total after a straight-up loss at home. They have also played 9 of their last 10 games Over the Total after an upset loss — and they have played 5 straight Overs after an upset loss to a Big South rival. And while that game with Gardner-Webb finished Over the 1553.5-point total, they have then played 9 of their last 14 games Over the Total after playing an Over in their last contest. The Bulldogs lead the Big South with an effective field goal percentage of 55.9% — and they rank 22nd in the nation by making 37.5% of their 3-pointers. They also rank 11th in the nation in getting to the free throw line. Now they go back on the road where they are scoring 75.9 Points-Per-Game -- fueled by the sixth-best free throw rate when playing in hostile environments. They also rank 47th in the nation by making 37.0% of their shots from behind the arc when on the road. But UNC-Asheville ranks 208th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they plummet to 307th in that nation in that metric when playing on the road in hostile environments. The adjusted +8.3 points per 100 possessions they allow in hostile environments represents the 339th worst spike in the country. They are giving up 78.8 PPG in those games. The Bulldogs have played 7 of their last 11 games Over the Total on the road — and they have played 6 of their last 8 road games Over the Total as an underdog or a pick ‘em. The Highlanders make 46.5% of their shots — and UNC-Asheville has played 7 of their last 9 games Over the Total after 15 games into the season against teams making 45% or more of their shots. Radford made only 41.8% of their shots on Wednesday in what was the worst shooting effort in their last seven contests. They still rank third in the Big South in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency — and they are still making 49.3% of their shots in their last five games. More surprisingly, they held Charleston Southern to 35.9% shooting which was the best defensive effort in their last eight contests. The Highlanders rank 312th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency while ranking last in the Big South in that category. Radford has played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total after a loss by three points or less — and they have played 7 of their last 9 games Over the Total after a straight-up loss on the road. They have only covered the point spread twice in their last eight games — and they have played 8 straight Overs after failing to cover the point spread in six or seven of their last eight games. They return home where they are scoring 76.2 PPG on 49.5% shooting — and those marks are +3.4 PPG and +3.0% above their season average. The Highlanders rank 14th in the nation by making 41.2% of their shots from behind the arc when playing on their home court. But they also rank 323rd in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing at home — and the +5.4 adjusted points per 100 possessions they allow represents the 318th biggest jump when assessing home court play. Radford has played 5 of their last 7 home games Over the Total as a favorite of three points or less or as a pick ‘em. They have played 9 of their last 11 games Over the Total against teams with a winning record. And while the Bulldogs average eight made 3s per game, the Highlanders have played 12 of their last 14 games Over the Total against teams who make eight or more 3s per game.

FINAL TAKE: Radford has played 11 of their last 14 games Over the Total with the Total set in the 140s — and they have played 8 of their last 9 home games Over the Total with the Total set in the 140s. They have also played 6 straight Overs when listed in the +/- 3-point range — and they have played 7 of their last 9 home games Over the Total when listed in the +/- 3-point range. UNC-Asheville has played 10 of their last 15 road games Over the Total when listed in the +/- 3-point range. They have also played 12 of their last 19 games Over the Total on the road with the Total set in the 140s. 25* CBB Big South Conference Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the UNC-Asheville Bulldogs (306581) and the Radford Highlanders (306582). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Old Dominion Monarchs (861) and the Georgia Southern Eagles (862). THE SITUATION: Old Dominion (7-23) has lost seven of their last eight games after their 89-64 loss at Appalachian State as a 14.5-point underdog on  Wednesday. Georgia Southern (7-23) has won two of their last three games after their 87-73 victory as a 1.5-point favorite on Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Old Dominion plays at a fast pace — they rank 57th in the nation in Adjusted Possessions per Game while ranking 46th in their Average Possession Length. They have been playing even quicker in conference play as they lead the Sun Belt with 72.5 Adjusted Possessions per Game while averaging 16.2 Seconds per Possession. The Monarchs have played 6 of their last 9 games Over the Total after a straight-up loss on the road. They have also played 8 of their last 10 games Over the Total on the after a straight-up loss — and they have played 8 of their last 10 games on the road Over the Total after a point spread loss. They stay on the road where they have played 9 of their last 12 games Over the Total — and they have played 7 of their last 9 road games Over the Total as an underdog or pick ‘em. Old Dominion ranks 214th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they drop to ranking 312th in the nation in that metric when playing in hostile environments. Furthermore, they rank 233rd in the nation in their drop in Adjusted Net Defensive Efficiency when playing in hostile environments. They are allowing their home hosts to make 46.3% of their shots resulting in 82.5 Points-Per-Game — and they are scoring 73.2 PPG in those road games. The Monarchs’ Adjusted Offensive Efficiency rises by 5.5 points when they are playing in hostile environments — and that bump ranks as the 38th biggest jump in the nation. Old Dominion has also played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total against teams winning 20-40% of their games. Georgia Southern played their best defensive game in their last nine contests by holding the Thundering Herd to 73 points. The Eagles rank 342nd in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. But by making 56.9% of their shots in that game on Wednesday, they made at least 50.9% of their shots for the third time in their last four games. Georgia Southern has scored at least 80 points in three of their last four games. They are making 48.2% of their shots in their last five contests resulting in 80.0 PPG. They have played 35 of their last 54 home games Over the Total after scoring at least 85 points in their last game. They have played 9 of their last 11 home games Over the Total after a win against a Sun Belt Conference rival — and they have played 10 of their last 12 games over the Total after a victory by ten or more points. They have also played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total when playing with one day of rest. They stay at home where they are making 47.1% of their shots including 41.0% of their 3-pointers resulting in 76.5 PPG. They are scoring +11.2 more points per 100 possessions when playing at home — and that rise in efficiency is the sixth largest for home courts in the nation. Georgia Southern has played 9 of their last 12 games Over the Total on their home court — and they have played 10 of their last 14 home games Over the Total as a favorite of up to six points or as a pick ‘em.   

FINAL TAKE: Old Dominion only makes 41.9% of their shots but they average 62 shot attempts per game. The Eagles have played 11 of their last 14 games Over the Total after 15 games into the season against teams who average at least 62 shots per game — and they have played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total against teams who are not making more than 42% of their shots. 25* CBB Sun Belt Conference Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Old Dominion Monarchs (861) and the Georgia Southern Eagles (862). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Towson Tigers (779) and the North Carolina A&T Aggies (780). THE SITUATION: Towson (17-12) has lost two of their last three games after their 72-56 loss to the College of Charleston as a 1.5-point underdog on Saturday. North Carolina A&T (7-22) has lost seven straight games after their 83-67 loss at Monmouth as an 11-point underdog on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Tigers allowed the Cougars to nail 54.3% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in their last five games — and the 72 points they gave up was the most they had allowed in five straight contests. Towson still leads the Colonial Athletic Association in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they have still held their last five opponents to just 40.2% shooting from the field resulting in only 61.4 Points-Per-Game. The Tigers should tighten things up on defense tonight — they have played 8 of their last 12 games Under the Total after a loss by double-digits and they have played 4 straight Unders after a loss by 15 or more points. But Towson can struggle to score points. They rank 227th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency — and they are just eighth in the conference in that category. They go back on the road where they are only making 38.4% of their shots resulting in just 62.3 PPG. The Tigers have played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total on the road — and they have played 5 of their last 6 road games Under the Total when favored by double-digits. UNC A&T only made 28.3% of their shots on Saturday — but that was only their second-lowest field goal percentage in their last five games in a span where they have not shot better than 38.2% from the field. In their last five games, the Aggies are making only 32.4% of their shots resulting in just 57.6 PPG. They are last in the Colonial Athletic Association and 323rd in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. The 67 points they scored was their highest total in their last nine contests. UNC A&T has then played 10 of their last 11 home games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 7 straight home games Under the Total after a double-digit loss. They have also played 10 of their last 12 games at home Under the Total after allowing 80 or more points in their last contest — and they have played 8 of their last 9 home games Under the Total after losing six or seven of their last eight contests. They return home where they are holding their opponents to 45.1% shooting resulting in 68.5 PPG — and those marks are -3.2% and -9.7 PPG lower than their season averages. The Aggies have played 9 of their last 10 games Under the Total on their home court — and they have played 8 of their last 9 home games Under the Total as an underdog or pick ‘em.

FINAL TAKE: Neither of these teams can shoot the basketball. Towson ranks 314th in the nation with an effective field goal percentage (eFG) of 46.7% and UNC A&T ranks 355th with an eFG of 44.2%. The Tigers have played 16 of their last 22 road games Under the Total with the Total set in the 130s — and the Aggies have played 7 of their last 10 home games Under the Total with the Total set in the 130s. 25* CBB Colonial Athletic Association Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Towson Tigers (779) and the North Carolina A&T Aggies (780). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Iowa State Cyclones (738) minus the points versus the Oklahoma Sooners (737). THE SITUATION: Iowa State (21-6) has won five of their last six games after their 71-64 victory against West Virginia as an 18-point favorite on Saturday. Oklahoma (84-82) snapped a two-game losing streak in an 84-82 upset win in overtime at Oklahoma State as a 1.5-point underdog on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CYCLONES MINUS THE POINTS: Iowa State was flat against the Mountaineers over the weekend as they allowed them to make 47.8% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in their last nine games. Despite that performance, the Cyclones still rank third in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. Iowa State has covered the point spread in 21 of their last 28 home games after a straight-up win where they did not cover the point spread as the favorite. They have also covered the points spread in 13 of their last 19 games after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a straight-up win against a Big 12 rival. And while this is just their second game since last Monday, they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games when play for the second time in eight or more days. The Cyclones stay at home where they have a 16-0 record with an average winning margin of +25.8 Points-Per-Game — and they rank third in the nation in Net Efficiency Margin when looking only at home court advantages. They are making 49.9% of their shots at home including 39.1% of their 3-pointers which is the 32nd-best mark in the nation — resulting in 82.9 PPG. On the other end of the court, they are holding their guests to just 38.7% shooting including a 31.2% mark from behind the arc resulting in just 57.1 PPG. They also rank third in the nation by forcing turnovers in 27.0% of their opponent’s possessions — and they should force plenty of turnovers against this Sooners team that ranks 222nd in the nation by turning the ball over in 17.7% of their possessions. Iowa State has covered the point spread in 13 of their last 16 games on their home court — and they have covered the point spread in 8 straight home games with the Total set in the 130s. They have also covered the point spread in 7 straight games after 15 games into the season against teams who are winning 60-80% of their games. Oklahoma nailed 50.7% of their shots on Saturday which was the best shooting effort in their last 15 games. But the Sooners have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a straight-up win against a Big 12 rival — and they have failed to cover the point spread in all 3 of their previous games this season after pulling off an upset victory. Oklahoma did allow the Cowboys to make 57.4% of their shots in that game — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 18 games after allowing their previous opponent to make 55% or more of their shots. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after giving up 80 or more points in their last game. They stay on the road where they have a 6-5 record with an average losing margin of -1.1 PPG — but their drop in Net Adjusted Efficiency when playing in a hostile environment presents the 243rd biggest discrepancy in the nation relative to their play at home. They only make 44.9% of their shots on the road in hostile environments including just 29.4% of their 3-pointers which is the 306th lowest mark in the nation. Oklahoma ranks 206nd in the nation with an effective field goal percentage (eFG) of 48.4% — and that drop compared to their eFG when at home or on a neutral court of -6.8% is the 332nd biggest discrepancy in the nation. On defense, the Sooners are allowing +9.4 more adjusted points per 100 possessions when playing in a hostile environment which is the 344th worst discrepancy versus their defensive efficiency at home or on a neutral court. Oklahoma has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after 15 games into the season against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: Iowa State wants to avenge a 71-63 loss at Oklahoma back on January 6th — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 opportunities for revenge from a loss on the road. 25* College Basketball Game of the Month is with the Iowa State Cyclones (738) minus the points versus the Oklahoma Sooners (737). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Pittsburgh Panthers (631) and the Clemson Tigers (632). THE SITUATION: Pittsburgh (18-9) has won six of their last seven games after their 79-64 victory at Virginia Tech as a 3-point favorite on Saturday. Clemson (19-8) has won five of their last six games with their 74-63 win against Florida State as a 10-point favorite on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Panthers held the Hokies to just 40.7% shooting which was the best defensive effort in their last five games. But Pittsburgh is vulnerable on the defensive end of the court — especially in the interior where they rank 13th in the ACC by allowing their opponents to make 53.3% of their 2-point shots. And in their true road games, they allow their home hosts to make 56.3% of their shots inside the arc, ranking 329th in the nation.  The Tigers' big man P.J. Hall should have a big night — he is scoring 18.7 Points-Per-Game while making more than 68% of his shots in the paint. Clemson ranks 38th in the nation by making 54.4% of their shots inside the arc. The Panthers have played 17 of their last 24 games Over the Total after a straight-up win at home — and they have played 13 of their last 18 games Over the Total after a double-digit win at home. They have also played 8 of their last 9 games Over the Total after a win by 15 or more points on their home court. Additionally, while Pitt has covered the point spread in five of their last six games, they have then played 17 of their last 24 games Over the Total after covering the point spread in five or six of their last seven games. And while they have won eight of their last ten games, they have then played 8 of their last 9 games Over the Total after winning at least eight of their last ten games. The Panthers rank just eighth in the ACC in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they have allowed their last five opponents to make 48.3% of their shots. But Pitt can put up points as they take advantage of most of their possessions and launch tons of 3s. They rank 18th in the nation by turning the ball over in just 14.2% of their possessions. They also rank 25th in the nation by taking 45.0% of their shots from behind the arc. On the road, they are scoring 72.9 PPG — and they rank 14th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency when playing in hostile environments. They are scoring +9.1 more points per 100 possessions when playing on the road when compared to their Adjusted Offensive Efficiency when playing at home. The Panthers have played 6 of their last 9 games on the road Over the Total. And while the Tigers hold their opponents to 41.4% shooting, Pitt has played 14 of their last 19 games Over the Total against teams who hold their opponents to no higher than 42% shooting from the field. Clemson held the Seminoles to just 36.9% shooting on Saturday on the heels of limiting Georgia Tech to a 30.2% field goal percentage last Wednesday — but they have then played 6 straight Overs after holding their last two opponents to no higher than 37% shooting. They only made 44.0% of their shots on Saturday which was the worst shooting effort in their last five contests. But the Tigers are still making 49.8% of their shots in their also five games — and they rank 18th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. Clemson has played 8 of their last 9 games Over the Total after a straight-up win at home — and they have played 7 straight Overs after a double-digit win at home. They have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after winning four of their last five games. And while they have played two straight games Under the Total, they have then played 10 of their last 13 games Over the Total after playing two or more Unders in a row. They return home where they are allowing +1.9 more points per possession per 100 possessions in adjusted numbers — and that number ranks 245th in the largest home/road discrepancy. They are scoring 80.3 PPG at home — and they have played 12 of their last 19 home games over the Total with the Total set in the 140s. Additionally, Clemson has played 10 of their last 12 home games Over the Total in February. And while the Panthers are outscoring their opponents by +6.0 PPG, the Tigers have played 10 of their last 15 games Over the Total against teams outscoring their opponents by +4.0 or more PPG.

FINAL TAKE: Pittsburgh looks to avenge a 79-70 upset loss at home to Clemson as a 4.5-point underdog back on December 3rd — and they have played 5 of their last 6 opportunities for revenge Over the Total. The Panthers have also played 11 of their last 16 games Over the Total when playing with revenge from a loss at home to their opponent. 25* CBB ACC Total of the Month with Over the Total in the game between the Pittsburgh Panthers (631) and the Clemson Tigers (632). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:30 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks (887) and the Campbell Camels (888). THE SITUATION: UNC-Wilmington (20-7)  has won six of their last seven games after their 81-65 victory at William & Mary as an 11-point favorite on Thursday. Campbell (12-16) has lost three games in a row and five of their last six contests after their 72-68 upset loss against Hampton as a 9.5-point favorite on Thursday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Seahawks made 49.1% of their shots against the Tribe which was the fifth straight game where they nailed at least 47.5% of their shots. They are making 51.4% of their shots in their last five games which is up 4.9% over their season average. UNC-Wilmington has played 4 straight Overs after making 47% or more of their shots in three or more games in a row. They have also played 6 of their last 9 games Over the Total after a double-digit win — and they have played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a win by 15 or more points. And in their last 9 games after scoring 80 or more points, they have played 6 of those games Over the Total. This is just their second game since last Saturday — and they have played 16 of their last 23 road games Over the Total when playing for just the second time in the last seven days. The Seahawks usually get the most out of each possession as they rank third in the country by turning the ball over in just 12.7% of their possessions. They are second in the Colonial Athletic Association in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. They stay on the road where they are scoring 77.0 Points-Per-Game. They average 67.2 adjusted possessions per game which is +3.1 more possessions than what they average when playing at home with that slower pace. UNC-Wilmington has played 22 of their last 29 road games Over the Total with the Total set from 145 to 149.5. They have also played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total on the road as a favorite in the 6.5-12 point range. Campbell only made 37.5% of their shots last Thursday which was the worst shooting effort in their last nine contests. And by holding the Pirates to 41.0% shooting, they played their best defensive game in their last eight contests. That final score flew Under the 148.5-point total — but the Camels have played 14 of their last 17 games Over the Total after playing an Under in their last game. They have also played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total after a straight-up loss to a conference rival. Despite that good effort against Hampton, Campbell has allowed their last five opponents to make 45.8% of their shots resulting in 80.8 PPG — and those marks are +2.5% and +10.8 PPG above their season averages. The Camels stay at home where they have played 7 of their last 11 games Over the Total — and they have played 4 of their last 5 home games as an underdog or a pick ‘em.

FINAL TAKE: Campbell wants to avenge a 77-74 loss at UNC-Wilmington back on February 3rd — and they have played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total when playing with revenge. They have also played 10 of their last 13 games Over the Total when avenging a loss on the road. 10* CBB Monday Night Discounted O/U Deal with Over the Total in the game between the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks (887) and the Campbell Camels (888). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:30 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Coppin State Eagles (306639) and the Howard Bison (306640). THE SITUATION: Coppin State (2-22) has lost eight games in a row after their 68-66 loss to Norfolk State as a 12-point underdog on Saturday. Howard (12-15) has won three of their last four games after their 78-72 victory against Morgan State as a 10.5-point favorite on Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Eagles are far away from being one of the best teams in college basketball — and it starts with their offense where they rank last in Division I in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. They rank third to the bottom in Division I with their effective field goal percentage of 40.3. They only made 32.7% of their shots on Saturday in their narrow loss — and while I like to fade outlier shooting efforts like that in a team’s next game, that shooting performance was only tied for their sixth-lowest mark of the season. Coppin State has played 15 of their last 21 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss at home. They only scored 24 points in the first half on Saturday — and they have played 11 of their last 13 games Under the Total after failing to score more than 25 points in the first half of their last game. They have also played 10 of their last 13 games Under the Total after losing two or more games in a row. They go back on the road where the adjusted efficiency numbers project them to score -10.5 fewer points per 100 possessions than they do when playing at home. They are only making 36.0% of their shots away from home including 26.0% of their shots from behind the arc resulting in only 53.3 Points-Per-Game. Coppin State has played 10 of their last 15 games Under the Total on the road. Additionally, they have played 11 of their last 15 games Under the Total as a double-digit underdog — and they have played 10 of their last 13 games Under the Total on the road as an underdog getting 12.5 to 18 points. If there is one thing that the Eagles do well, it is force turnovers — they rank 16th in the nation by forcing turnovers in 21.9% of their opponent’s possessions. The Bison are vulnerable in this area since they turn the ball over in 21.3% of their possessions, ranking 350th in the nation. Taking away Howard’s scoring opportunities should keep the score of this game down. Coppin State also plays at a slow pace — their games average 66.4 adjusted possessions per game, ranking 264th in the nation. The Eagles have played 9 of their last 12 games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage in the 40-49% range. Howard has played 14 of their last 19 games Under the Total after winning two of their last three games. And while they have played their last two games Under the Total, they have then played 8 of their last 12 games Under the Total after playing two or more Unders in a row. They stay at home where they hold their opponents to just 42.9% shooting including a 31.4% clip from behind the arc. And while the Bison are a good shooting team at home, they are going to lose possessions to this Eagles team because they turn the ball over in 22.4% of their possessions when playing at home, ranking 359th in the nation. Howard has played 5 of their last 7 home games Under the Total when favored or a pick ‘em. They have been favored by double-digits three previous times this season — and all three games finished Under the Total.

FINAL TAKE: Howard won the first meeting between these two teams on January 29th by an 81-66 score — but Coppin State has played 8 of their last 12 games Under the Total when playing with revenge. The Eagles have also played 6 of their last 9 games Under the Total when avenging a loss where they gave up 75 or more points. 25* CBB Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Coppin State Eagles (306639) and the Howard Bison (306640). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Wright State Raiders (841) and the Oakland Grizzlies (842). THE SITUATION: Wright State (16-12) has won two games in a row as well as four of their last five contests after their 93-78 victory at Detroit Mercy as a 10.5-point favorite on Thursday.  Oakland (19-10) has won four games in a row as well as seven of their last eight contests after their 63-43 win at Robert Morris as a 4.5-point favorite on Thursday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Raiders nailed 53.3% of their shots on Thursday which was the fifth time in their last six games where they shot 50% or better from the field — and they have scored 85 or more points in four of their last five games. But they allowed the Titans to make 51.7% of their shots which was the third time in their last four games where their opponents made at least 50% of their shots. Wright State is an Over Machine because they shoot great and play at a fast pace but can’t stop anybody on the other end. The Raiders rank second in the nation with an effective field goal percentage of 58.6% — and they rank in the top 11 in the nation in both 3-point and 2-point shooting. But they also rank 353rd in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and their opponents post a 56.6% effective field goal percentage against them, ranking 354th in the nation. Wright State ranks 28th in the nation by averaging only 15.9 seconds per possession — and they rank 31st in the nation by averaging 71.0 adjusted possessions per game. The Raiders have played 11 of their last 13 games Over the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total after a double-digit win. They have played 8 of their last 10 games Over the Total after scoring 85 or more points in their last game — and they have played 12 of their last 13 games Over the Total after winning two of their last three contests. While this is their second game since last Saturday, they have also played 11 straight Overs when playing for the second time in eight days. They stay on the road where they average slightly more 73.2 adjusted possessions per game, ranking 17th in the nation. They make 51.8% of their shots on the road along with 41.0% of their 3-pointers (which leads the nation) resulting in 85.1 Points-Per-Game. But they allow their opponents to make 48.6% of their shots away from home resulting in 84.0 PPG. Wright State has played 11 of their last 12 road games Over the Total — and they have played 11 of their last 14 games Over the Total on the road as an underdog of six points or less or as a pick ‘em. Oakland only made 34.5% of their shots on Thursday which was their worst shooting of the season — but they also held the Colonials to just 28.3% shooting in what was the best defensive effort of their campaign. While that final score flew Under the 147-point total, the Grizzlies have then played 8 of their last 12 games Over the Total after playing an Under in their last game. They have played 11 of their last 14 home 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 by 15 or more points. They have played 15 of their last 18 home games Over the Total after winning four games in a row — and they have played 6 straight Overs at home after winning six or seven of their last eight games. They return home where they made 47.6% of their shots including 39.6% of their shots from behind the arc resulting in 82.2 PPG. They also average 69.2 adjusted possessions per game at home which is +1.9 possessions above their season average. But the Grizzlies defense takes a step back when they are playing at home. While Oakland ranks 146th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency and second in Horizon League play, those numbers drop to 253rd in the nation and eighth in the conference when they are playing at home. The collapse comes from their interior defense as they allow their guests to make 52.5% of their shots inside the arc, ranking 308th in the nation — and Wright State ranks ninth in the nation by making 56.4% of their 2-pointers when playing away from home. Oakland has played 16 of their last 23 home games Over the Total — and they have played 8 of their last 9 home games Over the Total in February.

FINAL TAKE: The Raiders want to avenge a 74-60 upset loss at home to Oakland back on February 10th in their worst shooting game of the season where they made only 33.8% of their shots including just 5 of their 28 (17.9%) shots from behind the arc. Wright State has played 10 of their last 13 games Over the Total when playing with revenge from a same-season loss. 25* CBB Horizon League Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Wright State Raiders (841) and the Oakland Grizzlies (842). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Pepperdine Waves (799) and the San Francisco Dons (800). THE SITUATION: Pepperdine (12-17) has won two games in a row after their 89-70 victory at Pacific as a 7.5-point favorite on Wednesday. San Francisco (21-7) had their six-game winning streak snapped in a 70-66 loss at Saint Mary’s as a 7.5-point underdog on Tuesday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Waves held Pacific to just 41.9% shooting on Wednesday which was the second-best defensive effort in their last eight games. But Pepperdine continues to struggle with their half-court defense as they rank 350th in the nation with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 55.2% — and they allow their opponents to make 54.1% of their shots inside the arc, ranking 327th. The Wave have played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a double-digit victory. They have also played 11 of their last 13 games Over the Total after scoring 85 or more points in their last contest. They have averaged a whopping 90 points in their last two games with both those contests combining for 160 points — and they have played 7 straight Overs after playing two games in a row where 155 or more combined points were scored. They stay on the road where they allow their opponents to make 53.6% of their shots resulting in 84.4 Points-Per-Game. Pepperdine allows their opponents to nail 48.1% of their shots from behind the arc when playing away from home, ranking 362nd in the nation. Their opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 60.4% away from home ranks 362nd in the country. The Wave have played 17 of their last 22 road games Over the Total on the road — and they have played 10 of their last 15 road games Over the Total as a double-digit underdog. They should be able to generate offense against the Dons tonight by getting to the free-throw line. Pepperdine ranks second in the West Coast Conference in getting to the charity stripe — and San Francisco ranks 295th in the nation and ninth in the West Coast Conference in putting their opponents on the line. The Wave have played 16 of their last 23 games Over the Total against teams winning 60-80% of their games — and they have played 7 straight road games Over the Total after 15 games into the season against teams with a winning record. San Francisco has played 6 straight Overs at home after a loss by six points or less — and they have played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total after a point spread win. They have also played 12 of their last 17 games Over the Total after winning six or seven of their last eight games. The Dons are one of the best shooting teams in the nation — they rank 19th in the nation with an effective field goal percentage of 55.5%. Led by 6’9 Jonathan Mogbo, they should have their way inside against the weak interior defense of the Wave as they rank eighth in the nation by making 57.9% of their shots inside the arc. After playing their last two games on the road, San Francisco returns home where they make 52.1% of their shots resulting in 84.7 PPG. They also rank 50th in the nation by nailing a healthy 38.8% of their shots from behind the arc. The Dons have played 9 of their last 13 games Over the Total on their home court — and they have played 5 of their last 7 home games Over the Total with the Total set in the 140s. They have also played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after 15 games into the season against teams with a losing record — and they have played 10 of their last 13 games Over the Total as a double-digit favorite.

FINAL TAKE: San Francisco won the first meeting between these two teams by an 80-74 score as a 9.5-point favorite on February 8th. Pepperdine has played 21 of their opportunities for revenge Over the Total — and they have played 18 of their last 27 games Over the Total when avenging a loss where they allowed 75 or more points. 25* CBB West Coast Conference Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Pepperdine Waves (799) and the San Francisco Dons (800). Best of luck for us — Frank.  

At 1:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers (306555) plus the points versus the New Hampshire Wildcats (306556). THE SITUATION: UMBC (9-19) had their two-game winning streak snapped on Thursday in a 62-56 loss at Maine as a 4.5-point underdog. New Hampshire (15-10) has won two of their last three games in an 83-78 victory against the New Jersey Institute of Technology as a 9.5-point favorite on Thursday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RETRIEVERS PLUS THE POINTS: Maryland-Baltimore Country only made 37.3% of their shots on Thursday which was the worst shooting effort in their last 26 contests. Despite that disappointing performance, the Retrievers still lead the America East Conference in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency when playing on the road — and they rank 31st in the nation with their 53.1% effective field goal percentage. UMBC generates good looks at the basket when playing away from home because they play at a blistering pace — they rank second in the nation by averaging only 14.4 seconds per possession. They also rank seventh in the country by averaging 73.4 adjusted possessions per game. While the Retrievers have just a 4-9 record in conference play, seven of their losses have been by six points or less — and two of those losses were by just two points or less. UMBC should play better this afternoon as they have covered the point spread in 11 of their 17 games after a straight-up loss this season. They have also covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after a loss to an American East rival — and they have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 16 games after a straight-up loss by six points or less. They stay on the road where they have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 20 road games as an underdog or as a pick ‘em — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 road games with the Total set in the 160s. The Retrievers have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 road games against teams with a winning record — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games against teams winning 60-80% of their games. New Hampshire nailed 53.7% of their shots on Thursday which was the best shooting effort of the season. The Wildcats converted 11 of their 27 (40.7%) of their 3-pointers in that game — but now they play a UMBC team that ranks 26th in the nation by holding their opponents to just 30.6% shooting from behind the arc. New Hampshire has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a straight-up win against a conference opponent — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 home games when playing with just one day of rest. The Wildcats rank just eighth in the American East in Net Adjusted Efficiency when playing at home in conference play — and UMBC ranks fourth in the conference in Net Adjusted Efficiency when playing on the road against American East foes. New Hampshire is only making 44.3% of their shots including 34.6% of their 3-pointers when playing at home. The Wildcats have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games when playing at home — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 8 home games when favored or a pick ‘em. This team also plays at a fast pace — they rank 26th in the nation by averaging only 15.6 seconds per possession and they rank 21st by averaging 71.2 adjusted possessions per game. But New Hampshire tends to underachieve against similar fast-paced teams. UMBC averages 64 shots per game — and the Wildcats have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after 15 games into the season against teams who launch 62 or more shots per game. On the other hand, while New Hampshire averages 62 shots per game, the Retrievers have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games against teams who take 62 or more shots per game.

FINAL TAKE: The Wildcats did win the first meeting between these two teams in a 64-58 win on the road as a 3-point favorite on January 20th — but UMBC has covered the point spread in 7 of their 10 opportunities for revenge this season. The Retrievers have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games when avenging a loss on the road. 25* CBB American East Underdog of the Year with the Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers (306555) plus the points versus the New Hampshire Wildcats (306556). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 11:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Arizona Wildcats (834) minus the points versus the Washington State Cougars (833). THE SITUATION: Arizona (20-5) rides a six-game winning streak after their 105-60 victory against Arizona State as an 18.5-point favorite on Saturday. Washington State (20-6) has won seven games in a row and 10 of their last 11 contests after their 72-59 victory against Stanford as a 7.5-point favorite on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE WILDCATS MINUS THE POINTS: Arizona is clicking on all cylinders right now after point guard Kylan Boswell stepped up from a slow start earlier in the season. During this six-game winning streak, Boswell is scoring 10.5 Points-Per-Game while making 35.4% of his shots from behind the arc and dishing out 4.0 Assists-Per-Game. For the fifth-scoring option, those are nice complementary numbers to Caleb Love and Oumar Ballo who are combining to score 31.8 PPG. The Wildcats are a legitimate contender to win the NCAA Tournament — and it starts with their balance on both ends of the court. Arizona ranks sixth in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency and 11th in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They should continue their momentum tonight as they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after a straight-up win at home. They have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games after winning three or more games in a row. And while they have covered the point spread in three straight contests, they have then covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games after covering the point spread in two or more games in a row. Additionally,  the Wildcats have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after scoring 95 or more points in their last game — and they have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 19 games after not allowing more than 65 points in their last contest. They stay at home where they have a 13-0 record with an average winning margin of +30.7 net Points-Per-Game. Arizona is holding their guests to just 38.7% shooting resulting in just 63.6 PPG. They are also nailing 51.9% of their shots including 39.7% of their 3-pointers en route to 94.3 PPG when playing at home. Led by Ballo, they also rank 13th in the country by pulling down 39.0% of their missed shots. Only UCLA and Stanford have played within 11 points of the Wildcats in their 13 wins at home — their next closest home game was their 15-point victory against USC. Arizona has covered the point spread in 10 of their 13 home games this season — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 home games when laying 12.5 or more points. They have also covered the point spread in 10 of their 15 games this season as a double-digit favorite. Washington State has failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games after a double-digit win at home — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 straight games when playing on the road after a double-digit victory. And while their win against the Cardinal was preceded by a 99-79 victory at Colorado, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after two straight wins by 10 or more points — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after two straight wins on their home court by double-digits. But now after playing their last two games at home to raise their record to 13-1 in front of their home fans, they go back on the road where they are just 7-5. The Cougars will struggle to score tonight — they only make 44.2% of their shots on the road resulting in 70.5 PPG. They rank 207th in the country by making only 32.3% of their shots from behind the arc. Washington State makes up for their mediocre shooting by pulling down 30.4% of their missed shots in conference play, ranking second in the Pac-12 — but good luck with that against the Wildcats who rank third in the nation by holding their opponents to rebounding only 22.8% of their missed shots.

FINAL TAKE: Arizona has had this game circled since their 73-70 upset loss at Washington State as a 9-point road favorite back on January 13th. The Wildcats have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games when avenging a same-season loss — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 opportunities for revenge from an upset loss on the road. 10* CBB Thursday Late Show Bailout with the Arizona Wildcats (834) minus the points versus the Washington State Cougars (833). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 11:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Oregon Ducks (835) and the Stanford Cardinal (836). THE SITUATION: Oregon (17-8) has won two of their last three games after their 60-58 victory at Oregon State as a 7-point favorite on Saturday. Stanford (12-13) has lost two games in a row and four of their last five contests after their 72-59 loss at Washington State as a 7.5-point underdog on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Ducks held the Beavers to just 41.8% shooting which was the best defensive effort in their last 16 games. But Oregon only ranks 107th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They have played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total after a straight-up win by three points or less — and they have played 20 of their last 30 games Over the Total after a point spread loss. The Ducks have failed to cover the point spread in four straight games — and they have played 23 of their last 33 games Over the Total after failing to cover the point spread in four or five of their last six contests. Now they go back on the road where they have played 20 of their last 30 games Over the Total. Stanford has played 7 straight Overs at home after a straight-up loss — and they have played 7 of their last 8 home games Over the Total after a point spread loss. The Cardinal has also played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total after losing four or five of their last six games. They return home where they have played 12 of their 13 games Over the Total this season — and they have also played 4 of their last 5 home games Over the Total with the Total set in the 150s. They are making 51.5% of their shots on their home court resulting in 85.5 Points-Per-Game — and they host a Ducks team that allows 76.4 PPG when playing on the road.

FINAL TAKE: Stanford has played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total when listed in the +/- 3-point range — and Oregon has played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total as an underdog. 8* CBB Thursday Night Discounted O/U Deal with Over the Total in the game between the Oregon Ducks (835) and the Stanford Cardinal (836). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Northern Kentucky Norse (752) minus the points versus the Cleveland State Vikings (751). THE SITUATION: Northern Kentucky (14-13) saw their three-game snapped in a 73-72 loss at Wisconsin-Milwaukee as a 2.5-point underdog last Saturday. Cleveland State (16-11) has won two of their last three games after an 81-73 upset win against Youngstown State as a 3.5-point underdog on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE NORSE MINUS THE POINTS: Northern Kentucky should bounce back with a strong effort tonight as they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after a straight-up loss to a Horizon League rival. The Norse have still covered the point spread in their last two games — and they have covered the point spread in 18 of their last 25 home games after covering the point spread in their last two contests. This team leads the Horizon League in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They rank 35th in the nation by forcing turnovers in 20.5% of their opponents' possessions — and they force turnovers in 22.0% of their opponent’s possessions when playing on their home court. Now after playing their last two games on the road, they return to play for just the second time since last Wednesday — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 home games when playing for the second time in eight days. Northern Kentucky has a 10-3 record at home with an average winning margin of +11.2 net Points-Per-Game. They hold their guests to just 44.4% shooting at home including a 29.9% clip from behind the arc resulting in 69.5 PPG. They also rank 56.6% of their shots inside the arc at home which ranks 49th in the nation — and they are making 48.9% of their shots at home overall resulting in 80.7 PPG. Northern Kentucky has covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 home games when favored by up to six points or as a pick ‘em — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 12 home games when listed in the +/- 3-point range. They have also covered the point spread in 6 straight home games after playing their last two games on the road. Cleveland State held the Penguins to just 43.1% shooting which was the best defensive effort in their last five games. They also nailed 53.3% of their shots which was the best shooting effort in their last 12 games and tied for their best effort in their last 20 contests. But the Vikings have then failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a straight-up win against a conference rival — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after scoring 80 or more points in their last contest. Additionally, while they have won four of their last six games, they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after winning four or five of their last six games. Now after playing their last two games at home, they go back on the road where their defense falters — they rank 328th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing away from home. Of particular concern is their interior defense when playing Northern Kentucky — they allow their opponents to make 57.8% of their shots inside the arc when on the road, ranking 351st in the nation. They also allow their opponents to pull down 36.5% of their missed shots when playing away from home, ranking 339th in the nation. The Norse pull down a solid 31.9% of their misses when playing at home. Cleveland State has a 4-9 record on the road with an average losing margin of -4.7 PPG. They allow their opponents to make 48.6% of their shots away from home resulting in 77.6 PPG. The Vikings have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games on the road with the Total set in the 145-149.5 point range — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after playing their last two games at home. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 road games as an underdog of up to six points or a pick ‘em — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 14 road games in 10 of their last 14 games on the road when listed in the +/- 3-point range.

FINAL TAKE: Both these teams have 9-7 records in the Horizon League — but Cleveland State won the first meeting between these teams by an 88-85 score at home as a 4.5-point favorite on January 7th. The Norse have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games when playing with revenge from a same-season loss. 25* CBB Horizon League Game of the Year with the Northern Kentucky Norse (752) minus the points versus the Cleveland State Vikings (751). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:30 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Indiana Hoosiers (714) minus the point(s) versus the Nebraska Cornhuskers (713). THE SITUATION: Indiana (14-11) has lost two games in a row after their 76-72 upset loss at home to Northwestern as a 2.5-point favorite on Sunday. Nebraska (18-8) has won two games in a row with their 68-49 victory at home against Penn State as an 8-point favorite on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HOOSIERS MINUS THE POINT(S): Indiana needs a victory after a bad stretch in Big Ten plays. The Hoosiers have still covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after a straight-up loss. And while they have only covered the point spread once in their last four games, they have then covered the point spread in 8 of their last 13 games after failing to cover the point spread in three of their last four games. Indiana stays at home where they have a 10-4 record while making 48.4% of their shots and limiting their opponents to just 40.7% shooting. Nebraska’s victory against the Nittany Lions finished Under the 151.5-point total for that game. But the Cornhuskers have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 12 games on the road after playing a game that finished Under the Total. And while they have covered the point spread in four of their last five games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 16 games after covering the point spread in four of their last five games. They go back on the road where they are just 2-7 with an average losing margin of -5.5 Points-Per-Game. Nebraska has failed to cover the point spread in 20 of their last 31 games on the road including six of their last eight contests away from home. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 18 road games as an underdog or pick ‘em.

FINAL TAKE: Indiana wants to avenge an 86-70 loss at Nebraska back on January 3rd — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games when playing with revenge from a double-digit loss. 8* CBB Wednesday Night Discounted Deal with the Indiana Hoosiers (714) minus the point(s) versus the Nebraska Cornhuskers (713). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:30 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Samford Bulldogs (692) minus the points versus the Furman Paladins (691). THE SITUATION: Samford (23-4) was on a six-game winning streak before their 88-84 upset loss at Mercer as a 10-point favorite on Saturday. Furman (15-12) has won three games in a row with their 82-65 victory against UT-Chattanooga as a 3-point favorite on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BULLDOGS MINUS THE POINTS: Samford might be coming off their worst-played game of the season. They allowed the Bears to make 54.0% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in their last 26 games. They also only made 43.1% of their shots which was the worst shooting effort in their last nine contests — and tied for the worst shooting performance in their last 25 games. They should play better tonight as they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after a straight-up loss to a Southern Conference opponent. The Bulldogs should shoot much better tonight as they rank sixth in the nation with an effective field goal percentage of 57.2%. While they rank 27th in the nation with their shooting inside the arc, their 40.5% clip from behind the arc is the best mark in the country. Samford combines this excellent shooting by playing at a very fast pace. They rank 10th in the nation in Adjusted Possessions per game — and they are sixth in the nation by averaging only 15.0 seconds per possession. Additionally, the Bulldogs push the pace by pressing on defense — they rank 13th in the nation by forcing turnovers in 22.4% of their opponents' possessions. After scoring 170 combined points in their last two games, Samford has scored at least 75 points in seven straight contests. They have then covered the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games after scoring 80 or more points in two or more games in a row — and they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games after scoring 75 or more points in five or more games in a row. They have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a game where both teams scored 80 or more combined points. They return home where they have a 15-0 record with an average winning margin of +21.2 Points-Per-Game. The Bulldogs hold their opponents to just 43.1% shooting when playing at home — but they are nearly unstoppable on the other end of the court. They are making 52.4% of their shots on their home court including a nation-leading 43.9% of their shots from 3-point range resulting in 97.0 Points-Per-Game. Samford has covered the point spread in 8 of their 13 boarded games at home this season — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 home games when favored by 6.5 to 9 points. They have also covered the point spread in expected high-scoring games where the Total is set at 160 or higher. Furman played their best defensive game of the season on Sunday by holding the Moccasins to just 33.9% shooting. And while the Paladins do a good job in defending the perimeter, they rank 332nd in the nation when playing on the road by allowing their opponents to make 56.1% of their shots inside the arc. Furman had not covered the point spread in six straight games before their triumph against Chattanooga — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after failing to cover the point spread in at least four of their last five games. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after winning three of their last four games. They go back on the road where they are just 4-10 while allowing their opponents to make 48.6% of their shots and score 80.8 PPG. On the other end of the court, the Paladins only make 42.6% of their shots including just 32.4% of their shots from 3-point range resulting in 77.9 PPG. Furman scores 80.0 PPG this season — but the Bulldogs have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games against teams scoring 77.0 or more PPG. The Paladins have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Furman won the first meeting between these two teams by a 78-68 score back on January 24th — but Samford has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 opportunities for same-season revenge. The Paladins are outscoring their opponents by +4.5 PPG — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games on the road against teams with a winning record. The Bulldogs have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games against teams outscoring their opponents by +4.0 or more PPG. 25* CBB Southern Conference Game of the Year is with the Samford Bulldogs (692) minus the points versus the Furman Paladins (691). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Utah State Aggies (638) minus the points versus the San Diego State Aztecs (637). THE SITUATION: Utah State (21-5) had their two-game winning streak snapped in a 75-55 loss at Colorado State as a 6-point underdog on Saturday. San Diego State (20-6) has won two games in a row as well as four of their last five contests after their 81-70 victory against New Mexico as a 6.5-point favorite on Friday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE AGGIES MINUS THE POINTS: Utah State only made 38.6% of their shots on Saturday in what was the worst shooting effort in their last 14 contests. They were 7-14 from the charity stripe in that game — but they have then covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after failing to make at least 53% of their free throws in their last game. The Aggies have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after a double-digit loss. And while they were trailing by 43-26 score at halftime in their loss to the Rams, they have then covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after trailing by 15 or more points at halftime of their last contest. First-year head coach Danny Sprinkle is doing a great job overseeing this team that did not return any production from last season. The former Montana State coach was dependent on the transfer portal — led by forward Great Osobor who is scoring 17.8 Points-Per-Game and 9.2 Rebounds-Per-Game who played for Sprinkle as a Bobcat. Utah State ranks 14th in the nation by making 57.0% of their shots inside the arc. They rank sixth in the country by limiting their opponents to making just 28.6% of their shots from behind the arc. They also rank 13th in the nation by limiting their opponents to rebounding only 22.3% of their missed shots. Now after playing their last two games on the road, they return home where they have an 11-1 record with an average winning margin of +18.4 Points-Per-Game. The Aggies are holding their opponents to just 41.6% shooting and a 27.8% clip from behind the arc, resulting in 66.0 PPG. On the other end of the court, they are nailing 53.2% of their shots at home including 36.3% of their 3-pointers resulting in 84.4 PPG. They rank 11th in the nation by making 60.8% of their shots inside the arc. Utah State has covered the point spread in 17 of their last 25 home games when favored or a pick ‘em including seven of those ten circumstances this season. San Diego State may be coming off their best game of the season last Friday. The Aztecs made 56.9% of their shots which was the best field goal percentage of the season. They also held the Lobos to 35.5% shooting which was the best defensive effort in their last 12 contests. But San Diego State has then failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games on the road after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the points spread in 7 of their last 8 games on the road after winning two or more games in a row. The Aztecs improved to 13-0 at home by beating Colorado State — but they go back on the road where they are just 7-6 this season. While they rank sixth in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing at home, they drop to a rank of 48th in that metric when away from home. Of importance against the Aggies, they allow their opponents to make 51.2% of their 2-point shots when on the road, ranking 152nd in the nation. San Diego State has 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 4 of their last 5 road games with the Total set in the 140s. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 10 road games against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: Utah State wants to avenge an 81-67 loss at San Diego State back on February 3rd. The Aggies have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games when listed in the +/- 3-point range. The Aztecs have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games when listed in the +/- 3-point range including five games in a row when playing on the road. 10* CBB San Diego State-Colorado State CBS Sports Network Special with the Utah State Aggies (638) minus the points versus the San Diego State Aztecs (637). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Norfolk State Spartans (306662) minus the points versus the North Carolina Central Eagles (306661). THE SITUATION: Norfolk State (16-9) has won six of their last seven games after their 71-67 win in overtime against South Carolina State as a 9.5-point favorite on Saturday. North Carolina Central (13-10) has lost two games in a row after their 90-82 loss at Howard as a 4-point underdog on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE SPARTANS MINUS THE POINTS: Norfolk State is in first place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with a 6-2 record — and they are the highest-ranked team from the conference according to the Adjusted Net Efficiency metrics by Ken Pomeroy. They upset VCU earlier in the season. They might have the best player in the conference in guard Jamarii Thomas, a transfer from UNC-Wilmington. Head coach Robert Jones led his team to win the conference tournament in 2021 and 2022 before losing to Howard in the tournament championship game last March. The Spartans held South Carolina State to just 32.1% shooting on Saturday — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after not allowing their last opponent to make more than 33% of their shots. Norfolk State ranks third in the conference in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they lead the conference by holding their opponents to just 40.6% shooting inside the arc. The Spartans have not covered the point spread in five straight games — but they have then covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after failing to cover the point spread in four or five of their last six contests. They stay at home for this one where they have a 10-0 record with an average winning margin of +24.8 net Points-Per-Game. They are holding their opponents to just 37.2% shooting including a 31.2% clip from behind the arc resulting in 62.8 PPG. They also rank 32nd in the nation by limiting their guests to 43.9% shooting inside the arc. This is just Norfolk State’s third game since February 5th — and they have covered the point spread in 26 of their last 37 home games when playing for the second time in seven days. They have also covered the point spread in 9 of their last 14 home games when favored in the 6.5-9 point range. The Spartans rank 11th in the nation in getting to the free throw line — and that mark rises to eighth best in the country when playing at home. They also rank 12th in the nation by forcing turnovers in 22.4% of their opponents’ possessions — and that mark improves to seventh in the nation by forcing turnovers in 24.6% of their opponents’ possessions when playing at home. While North Carolina Central leads the MEAC by turning the ball over in 18.2% of their possessions — their 18.4% turnover rate when playing away from home ranks 265th in the country. The Eagles nailed 56.0% of their shots on Saturday which was the best shooting effort in their last eight games. NC Central has played two games in a row that finished Over the Total — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after playing two or more Overs in a row. They are in second place in the conference with a 5-3 record — and they also have the second-best Adjusted Net Efficiency mark of all the MEAC teams using Pomeroy’s numbers. Head coach LeVelle Moton’s team thrives in defending the perimeter — as they rank 10th in the nation by holding their opponents to just 29.0% shooting from 3-point range. But the Spartans only rank sixth in the conference by hitting 31.5% of their 3-pointers — so 3-point shooting is not their formula for success. The Eagles stay on the road where they are just 5-8 this season with an average losing margin of -6.5 PPG. They are only making 41.3% of their shots away from home which includes a woeful 28.0% clip from downtown, ranking 334th in the nation. They are allowing their opponents to make 45.0% of their shots away from home resulting in 72.4 PPG.

FINAL TAKE: This Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference showdown could be the preview of the Conference Tournament Championship Game. North Carolina Central won the first meeting between these two teams on their home court by a 60-58 score on January 9th with the Spartans missing 15 of their 16 shots from behind the arc in the loss. Norfolk State has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 opportunities for same-season revenge — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games when avenging a loss on the road to their opponent. 10* CBB NC Central-Norfolk State ESPNU Special with the Norfolk State Spartans (306662) minus the points versus the North Carolina Central Eagles (306661). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Houston Cougars (882) minus the points versus the Iowa State Cyclones (881). THE SITUATION: Houston (22-3) has won three games in a row along with eight of their last nine games after their 82-61 victory against Texas as a 10-favorite on Saturday. Iowa State (20-5) has won four games in a row along with seven of their last eight contests after their 82-74 win against Texas Tech as a 7.5-point favorite on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE COUGARS MINUS THE POINTS: Houston may be the best college basketball team in the country. They lead the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they lead the country with an opponent’s field goal percentage of 43.2% while ranking in the top eight in both 3-point and 2-point defense. They lead the nation by blocking their opponent’s shots in a whopping 17.5% of their possessions. They rank fourth in the nation by forcing turnovers in 24.9% of their opponent’s possessions. On offense, the Cougars are not a great shooting team but they still rank 16th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency due to their tremendous shot volume. They are fourth in the nation by pulling down 39.2% of their missed shots — and they are sixth in the country by turning the ball over in just 13.6% of their opponent’s possessions. Houston should be fine playing on short rest since they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games when playing with one day of rest. They stay at home where they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after winning two or more games in a row. They have a 14-0 record at home with an average winning margin of +30.4 Points-Per-Game. They hold their guests to just 33.5% shooting and a 27.0% clip from behind the arc resulting in just 48.1 PPG. They also shoot better on their home court where they make 48.1% of their shots resulting in 78.5 PPG. The Cougars have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games on their home court. Iowa State has covered the point spread in five straight games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 17 games after covering the point spread in five or more games in a row. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after winning four or more games in a row. And while they are undefeated on their home court, the Cyclones are just 5-5 when away from home where they both score and allow 71.2 PPG. Iowa State also struggles to make baskets — especially on the road. They are only making 28.6% of their shots from behind the arc away from home, ranking 326th in the nation. They also only convert on 64.6% of their free throws away from home, ranking 335th in the country. While they rank 27th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency when playing at home, they fall to 58th in the nation in that metric when on the road. And troublesome for this showdown, they allow their opponents to rebound 35.7% of their missed shots when playing away from home, ranking 339th in the nation.

FINAL TAKE: Houston is motivated to avenge their 57-53 upset loss at Iowa State as a 2.5-point underdog back on January 9th — and they have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 21 games when playing with revenge from an upset loss as a road favorite. 8* CBB Monday Night Discounted Deal with the Houston Cougars (882) minus the points versus the Iowa State Cyclones (881). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:00 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the University of Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners (837) and the Temple Owls (838). THE SITUATION: UTSA (8-17) has lost five games in a row after their 79-70 loss at Charlotte as a 13-point underdog on Thursday. Temple (8-17) has lost ten games in a row after their 80-68 loss at Florida Atlantic as a 19.5-point underdog on Thursday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: There are 362 college basketball teams in Division I — and the Roadrunners rank 356th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They have allowed at least 79 points in eight straight games — and they have then played 9 of their last 12 games Over the Total after allowing 75 or more points in their last game. They have also played 12 of their last 16 games Over the Total after allowing 75 or more points in three or more games in a row — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total after allowing 75 or more points in five or more games in a row. UTSA combines their porous defense with a fast pace — their games average 70.6 adjusted possessions per game, ranking 50th in the nation. They only made 35.8% of their shots on Thursday which was the worst shooting effort in their last eight games. The Roadrunners have played 12 of their last 17 games Over the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 18 of their last 25 games Over the Total after losing two games in a row. Furthermore, they have played 6 straight Overs after losing or more games in a row. They stay on the road where they are scoring 77.7 Points-Per-Game — but they are allowing their opponents to nail 47.2% of their shots resulting in 88.2 PPG when they are away from home. UTSA has played 25 of their last 37 games Over the Total on the road — and they have played 18 of their last 25 road games Over the Total as an underdog or as a pick ‘em. Additionally, they have played 8 of their last 10 games over the Total with the Total set in the 150s. The Roadrunners launch tons of 3s — they rank second in the American Athletic Conference by taking 45.1% of their shots from 3-point range. Temple ranks third in the conference by launching 44.5% of their shots from behind the arc — and they average 28 shots downtown per game. UTSA has played 11 of their last 12 games Over the Total against teams who average 21 or more 3-point attempts per game. The Owls have played 8 straight home games Over the Total after losing five or more games in a row — and they have played 17 of their last 23 games Over the Total after losing eight or more of their last ten games. Temple returns home where they are scoring 76.1 PPG which is +5.4 PPG above their season average. The Owls have played 7 of their last 10 games Over the Total on their home court. Their play on defense has taken a step back lately as they have allowed their last five opponents to make 46.0% of their shots resulting in 79.8 PPG which is +5.8 PPG above their season average. And while the Roadrunners score 78.9 PPG, Temple has played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total against teams who score 77 or more PPG.  

FINAL TAKE: The Owls have played 8 of their last 9 games Over the Total in February — and the Roadrunners have played 19 of their last 11 games Over the Total in February. 10* CBB Sunday Afternoon Discounted O/U Deal with Over the Total in the game between the University of Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners (837) and the Temple Owls (838). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Santa Clara Broncos (809) and the San Diego Toreros (810). THE SITUATION: Santa Clara (16-10) snapped their three-game losing streak with their 79-53 win against Pacific as a 16-point favorite on Thursday. San Diego (16-11) has won four games in a row after their 71-66 victory against Portland as a 6-point favorite on Thursday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Broncos held the Tigers to just 32.2% shooting which was their best defensive effort of the season. But Santa Clara has played 14 of their last 18 games Over the Total on the road after a game that finished Under the Total. They have played 12 of their last 16 games Over the Total after a double-digit win against a West Coast Conference rival — and they have played 8 of their last 9 games Over the Total after a win by 20 or more points. They go back on the road where they have played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total. San Diego only made 40.0% of their shots on Thursday which was the worst shooting effort in their last seven contests. But the Toreros have then played 10 of their last 16 games Over the Total after a narrow win by six points or less. They have also played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a win at home against a conference opponent. They had covered the point spread in six straight games before that contest — and they have played 8 of their last 9 games Over the Total after covering the point spread in four or five of their last six games. They have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total with one day of rest. They stay at home where they have played 7 of their last 8 home games Over the Total as an underdog or pick ‘em.

FINAL TAKE: San Diego won the first meeting between these two teams by a 70-59 score back on February 3rd as a 12.5-point road underdog. The Broncos have played 24 of their last 34 games Over the Total when avenging an upset loss as a home favorite. 8* CBB Saturday Late Show O/U Bailout with Over the Total in the game between the Santa Clara Broncos (809) and the San Diego Toreros (810). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the UNC-Greensboro Spartans (747) and the Wofford Terriers (748). THE SITUATION: UNC-Greensboro (18-8) snapped their two-game losing streak with their 76-61 win at The Citadel as a 6-point favorite on Wednesday. Wofford (15-11) has won two in a row and three of their last four contests after their 73-60 upset win at Mercer as a 2-point underdog on Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Spartans held the Bulldogs to just 39.1% shooting which was the best defensive effort in their last six games. But UNC-Greensboro remains a below-average defensive team — they rank seventh in the Southern Conference in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. But what this team does well is shoot 3s — they rank eighth in the nation by making 39.0% of their shots from behind the arc. Even better, in their last ten contests, they are nailing 42.3% of their 3-pointers, ranking third in the country. The Spartans have played 15 of their last 18 games on the road Over the Total after a double-digit win on the road. They have also played 26 of their last 39 games on the road Over the Total after a win on the road. And while they have covered the point spread in two of their last three games, they have then played 6 of their last 9 games Over the Total after covering the point spread in two of their last three contests. Their game against The Citadel finished Over the Total — and they have played 9 of their last 13 games Over the Total after playing a game that finished Over the Total in their last contest. They stay on the road where they are making 37.9% of their 3-pointers to help them score 72.1 Points-Per-Game. UNC-Greensboro has played 28 of their last 42 road games Over the Total when listed in the +/- 3-point range. They have also played 10 of their last 14 games Over the Total when favored. Wofford has played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total after a win on the road against a conference rival — and they have played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a win by double-digits. They have also played 9 of their last 11 games Over the Total after a point-spread victory. Furthermore, the Terriers have played 8 of their last 9 games at home Over the Total after winning two of their last three games. Wofford converted 10 of their 24 (41.7%) of their shots from behind the arc against the Bears on the heels of nailing 11 of their 26 (42.3%) — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after hitting 10 or more shots from behind the arc in two or more games in a row. And while the Terriers have not allowed more than 64 points in three straight games, they have then played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total after not allowing more than 65 points in three or more games in a row. Despite these recent results, Wofford is not a great defensive team — they rank eighth in the Southern Conference in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. Even worse for this matchup, they rank 329th in the nation by allowing their opponents to make 36.5% of their 3-pointers — and conference rivals are nailing 37.5% of their 3s. UNC-Greensboro makes 10 shots from distance per game from 25 shots from behind the arc on average. The Terriers have played 10 of their last 15 games Over the Total against teams who attempt 21 or more 3s per game — and they have played 8 of their last 12 games Over the Total against opponents who make eight or more shots from behind the arc per game. Wofford is a good shooting team as well — they rank 38th in the nation with an effective field goal percentage of 54.1%. They return home where they are making 50.1% of their shots including 37.9% of their 3s resulting in 82.5 PPG. The Terriers have played 15 of their last 20 games at home Over the Total — and they have played 9 of their last 10 games at home Over the Total with the Total set in the 140s. Furthermore, they have played 11 of their last 16 games Over the Total as an underdog — and they have played 20 of their last 29 games Over the Total against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: The Spartans won the first meeting between these two teams by an 82-59 score as a 6-point home favorite back on January 20th — and Wofford has played 12 of their last 17 games Over the Total when playing with revenge from a loss on the road to their opponent. They have also played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total when attempting to avenge a loss on the road where they did not score more than 60 points. 25* CBB Southern Conference Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the UNC-Greensboro Spartans (747) and the Wofford Terriers (748). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 5:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Colorado State Rams (726) minus the points versus the Utah State Aggies (725). THE SITUATION: Colorado State (19-6) had won four games in a row before their 71-55 loss at San Diego State as a 6-point underdog on Tuesday. Utah State (21-4) has won two games in a row and five of their last seven contests after their 84-76 victory at Wyoming as an 8-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RAMS MINUS THE POINTS: Colorado State raced out to a 44-30 halftime lead against the Aztecs — but San Diego State put the clamps down on defense in the second half by outscoring the Rams by a whopping 41-11 margin to win that game decisively. We were on the Aztecs in that game expecting them to frustrate the Colorado State offensive attack in that revenge spot. The Rams only made 35.8% of their shots in that game in what was their worst shooting effort of the season. But they should play better tonight in their opportunities to exact some revenge. Colorado State should start well as they have gone into halftime with at least a six-point lead in five straight games — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after enjoying halftime leads of at least five points in three or more games in a row. And while their game against San Diego State finished far below the 140-point total, they have then covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 home games after playing a game that finished Under the Total. Despite what the Aztecs did to them, the Rams remain one of the best shooting teams in the nation. They rank 14th in the nation with an effective field goal percentage of 56.2% — and those numbers are fueled by their 58.1% clip inside the arc, ranking seventh in the nation. They return home where they have a 13-1 record with an average winning margin of +14.9 Points-Per-Game. Colorado State makes 52.8% of its shots at home including 38.7% of their 3-pointers and 61.3% of their shots inside the arc which ranks eighth best in the nation — resulting in 82.4 PPG. They hold their guests to 44.4% shooting including a 32.1% mark from behind the arc resulting in 67.5 PPG. The Rams have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games at home with the Total set in the 140s. They have also covered the point spread in 12 of their last 19 games when favored — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 home games when favored by up to six points or as a pick ‘em. Utah State made 56.6% of their shots on Wednesday which was the best shooting effort in their last four contests. But now they travel from Laramie to Fort Collins for a second straight game in Mountain West altitude — and they have one less day of rest for this contest as compared to the Rams. The Aggies rank 327th in the nation in bench minutes while using mostly a six-man rotation of players who average 15 or more minutes per game. Utah State is vulnerable with their interior defense as well — they rank 253rd in the nation by allowing their opponents to make 52.1% of their 2-point shots. The Aggies have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 14 road games as an underdog or pick ‘em — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight road games as an underdog of 3.5 to 6 points. Furthermore, they have failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 26 road games with the Total set in the 145-149.5 point range.

FINAL TAKE: As mentioned earlier, Colorado State has revenge on their mind after losing at Utah State on January 6th by a 77-72 score — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 10 games when avenging a loss on the road to their opponent. 10* CBB Utah State-Colorado State CBS Sports Network Special with the Colorado State Rams (726) minus the points versus the Utah State Aggies (725). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Queens University Royals (306556) minus the points versus the Jacksonville Dolphins (306555). THE SITUATION: Queens University (10-17) has lost three games in a row after their 93-79 upset loss at North Florida as a 2.5-point favorite on Wednesday. Jacksonville (13-13) had their two-game winning streak snapped in a 66-61 loss at Kennesaw State as a 5.5-point underdog on Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE ROYALS MINUS THE POINTS: Queens only made 45.3% of their shots on Wednesday which was the worst shooting effort in their last four contests. The Royals have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 13 games after a double-digit loss. They have also covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after losing three games in a row. They have given up 75 or more points in 16 straight games — but they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games after allowing 75 or more points in four or more games in a row. The Royals play at one of the fastest paces in the nation — they rank 15th in the nation by averaging only 15.2 seconds per possession. They stay at home where they have a 9-3 record with an average winning margin of +11.2 Points-Per-Game. Queens should shoot better tonight as they nail 48.8% of their shots at home resulting in 89.9 PPG. The Royals have covered the point spread in 4 of their 6 home games when favored or a pick ‘em this season. Jacksonville only made 39.3% of their shots on Wednesday — but it was still their best shooting effort in their last three games. The Dolphins have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after a straight-up loss — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after a point spread loss. Additionally, they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a straight-up loss to an Atlantic Sun rival. They stay on the road to play for the third time since last Saturday — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 20 of their last 27 road games when playing for the third time in seven days. They are just 3-12 away from home with an average losing margin of -14.1 PPG. The Dolphins have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 17 road games as an underdog getting up to six points or as a pick ‘em.

FINAL TAKE: Queen’s University is motivated to avenge a 79-77 loss at Jacksonville as a 3-point favorite back on January 18th — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 opportunities for revenge. 8* CBB Friday Daily Discounted Deal with the Queens University Royals (306556) minus the points versus the Jacksonville Dolphins (306555). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Siena Saints (875) and the Saint Peter’s Peacocks (876). THE SITUATION: Siena (4-20) snapped their seven-game losing streak in a 68-63 victory at Manhattan as a 4.5-point underdog last Saturday. Saint Peter’s (11-11) has lost four games in a row after their 64-62 loss to Fairfield as a 3-point underdog on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Saints only made 41.5% of their shots against the Jaspers — but it was still their best shooting effort in their last four games. They had not scored more than 61 points in their previous six games — and they only topped 52 points in five of those six contests. Siena is one of the worst-scoring teams in the country. They rank 359th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency — and they rank 353rd of the 362 teams in Division I with an effective field goal percentage of 44.4%. To make matters worse, they turn the ball over in 24.4% of their possessions, ranking second to last in the nation — so they do not even get a shot off in one of every four possessions. The Saints have played 5 of their last 8 games Under the Total after a point spread loss. And while their game with Manhattan finished far below the 139.5 point total, they have then played 9 of their last 13 games Under the Total after playing an Under in their last game. Additionally, they have played 9 of their last 13 games Under the Total after losing three of their last four games. Siena stays on the road where they are only making 41.9% of their shots and 21.9% of their shots from behind the arc resulting in just 60.0 Points-Per-Game. The Saints have played 21 of their last 29 road games Under the Total as an underdog getting 6.5 to 9 points including five of these last six circumstances. Saint Peter’s made 41.8% of their shots against the Stags last week which was their best shooting performance in their last six contests — they had not made more than 38.3% of their shots in their previous five games. The Peacocks rank 323rd in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency — and they rank 355th with an effective field goal percentage of 44.1%. But this team can play defense — they rank 98th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency while ranking second in that metric in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Critical in this matchup, they rank 24th in the nation by forcing turnovers in 21.4% of their opponents’ possessions — so Siena is likely to struggle to score much more than even 50 points in this one. Saint Peter’s has played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a loss to a conference opponent. Furthermore, they have outshot their last two opponents by 11 and 14 attempts — and they played 19 of their last 21 games Under the Total after attempting at least 10 more shots from the field than their opponent in two straight games. They have played 10 of their last 14 games Under the Total after losing two games in a row — and they have played 19 of their last 28 games Under the Total after playing a game that finished Under the Total in their last game. Uncharacteristically, they have allowed their last two opponents to make at least 50% of their shots from the field — but now they stay at home where they rank 28th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency on their home court while limiting their guests to only 63.7 PPG. But the Peacocks’ offense is even worse at home where they rank 359th in the nation in both Adjusted Offensive Efficiency and with their 42.0% effective field goal percentage. Saint Peter’s makes only 37.1% of their shots including 29.9% of their 3-pointers when playing at home resulting in just 65.2 PPG. The Peacocks have played 7 of their last 8 games at home Under the Total — and they have played 29 of their last 44 home games Under the Total when favored by 6.5 to 12 points.

FINAL TAKE: Both of these teams play at a slow pace. The Saints average 67.0 adjusted possessions per game which is below the 67.7 national average — and the 18.6 seconds per possession that average ranks 307th in the nation. The Peacocks rank 341st in the nation in both their 63.8 adjusted possessions per game and the 19.4 seconds per possession they average. These two teams played on January 28th when Saint Peter’s won by a 63-52 score as a 10-point favorite — and Siena has played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total when attempting to avenge a loss. 25* CBB Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Siena Saints (875) and the Saint Peter’s Peacocks (876). Best of luck for us — Frank.