Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
02-28-22 | New Mexico v. Fresno State -10 | Top | 68-71 | Loss | -115 | 14 h 56 m | Show |
Mountain West Conference Game of the Month. My selection is on Fresno State minus the points over New Mexico at 10 pm et on Monday. Fresno State finally snapped a four-game losing streak with a 65-40 blowout victory over Air Force last time out. I look for the Bulldogs to build on that positive result with another lopsided victory on Monday against New Mexico. The Lobos snapped a three-game losing streak of their own with a narrow victory over Air Force last Thursday. That came at home. The Lobos are just 2-10 on the road this season and have had little success in slowing opposing offenses, allowing 28 made field goals per game on better than 48% shooting. That's not to mention the fact that they're sending opponents to the free throw line a whopping 23 times per contest on the road this season. On the flip side, Fresno State allows just 19-of-50 shooting here at home this season, including only six made three-pointers per game and 13 free throw attempts per contest. The Bulldogs have held each of their last four opponents to 52 or fewer field goal attempts so I don't envision New Mexico enjoying a ton of quality scoring opportunities in tonight's game. Fresno State took the first meeting between these two teams by five points back in late January. The Lobos had nine more field goal attempts than the Bulldogs in that game but I expect that script to flip in this one. Take Fresno State (10*). | |||||||
02-28-22 | Massachusetts v. Fordham -2 | Top | 73-85 | Win | 100 | 11 h 21 m | Show |
Atlantic-10 Game of the Month. My selection is on Fordham minus the points over UMass at 7 pm et on Monday. I really like the way this one sets up for Fordham as it looks to bounce back from an ugly performance at Davidson on Saturday. The Rams knocked down only 12-of-49 field goals in that contest, unable to build off consecutive home victories in their previous two games. I do expect a much stronger effort here as they host a reeling UMass squad on Monday. The Minutemen have dropped back-to-back games by 21 and 15-point margins. Opponents have absolutely been 'filling it up' against the UMass defense, pouring in 28+ made field goals in five of its last six games. On the flip side, Fordham has given up fewer than 20 made field goals in three of its last five games. Even in Saturday's blowout loss at Davidson, the Rams still gave up just 22 made field goals. They've held four of their last five opponents to sub-38% shooting from the field. That's nothing new. Fordham allows an average of just 23 made field goals, including only six from beyond the arc, and sends opponents to the free throw line only 16 times per contest here at home this season. That's all key as any success the Minutemen has had this season has generally been on the strength of its three-point (10 made per game) and free-throw shooting (20 trips to the line per contest). Take Fordham (10*). | |||||||
02-26-22 | South Dakota State v. UMKC +7.5 | Top | 86-75 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 25 m | Show |
Summit League Game of the Year. My selection is on Kansas City plus the points over South Dakota State at 8 pm et on Saturday. I'll grab all the points I can get with the home underdog in this matchup between two red hot Summit League teams. South Dakota State has of course been the class of the conference all season, going undefeated to this point at 17-0. That includes a 32-point rout of Kansas City back on December 20th. Kansas City enters this game on a serious roll, however, having won eight consecutive games ATS. The Roos have done a tremendous job of locking down the opposition here at home, allowing just 21 made field goals per game on only 51 attempts. That includes just 5-of-19 shooting from beyond the arc. South Dakota State obviously has the offense to test those numbers but also finds itself in a tough spot, playing on just one day of rest following a wild 106-102 road win at Oral Roberts on Thursday. While the Jackrabbits are certainly capable of hanging a crooked number on the scoreboard, I like the fact that the Roos come in on a heater as well, having shot better than 51% from the field in five of their last eight games and averaging just shy of 80 points per game on 48% shooting at home this season. Kansas City's recent success hasn't come out of nowhere as it is actually 29-15 ATS in its last 44 games against Summit League opposition. Take Kansas City (10*). | |||||||
02-26-22 | San Francisco -13 v. San Diego | Top | 78-62 | Win | 100 | 9 h 30 m | Show |
CBB Blowout Game of the Week. My selection is on San Francisco minus the points over San Diego at 5 pm et on Saturday. After hanging tough through the early stages of conference play, San Diego has 'let go of the rope' so to speak, dropping five of its last six games SU (0-5-1 ATS). Opponents have absolutely abused the Toreros defense of late, knocking down 30+ field goals in four of those last six games. Things certainly won't get any easier against a San Francisco squad that will be looking to get back on track after a tough loss against mighty Gonzaga two nights ago. While the Dons have been a little uneven of late, that's had more to do with a couple of tough matchups with the aforementioned Zags and St. Mary's than anything else. They've still managed to win by 16+ points in three of their last five contests. I fully expect to see San Francisco clamp down on the San Diego offense here, noting that it allows just 23 made field goals including only five per game from three-point range on the road this season. While the Toreros could elect to play a little faster than usual, that will only afford to the Dons more scoring opportunities, noting that they've put up 100+ points twice in their last five games. When these two teams last met in January, San Francisco led by 14 points at halftime before easing off the gas in the second half. I don't expect that same sort of story to unfold here as they look to 'get right' off Thursday's lopsided defeat. Take San Francisco (10*). | |||||||
02-26-22 | Northern Illinois +17 v. Buffalo | Top | 60-70 | Win | 100 | 6 h 54 m | Show |
MAC Underdog Game of the Year. My selection is on Northern Illinois plus the points over Buffalo at 2 pm et on Saturday. I love that we're catching a boatload of points in this quick rematch between these two MAC squads on Saturday afternoon in Buffalo. We won with the 'under' in this same matchup on Thursday as Northern Illinois at least held its own in a game that was reasonably competitive throughout (Buffalo eventually won by 11 points). The Huskies enter Saturday's game riding a five-game ATS winning streak but are still getting little respect from the oddsmakers. Buffalo, meanwhile, with its high-octane offense has become an overvalued commodity, dropping the cash in three consecutive games. While NIU is a poor 6-12 SU away from home this season, it has managed to post a solid 11-7 ATS mark. The Huskies have actually won outright as big underdogs in-conference at Kent State, Ball State and Akron with the latter two victories coming in the last two weeks. While the Huskies average only 22 made field goals per game including just six from beyond the arc on the road this season, they'll likely be afforded many more scoring opportunities than they're accustomed to here with Buffalo allowing opponents to get off 65 field goal attempts including 23 per game from three-point range here at home this season. Take Northern Illinois (10*). | |||||||
02-22-22 | Kansas State +12.5 v. Kansas | Top | 83-102 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 52 m | Show |
My selection is on Kansas State plus the points over Kansas at 9 pm et on Tuesday. I'll grab the generous helping of points with the underdog Wildcats as they head to Allen Fieldhouse to challenge the rival Jayhawks on Tuesday night. Kansas State enters this game off three consecutive ATS wins but dropped a three-point decision at Oklahoma on Saturday, just staying inside the pointspread in the SU defeat. The Wildcats have shot sub-40% from the field in their last two games - one game shy of their longest such streak of the season. Note that they've gone 4-1 SU and ATS when coming off consecutive games shooting below 40% from the field this season. They allowed Oklahoma to shoot 51.9% from the field in Saturday's narrow loss. That's happened only twice previously this season and in their next game they've allowed opponents to shoot just 40-for-109 (36.7%) from the field. I realize they're facing a difficult challenge here against an elite Kansas squad. However, it is worth noting that the Jayhawks come into this game having scored 70+ points in six consecutive games. Prior to that stretch, Kansas had scored 70+ points in just four of its first seven Big 12 contests this season. Obviously, it would be an uphill battle for the Jayhawks to cover a pointspread as large as the one we're looking at tonight without scoring 70+ points. It's also notable that the Jayhawks have held three straight opponents to fewer than 70 points. They did so just once previously in Big 12 play this season and in their next game posted a close 78-75 win over tonight's opponent, Kansas State. The difference in that game was a 30-18 (21-11 made) free throw disparity in favor of the Jayhawks. I do have confidence that Kansas State can narrow that gap in tonight's game, while also keeping the game's pace in check, much like it did in the first meeting this season, helping ultimately keep the final score inside the number. Here, we'll note that the Jayhawks are 0-6 ATS after giving up 65 points or less in consecutive games this season, as is the case here, outscoring opponents by just 3.7 points on average in that spot. Take Kansas State (7*). | |||||||
02-19-22 | Ball State v. Bowling Green -3 | Top | 91-82 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 27 m | Show |
MAC Game of the Year. My selection is on Bowling Green minus the points over Ball State at 5 pm et on Saturday. We faded Bowling Green last Saturday and were rewarded with a lopsided win by Miami-Ohio. That was on the road, where the Falcons have struggled all season. They do at least own a winning record at 8-5 here at home. They'll be looking to avenge a tough 81-80 loss on the road against Ball State back on New Year's Day. The two teams were virtual mirror images of one another on that day, with the exception being Ball State was able to knock down a few more of its shots. Here, we'll note that the Cardinals have struggled on the road this season, going 3-10 SU and 4-9 ATS. While Ball State was able to keep pace with Bowling Green at home, we should see a different story unfold here. Note that the Falcons average a blistering 87.2 points per game on their home floor. Ball State, meanwhile, has allowed opponents to shoot just shy of 47% from the field on the road, giving up north of 82 points per contest. With Ball State checking in a woeful 3-13 ATS when listed as a road underdog or 'pk going back to last season, we'll confidently back the hometown Falcons here. Take Bowling Green (10*). | |||||||
02-12-22 | Sacred Heart -1.5 v. Fairleigh Dickinson | Top | 75-82 | Loss | -110 | 5 h 16 m | Show |
CBB NEC Game of the Year. My selection is on Sacred Heart minus the points over Fairleigh Dickinson at 1 pm et on Saturday. You'd be hard-pressed to find a worse Division I college basketball team than Fairleigh Dickinson this season. KenPom ranks them ahead of only eight other teams in the country and I think even that is a fairly forgiving ranking. The Knights lone victory since the start of January came against another awful NEC squad in Central Connecticut State. Sacred Heart certainly doesn't bring much 'wow factor' either but it has at least been playing competitive basketball in-conference. Just one week ago it pulled out a hard-fought overtime win on the road against St. Francis-Brooklyn and just two nights prior to that took LUI-Brooklyn down to the wire in a 79-75 road loss. These two teams just met back on January 15th with Sacred Heart prevailing by a score of 77-71. FDU lost that game by six points despite getting off a whopping 70 field goal attempts compared to Sacred Heart's 56. The Knights also won the turnover battle by a 14-11 margin in that game. I don't expect them to repeat either of those feats on Saturday as I look for Sacred Heart to dictate the tempo and ultimately pick up a win to gain some ground in the NEC (it enters Saturday's action just a half-game out of fifth place while FDU sits in last place). Take Sacred Heart (10*). | |||||||
02-10-22 | Hofstra v. Drexel -1 | Top | 83-73 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 5 m | Show |
CAA Game of the Year. My selection is on Drexel minus the points over Hofstra at 7 pm et on Thursday. These two teams have been polar opposites in the luck department this season and as a result Hofstra checks in with the better overall record and a one-game edge in the Colonial Athletic Association. In fact, Hofstra ranks 106th in the country in luck rating - a metric developed by KenPom - while Drexel checks in 291st. With that being said, both teams come in off consecutive wins. I believe Drexel is better positioned to keep it going on Thursday, however, as it looks to avenge an earlier three-point loss at Hofstra back on January 17th. Note that the Dragons are 13-5 ATS as a favorite over the last two seasons, outscoring opponents by 8.7 points on average. Better still, they're 10-2 ATS when seeking revenge for a loss against an opponent over the last two seasons, outscoring foes by an average margin of 4.6 points in that spot. Note that Hofstra gets to the free throw line five fewer times per game on the road than Drexel does at home, while also averaging one less made three-pointer per contest on two more attempts. Off consecutive emotional wins at home (one came in overtime against James Madison and the other by two points against UNC-Wilmington), I look for Hofstra to come up short on the road on Thursday. Take Drexel (10*). | |||||||
02-06-22 | Providence v. Georgetown +7 | Top | 71-52 | Loss | -105 | 4 h 9 m | Show |
Big East Game of the Month. My selection is on Georgetown plus the points over Providence at 12 noon et on Sunday. Providence has now won six consecutive games, including an upset victory at St. John's last time out. Since defeating Georgetown by eight points (but failing to cover) on January 20th, the Friars have been involved in four straight highly-contested games against Butler, Xavier, Marquette and St. John's. It's going to be very difficult for Ed Cooley's team to avoid a letdown here. Meanwhile, the Hoyas haven't won a game since December 15th against Howard. They do check in 3-2-1 ATS over their last six games though and catch the Friars laying points on the road for the first time this season. Take Georgetown (10*). | |||||||
02-02-22 | Hartford v. New Hampshire -4.5 | Top | 64-70 | Win | 100 | 11 h 56 m | Show |
CBB America East Game of the Year. My selection is on New Hampshire minus the points over Hartford at 7 pm et on Wednesday. These teams may be heading in opposite directions from an ATS perspective, with Hartford having gone 5-1 ATS over its last six games and New Hampshire managing just one ATS victory in its last seven, but I look for the Wildcats to right the ship and deliver a convincing victory on Wednesday. This is a rematch from a game played in Hartford back on January 19th. The Hawks prevailed by double-digits in that game, turning in a near-perfect offensive performance, shooting better than 52% from the field while turning the ball over just six times. Since then, Hartford has only managed to split its last four games but does come into this one off a 12-point victory at lowly Maine - its second consecutive win. New Hampshire has been alternating wins and losses over its last nine games and checks in off a seven-point home loss but that came against one of America East's elite teams in Stony Brook. Consecutive games against Hartford and Maryland-Baltimore County will give the Wildcats a chance to gain some traction in the conference before a return date against Stony Brook next week. They've certainly had this home game against the Hawks circled since that earlier loss in Hartford. UNH didn't bring its 'A' game on that night, shooting a miserable 37% from the field. The shots simply weren't falling but I expect a different story to unfold here in New Hampshire on Wednesday. Credit the Wildcats for managing to shoot just shy of 47% in that most recent loss to Stony Brook. It undoubtedly catches Hartford in a letdown spot here after the Hawks shot a blistering 60% from the field against a weak Maine squad last time out. Take New Hampshire (10*). | |||||||
02-01-22 | Boston College v. Virginia -8.5 | Top | 55-67 | Win | 100 | 9 h 55 m | Show |
ACC Game of the Month. My selection is on Virginia minus the points over Boston College at 6 pm et on Tuesday. The Cavaliers are coming off a tough road loss at Notre Dame on Saturday. They've now alternated wins and losses over their last eight games and I expect them to successfully bounce back once again here as they host Boston College on Tuesday. The Eagles delivered a double-digit win over Pitt on Sunday. I simply don't feel Boston College's ceiling in terms of offensive production is high enough to pose much of a challenge against the Cavaliers defense here. The Eagles generally play at Virginia's preferred pace. Boston College has actually relied quite heavily on getting to the free throw line for offensive production this season, averaging 18 attempts per game. Virginia has been stingy in that department, however, particularly here at home where they play tough defense but do so with plenty of discipline, sending opponents to the free throw line just nine times per contest. Virginia certainly isn't known for its offense but it does come into this game having shot better than 45% in three of its last four games, scoring 63 points or more in all four games. I'm expecting the Cavaliers to get well into the 60's again in this one and that will prove to be enough for the win and cover. Take Virginia (10*). | |||||||
01-30-22 | New Orleans +1.5 v. McNeese State | Top | 84-78 | Win | 100 | 7 h 10 m | Show |
CBB Revenge Game of the Month. My selection is on New Orleans plus the points over McNeese State at 6 pm et on Sunday. This is a big revenge spot for New Orleans after it suffered a strange 92-82 loss to McNeese State back on January 6th - a game in which UNO knocked down just one three-pointer and one that saw a whopping 88 combined free throw attempts from the two teams. Since then, New Orleans has reeled off seven straight wins while McNeese State 3-4 SU and 2-4 ATS in lined contests. It's also worth noting that New Orleans turned the basketball over 18 times compared to McNeese State's 13 in that earlier meeting. On the season, UNO averages two fewer turnovers per contest. New Orleans has consistently drummed this McNeese State defense, putting up 82, 99 and 82 points in the last three meetings, winning two of those games. Simply put, too much weight is being placed on that earlier matchup between these two. Look for New Orleans' talent and experience to win out in this one. Take New Orleans (10*). | |||||||
01-22-22 | Houston Baptist v. Texas A&M Corpus Christi -12.5 | Top | 77-71 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 19 m | Show |
CBB Blowout Game of the Week. My selection is on Texas A&M Corpus Christi minus the points over Houston Baptist at 4:30 pm et on Saturday. We won with Texas A&M Corpus Christi last Saturday as the Islanders rolled to a 16-point win over Incarnate Word. I won't hesitate to go back to the well with the same play this afternoon as they stay at home for a fourth straight game to host lowly Houston Baptist. The Islanders are coming off a narrow four-point win over McNeese State on Thursday. That tight result wasn't all that surprising as it was a quick rematch after the Islanders won the first meeting by 13 points back on January 8th. Here, Corpus Christi will be getting its first look at Houston Baptist this season. The Huskies own a 5-10 overall record this season but that's a little flattering as four of their five victories came against non-Division I opponents. The other came by just three points against aforementioned 4-15 Incarnate Word on Thursday night. While the Huskies have been playing a little better lately, I don't believe it will be enough to stay within arm's reach of the Islanders on Saturday. Take Texas A&M Corpus Christi (10*). | |||||||
01-20-22 | CS-Fullerton v. Cal-Irvine -6 | Top | 65-63 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 54 m | Show |
Big West Conference Game of the Month. My selection is on Cal-Irvine minus the points over Cal-State Fullerton at 10 pm et on Thursday. This price has shifted right into our lap on Thursday as the Anteaters look to snap out of a 1-4 slide at home against red hot Cal-State Fullerton. Irvine started the season with a very manageable schedule but things have gotten a lot tougher lately. They're coming off an outright loss by double-digits at Hawaii one week ago tonight so they've had ample time to sit and stew over that setback and get ready for this very winnable matchup against Fullerton. The Titans have won five straight games but that's had as much to do with a weak schedule rather than anything else. While Irvine was projected by most to finish top-two in the Big West at the outset of the season, Fullerton was pegged as a middle-of-the-pack team. There's certainly still time for that to play out and I look for the Anteaters to take a step in the right direction with a convincing win on Thursday. Take Cal-Irvine (10*). | |||||||
01-18-22 | South Carolina +12.5 v. Arkansas | Top | 59-75 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 20 m | Show |
SEC Game of the Month. My selection is on South Carolina plus the points over Arkansas at 7 pm et on Tuesday. This line has been bet up a couple of points since opening to the point that I like the way this one sets up for the Gamecocks, or perhaps moreso as a fade of Arkansas. The Hogs held Missouri to a ridiculous 43 points two games back and followed that up with an upset win at LSU on Saturday. That leaves them in a clear letdown spot here as they host South Carolina which is coming off back-to-back losses to Tennessee and Florida. While the Gamecocks have been wildly inconsistent this season, prolonged ATS losing streaks haven't been part of it. They enter this game on a season-long two-game ATS skid - one that I expect them to break tonight. By contrast, Arkansas is coming off consecutive ATS wins for the first time this season. Here, we'll note that Arkansas has gone 18-35 ATS in its last 53 games when coming off an outright upset win over a conference opponent, outscored by 2.3 points on average in that spot. South Carolina won outright as a 6.5-point underdog the last time these two teams met on this floor two years ago. While I'm not calling for an outright Gamecocks win here, I do expect them to keep it close. Take South Carolina (10*). | |||||||
01-15-22 | Incarnate Word v. Texas A&M Corpus Christi -13.5 | Top | 64-80 | Win | 100 | 8 h 39 m | Show |
Southland Conference Game of the Month. My selection is on Texas A&M Corpus Christi minus the points over Incarnate Word at 4:30 pm et on Saturday. The Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders have quietly been one of the best bets in the nation this season, going 10-3 ATS. They're in a smash spot on Saturday as they host 4-13 Incarnate Word. The Cardinals are actually coming off a win last Saturday but that came at the expense of 4-9 Houston Baptist. Incarnate Word's three previous wins this season came against the likes of Dallas Christian, 5-12 Grambling State and Our Lady of the Lake. The Cardinals have recently lost games by 31 points at home against Nicholls State, 45 points at Texas, 30 points at Rice and 33 points at Abilene-Christian. The Islanders have plenty of runway in front of them right now, with their next three games coming at home against Incarnate Word, McNeese State and Houston Baptist as they look to climb from third spot in the Southland Conference. Take Texas A&M Corpus Christi (10*). | |||||||
01-14-22 | Fresno State v. UNLV +2 | Top | 73-68 | Loss | -115 | 14 h 50 m | Show |
CBB Mountain West Conference Game of the Year. My selection is on UNLV plus the points over Fresno State at 11 pm et on Friday. This line has been moving in Fresno State's favor which is not all that surprising ahead of this Mountain West clash on Friday night in Sin City. Fresno State is off to a stellar 13-4 start this season but a closer inspection indicates we should perhaps pump the brakes a little. Note that the Bulldogs rank 228th in the nation in terms of strength of schedule (according to KenPom). Not only that but they sit 354th in the country in adjusted tempo (also according to KenPom). While that's not a reason for concern in and of itself, the fact that they shoot just a shade over 40% from the field on the road and average only six made threes per game is. Keep in mind, they continue to play without transfer Jemarl Baker, who was supposed to be a big part of their offense this season and contributed 30 points in only 41 minutes in his final two games before injuring his knee back in December. UNLV is coming off an 85-point explosion in a 29-point rout of New Mexico last time out. The Runnin' Rebels have scored 80+ points in each of their last three games and check in 5-1 SU And 4-2 ATS over their last six contests. The Rebels shouldn't have to approach that lofty point total here noting that the winner in this matchup has reached 68 points or less in each of the last three meetings, with the Rebels winning two of those games (both here at home). Note that UNLV ranks a respectable 125th in the country in terms of strength of schedule. With a tough three-game stretch on the road on deck, earning a victory here is critical for the Rebels. While they're just one game removed from a seven-point loss against San Diego State, I think it's actually impressive that they 'only' lost by seven despite shooting sub-30% from the field. Give them credit for holding each of their last three opponents to 36% or worse shooting. If UNLV can find a way to push the pace a little bit and make the Bulldogs uncomfortable, I'm confident it can find success on Friday night. Take UNLV (10*). | |||||||
01-13-22 | Detroit +1.5 v. IUPU Ft Wayne | Top | 60-62 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 10 m | Show |
CBB Horizon League Game of the Month. My selection is on Detroit plus the points over IUPU-Fort Wayne at 7 pm et on Thursday. We've seen a considerable line move toward Fort Wayne and why not? After all it is coming off consecutive road wins over Youngstown State and Robert Morris and has actually won five games in a row ATS. Let's not get too carried away though as Fort Wayne checks in ranked a miserable 325th in strength of schedule according to KenPom. While Detroit hasn't exactly faced a who's who of the country's best teams, it does rank considerably higher than Fort Wayne in that department at 180th. Detroit has played just one game since the holiday break, securing a 25-point win over Wisconsin-Milwaukee last Friday. The Titans are 5-1 SU and ATS over their last six contests and perhaps present a bit of a 'shock to the system' for the Fort Wayne defense here, noting that Detroit averages a whopping 28 three-point attempts per game this season. I don't anticipate much different that we saw in this matchup last year, when Detroit knocked down 28 three-pointers on its way to 82-72 and 83-56 victories over Fort Wayne. Take Detroit (10*). | |||||||
01-12-22 | Maryland +6 v. Northwestern | Top | 94-87 | Win | 100 | 11 h 54 m | Show |
CBB Big Ten Game of the Month. My selection is on Maryland plus the points over Northwestern at 9 pm et on Wednesday. I'm not buying into the considerable line move here as I'm anticipating a tightly-contested affair between these two teams, both coming off three consecutive losses and both off hard-fought losses against seemingly superior in-conference opponents. Note that the Terps have faced the 43rd toughest schedule in the nation to date according to KenPom while Northwestern, picked by many to finish near the bottom of the Big Ten standings at the outset of the season, checks in ranked 178th in strength of schedule. Maryland has had an issue with turning the ball over this season but has cleaned that up a bit lately, with 12 or fewer turnovers in four straight games (after a stretch of 14 or more in four consecutive contests). Of course, this is an in-season revenge game for Maryland after it dropped a 67-61 decision at home against Northwestern back on December 5th. The underdog has delivered the cash in three straight meetings in this series while Maryland has come away victorious in five of its last six trips to Northwestern. Here, we'll also note that the Terps are an impressive 14-2 ATS the last 16 times they've come off three or more consecutive losses, as is the case here, outscoring opponents by 12.9 points on average in that spot. Take Maryland (10*). | |||||||
01-11-22 | George Washington +17 v. VCU | Top | 57-84 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 8 m | Show |
CBB Atlantic-10 Underdog Game of the Year. My selection is on George Washington plus the points over VCU at 7 pm et on Tuesday. We've cashed a couple of tickets with VCU this season, including one in its thrilling buzzer-beating road win over Dayton last week. The Commodores are undoubtedly playing terrific basketball right now but I see this as a flat spot in an early-week home game against lowly George Washington. The Colonials were picked by many to finish near the bottom of the Atlantic-10 standings this season and to no one's surprise, that's where they're wallowing as we head into mid-January. With that being said, they have managed to go 2-1 over their last three games and it shouldn't be difficult to get up and bounce back from a 25-point beatdown at home against Dayton last time out. While VCU is coming off a 19-point rout of La Salle, it isn't really built to run away and hide from teams, noting that it averages just 53 field goal attempts and five made three-pointers per game this season. The Commodores turned in a near-perfect game last time out against the Explorers, shooting better than 51% from the field, turning the ball over only eight times while forcing 19. That wrapped up a perfect 2-0 road trip. You can understand why returning home to host a team like George Washington in a 'name-your-score' type of game may not be all that inspiring. Keep in mind, George Washington managed to stay comfortably inside the pointspread in last year's lone meeting, dropping a seven-point decision at home as an 11.5-point underdog. Noting that VCU does turn the ball over two more times per game than GWU and also sends opponents to the free throw line an average of 18 times per contest, not to mention the fact that the Commodores have a clear look-ahead with a trip to St. Bonaventure on deck later this week, I like the Colonials to stay inside the lofty number on Tuesday. Take George Washington (10*). | |||||||
01-08-22 | Appalachian State +2.5 v. Troy State | Top | 53-68 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 57 m | Show |
CBB Sun Belt Conference Game of the Year. My selection is on Appalachian State plus the points over Troy at 5 pm et on Saturday. We won with Appalachian State in an arguably tougher matchup two nights ago as the Mountaineers went on the road and upset South Alabama by a 72-64 score - their second straight in-conference victory. They won that game despite not getting a single point from Justin Forrest in his first game back off the Covid list. I would certainly anticipate a sharper performance from Forrest in particular in Saturday's game. As we noted on Thursday, the Mountaineers have faced a very difficult schedule this season - ranking 78th in the nation in strength of schedule according to KenPom. Contrast that with Troy, which checks in 298th in that department yet has only managed three more victories than Appalachian State. I like the discipline we've seen from the Mountaineers this season as they only send opponents to the free throw line an average of 11 times per game. They also average five fewer turnovers per game than Troy, despite a similar number of possessions per contest. The Trojans have forced an additional five turnovers per game compared to the Mountaineers but again, strength of schedule factors in. Troy swept the season series between these two teams last year. Prior to that, Appalachian State had taken four of the last five meetings and we only have to go back three meetings at Troy (to December of 2019) to find the last time the Mountaineers won a game outright on this floor. Take Appalachian State (10*). | |||||||
01-07-22 | Brown +3.5 v. Harvard | Top | 84-73 | Win | 100 | 8 h 59 m | Show |
Ivy League Game of the Year. My selection is on Brown plus the points over Harvard at 7 pm et on Friday. Brown enters this game on the heels of four straight losses including a heartbreaking 77-73 near-miss on the road against Penn last Sunday. The Bears have faced the 111th toughest schedule in the country so far this season according to KenPom while Harvard has faced the 303rd. So it's not surprising that the Crimson check in sporting the better overall record (although not by much at 7-4 compared to 8-8). Here, Harvard will be taking the floor in game action for the first time since December 21st. The 'rest vs. rust' conversation comes up yet again and here I think Brown has the distinct advantage having played three times (and against tough competition including road games at Syracuse and Maryland) since Harvard last played. While a lot of bettors will likely use the 'triple-revenge' angle in support of Harvard here, I'm not sure that plays a major factor. Both teams experienced plenty of roster turnover. Speaking of that, I'm high on Brown freshman Nana Owuse-Anane, who has contributed 6.8 points per game and 3.7 rebounds per game in 18.5 minutes on average so far this season. Loyola-Chicago transfer Paxson Wojcik is also a notable newcomer. It's worth pointing out that he failed to knock down a single three-pointer over the last two games (he had made 12 over his previous five games) yet the Bears were right there in contention for the ATS cover in each of those contests. I'm anticipating a solid bounce-back effort from him tonight. The Crimson rely heavily on the three-ball in their offense, averaging 10 made threes per game this season. Brown on the other hand has done an excellent job of limiting its opponents effectiveness from long range, allowing just six made threes per game on the road (on 18 attempts). While Brown has been shooting much better lately following a shaky start to the season (that had a lot to do with the aforementioned difficult, front-loaded schedule), Harvard has shot worse than 38% in three of its last four contests. Finally, I'll note that Harvard has gone 0-6 ATS in its last six lined games off consecutive home wins, as is the case here, outscored by an average margin of 0.4 points. Take Brown (10*). | |||||||
01-06-22 | Southern Miss +4 v. Texas-San Antonio | Top | 74-73 | Win | 100 | 10 h 2 m | Show |
C-USA Game of the Year. My selection is on Southern Miss plus the points over UTSA at 8 pm et on Thursday. Southern Miss has plenty of returning experience on this year's team but isn't expected to make much noise in C-USA. Things have generally played out accordingly so far as the Golden Eagles check in 4-8 on the season, coming off six consecutive losses. With that being said, I see this as a winnable game. Note that while Southern Miss has only faced the 216th toughest schedule in the country according to KenPom, UTSA ranks 335th in that department. A closer inspection of the Roadrunners seven wins finds that they've defeated the likes of Trinity College (non-Div. 1), 5-11 Denver, 1-10 IUPUI (by three points at home), 2-13 Lamar, St. Mary's-Texas (non-Div. 1), Sam Houston State (their lone credible win) and Dallas Christian (non-Div. 1). It's not as if UTSA has been overly impressive in its wins - in fact, it checks in just 4-6 ATS in lined games this season. I do think that Southern Miss can frustrate UTSA with it's methodical pace, much like it did against East Carolina in a narrow one-point loss last time out. Interestingly, while the Golden Eagles average five fewer three-point attempts per game than the Roadrunners, they only make one fewer on average. Despite attempting 10 fewer field goals per contest, Southern Miss actually averages one more assist per game than UTSA. The Roadrunners have taken three straight meetings in this series although both of last year's matchups were close, with each game decided by exactly six points. Note that prior to those three consecutive wins, UTSA hadn't previously managed to win back-to-back meetings in the first 10 matchups all-time in this series. Take Southern Miss (10*). | |||||||
01-05-22 | DePaul +5 v. St. John's | Top | 84-89 | Push | 0 | 8 h 46 m | Show |
Big East Game of the Year. My selection is on Depaul plus the points over St. John's at 6:30 pm et on Wednesday. Depaul will be looking to snap its first losing streak of the season as it takes on St. John's on Wednesday night. The Blue Demons won't have a hard time getting up for this one after suffering a 17-point beatdown at the hands of Providence last time out. Prior to that, their other two losses this season came by identical four-point margins against quality opponents in Loyola-Chicago and Butler. St. John's is coming off a loss of its own, dropping a two-point decision against a disappointing Pittsburgh squad. It's worth noting that the Blue Demons send opponents to the free throw line five fewer times per game while also getting there one additional time compared to the Red Storm this season. They also turn the ball over two fewer times despite playing at a slightly slower pace. St. John's has been the slightly better three-point shooting team but has also been the weaker team defending the three. While Depaul's strength of schedule ranks a poor 268th in the country according to KenPom, St. John's has faced the nation's 347th toughest schedule. In other words, there's little separating these two squads yet the Red Storm are being asked to lay a handful of points. Note that home court has meant very little in this particular series lately with the road team taking three consecutive meetings and six of the last nine overall. Take Depaul (10*). | |||||||
01-04-22 | Virginia +4 v. Clemson | Top | 75-65 | Win | 100 | 11 h 52 m | Show |
ACC Game of the Month. My selection is on Virginia plus the points over Clemson at 9 pm et on Tuesday. When these teams last met just two weeks ago in Virginia, Clemson exacted revenge for last year's 35-point beatdown at the hands of the Cavaliers, securing a decisive 17-point victory. Now the shoe is on the other foot as Virginia looks for revenge, noting that the Cavaliers own a terrific 22-11 ATS mark under head coach Tony Bennett when seeking revenge for a loss against an opponent as a favorite, outscoring opponents by an average margin of 8.9 points in that situation. Also note that the Cavaliers are 32-19 under Bennett as a road underdog. Clemson, meanwhile, checks in a miserable 3-11 ATS, outscored by 6.5 points on average, when coming off five or six wins in their last seven games over the last three seasons, as is the case here. Take Virginia (10*). | |||||||
12-30-21 | St. Joe's v. Richmond -11.5 | Top | 83-56 | Loss | -107 | 9 h 29 m | Show |
A-10 Game of the Year. My selection is on Richmond minus the points over St. Joseph's at 7 pm et on Thursday. I like the way this one sets up as a smash spot for the red hot Richmond Spiders. St. Joseph's comes in off three straight ATS wins. Note the last time it reeled off three consecutive ATS victories it followed that up with a 29-point thumping at the hands of Villanova. Richmond has won six games in a row, going 4-2 ATS over that stretch. The Spiders should offer a bit of a 'shock to the system' for the St. Joe's defense here, noting that they average 10 more three-point attempts per game (26) than the Hawks have faced (16) so far this season. The Spiders are also getting to the free throw line an average of two more times per game while turning the ball over two fewer times and forcing three more turnovers, all while facing a much tougher schedule (top-95 in the country according to KenPom compared to St. Joe's top-250). This is a revenge spot for Richmond after it dropped a stunning 76-73 decision at home last March (as a 15-point favorite). The Spiders clearly overlooked the Hawks on that occasion after beating them by 20+ points on the road earlier in the season. Take Richmond (10*). | |||||||
12-22-21 | Hofstra +6 v. Monmouth | Top | 77-71 | Win | 100 | 12 h 52 m | Show |
CBB Game of the Week. My selection is Hofstra plus the points over Monmouth at 7 pm et on Wednesday. The Monmouth Hawks are off to an incredible 12-0 ATS start this season but I think their run of perfection (ATS-wise at least) comes to an end on Wednesday. Hofstra is a quality squad that you just don't hear much about. The Pride have faced the 25th toughest schedule in the country (according to KenPom) but have managed to post a respectable 7-5 SU and 7-3 ATS (in lined games) overall record. They're limiting opponents to just 13 free throw attempts per game and a disciplined brand of defense will be key against a Monmouth squad that lives at the line, getting there 19 times per game this season. The Pride also turn the ball over three fewer times than the Hawks while forcing two additional turnovers per contest. Monmouth's offense has benefited from some sharp shooting from beyond the arc, particularly at home where it knocks down over 40% of its three-point attempts. Hofstra is capable of matching it in that regard, however, averaging 10 made threes per game. The Pride should offer the Hawks a bit of a change of pace here as they average 29 three-point attempts per game - five north of the 24 Monmouth has seen on average. These two teams met last December as well with Hofstra scoring 96 points in an eight-point road win (as a -1.5 favorite). Look for Speedy Claxton's squad to give red hot Monmouth a serious run on Wednesday night. Take Hofstra (10*). | |||||||
12-19-21 | Dartmouth +12 v. California | Top | 55-61 | Win | 100 | 8 h 3 m | Show |
CBB Non-Conference Underdog Game of the Year. My selection is on Darmouth plus the points over California at 4 pm et on Sunday. Dartmouth gave Stanford everything it could handle on Friday night before fading in overtime in an 11-point loss. The eventual lopsided nature of that game ends up providing us with some value here as the Big Green should bring plenty of confidence as a decided underdog at Cal on Sunday. Note that Dartmouth ranks 77th in the nation in terms of strength of schedule. Cal checks in 119th. Coming off consecutive blowout wins to open their four-game homestand it would be easy for the Bears to overlook the Big Green here. That would be a mistake as Dartmouth can hang thanks to its terrific outside shooting (10 made threes per game on 37.2% shooting from beyond the arc). The knock on the Big Green is their inability to get to the free throw line with much consistency (they average only 11 attempts per game). However, they do knock down nearly 75% of their free throw attempts and it's not as if Cal has been much better in that regard, averaging 15 trips to the charity stripe per contest. Cal also averages only five made threes per contest. Additionally, Dartmouth forces three more turnovers per game while the two teams are on par in terms of turnovers lost, averaging 12 each. While I'm not about to call for the outright upset, I do think Dartmouth can take this one down to the wire. Take Dartmouth (10*). | |||||||
12-08-21 | Drake -20 v. Nebraska-Omaha | Top | 78-70 | Loss | -107 | 14 h 52 m | Show |
CBB Game of the Week. My selection is on Drake minus the points over Nebraska-Omaha at 9 pm et on Wednesday. Both of these teams enter Wednesday's game on extended ATS losing streaks but I certainly feel that Drake is in better position to end its skid in this spot. The Bulldogs couldn't have played much better in their last two games but the opposition ended up shooting well and keeping them from ATS victories (they did win both of those games straight-up). In those two contests, Drake committed just 16 turnovers and shot 45.7% from the field. By contrast, Omaha has turned the ball over a whopping 31 times over its last two contests. It did manage to shoot better than 47% from the field last time out but that was against a 'defense-optional' Eastern Washington squad. Omaha remains one of the worst offensive teams in the country, averaging just 59.1 points per game on 36.5% shooting this season. Drake has a chance to be the class of an ultra-competitive Missouri Valley Conference this season with five returning starters. Don't be fooled by the Bulldogs modest 5-3 record as their three losses came against potential NCAA Tournament teams in Belmont, Alabama and North Texas. Take Drake (10*). | |||||||
12-04-21 | Iowa State v. Creighton -4.5 | Top | 64-58 | Loss | -110 | 15 h 36 m | Show |
CBB Non-Conference Game of the Month. My selection is on Creighton minus the points over Iowa State at 9 pm et on Saturday. I really like the way this one sets up for Creighton as it hosts undefeated Iowa State on Saturday night. We actually won with the Cyclones in their outright upset win over Xavier in last week's NIT Tip-off Tournament in Brooklyn. They're off to an impressive 7-0 start that also includes a victory over a team that entered the season with National Title aspirations in Memphis. Still, I expect the Blue Jays to prove to be too much for the Cyclones on this night. Creighton has just one loss on the season and while it checks in with a poor 3-5 ATS record it was asked to lay more points than it is here tonight in four of those five previous ATS defeats. The Blue Jays do come in with some positive momentum after laying waste to a quality North Dakota State team last time out, winning by 25 points as eight-point favorites. While Creighton is known for its offense, it has put on a defensive clinic here at home this season, holding opponents to just 60.2 points per game on 35.3% shooting. Here, we'll note that Creighton is a perfect 6-0 ATS in its last six games after giving up 60 or less points, as is the case here, outscoring the opposition by an average margin of 20.5 points. Take Creighton (10*). | |||||||
12-01-21 | South Carolina v. Coastal Carolina +6.5 | Top | 56-80 | Win | 100 | 11 h 17 m | Show |
CBB Game of the Week. My selection is on Coastal Carolina plus the points over South Carolina at 7 pm et on Wednesday. While the Coastal Carolina football program has been making most of the noise going back to last season, the basketball team can play as well. The Chanticleers check in just 2-2 on the season but I expect them to give South Carolina a run on Wednesday night. The Gamecocks have reeled off four straight wins, going 3-1 ATS in the process. It's worth noting though that they're turning the ball over 17 times a game compared to Coastal Carolina's average of only 10. Riding a winning streak and with a big showdown against Georgetown on deck, it would be easy for the relatively inexperienced to overlook the Chanticleers here. Note that South Carolina has been outscored by an average margin of 3.3 points in its last 15 games when coming off a win and has also been outscored by 3.0 points on average in its last 21 lined road contests. Take Coastal Carolina (10*). | |||||||
11-25-21 | Auburn v. Loyola-Chicago +2.5 | Top | 62-53 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 8 m | Show |
CBB Underdog Game of the Week. My selection is on Loyola-Chicago plus the points over Auburn at 2:30 pm et on Thursday. The Ramblers fell just short on a bucket in the final seconds against favored Michigan State yesterday afternoon (but did manage the narrow cover). They'll certainly want to come away from this tournament with something and I like their chances of picking up a win against Auburn, which is fresh off an emotionally and physically draining overtime loss at the hands of UConn yesterday afternoon. Credit Loyola-Chicago to sticking to its guns and turning yesterday's game against Michigan State into somewhat of a slugfest. The Ramblers fell behind 9-0 right out of the gate in that one but quickly rallied and ultimately took the Spartans right down to the wire. That's what we want to see from a mid-major in an early statement game against a top level opponent. The case can certainly be made that Michigan State is by no means a national title contender (not at this point anyway) but it was a test nonetheless - one that Loyola-Chicago passed as far as I'm concerned. Now comes and excellent chance for the Ramblers to bounce right back and pick up a victory that would certainly look good on their resume come March. Auburn certainly entered this tournament with its eyes on a championship and is obviously disappointed to be playing in the third-place game on Thursday. I feel the Tigers are a little overrated at this point, carrying a number-19 ranking into this tournament despite having not really faced anyone of true substance. I don't think they're going to like the type of game that the Ramblers will undoubtedly present them with here. Take Loyola-Chicago (10*). | |||||||
11-22-21 | Valparaiso +7 v. Jacksonville State | Top | 78-70 | Win | 100 | 11 h 13 m | Show |
CBB Tournament Game of the Month. My selection is on Valparaiso plus the points over Jacksonville State at 8 pm et on Monday (game was delayed due to leak in the roof). Valpo is still looking for its first victory as the Beacons (formerly the Crusaders). I think it has a shot at getting it on Monday, however. Off a narrow missed cover as a road underdog against Stanford, here we'll note that Valpo has gone an incredible 43-15 ATS in its last 58 games when coming off a double-digit road loss. The Beacons are also 10-2 ATS in their last 12 road games after allowing 60 points or less going back over the last 2+ seasons. Considering the Beacons don't have a lot of returning talent I see it as a positive that they've shot better than 41% from the field in each of their first three games this season. Jacksonville State is off to a 1-2 start with two of its three games decided by four points or less. Note that it is shooting just 67% from the free throw line and has benefited from facing three opponents that have been ice cold from the field (yes, JSU's defense has contributed to that but still). Note that JSU has been outscored by an average margin of 1.3 points after losing two of its last three games dealing with a 123-game sample size. Take Valparaiso (10*). | |||||||
11-15-21 | Southern Utah +11 v. St. Mary's | Top | 51-70 | Loss | -108 | 14 h 49 m | Show |
CBB Underdog Game of the Month. My selection is on Southern Utah plus the points over St. Mary's at 10 pm et on Monday. St. Mary's is poised to take a step forward after a rare down year in 2020-21 but it certainly can't afford to sleep on a Southern Utah squad that went 20-4 last season and brings pretty much everyone that matters back into the fold. The Thunderbirds are coming off an upset loss as a double-digit favorite at Dixie State, however, and with that in mind, I feel they're undervalued in this matchup against what has long been considered a 'name brand' program in St. Mary's. This game will feature a sharp contrast in styles as Southern Utah boasts an explosive offense and will look to push the pace. St. Mary's is more adept at slowing things down. The Gaels look to eliminate passing lanes and force turnovers at the defensive end of the floor. I'm not convinced they'll have an easy time doing so against a seasoned Thunderbirds squad that excels on dribble handoffs and driving to the basket. Note that St. Mary's has only outscored opponents by 6.9 points on average when coming off consecutive wins over the last 2+ seasons (26-game sample size). That's close to where I feel this line should be sitting but with the Gaels 2-0 off back-to-back comfortable wins and Southern Utah fresh off the aforementioned upset loss to little-known Dixie State, we're being given a fairly generous cushion. Take Southern Utah (10*). | |||||||
11-10-21 | Buffalo +15.5 v. Michigan | Top | 76-88 | Win | 100 | 10 h 32 m | Show |
CBB Game of the Week. My selection is on Buffalo plus the points over Michigan at 6:30 pm et on Wednesday. Expectations are sky-high once again in Ann Arbor this season and the Wolverines are certainly a legitimate national title contender. With that being said, I do think an experienced, ultra-talented Buffalo squad is capable of giving them a run here in their season-opener on Wednesday. The Bulls could turn out to be 'best in class' in the MAC this season although Ohio may have something to say about that. This is an excellent measuring stick game right out of the gate and I expect the Bulls to relish the opportunity. Four starters return to Buffalo and Jim Whitesell's group should once again push the pace at every opportunity, perhaps catching the Wolverines a little off guard here in the first game of the season. Keep in mind, for as dominant as Michigan was last season, it opened the campaign by winning home games against Bowling Green and Oakland by just 14 and 10-point margins, respectively. In time, the Wolverines should once again evolve into an elite rim and perimeter defending team but Buffalo is a tough opening draw before it has a chance to settle in, especially with plenty of new faces in the lineup. While Buffalo is known for its up-tempo, explosive offense, it can play some defense as well. In fact, the Bulls were the best defensive squad in the MAC last year. Last season's MAC Defensive Player of the Year, Josh Mballa is back in the fold to anchor the Bulls defensive sets. While a 1-0 start should be well within reach for the Wolverines, this should be a test. Take Buffalo (10*). | |||||||
04-05-21 | Baylor v. Gonzaga -4 | Top | 86-70 | Loss | -110 | 14 h 58 m | Show |
NCAA Tournament Game of the Year. My selection is on Gonzaga minus the points over Baylor at 9:20 pm et on Monday. We won with the 'over' in Gonzaga's thrilling semi-final victory over UCLA on Saturday. Here, I'll switch gears and look at the side as we back the Bulldogs in their final showdown with Baylor. I hesitate to say that the Zags merely survived Saturday's buzzer-beating win over UCLA. You could certainly make the case that both teams deserved the win on that night - the Zags were simply able to make one more shot than the Bruins. With that being said, I give a ton of credit to UCLA. It shot an exceptional 57.6% from the field, knocking down incredibly tough shots all night long. Keep in mind, that was only the third time all season that Gonzaga allowed an opponent to shoot 50% or better from the field. In two previous occurrences, the Bulldogs followed it up with an ATS victory, holding Auburn to 37.3% shooting in a 23-point rout on November 27th and limiting Creighton to 40.6% shooting in an 18-point victory earlier in this tournament. Considering the Bruins shot so well, and also held a 32-26 rebounding edge, the Zags should be incredibly pleased with the fact that they were able to come away victorious on Saturday. Here, I certainly don't expect Baylor to shoot nearly as well, nor do I expect the Zags to lose the rebounding battle (note they hadn't been outrebounded in a game since February 27th prior to Saturday's contest). Note that the Zags entered this tournament ranked 11th in the nation in total rebounding percentage and 13th in opponents floor percentage. By contrast, Baylor checked in ranked 44th in both of those categories. For Baylor's part, it shot an impressive 52.7% from the field in Saturday's blowout win over Houston. The Cougars were quite simply overmatched from the start in that game as the Bears jumped ahead early and never looked back. Now I question whether Baylor can get right back up to the necessary level of intensity to stage the upset against Gonzaga. Note that Saturday's game marked the first time in six games that the Bears shot better than 50% from the field. It was also the first time they outrebounded an opponent since a lopsided victory over Hartford in the opening round of this tournament. We know that Gonzaga prefers to play at a fast pace, entering the tournament ranked 16th nationally in possessions per game. Also note that the Zags have gone 28-14 ATS with the total set in the 150's over the last three seasons, as is the case here, outscoring opponents by an average margin of 26.1 points. Take Gonzaga (10*). | |||||||
03-30-21 | USC v. Gonzaga -8 | Top | 66-85 | Win | 100 | 11 h 32 m | Show |
Elite Eight Game of the Year. My selection is on Gonzaga minus the points over USC at 7:15 pm et on Tuesday. Credit USC for reaching the Elite Eight on the strength of some truly incredible shooting performances over the last couple of games. The Trojans shot better than 57% against both Kansas and Oregon and enter tonight's contest having shot 50% or better in four straight games going back to the Pac-12 Tournament earlier this month. Keep in mind, only once previously this season did the Trojans shoot better than 50% from the field in three consecutive games, and that took place right out of the gates in a stretch that saw them face the likes of Cal Baptist and Montana (along with a solid BYU squad). While USC has enjoyed an incredible run, I expect it to run out of magic here, and it's certainly worth noting that the Trojans have gone 0-7 ATS in their seven straight-up losses this season, losing four of those games by nine points or more. What more can be said about Gonzaga? They were the heavily favored to win this tournament at the outset for a reason and have only gotten better with each passing game. While the Bulldogs have shot better than 55% from the field in two of their three tournament games to date, that's only par for the course really, noting that their Round of 32 win over Oklahoma marked the first time since January 23rd that they shot worse than 50%. The Zags are tops in the nation in both offensive efficiency and floor percentage and play at a pace that should make the Trojans uncomfortable, noting that USC entered the tourney ranked north of 200 in terms of possessions per game. I don't expect USC to afford itself enough extra scoring opportunities to keep pace here, noting that it entered the tournament ranked 311th in steals per possessions, 123rd in turnovers per possession and 98th in extra scoring chances per game. By contrast, Gonzaga ranked 41st, 36th and 32nd in those three categories, respectively. Take Gonzaga (10*). | |||||||
03-27-21 | Mississippi State v. Louisiana Tech +1 | Top | 84-62 | Loss | -112 | 7 h 25 m | Show |
NIT Game of the Year. My selection is on Louisiana Tech plus the points over Mississippi State at 3 pm et on Saturday. Most bettors will likely back Mississippi State by default at virtually a pk'em price in this one as it comes from a power conference in the SEC while Louisiana Tech is out of the far less respected C-USA. I like the Bulldogs' (La. Tech) chances of staging the minor upset, however, as they come in playing some of their best basketball of the season and match up well here. It's worth noting that Louisiana Tech ranks an impressive eighth in the nation in opponents floor percentage and 11th in opponents effective field goal percentage this season. While Mississippi State has the better offense, I do think that Louisiana Tech, which comes in having scored 70+ points in six of its last seven games, can hang. Note that Mississippi State ranks just 161st in the country in steals per possession and conversely, ranks a miserable 319th in turnovers per possession on offense. With Mississippi State ranking 248th in the country in possessions per game, it isn't going to overwhelm Louisiana Tech with its pace here either. Louisiana State checks in as a positive momentum play having gone 10-1 ATS after allowing 65 points or less in consecutive games this season, outscoring opponents by 14.6 points per game in that situation. Meanwhile, Mississippi State is just 1-9 ATS following a close victory by six points or less over the last two seasons, outscored by 5.1 points per game in that spot. Take Louisiana Tech (10*). | |||||||
03-27-21 | Oregon State v. Loyola-Chicago -6.5 | Top | 65-58 | Loss | -115 | 30 h 54 m | Show |
CBB Sweet 16 Game of the Year. My selection is on Loyola-Chicago minus the points over Oregon State at 2:40 pm et on Saturday. We won one of our big ticket plays backing Oregon State in its win over Oklahoma State last round but I won't hesitate to switch gears and go against the Beavers here as they go up against Loyola-Chicago in the Sweet 16. The Ramblers are by no means a 'Cinderella' team. They've turned in a tremendous season so far, winning 26 of 30 games, leaning on their wealth of talent and experience to reach the Sweet 16, even if few gave them a chance against Illinois last Sunday. This is a team that is certainly comfortable being in the 'favorite' role, having been the front-runner in the Missouri Valley Conference for much of the season. If any team is going to suffer a letdown here, it's not going to be the Ramblers off the upset win over one-seed Illinois, instead I feel that Oregon State might have a tough time getting its emotions running as high as it did against 'name' programs like Tennessee and Oklahoma State in the first two rounds of this tournament. The Beavers are undoubtedly deserving of respect as they've gotten hot at the right time, parlaying a Pac-12 Tournament championship run into two victories here in the NCAA Tournament. However, let's not lose sight of the fact that this is a team that entered the tourney ranked 274th in the nation in opponents floor percentage and 190th in opponents effective field goal percentage, not to mention its dreadful 298th ranking in opponents non-blocked two-point percentage. Like Loyola-Chicago, Oregon State plays at a slow pace, ranking 316th in the country in possessions per game. But the Ramblers do it much better, entering the tournament ranked 26th in the country in offensive efficiency and 25th in floor percentage. By contrast, the Beavers sat outside of the top-100 in both of those categories. The Pac-12 is being given plenty of respect now with four teams reaching the Sweet 16. However, noting that Loyola-Chicago has gone 10-3 ATS when playing away from home off three or more consecutive wins this season, outscoring the opposition by 13.1 points on average, while also going 15-4 ATS off a double-digit victory, outscoring opponents by 16.8 points per game in that situation, I'll gladly back the Ramblers laying a relatively short number here. Take Loyola-Chicago (10*). | |||||||
03-22-21 | Abilene Christian +5 v. UCLA | Top | 47-67 | Loss | -109 | 11 h 41 m | Show |
CBB East Region Game of the Year. My selection is on Abilene Christian plus the points over UCLA at 5:15 pm et on Monday. I'll grab the points with Abilene Christian as it continue on a Cinderella run here in the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats shot a miserable sub-30% from the field in their opener against Texas but still managed to stage the upset thanks to an incredible defensive effort. That shouldn't have come as a big surprise as Abilene Christian has terrific at that end of the floor all season, entering the tournament ranked sixth in the nation in opponents floor percentage and 13th in opponents effective field goal percentage. That's not to mention the fact that the Wildcats are capable of ratcheting up the pressure, ranking third in the country in steals per possession. I'm not overly concerned by their awful shooting performance against Texas. Keep in mind, ACU entered the tourney ranked a respectable 67th in offensive efficiency and 55th in floor percentage, not to mention sixth in the country in extra scoring chances per game. I feel their up-tempo style could give UCLA some problems here, noting that ACU ranks 97th in possessions per game compared to the Bruins', who entered the tourney 288th. UCLA rode the hot hand of Johnny Juzang in its 'upset' win over BYU in the opening round. Juzang had been dealing with injuries and I do question what happens if he doesn't shoot the lights out again here. While ACU has had some issues taking care of the basketball this season, UCLA is unlikely to take advantage, ranking 299th in the country in steals per possession and 214th in block percentage entering this tourney. The Bruins have really been nothing special defensively either, ranking 156th in opponents floor percentage and 201st in opponents effective field goal percentage. Finally, I'll point to the fact that UCLA has gone just 3-11 ATS away from home after winning two of its last three games over the last three seasons, outscored by a whopping 11 points per game in that situation. Take Abilene Christian (10*). | |||||||
03-21-21 | Oregon State +6 v. Oklahoma State | Top | 80-70 | Win | 100 | 32 h 24 m | Show |
CBB Underdog Game of the Month. My selection is on Oregon State plus the points over Oklahoma State at 9:40 pm et on Sunday. Oklahoma State held on for the cover against Liberty in its NCAA Tournament opener on Friday but I expect the Cowboys will be in for a tough challenge against red hot Oregon State on Sunday. The Beavers got hot at exactly the right time, improbably winning the Pac-12 Tournament last week before dominating a good Tennessee team in their opening round matchup on Friday. I like the matchup here as well. Oklahoma State has outscored the opposition by just 1.8 points per game after winning four of its last five games this season. In 14 situations where it has won five or six of its last seven games this season it has outscored opponents by just 0.5 points per game. While Oregon State is considered an upstart, it has actually posted a winning record away from home this season, allowing just 66.7 points per game. Albeit against a tougher schedule, Oklahoma State has allowed 72.9 ppg away from home this season. Note that entering this tournament, the Cowboys ranked just 135th in the nation in offensive efficiency and 79th in floor percentage while also ranking 270th in extra scoring chances per game. By contrast, Oregon State entered the tourney ranked 88th in extra scoring chances per game. Take Oregon State (10*). | |||||||
03-20-21 | Texas Southern v. Michigan -25 | Top | 66-82 | Loss | -114 | 8 h 32 m | Show |
CBB Blowout Game of the Month. My selection is on Michigan minus the points over Texas Southern at 3 pm et on Saturday. I expect to see Michigan lay waste to Texas Southern on Saturday afternoon. Of course, credit the Tigers for advancing past Mount St. Mary's in come-from-behind fashion in their First Four matchup on Thursday, but they're likely to get drummed in this one. Note that Texas Southern ranks just 209th in the nation in offensive efficiency and a miserable 277th in turnovers per possession. While we didn't see it on Thursday, the Tigers generally look to push the pace but that will likely backfire against the Wolverines here. Michigan of course has a sour taste in its mouth after failing to reach the final in the Big Ten Tournament last weekend. The Wolverines check into this game ranked 17th in offensive efficiency, 21st in floor percentage, 24th in total rebounding percentage, eighth in opponents effective field goal percentage and third in opponents non-blocked two-point percentage - you get the picture. Texas Southern regularly got torched during its non-conference schedule, allowing 80+ points against Oklahoma State, St. Mary's-CA, Auburn and BYU. Here, unless the Wolverines completely look past the Tigers, they should be able to approach 90 while I don't see Texas Southern finding an easy path to 60. Take Michigan (10*). | |||||||
03-19-21 | Winthrop +7 v. Villanova | Top | 63-73 | Loss | -110 | 15 h 4 m | Show |
CBB First Round Game of the Year. My selection is on Winthrop plus the points over Villanova at 9:55 pm et on Friday. While Villanova is just two tournaments removed from a National Championship and head coach Jay Wright is deserving of all the respect he receives for putting together a title contender year in and year out, I believe this is a tough opening round matchup for the Wildcats against a Winthrop squad that 'checks all the boxes' as a potential Cinderella team here in March. We've seen some cracks in Villanova's armor down the stretch while Winthrop has just one blemish on its otherwise flawless resume, albeit against inferior opposition to what the Wildcats face on a game-to-game basis in the Big East. I'm not going to knock the Eagles for playing a lighter schedule though - what they've accomplished is certainly deserving of plenty of respect. Winthrop checks in ranked 7th in the nation in total rebounding percentage compared to Villanova's 116th. I really like the fact that the Eagles will be facing a Wildcats defense that hasn't proven to be all that active at its own end of the floor. Note that 'Nova ranks a miserable 343rd in the country in block percentage and 260th in steals per possession. Contrast that with Winthrop, which checks in 59th in steals per possession, while only slightly better in terms of block percentage at 264th. Defensively, Winthrop has been terrific, ranking 18th in opponents floor percentage, top-100 in opponents non-blocked two-point percentage and a respectable 127th in opponents effective field goal percentage. In order to stay inside the number tonight, taking advantage of any and all extra opportunities will be key and the Eagles check in top-five in the nation in extra scoring chances per game and also succeed at pushing the pace, ranking 48th in possessions per game. By contrast, 'Nova ranks 296th in possessions per game. The knock on the Eagles is their inability to knock down their free throws but we did see some improvement from them in that regard down the stretch, as they shot better than 74% from the free throw line in their last three games while the Wildcats saw some regression, knocking down just 66% of their free throw attempts over their last three contests. Maybe the Eagles freeze in the moment and Villanova's championship pedigree leads it to victory here, but I believe Winthrop has all the tools to at the very least take this one down to the wire. Take Winthrop (10*). | |||||||
03-12-21 | Nevada v. San Diego State -8 | Top | 70-77 | Loss | -104 | 9 h 1 m | Show |
My selection is on San Diego State minus the points over Nevada at 9:30 pm et on Friday. We're able to back the Aztecs at a bit of a discount here thanks to Nevada's upset win over Boise State yesterday combined with San Diego State's narrow escape against Wyoming. Keep in mind, the Aztecs were favored by double-digits in both regular season matchups with Nevada. Both games were close but I look for the Wolf Pack to run out of gas and ultimately for the Aztecs to pull away for a convincing victory tonight. San Diego State is one of the best defensive teams in the country and that's what it takes to win a tough conference tournament like the Mountain West. Note that the Aztecs allow just 59.6 points per game away from home this season. Compare that with Nevada, which gives up north of 72 ppg away from home. San Diego State is a terrific positive momentum play here, noting that it has outscored opponents by an average margin of 9.7 points off consecutive wins over the last three seasons. Hammering down further, the Aztecs are 13-5 ATS and outscore opponents by 13.3 points per game when playing away from home following three or more wins in a row over the last two seasons. Nevada hasn't fared particularly well in revenge situations, allowing 79.8 points per game when revenging a road loss over the last two seasons. Take San Diego State (10*). | |||||||
03-12-21 | South Florida +9 v. Wichita State | Top | 67-68 | Win | 100 | 4 h 25 m | Show |
AAC Game of the Year. My selection is on South Florida plus the points over Wichita State at 12 noon et on Friday. While it does check in as the one-seed and has already defeated South Florida twice this season, I think Wichita State is going to play a near perfect game to cover this lofty pointspread. I'm just not convinced we'll see that peak level of performance from the Shockers here. I like the fact that South Florida doesn't need to rely on jacking up threes to stay competitive in a game like this with the Bulls ranking in the top-third in the country in percentage of points from two-pointers this season at north of 52%. I also like that the Bulls have a significant advantage on the glass, ranking an impressive 40th in the country in offensive rebounding percentage (they also check in a respectable 110th in defensive rebounding percentage). Wichita State isn't going to overwhelm South Florida with pressure defense either, noting that it ranks 274th in the country in steals per possession. USF shot miserably in both regular season meetings with Wichita State yet still managed to take one of those games down to the wire losing by only five points. Expect another competitive affair today. Take South Florida (10*). | |||||||
03-12-21 | California v. Colorado -13.5 | Top | 58-61 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 8 m | Show |
Pac-12 Tournament Game of the Year. My selection is on Colorado minus the points over California at 11:30 pm et on Thursday. I have no problem laying the points with Colorado here as it looks to avenge a stunning nine-point loss suffered as a nine-point favorite at Cal back on February 13th. Cal staged another upset last night, blowout Stanford out of the water as an 8.5-point underdog. I don't expect history to repeat itself here, however. Note that Cal has been outscored by an average margin of 14.5 points when coming off a win over a conference opponent over the last two seasons. Meanwhile, Colorado has outscored opponents by an average margin of 14.1 points as a favorite this season, including a 29-point rout of Cal back on January 14th. The Buffaloes clearly looked past the Bears in their most recent meeting but I don't expect to see them get caught flat-footed again here. Take Colorado (10*). | |||||||
03-11-21 | Mississippi State +3.5 v. Kentucky | Top | 74-73 | Win | 100 | 14 h 46 m | Show |
SEC Game of the Month. My selection is on Mississippi State plus the points over Kentucky at 12 noon et on Thursday. This looks like a case of undervalued vs. overvalued as Mississippi State has posted a winning ATS record this season while Kentucky checks in seven games below .500 from an ATS perspective. Yes, the Wildcats have owned this series over the years, but if there was ever a time for the Bulldogs to get a win in this series, this would be it. We actually won with Kentucky in its most recent game - a rout of South Carolina this past Saturday. That came at home. Away from home, the Wildcats have gone 4-9 this season, outscored by right around two points per game. Note that Kentucky has gone 0-7 ATS after an ATS win this season, outscored by an average margin of 8.1 points in that situation. Meanwhile, Mississippi State checks in 9-1 ATS coming off a road loss over the last two seasons, outscoring opponents by an impressive margin of 12.8 points on average in that situation. Take Mississippi State (10*). | |||||||
03-10-21 | San Jose State v. Wyoming -11.5 | Top | 80-111 | Win | 100 | 6 h 55 m | Show |
Conference Tournament Blowout Game of the Year. My selection is on Wyoming minus the points over San Jose State at 2 pm et on Wednesday. I suspect most bettors may shy away from a middling 13-10 Wyoming squad laying double-digits in the opening round of the Mountain West Tournament on Wednesday afternoon. We won't hesitate to back the Cowboys, however, as they should be able to take their frustrations out on an awful San Jose State squad. The Spartans have just five wins to their credit this season. Two of those victories came against non-Division I opponents. The other three came against 5-19 Air Force (two wins) and 6-15 New Mexico. This will be their first matchup with Wyoming this season with the Cowboys having won 13 of the last 14 matchups. Credit Wyoming for hanging in there against a tough Mountain West schedule this season, winning the games it should and even staging a few upsets along the way (it posted outright underdog wins against Fresno State, Nevada and UNLV). Note that San Jose State was outscored by a whopping 20.4 points per game away from home during the regular season. Wyoming was far more respectable in that regard, outscored by just 3.7 points per game. In an underdog role, San Jose State has been outscored by 17.9 points per game this season. The Spartans have been an excellent negative momentum fade having gone 7-17 ATS, outscored by an average margin of 21.9 points when playing away from home following two or more consecutive losses over the last three seasons, as is the case here. This is probably the only winnable game for Wyoming in this tournament, and I expect the Cowboys to take full advantage. Take Wyoming (10*). | |||||||
03-09-21 | Wake Forest v. Notre Dame -8 | Top | 77-80 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 47 m | Show |
ACC Game of the Month. My selection is on Notre Dame minus the points over Wake Forest at 7 pm et on Tuesday. We cashed a ticket fading Wake Forest in its most recent game - a double-digit home loss against Georgia Tech last Friday night. The Demon Deacons have all but packed up the tent for the 2020-21 season, losers of six straight games both SU and ATS. Note that Wake Forest has won just once in 10 tries away from its home court this season, outscored by an average margin of 12.3 points. This is a revenge spot after Notre Dame took the regular season meeting by 21 points but Wake hasn't been anything special in that situation, outscored by an average margin of 6.6 points when revenging a loss over the last two seasons. The Irish managed to pull up their socks and bring an end to their four-game losing streak with a very impressive 10-point victory over a quality Florida State squad on Saturday. That was the type of victory that should produce a positive carry-over effect here. While the Irish went 4-9 on the road during the regular season, they were actually outscored by an average margin of only 2.2 points, winning the majority of the games they should (some in blowout fashion) while losing those where they stepped up in class. This game certainly qualifies as the former and I'm confident we'll see the Irish prevail by a convincing margin. Take Notre Dame (10*). | |||||||
03-08-21 | Northern Kentucky -1 v. Oakland | Top | 58-69 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 12 m | Show |
CBB Horizon League Game of the Year. My selection is on Northern Kentucky minus the points over Oakland at 9:30 pm et on Monday. Given the discrepancy between these two teams overall records, with North Kentucky owning a considerable edge in that regard, it may be a little odd to see the Norse priced near a pk'em in this matchup. I can understand the logic behind it, however, with this game being played on a neutral court and Northern Kentucky having posted a losing record away from home, not to mention the fact that Oakland has been scoring at will lately, putting up 80+ points in five straight and seven of its last nine games overall. With that being said, I like the way this Horizon League Tournament semi-final matchup sets up for the Norse. NKU has outscored opponents by 5.3 points per game on average after winning two of its last three games over the last two seasons. The Norse have also fared well as a positive momentum play coming off a win by six points or less in their last game, outscoring the opposition by 6.7 points on average in that situation over the last three seasons. Meanwhile, Oakland has been outscored by nearly 10 points per game in an underdog role this season. When coming off an ATS win, the Grizzlies have been outscored by an average margin of 8.4 points in their next contest. While this has been a series that has featured plenty of close games, Northern Kentucky has managed to win four of the last five meetings over the last three seasons. Take Northern Kentucky (10*). | |||||||
03-08-21 | St. Mary's v. Gonzaga -17.5 | Top | 55-78 | Win | 100 | 23 h 11 m | Show |
WCC Game of the Month. My selection is on Gonzaga minus the points over St. Mary's at 9 pm et on Monday. This number may seem fairly high based on the heated rivalry these two teams have been a part of over the years but that rivalry has cooled recently with Gonzaga evolving into an elite National Championship contender and St. Mary's taking a step back. Gonzaga swept the regular season series between these two teams with relative ease, but did only manage to go 1-1 ATS, helping to keep the number in check here. Note that the Zags actually enter this game off back-to-back ATS losses. That's not really a bad thing as the Bulldogs have averaged 90.9 points per game while outscoring the opposition by an average margin of 23.3 points when coming off an ATS loss over the last two seasons. They've also been a solid positive momentum play, averaging 90.4 points per game and outscoring opponents by an average margin of 21.4 points after scoring 85+ points in two straight games over the last two seasons. St. Mary's is a long-term loser in an underdog role, going 91-124 ATS and has been outscored by 15.6 points on average when revenging two straight double-digit losses against an opponent, as is the case here. Take Gonzaga (10*). | |||||||
03-07-21 | Drake v. Loyola-Chicago -7.5 | Top | 65-75 | Win | 100 | 3 h 25 m | Show |
Missouri Valley Conference Game of the Month. My selection is on Loyola-Chicago minus the points over Drake at 2 pm et on Sunday. I think the fact that Drake scored 71 points in yesterday's thrilling victory over Missouri State, not to mention the fact that it beat Loyola-Chicago 51-50 the last time these two teams met last month is giving Bulldogs backers a big of a false sense of security catching a seemingly generous helping of points in this one. Keep in mind, prior to that one-point win over the Ramblers the Bulldogs had been routed by 27 points against Loyola-Chicago the previous day. A letdown was certainly in order for Loyola as it may have taken a second win for granted against the Bulldogs. Drake isn't the same team it was earlier in the season, not without two of its best players in Roman Penn and ShanQuan Hemphill. Of course those two absences have been factored into this line but worth noting nonetheless. While Drake certainly needs this win a little more to reach the NCAA Tournament, desperation doesn't always lead to victory. Loyola-Chicago has been locked in for weeks, months even as it has its sights set on a MVC Championship and potentially a deep NCAA Tournament run. Note that the Ramblers are an excellent positive momentum play here, having gone 7-1 ATS after an ATS win as a double-digit favorite this season, outscoring the opposition by a wide 17.9-point margin on average. They've got an excellent track record as a favorite this season, going 15-7 ATS, outscoring opponents by an average margin of 16.9 points in those games. Take Loyola-Chicago (10*). | |||||||
03-06-21 | Butler v. Creighton -12.5 | Top | 73-93 | Win | 100 | 19 h 21 m | Show |
Big East Game of the Month. My selection is on Creighton minus the points over Butler at 5 pm et on Saturday. We won by fading Creighton in its most recent game but I won't hesitate to go the other way and back the Blue Jays as they return home for their regular season finale against Butler. The Blue Jays will have revenge on their minds after suffering a narrow loss on the road against Butler earlier this season. It's not as if Creighton needs any extra motivation here after it played worse than the final score indicated in Wednesday's loss at Villanova. That brought an end to a winless two-game road trip for the Blue Jays after they had fallen against Xavier as well. Home cooking should serve them well as they've gone 10-3 in the host role, outscoring the opposition by more than 14 points per game. Note that they're 12-3 ATS when returning home off a game as a road underdog over the last three seasons, outscoring the opposition by an average margin of just under 18 points in that situation. Butler checks in a woeful 1-9 on the road this season where it has been outscored by around nine points per game. Take Creighton (10*). | |||||||
03-06-21 | Illinois v. Ohio State -2 | Top | 73-68 | Loss | -108 | 8 h 18 m | Show |
CBB TV Game of the Year. My selection is on Ohio State minus the points over Illinois at 4 pm et on Saturday. It's easy to make the case for Illinois as the better team in this matchup, especially when you consider current form. The Illini are coming off three straight wins, including back-to-back of the outright underdog variety on the road against Wisconsin and Michigan. The win at Michigan was as dominant as they come as the Illini jumped out to a big early lead and never looked back in a 23-point rout, and it came in front of a national audience. Ohio State checks in down-trodden off three straight losses but two of those could have gone either way and all three came against tough opponents in Michigan, Michigan State and Iowa. Here, the Buckeyes have an opportunity to regain their footing with a win over an elite opponent on their home floor to wrap up the regular season and I look for them to do just that. Note that Ohio State is still 10-3 at home this season, outscoring opponents by more than 10 points per game. They already have a feather in their cap in this particular matchup, having defeated Illinois by six points on the road back in mid-January. Interestingly, Illinois has gone 0-6 ATS when revenging an upset loss against an opponent over the last three seasons, outscored by an average margin of 9.5 points in that situation. Meanwhile, Ohio State is 18-9 ATS as a home favorite over the last two seasons, outscoring opponents by a wide margin of 15.3 points on average. Take Ohio State (10*). | |||||||
03-05-21 | Colorado State v. Nevada +1.5 | Top | 82-85 | Win | 100 | 10 h 47 m | Show |
Mountain West Conference Game of the Year. My selection is on Nevada plus the points over Colorado State at 9 pm et on Friday. I'll back the Wolf Pack on Friday night as they look to end Colorado State's five-game winning streak and also halt their own losing skid at two games following consecutive losses at Utah State. Colorado State checks in 17-4 on the season but really what have the Rams done lately? Since the start of February they've gone 5-0 with a number of cancellations thrown in the mix. Those five wins came against 6-15 New Mexico, 5-19 Air Force and 12-10 Wyoming (the two victories over Wyoming came by a combined 11 points as both games could have gone either way). Nevada is coming off three straight two-game sets against the likes of UNLV, Boise State and aforementioned Utah State. The Wolf Pack certainly held their own over that stretch, going 4-2 SU and 5-1 ATS. Here, Nevada looks to improve to 7-0 ATS over the last three seasons after allowing 75 points or more in its last two games. The last six times that situation has come up the Wolf Pack have outscored the opposition by an average margin of 13.7 points. Nevada has taken the last two meetings between these two teams on this floor and I look for it to make it three straight here on Friday night. Take Nevada (10*). | |||||||
03-04-21 | Texas v. Oklahoma -2 | Top | 69-65 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 59 m | Show |
Big 12 Game of the Year. My selection is on Oklahoma minus the points over Texas at 9 pm et on Thursday. Texas gained plenty of early season notoriety by getting off to an incredible 10-1 start, including road wins over Kansas and West Virginia. Since then, however, the Longhorns have gone just 2-2 on the road, with the two victories coming against bad Kansas State and Iowa State teams. Oklahoma also got off to a tremendous start this season, only falling on hard times recently, dropping its last three games. That skid started with an embarrassing loss at Kansas State before suffering consecutive setbacks against rival Oklahoma State. The Sooners certainly realize the importance of getting it right here in their regular season finale and know they're going to get Texas' best punch after upsetting the Longhorns by a single point on the road earlier this season. Keep in mind, Oklahoma is 10-2 at home this season, outscoring the opposition by over 15 points per game. After scoring 75 points or more in consecutive games this season, the Sooners have outscored opponents by an average margin of 12.3 points in their next game. Take Oklahoma (10*). | |||||||
03-02-21 | Indiana +3.5 v. Michigan State | Top | 58-64 | Loss | -109 | 12 h 12 m | Show |
Big Ten Game of the Month. My selection is on Indiana plus the points over Michigan State at 8 pm et on Tuesday. The Hoosiers picked a bad time to go ice cold, dropping each of their last three games heading into Tuesday night's showdown in East Lansing. I don't expect them to go away quietly, however, and believe they can win this game outright, but will certainly grab the points of insurance. Michigan State had won three games in a row before dropping an 18-point decision at Maryland last time out. Note that the Spartans went to Indiana and defeated the Hoosiers by seven points back on February 20th, but that was their first win in four tries in this series. I simply feel that Michigan State is being asked to lay too many points here given the cracks it has shown defensively down the stretch, and going up against what will be a highly-motivated Indiana squad. Take Indiana (10*). | |||||||
02-27-21 | Louisville v. Duke -5.5 | Top | 80-73 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 48 m | Show |
CBB Game of the Week. My selection is on Duke minus the points over Louisville at 6 pm et on Saturday. It seems like it's going to take quite an effort to take down the Blue Devils right now as they've won four games in a row both SU and ATS, completely turning their season around following an awful start. Louisville continues to play an uneven brand of basketball, having gone 3-4 SU and ATS over its last seven games. The Cardinals are coming off a double-digit win over Notre Dame last time out, but that was at home. They're just 3-4 on the road, where they've been outscored by more than eight points per game. Note that while Duke is a woeful 7-16 ATS after scoring 80+ points in its last game over the last two seasons, as is the case here, it has still managed to win those games by more than eight points on average. We're dealing with a very reasonable pointspread here. Take Duke (10*). | |||||||
02-26-21 | Indiana State v. Valparaiso +3 | Top | 58-43 | Loss | -103 | 8 h 50 m | Show |
CBB False Favorite Game of the Month. My selection is on Valparaiso plus the points over Indiana State at 7 pm et on Friday. I like the way this one sets up for Valpo as it comes in battle-tested off three straight games decided by three points or less. The fact it went 1-2 in those three contests should help keep its motivation level high for this one as it hosts Indiana State. Valpo is 5-1 in the last six meetings in this series but dropped a double-digit decision against the Sycamores the last time they matched up last February. Here we find the Crusaders 11-3 when having lost four or five of their last six games over the last two seasons, outscoring opponents by an average margin of nearly two points in that situation. They're also an incredible 70-36 ATS when coming off a road loss, outscoring opponents by an average margin of 3.8 points. Indiana State has certainly been rolling along but might have a tough time keeping the positive momentum building here having not played in the last nine days. Take Valparaiso (10*). | |||||||
02-24-21 | Florida State v. Miami-FL +11.5 | Top | 88-71 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 44 m | Show |
CBB Underdog Game of the Month. My selection is on Miami plus the points over Florida State at 8:30 pm et on Wednesday. This game sets up well for Miami against an unsuspecting Florida State squad that's coming off three straight wins and already defeated the Hurricanes by 20+ points earlier this season. Miami hasn't been able to recapture that lightning in a bottle it found in a home win over Duke back on February 1st. The Canes followed up that win with relatively close losses against Virginia Tech and Notre Dame before getting their doors blown off by Georgia Tech last time out. I expect them to bounce back in a sense here, noting that they've gone 16-6 ATS in home games off a conference loss over the last three seasons, outscoring opponents by around two points per game. Miami is also a long-term ATS winner at 29-15 ATS when coming off three straight losses against conference opponents. Meanwhile, Florida State is 35-54 ATS in road games following three straight wins and has been outscored in those games by 0.6 points on average. Take Miami (10*). | |||||||
02-22-21 | Syracuse +5 v. Duke | Top | 71-85 | Loss | -106 | 11 h 21 m | Show |
CBB TV Game of the Month. My selection is on Syracuse plus the points over Duke at 7 pm et on Monday. The majority of bettors will likely be on the Blue Devils in this game but we'll go the other way and back the Orange as they look to halt Duke's three-game winning streak. The Orange don't have a good track record on the road this season by any means but they've also faced a very tough slate of opponents. Everyone was down on the Blue Devils after they suffered three straight losses to Miami, North Carolina and Notre Dame earlier this month but since then they've reeled off three straight wins over N.C. State, Wake Forest and Virginia. The win over Virginia came by a single point on Saturday and I think that puts them in a letdown situation here. Syracuse has won three straight games, scoring 70+ points on each occasion. Note that Duke is just 2-8 ATS as a home favorite this season. The Blue Devils are also 7-17 ATS following two straight wins over conference opponents over the last three seasons. This is the game the Orange have no trouble at all getting up for, on a Monday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium in front of an ESPN audience. Take Syracuse (10*). | |||||||
02-21-21 | South Florida +1.5 v. Temple | Top | 83-76 | Win | 100 | 16 h 5 m | Show |
AAC Game of the Month. My selection is on South Florida plus the points over Temple at 2 pm et on Sunday. South Florida has no business being the underdog in this matchup on the road against Temple on Sunday afternoon. The Bulls will certainly get up for this game on the heels of three consecutive losses with the most recent coming in blowout fashion on the road against in-state rival UCF. Temple has just four wins in 13 games this season and has lost five in a row with the last four coming by a combined 14 points. Those results were somewhat flattering for an Owls team that just isn't very good. Note that Temple ranks T295th in the country in offensive rating and T207th in defensive rating this season. USF hasn't been much better but the Bulls will be good enough to secure the much-needed road win on Sunday afternoon. Take South Florida (10*). | |||||||
02-20-21 | Vanderbilt v. Alabama -15 | Top | 78-82 | Loss | -105 | 15 h 26 m | Show |
CBB Blowout Game of the Month. My selection is on Alabama minus the points over Vanderbilt at 1 pm et on Saturday. I'll lay the points with Alabama on Saturday afternoon as it draws a favorable matchup against Vandy on its home floor. The Crimson Tide remain an underrated Top 10 team as far as I'm concerned. They roll into this game on the heels of a rout of Georgia. Meanwhile, Vandy is coming off a narrow four-point home loss against rival Kentucky on Wednesday night. That came after a somewhat surprising 21-point blowout victory over Mississippi State last Saturday. I simply expect the Commodores to get outmatched here, much like they did in 20-point losses at Davidson and Tennessee earlier this season. Take Alabama (10*). | |||||||
02-19-21 | IUPU-Indianapolis v. Youngstown State -4.5 | Top | 72-70 | Loss | -112 | 9 h 0 m | Show |
Horizon League Game of the Month. My selection is on Youngstown State minus the points over IUPUI at 5 pm et on Friday. IUPUI caught Illinois-Chicago in a favorable back-to-back spot last weekend and absolutely knocked it out of the park, winning both games by a combined 27-point margin. While the Jaguars have certainly been playing well, I believe they're in a tough spot here on the road against a surging Youngstown State squad that has owned this series on Friday. Youngstown State has taken 11 of the last 12 meetings in this series including each of the last six ATS. The Penguins roll into this game off five straight wins. They've been terrific since the middle of January. Even in their four losses since January 16th they've been right there, losing each of those contests by seven points or less. Note that IUPUI hasn't fared well off outright upset wins over the last three seasons, going 3-11 ATS, losing those games by an average margin of nearly nine points. The Jaguars are a long-term loser when going on the road following two or more consecutive victories, posting an 8-23 ATS mark in that situation. They're also a woeful 13-29 ATS after scoring 85 points or more in their most recent game, as is the case here. Take Youngstown State (10*). | |||||||
02-18-21 | San Diego v. Santa Clara -6.5 | Top | 71-60 | Loss | -109 | 13 h 16 m | Show |
WCC Game of the Year. My selection is on Santa Clara minus the points over San Diego at 9 pm et on Thursday. San Diego has just two road wins this season and those came against 3-13 Cal Poly and 6-13 Portland. Now the Toreros are in a tough spot having not played since January 28th due to Covid protocols. Meanwhile, Santa Clara will be eager to get right back on the floor after suffering a narrow three-point home loss against 10-6 Loyola Marymount on Tuesday night. Prior to that game the Broncos had been dealing with Covid issues of their own, off since January 23rd. Perhaps the low-grade performance was to be expected in their first game back. These two teams actually met back on January 21st in San Diego with Santa Clara pulling out a six-point win despite shooting just 38% from the field and 62% from the free throw line. Look for a sharper effort from the Broncos here. Take Santa Clara (10*). | |||||||
02-17-21 | Drake v. Northern Iowa +6 | Top | 77-69 | Loss | -105 | 11 h 28 m | Show |
CBB Revenge Game of the Year. My selection is on Northern Iowa plus the points over Drake at 8 pm et on Wednesday. I really like the way this one sets up for Northern Iowa as it looks to earn some revenge in short order after suffering a 21-point blowout defeat on the road against Drake one week ago tonight. Northern Iowa is mired in a disappointing season overall but has held its own here at home where it has gone 6-4 straight-up. The Panthers are coming off a confidence-boosting 14-point win over Valpo last time out and catch Drake in a favorable spot here, with the Bulldogs coming off a tough 1-1 split against Loyola-Chicago over the weekend. Drake got off to a tremendous start this season but has cooled off lately, going 3-4 ATS over its last seven games, including two SU victories where it failed to cover the spread. This isn't a difficult game for Northern Iowa to get up for and it generally rises to the occasion in this matchup at home, where it has taken the last two meetings and owns a 19-3 SU record against Drake in the last 22 matchups on this floor. In what has the potential to be a game played in the 60's, I'm comfortable grabbing the generous helping of points with the underdog Panthers. Take Northern Iowa (10*). | |||||||
02-16-21 | Florida +5 v. Arkansas | Top | 64-75 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 21 m | Show |
CBB Underdog Game of the Week. My selection is on Florida plus the points over Arkansas at 7 pm et on Tuesday. With the Gators coming off an upset loss at home against South Carolina and Arkansas off an upset win of its own at Missouri, I can understand where the oddsmakers are coming from installing Florida as an underdog in this matchup. That doesn't mean I agree with the logic, however. Note that Arkansas is a miserable 23-44 ATS after an outright underdog win and also 5-14 ATS after covering the spread in four or five of their last six contests, as is the case here, over the last three seasons. Florida, meanwhile, has gone 17-7 ATS after dropping the cash in two of its last three games over the last three seasons, winning those games by an average margin of nearly 12 points. Florida has won three straight meetings with Arkansas and is 25-7 against the Razorbacks in the last 32 matchups. Take Florida (10*). | |||||||
02-14-21 | Indiana State v. Evansville +3 | Top | 76-70 | Loss | -110 | 18 h 21 m | Show |
CBB Missouri Valley Conference Game of the Year. My selection is on Evansville plus the points over Indiana State at 4 pm et on Sunday. I won't hesitate to fade Indiana State as a road favorite here noting that the Sycamores only road wins this season have come against 5-14 Illinois State and 6-13 Northern Iowa. Indiana State had its seven-game winning streak snapped in a 70-67 loss at Northern Iowa last Sunday. I can't help but think the Sycamores would have liked to get right back on the floor rather than wait a week before this game. Note that Indiana State is 0-7 ATS when playing on the road off a road loss over the last two seasons, outscored by an average margin of 15 points in those games. Meanwhile, Evansville has reeled off four straight ATS wins and checks in as a solid momentum play having gone 8-2 ATS following an ATS victory this season. The Purple Aces are one of the nation's best three-point shooting teams, ranking 18th in made three-pointers per game and T48th in three-point percentage. That sets them up well as Indiana State is 9-25 ATS in road games against opponents that average eight or more made threes per game, outscored by nearly 12 points per contest in that situation. Take Evansville (10*). | |||||||
02-14-21 | Hofstra +2 v. James Madison | Top | 70-74 | Loss | -110 | 6 h 26 m | Show |
CAA Game of the Month. My selection is on Hofstra plus the points over James Madison at 2 pm et on Sunday. I really like the way this one sets up as a quick revenge spot for Hofstra after suffering a narrow 93-89 loss against the Dukes yesterday. Keep in mind, Hofstra has a number of quality wins away from home this season, including over 10-5 Monmouth and 10-4 Richmond. Despite yesterday's loss, the Pride are still 4-2 in their last six meetings with James Madison. They've gone an impressive 24-11 ATS after scoring 80 points or more in a game over the last three seasons. Meanwhile, James Madison has gone 5-12 ATS in the same situation over the last three seasons. The Dukes have now grabbed the cash in six straight games following yesterday's win but should be in tough on Sunday, noting that Hofstra hasn't dropped the cash in consecutive games since an extended ATS losing streak in the first couple of weeks of January. Take Hofstra (10*). | |||||||
02-13-21 | Villanova v. Creighton +3 | Top | 70-86 | Win | 100 | 9 h 48 m | Show |
CBB Underdog Game of the Week. My selection is on Creighton plus the points over Villanova at 5 pm et on Saturday. With Villanova coming off a 32-point dismantling of Marquette on Wednesday. That marked the Wildcats second straight ATS win as a double-digit favorite. Here, they're obviously laying far fewer points but draw a tough matchup against Creighton. The Blue Jays have also won back-to-back games, including a 15-point win on the road against Georgetown earlier this week. Note that the Jays are 20-10 ATS after winning four or five of their last six games over the last two seasons, winning those games by an average of nearly nine points. They're also 10-2 ATS after giving up 60 points or less in a game over their last three seasons, winning those games by an average margin of 11 points. There's no intimidation factor at play here as Creighton took the last meeting in the series by 15 points last February. While Villanova will obviously be looking for revenge here, that's always a better proposition playing at home. We'll grab the points but hopefully won't need them. Take Creighton (10*). | |||||||
02-12-21 | Georgia Tech v. Clemson -4.5 | Top | 72-74 | Loss | -108 | 23 h 44 m | Show |
ACC Game of the Month. My selection is on Clemson minus the points over Georgia Tech at 8 pm et on Friday. This is a classic case of two teams heading in opposite directions, not to mention the revenge angle in play. Georgia Tech has dropped four of its last six games while Clemson checks in winners of three of its last four. Of course, the last time these two teams met it was no contest as Georgia Tech rolled to a 83-65 win at home. That came during a three-game slide for Clemson - with all three games resulting in blowout defeats. We saw the Tigers break out of their shooting funk in a big way last time out as they shot better than 52% from the field in a 17-point rout of Syracuse. Defensively, they've held three of their last four opponents to sub-39% shooting. Georgia Tech, meanwhile, has cooled offensively and now faces a Clemson squad that allows just 62.6 points per game against opponents that average 72.4 ppg on the season. I expect the Tigers to own the glass in this contest, which should help them ultimately put this game away. Note that Clemson has been a strong momentum play in similar situations in recent years, having gone 13-3 ATS following a double-digit win over the last two seasons, winning those games by an average margin of nearly 12 points. Take Clemson (10*). | |||||||
02-12-21 | Florida Atlantic v. Texas-San Antonio -4 | Top | 80-84 | Push | 0 | 12 h 60 m | Show |
C-USA Game of the Year. My selection is on Texas-San Antonio minus the points over Florida Atlantic at 7 pm et on Friday. Florida Atlantic had its three-game winning streak snapped in a 74-71 loss vs. Charlotte back on January 23rd. Why am I going back to a game played weeks ago, you ask? Because the Owls haven't played since due to Covid protocols. The extended layoff was probably the worst thing for FAU after it had been playing well. Note that the Owls only two road victories this season have come against 7-11 North Florida and 9-12 Florida International. UTSA has to be feeling pretty good about itself after scoring 87 and 90 points in consecutive wins at FIU last weekend. The Roadrunners have lost just one game at home this season and that came against a quality 10-6 North Texas squad back on January 8th. UTSA will be playing with double-revenge in this spot after dropping both meetings against FAU last season. Note that the Roadrunners are 18-5 ATS at home against C-USA foes over the last three seasons, outscoring opponents by an average of eight points per game. They're also a solid momentum play having gone a perfect 6-0 ATS after covering the number in at least two consecutive games over the last three seasons, winning those contests by an average margin of over 15 points. Take UTSA (10*). | |||||||
02-11-21 | Colorado v. Stanford +1.5 | Top | 69-51 | Loss | -109 | 11 h 33 m | Show |
Pac-12 Game of the Year. My selection is on Stanford plus the points over Colorado at 7 pm et on Thursday. I really like the way this one sets up for Stanford as it hosts 15-5 Colorado on Thursday. The Buffaloes are coming off consecutive home wins over Arizona and Oregon State but those victories were to be expected as they were favored by seven and 13 points, respectively. That sets up Colorado poorly here as it is a miserable 1-10 ATS in its last 11 road games following two or more straight home wins over the last three seasons. Going back much further the Buffs' are 62-88 ATS when going on the road off a straight-up home win. Stanford just delivered a two-game sweep of Cal and is well-positioned as a momentum play here at home, where the Cardinal have gone a perfect 6-0 ATS at home off a home conference win over the last three seasons, outscoring opponents by 13 points per game in that situation. On the flip side, they're also 19-9 ATS after dropping the cash in two of their last three games over the last three seasons. Colorado has taken 11 of the last 17 meetings in this series but Stanford has held its own in recent years, splitting the last four matchups. Take Stanford (10*). | |||||||
02-10-21 | Missouri v. Ole Miss -1 | Top | 59-80 | Win | 100 | 12 h 25 m | Show |
SEC Game of the Month. My selection is on Ole Miss minus the points over Missouri at 9 pm et on Wednesday. I like the momentum play with Ole Miss in this one as they look to gain some traction off consecutive wins over Tennessee and Auburn. Note that the Rebels are 8-1 ATS off an outright underdog win over a conference opponent over the last three seasons, outscoring the opposition by more than five points per game in that situation. They're also a solid 29-17 ATS coming off an ATS win over that same stretch. Missouri is coming off an extended run of success in SEC play but it's worth mentioning that the Tigers have gone 6-15 ATS after covering four or five of their last six games and have been outscored by nearly five points per game in that situation. They're a long-term losing proposition on the road having gone 102-134 ATS in their last 236 lined games away from home. I can't help but think a letdown could be in order for 13-3 Missouri here. Take Ole Miss (10*). | |||||||
02-09-21 | St. John's v. Butler -2.5 | Top | 73-76 | Win | 100 | 14 h 7 m | Show |
Big East Game of the Year. My selection is on Butler minus the points over St. John's at 9 pm et on Tuesday. St. John's got the better of Butler earlier this season, rolling to a double-digit victory on its home floor back in January. Keep in mind, that sets up Butler nicely here noting that the Bulldogs have gone an incredible 8-1 ATS in home games when revenging a loss vs. an opponent over the last two seasons. Also note that Butler is an impressive 23-10 ATS the last 33 times it has played after losing three of its last four games - as is the case here. The Red Storm are by no means a stout defensive team and it's worth mentioning that they're 13-29 ATS when following up a game where both teams scored 80+ points. With St. John's rolling off six consecutive wins, it is certain to get Butler's best shot here. I like the Bulldogs to clamp down defensively and build off their last game - a double-digit win over Depaul on Saturday. Take Butler (10*). | |||||||
02-09-21 | West Virginia v. Texas Tech -5 | Top | 82-71 | Loss | -112 | 14 h 54 m | Show |
Big 12 Game of the Month. My selection is on Texas Tech minus the points over West Virginia at 9 pm et on Tuesday. West Virginia caught Texas Tech flat-footed in the last meeting between these two teams back on January 25th. The Red Raiders entered that game off a tough home loss to Baylor - snapping a three-game winning streak in the process. Perhaps more importantly, Texas Tech was coming off an eight-day layoff while West Virginia had just got a nice tune-up two days earlier in a 22-point rout of Kansas State. Not surprisingly, the Mountaineers shot the lights out (57.7%) but still only managed to defeat Texas Tech by a single point, at home no less. Now West Virginia finds itself in a tough spot, noting that the Mountaineers are 1-8 ATS on the road when coming off a win over a conference opponent over the last three seasons, losing those games by around 11 points per contest. They're also just 56-83 ATS when playing on the road after winning three of their last four games. This time it's Texas Tech that's fresh off a nice tune-up win over Kansas State, having defeated the Wildcats 73-62 on Saturday. That marked the Red Raiders third straight win. Look for them to make it four in a row here in convincing fashion. Take Texas Tech (10*). | |||||||
12-03-20 | Connecticut +1 v. USC | Top | 61-58 | Win | 100 | 11 h 52 m | Show |
ESPN Game of the Month. My selection is on Connecticut over USC at 7 pm et on Thursday. I like the upside with UConn in this matchup as it catches USC coming off a big early season win over BYU. The Huskies are off to a 2-0 start and have recorded 34 assists and 15 blocks. They've shot just 15-of-45 from three-point range but I certainly anticipate some positive regression in that regard moving forward. USC checks in shooting just 58% from the free throw line and averages fewer than three steals per contest while committing nearly 16 turnovers per game. The Huskies have been far more active defensively, noting the block total earlier and the fact that they're averaging eight steals per game. Take Connecticut (10*). | |||||||
02-27-20 | Indiana v. Purdue -6 | Top | 49-57 | Win | 100 | 10 h 55 m | Show |
CBB Big Ten Game of the Week. My selection is on Purdue minus the points over Indiana at 7 pm et on Thursday. This is a solid bounce-back spot for the Boilers as they aim to snap a four-game losing streak against an Indiana squad coming off back-to-back wins. Purdue's big issue lately has been its inability to knock down shots. The Boilers have shot worse than 40% from the field in three straight games entering this contest. Keep in mind, two of those games came on the road against Ohio State and Wisconsin. Here at home, Purdue shoots better than 47% on the season. Indiana is a miserable 2-10 ATS when revenging a home loss over the last three seasons, outscored by nearly nine points per game on average in that situation. The Hoosiers are also just 44-74 when on the road after winning two of their last three games going all the way back to 1997. Take Purdue (10*). | |||||||
02-26-20 | Boise State +3.5 v. UNLV | Top | 66-76 | Loss | -110 | 14 h 17 m | Show |
CBB Mountain West Conference Game of the Month. My selection is on Boise State plus the points over UNLV at 11 pm et on Wednesday. The choice to fade UNLV is an easy one for me tonight. The Runnin' Rebels are coming off a monumental upset win on the road against then-undefeated San Diego State on Saturday. There's no question UNLV has been playing well, but it still owns a mediocre 15-14 overall record this season and sits 5th in the Mountain West Conference, one spot behind tonight's opponent, Boise State. The Broncos have lost only two games since January 18th, one on the road against Utah State and one at home against aforementioned San Diego State - two teams that own a combined 50-8 record this season. Boise State took the first meeting between these two teams by a 73-66 score back on January 8th. Look for the Broncos to at the very least take this one down to the wire as well. Take Boise State (10*). | |||||||
02-20-20 | UCLA v. Utah -2 | Top | 69-58 | Loss | -108 | 26 h 10 m | Show |
CBB Pac-12 Game of the Year. My selection is on Utah minus the points over UCLA at 10:30 pm et on Wednesday. I'll lay the short number with the Utes as they look to earn a little revenge against UCLA on Thursday night. Note that Utah is 57-32 ATS the last 89 times it has avenged a same season loss in which it scored less than 60 points, as is the case here (UCLA beat Utah 73-57 on February 2nd). Fresh off back-to-back losses at Oregon and Oregon State, the Utes find themselves in a favorable spot here, having gone 36-17 ATS in their last 53 home games following two ore more consecutive losses. UCLA enters this game off three straight victories but that puts it in a difficult situation having gone 0-8 ATS the last eight times it has won three of its last four games, and a miserable 2-13 ATS following up two or more consecutive wins over the last three seasons. The Bruins hadn't come all that close to sniffing out a three-game winning streak in conference play prior to their recent surge. Now they're in uncharted territory as they go for their fourth straight win in Pac-12 play. I expect them to come up short. Take Utah (10*). | |||||||
02-15-20 | Eastern Illinois v. Tenn-Martin +2.5 | Top | 79-80 | Win | 100 | 9 h 17 m | Show |
CBB Revenge Game of the Month. My selection is on Tennessee-Martin plus the points over Eastern Illinois at 5 pm et on Saturday. The Skyhawks have only been able to sprinkle in a few wins in-conference this season, largely struggling including back-to-back losses entering this contest. With that being said, they haven't dropped more than two games in a row since losing four straight from January 11th to the 23rd and I do expect them to bounce back against Eastern Illinois here. Save for a four-game winning streak in mid-January, EIU has also struggled in conference play. Its last ATS victory came back on February 1st in a four-point loss at Austin Peay. Here Tennessee-Martin falls in a strong situation that has gone 45-12 over the last five season and a perfect 2-0 this season where we back small underdogs revenging a double-digit road loss coming off a loss by three points or less in their last game. Take Tennessee-Martin (10*). | |||||||
02-12-20 | Marquette v. Villanova -5 | Top | 71-72 | Loss | -108 | 10 h 17 m | Show |
CBB Big East Game of the Week. My selection is on Villanova minus the points over Marquette at 8:30 pm et on Wednesday. Villanova enters this game having lost three games in a row but that was certainly a tough stretch as it faced Creighton, Butler and Seton Hall. Here, it faces another stiff test in the form of Marquette but with revenge on its mind and with three consecutive road games on deck, I expect Jay Wright to get the most from his Wildcats as they win this one going away. Marquette has won two Big East road games but those wins came by the narrowest of margins - a combined six points. The Golden Eagles enter this game riding a three-game winning streak - matching their longest win streak in Big East play this season. I believe it ends here. When Marquette defeated Villanova back in early January it was in a much stronger motivational spot - fresh off a 17-point drubbing at the hands of Creighton three days earlier. Here, it's the Wildcats that will play a more desperate brand of basketball. I'm not convinced Marquette will match 'Nova's intensity here. Take Villanova (10*). | |||||||
02-08-20 | Purdue v. Indiana -1.5 | Top | 74-62 | Loss | -108 | 16 h 30 m | Show |
CBB Big Ten Game of the Month. My selection is on Indiana minus the points over Purdue at 2 pm et on Saturday. This one sets up well for us with Purdue coming off a blowout win over Iowa earlier this week and Indiana on the heels of three consecutive losses. Note that the Hoosiers last two setbacks came on the road. Their lone loss at home during their current skid came by just a single point against a quality Maryland squad. In fact, there's no shame in either of the Hoosiers two home losses this season with the other coming against 16-6 Arkansas. Purdue has won on the road just once since the beginning of January and that came against 6-15 Northwestern (by a narrow three-point margin). Indiana will be highly-motivated to snap its season-long three-game losing streak here and Purdue will be hard-pressed to follow up its scorching shooting performance last time out. Take Indiana (10*). | |||||||
02-07-20 | Niagara v. Manhattan -6 | Top | 59-77 | Win | 100 | 11 h 29 m | Show |
CBB MAAC Game of the Month. My selection is on Manhattan minus the points over Niagara at 7 pm et on Friday. Both of these teams check in with losing records but I certainly feel that Manhattan has more upside as we head into the second week of February. The Jaspers snapped a four-game losing streak with a resounding 72-49 rout of Iona last Sunday. Keep in mind, during their four-game skid, three of those games could have gone either way (decided by seven points or less) and the two home losses came against winning MAAC squads Monmouth and Rider. Niagara ended a three-game losing streak with a surprising 16-point win over Quinnipiac last time out. Of course, that victory came at home. The Purple Eagles are a miserable 2-11 on the road this season with those two wins coming by four points at a 10-13 Norfolk State squad mired in a down year and by a single point at 5-12 Iona. Manhattan took the first meeting between these two teams by five points at Niagara in January. Take Manhattan (10*). | |||||||
02-03-20 | Baylor v. Kansas State +7 | Top | 73-67 | Win | 100 | 13 h 30 m | Show |
CBB Big 12 Game of the Month. My selection is on Kansas State plus the points over Baylor at 9 pm et on Monday. There are few more battle-tested teams in the country than Kansas State right now. The Wildcats have faced an extremely tough schedule since the start of January - at Oklahoma, vs. TCU, at Texas, vs. Texas Tech, vs. West Virginia, at Kansas, at Alabama, vs. Oklahoma and at West Virginia (all winning opponents). While the Wildcats have only managed to win two of those games outright, they've been competitive in the majority of them (four of seven losses came by single-digits) and I expect them to take this one down to the wire as well. Baylor of course hasn't lost a game since way back on November 8th against Washington - its only loss of the season to date. Coming off three straight double-digit wins I do see this as a bit of a letdown spot for the Bears. That marks their longest streak of double-digit wins in-conference this season. There shouldn't be much of an intimidation factor at play here given the setting, and the fact that Kansas State took the most recent meeting 66-60 last March. Take Kansas State (10*). | |||||||
02-01-20 | Southern Illinois v. Drake -5 | Top | 79-72 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 29 m | Show |
CBB Missouri Valley Conference Game of the Year. My selection is on Drake minus the points over Southern Illinois at 6 pm et on Saturday. I really like the way this one sets up for Drake on its home floor. The Bulldogs had their two-game winning streak snapped in a 58-56 loss at Indiana State last time out but should bounce back here at home where they have yet to lose a game this season and ride a 15-game winning streak. Southern Illinois has won four games in a row but only one of those victories came on the road, and that came against 7-14 Illinois State. The Salukis have traveled two other times here in January, falling by 19 points at Bradley and 16 points at Loyola-Chicago. This is a quick revenge spot for Drake after dropping a surprising 17-point decision on the road against Southern Illinois back on January 19th. Take Drake (10*). | |||||||
01-31-20 | Dartmouth v. Princeton -4.5 | Top | 44-66 | Win | 100 | 22 h 45 m | Show |
CBB Ivy League Game of the Month. My selection is in Princeton minus the points over Dartmouth at 7 pm et on Friday. This is a fine spot to back the Princeton Tigers on their home floor as they aim for their fifth straight win against a very beatable Dartmouth squad. Princeton has suffered four losses on its home floor this season but all four of those setbacks came against winning opponents. Dartmouth has three wins to its credit on the road this season but only one came in an underdog role and that was way back in its season opener at Buffalo. Note that the Big Green have won only twice in their last 11 games and those two victories came against Maine and Central Connecticut State - two teams that own a combined 8-36 record this season. Princeton's lone loss over its last seven games came against 16-7 Hofstra back on December 19th. Take Princeton (10*). | |||||||
01-30-20 | Western Kentucky v. Florida Atlantic +3 | Top | 65-69 | Win | 100 | 22 h 30 m | Show |
CBB C-USA Game of the Month. My selection is on Florida Atlantic plus the points over Western Kentucky at 7 pm et on Thursday. Western Kentucky rides a five-game winning streak into this matchup on Thursday night but it's worth noting that only two of those wins came on the road, and they came at the expense of Middle Tennessee State and Marshall, two teams that have gone a combined 14-28 overall this season. The last time the Hilltoppers faced a winning team on the road, they lost by double-digits at UAB earlier this month. Florida Atlantic has lost three straight games but the last two came on the road and its lone home loss over that stretch came against aforementioned 12-9 UAB. That was the Owls lone home defeat this season. The last time these two teams met, FAU prevailed by six points last January. I believe the case can be made that the wrong team is being favored in this one. Take Florida Atlantic (10*). | |||||||
01-29-20 | West Virginia v. Texas Tech -2.5 | Top | 81-89 | Win | 100 | 22 h 28 m | Show |
CBB Big 12 Game of the Month. My selection is on Texas Tech minus the points over West Virginia at 8 pm et on Wednesday. This is a big step-up spot for the Red Raiders at home, where they've traditionally owned a strong advantage. Texas Tech comes off back-to-back losses, most recently falling by just two points in overtime at home against Kentucky this past Saturday. The only other home loss the Red Raiders suffered this season came against 17-1 Baylor. It's interesting to note that Texas Tech closed as a 3.5-point favorite in that contest - a steeper number than we're dealing with on Wednesday. West Virginia's last victory against a winning team away from home came back on December 29th at Ohio State. Keep in mind, that game started a stretch that has seen the Buckeyes go a miserable 2-6 over their last eight contests. Outside of that win, the Mountaineers really haven't been all that impressive away from home. Revenge will certainly be on the Red Raiders minds here after falling by 12 points in Morgantown back on January 11th. As we always like to say, revenge is a dish best served at home. Take Texas Tech (10*). | |||||||
01-27-20 | North Carolina +5.5 v. NC State | Top | 75-65 | Win | 100 | 9 h 45 m | Show |
CBB ACC Game of the Month. My selection is on North Carolina plus the points over N.C. State at 7 pm et on Monday. A 94-point outburst in a rout of Miami on Saturday was just what the doctor ordered for North Carolina. That brought an end to the Tar Heels five-game losing streak to open 2020 and now I look for them to build off of that performance as they make the short trip to Raleigh to face in-state rival N.C. State on Monday. The Wolfpack saw their three-game winning streak come to an end in a 64-58 loss at Georgia Tech on Saturday - their second loss in as many games against the Yellow Jackets this season. While they have posted a 4-3 record here in January, that hasn't come easy with three of those four victories coming by six points or less. This is a big game for both teams but I actually think there's a little less pressure on the Tar Heels at this point as they've largely been forgotten thanks to their disappointing start to the ACC campaign. Take North Carolina (10*). | |||||||
01-25-20 | Southern Illinois v. Illinois State -1.5 | Top | 58-55 | Loss | -117 | 6 h 14 m | Show |
CBB Game of the Week. My selection is on Illinois State minus the points over Southern Illinois at 3 pm et on Saturday. I really like the way this one sets up for the Redbirds as they aim to snap a six-game skid here in what has been a winless January so far. Keep in mind, their schedule has been tough. Four of those six games came on the road and not a single one of those setbacks came against a team that currently owns a losing record. They own three truly impressive wins here at home this season, coming against Belmont, Little Rock and Northern Iowa - three teams that own a combined 44-16 record. Southern Illinois checks in 4-2 this month but all four of those wins came at home. The Salukis have yet to win a road game this season going winless in eight tries. Off back-to-back impressive wins over Drake and Northern Iowa I expect them to suffer a letdown here. Take Illinois State (10*). | |||||||
01-24-20 | Niagara v. Monmouth -7.5 | Top | 71-82 | Win | 100 | 12 h 7 m | Show |
CBB Blowout Game of the Week. My selection is on Monmouth minus the points over Niagara at 7 pm et on Friday. Niagara enters this game off three straight wins but remains just 6-11 on the season. The Purple Eagles have won just two road games this season with those coming against teams that own a combined 12-20 record, not to mention the fact that the two wins came by a combined five points. Monmouth has gone a perfect 3-0 at home in MAAC play, winning each of those games by at least eight points. Despite the fact that the Hawks have gone 4-2 here in January, they should realize the importance of this contest with three of their next four games coming on the road, where they've gone 3-6 this season. Take Monmouth (10*). | |||||||
01-23-20 | Pepperdine v. Santa Clara -4 | Top | 90-86 | Loss | -109 | 13 h 4 m | Show |
CBB WCC Game of the Month. My selection is on Santa Clara minus the points over Pepperdine at 10 pm et on Thursday. I'll lay the points with the Broncos as they look to string together consecutive wins for the first time in January on Thursday night. Santa Clara managed to bounce back with an 84-80 win over a good Pacific team last time out, playing the second of back-to-back nights after getting blown out by a whopping 50 points against Gonzaga. It's certainly encouraging that the Broncos were able to put that beatdown in the rear-view mirror so quickly. Note that Santa Clara has yet to lose a game at home this season and should be able to keep that perfect record intact here. Pepperdine fell below the .500 mark with a hard-fought 78-69 loss to St. Mary's last Saturday. The Waves have gone 2-3 since the start of January with their two wins coming against teams that own a combined 15-25 record. You have to wonder if the Waves might be a little weary with each of their last five contests being decided by single-digit margins. The Broncos are still without star big man Guglielmo Caruso but have managed to score 80+ points in both home games without him here in January. Take Santa Clara (10*). | |||||||
01-22-20 | Massachusetts v. George Mason -6.5 | Top | 63-73 | Win | 100 | 9 h 16 m | Show |
CBB A-10 Game of the Month. My selection is on George Mason minus the points over UMass at 7 pm et on Wednesday. George Mason checks in having lost three games in a row on its home floor but keep in mind, those three losses came against VCU, St. Bonaventure and Richmond, three teams that own a combined 40-15 record this season. Here, they'll be stepping down in class against 7-11 UMass, which has lost three games in a row - all by double-digit margins. In fact, since the start of December, the Minutemen have won just three games and those wins came against teams that own a combined 24-30 record. Their only road win this season came against MAAC squad Fairfield, which owns a losing record on the season. Take George Mason (10*). | |||||||
01-18-20 | The Citadel v. VMI -3 | Top | 79-88 | Win | 100 | 5 h 26 m | Show |
CBB Southern Conference Game of the Month. My selection is on VMI minus the points over Citadel at 1 pm et on Saturday. We faded VMI earlier this week as it fell by double-digits on the road against a highly-motivated Mercer squad. I won't hesitate to switch gears and back the Keydets as they return home to face Citadel on Saturday, however. VMI checks in having lost seven straight games but winnable contests have been few and far between over that stretch. The fact is the Keydets were competitive in each of their last two games away from home, including a narrow six-point loss against 16-3 East Tennessee State. Citadel has lost five games in a row with its last victory coming against 6-12 Longwood and the Bulldogs needed three overtimes to secure that win. They own just three wins against Division I opponents this season. Take VMI (10*). | |||||||
01-15-20 | Bradley v. Missouri State -1.5 | Top | 91-78 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 35 m | Show |
CBB MVC Game of the Month. My selection is on Missouri State minus the points over Bradley at 8 pm et on Wednesday. This is a tremendous bounce-back spot for Missouri State on its home floor against Bradley on Wednesday night. The Bears are coming off an 80-57 beatdown at the hands of Northern Iowa on Saturday but keep in mind, the Panthers are among the class of the MVC and own a 14-2 record this season. Prior to that, the Bears had won two of three in MVC play since New Year's Even with their lone loss coming by just four points on the road against a quality 11-6 Loyola-Chicago team. Bradley is fresh off back-to-back blowout wins but could be caught looking ahead to a revenge date with Northern Iowa at home this coming Saturday. Bradley's lone road victory this season came against Evansville - a team that has gone winless in MVC play this season. Take Missouri State (10*). | |||||||
01-14-20 | Missouri v. Mississippi State -3.5 | Top | 45-72 | Win | 100 | 12 h 15 m | Show |
CBB SEC Game of the Month. My selection is on Mississippi State minus the points over Missouri at 9 pm et on Tuesday. This is a great spot to fade Missouri off its big blowout win at home against Florida on Saturday. Now the Tigers hit the road where they have posted just one victory this season, that coming against an uneven Temple squad that just got blown out at home against Tulane on the weekend. There's no shame in Mississippi State's current three-game losing streak as those three losses came against SEC opponents that have combined to go 34-11 this season, Auburn, Alabama and LSU - with the most recent two setbacks coming on the road. This is a big motivational spot for the Bulldogs as they aim to make up some ground in the SEC in a tough but winnable game at home. Take Mississippi State (10*). | |||||||
01-13-20 | Coppin State v. Florida A&M -3.5 | Top | 54-65 | Win | 100 | 9 h 20 m | Show |
CBB MEAC Game of the Year. My selection is on Florida A&M minus the points over Coppin State at 8 pm et on Monday. Not all 3-11 teams are created equal and in this case, I believe Florida A&M is a much better team than its record indicates. The Rattlers faced an absolutely brutal non-conference schedule to open the season, playing just one home game between the start of the season and the second week of January, and that home date came against 14-5 Pacific. We've seen the Rattlers find some success lately, most recently prevailing by a 77-68 score against a quality Morgan State squad on Saturday. Here, they catch a Coppin State team that hasn't won a game since December 3rd, that coming on the road against 8-8 East Carolina. The Eagles have played well on occasion but here I simply feel they're in the wrong place at the wrong time against a highly-motivated Florida A&M squad. Take Florida A&M (10*). | |||||||
01-10-20 | Wright State -10 v. IUPU-Indianapolis | Top | 84-70 | Win | 100 | 9 h 7 m | Show |
CBB Horizon League Game of the Month. My selection is on Wright State minus the points over IUPUI at 7 pm et on Friday. Bettors may be a little hesitant to back Wright State coming off a narrow one-point win over 3-14 Detroit last time out. Keep in mind, just two games back the Raiders blew the doors off a better Oakland squad by a 96-69 score. In other words, take that result against Detroit with a grain of salt. Wright State is the vastly superior team in this matchup and IUPUI comes in having not faced a winning opponent since suffering a 10-point loss to 10-7 Youngstown State on December 28th. The Jaguars are just 2-4 at home against Division I opponents this season. Take Wright State (10*). |
Service | Profit |
---|---|
Ross Benjamin | $675 |
Sean Murphy | $454 |
William Burns | $419 |
Ricky Tran | $323 |
Sean Higgs | $237 |
Will Rogers | $192 |
Joseph D'Amico | $127 |
Joey Tron | $16 |