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15* CBB Sunday Afternoon BLOWOUT on Youngstown State -7.5

The Green Bay Phoenix are a dumpster fire.  They are 2-17 SU & 6-12 ATS this season.  Head coach Doug Gottlieb is in over his head, especially since he is without his best player in Anthony Roy (25.7 PPG) due to injury after suspending him earlier this season.

The Phoenix have zero home-court advantage as fans are already tired of this team.  They even lost to DII Michigan Tech at home a few weeks ago.  In fact, 16 of their 17 losses this season have come by at least 6 points, and 15 of the losses have come by 9 points or more.  So they have rarely even been competitive.

Youngstown State went on a 9-1 SU run in a 10-game stretch with the lone loss coming on the road to IPFW before losing to Cleveland State and home and Milwaukee on the road in their last two games coming in.  That assures the Penguins will not have a letdown today as they'll be motivated to bounce back from those two consecutive losses.  Bet Youngstown State Sunday.

15* WCC PLAY OF THE DAY on Santa Clara +15.5

The Gonzaga Bulldogs are one of the most overrated teams in the country.  The Bulldogs are shockingly 1-10 ATS in their last 11 games overall.  They are consistently laying too many points, and that's the case again tonight.

Gonzaga is coming off a 97-89 (OT) road loss at Oregon State as 9-point favorites on Thursday.  The Bulldogs will be on tired legs after having just one day to recover in between games.

I love the spot for Santa Clara.  After winning three straight games including impressive wins over Oregon State and San Francisco by 23, they were in a sandwich spot.  They lost outright at Loyola-Marymount as 4.5-point favorites on Thursday.  They were clearly looking ahead to this game against Gonzaga.

In nine road/neutral games, the Broncos have just one loss by more than 7 points.  They beat Saint Louis, TCU and Bradley on neutrals, pulled the upset of McNeese State and only lost by 3 at San Francisco.  They will hang within the number today.  Bet Santa Clara Saturday.

15* C-USA PLAY OF THE DAY on New Mexico State +7.5

The books and the betting public continue to underestimate the New Mexico State Aggies.  They are one of the most underrated teams in the country going 8-1 SU in their last nine games overall with their only loss coming on the road to Texas.

The 89-83 win at New Mexico as 20-point underdogs prior to the Texas loss should have let everyone know this team is legit.  The Aggies have reeled off seven consecutive victories since that Texas loss with four of them coming by 28 points or more.  That includes a 30-point win over LA Tech as 2-point dogs and a 28-point win at UTEP as 7-point dogs.

Speaking of LA Tech and UTEP, Liberty is coming off consecutive losses to both of them to give these teams two common opponents.  The Flames lost at LA Tech as 1-point favorites and at home to UTEP as 2-point favorites.  They should not be laying 7.5 points to a Aggies team that will likely win this game outright today.  Bet New Mexico State Saturday.

20* MWC GAME OF THE MONTH on San Jose State +13.5

The San Jose State Spartans are one of the most underrated teams in the country largely due to the fact that head coach Tim Miles is grossly underrated.  The Spartans have gone 13-1 ATS in their last 14 games overall.

After four consecutive SU losses against a brutal schedule of Boise State (by 2), Colorado State, UNLV (by 6) and Utah State (by 7), the Spartans finally got a reprieve with a 69-62 win at Air Force. They parlayed that win in with a 71-70 upset win as 9.5-point home dogs to New Mexico last time out.  That was the Lobos' only loss in their last eight games against a very tough schedule.

While San Jose State is grossly underrated, Nevada is grossly overrated.  The Wolf Pack have gone 2-4 SU & 1-5 ATS in their last six games overall with their two wins coming at Fresno in OT as 12.5-point favorites and against Air Force by 6 as 19.5-point home favorites.  They were also upset by both Colorado State and Utah State at home, and Wyoming on the road.  They have no business being 13.5-point favorites here.  Bet San Jose State Saturday.

20* Big 12 GAME OF THE MONTH on West Virginia +7

The Iowa State Cyclones are in the ultimate letdown spot.  After escaping with a 85-84 (OT) road win at Texas Tech, the Cyclones came back home and took down their biggest rivals in the Kansas Jayhawks 74-57 on Wednesday.  They won't be nearly as motivated to beat West Virginia today, and I expect them to come out flat.

The Mountaineers are one of the most underrated teams in the country.  First-year head coach Darian DeVries parlayed his success at Drake into the job in Morgantown.  And he is already winning getting the Mountaineers to 12-4 SU & 10-6 ATS this season.

That includes 8-1 SU at home where the Mountaineers have beaten Oklahoma State by 19 and Georgetown by 13.  They have also gone on the road and beaten Gonzaga and Arizona on a neutral, as well as Kansas and Colorado outright in true road games as underdogs.  This team is much better than they get credit for.  

The Mountaineers are 8-2 SU & 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 meetings with the Cyclones as they clearly have their number.  That includes 5-0 SU & 4-1 ATS in their last five home meetings as Morgantown is one of the more underrated home-court advantages in the country.  Bet West Virginia Saturday.

15* ACC PLAY OF THE DAY on Notre Dame -3

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are one of the most underrated teams in the country.  After opening 4-1 this season, the Fighting Irish lost their best player in Markus Burton (19.0 PPG).  They promptly lost their next five games.

It's no surprise that since getting Burton back in the lineup, the Fighting Irish have gone 4-0 ATS in their last four games overall.  They lost by 1 against UNC, by 1 at NC State and by 8 at Duke before crushing Boston College by 18.  They remain undervalued as only 3-point road favorites over Syracuse today.

Notre Dame beat Syracuse 69-64 at home in their first meeting this season despite not having Burton.  Having him back will allow them to complete the season sweep with ease today.  This is a struggling Syracuse team that is 3-5 SU & 2-6 ATS in its last eight games overall.  

Forward Donnie Freeman (13.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG) is questionable for the Orange today.  Freeman had 20 points and 11 rebounds in that first meeting with the Fighting Irish.  Bet Notre Dame Saturday.

15* CBB Saturday Afternoon BLOWOUT on SMU -5

The Miami Hurricanes are a complete dumpster fire.  Head coach Jim Laranaga resigned after a 4-8 start.  The Hurricanes went on to lose their next five games without him to fall to 4-13 SU & 3-14 ATS this season.

Worse yet, Miami has gone 1-13 SU in its last 14 games overall which includes upset home losses to Mount St. Mary's and Charleston Southern as massive favorites.  The Hurricanes are already on 'quit watch' and we just started ACC play.

SMU is 13-4 this season with the four losses coming to UNC, Duke, Mississippi State and Butler.  Three of those are among the best teams in the country.  The Mustangs have pretty much handled the teams they are supposed to, and I fully expect them to handle the Hurricanes today.  Bet SMU Saturday.

20* Big East GAME OF THE MONTH on Xavier +10

I love this spot in conference play.  I love revenge-minded underdogs on the road after losing at home to their opponent in their first meeting this season.  Xavier fits the bill after losing 72-70 at home to Marquette as 4.5-point dogs on December 21st.  Now the Musketeers are catching a whopping 10 points in the rematch, and it's too much.

What makes me like this value even more is the fact that Xavier was without its best player in Zach Freemantle (16.9 PPG, 7.6 RPG) in that first meeting with Marquette.  Having him back healthy for the rematch will make a huge difference.

The Golden Eagles have been living on the edge here of late and have gone 6-1 SU but just 1-6 ATS in their last seven games overall.  They beat DePaul by 2, Georgetown by 8, Creighton by and Xavier by 2 during this stretch.  Their luck may run out today, and asking them to win by double-digits to beat us is asking too much.  Bet Xavier Saturday.

20* SEC GAME OF THE MONTH on Georgia +6.5

The Auburn Tigers are the No. 1 ranked team in the country.  With that ranking comes expectations from oddsmakers that are very difficult to live up to.  We are seeing that as the Tigers have gone just 1-4 ATS in their last five games overall.

Now Auburn just lost its best player in Johni Broome (17.9 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 2.7 BPG) to injury and he is out for this game.  They lost him in their narrow 66-63 win as 16.5-point favorites at South Carolina two games ago.  They were able to get by at home against Mississippi State in their next game thanks to shooting 55% and holding the Bulldogs to 34.9%.

But now the Tigers go on the road without Broome for the first time this season.  And they face one of the most improved teams in the country in Georgia, which is 14-3 SU this season.  That includes a perfect 11-0 SU at home where they have wins over the likes of Notre Dame by 21, Kentucky by 13 and Oklahoma by 12.  Bet Georgia Saturday.

15* Atlantic 10 PLAY OF THE DAY on George Washington +9.5

George Washington is one of the most underrated teams in the country. The Colonials have gone 13-4 SU this season.  They pulled the outright upsets in two of their last three beating Dayton by 20 as 9-point home dogs and Rhode Island by 8 as 6-point road dogs.

Speaking of Dayton, George Mason just pulled the upset by 8 at Dayton as 7.5-point dogs last time out.  I think this is a letdown spot for the Patriots, who have another big game on deck against St. Bonaventure on the road.  The Patriots failed to cover in each of their last two home games beating Richmond by 6 as 12-point favorites and UMass by 7 as 11-point favorites.  Asking them to win this game by double-digits to beat us is asking too much.  Bet George Washington Saturday.

15* CBB Friday UPSET SHOCKER on St. Joe's +2

St. Joe's returned home from two straight tough road losses at Saint Louis and at Duquesne and responded with a 93-57 blowout of Loyola-Chicago as 5-point favorites on Saturday.  They reeled off their 4th consecutive blowout home win with three of them coming by 18 points or more.  They also beat Villanova at home earlier this season.

Now the Hawks have had the last five days off and will be fresh and prepared to take down VCU tonight.  The Rams don't have the same luxury after beating Saint Louis at home on Tuesday.  They have only had two days off to get ready for this game and with travel involved.

VCU is 1-2 SU & 1-2 ATS in true road games this season with their lone win coming against that bad Loyola-Chicago team that St. Joe's beat by 36.  They lost by 7 at New Mexico as 4-point dogs and by 2 at St. Bonaventure as 2-point favorites.  Wrong team favored here.  Bet St. Joe's Friday.

20* Gonzaga/Oregon State CBB Late-Night BAILOUT on Oregon State +10

The Oregon State Beavers are one of the most underrated teams in the country.  They are 13-5 SU & 13-4 ATS this season.  Three of the five losses came by 3 points or fewer to Oregon, North Texas and Santa Clara with two of those on the road.

The Gonzaga Bulldogs are one of the most overrated teams in the country.  The Bulldogs are shockingly 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games overall.  They are consistently laying too many points, and that's the case again tonight.  Bet Oregon State Thursday.

20* AAC GAME OF THE WEEK on Temple +8.5

This is exactly the type of game Memphis loses outright.  They are riding a four-game winning streak, but their last two games they were fortunate to escape with victories.  They won by 4 as 7.5-point home favorites over North Texas and then by 4 as 12.5-point home favorites over East Carolina.

Now their luck may run out tonight as they hit the road to face a Temple team that is vastly improved this season.  The Owls are 3-1 SU & 4-0 ATS in their last four games overall beating Buffalo by 20 as 14.5-point home favorites, Wichita State by 6 as 1-point home favorites and Rice by 3 as 1-point road dogs.  Their lone loss came by 1 as 3-point dogs at East Carolina.

Temple is 2-0-1 ATS in its last three meetings with Memphis.  They lost by 7 as 9-point dogs and by 2 as 5.5-point dogs in their last two home meetings in this series.  I think they can take the Tigers to the wire again tonight at home where they are 6-0 SU this season.  Bet Temple Thursday.

15* CBB Wednesday Undervalued Underdog on Rhode Island +5.5

Loyola-Chicago is the most overrated team in the Atlantic 10.  The Ramblers 3-6 SU & 1-8 ATS in their last 9 games overall.  The wins weren't impressive as they came by 2 as 10.5-point favorites over USF, by 12 as 24-point favorites over Canisius and by 11 at lowly La Salle.

They suffered three outright upset losses, and against the best teams they faced they lost by 10 on a neutral to San Francisco, by 19 at home to VCU and by 36 at Saint Joseph's in their last game over the weekend.

Rhode Island is 13-3 this season.  Two of the three losses came against two of the better teams in the Atlantic 10 in Duquesne and George Washington.  They have upset wins over Providence and George Mason.

The Rams are better everywhere when you look at the metrics, especially on defense where they are 72nd while the Ramblers are 136th.  The Ramblers are also one of the worst teams in the country in FT shooting (64.8%), which could easily come into play here.  Bet Rhode Island Wednesday.

20* MWC GAME OF THE WEEK on San Jose State +10

The San Jose State Spartans are one of the most underrated teams in the country largely due to the fact that head coach Tim Miles is grossly underrated.  The Spartans have gone 12-1 ATS in their last 13 games overall.

After four consecutive SU losses against a brutal schedule of Boise State (by 2), Colorado State, UNLV (by 6) and Utah State (by 7), the Spartans finally got a reprieve with a 69-62 win at Air Force over the weekend.

Now the Spartans have their sights set on revenge from an 83-77 loss at New Mexico in their first meeting this season on December 4th.  Now they are catching 10 points at home in the rematch and are very live underdogs.

It's time to 'sell high' on the Lobos.  They are 7-0 SU in their last seven games overall and coming off a dominant 14-point home win over San Diego State.  That sets them up for a letdown and sandwich spot with a big game against Boise State on deck.  The Lobos won't be that motivated to beat San Jose State for a 2nd time this season.  Bet San Jose State Tuesday.

15* Atlantic 10 PLAY OF THE DAY on St. Louis +10

It was going to take some time for the Saint Louis Billikens to gel as a team.  They have a first-year head coach in Josh Schertz from Indiana State bringing over his best transfers to pair with what was left over for the Billikens.

After opening 7-6 SU & 2-9 ATS, the Billikens have gone 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS in their last three games overall and have gelled in a big way.  They beat Fordham 88-63 as a PK on the road, beat Saint Joseph's 73-57 as 2-point home favorites and beat St. Bonaventure 73-68 as 3.5-point home favorites.

Now the Billikens have had the last five days off and will be fresh and ready to give VCU a run for its money as double-digit underdogs tonight.  VCU recently lost to that same St. Bonaventure team and only beat Fordham by 12 at home while Saint Louis beat them by 25 on the road.  That gives these teams some recent common opponents and shows the Billikens are playing the better basketball right now.  Bet St. Louis Tuesday.

20* SEC GAME OF THE WEEK on Mississippi State +8

The Auburn Tigers just lost their best player in Johni Broome (17.9 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 2.7 BPG) to injury in their last game.  They struggled to get by a very bad South Carolina team 66-63 as 16-point favorites.  Broom is out again tonight, and the Tigers are on upset alert without him.

Mississippi State (14-2) is one of the most underrated teams in the country.  The Bulldogs rank 16th in offensive efficiency and 39th in defensive efficiency.  They have very few weaknesses.

The Bulldogs have actually played their best basketball on the road going 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS in true road games this season.  They beat SMU 84-79 as 1.5-point road favorites, beat Memphis 79-66 as 2-point road favorites and topped Vanderbilt 76-64 as 2-point road favorites.  They should not be 8-point underdogs tonight without Broome.  

This has been a tightly-contested rivalry with eight of the last 10 meetings either decided in OT or by 8 points or fewer.  Bet Mississippi State Tuesday.

15* Big West PLAY OF THE DAY on UC-Irvine +6.5

UC-San Diego has been one of the most underrated teams in all of college basketball over the last two seasons.  But this is where it has finally caught up to them as they are now being asked to lay 6.5 points to a team I believe to be better than them in UC-Irvine.

UC-Irvine is 14-2 SU & 11-4 ATS this season while UC-San Diego is 14-2 SU & 11-3 ATS this season.  This line should be much closer to PK.  These Big West teams have almost no home-court advantage, and home court is consistently given too much credit in this conference.  These teams are almost dead even power rating wise.  There's clearly value with the Anteaters tonight.  Bet UC-Irvine Saturday.

20* ACC GAME OF THE WEEK on Wake Forest -2

The Miami Hurricanes are a complete dumpster fire.  Head coach Jim Laranaga resigned after a 4-8 start.  The Hurricanes went on to lose their next three games without him to fall to 4-11 SU & 3-12 ATS this season.

Worse yet, Miami has gone 1-11 SU in its last 12 games overall which includes upset home losses to Mount St. Mary's and Charleston Southern as massive favorites.  The Hurricanes are already on 'quit watch' and we just started ACC play after a 15-point home loss to rival Florida State last time out.

Wake Forest is playing well going 4-1 SU in its last five games with its only loss coming at Clemson.  That includes a 10-point road win at Syracuse and an 18-point home win over NC State.  The Demon Deacons have been off for the last week and will have the rest advantage over the Hurricanes, who just lost on Wednesday at home to FSU and will only have two days in between games.

Leading scorer Nijel Pack (13.9 PPG) is out for the Hurricanes after missing their last five games, which is a big reason for their recent struggles.  Divine Ogochukwu (5.6 PPG) is questionable as well.  Bet Wake Forest Saturday.

15* CBB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Valparaiso +8

Valparaiso is one of the most underrated teams in the Missouri Valley this season.  The Beacons are 5-3 SU and 7-0-1 ATS in their last eight games overall.  The losses were as impressive as the wins during this stretch.

Valparaiso only lost by 6 as 10-point home dogs to Drake and by 6 as 14-point road dogs at Bradley.  They also upset Northern Iowa at home, and Missouri State and Western Michigan on the road during this stretch.

This is a massive letdown spot for Murray State.  The Racers are now getting a lot of respect after upsetting both Drake and Northern Iowa on the road in their last two games.  They had gone 1-5 SU & 1-4-1 ATS in their previous six games with their lone win coming by 3 over a bad Loyola-Chicago team.  They were upset by Illinois State in their last home game.  Bet Valparaiso Saturday.

15* Atlantic 10 PLAY OF THE DAY on St. Joe's -5

I love the spot for St. Joe's today hosting Loyola Chicago.  The Hawks will be highly motivated for a victory after two consecutive road losses to Saint Louis and Duquesne, which are two of the best teams in the Atlantic 10.

Now the Hawks are back home today and taking on one of the most overrated teams in all of college basketball in Loyola-Chicago.  The Ramblers are 3-5 SU & 1-7 ATS in their last eight games overall.

The three wins came at home against USF by 2 as 10.5-point favorites, at home against Canisius by 12 as 24-point favorites and on the road at lowly La Salle as 2-point favorites.  The losses are concerning as they were upset by Oakland, College of Charleston and Murray State and lost to VCU by 19 and San Francisco by 10.  Bet St. Joseph's Saturday.

15* MWC PLAY OF THE DAY on San Jose State -1.5

The San Jose State Spartans are one of the most underrated teams in the country largely due to the fact that head coach Tim Miles is grossly underrated.  The Spartans have gone 11-1 ATS in their last 12 games overall.

After four consecutive SU losses against a brutal schedule of Boise State (by 2), Colorado State, UNLV (by 6) and Utah State (by 7), the Spartans finally get a reprieve today against the worst team in the Mountain West in Air Force.

The Falcons are 3-12 SU this season.  Their three wins have come against Jacksonville State, Mercyhurt and Stony Brook.  They are legitimately one of the worst teams in all of college basketball.  They lost by 18 to Boise State, 19 to UNLV and 29 to San Diego State recently.  Bet San Jose State Saturday.

15* Big East PLAY OF THE DAY on Georgetown +5

What more does Georgetown have to do to get some respect? The Hoyas are one of the most improved teams in the country and the books have failed to catch up to just how improved they are this season.

The Hoyas are 8-2 SU & 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games overall.  The lone losses came on the road at West Virginia by 13 and at Marquette by 8 as 13.5-point dogs.  They beat Xavier by 6 and Creighton by 24 in their two Big East home games this season.

UConn finally had its lucky 8-game winning streak come to an end in their last game, losing 68-66 at Villanova.  Five of the eight wins during that streak came by 6 points or less, so they were simply fortunate in close games.

The Huskies have struggled since losing 2nd-leading scorer Liam McNeely (13.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG) two games ago.  Prior to losing at Villanova, they only beat Providence by 3 at home as 14.5-point favorites.  The Hoyas are live underdogs today.  Bet Georgetown Saturday.

15* CBB Wednesday UPSET SHOCKER on Florida State +2

The Miami Hurricanes are a complete dumpster fire.  Head coach Jim Laranaga resigned after a 4-8 start.  The Hurricanes went on to lose their next two games without him to fall to 4-10 SU & 3-11 ATS this season.

Worse yet, Miami has gone 1-10 SU in its last 11 games overall which includes upset home losses to Mount St. Mary's and Charleston Southern as massive favorites.  The Hurricanes are already on 'quit watch' and we just started ACC play.

Florida State has been undervalued going 10-4 SU & 9-5 ATS this season.  That includes 3-1 SU & 3-1 ATS in their last four games.  Leading scorer Nijel Pack (13.9 PPG) is a game-time decision for the Hurricanes after missing their last four games.  Wrong team favored here.  Bet Florida State Wednesday.

20* MVC GAME OF THE WEEK on Bradley -2.5

The Bradley Braves have one of the best home-court advantages in the country.  The Braves went 14-3 SU at home last season and they are 8-0 SU at home this season including a win over San Francisco.  They basically just have to win this game to cover this short number against Drake tonight.

The Bulldogs have been a great story getting off to a 12-0 start this season.  But they have been overvalued since, getting upset in each of their last two games at Illinois-Chicago and at home against Murray State as double-digit favorites.  

G Isiah Jackson is questionable for Drake after missing their last game against Murray State.  He starts and plays 28 minutes per game and does a little bit of everything for the Bulldogs.  Meanwhile, Bradley is fully healthy coming into this one.

The Braves have had this game circled all offseason.  They will be playing with quadruple revenge after losing each of their last four meetings with Drake.  Their NCAA Tournament hopes were crushed with two consecutive losses the last two years to Drake in the MVC Tournament.  I expect a big effort from the Braves tonight.  Bet Bradley Wednesday.

20* Big East GAME OF THE WEEK on Villanova +1

The UConn Huskies have been very fortunate during their current 8-game winning streak.  Five of the eight wins have come by 6 points or less.  That includes a 3-point home win over Providence as 14.5-point favorites last time out.

A big reason the Huskies struggled to put away Providence was because they were without their 2nd-leading scorer in Liam McNeely (13.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG) for the first time this season.  McNeely is out again tonight.

Villanova has gone 8-2 SU & 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games overall playing its best basketball of the season.  The two losses came by 1 on a neutral to Maryland and by 7 at Creighton.  The Wildcats are 6-0 SU & 5-1 ATS in their last six home games, including a 44-point blowout of DePaul last time out.

UConn only won by a single point in their trip to Villanova last season.  The Huskies aren't nearly as strong this season after winning the national title the last two years.  The Wildcats are one of the most improved teams in the country, and I think they get some revenge here.  Wrong team favored.  Bet Villanova Wednesday.

20* Tennessee/Florida ESPN 2 No-Brainer on Florida -3

The Tennessee Vols are 14-0 and the No. 1 ranked team in the country.  Yet they are underdogs to the Florida Gators tonight.  They are underdogs for good reason as I fully expect the Gators to win and cover and hand the Vols their first loss of the season.

This will be just their 3rd true road game of the season for the Volunteers.  They beat Louisville and got past Illinois 66-64.  This is their toughest road game of the season now against a 13-1 Florida team that is highly motivated coming off its first loss of the season at Kentucky by a final of 106-100.

But now the Gators are back home where they are 7-0 this season and outscoring opponents by nearly 30 points per game.  Home-court advantage has been huge in this series as the home team is 7-0 SU & 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.  Bet Florida Tuesday.

15* CBB Saturday Afternoon BLOWOUT on Cincinnati -2.5

Cincinnati is one of the best teams in the country this season.  The Bearcats are 10-2 with their two losses coming to Villanova and Kansas State, but thoe were two true road games.  They beat Xavier at home and Dayton on a neutral.

Cincinnati went 16-5 SU at home in the rugged Big 12 last season and is 7-0 SU at home this season.  The Bearcats have one of the better home-court advantages in the conference, and they will be highly motivated in their Big 12 home opener here after losing by 3 at Kansas State on the road in their Big 12 opener.

Arizona is one of the most overrated teams in the country.  The Wildcats are 7-5 SU & 5-7 ATS this season.  They lost by 15 at Wisconsin, by 14 at home to Duke, by 5 on a neutral to Oklahoma, by 7 on a neutral to WVU and by 3 in a semi-home game against UCLA.  Their seven wins have all come against suspect competition.  Their best win was a 9-point home win over TCU as a 14-point favorite.  Bet Cincinnati Saturday.

20* Big Ten GAME OF THE WEEK on Nebraska -1

It will be a sellout for the Nebraska Cornhuskers (11-2) today in what is one of the toughest environments to play in the country.  This will be just the second true road game this season for UCLA, and I don't expect it to go well for the Bruins.

This is such a tough spot for UCLA.  After losing by 2 to North Carolina at Madison Square Garden, the Bruins bounced back with a 65-62 upset win over Gonzaga on a neutral.  This is their 3rd huge game in a row, and I don't expect them to be up to task.

After going 18-1 SU at home last season, the Huskers are 7-0 SU at home this season for a combined 25-1 SU record at home the last two seasons.  So getting them as only 1-point favorites is tremendous value today.  Bet Nebraska Saturday.

15* CBB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Arkansas +12

The Tennessee Vols are 13-0 and the No. 1 ranked team in the country.  With that #1 ranking comes expectations from oddsmakers and the betting public that are very difficult to live up to.  In fact, I'm confident if you bet against the #1 team in every game this season you will make a big profit.

The Volunteers are 0-2 ATS in their last two games overall.  They only beat Middle Tennessee by 18 as 26.5-point home favorites and Norfolk State by 15 a 29.5-point home favorites, not even coming close to covering in either game.  Now they are laying 12 points to one of the best teams they have faced all season in Arkansas.

It was going to take some time for John Calipari's squad to gel, but the Razorbacks are on a roll now improving to 11-2 on the season with six consecutive victories.  Their only two losses this season came by 5 to Baylor on a neutral and by 13 to Illinois on a neutral.  They beat Miami on the road and Michigan on a neutral, so they have been tested.  

I think they'll be up to the test today ranking 23rd in adjusted defense, so their effort on that game will keep them competitive for 40 minutes.  Bet Arkansas Saturday.

15* CBB Saturday Early ANNIHILATOR on Oklahoma State +8.5

This is a massive letdown spot for West Virginia.  The Mountaineers are coming off a 62-61 win at Kansas as 13.5-point underdogs in their Big 12 opener.  It was the first time since 1991 the Jayhawks opened 0-1 in conference play.

The Mountaineers won't be nearly as motivated to beat Oklahoma State, which hung tough with Houston at home in its Big 12 opener.  I think the Cowboys are very live underdogs today given the letdown spot for the Mountaineers.

The Mountaineers will be without Tucker DeVries (14.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 1.5 BPG) and could be without Amani Hansberry (10.6 PPG, 6.6 RPG), who is questionable.  They aren't good enough without these two to be laying this big of a number.  

The Cowboys are 5-2 SU & 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings.  Bet Oklahoma State Saturday.

20* SEC GAME OF THE WEEK on Ole Miss -4

Ole Miss is 11-2 this season with its only losses coming on a neutral to Purdue by 2 and at Memphis.  The Rebels should be bigger home favorites over the Georgia Bulldogs today.

Georgia is getting a lot of respect for its 12-1 record this season.  But the Bulldogs have played the 331st-ranked schedule in the country with one of the easiest slates in the nation.  

They have only played one true road game and that was an 8-point win at lowly Georgia Tech, which wasn't that much of a road game.  Their true colors showed in an 11-point loss to Marquette on a neutral, the best opponent they have faced outside Ole Miss.  Bet Ole Miss Saturday.

20* Michigan State/Ohio State Big Ten No-Brainer on Ohio State -1

No conference has a better home-court advantage than the Big Ten.  I think we are getting the Ohio State Buckeyes at a discount tonight as only 1-point favorites over the Michigan State Spartans in a battle between two pretty evenly-matched teams.

Ohio State is 7-1 SU & 6-1-1 ATS at home this season with their only loss coming by a single point.  The Buckeyes are playing very well here of late including a 85-65 win over Kentucky on a neutral as 8.5-point dogs two games ago.  They won their lone conference home game 80-66 as 5-point favorites over Rutgers.

Michigan State will be playing just its 2nd true road game this season.  The first was a win against one of the worst teams in the Big Ten in Minnesota.  This is going to be the toughest test of the season for the Spartans tonight.  Their two losses came to Memphis and Kansas on a neutral.  

The Buckeyes are 3-2 SU & 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings with the Spartans.  Bet Ohio State Friday.

15* CBB Thursday Undervalued Underdog on Pepperdine +17.5

St. Mary's is one of the most overrated teams in the country.  The Gaels are just 3-10 ATS in lined games this season.  Recent results for them have been very concerning.

In their last three games they only beat Merrimack by 5 as 20.5-point home favorites, lost outright to Utah State by 7 as 5.5-point home favorites and only beat Pacific by 10 as 20.5-point home favorites.  Now they are laying 17.5 points to an underrated Pepperdine team.

The Waves are grossly undervalued going 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall.  They only lost by 7 to Gonzaga as 20.5-point home dogs last time out to show their potential.  They lost by 11 at Santa Clara as 15-point dogs, crushed UC Davis by 39 as 1-point home favorites and also covered in wins over NAU and Grambling.  That 7-point loss to Gonzaga says all you need to know about their potential.  Bet Pepperdine Thursday.

15* CBB Tuesday UPSET SHOCKER on San Jose State +3.5

San Jose State is one of the most underrated teams in the country.  The Spartans have gone a perfect 9-0 ATS in their last nine games overall.  Even their losses were impressive recently as they lost by 6 at New Mexico as 19.5-point road dogs and by 2 to Boise State as 8.5-point home dogs.

Now the Spartans face one of the most overrated teams in the country in Colorado State, which is 7-6 SU & 4-9 ATS this season.  The Rams just lost by 8 at home to New Mexico as 1-point favorites to give them a common opponent with San Jose State, which gave the Lobos more of a fight on the road to boot.

Colorado State lost by 17 at Colorado and by 15 to Ole Miss on a neutral.  They were upset by UCRiverside at home and really just don't have many good wins.  They needed OT to beat Tennessee State early in the season at home which was a sign of things to come for the Rams.  Wrong team favored here.  Bet San Jose State Tuesday.

20* CBB GAME OF THE WEEK on Arizona State +9.5

Arizona State is one of the most underrated teams in the country this season.  They got blown out by Duke in exhibition season and have been undervalued since.  The Sun Devils are 9-2 SU & 8-3 ATS this season despite facing a brutal schedule.

The Sun Devils have faced the 49th-toughest schedule int he country.  Their two losses came to Florida and Gonzaga, which are both Top 10 teams.  They beat the likes of New Mexico, St. Mary's, Grand Canyon and Santa Clara.  I would put BYU in the same category as those four teams in terms of talent level.

BYU is 9-2 SU & 6-5 ATS this season against a much softer schedule.  In fact, the Cougars have played the 361st-ranked schedule in the country.  Only three teams have faced an easier schedule.  BYU lost by 11 to Ole Miss and by 19 to Providence, and that loss to Providence looks really bad.  Asking the Cougars to win this game by double-digits to beat us is asking too much.  Bet Arizona State Tuesday.

15* Big 12 PLAY OF THE DAY on Cincinnati -3.5

The Cincinnati Bearcats are one of the most underrated teams in the country.  They are 10-1 SU this season with wins over Xavier and Dayton.  They will be fully motivated for their Big 12 opener tonight against a Kansas State team that has been grossly overrated this season.

The Wildcats are 6-5 SU but 3-8 ATS this season.  Their six wins have come against New Orleans, Cleveland State, Mississippi Valley State, George Washington, Longwood and Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

When the Wildcats have stepped up in class they have not only lost, but they have been handled.  They lost by 11 to LSU at home, by 2 to Liberty on a neutral, by 17 at St. John's, by 3 to Drake in a semi-home game and by 19 at Wichita State.  I would argue Cincinnati is the best team they have played all season if it's not St. John's, and I do not expect it to go well for them tonight.  Bet Cincinnati Monday.

15* CBB Sunday PLAY OF THE DAY on Kent State +20.5

Kent State is 8-2 this season with its two losses coming to UC-Irvine and Auburn, who are a combined 21-3 this season.  Auburn is the best team in the country and the Golden Flashes lost by 23 on the road to the Tigers, so I think they can stay within 20 of Alabama here.

These games over Christmas Break are sleepy spots for many of these home teams.  I don't see Alabama being all that motivated to blow out Kent State.  The Crimson Tide only beat North Dakota 97-90 as 25-point home favorites last time out on December 18th in another sleepy spot.  Bet Kent State Sunday.

15* UCLA/UNC CBS ANNIHILATOR on UCLA -1

The UCLA Bruins are one of the most underrated teams in the country.  The Bruins are 10-1 SU & 8-3 ATS this season with upset wins over both Oregon and Arizona on the road recently.

The North Carolina Tar Heels are one of the most overrated teams in the country.  They are 6-5 SU & 4-7 ATS this season and their lack of defense and lack of production from their big men is alarming.  They have some good guards but that's all there is to like about this team.

The Bruins are 4th in adjusted defense while the Tar Heels are 44th and that number doesn't reflect how poor they are on that end.  They have allowed at least 90 points five times already this season.  Bet UCLA Saturday.

15* CBB Wednesday Undervalued Underdog on Samford +20

The Arizona Wildcats are one of the most overrated teams in the country.  They are 4-5 SU & 3-6 ATS this season with their four wins coming against Canisius, ODU, Davidson and Southern Utah.  They lost to Oklahoma on a neutral, WVU on a neutral, UCLA in a semi-home game, Duke by 14 at home and Wisconsin by 15 on the road.

The Samford Bulldogs are one of the better mid-major teams in the country and looking forward to this opportunity of trying to take down a Power 4 team in Arizona.  They are 9-2 SU & 5-4 ATS this season with their only two losses coming by 2 at Cornell and by 8 at Michigan State as 17-point dogs.  And that effort at Michigan State tells me they can hang with Arizona considering I believe Michigan State is better than Arizona this season.  The Bulldogs have also had the last nine days off to rest and prepare for the Wildcats.  Bet Samford Wednesday.

15* Oklahoma/Michigan ESPN 2 ANNIHILATOR on Michigan -3.5

The Oklahoma Sooners are overrated due to their 10-0 start against the 325th-ranked schedule in the country.  They finally take a big step up in competition here against Michigan, which has faced the 114th-ranked schedule int he country.

The Wolverines have gotten off to a 8-2 start this season and could easily be 10-0 as both losses came by exactly 2 points to Arkansas and Wake Forest.  They also have impressive wins over Wisconsin, Iowa, Xavier, TCU and Virginia Tech.  They have been tested, and they are ready to hand Oklahoma its first loss of the season tonight.

The spot really favors the Wolverines as well.  They have had the last seven days off since that 2-point loss to Arkansas to rest and prepare for Oklahoma.  Meanwhile, the Sooners are coming off their huge in-state rivalry win over Oklahoma State on Saturday and only have three days in between games.  They are getting too much respect for that win over the Cowboys, who are way down this season.  Bet Michigan Wednesday.

15* CBB Wednesday Night BLOWOUT on Bradley -1.5

The Bradley Braves have had one of the best home-court advantages in the country over the last decade.  They are 4-0 SU at home this season and I fully expect them to improve to 5-0 tonight.

San Francisco will be playing its first true road game this season in what I expect to be the Dons' toughest test to date.  They lost to both Clemson and Memphis on neutrals and won the rest of their games in a home-heavy schedule to this point.  Bet Bradley Wednesday.

15 CBB Tuesday Night Line Mistake on UC-San Diego +9.5

UC-San Diego was one of the most underrated teams in the country last season.  The Tritons opened 11-4 ATS in their first 15 lined games last season.  They have opened 9-2 SU & 8-2 ATS this season consistently crushing spreads.

The Tritons are 7-0 SU & 6-0 ATS in their last six games overall with four outright upsets as underdogs.  They have covered their last six games by a combined 87.5 points, or by an average of 14.6 points per game.

I think it's a great time to 'sell high' on Utah State after opening 10-0 this season against a very soft schedule.  The Aggies have done it against the 273rd-ranked schedule in the country.  Asking them to win this game by double-digits to beat us is asking too much.  Bet UC-San Diego Tuesday.

15* CBB Tuesday Undervalued Underdog on Georgia State +39.5

This looks like a great time to 'sell high' on Auburn in what looks to be a flat spot for the Tigers.  They are coming off a 38-point win on a neutral against Ohio State just three days ago, and now they have another huge game on deck against Purdue on a neutral on Saturday.

The Boilermakers won't be nearly as motivated to beat Georgia State as they were to beat Ohio State and as they will be to beat Purdue.  Asking the Tigers to win this game by 40-plus points to beat us is asking too much.

Georgia State only lost by 29 as 31-point dogs at Kentucky to give them a reasonable opponent to Auburn to compare to.  I don't believe Auburn is 8.5 points better than Kentucky, which they would have to be to justify this 39.5-point spread.  Bet Georgia State Tuesday.

15* UNC/Florida ESPN ANNIHILATOR on Florida -3.5

The Florida Gators are one of the most underrated teams in the country.  They have opened 10-0 SU & 7-3 ATS this season.  They beat Florida State by 13 as 5.5-point road favorites, beat Wake Forest by 17 as 7.5-point road favorites, beat Virginia by 18 as 17-point home favorites and crushed Arizona State by 17 as 7-point road favorites.  The Gators are 5-0 ATS in their last five games.

The North Carolina Tar Heels are one of the most overrated teams in the country.  They have gone 6-4 SU & 4-6 ATS this season.  The Tar Heels are 1-5 ATS in their last six games overall which includes a 3-point home win over a bad Georgia Tech team as 18-point favorites, a 15-point home loss to Alabama as 1.5-point favorites, a 3-point loss to Michigan State as 5.5-point favorites on a neutral and a 13-point loss to Auburn as 3.5-point dogs on a neutral.

I love the matchup for the Gators.  The weakness of the Tar Heels is their post play, and the Gators will dominate them inside.  The strength of the Tar Heels is their guard play, and the Gators have the long, athletic guards that will give Davis, Trimble and Cadeua problems.  Bet Florida Tuesday.

15* CBB Sunday Undervalued Underdog on Nebraska-Omaha +35.5

Nebraska-Omaha hasn't lost a game by more than 20 points this season.  They only lost by 4 at Minnesota as 21-point dogs and by 11 at UNLV at 17-point dogs.  They also took Akron to the wire in an 8-point loss as 11.5-point road dogs.  The Mavericks are now catching 35.5 points against Iowa State and this number has been inflated in my opinion.

This is an obvious letdown spot for the Iowa State Cyclones.  They are coming off a huge 89-80 comeback win at rival Iowa on Thursday.  This after playing Auburn, Dayton, Colorado and Marquette in four of their previous five games.  The Cyclones won't be nearly as motivated to play Omaha as they were those five teams, especially Iowa, and thus it's going to make it hard for them to cover this 35.5-point spread.  Bet Nebraska-Omaha Sunday.

15* Marquette/Dayton CBSSN ANNIHILATOR on Dayton -1

Marquette won its first true road game at Maryland by 4 but lost by 11 at Iowa State in its next true road game.  That gives Marquette a common opponent with Dayton.  The Flyers only lost by 5 to the Cyclones on a neutral.  

Their other loss came by 2 to UNC on a neutral.  They also crushed UConn 85-67 as 7-point dogs to cap off the Maui Invitational.  Now they have a big home game here against Marquette that could go a long way on whether or not they make the NCAA Tournament.

Despite a brutal schedule thus far that also includes a home win over Northwestern, Dayton ranks 12th in the country in adjusted offensive rating.  This is probably the most offensive talent Anthony Grant has had in his time at Dayton.  The Flyers are always elite defensively.  I think they are good enough to get a big home win here over the Golden Eagles.  Bet Dayton Saturday.

15* CBB Saturday UPSET SHOCKER on Bradley +3.5

The Bradley Braves are one of the best mid-major teams in the country.  They are 8-1 SU & 5-3 ATS this season with their lone loss coming on the road at Washington State, which has proven to be a very good team.  Seven of their eight wins have come by double-digits, including a 23-point win at Southern Illinois in their MVC opener last time out.

Santa Clara is 5-5 SU & 4-6 ATS this season and has been a huge disappointment.  The Broncos have played a tough schedule, but they haven't beaten anyone of significance other than perhaps McNeese State.

Bradley ranks 41st in adjusted offense and 1st in effective FG%.  Santa Clara is 90th in adjusted offense and 179th in effective FG%. The Broncos are also 99th in adjusted defense and 119th in effective FG% defense.

I could see Santa Clara possibly being favored if this was a home game for them, but it's a neutral game in Henderson, NV in the 'Jack Jones Classic'.  No I am not the sponsor, but the wrong team is favored here.  Bet Bradley Saturday.

15* Xavier/Cincinnati ESPN+ ANNIHILATOR on Cincinnati -7

Cincinnati is going to be highly motivated for a victory Saturday after losing five consecutive meetings with Xavier, including four by 8 points or fewer.  I think the Bearcats are finally the much superior team this year, and they show it playing at home this afternoon.

Cincinnati is 7-1 SU this season with all seven wins coming by 16 points or more, including a 23-point road win at Georgia Tech.  Their lone loss came on the road at Villanova.

Xavier is 8-2 SU but just 4-6 ATS this season.  The Musketeers lost by 25 to Michigan on a neutral.  They lost their only true road game to TCU by 4.  And this will be their toughest test of the season by far.

Cincinnati ranks 34th in adjusted offense and 13th in adjusted defense.  Xavier ranks 59th in adjusted offense and 72nd in adjusted defense.  The Bearcats are a class above the Musketeers and finally get over the hump in this rivalry with a blowout home win.  Bet Cincinnati Saturday.

15* Ohio State/Auburn ESPN 2 ANNIHILATOR on Ohio State +11.5

The Ohio State Buckeyes had a big finish last season and I like the momentum they have this season under Jake Diebler, who earned the job after the big finish last year.  Diebler has the Buckeyes sitting at 6-3 SU & 6-3 ATS this season.

Auburn is getting a lot of respect for its 8-1 SU & 7-2 ATS start and top ranking in KenPom.  But the Tigers shouldn't be favored by double-digits against Ohio State on a neutral here Saturday in Atlanta.

Ohio State is 21st in adjusted offense and 37th in adjusted defense with very few weaknesses.  They are 10th in effective FG% offense and 12th in effective FG% defense.  They have what it takes to make this game competitive.  Bet Ohio State Saturday.

15* CBB Wednesday Undervalued Underdog on Fresno State +27.5

It's Finals Week and some of these big home favorites aren't going to be very interested.  I think BYU fits that profile tonight, and asking the Cougars to win this game by 28-plus points against Fresno State to beat us is asking too much.

Fresno State has been undervalued since a 2-2 SU & 1-2-1 ATS start this season that included narrow home wins over Sacramento State and Prairie View A&M and road losses to UCSB and CS-Bakersfield.  But they have gotten healthy and are playing much better of late.

The Bulldogs are 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall.  They upset Long Beach State outright as 3.5-point road dogs.  They hung with Washington State on a neutral in an 11-point loss as 13-point dogs.  They hung with Cal Baptist on a neutral in a 5-point loss as 6.5-point dogs.  They also covered in a 15-point loss at Santa Clara as 16-point dogs.  Their lone non-cover came in a 22-point loss to San Diego State, which is one of the better teams in the country with wins over both Houston and Creighton already.

BYU has a first-year head coach and is overvalued.  The Cougars are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games overall.  They only beat UC-Riverside by 6 as 21.5-point favorites and Idaho by 26 as 28-point home favorites.  They lost by 11 to Ole Miss as 3-point favorites on a neutral, and most concerning was their 19-point loss at Providence as 4.5-point favorites last time out.  Bet Fresno State Wednesday.

15* Miami/Tennessee ESPN ANNIHILATOR on Tennessee -14

The Tennessee Vols are 8-0 SU & 7-1 ATS this season.  They may have a letdown at some point, but it won't be in the Jimmy V Classic on ESPN against the Miami Hurricanes tonight.

The Vols are 7-0 SU & 7-0 ATS in their last seven games overall with all seven wins coming by 15 points or more.  That includes wins by 22 over Virginia and by 15 over Baylor on a neutral.  They also beat Louisville by 22 in a true road game and Syracuse by 26 at home.

Miami is 3-6 SU & 2-7 ATS this season.  The Hurricanes have lost six consecutive games coming in and they haven't played a team the caliber of Tennessee all season.  They lost by 10 at home to Clemson, by 3 at home to Arkansas, were upset by 4 at home by Charleston Southern as 24.5-point favorites, and they lost to Drake, Oklahoma State and VCU on a neutral.  The Hurricanes are a mess this season.  Bet Tennessee Tuesday.

15* CBB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on New Mexico State +20.5

This is one of the more underrated rivalries in college basketball.  And with New Mexico down several notches from the team they were last season with all they lost in the offseason, the Lobos should not be 20.5-point favorites over the New Mexico State Aggies.

New Mexico had to come from behind late to beat San Jose State 83-77 as 19-point home favorites last time out.  New Mexico State is 3-5 SU this season, but four of the five losses came by 12 points or less, and the lone exception was a 21-point loss at Dayton which is one of the better mid-majors in the country.  They only lost by 7 at UNLV.

Five of the last six meetings in this series were decided by 7 points or less.  New Mexico State has only lost by more than 20 points to New Mexico twice since 1982 which is spanning 88 meetings.  That makes for a 86-2 system backing the Aggies pertaining to this 20.5-point spread.  Bet New Mexico State Saturday.

20* CBB DOG OF THE WEEK on Southern Indiana +9.5

Asking Southern Illinois to win this game by double-digits to beat us is asking too much.  The Salukis are just 3-6 SU & 2-4-1 ATS this season.  Their three wins came against Missouri S&T, NDSU and Florida Tech.

Southern Illinois is coming off a 23-point home loss to Bradley as 4-point dogs.  They also lost by 25 at Florida, but 6 at LA Tech and were upset by Eastern Kentucky.

Southern Indiana is 4-1 SU & 3-1 ATS in its last five games.  Three of those four wins were outright upsets as underdogs.  Their 80-78 loss at DePaul as 15-point dogs looks even better right now considering DePaul has only lost one game, and that was a 14-point loss at Texas Tech.  Bet Southern Indiana Saturday.

15* CBB Wednesday Night Line Mistake on DePaul +16.5

Former Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann is doing a tremendous turnaround job at DePaul in his first season on the job.  The Blue Demons are 7-0 SU & 5-2 ATS this season with five wins coming by 19 or more points.

Texas Tech struggled with two teams they shouldn't have, which makes me believe DePaul can stay within this inflated number.  The Red Raiders lost outright to St. Joseph's 78-77 as 10.5-point favorites on a neutral and only beat a down Syracuse team 79-74 as 11.5-point favorites on a neutral.  Those were by far their two toughest games of the season.  

The Red Raiders face a DePaul team that has pretty much matched them in terms of being great shooters.  The Blue Demons rank 2nd in effective field goal percentage and 10th in 3-point percentage hitting 41.2% from deep as a team.  Bet DePaul Wednesday.

15* CBB Wednesday Undervalued Underdog on San Jose State +20

After a rough start to the season, proven head coach Tim Miles has the San Jose Spartans improving rapidly.  The Spartans have gone 5-0 ATS in their last five games overall with all five games decided by 16 points or less.

Now the Spartans are catching 20 points against a New Mexico team that is way down from last season.  That was evident with their 14-point loss at St. John's.  The Lobos split a pair of tournament games losing to ASU and then beating USC in their last two games coming in.

This is the ultimate letdown spot for New Mexico.  Coming off those two huge games against ASU and USC, and now with a game looming against their in-state rival on Saturday up next, this is a classic sandwich spot.  I don't think we get the Lobos' best effort here, and it's going to take their best effort to win this game by more than 20 points.  Bet San Jose State Wednesday.

15* Baylor/UConn FS1 ANNIHILATOR on Baylor +3

The UConn Huskies are down several notches from the teams that won the National Championship each of the last two seasons.  But they continue to get respect from oddsmakers that they do not deserve.

That was evident in going 0-3 SU & 0-3 ATS in their recent tournament losing outright to Memphis as 8.5-point favorites, losing outright to Colorado as 14.5-point favorites and losing outright to Dayton by 18 as 7-point favorites.

Now things have gotten worse for the Huskies as they just lost their best player in Alex Karaban (15.9 PPG) in that loss to Dayton.  He was their best returning player by far, and I think the Huskies are going to be even more lost without him moving forward.

Baylor's two losses this season came to two of the best teams in the country in Tennessee and Gonzaga.  They have been battle-tested, also beating a very good St. John's team in OT.  I think UConn in their current state is far worse than all three of those teams.  Bet Baylor Wednesday.

15* CBB Tuesday Night BLOWOUT on St. Joseph's -5.5

I've been very impressed with the Saint Joseph Hawks this season against a very difficult schedule.  They have gone 5-2 SU this season despite already having to face Villanova, Texas Tech and Texas.  They actually upset Villanova at home and Texas Tech on a neutral.  They only lost to Texas by 9.

Princeton is 6-3 SU but 3-5 ATS this season.  The wins have not been impressive beating Iona by 1 as 12.5-point favorites and Northeastern by 3 as 7.5-point favorites.  The losses to Loyola by 5 as 2-point favorites, Wright State by 18 as 7.5-point favorites and Texas State by 3 as 6.5-point favorites are even more concerning.

Despite the easy schedule, Princeton ranks 213th in adjusted defensive efficiency.  Saint Joseph's ranks 90th in adjusted defensive efficiency despite playing the much tougher schedule.  Bet Saint Joseph's Tuesday.

15* CBB Sunday PLAY OF THE DAY on North Florida +16.5

I was on Nebraska +11 when they upset Creighton 74-63 on the road last time out.  I believe they are overvalued since.  I faded them with success with South Dakota +23 in their next game, and now I'm fading them again because they remain overvalued.  Plus, they have their Big Ten opener against Michigan State on deck and could be looking ahead to that contest.

The win over Creighton isn't as good as it looks on paper.  Creighton is nowhere near the team they were a year ago.  The Bluejays went on to lose 71-53 to San Diego State as 4.5-point favorites, lost to Texas A&M 77-73 as 4-point dogs and only beat Notre Dame 80-76 as 8-point favorites.  The Bluejays are 1-6-1 ATS this season now consistently failing to live up to expectations.

North Florida is 5-2 SU & 5-1 ATS this season with a couple very impressive wins.  They upset South Carolina 74-71 as 18-point road underdogs and upset Georgia Tech 105-93 as 13.5-point road dogs.  They also only lost by 13 as 15-point dogs at Georgia.  They have proven they can hang with the big boys, and they will be looking forward to the opportunity of proving it again today.  Bet North Florida Sunday.

15* CBB Saturday Night BLOWOUT on UC-Irvine -9.5

UC-Irvine is 7-0 SU & 5-1 ATS this season in lined games.  The Anteaters are loaded with four returning starters, and they will be motivated to cap off a 3-0 sweep in this Western Slam round robin tournament.

Towson is 4-4 SU & 3-4 ATS this season.  Towson's four wins came against a Division II team, James Madison, Nicholls State and Morgan State.  They only won those last three games by 6 or fewer points each.  They lost by 26 at South Carolina earlier this season.

These teams have two common opponents now to compare them to due to this round robin format.  UC-Irvine beat Kennesaw State by 17 and Kent State by 12, while Towson lost to Kent State by 11 and lost to Kennesaw State by 4.  I fully expect the Anteaters to win this game by double-digits tonight.  Bet UC-Irvine Saturday.

15* CBB Friday PLAY OF THE DAY on St. Bonaventure -2.5

St. Bonaventure is 6-1 this season with its only loss coming yesterday in a 72-67 loss to Utah State as 6.5-point underdogs.  That's a very good Utah State team that is 6-0 this season with four blowout wins and a 77-69 upset win over Iowa as 3-point dogs.

Northern Iowa is just 3-3 SU this season with some very concerning results.  The Panthers lost by 20 at home to UC-Irvine and by 20 to North Texas yesterday as only 4-point dogs.  We are getting the Bonnies pretty cheap today as only 2.5-point favorites against the Panthers.  Bet St. Bonaventure Friday.

15* CBB Wednesday Undervalued Underdog on Milwaukee +13

The Milwaukee Panthers are loaded this season with four returning starters from a team that won 20 games last year.  The Panthers are 5-2 SU this season with their two losses coming early.  They have gone 4-0 SU & 3-1 ATS since and will be looking to make a statement at UCF tonight.

Even though the Panthers returned four starters, their top three scorers are actually Division 1 transfers as Bart Lundy did a great job in the portal.  All three have either played for him before or for his assistant.  McKee (16.0 PPG), Fulks (14.7 PPG) and Stillwell (12.7 PPG) are all fitting in nicely.

UCF is 4-2 SU & 2-4 ATS this season.  The Knights lost to the two best teams they played in Wisconsin by 16 and LSU by 9 on neutrals.  They did beat Texas A&M by 3 at home, but they haven't been able to get margin on anyone.  They only beat Purdue-Fort Wayne by 7, FAU by 6 and Tennessee Tech by 11.  They haven't won a game yet by more than 11 points.  Bet Milwaukee Wednesday.

20* CBB DOG OF THE WEEK on South Dakota +23

I was on Nebraska +11 when they upset Creighton 74-63 on the road last time out.  But now I'm fading the Huskers here tonight because I think they are overvalued off that win, and it's a huge letdown spot for them off that big in-state rivalry game that takes place every year.

The win over Creighton isn't as good as it looks on paper.  Creighton is nowhere near the team they were a year ago.  The Bluejays went on to lose 71-53 to San Diego State as 4.5-point favorites last night.  They are 1-5 ATS this season now consistently failing to live up to expectations.

I've been impressed with South Dakota this season.  The Coyotes are 6-2 SU with their lone losses coming by 19 at Iowa and by 9 at Southern Indiana.  I backed them in that game against Iowa, which I have power rated similarly to Nebraska.  

Iowa was only a 19-point closing favorite at home against South Dakota, and Nebraska is now a 23-point home favorite.  There's clearly value on the Coyotes given the letdown spot for the Huskers.  Bet South Dakota Wednesday.

15* CBB Tuesday Afternoon ANNIHILATOR on Penn State +2

Penn State will be one of the most improved teams in the Big Ten this season.  They went 16-17 (9-11 Big Ten) in Mike Rhoades' first season on the job last season.  Rhoades brings back three starters from that team and added help on the wing and up front.

The Nittany Lions are 6-0 SU & 4-2 ATS this season beating Binghamton 108-66 as 20.5-point favorites, UMBC 103-54 as 22.5-point favorites, St. Francis PA 92-62 as 31.5-point favorites, VA Tech 86-64 as 7.5-point favorites, IPFW 102-89 as 17-point favorites and Fordham 85-66 as 16-point favorites.  As you can see, the Nittany Lions have won all six of their games by at least 13 points and by an average of nearly 30 points per game.  

Returning starters Hicks (15.8 PPG, Baldwin (15.7 PPG, 7.7 APG) and Kern (11.8 PPG) have made a big impact.  Returning role players Dunn (7.5 PPG) and Johnson (11.5 PPG) have stepped up their games.  And NIU transfer Niederhauser (12.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG) has been impressive.

Penn State should not be an underdog to Clemson, which brought back three starters but only has three double-digit scores to this point.  I think the Tigers are getting too much respect for their win over San Francisco yesterday.  They lost by 13 at 4-point dogs at Boise State in their toughest game this season, and this one won't be any easier.  Bet Penn State Tuesday.

15* CBB Monday Night BLOWOUT on Ohio State -24

Ohio State is 4-1 SU & 4-1 ATS this season and absolutely blowing through the competition.  They upset Texas on a neutral and lost to Texas A&M on the road.  But they are 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS at home beating Youngstown State by 34 as 19-point favorites, Evansville by 50 as 24.5-point favorites and Campbell by 44 as 25.5-point favorites.

Now they face a rebuilding Green Bay Phoenix team with a first-year head caoch who are 2-4 with all four losses by 13 points or more.  The two wins came against Western Illinois and SIU-Edwardsville.

But it's the loss to Evansville, a common opponent of Ohio State, that has me wanting to fade the Phoenix.  Green Bay lost 98-81 at Evansville while Ohio State beat Evansville 80-30.  Enough said.  Bet Ohio State Monday.

20* CBB BLOWOUT GAME OF THE WEEK on UC-Irvine -6.5

UC-Irvine is one of the best mid-major teams in the country.  The Anteaters went 24-10 (17-3 Big West) last season and return four starters from that team that all averaged at least 9.0 points per game.

The Anteaters are 4-0 SU & 3-0 ATS in lined games this season absolutely crushing the first two spreads.  They beat Chapman 82-52 in their opener, then followed it up with a 66-51 win at Loyola-Marymount as 1.5-point favorites and a 80-60 win at Northern Iowa as 3.5-point dogs, covering the spread by a combined 37 points in those two games.  They also beat Pepperdine 80-62 as 16-point favorites last time out.

Now the Anteaters should make easy work of a Weber State team that has been dreadful this season.  The Wildcats are 1-3 SU & 1-2 ATS this season.  They lost 76-48 at Oregon State as 5-point dogs, lost 88-58 at Nevada as 17-point dogs and lost 73-68 at Hawaii as 5.5-point dogs, covering by 0.5-point after failing to cover by a combined 36 points in their first two games.  Bet UC-Irvine Friday.

15* Nebraska/Creighton FS1 ANNIHILATOR on Nebraska +11

Fred Hoiberg is doing a great job at Nebraska turning them into a much more competitive program.  He has them off to a 3-1 start this season with their lone loss coming to Saint Mary's by 3 on a neutral as 4-point dogs.

Creighton is overvalued as a Top 25 team and that has played out as the Bluejays are 1-3 ATS this season with their lone cover coming by 2 points.  These teams have two common opponents already and seeing the results from those two games has led me to Nebraska +11 showing value.

Nebraska outscored UTRGV by 20 and Fairleigh Dickinson by 26 winning those two games by a combined 46 points.  Creighton outscored UTRGV by 13 and Fairleigh Dickinson by 26 winning those two games by 39 combined points.  Bet Nebraska Friday.

15* CBB Thursday Night BLOWOUT on Michigan -30.5

Michigan looks like one of the most improved teams in the country.  First-year head coach Dusty May comes over from Florida Atlantic fame after taking the Owls to the Final 4 two years ago.  He is already putting his imprint on this program.

The Wolverines are 3-1 SU & 3-1 ATS this season with their lone loss coming by 2 to Wake Forest as 2-point favorites on a neutral.  They blasted Cleveland State 101-53 as 21.5-point favorites, which is the same Cleveland State team that only lost by 13 at Kansas State and by 11 at Minnesota.  The Wolverines beat TCU 76-64 as 6.5-point home favorites and crushed Miami Ohio 94-67 as 23-point favorites.

Now Michigan takes an even bigger step down in class here against Tarleton State, which looks like one of the worst teams in the country this season.  Tarleton is 1-4 SU & 0-4 ATS with its lone win coming against Tabor College.  They lost by 32 at SMU at 14.5point dogs, by 29 at home to Sam Houston State as 5.5-point dogs, by 20 at Florida State as 17-point dogs and then by a whopping 63 points at Baylor as 31.5-point dogs.  Mercy.

It's not going to get any easier for the Texans and head coach Billy Gillespie tonight.  He lost all five starters from last season and frankly has lost his touch as a head coach.  The Texans are turning the ball over on 31.8% of possessions, which is the worst mark in the country.  They are averaging steals on just 17.8% of possessions, which is also worst in the country.  Michigan ranks 4th in the country in effective FG percentage at 64.4%.  The Wolverines will get what they want offensively and shut down Tarleton defensively similar to what SMU, Sam Houston and Baylor did to them.  Bet Michigan Thursday.

15* CBB Tuesday Night BLOWOUT on Ohio State -24.5

I like the spot for the Ohio State Buckeyes tonight.  They suffered their first loss of the season on the road at Texas A&M last time out, and they'll come back highly motivated for a victory at home tonight.

The Buckeyes have played a tough schedule as they also beat Texas in their opener 80-72 as 2-point dogs on a neutral in Vegas.  They followed it up with a 81-47 blasting of Youngstown State as 19-point favorites in their lone home game this season.  That 34-point win looks really good when you consider Youngstown State beat Chicago State by 20 and took Syracuse to double-OT in its other two games.

Evansville is rebuilding with just one starter back from last year, and the results have been ugly for the Purple Aces this season.  They are 1-3 SU & 0-3 ATS losing by 17 at North Texas as 13.5-point dogs, by 17 at Middle Tennessee as 11-point dogs and by 11 at home to Radford as 4-point favorites.  Radford lost by 40 at Pittsburgh.

This will be Evansville's toughest test of the season against a motivated Buckeyes team coming off a loss.  I don't expect it to go well for the Purple Aces tonight.  Bet Ohio State Tuesday.

15* CBB Tuesday Undervalued Underdog on SIU-Edwardsville +4

SIU-Edwardsville is one of the most underrated teams in the country.  The Cougars are 4-2 SU & 4-1 ATS this season with both losses coming on the road to Indiana and Illinois, who are two of the best teams in the country.  They even covered in a 19-point loss at Indiana as 27.5-point dogs.

The Cougars have handled everyone else winning 95-42 over FCS Westminister, 77-72 as 6-point dogs at Indiana State, 79-60 as 2.5-point dogs at Western Michigan and 76-58 as 5.5-point favorites over Canisius on a neutral.  Those are some very impressive results.

Green Bay is a rebuilding team under first-year head coach Doug Gottlieb, the former commentator who I never thought would be a head coach.  It hasn't gone well for Gottlieb and the Phoenix in the early going.

The Phoenix are 1-3 SU this season and while two losses came on the road to Providence by 14 and to Oklahoma State by 13, those aren't two of the better power conference teams.  They also lost by 14 at home to St. Thomas, which looks really bad when you consider St. Thomas lost by 9 to Oklahoma State and by 15 at Arizona State.  Wrong team favored here.  Bet SIU-Edwardsville Tuesday.

15* CBB Saturday Night BLOWOUT on UC-Irvine -16

UC-Irvine is one of the best mid-major teams in the country.  The Anteaters went 24-10 (17-3 Big West) last season and return four starters from that team that all averaged at least 9.0 points per game.

The Anteaters are 3-0 SU & 2-0 ATS in lined games this season absolutely crushing the two spreads.  They beat Chapman 82-52 in their opener, then followed it up with a 66-51 win at Loyola-Marymount as 1.5-point favorites and a 80-60 win at Northern Iowa as 3.5-point dogs, covering the spread by a combined 37 points in those two games.

Now the Anteaters take a big step down in class here against a rebuilding Pepperdine team.  The Waves went 13-20 last season and now have a first-year head coach in Ed Schilling.  They lose all five starters from last season including three elite scorers in Ajayi (17.2 PPG, 9.9 RPG), Mallette (15.8 PPG) and Porter (16.2 PPG.  Schilling must replace 11 players who accounted for 2,294 of the 2,403 points Pepperdine scores last year.

After a 77-64 win over Western Illinois, the Waves got blasted 94-76 as 8.5-point dogs at UC-San Diego.  That is another team from the Big West, but UC-San Diego isn't on UC-Irvine's level.  Bet UC-Irvine Saturday.

15* CBB Friday Night BLOWOUT on Penn State -7

Penn State will be one of the most improved teams in the Big Ten this season.  They went 16-17 (9-11 Big Ten) in Mike Rhoades' first season on the job last season.  Rhoades brings back three starters from that team and added help on the wing and up front.

The Nittany Lions are 3-0 SU & 2-1 ATS this season beating Binghamton 108-66 as 20.5-point favorites, UMBC 103-54 as 22.5-point favorites and St. Francis PA 92-62 as 31.5-point favorites.  Returning starters Hicks (14.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG), Baldwin (12.7 PPG, 6.0 APG) and Kern (7.3 PPG) have made a big impact.  Returning role players Dunn (12.7 PPG) and Johnson (11.3 PPG) have stepped up their games.  And NIU transfer Niederhauser (15.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG) has been the most impressive of the bunch.

Virginia Tech is in rough shape in Mike Young's 6th season on the job.  The Hokies lost all five starters from last year and return only four scholarship players.  Virginia Tech is 3-0 SU but 1-2 ATS and has been far less impressive than Penn State.  They won 83-60 over Delaware State as 18-point favorites, won 93-74 over USC Upstate as 24-point favorites and won 58-52 over Winthrop as 9-point favorites.

I'll gladly side with this veteran Nittany Lions team that has dominated the competition with three wins by 30 points or more over this inexperienced Hokies team whose three wins have all come by 23 points or fewer.  Bet Penn State Friday.

15* CBB Wednesday Night BLOWOUT on St. John's -24

In Rick Pitino I trust.  He led the St. John's Red Storm to a 20-13 season in his first year on the job last season and they were snubbed from the NCAA Tournament.  So they have been motivated all offseason, and reinforcements are on the way.

One of the biggest pulls of the portal was bringing Kadary Richmond in from rival Seton Hall.  Utah transfer Deivon Smith (5 triple-doubles last year) and five-star freshman Simeon Wilcher will join Richmond in the backcourt.

RJ Luis (10.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG) is the leading returning scorer and will lead them in the frontcourt.  North Texas transfer Aaron Scott is a great two-way player.  They have great size with 7-1 USC transfer Vince Iwuchukwu along with freshmen Khaman Maker (7-1) and Ruben Prey (6-10).

St. John's blasted Fordham 92-60 as 19.5-point favorites in their opener, covering the spread by 12.5 points.  They showed off their depth with nine players scoring at least 5 points.  That's a Fordham team that went on to upset Seton Hall 57-56 as 10.5-point dogs, so that result looks even better now.

The Red Storm actually trailed Quinnipiac 39-35 at halftime last game.  They got a ripping from Pitino at halftime and responded outscoring Quinnipiac 61-34 after intermission, actually covering the 20-point spread to boot in a 96-73 victory.  That comeback effort shows what the Red Storm are capable of when locked in.

I expect the Red Storm to be locked in from the jump tonight against Wagner, which lost 75-52 as 17-point dogs at Rutgers in their opener.  That's a Rutgers team that struggled to put away St. Peter's 75-65 in their next game as 16.5-point favorites, so that result looks even worse now.  Wagner lost three starters who all averaged double-digits scoring last year.  Bet St. John's Wednesday.

20* CBB DOG OF THE WEEK on South Dakota +23

This is the rare situation where Iowa and South Dakota have two common opponents already to compare results to.  And after looking at those results, it's clearly there's value on South Dakota +23 at Iowa tonight.

South Dakota beat Southern 93-79 as 2.5-point home favorites and East Texas A&M 91-83 as 10.5-point home favorites.  The Coyotes outscored those two teams by a combined 22 points.

Iowa beat East Texas A&M 89-67 as 30-point home favorites and Southern 89-74 as 26-point home favorites.  The Hawkeyes outscored those two teams by a combined 37 points.

I just don't like Iowa's roster this season, while I like the direction of this South Dakota program entering head coach Eric Peterson's third year on the job.  He brings back three starters and several key reserves.  Two experienced guard transfers in Forte and Bullock join the team this season, as do the Bruns brothers, Paul and Isaac.  All four are making significant contributions already as all four are averaging double-digits scoring.  Bet South Dakota Tuesday.

15* CBB Saturday Afternoon BLOWOUT on St. John's -20.5

In Rick Pitino I trust.  He led the St. John's Red Storm to a 20-13 season in his first year on the job last season and they were snubbed from the NCAA Tournament.  So they have been motivated all offseason, and reinforcements are on the way.

One of the biggest pulls of the portal was bringing Kadary Richmond in from rival Seton Hall.  Utah transfer Deivon Smith (5 triple-doubles last year) and five-star freshman Simeon Wilcher will join Richmond in the backcourt.

RJ Luis (10.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG) is the leading returning scorer and will lead them in the frontcourt.  North Texas transfer Aaron Scott is a great two-way player.  They have great size with 7-1 USC transfer Vince Iwuchukwu along with freshmen Khaman Maker (7-1) and Ruben Prey (6-10).

St. John's blasted Fordham 92-60 as 19.5-point favorites in their opener, covering the spread by 12.5 points.  They showed off their depth with nine players scoring at least 5 points.

Quinnipiac had a troubling 88-62 loss at Yale as 8-point underdogs in their opener, failing to cover the spread by 18 points.  I don't give them much of a shot of keeping this game competitive in what will likely be their toughest test of the season today.  Bet St. John's Saturday.

15* Tennessee/Louisville CBB Early ANNIHILATOR on Louisville -2

Louisville will likely be the most improved team in the country this season after going just 8-24 last season.  New head coach Pat Kelsey has injected life in the program and the athletics department relies on men's basketball revenue, so he had plenty of money to spend in the transfer portal.

Six upperclassmen transfers who averaged at least 9 points per game this season compromise Louisville's backcourt.  Kasean Pryor was the catalyst to USF's surprising season last year and now he's at Louisville.  James Scott follows Kelsey over from Charleston along with Reyne Smith and Kobe Rodgers.

The Cardinals blasted Morehead State 93-45 as 22-point favorites in their opener, covering the spread by 26 points.  They take on a Tennessee team that is down this season after losing four starters.  The lone returning starter is PG Zakai Zeigler, who isn't a great scorer.

Tennessee was unimpressive in its 80-64 win over Gardner-Webb as 27.5-point favorites in the opener, failing to cover the spread by 11.5 points.  Zeigler went 0-for-6 from 3-point range in the loss.  There's just too much on his shoulders here in the early going.  Bet Louisville Saturday.

15* CBB Friday Night Line Mistake on Santa Clara -5

Arizona State lost 103-47 to Duke in the exhibition season.  That was a sign of things to come for the Sun Devils, who are in rough shape this season.  That was also evident in their lackluster 55-48 home win over Idaho State as 18-point favorites.  That's an Idaho State team that lost four starters from last year and their leading returning scorer only averaged 7.7 points per game.

Arizona State went 14-18 last season, and Bobby Hurley is squarely on the hot season.  The Sun Devils lost four starters from that team including three double-digit scorers.  Clearly there's not much to like about the replacements with those results against Duke and Idaho State.

Herb Sendek is one of the more underrated coaches in the country.  He led the Broncos to a 20-13 season last year, reaching 20 wins four times in the past five years.  Three starters return in G Adama Alpha-Bal (14.4 PPG), F Johnny O'Neil (11.1 PPG, 5.5 RPG) and F Christoph Tilly (9.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG).  Several key reserves return including Knapper (6.1 PPG), Bryan (8.2 PPG), Tongue (4.7 PPG) and Ensminger (4.1 PPG).  Few teams start the season with as much chemistry as the Broncos.

Santa Clara opened with a 85-78 win as 2-point favorites over St. Louis.  That's a St. Louis team that was getting a lot of hype coming into the season after nabbing Indiana State Josh Schertz and two of his best players from that team in Robbie Avila and Isaiah Swope.  They also brought back Gibson Jimmerson (15.8 PPG), who will be the school's all-time leading scorer in a few games.  It was an impressive result, and now the Broncos take a big step down in class here against the awful ASU.  Bet Santa Clara Friday.

15* CBB Friday Night BLOWOUT on Cincinnati -28.5

The No. 20 Cincinnati Bearcats are in the Top 25 this season to start the year and for good reason.  They brought back four starters from a team that finished 22-15 in the rugged Big 12 in their first season in the best college basketball conference in the country.

Three of their four returning starters averaged double-figures last season, plus they get back 7-footer Aziz Bandaogo (6.6 PPG, 7.4 RPG).  The Bearcats are off to an impressive start crushing Arkansas-Pine Bluff 109-54 as 37-point favorites.

Morehead State went 26-9 last season and made the NCAA Tournament.  But the Eagles lost their head coach in Preston Spradlin and lost four starters from that team.  First-year head coach Jonathan Mattox, a former team manager, has his hands full to say the least.

The Eagles lost five players that combined for 5,191 of the team's 7,000 minutes last season.  This is a complete rebuild, and that was obvious when they lost their opener 93-45 at Louisville as 22-point dogs.  It's going to take the books some time to catch up on just how bad this team really is.  Bet Cincinnati Friday.

15* CBB Thursday Night BLOWOUT on Florida -24

The Florida Gators have one of the best head coaches in the country in Todd Golden.  He led them to a 24-12 record in his second season last year and his team is absolutely loaded this season.  This is a fringe Top 25 team.

The Gators return G Walter Clayton Jr. (17.6 PPG last season), G Will Richard (11.4 PPG) and F/C Alex Condon (7.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG).  They add in FAU transfer Alijah Martin (13.1 PPG, 5.9 RPG), Washington State transfer Reucen Chinyelu (4.7 RPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.3 BPG) and Chattanooga transfer Sam Alexis (10.8 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 2.1 BPG).  They also have 7-foot-9 freshman C Oliveir Rioux, the tallest player in the country to bolster their interior defense.

The Gators managed to cover as 11.5-point favorites in a 98-83 win over South Florida despite shooting just 5-of-25 (20%) from 3-point range while the Bulls shot 13-of-27 (48%).  That was an impressive result when you consider how poorly they shot the ball from distance and how great the Bulls shot it.

Jacksonville went 16-17 last season including 5-11 in the Atlantic Sun.  They are expected to be one of the worst teams in the A-Sun again, and it's easy to see why.  They had to grind out a 78-65 win over Division II Trinity Baptist at home in their opener.

Last year in non-conference play, Jacksonville lost by 23 at Xavier, by 51 at Pitt, by 42 at UCF and by 43 at Purdue.  I expect the Gators to make easy work of the Dolphins in this one.  Bet Florida Thursday.

15* CBB Thursday Undervalued Underdog on Montana State +18

Montana State won the Big Sky Tournament last season and made the NCAA Tournament.  The Bobcats are the class of the Big Sky again this season with all they return.  I think they will give Wisconsin a run for its money tonight.

Montana State returns three starters in Brian Goracke (13.5 PPG), Brandon Walker (13.1 PPG) and Tyler Patterson (8.2 PPG).  They also return their instant offense off the bench in Patrick McMahon (13.0 PPG), plus two other key reserves.

Wisconsin loses three starters from a team that went 22-14 last season.  The Badgers part ways with AJ Storr (16.8 PPG), Tyler Wahl (10.4 PPG, 5.4 RPG) and Chucky Hepburn (9.2 PPG).  They only return two starters in Steven Crowl (11.2 PPG) and Max Klesmit (9.9 PPG), and there's just not a lot to like about what this team did in the offseason.

Wisconsin actually trailed Holy Cross at halftime before pulling away in the 2H for a 85-61 win as 24-point favorites.  That's a Holy Cross team that was expected to finish near the bottom of the Patriot League this season after finishing 10-23 last season and losing a pair of double-digit scorers from that team.  It's was a bad look for the Badgers, and they will be in for more of a fight than they bargained for tonight.  Bet Montana State Thursday.

15* CBB Wednesday Night BLOWOUT on Notre Dame -27

Notre Dame head coach Micah Shrewsberry was able to keep his top four scorers and five of his top six scorers from last season in an age where it's hard to keep players around.  So I like the chemistry the Fighting Irish will have from the jump this season.

They were one of the youngest teams in the country last season, but now they are going to be one of the most experienced.  They hang their hats on defense and defense as well as almost anyone in the country, and Markus Burton (17.5 PPG last year) is one of the best players in the country already entering his sophomore season.

Stonehill is expected to be one of the worst teams in the Northeast Conference this season.  The Skyhawks lose their top three scorers and four of five starters from last season's team that went just 4-27.  They can't be any worse, but they won't be much better, either.  I don't think they are capable of staying within 30 points of the Fighting Irish in their opener.  Bet Notre Dame Wednesday.

20* CBB BLOWOUT GAME OF THE WEEK on Texas Tech -28.5

Texas Tech is loaded this season off a 23-11 campaign last year.  I love head coach Grant McCasland, who has won everywhere he has been.  He turned a Texas Tech team that went 16-16 and 5-13 in the Big 12 in the previous season to 23-11 and 11-7 in the Big 12 in his first year.

Four key contributors return including three of the best 3-point shooters in the Big 12.  "I think we have three of the best 3-point shooters returning in the country," McCasland said. "They are all guys who impact the game offensively and are tremendous."

Texas Tech added two impact guards in the transfer portal with Minnesota transfer Elijah Hawkins (6.4 APG career) and Drake transfer Kevin Overton (11.3 PPG last year).  F Devan Cambridge (10.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG) returns after his season was cut short after just eight games last year.  But the biggest offseason acquisition was Mountain West Freshman of theYear JT Toppin from New Mexico.  They also added Pitt transfer Federiko Federiko who is an instant impact defender down low.

Bethune-Cookman went 17-17 last season out of the SWAC.  Head coach Reggie Theus is just 38-58 in three years here.  The Wildcats lost three starters from last year including their top two scorers in Dhashon Dyson (14.0 PPG) and Jakobi Heady (15.4 PPG).  They bring back just two starters in Reggie Ward Jr. (9.6 PPG) and Seneca Willoughby (3.5 PPG), and they don't bring back anyone off the bench who made significant contributions.  This looks like a very tough year ahead for Theus and the Wildcats, starting with their opener against the Red Raiders.  Bet Texas Tech Tuesday.

15* CBB Opening Night BLOWOUT on Florida -10

The Florida Gators have one of the best head coaches in the country in Todd Golden.  He led them to a 24-12 record in his second season last year and his team is absolutely loaded this season.  This is a fringe Top 25 team.

The Gators return G Walter Clayton Jr. (17.6 PPG last season), G Will Richard (11.4 PPG) and F/C Alex Condon (7.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG).  They add in FAU transfer Alijah Martin (13.1 PPG, 5.9 RPG), Washington State transfer Reucen Chinyelu (4.7 RPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.3 BPG) and Chattanooga transfer Sam Alexis (10.8 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 2.1 BPG).  They also have 7-foot-9 freshman C Oliveir Rioux, the tallest player in the country to bolster their interior defense.

But as much as I like the Florida Gators this season, this is more of a fade of South Florida than anything.  Their program is in turmoil not only because they lose their top three scorers to the transfer portal from a team that surprisingly went 25-8 last season, but they also lost their star head coach in Amir Abdur-Rahim from complications due to an illness just a couple weeks ago.  I question how much these players even want to play this season without him.

The Bulls lost Chris Younglood (15.3 PPG, 41.6% 3-pointers), Selton Miguel (14.7 PPG, 39% 3-pointers) and Kasean Pryor (13.0 PPG, 7.9 RPG) who were the three biggest reasons for their success last year.  The lone returning starters are Kobe Knox (8.4 PPG) and Brendon Stroud (5.2 PPG, 6.1 RPG).  I think it's going to start very badly for USF this season with a blowout loss to the Gators.  Bet Florida Monday.

20* Purdue/UConn CBB Championship No-Brainer on UConn -6

The UConn Huskies are 11-0 SU & 11-0 ATS in their last 11 NCAA Tournament games dating back to last season.  They have won all 11 games by 13 points or more.  Alabama shot 47.8% from 3 in the Final 4 and still lost by 14.

UConn has no weaknesses.  The Huskies rank 1st in adjusted offense and 4th in adjusted defense.  They have held seven of their last nine opponents to 60 points or fewer, including five of their last six to 58 points or fewer.

Zach Edey is the best player in college basketball, but UConn is the best team in college basketball.  The Huskies will have the edge at the four other positions on the court outside of Edey.  Plus, Edey hasn't had to face a defender as good as Donovan Klingan all season.  He is the best big man defender in the country.

Klingan will limit what Edey can do on the offensive end.  They won't have to double-team him, and that will make life much more difficult on Purdue's guards who won't be getting uncontested looks like they are accustomed to.  This is a terrible matchup for the Boilermakers.  Bet UConn Monday.

20* Alabama/UConn Final 4 No-Brainer on UConn -11

The UConn Huskies are 10-0 SU & 10-0 ATS in their last 10 NCAA Tournament games dating back to last season.  They have won all 10 games by 13 points or more.  That's why I'm willing to lay the big number with the Huskies in this one.

UConn has no weaknesses.  The Huskies rank 1st in adjusted offense and 4th in adjusted defense.  They have held seven of their last eight opponents to 60 points or fewer, including five consecutive opponents to 58 points or fewer.  Illinois went 0-for-19 on shots that were contested by Donovan Klingan last game.  Illinois managed just 52 points for the game after coming into the game ranked No. 1 in adjusted offense.  It will be a similar fate for Alabama here, which isn't going to shoot nearly as well as it did against Clemson last game.

Alabama has been playing a little better defense in the NCAA Tournament, but they have still allowed an average of 81.5 points per game.  UConn is going to get whatever it wants offensively.  Klingan is going to dominate the paint on both sides of the court as the Crimson Tide have no answer for him.  And the crazy part about UConn's dominance in this tournament is that they have shot poorly from 3-point range, but it hasn't matter.  They are probably due for some positive 3-point shooting regression at the very least.

Alabama is due some negative shooting regression.  The Crimson Tide were on fire in the 2H from 3 against both Clemson and UNC in their last two games.  UConn has the length on the wing to contest more of their shots, and Alabama isn't going to be able to get anything at the rim against Klingan.  Their suspect defense will get exposed as well, and UConn will control the tempo ranking 315th in adjusted tempo, plus they do not allow anything in transition, which is something Alabama relies on.  This is a terrible matchup for the Crimson Tide on all fronts.  Bet UConn Saturday.

20* NC State/Duke Elite 8 No-Brainer on NC State +6.5

What more does NC State have to do to get some respect?  The Wolfpack are 8-0 SU & 6-2 ATS in their last eight games overall with their two non-covers both coming by 0.5 points.  They beat UNC and Duke in the ACC Tournament, and they beat Marquette outright as 7.5-point dogs in the Sweet 16.

Now the Wolfpack come back as 6.5-point dogs to a Duke team that they just beat in the ACC Tournament.  They have had a big change in philosophy and have the perfect lineup right now.  The Wolfpack feel like they can't lose at this point and a brimming with confidence.

Duke got the lucky break of Houston's best player in Jamal Shead going out with an ankle injury in the 1H when the Cougars were dominating.  It changed the entire game and Duke still had to sneak out a 54-51 victory without Shead.  They won't be so fortunate against NC State this time around.

NC State played the early game against Marquette on Friday while Duke played the late game against Houston.  I don't think that extra rest and preparation for the Wolfpack is being factored into this line enough.  It almost never is in these tournament scenarios, and it's one of the real edges we have on the books.  

Duke was in a war late with Houston Friday night and now has to come back and play a 5:05 EST start time on Sunday.  The Blue Devils lack depth as it is and won't have much left in the tank for NC State.  The Wolfpack controlled their game with Marquette from start to finish and didn't have to exert a ton of effort as a result.  They will actually be the fresher, more prepared team for this one.

NC State is 17-3 ATS in its last 20 games as a neutral court underdog of 6.5 to 12 points.  The Wolfpack are 7-1 ATS as neutral court dogs or PK this season.  NC State is 8-1 ATS in its last nine games against good offensive teams that score 77 or more points per game.  Bet NC State Sunday.

25* NCAA Tournament GAME OF THE YEAR on Clemson +3.5

The Clemson Tigers are capable of beating anyone in the country.  They have road wins over Alabama and North Carolina this season and should have beaten Duke in a 1-point loss with a weak foul call by the refs just before the buzzer handed the Blue Devils the win.

The Tigers are showing what they are capable of in the NCAA Tournament.  New Mexico was a popular pick to make a run, and the Tigers mopped the floor with the Lobos in a 77-56 win as 2-point dogs.  They controlled the game basically the entire way against Baylor in a 72-64 win as 4.5-point dogs.  And they once again controlled the game the entire way in a 77-72 win over Arizona as 7-point dogs.

I think Clemson's versatility offensively will give Alabama trouble as well.  Both big men PJ Hall (18.4 PPG, 6.5 RPG) and Ian Schieffelin (9.9 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 48.9% 3-pointers) can shoot it from outside, Chase Hunter (12.9 PPG) has been one of the best guards in the tournament, and Joseph Girard (15.0 PPG) is a 41% 3-pointer shooter.

As stated before, Clemson already won on the road at Alabama 85-77 as 8.5-point underdogs in their first meeting this season on November 28th.  Hall had 21 points and 8 rebounds, Girard 16 points, Hunter 15 points and Schieffelin 9 points and 14 rebounds.  It will be more of the same in the rematch.

The Tigers have the rest advantage after playing the first game on Thursday night and had the luxury of resting and scouting Alabama in the late game.  I always think that's a bigger advantage than what gets factored in as the team that finished first and plays two days later gets more rest and preparation.  

Plus, Alabama just lost sharpshooter Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (9.0 PPG, 44.3% 3-pointers) to a head injury, and now Nick Pringle (6.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG) suffered a leg injury against UNC and was noticeably limping.  The Crimson Tide's lack of depth will catch up to them here.  They are running on fumes after their comeback win over North Carolina from double-digits down in the 2H, especially with the crazy pace they play with.

Clemson is 9-1 ATS as an underdog this season.  Alabama is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games off a win by 6 points or less.  Bet Clemson Saturday.

20* Duke/Houston Sweet 16 No-Brainer on Houston -3.5

This is a great time to 'buy low' on the Houston Cougars after needing OT to beat Texas A&M.  That's just a team they do not match up great against as they only beat the Aggies by 4 on a neutral earlier this season.  It's also a very underrated Texas A&M team that was playing its best basketball of the season down the stretch and knocked off several other SEC powerhouses this season.

Keep in mind Houston led by double-digits in the final two minutes before a crazy comeback by the Aggies as well.  I think getting battle-tested in that game will benefit the Cougars moving forward.  Four starters fouled out, and a walk on had to ice the game from the FT line in OT.  That kind of win will only make them stronger moving forward when they get in this position again.

This will essentially be a home game for Houston being played in Dallas, TX, and Houston crushed everyone at home this season going 17-0 with nobody staying within 8 points or them.  I don't think that home-court advantage is being factored into this line enough.  They did not get the benefit of the whistle against Texas A&M, but they will likely get that benefit here with a rowdy Cougar crowd.

But this is more of a fade of Duke than anything.  It's time to 'sell high' on the Blue Devils after an easy route to the Sweet 16 blowing out both Vermont and James Madison.  This is a very soft Duke team, and that will get exposed against one of the most physical teams in the country in Houston.  I also don't expect the Blue Devils to shoot as well as they have thus far as McCain opened the James Madison game 6-of-6 from 3.

Now the Blue Devils must go up against the Cougars, who rank 2nd in adjusted defense behind only Iowa State.  The Blue Devils were already without Caleb Foster (7.7 PPG) heading into the NCAA Tournament, and now Jeremy Roach (14.3 PPG, 44.2% 3-pointers) suffered a finger injury against James Madison that leaves him questionable and far from 100% if he plays.  We are getting the Cougars at a discount in the Sweet 16 and we'll take advantage.  Bet Houston Friday.

25* Sweet 16 GAME OF THE YEAR on North Carolina -4

The North Carolina Tar Heels are the most disrespected No. 1 seed in the tournament.  Hubert Davis is also one of the most disrespected head coaches in the country as he is now 8-0 ATS in the NCAA Tournament at North Carolina.  The Tar Heels are 10-1 SU & 7-4 ATS in their last 11 games overall with a pair of wins over Duke both home and away this season.  They just crushed Michigan State 85-69 as 4-point favorites in the Round of 32.  Now they are only 4-point favorites against Alabama in the Sweet 16.

The Tar Heels have no weaknesses.  They have two stud guards in RJ Davis (21.3 PPG, 41.1% 3-pointers) and Elliot Cadeau (7.3 PPG, 4.1 APG) who can both get to the rim whenever they want.  They have two stud big men in Armando Bacot (14.4 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 1.5 BPG) and Harrison Ingram (12.2 PPG, 8.8 RPG) and a sharp shooter in Cormac Ryan (11.3 PPG).

But as much as I love North Carolina, this is more of a fade of Alabama than anything.  The Crimson Tide had an easy path to get to the Sweet 16 beating College of Charleston 109-96 and Grand Canyon 72-61.  Both wins come with asterisks because both of those opponents shot very poorly, and Grand Canyon tried to beat them with 1-on-1 ball.

Charleston started the game 1-of-17 from 3-point range, while Grand Canyon shot 2-of-20 from 3 for the game.  The Antelopes also shot just 23-of-37 (62.2%) from the FT line.  The Crimson Tide won't be able to benefit from those poor shooting numbers against a great shooting team in UNC.  This is still the worst defensive team left in the tournament and UNC will expose those holes.  

Plus, Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (9.0 PPG, 44.3% 3-pointers) has been battling concussion issues all season and just suffered another one that forced him from the Grand Canyon game.  He is a great shooter and their best perimeter defender.  I have a hard time believing he will be anywhere near 100% for this one if he plays, and if he does there is a high likelihood he gets knocked out again.  I like UNC to roll either way.  Bet North Carolina Thursday.

15* SDSU/UConn Sweet 16 ANNIHILATOR on UConn -11

The UConn Huskies are 8-0 SU & 8-0 ATS over the past two NCAA Tournament and covering by an average of 13 points per game.  All eight wins have come by 13 points or more, so I'm not worried about laying this 11-point spread against the San Diego State Aztecs in the Sweet 16.

This was a terrible matchup for SDSU in the Championship Game last year and that fact remains this year.  UConn beat SDSU 76-59 to capture the title last year as 7-point favorites.  No question the Aztecs want revenge, but they have a lot working against them heading into this one.

For starters, this is a tough travel spot for the Aztecs, who have to travel clear across country to Boston to face what is going to be a home-heavy crowd for the Huskies.  It's just a little over an hour from campus.  This is one of the earliest games of the Sweet 16 with tip set for 7:40 EST Thursday night.  The Aztecs didn't get home until early Monday morning after facing Yale in Spokane Sunday night.  They will have hardly any time to prepare for UConn with all this travel.

Teams that have had success against UConn this season have lit it up from 3 like Creighton did in Omaha.  The Huskies have gone 9-0 SU & 8-1 ATS since that humbling defeat, and Bobby Hurley is keeping that chip on their shoulder saying that the NCAA Tournament committee blatantly gave them they most difficult region, which is true.

San Diego State runs its offense through Jaedon LeDee who is a monster inside.  However, he lacks height and will struggle to score against UConn's bigs inside.  The Huskies rank 3rd in effective FG percentage defense and 4th in 2-point percentage allowed.  They just don't allow anything at the rim.  San Diego State is going to have to try to win this game from the 3-point line, where they are terrible ranking 283rd in the country in 3-point percentage at 31.8% on the season.  Terrible matchup for them and terrible travel spot.  Bet UConn Thursday.

20* Texas A&M/Houston TNT No-Brainer on Texas A&M +10.5

Texas A&M is playing its best basketball of the season here down the stretch just to get into the NCAA Tournament.  The Aggies are 6-1 SU & 6-1 ATS in their last seven games overall with wins over fellow NCAA Tournament teams in Mississippi State, Kentucky and Nebraska.  They ran out of gas in their 5-point loss to Florida in their 3rd game in 3 days in the SEC Tournament.

No underdog in this NCAA Tournament has a higher ceiling than Texas A&M.  The Aggies have wins over Iowa State, Florida, Tennessee and Kentucky this season.  They even took Houston to the wire already once in non-conference play earlier this season, losing 70-66 as 7-point dogs on a neutral.  Houston even shot 11-of-27 (40.7%) from 3 in that game while the Aggies only shot 38.2% as a team, yet it was only a 4-point margin.  

I think the Aggies can stay within 10.5-points in the rematch.  Asking the Cougars to win this game by double-digits to beat us is asking too much.  They just faced one of the worst teams in the tournament in Longwood and won easily.  They they lost by 28 to Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship Game, and injuries and lack of depth is a problem for them.  

Texas A&M is elite defensively and will force Houston into some scoring droughts that they are known for.  The Aggies are the No. 1 offensive rebounding team in the country and can hang with the Cougars on the boards and in the physicality department.  The Aggies also potentially have the best player on the court in Wade Taylor IV, who scored 25 points in the 98-83 win over Nebraska.  But he isn't their only weapon as both Obaseki (22) and Radford (20) topped 20 as well.

Buzz Williams is 21-7 ATS in March games as the coach of Texas A&M.  Houston is 1-7 ATS after scoring 80 points or more this season.  Bet Texas A&M Sunday.

20* James Madison/Duke CBS No-Brainer on James Madison +7.5

James Madison is one of the best teams in the country that nobody knows about.  The Dukes are 32-3 this season with their three losses coming to Appalachian State (twice) and Southern Miss.  Keep in mind Appalachian State beat Auburn earlier this season.  The upset Michigan State on the road in non-conference, and they just upset Wisconsin 72-61 as 5.5-point dogs last round to prove they belong.  They dominated that game for all 40 minutes and were never in jeopardy of losing.

Duke had a much easier opponent in the opener with a 64-47 win over a bad Vermont team as 12.5-point favorites.  The Blue Devils lost to UNC twice this season, lost at Wake Forest and lost to NC State in the ACC Tournament.  I think the ACC is just way down this season, so it's going to be hard to trust any ACC team outside North Carolina moving forward.  The Blue Devils are on serious upset alert here.

James Madison is 16-6 ATS in its last 22 non-conference games.  The Dukes are 8-2 ATS against a team with a winning record this season.  James Madison is 6-0 ATS in its last six games against good 3-point shooting teams that make 37% or better.  Bet James Madison Sunday.

20* Oregon/Creighton TBS Late-Night BAILOUT on Oregon +5.5

The Oregon Ducks are the one NCAA Tournament team that stole a bid by winning their conference tournament that I trust to make a deep run.  The Ducks have won five consecutive games including wins over Arizona, Colorado and South Carolina in their last three.  They have all the momentum right now and are playing their best basketball of the season.

A big reason I trust the Ducks is head coach Dana Altman, who is a proven winner in the NCAA Tournament.  Altman is 17-5 ATS in NCAA Tournament games as the coach of Oregon, including a perfect 7-0 ATS when listed as a 9 seed or higher.  The Ducks may also have the two best players ont he floor in C N'Faly Dante (16.5 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 1.9 BPG) and G Jermaine Couisnard (16.1 PPG), who had 40 points against South Carolina last game.  Both of these guys have taken their games to the next level down the stretch.

Creighton was in a dog fight with lowly Akron until late in the 2H last game.  They won 77-60 despite shooting 56.5% from the field and Akron only shooting 37.9%.  The Zips shot 6-of-27 (22%) from 3 as well, which is uncharacteristic for them, while the Bluejays shot 10-of-17 (59%) from 3.  They won't have those kinds of shooting numbers in their favor here when they take a big step up in class against surging Ducks.  Bet Oregon Saturday.

20* Oakland/NC State TBS No-Brainer on Oakland +6.5

NC State just won five games in five days to win the ACC Tournament.  Four of the five games were decided by single-digits, so it took everything they had and then some.  I question how much the Wolfpack have left in the tank for the NCAA Tournament.

They got through Texas Tech on pure adrenaline, plus the fact that the Red Raiders play zero defense.  This is the game I think all these games will take their toll as the Wolfpack will now be playing their 2nd game in 3 days.  They are going to have to think because Oakland runs a great zone defense, and it's a very tough scheme to prepare for in one day.  I don't think NC State will be ready for it.

I like that the Golden Grizzlies acted like they expected to beat Kentucky after the game.  They feel like they belong, and I expect them to pull the outright upset here Saturday over the Wolfpack to advance to the Sweet 16.  They will have the best player on the floor in F Trey Townsend (16.9 PPG, 7.9 RPG), and he is surrounded by two great shooters in Blake Lampman (12.8 PPG, 36.5% 3-pointers) and Jack Gohike (12.8 PPG, 37.8% 3-pointers), who hit 10 3's himself to lead the upset of Kentucky.

The win over Kentucky was no fluke as Oakland went 2-3 SU & 5-0 ATS against Ohio State, Illinois, Drake, Xavier and Kentucky this season taking all five of those teams to the wire despite playing all five on the road.  The Golden Grizzlies are 6-0 ATS in their last six games off an upset win as a road underdog.  Bet Oakland Saturday.

15* Washington State/Iowa State TNT ANNIHILATOR on Iowa State -6.5

The Iowa State Cyclones have won the Big 12 Tournament in 5 of the last 11 years.  A big reason they have so much success in the Big 12 Tournament is because it is known as 'Hilton South' with the huge following they get from fans with only a 3.5-hour drive to Kansas City.  Well, now they are playing in Omaha, which is only a 2-hour drive from their campus.  They have a massive home-court advantage once again for the first two rounds of this tournament.

The Cyclones are playing their best basketball of the season in these tournaments.  They are 4-0 SU & 4-0 ATS since the start of the Big 12 Tournament, beating Kansas State by 19 as 8-point favorites, Baylor by 14 as 2-point favorites and Houston by 28 as 5-point dogs.  They opened with a 17-point win over South Dakota State on Thursday as 15-point favorites.  They were up 25 in the final four minutes before calling off the dogs, so that 17-point win wasn't as indicative of how dominant the win was.  They won't be calling off the dogs against Washington State.

Washington State thrives when they play a soft team like Drake and Arizona that aren't very physical.  That's why they are able to upset Arizona twice and get by Drake last game with an 8-point comeback in the final seven minutes.  They won't have that same luxury against Iowa State, which will match and exceed their physicality.  The Cyclones rank 2nd in the entire country in adjusted defense, and they are a much better offensive team than the Cougars, who lack shooting.  They won't be able to keep up offensively in this one.

Iowa State is 10-1 ATS in its last 11 games against a good team that wins 60-80% of their games this season.  The Cyclones are a combined 25-0 SU in home games, Big 12 Tournament games and NCAA Tournament games that have been played close to home this season.  Bet Iowa State Saturday.

25* Round of 32 GAME OF THE YEAR on North Carolina -3.5

This will feel like a home game for the North Carolina Tar Heels being played in Charlotte.  That's not being factored into this line enough.  The Tar Heels are 9-1 SU & 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games overaall with a pair of wins over Duke both home and away this season.

The Tar Heels have no weaknesses.  They have two stud guards in RJ Davis (21.4 PPG) and Elliot Cadeau (7.3 PPG, 4.1 APG) who can both get to the rim whenever they want.  They have two stud big men in Armando Bacot (14.3 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 1.5 BPG) and Harrison Ingram (12.1 PPG, 8.9 RPG) and a sharp shooter in Cormac Ryan (11.3 PPG).

Michigan State was fortunate to get a bid into the NCAA Tournament.  The Spartans went 3-5 SU in their final eight games this season including home losses to Iowa and Ohio State.   They are prone to scoring droughts and are not the best shooting team.  They only make 12 FT per game and struggle to get to the rim as well.  Any droughts in this one and they are going to get run out of the building.

North Carolina is 7-0 ATS in its last seven NCAA Tournament games.  This line should at least be -6 in favor of the Tar Heels.  Bet North Carolina Saturday.

20* Gonzaga/Kansas CBS No-Brainer on Gonzaga -3.5

Gonzaga made easy work of an upstart McNeese State team 86-65 and should still be fresh as a result.  The Bulldogs improved to 10-1 SU & 7-4 ATS in their last 11 games overall playing their best basketball of the season here down the stretch.  They upset both Kentucky and St. Mary's on the road during this stretch.

Kansas shot 60.3% from the field and still needed a blown foul call from the refs to put away a bad Samford team 93-89 as 7.5-point favorites in the opener.  It continued a trend of poor play to close the season as the Jayhawks are now 2-4 SU & 1-5 ATS in their last six games overall.

Head coach Bill Self announced that Kevin McCullar Jr. will be out for the NCAA Tournament prior to it.  That leaves the Jayhawks very short-handed and this is a tough spot for them having to play their 2nd game in 3 days after needing to go to the wire to beat Samford on Thursday.  They went with basically a 6-man rotation against Samford and had four starters play anywhere from 35 to 39 minutes apiece.  They will wear down in the 2H as the Bulldogs pull away after intermission.

This will feel like a home game for the Bulldogs with it being played out West in Salt Lake City.  Kansas is 1-8 ATS in its last nine road/neutral games against good offensive teams that score 77 or more points per game.  The Jayhawks are 1-7 ATS in their last eight games after scoring 85 points or more.  Bet Gonzaga Saturday.

15* CBB Friday BLOWOUT on TCU -3

Utah State is 1-19 SU in its last 20 NCAA Tournament Games.  The Aggies had a successful regular season winning the MWC regular season title.  But they are reeling coming into the Big Dance, going 1-5 ATS in their last six games overall.  They needed OT to beat Fresno State twice, only beat Air Force by 12 as 17.5-point home favorites, and lost by 16 to San Diego State in the MWC Tournament.

TCU went 6-4 ATS down the stretch with narrow losses to Texas Tech by 1 and UCF by 2.  They beat Oklahoma in the Big 12 Tournament opener and I just trust this team.  The Big 12 was the toughest conference in the country, so I can see some of these middling Big 12 teams doing well in the NCAA Tournament because they are so battle-tested.

Utah State suffered 5 of its 6 losses away from home this season including losses by 13 at New Mexico, by 14 at San Diego State and by 20 at Colorado State.  They also lost by 16 to SDSU on a neutral and by 14 at home to Nevada.  Utah State didn't face a single Power 5 team all season.  Their non-conference schedule could not have been much easier, and they beat Santa Clara by 2 and San Francisco by 1 in their two toughest non-conference games.  They also lost at Bradley.  I'd argue TCU will be the best team they have faced all season.

TCU has elite size on the interior that will help them match up well with Great Osobor, who is Utah State's best player.  The Horned Frogs also have great length on the wing to make life difficult on Utah State's overmatched guards, who will be at an athletic disadvantage.  The Horned Frogs are favored for good reason despite being the higher seed.  Utah State is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games as an underdog.  Bet TCU Friday.

20* James Madison/Wisconsin CBS Late-Night BAILOUT on James Madison +4.5

James Madison is one of the best teams in the country that nobody knows about.  The Dukes went 31-3 this season with their three losses coming to Appalachian State (twice) and Southern Miss.  Keep in mind Appalachian State beat Auburn earlier this season.

But what lets me know James Madison can play with Wisconsin is the fact that they went to Michigan State and upset the Spartans in East Lansing.  They won't be scared at all to face a Big Ten opponent like Wisconsin, and I like the fact that this game is being played in Brooklyn, NY so the Badgers likely won't have many fans there.  It's less than a 6 hour drive for James Madison fans and they will have the home-court advantage if anything.

Wisconsin is a tired team after having to play 4 games in 4 days including an OT game against Purdue in the semifinals.  They ran out of gas in the 2H against Illinois in the Championship Game and lost.  I don't think they'll be fully recovered in time for the Round of 64.  James Madison made easy work of its three opponents in the Sun Belt Tournament winning by a combined 42 points and has been off since March 11th.  The Dukes will be the much fresher team for this matchup.

James Madison is 15-6 ATS in its last 21 non-conference games.  The Dukes are 18-7 ATS in their last 25 games against a team with a winning record.  I think the Dukes make the Sweet 16, and it starts with an upset win over Wisconsin Friday night.  Bet James Madison Friday.

15* Charleston/Alabama TruTV ANNIHILATOR on Alabama -9.5

This is a great time to 'buy low' on Alabama.  The Crimson Tide have gone 3-4 SU & 0-7 ATS in their last seven games overall.  But they faced an absolutely brutal schedule during this stretch with road losses to Kentucky and Florida (twice) as well as a home loss to Tennessee.  They also beat Arkansas and Florida at home while winning by 14 at Ole Miss.

When you consider that Alabama also face the likes of Ohio State, Clemson, Purdue, Creighton and Arizona in the non-conference, the Crimson Tide grade out as having faced the single-toughest schedule in the entire country.  To say they are battle-tested would be an understatement.  Now they have had a full week off since the loss to Florida in the SEC Tournament to rest.  They will be rejuvenated, and they are a fully healthy right now and a dangerous No. 4 seed.

The Crimson Tide get to take a big step down in class here against Charleston, which isn't as strong as it was a year ago.  The Cougars showed very poorly in non-conference.  They lost three consecutive games on a neutral to Duquesne by 18, Vermont by 9 and Wyoming by 7.  They also lost by 16 at Florida Atlantic.  It's also concerning Charleston needed OT to beat Stony Brook as a 10-point favorite in the CAA Championship Game.  Alabama will be by far the best team they have faced this season.

I love the matchup for the Crimson Tide because they attack the rim or shoot 3-pointers, and the Cougars were the 5th-worst team in the entire country in protecting the rim on close 2-pointers.  Alabama is going to get what it wants inside for 40 minutes.  Both teams love to run as Alabama ranks 11th in adjusted tempo and Charleston ranks 58th.  More possessions favors the better team and the favorite.  Charleston is actually much worse defensively than Alabama as the Cougars rank 175th in adjusted defense, largely because they cannot protect the rim.  

Alabama is 15-8 ATS as a favorite this season.  The Crimson Tide are 25-11 ATS in their last 36 games after failing to cover the spread in four or more consecutive games.  Plays against underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points (Charleston) - off four or more consecutive wins, when seeded 13 through 16 in the NCAA Tournament are 70-32 (68.6%) ATS since 1997.    This is a very low spread for a 4/13 matchup and it really shows that we are getting to 'buy low' on the Crimson Tide.  Bet Alabama Friday.