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15* CBB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Kansas State +15.5

The Kansas State Wildcats have quietly gone 5-0 ATS in their last five games overall and are one of the most underrated teams in the Big 12 right now.  They lost by 4 as 7-point dogs to Texas Tech, by 10 as 14.5-point dogs at Kansas and by 8 as 11-point dogs at Baylor.  They also blasted WVU by 13 and Oklahoma State by 28 at home.

This is a very tough spot for Iowa State.  The Cyclones return home from a two-game road trip out West against the Arizona schools.  After a big comeback to beat Arizona State, they lost in OT at Arizona.  It's the type of loss that can beat a team twice as the Wildcats made a 60-footer at the buzzer just to force OT.

Iowa State is without its best shooter in Milan Moncilovic (10.3 PPG, 44.3% 3-pointers), which has really hurt their spacing on offense.  The Cyclones are much easier to defend without having to worry about their outside shooting.  Kansas State will pack it in and rely on its defense, which has been superb of late in holding three of their last five opponents to 61 points or fewer.  Bet Kansas State Saturday.

20* Big East GAME OF THE MONTH on Villanova -1

It's a great time to 'buy low' on Villanova and 'sell high' on Creighton Saturday.  The Wildcats are 1-4 SU & 0-5 ATS in their last five games overall, while the Bluejays are 8-1 SU & 9-0 ATS in their last nine games overall.  Yet Villanova is favored here, and favored for good reason.

The Wildcats want revenge from a 86-79 road loss as 5-point dogs at Creighton in their first meeting this season on December 21st.  Creighton shot 55% from the field and 14-of-25 (56%) from 3 and still only won by 7.  I have to think they'll have some shooting regression in the rematch on the road this time around.

Villanova is 10-2 SU at home this season.  Creighton is 3-3 SU in true road games with a 24-point loss at Georgetown and two of the road wins coming against lowly DePaul and Butler, two of the worst teams in the Big East.  Bet Villanova Saturday.

15* CBB Saturday Early ANNIHILATOR on Providence +14

This is one of my favorite spots in college basketball.  It's betting on revenge-minded road underdogs who lost a close game to their opponent at home in their first meeting of the season.

That's the case with this game today.  Providence lost 72-70 as 5.5-point home dogs to St. John's on December 20th.  Now the Friars are catching 14 points in the rematch on the road, which is a 8.5-point adjustment from that first meeting.  That's way too big of an adjustment for flipping home courts.

This has been a closely-contested series.  In fact, each of the last six meetings between the Friars and Red Storm have been decided by 5 points or fewer.  Better yet, Providence hasn't lost by more than 14 to St. John's in any of their last 26 meetings.  That makes for a 26-0 system backing the Friars pertaining to this 14-point spread.  Bet Providence Saturday.

15* CBB Wednesday Undervalued Underdog on Illinois-Chicago +8.5

Illinois-Chicago wants revenge from a 61-60 home loss to the Bradley Braves on January 11th less than three weeks ago.  The Flames led that game the entire way and led by 5 in the final seconds before giving up consecutive 3-pointers and losing at the buzzer.  They have not forgotten, and I fully expect them to give Bradley a run for its money tonight.

The Flames are one of the most underrated teams in college basketball.  They are 8-3 SU & 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games overall.  They have been at their best on the road this season going a perfect 8-0 ATS in true road games not once losing by double-digits.  That's basically what it's going to take tonight for the Braves to cover.

This is a letdown spot for the Braves.  They won't be that motivated to beat the Flames a 2nd time.  They are fat and happy following five consecutive victories and 10 wins in their last 11 games overall.  But they have been very fortunate in close games during this stretch with six of those 10 wins coming by single-digits.  Bet Illinois-Chicago Wednesday.

15* CBB Wednesday UPSET SHOCKER on Virginia +1.5

The Miami Hurricanes are 1-16 SU in their last 17 games overall with upset home losses to Charleston Southern and Mount St. Mary's.  Their lone win during this stretch came against Presbyterian.  The Hurricanes have no business being favored over the Virginia Cavaliers tonight.

Miami nearly ended its losing streak over the weekend against a short-handed California team.  Matthew Cleveland caught fire in the 2H to lead the comeback and force OT on a 3-pointer at the buzzer.  But in the end the Hurricanes came up short, and it's the type of loss that can beat a team twice.  They now head back home from a two-game road trip to California.  I think this team would rather be on the road than be dealing with all of the distractions back home about how poor of a season it has been.

After a brutal stretch of games, the Cavaliers now have a winnable game that I fully expect them to take advantage of.  They beat Boston College by 18 in their lone win over their last seven games.  They will relish this opportunity to get back in the win column.  Bet Virginia Wednesday.

25* SEC GAME OF THE YEAR on LSU +12.5

The Auburn Tigers are the No. 1 ranked team in the country.  With that ranking comes expectations from the betting public and oddsmakers accordingly that are very difficult to live up to.  It puts a massive target on their backs as well.

I think this is a clear letdown spot for Auburn after surviving a pair of close 2-point wins at Georgi and at home against Tennessee in their last two games coming in.  They will need to play a perfect game to cover this big of a number on the road at LSU tonight.

The LSU Tigers have been very competitive in SEC play despite their poor record.  They only have one loss by more than 12 points in conference play this season.  This despite playing a brutal schedule with four of their last five games on the road.

In their lone home game during this stretch, they beat Arkansas who had their best player in Fland for that game.  The Tigers only lost by 7 at Alabama over the weekend to show what they are capable of.  They will treat this like their 'National Championship' game, and I fully expect them to give Auburn a run for its money tonight.  

The home teams is 6-1 SU & 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings.  Bet LSU Wednesday.

15* Big 12 PLAY OF THE DAY on West Virginia +8.5

This is the ultimate letdown spot for the Houston Cougars.  They erased 6-point deficits in regulation and in OT to beat Kansas in double-OT over the weekend.  They won't be nearly as motivated to beat West Virginia, who they already beat by 16 at home in their first meeting this season.

The Mountaineers have one of the best home-court advantages in the country, especially in big games like this.  They already upset Iowa State 64-57 at home as 6.5-point dogs.  Now they are catching 8.5 points to Houston, which is too much given the brutal spot for the Cougars.  Keep in mind they nearly lost outright as 13.5-point favorites at UCF in their previous road game before Kansas.  Bet West Virginia Wednesday.

20* MWC GAME OF THE WEEK on San Jose State +14.5

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 15-1 ATS in their last 16 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.  They then covered as 13-point dogs at Nevada before topping Wyoming 67-58 at home as 3-point favorites.

I love the spot for San Jose State because they will be the more rested team.  They will be playing just their 2nd game in 10 days, while San Diego State will be playing its 3rd game in 7 days coming off consecutive road wins at Air Force (by 1) and at Nevada.

It's hard to trust San Diego State to get margin on teams because they are so poor offensively ranking just 112th in adjusted offense.  They also play slow and limit possessions, and San Jose State plays even slower, so this game won't see many possessions. In two meetings last season, San Jose State lost by 3 as 10-point home dogs and by 8 as 21.5-point road dogs to the Aztecs.  Bet San Jose State Tuesday.

15* ACC PLAY OF THE DAY on Notre Dame -8

Notre Dame wants revenge from a 86-75 road loss at Georgia Tech on December 31st in their first meeting this season.  The difference is Notre Dame did not have its best player in Markus Burton (19.9 PPG) healthy for that game.

Since Burton returned, the Fighting Irish have gone 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall.  They took NC State, Duke and Syracuse to the wire on the road, lost by 1 to UNC at home and crushed Boston College by 18 at home and Virginia by 15 on the road.

Georgia Tech is 0-4 SU & 0-4 ATS in true road games this season losing by 13 at Florida State, by 7 at Syracuse, by 22 at SMU and by 15 at Oklahoma.  Injuries are a problem for the Yellow Jackets right now as they are without G Reeves (9.3 PPG) and could be without G Mustaf (9.1 PPG), who is questionable.  Bet Notre Dame in revenge mode Tuesday.

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

The BYU Cougars are 10-1 SU & 7-4 ATS at home this season and outscoring opponents by 26.3 points per game.  They have one of the best home-court advantages in the country, and that was on display in their 80-52 win as 7-point home favorties over Cincinnati last time out.  They also beat Oklahoma State by 16 and Arizona State by 20 at home in Big 12 play this season.

This is a terrible spot for the Baylor Bears.  They will be playing their 2nd road game in 4 days both in altitude after a win at Utah on Saturday.  They won't have much left in the tank for the Cougars tonight.  Baylor already has blowout losses at Iowa State by 20 and at Arizona by 11 in Big 12 play this season.  This one won't go much better for them tonight.

The Bears have been playing basically a six-man rotation due to injuries.  They are without Langston Love (6.5 PPG) and could be without Jeremy Roach (11.9 PPG) again tonight.  Playing in altitude will only add to their fatigue, and I expect BYU to run them out of the building tonight.  Bet BYU Tuesday.

15* Iowa State/Arizona ESPN Late-Night BAILOUT on Iowa State +2.5

The Iowa State Cyclones suffered their letdown against West Virginia after beating Kansas by 17 at home.  They are going to be pretty 'spot proof' moving forward because they already tasted that defeat and clearly didn't like the taste of it.

The Cyclones have responded with a 108-83 home win over UCF and a 76-61 road win at Arizona State in their two games since that loss to WVU.  Now they get to stay out West for a short trip from Tempe to Tucson which is a big factor as to why I'm on the Cyclones tonight.

Arizona is pretty easy to figure out.  The Wildcats can't beat the best teams in the country, but they thrive against middling to bad teams.  The Wildcats already have six losses this season, including losses by 15 to Wisconsin, by 14 to Duke and by 16 to Texas Tech.  They are 1-5 against KenPom Top 43 teams with their lone win coming against overrated Baylor at home.  Wrong team favored here.  Bet Iowa State Monday.

20* ACC GAME OF THE MONTH on California -9

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 seven games without him to fall to 4-15 SU & 3-16 ATS this season.

Worse yet, Miami has gone 1-15 SU in its last 16 games overall which includes upset home losses to Mount St. Mary's and Charleston Southern as massive favorites.  Each of their last five losses have come by double-digits, including a 35-point loss at Duke, a 43-point home loss to SMU and a 37-point road loss at Stanford in their last three games coming in.  The Hurricanes are already on 'quit watch' and we just started ACC play going 0-8 SU & 0-8 ATS in their last eight games overall.

California is coming off two of its most impressive games of the season winning 65-62 at NC State as 6-point dogs and 77-68 at home over Florida State as 3-point dogs.  The Bears are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games overall.  They will relish this opportunity to put it on Miami tonight at home.  Bet California Saturday.

15* CBB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Portland +25

The Gonzaga Bulldogs are just 1-11 ATS in their last 12 games overall and I would argue they are the most overrated team in the country.  They are elite on offense but this is the worst defensive team of the Mark Few era.

That was on display in their last two games allowing 58.5% shooting to Oregon State in a 97-89 (OT) loss and allowing 53.7% shooting to Santa Clara in a 103-99 home loss in regulation.

Portland shot 33.3% in its 81-50 road loss to Gonzaga in their first meeting this season.  I have to think the Pilots are due some positive shooting regression in the rematch, and thus should be able to stay within this 25-point spread.  Bet Portland Saturday.

20* UConn/Xavier FOX No-Brainer on Xavier -1.5

The Xavier Musketeers have been rolling since getting their best player in Zach Freemantle (16.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG) back from injury.  They are 3-1 SU & 3-1 ATS in their las four games overall including an upset road win at Marquette.

Xavier is pissed off after blowing a 16-point 2H lead to lose 79-71 (OT) at St. John's last time out.  That was a brutal beat as I had Xavier +8 in that game and the line closed +7 so most lost.  It was also a misleading final, and taking St. John's to OT on the road is impressive either way.

Now the Musketeers have their sights set on revenge from a 94-89 (OT) road loss at UConn on December 18th.  Freemantle didn't even play in that game and they took the Huskies to OT on the road.  UConn had Liam McNeeley (13.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG) healthy for that game and he scored 14 points.  McNeeley has missed their last five games and likely will miss this one as well.  Bet Xavier Saturday.

15* MWC PLAY OF THE DAY on San Jose State -2.5

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 14-1 ATS in their last 15 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.  And last time out they covered as 13-point dogs at Nevada.

I love the spot for San Jose State because they have had the last week off and get another reprieve here with a very winnable game against one of the worst teams in the Mountain West in Wyoming.  The Cowboys are in a letdown spot off an upset loss at UNLV which put to end a three-game losing streak by 8 at home to New Mexico, by 41 at Boise State and by 16 at home to Colorado State.  Bet San Jose State Saturday.

20* Duke/Wake Forest ESPN No-Brainer on Wake Forest +11.5

It's time to 'sell high' on the Duke Blue Devils.  They have gone 12-0 SU & 8-4 ATS in their last 12 games overall.  They have benefited from an extremely soft schedule to open ACC play and I think they finally get a run for their money today.

Wake Forest is 15-4 this season including a perfect 10-0 at home this season where they upset North Carolina last time out.  They also crushed Stanford by 13, NC State by 18 and James Madison by 17 in their previous three home games.

Home-court advantage has been huge in this series as the home team is 5-0 SU in the last five meetings.  Wake Forest is 4-1 ATS in its last five meetings with Duke winning both home meetings outright during this stretch.  Bet Wake Forest Saturday.

15* CBB Saturday Afternoon Line Mistake on Arizona State +10

The Iowa State Cyclones have struggled on the road in Big 12 play.  They scored at the buzzer to force OT at Texas Tech in a 85-84 win.  They lost outright as 6.5-point favorites at West Virginia.  And they only beat Colorado by 10, which is a Colorado team that is currently on a 7-game losing streak starting with that defeat.

West Virginia is a recent common opponent of Arizona State.  The Sun Devils went on the road and upset West Virginia outright as 9-point road dogs.  They don't get blown out at home as their largest home loss came by 6 points.  Each of their last four Big 12 games have been decided by 8 points or fewer.

Arizona State is fully healthy with G Jason Sanon (12.8 PPG) upgraded to probable today.  Iowa State just lost its best shooter in Milan Momcilovic (10.3 PPG, 44.3% 3-pointers) and will be without him until nearly tournament time.  Bet Arizona State Saturday.

15* WCC PLAY OF THE DAY on San Francisco +10.5

This is a great time to 'sell high' on St. Mary's.  The Gaels are 6-0 SU & 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall, but they couldn't have possibly played an easier schedule getting to face Pepperdine (twice), San Diego, Loyola-Marymount, Portland and Pacific.

The last time they had to face a real opponent they lost outright to Utah State as 5.5-point home favorites.  That was the end of a stretch that saw them go 1-6 ATS in their previous season games.  They only beat UTSA by 8 at home, Merrimack by 5 at home, and lost outright to ASU, Boise State and Utah State.

San Francisco is 16-5 this season with wins over Boise State, Saint Louis, Santa Clara and Oregon State.  Three of their five losses came by single-digits.  The Dons have a knack for playing the Gaels tough, especially on the road.

Indeed, the Dons haven't lost any of their last five trips to St. Mary's by more than 10 points.  That makes for a 5-0 system backing the Dons pertaining to this 10.5-point spread.  They have lost 10 straight in the series and desperately want to end this streak tonight.  Bet San Francisco Thursday.

20* WAC GAME OF THE WEEK on Southern Utah +11.5

Grand Canyon is one of the most overrated teams in the country. The Antelopes are just 5-12 ATS in all games this season.  That's even after consecutive blowout wins and covers at home against Tarleton State and Abilene Christian.

I think those two blowout wins have the Antelopes overvalued again tonight as 11.5-point road favorites over Southern Utah.  They only beat Southern Utah 82-71 as 16-point home favorites in their first meeting this season on January 4th three weeks ago.

Now the Thunderbirds will be out for revenge in the rematch, and they are catching 11.5 points at home to boot.  They will be happy to be at home after having to play five of their last eight games on the road and all against quality teams.  The Thunderbirds are 7-2 SU at home this season with both losses coming by 8 points or fewer.  Bet Southern Utah Thursday.

20* Miami/Stanford ESPNU Late-Night BAILOUT on Stanford -10

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 six games without him to fall to 4-14 SU & 3-15 ATS this season.

Worse yet, Miami has gone 1-14 SU in its last 15 games overall which includes upset home losses to Mount St. Mary's and Charleston Southern as massive favorites.  Each of their last four losses have come by double-digits, including a 117-74 home loss to SMU last time out and a 89-54 loss at Duke the game prior.  The Hurricanes are already on 'quit watch' and we just started ACC play.

The Stanford Cardinal are playing well going 3-1 SU & 3-1 ATS in their last four games overall including an upset road win at North Carolina as 11.5-point dogs last time out.  They won their only two ACC home games by double-digits over Virginia by 23 and VA Tech by 11, and I fully expect them to beat the Hurricanes by double-digits tonight.  Bet Stanford Wednesday.

15* CBB Wednesday Undervalued Underdog on Xavier +8

The Xavier Musketeers have been rolling since getting their best player in Zach Freemantle (16.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG) back from injury.  They are 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS in their last three games overall, including an upset road win over Marquette last time out.

While that win over Marquette could set most teams up for a letdown spot, that won't be the case for the Musketeers tonight.  They want revenge from a 82-72 home loss to St. John's on January 7th just two weeks ago.  They shot just 37% from the field and 22% from 3-point range in that loss and are due some positive regression in the rematch.

This feels like a letdown spot for St. John's if anything.  The Red Storm are riding high on a five-game winning streak and won't be that motivated to beat Xavier for a second time this season.  The Musketeers are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games overall.  Bet Xavier Wednesday.

15* Big 12 PLAY OF THE DAY on UCF +16.5

The Iowa State Cyclones are overvalued right now since beating Kansas by 17 at home.  They went on the road and were upset by West Virginia last time out, and now I believe they are laying too many points at home tonight to UCF.  The Cyclones just lost Milan Momcilovic (10.3 PPG) to a hand injury prior to the Kansas game and his loss will be felt.

UCF (12-5) is one of the more underrated teams in the Big 12.  They have upset wins over Texas A&M at home and Texas Tech on the road this season.  They only lost to Houston by 1 as 13-point home dogs last time out, they upset Arizona State on the road the game prior, and they only lost by 8 at Arizona the game before that.

The Knights are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games overall and will hang within this inflated number tonight.  Bet UCF Tuesday.

15* Atlantic 10 PLAY OF THE DAY on Duquesne +4

The Duquesne Dukes are one of the most underrated teams in the country right now.  They have gone 6-1 SU & 6-1 ATS in their last seven lined games with six outright upsets as underdogs.  

They beat UC-Irvine by 16 as 7-point home dogs, beat Rhode Island by 12 as 1.5-point home dogs, beat Saint Joe's by 4 as 2.5-point home dogs, beat St. Bonaventure by 18 as 2-point home dogs and won at George Washington by 8 as 4-point road dogs.

The Dayton Flyers are one of the most overrated teams in the country.  The Flyers are 0-7 ATS in their last seven games overall with two wins by a combined 3 points at home against UNLV and Loyola-Chicago as double-digit favorites in both.  

They have three outright upset losses during this stretch to George Washington by 20 as 9-point road favorites, to UMass by 4 as 10.5-point road favorites and to George Mason by 8 as 7.5-point home favorites.  Wrong team favored here.  Bet Duquesne Tuesday.

20* Big East GAME OF THE WEEK on Butler +13.5

Connecticut is overvalued after winning back-to-back national championships.  They don't have as much talent as they did the two previous seasons, and injuries are really starting to catch up to them as well.

The Huskies are 5-2 SU & 2-5 ATS in their last seven games overall.  They haven't won any of their last 10 games by more than 13 points.  Once the schedule has gotten tougher and they have gotten into conference play, they haven't been able to get margin on teams.  Second-leading scorer Liam McNeeley (13.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG) is out with an ankle injury, and leading scorer Alex Karaban (15.6 PPG, 1.8 BPG) is questionable to play tonight.

It's a great time to 'buy low' on the Butler Bulldogs.  They put an end to their 9-game losing streak with a 82-77 home win over Seton Hall last time out.  They have been extremely competitive in recent losses as seven of their last eight losses have come by 10 points or fewer.

That includes their 78-74 home loss to UConn as 8.5-point underdogs on December 21st.  The Bulldogs have already proven they can play with the Huskies, and now they will be out for revenge on the road in the rematch.  They have five days off in between games to get ready for this one while the Huskies have only had two days off in between games.  Bet Butler Tuesday.

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.

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* 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.

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.

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.

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* 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* 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 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* 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.