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These two teams met earlier this season and Eastern Washington won, 82-64. That's a combined 146 points and Eastern Washington shot 60.4 percent from the floor.

The under has cashed seven of the last nine times they've met with the average score being 138 points during the last 13 games in the series.

Both teams have improved defensively compared to last season while not being as good offensively. So this total is set too high.

This is mostly a fade against Tennessee following the Volunteers' big upset victory in their last game against Kentucky. The Vols start three freshmen and are prone to a letdown in my view more than most teams off a huge victory.

The flip side of the handicap is Kansas State has more experience and mental toughness. The Wildcats also have proven themselves in tough road settings while covering five of their past six road matchups. 

Harvard is playing well winning nine of its last 10 games. The Crimson have covered in each of their last six games. 

Cornell is just 3-8 ATS the past 11 times when facing foes with a winning road mark. The Big Red lack Harvard's depth, which could prove telling here. 

This is the time Notre Dame finally beats Virginia. The Irish are home. That can't be underestimated. They are 12-0 on their homecourt.

Notre Dame has too much offense for Virginia especially from 3-point range ranking ninth in the country in 3-point accuracy. The Irish also shoot much better from the free throw line. In fact, Notre Dame is No. 1 in the nation in free throw percentage at 82.9 while Virginia is a below average 69.4 percent. 

Cal Irvine easily is the best team in the Big West Conference right now. Now while this proclamation may bring yawns with a who cares attitude, the conference is on the betting board and this matchup provides excellent line value. I like the Anteaters to win by double-digits here. They are 6-0 ATS the past six times in a spread range of laying up to 6 1/2 points. 

It's been a down year for Northern Iowa. That's for sure. But the Panthers finally have a little momentum winning two in a row. They still can play defense allowing 67.3 points per game and are well-coached. This is a prideful team. I'm going to ride them here in a 'dog role. 

I'm not impressed with Tulane's defense as it has allowed 80 or more points in all but one of its last six games. The Green Wave do rank first in the AAC in tempo, though. That's a good over combination. 

Cincinnati beat Tulane 92-56 earlier this season. The teams put up 172 points in their lone meeting last season. The over has cashed seven of the last eight times Tulane has been an underdog. 

Cincinnati can win either by offense or defense. Against this particular opponent, I see the Bearcats winning with offense just like in the first meeting. 

I like Michigan State as a 'dog here. Indiana already has lost SU at home to Nebraska and Wisconsin. The Spartans have been idle for a week so they will be well rested and prepared under Tom Izzo. Indiana hasn't beaten Michigan State by more than four points since 2013.

The Hooisers just lost OJ Anunoby for the season. That's a huge plus for the Spartans, who proved their road toughness by winning in overtime at Minnesota while also covering at Duke and only losing by five at Ohio State last week. 

The last four games between these two teams has been decided by four points or less and Eastern Michigan has covered each of them.

The total opened too high here. LaSalle hasn't broken 69 points the past four times playing Davidson. There hasn't been more than 146 points scored during the past four meetings between the two schools.

Not only is Davidson playing better defense this season, but its tempo is slower, too. That's a good under combination. The under has cashed 13 of the last 16 times Davidson has been a road underdog. 

San Diego State is healthy and too strong defensively for a down UNLV team.

The Aztecs beat the Rebels by 15 at UNLV last season and then clobbered the Rebels, 92-56, in their final meeting. The Rebels could manage to average only 54 points versus the Aztecs last year and are worse this season. 

The Rebels are shooting only 36 percent from the field in their last five games. By contrast, opponents are hitting 48 percent of their field goals during this span. 

San Diego State has a front court edge with big man Malik Pope. Put it all together and this is a cheap price to lay with a much superior foe. 

Unbeaten Gonzaga has another powerhouse team. I believe the Zags are for real and a level higher than St. Mary's. I would lay single digits with the Zags at home against the Gaels.

This is the highest total for this series in a long time - and it's not justified.

The highest mark these teams have combined for during the past nine meetings was 140 points with the average final score being 125 points. I'd be surprised if this total got past 136. 

Not only are these two strong defensive teams, but each plays at a slow tempo. Both surrender less than 68 points per game. Georgia ranks 36th in field goal percentage defense. 

Marshall has yet to lose at home this season. The Thundering Herd have always been tough at home covering 72 percent of their last 26 home contests. 

Marshall beat Old Dominion twice last season, including winning by 17 points at home on a short spread such as this one. The Monarchs have been having trouble shooting making less than 37 percent from the floor and just 61 percent from the free throw line. 

Texas Arlington and Loyola-Marymount are a combined 12-1-1 to the under this season.

Texas-Arlington has the No. 1 3-point defense in the country. The under has cashed in 21 of the Mavericks' last 28 road games. Texas-Arlington showed how strong its defense is holding Saint Mary's to just 51 points two games ago. The Mavericks haven't surrendered more than 51 points during each of their last three games.

Marymount isn't a good long range shooting team and the Lions also don't draw many fouls. Both teams turn the ball over a lot. The pace isn't going to be fast either for this match. The Mavericks are going to be hard-pressed to perform well at this small venue where Marymount held Connecticut to 65 points in a 65-62 loss earlier this season.

Brown takes this game much more serious than Providence. It's a very short trip - about one mile - so Brown will get fan support. Brown has covered 20 of the last 28 times going against foes with a winning home mark. The Bears are 6-1 ATS the last seven times taking 13 or more on the road. 

Brown has needed senior leadership, including point guard Tavon Blackmon who is playing at a high level. 

Providence just beat Rhode Island in its last game this past Saturday. That was a much bigger in-state game for the Friars. 

Sacramento State plays in the Big Sky, a very weak conference. The Hornets haven't covered a game all season. They're likely to get blown out here against a superior Pacific team that is looking to make a strong statement at home under first year head coach Damon Stoudamire. 
Pacific has played the stronger competition and are coming off a road loss to Nevada. This sets up as a kill spot for the Tigers.
Sacramento State coach Brian Katz was quoted as saying this about the matchup: "We haven't played great yet. We think we will, but we haven't at this point. We know Pacific is really good, but I like our group in the long term. By league time, I think we'll be very competitive."
That sure doesn't sound like a coach confident of his team right now. 

I want the now road-tested Jaguars off a double-digit loss in their last game. The Jaguars are better than Southern Mississippi and have proven themselves away from home beating UNLV. South Alabama also traveled to Europe during the summer and played four exhibition games. 

Southern Mississippi has played a very easy schedule. When the Golden Eagles stepped up they were hammered by LSU. They lack the size and bench to hang with South Alabama. 

Gonzaga should have no problem breaking triple digits here. The Bulldogs are averaging more than 100 points this season and have tremendous front line scoring with 7-footers Przemek Karnowski and Zach Collins. The Bulldogs have scoring depth, too. Quinnipiac gives up an average of 90 points a game. 
Quinnipiac should contribute to the scoring with its balanced attack. Quinnipiac is playing at a faster tempo this year ranking 48th in pace compared 225th last year.

The Rebels don't lack for talent and should play more relaxed after getting their first victory for new coach Marvin Menzies this past Wednesday. 
Fullerton has an excellent scorer in Tre Coggins, but the Titans are a very bad defensive team. They've given up triple digits in each of their last two games. 
The Titans are on the road and not in UNLV's class. They have failed to cover in six of their last seven non-conference games. 

Could Connecticut actually open the season 0-3? Nope. I see a focused Huskies squad shooting much better and having no problem with Loyola Marymount, an average at best team from the West Coast Conference.  

The Huskies were rated 16th in the nation entering the season, but are 0-2 for the first time since 1968 with embarrassing home losses to Wagner and Northeastern this past Monday. Obviously the Huskies have under performed. Taking to the road could be good for the Huskies in this instance. Certainly a strong, motivated effort should be forthcoming here. That should be enough as there is quite a talent gap.
"I'm very positive we can get out of this," Connecticut coach Kevin Ollie was quoted as saying. "I didn't want to be in this position, but I've been here before. I believe in myself, and I believe in this team."
Mike Dunlap is in his third season as head man at Loyola Marymount. The Lions went 8-23 in his first season and 14-17 last year. They should be better this season, but certainly not in Connecticut's class. The Lions are 1-1 this season with a win against Wagner and a loss to Nevada-Reno. 
Connecticut should have its share of fans at the game. Ollie is from the Los Angeles area and the Lions are 10-25-1 ATS in their last 36 home games. 

There were 129 combined points when the teams met last November with Santa Barbara winning as a slight road 'dog. Look for a similar low-scoring game this time around.
The Gauchos struggled to score from the perimeter against Nebraska-Omaha at home in their opener missing 18 of 23 shots from 3-point range in a 74-60 loss. The Gauchos lost their top scorer from a year ago, two-time All-Big West Conference selection Michael Bryson. 
Tempo is important when playing under. Don't expect a fast-paced game here. San Francisco's new coach is Kyle Smith, who takes over a new roster with a new coaching staff. Smith came from Columbia in the Ivy League so he's used to and favors a methodical, half-court style. 

Cal State Bakersfield is underrated and getting too many points just based on playing a Pac-12 opponent. The Roadrunners are a tough, physical defensive team. They won the WAC Tournament and made the NCAA Tournament last year giving Oklahoma problems in the first round. 
Bakersfield catches Arizona a bit fat and happy after the Wildcats knocked off then ninth-ranked Michigan State, 65-63, in Hawaii on a layup with 1.3 seconds left to open its season. The Wildcats didn't have Allonzo Trier, their top scorer from a year ago, in that game and he's not expected to play in this matchup.
The Roadrunners have covered 14 of their last 16 games, including their past seven road games. 

Dayton is the better team and the Flyers proved it last year burying Alabama, 80-48, early in the season. Not enough has changed to make me think Dayton isn't the superior team again. 
The Flyers have all but one starter back and excellent depth with a 10-man rotation. They looked good in beating Austin Peay, 96-68, in their opener. 
Alabama didn't even make the NCAA Tournament last season. The Tide finished just three games above .500 and was knocked out in the first round of the NIT. Avery Johnson is a nice guy, but his coaching has never impressed me. The early start time should hold down attendance, too, cutting into the Tide's home-court edge.

Texas is very young with seven underclassmen in the rotation. The Longhorns were less than impressive in their opener beating Incarnate World, 78-73, this past Friday at home. Texas is 5-12 ATS during its last 17 lined non-conference matchups. 
Louisiana-Monroe opened with a 96-63 victory against Centenary. This is a huge step-up game for the Warhawks, but they have talent with junior college transfer Jordon Harris, Travis Munnings and Nick Coppola, a preseason third-team All-Sun Belt Conference selection. 

Cal-State Northridge's offensive was impressive during exhibition play. The Matadors have a pair of excellent scoring guards. 

UCLA opened with a 119-80 victory against Pacific. The Bruins are going to be one of the highest-scoring teams in the nation. They have a strong freshman class topped by Lonzo Ball. The oddsmaker has set this total too low.

Saint Joseph's lost 64 percent of its scoring from a year ago, including superstar DeAndre Bembry. Neither team played a fast tempo last season and that's likely to hold true especially for Saint Joseph, which also lost Aaron Brown and Isaiah Miles. 
Toledo lost its point guard from last season and will be working on finding its proper rotation. Toledo's big men aren't polished products yet. Saint Joseph's is a below average 3-point shooting team, but ranked 25th last season in 3-point defense. 

I like the Cardinals to blow out Evansville here. Rick Pitino has installed a new uptempo offense so the Cardinals are going to be playing very fast, which could catch their early-season opponents such as Evansville off guard.

Louisville has talent up and down its roster. The Cardinals have won 38 straight home games in November. Penn transfer Tony Hucks and freshman Ryan McMahon showed their talents in Louisville's 109-71 exhibition win against Kentucky Wesleyan last week. 

There's a perception Louisville's scoring could be down because its three top scorers from a year ago are gone. But Louisville is playing more up-tempo this season. That's going to translate into higher scoring games than the oddsmaker believes - at least at this beginning stage. The Cardinals scored 109 points in an exhibition game. 

Evansville returns seven players, including its senior point guard. 

The total on this Final Four matchup opened 150. Now look where it is at. Is the oddsmaker that far off? He shouldn't be. Not in a game of this magnitude. There are certainly key factors why the over is the right play besides what has become excellent line value now. 
There of course is the Buddy Hield factor. He's on fire averaging 29.3 points per game on 56.7 percent shooting from the floor during the tournament. The Sooners have other capable scorers if Villanova pays too much attention to slow downing Hield, who very well could be the best collegiate player this season. 
The Wildcats have balanced scoring. They can hit 3-pointers and are excellent from the free throw line, too. If you discount the Kansas game, Villanova is averaging 83 points in the tournament while Oklahoma puts up 81 points per game doing against solid defensive opponents Texas A&M, Oregon and Cal State Bakersfield. The Sooners averaged more than 80 points per game during the regular season. Only 20 teams in the nation averaged more than Oklahoma. The Wildcats scored 70 or more points in 81 percent of their games this season. 
Sometimes the marketplace is right. But they've overthought this matchup. The total is too low now. 

The finals of the inaugural Vegas 16 Tournament pits Old Dominion versus Oakland. It's a total contrast of styles. The Monarchs are the seventh-best defensive team in the country while the Golden Grizzlies are the top scoring team in the nation. 
Old Dominion has a strong backcourt, but Oakland's Kay Felder is the best player on the court and one of the finest guards in the country. It's my belief Oakland's offense will trump Old Dominion's defense. I base this on my respect for the Horizon League, which Oakland is a member, the greatness of Felder and the Golden Grizzlies being the more talented team.
Trend-wise, the Golden Grizzlies rate a strong edge, too, going 23-6-1 ATS versus foes with a winning record, 25-5-1 ATS following a win and covering in their last seven non-conference games. By contrast, Old Dominion is 5-11 ATS in its last 16 non-league matchups. 

I have no doubt Oakland is superior to East Tennessee State. My hesitation about backing Oakland in this Vegas 16 Tournament - the most minor of all the post-season  tournaments - is how motivated will the Golden Grizzlies be after having their sights set on reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011.
That didn't happen because Wright State upset Oakland in the Horizon League tournament semifinals. That occurred back on March 7. The Golden Grizzlies had not played since then until dispatching Towson, 90-72, on Monday. 
Now Oakland gets East Tennessee State, which beat a lackluster Louisiana Tech, 88-83, on Monday. I'm convinced Oakland is past its NCAA Tournament disappointment and will be focused to win this inaugural Vegas 16 Tournament. 
"That's why we wanted to be in this tournament because with the heartbreak of (the Wright State) loss and the expectations of the team, the expectations that we had put on ourselves, I don't think we could have been ready to play four days later in a minor tournament," Oakland coach Greg Kampe was quoted as saying. "So that's why we wanted to be in this and now we're making this a season, and we're going to try to win a season."
A motivated Oakland should destroy East Tennessee State, which hails from the Southern League. Oakland finished second to Valparaiso in the underrated Horizon League. No team scored more points per game than the Golden Grizzlies, who averaged 86.4 points and also had the seventh highest free throw percentage and 13th-best 3-point percentage in the country. East Tennessee State ranks 228th defensively giving up 73.8 points per game. 
Oakland features one of the best guards in the nation in Kay Felder, who led the country in assists with 9.3 a game and was the fourth-leading scorer in the nation at 24.2 points a game. The Golden Grizzlies are an impressive 22-6-1 ATS versus above .500 teams, are 24-5-1 ATS following a victory and have covered in their last six non-league games.

East Tennessee State and Louisiana Tech are two of the highest-scoring teams in the nation ranking 36th and 58th, respectively. They should light up the scoreboard playing at a neutral site in Las Vegas in the inaugural Vegas 16 Tournament. 
Yes, this is a bogus tournament, perhaps the least prestigious of all the postseason tournaments. But teams were attracted to it because it's in Vegas and affords them extra practice time. So even those these teams haven't played a game in three weeks, I don't expect them to be rusty because of constant practice. Sources tell me to expect a loose, up-and-down game with little defense. That's what helped make these two teams attractive to tournament officials. The marketplace has tapped into this with early steam on the over. There are more sharps than squares involved in this matchup. 
Louisiana Tech loves to run. The Bulldogs average better than 79 points a game while surrendering more than 72 points a game. The average combined team score in the last 13 games the Bulldogs played against opponents who also play up-tempo and pushed pace is 171.6 points. That's well above this over/under. The over has cashed in 20 of Louisiana Tech's last 26 non-conference games for 77 percent. 
Indications are East Tennessee State will run with the Bulldogs. The Buccaneers average nearly 78 points a game while giving up an average of 73.5 points. They are a team of athletes, too. Both teams receive strong guard play. 

This is a small fun tournament for these teams without the pressure of the NCAA Tournament, or even NIT. So expect a loose, fun up-and-down game that should produce more than enough points to push this total over. 

On paper, Oregon doesn't appear to be an elite team. Certainly the Ducks don't have a superstar like Oklahoma has with Buddy Hield. But this is a bad matchup for the Sooners. 
The Ducks are emerging from under-the-radar downgraded by some for winning a weak Pac-12. But the reality is the Ducks deserved their high tournament seed and are a unique and elite team winning 11 in a row and covering 12 of the last 16 times versus opponents with a winning record. 
Oregon has a short rotation, but that rotation is versatile, unselfish and high effective from a team concept. It's a tight rotation that has better big men than Oklahoma and plays the outstanding perimeter defense needed to shut down the Sooners' 3-point game. The Sooners are not a deep team either.
The Ducks held Duke, St. Joe's and Holy Cross to a combined 17-of-60 from 3-point range for 28.3 percent during the tournament. Oregon's guard duo of Tyler Dorsey and Casey Benson are quick and physical defenders. They can keep Hield in check. The Ducks hold an inside edge and are quicker than Oklahoma on the perimeter. 
The Sooners have failed to cover in seven of their last nine games. They have struggled spread-wise when playing on Saturday, too, going 3-13 ATS.

These two were long shots entering the NCAA Tournament, but here they are in the Sweet 16. I believe Gonzaga is for real while Syracuse is a tier lower than the Bulldogs catching several breaks to reach this point. 
The Bulldogs made their move winning the West Coast Conference by beating Portland, BYU and St. Mary's by an average of 13 points per game. Then in this NCAA Tournament, the Bulldogs stretched their winning and covering streak to seven in a row beating Seton Hall by 16 points and Utah by 23. Seton Hall had entered the NCAA Tournament off upsets of Xavier and Villanova. 
Syracuse was lucky to have even gotten a bid to play in the tournament losing five of its last six games entering the Big Dance. The Orangemen drew Dayton, which was 4-4 and 1-7 ATS in its last eight games, in the opening round. The Orange then got to meet overmatched Middle Tennessee State. which just two days earlier had posted one of the greatest upsets in NCAA Tourney history defeating Michigan State as a 16 1/2-points underdog. Neither Dayton nor Middle Tennessee State was nearly as good as Seton Hall and Utah.  
The Bulldogs have the height, offensive rebounding, passing skills and shooting ability to beat Syracuse's vaunted zone defense with studs  Domantas Sabonis and Kyle Wiltjer. Sabonis. Gonzaga has scored 82 or more points in five of its last seven games while shooting close to 52 percent from the floor in its last five matchups. The Bulldogs are doing it on the defensive end, too, holding Utah to 42 percent shooting. The Utes averaged 48.8 percent from the field, 10th-best in the nation. Utah could manage just 59 points against the Bulldogs. Seton Hall scored only 52 points. 
I always like to back a team that shoots better from the free throw line than their opponent and that's the case here in a huge way with the Bulldogs. Gonzaga ranks 15th in the country in free throw percentage at 75.8 percent. Syracuse rates 221st at 68.6 percent. 

When Texas A&M takes the court against Oklahoma in this Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament matchup, the Aggies still might be hearing about pulling off the largest final-minute comeback in college basketball history. Their 92-88 double overtime win against Northern Iowa - coming from 12 points down with 34 seconds left in regulation - is one for the ages.
But life moves on. And the reality for these Texas A&M college kids is even if they are mentally ready - which is not a given - they are not the better team against Oklahoma. The Sooners score more points per game, shoot a higher percentage from the floor, are much better from the free throw line than the Aggies while also ranking No. 2 in the country in 3-point shooting. 
Truth be told, Texas A&M wasn't sharp against Northern Iowa. The Aggies were lucky to draw overmatched Green Bay in the first round and then struggled with the Panthers. That doesn't bode well for stepping up against the Sooners. 
Team play can get you this far. But now superstars come into real prominence and Oklahoma might have the best player in the country, Buddy Hield. He's a monster that Texas A&M can't match up against. The Aggies play good defense, but they don't have a defensive stopper to hold down Hield. The Aggies do pressure the ball well. But the Sooners have three solid ballhandlers to take care of that.  
The Sooners have the guard play, excellent perimeter shooting and superstar to easily beat the Aggies. 

There is a reason why Seattle is a 4 1/2-point home 'dog to Vermont in this CBI Tournament game. The reason is the Redhawks just aren't very good and neither was their WAC conference this season. 
Seattle is a below .500 team. The Redhawks were fortunate to even be selected to play in this lowly tournament. But since they got past Idaho in the first round here they are.  
Vermont fell in the America East championship game. The Catamounts are better than Seattle power ratings-wise. The line could be even higher except Vermont didn't look good in opening the tournament with a lackluster 79-74 win against Western Carolina. Look for Vermont to play much better in this contest. 
The Catamounts are highly motivated to win the program's first postseason championship. If they were to accomplish that they also would set a school record for victories in a season. 

Northern Iowa has a lot of things you look for in an underdog at this point of the season: The Panthers have NCAA Tournament experience, are well-coached, are hot with 13 wins in their last 14 games (12-1-1 ATS), rank 12th in the country defensively, rank 17th in free throw percentage and can make 3-pointers. They also have beaten a number of top teams, including North Carolina, Iowa State, Stephen F. Austin and Wichita State twice.

Yet the Panthers are downgraded because they are a mid-major and because of their miraculous 75-72 first-round upset victory against Texas when Paul Jesperson hit a buzz-beater from beyond half court.

Perhaps the Panthers don't have the fancy talent that some of the major conference teams have. But there are intangibles at work here. Ben Jacobson has been Northern Iowa's coach the past 10 seasons - and he's not going anywhere. He has honed an effective, close-knit system with excellent team work and chemistry. The Panthers are not about individuals. They fit well into a team structure. This might sound like a cliche, but teamwork can't be underestimated with an underdog at this late point of the season.

Texas A&M had not been to the NCAA Tournament since 2011 until this season. The Aggies were lucky to meet Green Bay in the first round, a team that doesn't play good defense at this high level. Northern Iowa holds foes to 63.2 points a game. The Panthers are 8-0-1 ATS the past nine times playing opponents with a winning percentage above .600.

The Big Ten has looked bad in the NCAA Tournament. I'm not a fan of Iowa either. The Hawkeyes survived rather than won their first round tournament game nipping Temple, 72-70, in overtime as seven-point favorites. It's the eighth time in their last nine games the Hawkeyes have failed to cover. 
Temple outrebounded Iowa by 11 boards. The Hawkeyes got away with that and shooting just 35 percent from the field. Even if they play better versus Villanova - which there is no guarantee that is going to happen - they still lack the firepower to hang within this point spread number. 
Villanova's Jay Wright is an elite coach. Yet the Wildcats have failed to reach the Sweet 16 each of the last three years in the NCAA Tournament. That's due to end right now. If you go by KenPom.com's adjusted offensive and defensive ratings, the Wildcats rank with Virginia and Kansas as one of the three best teams in the country. 
Iowa is nowhere near that level. The Hawkeyes also have failed to cover in 13 of their last 16 neutral site games. 

Don't get caught overthinking this matchup. Yale is Yale and Duke is Duke. 
What does that mean? Yale is a smart, fundamentally sound team that upset Baylor on Thursday because of those traits. This is heady stuff for Yale winning its first NCAA Tournament game ever. 
But Yale is not going to be able to exploit those traits against Duke, which not only plays smart, too, but has big edges in talent, size and big-game experience. The Bulldogs made an amazing 21 of 33 (64 percent) shots from 2-point range against the Bears getting good looks most of the time because of patience and crisp ball movement. Duke is far better defensively. The Blue Devils know Yale's style. Tactics aren't going to work for the Bulldogs. It's going to be talent versus talent - and Duke easily wins that battle and the war. 
These teams actually met back on Nov. 25 at Duke. Yale hung in for a half, but the Blue Devils figured things out back then and won, 80-61. Amile Jefferson no longer is in Duke's rotation like he was for that game. But this is all part of the Duke is Duke mantra, which is reserves who would be excellent starters on many teams.  
The Blue Devils have a stockpile of young talent that is emerging at just the right time, including 7-footer Marshall Plumlee, who can be very effective against the undersized Bulldogs. The Blue Devils have a history of peaking just at the right time. They were 7-1 SU and ATS in post-season tournaments last year in capturing the national championship. 

Forget Notre Dame's last game, a 78-47 loss to North Carolina. I see the Irish getting their offense back as Michigan is going to have problems defending Notre Dame big man Zach Augste. That's going to open things up for Demitrius Jackson and others. The Irish ranked 10th in the nation in offensive efficiency with Jackson running things. 

The Irish also can take advantage of a Michigan heavy fatigue factor as this marks the Wolverines fifth game in nine days. Because of backcourt injuries, the Wolverines are thin in the reserves. The Irish have had a week to rest and prepare. 

There is tremendous parity in this year's NCAA Tournament, more than in most years. So getting this many points with an underseeded Stephen F. Austin team is excellent value. 
The Lumberjacks are 88-13 and have dominated the Southland Conference going 53-1 during the past three years. The Lumberjacks rank 21st in the nation in scoring at 80.7 and 13th in the country in defense holding foes to 63.2 points per game. Senior Thomas Walkup is one of the best guards in the country. 
But can Stephen F. Austin step up versus West Virginia? I believe they can. The Lumberjacks upset VCU two years in the NCAA Tournament and lost to Utah last year in the tournament by seven points after trailing by only two with 31 seconds left. West Virginia barely beat Buffalo last year in its opening round NCAA Tournament game. 
The Lumberjacks are physical enough to handle West Virginia and have the guard play to handle the Mountaineers' presses. This has all the makings of one or two possession game. 

I like taking a hot team that is being underrated because of a bad conference tournament loss. That team is Wisconsin, winners of 11 of their last 14 games but off a bad Big Ten Tournament loss to Nebraska. 
It's hard to underestimate a team that reached the NCAA Tournament finals last season like the Badgers did, but that's what the national media is doing. No, the Badgers don't have Bo Ryan and Frank Kaminsky anymore. But Greg Gard has been Ryan's long-time right-hand man and has steadied the Badgers' ship after a rocky 9-9 beginning. Kaminsky is with the Charlotte Hornets now, but the Badgers still maintain an inside edge with Ethan Happ and Nigel Hayes. 
The Badgers hold a serious tournament experience edge against the Panthers, who have only four of 11 core players with NCAA Tourney experience. The Panthers are 0-9 ATS in March the past two seasons. The Panthers are going to need to shoot extremely well to beat the Badgers, who rank 25th defensively and give up four fewer points per game than Pitt. 

I'm not sure how USC managed to sneak into the NCAA Tournament. But the Trojans are here - and they should be faded in this first-round matchup against Providence. 
The Friars are adept at slowing teams down and have two super players in guard Kris Dunn and forward Ben Bentil. Dunn is in the discussion for best player in the country. 
USC is young with two sophomores and a freshman starting with no seniors in the rotation. The Trojans last made the NCAA Tournament five years ago. Their roster lacks tournament experience. The Trojans' style is better suited for the more wide open Pac-12. Providence, though, has the savvy to take advantage of USC's inexperience and force a grind-out, half-court style of game. Dunn is a top defender and the Friars play tough zone defense. I expect the Trojans to react poorly to this forcing up bad shots and getting impatient. 
This the Friars' third straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. Providence is 13-3 ATS in its last 16 neutral site games. The Friars are road tested having won at Villanova, Butler and Creighton while knocking off Arizona in a neutral site setting. USC, by contrast, lost at Cal, Stanford, Arizona, Oregon and Oregon State. Three of those defeats were by 15 or more points. 

The monster difference between the Big 12 - arguably the best conference in the nation - and the Ivy League doesn't merit this short of a spread. 
Baylor is way too athletic and talented for Yale, which has been able to feast on Ivy League competition while the Bears have gone against some of the best teams in the country. 
There is no chance either of Baylor overlooking the Bulldogs after the Bears were stunned, 57-56, by 14th-seeded Georgia State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last year. 
Yale hasn't played in the NCAA Tournament since 1962! The Bulldogs also have been distracted by team captain Jack Montague's recent expulsion from the school amid rumors of sexual misconduct. He was the team's fourth leading scorer. 

There's enough of a class difference here where I feel comfortable laying this number. Virginia Tech is one of those schools happy to play in the NIT. It's the Hokies' first postseason tournament appearance in five years.
Virginia Tech plays in a top-three conference and was competitive in the ACC. The Hokies are 6-1 in their last seven games, including victories against Miami and Pittsburgh during this span. They have covered in 10 of their last 11 home games. 
Princeton failed to win the Ivy League. The Tigers also are rusty having last played eight days ago when they barely beat Penn, a middle-of-the-road Ivy League team. The Tigers won 72-71 as 15-point favorites. 

First make note this matchup is in the College Basketball Invitational not the NIT. That's important because the CBI doesn't have any teams from the Power Five conferences, or the Big East, this season. Take away those conferences and it leaves the Atlantic 10 as the highest-rated conference according to RPI numbers. 
Duquesne is part of the Atlantic 10, which is a much superior conference compared to the Summit League where Nebraska-Omaha resides. Factor in home court advantage with Nebraska-Omaha making a rare East Coast trip and this number is worth laying. Another thing, too, about the CBI is the teams have to pay if they want in. Duquesne, unlike some other schools, really wanted in this tournament. The school is reducing ticket prices to ensure a sell-out. 
The Dukes struggled down the stretch playing in a much tougher league than the Mavericks. Still, just two games ago, the Dukes knocked off NCAA qualifier St. Joe's on the road. Duquesne also lost a number of close games - four of their last eight defeats were by four or fewer points, or in overtime. The Dukes have a good bounce back record covering 11 of the past 15 times following a loss. 
Nebraska-Omaha hasn't played since March 6 when it lost to Denver in the Summit League tournament. Before that game, the Mavericks also had gone 10 days before playing. That rust was evident against Denver when the Mavericks fell behind by 19 points at halftime. So this is just their third game in three weeks. Nebraska-Omaha has failed to cover during its last four road contests.

Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne is well rested and excited about making its first NIT appearance since elevating to Division I status 16 years ago. 
San Diego State is not rested and is not excited about hosting this NIT matchup. It's a huge letdown for the Aztecs to play in the NIT rather than the NCAA Tournament. This is a short turnaround for San Diego State having played for the third time in three days this past Saturday. The Aztecs have had a sellout during their last 72 home games. That streak is going to end here as Viejas Arena only is expected to be half full. I don't see the Aztecs being mentally and physically ready to cover this big of a number. 
San Diego State has the No. 4 defense in the country. However, the Aztecs average only 68 points per game and their Mountain West Conference had a down season this year. San Diego State also has concerns about the health of its backcourt. 
IPFW has an RPI rating of 72, which is comparable to the rating Fresno State had prior to the Mountain West Conference Tournament. The Bulldogs upset the Aztecs, 68-63, to win the Mountain West Conference Tournament. 
The Mastodons have the best player in the Summit league in guard Max Landis. They are well rested since the Summit League's tournament was played the previous week giving the Mastodons an eight-day break to recharge their batteries. 
IPFW can score averaging 80.2 points a game, 26th-best in the nation. The Mastodons rank fourth in the country in 3-pointers made and are eighth in shooting percentage. The Mastodons also are road tested having played 20 times away from Fort Wayne while going 12-4 (75%) ATS in their lined road contests. 

To many the CollegeInsider.com Tournament is no big deal. But that's not the case with Tennessee State. The Tigers had the largest turnaround in the country going from 5-26 to 20-10 this season. Their reward is hosting a first round game in this tournament against Ball State.
It's the first time Tennessee State is hosting a Division I postseason game in its history. This is huge for Tennessee State and its fans are excited. 
Ball State also had a nice turnaround going from 7-23 to 19-13 this season. However, the Cardinals lost and failed to cover in their last three games. They are a much better home team going 5-7 on the road. 
Tennessee State is strong at home going 11-2. The Tigers are 6-0-1 ATS following a loss and have covered 70 percent of the time during their last 18 games. 
Tennessee State beat Eastern Kentucky by a point on the road last month. Ball State lost to Eastern Kentucky on the road by eight points earlier in the season. 

Akron will be sky high for this in-state rivalry matchup. Ohio State has far less enthusiasm. The Buckeyes had their course set for the NCAA Tournament. This is a big disappointment for them and their crowd count will be way down. 

The Zips set a school record for 3-pointers made. They have outstanding long range shooters and a good center in 6-foot-10 Isaiah Johnson. 
The Zips have a proud basketball tradition and can hang with the disinterested Buckeyes. The Zips also are a much better free throw shooting team than Ohio State, which is a key when it comes to the end game. 

Seton Hall is coming on and can win this game straight-up sparked by its star sophomore guards Isaiah Whitehead and Khadeen Carrington. The Pirates are young but have steadily grown and are now peaking at the perfect time. 

Yes, Villanova is hot winning 12 of its last 13. But the Pirates are 11-2 in their last 13 games. The Pirates have the necessary confidence to upset Villanova being the only Big East team to defeat the Wildcats each of the past two seasons. They also have defeated Xavier twice during the past two weeks building up leads of 15 and 19 points. 
The Pirates have covered 13 of their last 16 Big East games. 

Both teams have strong offenses, but Fresno State is better defensively and is the fresher team. The Bulldogs also are peaking at the right time winning nine of their past 10, including their last seven games. 
Colorado State isn't as deep as Fresno State and is playing for the third time in three days. The Rams played in the late game last night exerting a lot of energy in upsetting Boise State, 88-81, as a seven-point underdog. 
The Bulldogs have the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year in Marvelle Harris and beat Colorado State during their lone meeting this season, 87-73, at home on nine days ago. 

The Boilermakers have the size, situation and revenge motive to steamroll the Illini.

Illinois doesn't have great depth and is coming off a huge upset victory against Iowa yesterday winning as a 10 1/2-point underdog. Illinois is 3-8-1 ATS following a point spread cover.
There is no chance Purdue takings Illinois lightly especially after losing 84-70 on the road to the Illini in probably the Boilermakers' worst game of the season.
Note that this Big Ten Tournament game is being played in Indianapolis, which is in Purdue's favor. All but one of Purdue's starters comes from Indiana. 

I liked Fresno State to roll over UNLV before Wednesday's first-round of the Mountain West Conference Tournament - and I like the Bulldogs even more now.
UNLV had to go three overtimes to dispatch Air Force on Wednesday, winning 108-102. The Rebels have a short bench and are going to carry a high fatigue rating. Center Ike Nwamu and guard Patrick McCaw played the entire 55 minutes. Guard Jerome Seagears logged 54 minutes despite battling a hand and heal injury. 
The Rebels are 1-5 ATS following a victory and catch a rested and hot Fresno State squad. The Bulldogs enter the tournament with plenty of momentum having won eight of nine, including their last six. Their only loss during this span was at Nevada-Reno. 
The Bulldogs feature three quality senior guards headed by Mountain West Player of the Year Marvelle Harris. He and Oakland guard Key Felder are the only players in the country to rank No. 1 in their respective conferences in points, assists, steals, minutes per game and assists to turnovers. 
The line is short because the game is being played at Thomas & Mack Center, home of the Rebels. But this isn't going to matter. The Bulldogs have beaten regular-season conference champion San Diego State and posted upset victories in their last three road games - beating Wyoming, New Mexico and Utah State. 
The Bulldogs also have covered in six of their last eight games against UNLV and are 2-0 versus the Rebels this season. 

Western Kentucky has covered five of its last six meetings versus Alabama-Birmingham. The past four get togethers have all been decided by seven points or less. This includes the Hilltoppers losing by four points on the road to the Blazers two weeks ago. This game is in Birmingham but not on the Blazers' home floor. 
While UAB has punched its NCAA Tournament ticket, Western Kentucky is in must-win mode knowing it has to win the Conference USA Tournament to earn an NCAA Tourney berth. The Hilltoppers are playing their best ball winning 5 of their last 6 games while going 6-0 ATS.  
I don't see the Blazers being as desperate, motivated and focused as Western Kentucky. 

Neither Pittsburgh nor Syracuse is playing its best ball right now going into this second-round matchup of the ACC Tournament. But the Panthers match up well to Syracuse. This is proven in Pittsburgh winning the past four times, including going 2-0 this season versus the Orange with both victories coming by double-digits. The Panthers are 14-6 against the Orange since Jamie Dixon became Pittsburgh's coach. 
Jamel Artis is a key reason why the Panthers match up well to the Orange. He provides the Panthers that needed perimeter shooter to beat Syracuse's vaunted 2-3 zone defense. Artis is averaging 18.8 points, nine rebounds and six assists during the last four games against the Orange. 
The Panthers have dropped two in a row. Artis has been cold in those games. However, Syracuse is 1-4 in its last five games. Both teams have posted some good wins, but I like Pittsburgh's chances more than Syracuse's of getting untracked in this game. The Panthers are 10-2 ATS following a loss. 
Syracuse has had some bad losses and lacked consistency during conference play. The Orange have failed to cover five of the past seven times when facing opponents with a winning record. They also don't play Pittsburgh with much confidence.  

Penn has depth and is much improved from last season. The Quakers nearly upset Princeton as seven-point home 'dogs losing 73-71 in overtime back in January. The Quakers blew an 11-point lead with four minutes left.
So Penn has strong revenge motivation for this final game of the season. Keep in mind there is no conference tournament in the Ivy League. That's a bad break for the Tigers, whose hopes of winning the conference were dashed when Yale clinched the title with a victory this past Saturday. 
Princeton is way overpriced in this matchup. Not only has Penn covered 13 of the last 16 in this series, including four of the past five, but the Tigers are 1-4 in their last five home games and 1-5 ATS at home versus foes with losing road records. The Tigers also are 0-4 ATS the past four times following a victory. 

Yes, Purdue is tough at home. But the oddsmaker isn't giving enough respect to Wisconsin with a line this high. The Badgers have won 11 of their last 12 games - losing only to Michigan State during this span - while going 10-2 ATS. 
The Badgers are playing their best ball after a slow start. They need this game to lock up their 18th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and earn a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament. Wisconsin has covered 10 of the past 11 times following a victory.
Purdue is 22-1 SU in its last 23 home games. But the Boilermakers haven't been that sharp failing to cover in five of their last eight games in West Lafayette, including their past three home contests. Purdue caught Wisconsin early in the season before the Badgers caught fire beating them by six points. The last time the Boilermakers swept the Badgers was 2008-09. 
This has been a road series with the visitor covering six of the past seven times. It also has been a close series with three of the past four games decided by six points or fewer. Note, too, that Purdue is 1-6-1 ATS when playing a foe with a winning percentage above .600. 

My first look when it comes to the Pac-12 is to any home underdogs as the host school sports an 83 percent winning average. USC fits the bill on today's card.
Not only do the Trojans need this game being a bubble team, but they are 16-1 at home this season and 15-5-1 ATS in their last 21 home contests. 
Oregon is a bit fat and happy after clinching the No. 1 seed for next week's Pac-12 Tournament and earning at least a share of the Pac-12 title for the first time in 14 years. 
Bottom line is the Pac-12 is a very even conference with a lot of good but not great teams. It's a bonus to get the Trojans as home underdogs. 

Midnight is about to strike for Austin Peay, which has pulled off two upsets in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. This is the Governor's third game in three days. They came from 19 points down to edge Tennessee State last night. That game took a lot of energy out of Austin Peay, which did some heavy celebrating following the victory. Even with that win, the Governors are still 5-17 ATS following a straight-up victory. They are not a good team. 
Belmont is well rested. This is its first tournament game after drawing a double bye. Belmont is well coached. The Bruins rolled past Austin Peay during the regular season, 76-58, at home. This is in Nashville, a neutral site. But the Bruins won't be letting up knowing what the Governors did to Tennessee State. 

Tennessee State is much superior to Austin Peay and has a schedule advantage in this quarterfinal Ohio Valley Conference Tournament game being played in Nashville. 
Austin Peay upset Tennessee Tech on Wednesday as a four-point 'dog, 92-72. Chris Horton had a monster performance with 37 points and 21 rebounds. But Tennessee Tech really beat themselves shooting 38.7 percent from the floor and 17 percent from 3-point range after leading the Ohio Valley in offensive efficiency during the regular season. 
Austin Peay ranked seventh in the conference in defensive efficiency. The Ohio Valley is not exactly known for being a good defensive conference either. Tennessee State defeated the Governors by 14 points during the regular season and catches Austin Peay without rest savoring an upset victory. The Tigers are a 20-win team and won't let Horton beat them. 
The Governors are 8-20 ATS following a straight-up win and 4-10-1 ATS in their last 15 games. The Tigers, by contrast, are 12-4-1 ATS in their last 17 games. 

Now that plus 24 can be found, I'm going to hold my nose and take Rutgers. Yes, I know how bad the Scarlet Knights are. But this is a value play based on the return of Rutgers' star freshman point guard Corey Sanders and a look-ahead spot for Michigan State, which hosts Ohio State on Sunday. That will be Senior Day and the Spartans' final regular-season game. 
Sanders has missed the last four games due to a team suspension. His return should give Rutgers a lift. He's one of the most talented players in the Big Ten. Sanders makes the rest of the Scarlet Knights better. Tom Izzo has no reason to run up a score. It's late in the season and if the Spartans jump out big Izzo would be wise to rest his starters. 

Kentucky has much to prove on the road. I see the Wildcats bouncing back following a 12-point road loss to Vanderbilt by solidly defeating fading Florida, which has dropped three in a row and is 0-4 in its last four home games. 
I expect a much stronger defensive effort from Kentucky after John Calipari lit into his team about giving the Commodores too many layups and dunks. Star Kentucky guard Tyler Ulis also is in back bounce mode after a rare terrible performance. 
Florida is 2-8 against top 50 RIP ranked teams. The Gators are surrendering an average of 85 points during their last three games and are 1-7 ATS in their last eight games. 
The Wildcats rolled past the Gators, 80-61, nearly a month ago in the first meeting despite not having third-leading scoring Alex Poythress. The senior forward is healthy for this game. 

Colorado State defeated Nevada Reno, 76-67, as three-point home favorites three weeks ago. Nevada Reno's star point guard Marquez Coleman played 33 minutes in that game. Colorado State, which often lives and dies with the 3-pointer, missed 24 of 32 from 3-point range in that game. The Rams did get 26 more rebounds than the Wolf Pack.
Now it's rematch time and the Wolf Pack are likely to be missing Coleman, their leading scorer. He has a severely sprained ankle. It would be a surprise if he played. The Wolf Pack are not a deep team. Colorado State is not a good matchup for them. The Rams are an up-tempo, high scoring team that draws the seventh most fouls in the country. They rank 31st in the country averaging 79.9 points a game. 
The Wolf Pack have struggled with the higher scoring teams in the Mountain West Conference while faring better versus the grind-out type teams. This is the wrong opponent at the wrong time for Nevada-Reno. 

Montana is in position to grab its first regular-season win at Weber State since 2004. Weber State heavily relies on guard Jeremy Senglin and big man Joel Bolomboy. The duo has  accounted for 46 percent of the Wildcats' scoring. However, the 6-foot-9 inch Bolomboy suffered a knee injury in the Wildcats' last game and the senior power forward is not expected to play. 
This is a huge loss for the Wildcats, who don't have anyone averaging double figures in scoring aside from Senglin and Bolomboy. Losing Bolomboy also hurts the Wildcats defensively as he is their leading rebounder and shot blocker. He also averages 17.6 points a game. 
Montana ranks among the top 40 in defensive rebounding. The Grizzlies have won seven of their past eight games, including the last five. This is the first time they've been an underdog in a Big Sky Conference game all season. Martin Breunig, the Grizzlies' 6-8 senior forward, should be in line for a big game without Bolomboy to hinder him. Breunig leads the Grizzlies in scoring at 19 points a game. 
Weber State has failed to cover in its last six games, including the past three at home. The Wildcats are overrated and vulnerable missing Bolomboy. 

Oklahoma State has multiple injuries. That's always tough on a team, but it is made especially worse when taking on West Virginia. The Mountaineers have excellent depth and play tough, pressing defense. 

West Virginia won 77-60 at home when Oklahoma State was healthy. The Mountaineers should be focused, too, having last played on Monday. 

The Mountaineers are 5-0 ATS during the past five meetings between the two teams. 

I'm far from convinced Kentucky even has better talent than Vanderbilt. We know the Wildcats struggle on the road where they have lost to Auburn, Tennessee, Kansas, Texas A&M, Ohio State and UCLA.

Kentucky isn't that big this season. Vanderbilt is with three 7-footers. That's a reason why the Commodores have the best defense in the SEC while leading the league in blocks. They also rank No. 2 in 3-point defense. 

Vanderbilt is 7-1-1 ATS in its last nine games versus Kentucky. The Wildcats lack great depth and might be without Derek Willis, who has an ankle injury. 

Texas State upset Louisiana-Lafayette, 61-57, at home in its last game. The Bobcats, though, are 2-10-1 ATS in their last 13 games following a spread cover and 0-4 ATS following a victory. They also are 1-4 ATS in their last five Sun Belt games. 
Arkansas State should be pumped returning home and getting to face a weaker opponent. The Red Wolves are 4-0 ATS at home following three or more straight road games. 

South Carolina is a dominant 14-1 at home this season. The Gamecocks have covered 14 of their last 17 at home, including going 9-3 ATS this season. 
Tennessee is coming off an impressive 81-65 home victory against LSU. However, the Volunteers haven't won back-to-back SEC games all season and are 0-6-1 ATS following a straight-up victory. They also aren't likely to have have leading scorer, Kevin Punter. He missed the victory against the Tigers because of a stress fracture in his foot. Teams often play well the first time without their star player with the rest of the team stepping up wanting to prove something. It's more difficult the second time without a star especially following a victory. 
Punter scored 36 points when Tennessee defeated South Carolina, 78-69, at home on Jan. 23. So this is a huge revenge spot for the Gamecocks, who lead the SEC in rebounding and have a substantial frontcourt height advantage. 

First off, UNLV isn't very good on the road. The Rebels are 2-8 in true away contests this season. They've failed to cover in their last four road matchups.
Second, the Rebels are near depleted. Already down big men Stephen Zimmerman and Ben Carter, their two leading rebounders, the Rebels now won't have key reserve Dwayne Morgan, who had been averaging close to 20 minutes. He's out with a shoulder injury. That leaves the Rebels down to six scholarship players.
The third key factor here is the situation. UNLV is off a crazy overtime victory against in-state rival Nevada this past Saturday at home. The Rebels tied the game on a 3-pointer by Patrick Macaw right before the buzzer sending the game into overtime. 
The spot is a double edge sword because not only do the Rebels have to come down from that high, pulling out a game against their most hated rival, but Boise State is rested, ready and has revenge. The Broncos last played on Wednesday. They blew a 76-61 lead to lose on the road to New Mexico in their last game. 
So not only are the Broncos itching to erase that stench, but have payback for a 10-point road loss to the Rebels. UNLV had Zimmerman and Carter in that matchup. The two combined for 28 points and 19 rebounds in that game. 
Boise State is up-tempo. The Rebels are going to be hard-pressed to keep up with the Broncos being short-handed and at a tough road venue. 

This is going to be a tough number for Kentucky to cover. Alabama is very strong as underdogs under Avery Johnson and the Wildcats have injuries and a fatigue factor working against them playing for the third time in six days. 
The Crimson Tide is 11-3 ATS the last 14 times they've been underdogs. They've won straight-up as 'dogs of at least seven points against LSU, Florida, Wichita State, Notre Dame and Clemson. Alabama is 7-1 ATS the past eight times taking on a foe with a winning mark.  
One key factor why the Crimson Tide are so tough as a big underdog is their slow pace. No SEC team plays slower or more deliberate. Kentucky actually is second next to Alabama in slowest offensive tempo in the SEC. The Wildcats are further hamstrung likely missing their third and fifth-leading scorers, Alex Poythress and Derek Willis. 

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has been a bad point spread team at home all season. The Panthers are 1-8 ATS in their last nine home contests. They are 0-6 ATS following a point spread cover, which came for the first time at home this past Saturday, 88-54, over Cleveland State.
The Panthers brought their "A" game to that matchup. They have Horizon League leader Valparaiso up next at home on Friday. 
So look for the Panthers to overlook Youngstown State in this flat spot. The Penguins have some talent, but are extremely young. They have a winning spread road mark, though, and have enough to cover this number if the Panthers don't play well. 

This is a battle for first place in the Big West Conference and one of Irvine's biggest home games ever. A rare sellout crowd is expected. 
The Anteaters have revenge for a road loss to Hawaii. Before that loss, Cal Irivne had covered four in a row versus the Rainbow Warriors. The Anteaters are 10-1 at home this season and have covered 10 of their last 14 Big West games.
Cal Irvine ranks 42nd in the country in defense holding foes to less than 66 points a game. The Anteaters have a big rebound/shot blocking edge at center with 7-foot-6 Mamedou Ndiaye. 
Hawaii also could be without guard Aaron Valdes, its second-leading scorer. He's been sick with the flu so even if he plays he may still be under the weather.

These teams are very close. Each is 21-7 overall and 10-5 in the Missouri Valley Conference. It's also a conference rivalry matchup so taking this many points looms large. Evansville pulled out an overtime victory against Southern Illinois on Jan. 28 after forcing overtime on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. The Salukis want revenge. 
Evansville could have matchup problems with Sean O'Brien, who is becoming a force for Southern Illinois. O'Brien is coming off a 24-point performance in Southern Illinois' last game and had 16 points and seven rebounds against the Purple Aces in the first meeting.
The Salukis have been more than solid away from home covering eight of their last 10 road games. The Purple Aces, on the other hand, are just 5-12-1 ATS in their last 18 home contests. 

Butler played Villanova tough in their first meeting losing 60-55 after leading by seven points early in the second half. The Bulldogs catch Villanova in a tough scheduling spot.

The Wildcats defeated Temple in a rivalry matchup and play at Xavier in a key Big East battle in their next game. Villanova is 12-1 in the Big East while Xavier is in second place at 11-3. 

Villanova has failed to cover five of the past six times it has laid double-digits and is 1-4 ATS at home when taking on an opponent with a winning road record. 

Harvard is down this season. The Crimson have failed to cover an Ivy League game all season. But this still is a lot of points for this series. It's too many in my view because the linemaker has shaded Columbia too much and the marketplace has nudged the line even higher.
The teams met at the end of last month and Columbia nipped Harvard, 55-54, after the Crimson blew a big lead. The Lions were just 1 1/2-point favorites in that game. Harvard is primed for revenge. 
Last year, Harvard was favored by five and nine points in the two meetings. Harvard won both of those games, including beating Columbia on the road by 10 points. Columbia has covered only one of its last five home games. 

Florida Atlantic has improved its outside shooting and catches Rice in a letdown spot following the Owls' road upset victory against Old Dominion. The Owls are 1-6-1 ATS versus foes with a losing record. They also are 1-6-1 ATS in their last eight Conference USA games. 
Rice ranks 335th in defense yielding 80.7 points a game. The Owls also rate a lowly 344th in defensive field goal percentage and 347th in 3-point defense. Florida Atlantic is averaging 80.5 points in its last two games.