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This is a play on the KANSAS ST. WILDCATS for our Thursday Free Play. Kansas St. is coming off a disappointing 16-win season and the Wildcats have made changes coming into this season. Head coach Jerome Tang hired two new assistant coaches who he has worked with before so that familiarity is huge. They also nailed the transfer portal as they brought in five double-digit scorers with four hitting the starting lineup and the fifth, Marcus Johnson, could see the court after missing the first two games. Kansas St. has rolled over its two inferior opponents and while they take a step up in competition here, it is not a major step and this is the first of two home games in the five days before the Hall of Fame Classic and then going to Indiana. California is off to a 3-0 start with three home wins all of which it was favored by at least 15 points so this is the first real test for the Golden Bears as well. They are coming off a 14-win season which actually is tied with the 2019-20 team for the most wins since 2016-17 so it has been a near decade of futility. There are not many expectations this season as they are picked No. 15 in the 18-team ACC and are already playing short-handed as DJ Campbell, one of two returning starters, has yet to see the floor and is doubtful again tonight. Here, we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points after a blowout win by 20 points or more going up against an opponent after leading in their previous game by 15 or more points at the half. This situation is 81-35 ATS (69.8 percent) since 2022. Play (760) Kansas St. Wildcats

27-20 NFL Run. NFL +$18,740 L3+ Regular Seasons and +$76,060 run over the last 13 years. NFL Thursday Primetime. 69-58 FB Run. 6-1 CFB Weeknight Run. Thursday and Friday CFB posted. CBB 13-7 Run. THREE CBB Winners.

This is a play on the WICHITA ST. SHOCKERS for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. A rivalry renewed as Loyola Chicago and Wichita St. meet for the first time since 2017 when they met twice a year while part of the Missouri Valley Conference. The Shockers are coming off a disappointing 19-15 season including 8-10 in the American Athletic Association and it has now been five straight non-20-win seasons after winning 20 or more games in 11 straight seasons prior to that. Wichita St. is off to a 2-0 start with east wins over UNC-Asheville and Prairie View and while this will be the toughest test, they have shown efficiency on both ends with a brand new roster which is one that is going to shoot better after finishing last in the AAC in three-point shooting. Loyola-Chicago is off to a disappointing 1-2 start as they have suffered a pair of home losses to Mercyhurst and North Texas, the former as a 21-point favorite, and this team is just not right and now hitting the road. Three starters are back but combined for just 23.1 ppg last season. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points that had a winning percentage between .600 and .800 last season, in the first five games of the season, with three or more starters returning from last year than the opponent, in the first ten games of the season. This situation is 24-5 ATS (82.8 percent) since 1998. 10* (754) Wichita St. Shockers

This is a play on the ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE for our CBB Star Attraction. Purdue rolled over Evansville in its season opener but struggled in its second game against Oakland which is not a good sign heading into its first test of the season in one of the toughest environments in the country. The Boilermakers are one of the most experienced teams in the country as they bring back four starters but we are bucking that experience here and they will be the hunted as Purdue won this meeting nearly a year to the day by nine points at Mackey Arena. Alabama is not as experienced but the Crimson Tide reloaded with shooters and they will once again play fast and as head coach Nate Oats puts it, he wants them to take fast, good shots. They rolled over North Dakota in the opener and surprised their first test, a seven-point win over St. John’s at MSG where they struggled from behind the arc, going 11-35 but they shot 61 percent from two and overall they are No. 12 in Two-Point Percentage (Purdue is No. 143). Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points that had a winning percentage between .600 and .800 last season, in the first five games of the season, with three or more starters returning from last year than the opponent, in the first ten games of the season. This situation is 24-5 ATS (82.8 percent) since 1998.10* (750) Alabama Crimson Tide

This is a play on the WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS for our CBB Rivalry Rout. The hoops edition of the Backyard Brawl tips off Thursday and after winning six straight meetings from 2012 to 2022, the Mountaineers have dropped the last two by 17 and 24 points so there is revenge in play back in Morgantown. West Virginia is off to a 3-0 start and has rolled through all three games and this is the biggest test in the early season but staying on the home floor is big. The Mountaineers are on their fourth coach in four years and this one hopes to be stable for a while as Ross Hodge comes in from a successful stint at North Texas. He was a perfect hire for this program as they will play stifling defense so go along with an efficient offense which has not been displayed yet. Pittsburgh is also 3-0 and all of those victories when on cruise control but this is the first game on the road. That puts the Panthers in a tough spot with only one starter back while losing six of their top eight starters so life in a hostile road environment will be difficult early on, especially the first one. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after two straight wins by 10 points or more going up against an opponent after leading their last three games by five or more points at the half. This situation is 67-33 ATS (67 percent) since 2017. 10* (746) West Virginia Mountaineers

This is a play on the NEW YORK JETS for our NFL Thursday Primetime. The Jets came through with the win last weekend as they took out Cleveland for their second straight win sandwiched around their bye week. They really had no business winning against Cleveland as they managed only 169 total yards but returned two kicks for touchdowns which was the ultimate difference while another touchdown came on a 42-yard pass to Bryce Hall so there was basically no offense against one of the best defenses in the NFL. They do face another one on Thursday but this number is out of control for a divisional game as we are approaching two touchdowns. The Jets have obviously had a rough season but five of their seven losses have been by one possession and they are No. 32 in the Luck Rating meaning they are the most unfortunate team in the league. New England is coming off a big win in Tampa Bay which was its seventh straight win to improve to 8-2 and the Patriots have a one and a half game lead over the Bills in the AFC East with a game in hand over Buffalo. The Patriots have been on the other side of the luck factor as they are No. 7 in the Luck Ratings and this is with playing the easiest schedule in the NFL. Of the eight wins, five have been by one possession with three of those coming against some suspect competition in Miami, New Orleans and Atlanta. This is the time to sell high as they are going to be a huge public play in primetime. 10* (311) New York Jets

This is a play on the TROY TROJANS for our SBC Game of the Year. Troy is very much alive in the Sun Belt Conference West Division and we did not expect to say that this late in the season after the Trojans came into the season with some questions whether or not they could stay with Texas St. Well, Texas St. is 0-5 while Troy is now 4-1 following a loss to Arkansas St., snapping a five-game winning streak. A win here means they will likely be playing for the SBC West against Southern Mississippi in the final week of the season as they have 0-5 Georgia St. at home next week. Four our concerns, we just need them to stay within margin and this number is a big one. Troy quarterback Goose Crowder has returned from his shoulder injury, and Trojans coach Gerad Parker said Monday both Crowder and Tucker Kilcrease will play on Thursday which gives them a solid wrinkle in this offense. Old Dominion dropped a pair of games in mid-October which knocked them out of the SBC East race as they are 2.5 games behind 6-0 James Madison, effectively 3.5 games since they lost to the Dukes so they have been eliminated. Here, we play on teams off a loss to a conference rival as a favorite of six or more going up against an opponent off a double digit road win. This situation is 31-6 (83.8 percent) since 2021. 10* (313) Troy Trojans