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Even on a short week look for the Cleveland Browns to bounce back Sunday against the Titans. They were an offensive miscue away from being 2-0 on the season. The loss of Nick Chubb is going to force the offense to find new avenues for success. Additionally, the Titans have a knack for keeping opponents in games, as we saw in two close contests to begin the season. Take the Browns ATS.

An ugly start for UTEP has featured an offense that is averaging just under fifteen points per game. Yet, three of their games were on the road including back to back games against power five schools. Returning home look for the Miners to have a leg up on a UNLV team that is coming off an over achieving win against Vanderbilt. 

To start the season Buffalo is 0-3, and is coming off consecutive home losses to Fordham and Liberty. Traveling on the road they will face a UL Lafayette team that has shown a potent offense under experienced quarterback Ben Wooldridge. This is a case where even having a senior quarterback with experience in Cole Snyder does not produce a proper impact. Lay it with UL Lafayette.

Thus far TCU has been tough for oddsmakers to get an accurate number on. They were defeated by Colorado as steep favorites, and last week blew out Houston on the road as touchdown favorites. That’s created ATS value in a home rivalry game against SMU. Expect the Mustangs to put forth a solid effort to keep within the touchdown spread. Take SMU

Washington quickly discovered they are going to need to do a better job protecting the football. Sam Howell struggled with ill advised throws against the Arizona Cardinals. On the road expect Ron Rivera and Washington to run the ball much more, to open up the passing game. This will be a close tight game with the half point being crucial. Take Washington.

Divisional games in consecutive weeks to start the season is very tough. Cincinnati has to answer for a bad performance against the Browns. More often than not good teams respond but outlier plays become a factor ATS. Look for turnovers and a crucial miscue late to benefit the Ravens ATS. Take the underdog. 

A team that has had a slow start on the season has been New Mexico State. The Aggies lost to Massachusetts to begin the season, and lost by sixteen points last week to Liberty. In an in-state rivalry game against New Mexico look for Aggies quarterback Diego Pavia to finally get going on the season. Take the Aggies plus the points.

Florida International has surprised from an ATS stand point in their first two division one games this season. They covered against Louisiana Tech and pulled off an outright upset last week against North Texas. Although UConn is 0-2 they had a decisive 33 -12 victory over FIU last season. They will lean on that game plan and dictate the line of scrimmage. Back UConn.

The Seahawks were a team that surprised many last season under Geno Smith. Now many expect Seattle to take that next step forward with more weapons at their disposal. They will get the job done Sunday as the LA Rams fit the bill of a Super Bowl winner that declines quickly.

Over the last five years the Tennessee Titans are just 1-4 ATS to begin the season. Sunday is a favorable matchup against a Saints team with a new quarterback under center in Derek Carr. Look for Carr’s turnover issues to be a deciding factor with the Titans executing a tad bit better. Take the points with Tennessee.

The AFC North figures to be one of the tightest division races in the NFL. Out the gate week one the Browns should have an edge early on. Yet, expect Joe Burrow to shake off rust and continue to be one of the best finishers at the quarterback position. The small spread here pays off on the road team here.

Traveling to play on the road at Alabama is always a tough task. For Texas though they come in with the mindset they should have pulled out the victory last season. Expect Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns to play another close competitive game. There may be a double digit lead for Alabama at one point, but look for Texas to stay within range of the number. Take the Longhorns plus the full touchdown.

Jalon Daniels as the starting quarterback for Kansas certainly gives them better chances to win. Yet, to begin the season there will be expected rust. Illinois shook off a potential upset to get by Toledo by two points. They will be sharper tonight and rise to the occasion in their first road game. Grab the points with Illinois.

Over the years the Sun Belt conference has been able to surprise with consistent covers in week one. Last year South Alabama nearly upset UCLA in a narrow 32 to 31 contest. Yet, their twenty one point bowl loss to Western Kentucky was an eye opener for an offense that underachieved at the tail end of the season. Look for Tulane to have a big edge and cover the number.

Today Vanderbilt will be five touchdown favorites against Alabama A&M. Look for the experience of having one game under their belt to be a big boost tonight. A seven point victory over Hawaii last week should serve as a wake up call. Take Vanderbilt to cruise over FCS Alabama A&M.

Minus Coach Jim Harbaugh winning will not be a problem for Michigan against East Carolina. Yet, from a spread stand point the number is to big. Michigan will virtually have to play mistake free football and not settle for any field goals. To high of a spread here take the big underdog in East Carolina.

FCS teams have been valuable to back in their early season matchups against division one schools. This was the case yesterday with Southern Utah nearly upsetting Arizona State. As explosive as Kansas offense is with quarterback Jalon Daniels, Missouri State has confidence from losing to Arkansas by just eleven points last season. Take the underdog here in Missouri State.

College football week one features several blowouts. Expect one here today as Central Florida aims to make a statement now that they are in the Big 12. With a strong experience and talent disparity led by quarterback John Rhys Plumlee the Knights should be close to this number in the first half. Grab the Knights.

In week zero we get a rare conference matchup as Louisiana Tech hosts Florida International. Last season, the Panthers last win of the season came in a double overtime thriller against Louisiana Tech. From that point on Florida International lost their final four games by an average of thirty points. Take the revenge angle here on Louisiana Tech.

Early in the season big numbers ATS can be very tricky to evaluate. USC should no doubt be able to pour it on early and often against San Jose State. The worry is defensively giving up two to three touchdowns. To high of a number here even with last year’s Heisman winner Caleb Williams under center.

Over the past two seasons UMASS has went a combined 2-22 in college football. In fact, their only win last season was against a non division one school in Stony Brook. Yet, the Minutemen are just a touchdown underdog today against New Mexico State. The Aggies come in a bit over valued after winning six of their final seven games, including a bowl win over Bowling Green. Grab the points here with UMASS.

The Boston Red Sox need to take care of business against a poor Kansas City Royals team. The Royals starter will be Austin Cox, so the Red Sox will see a lot of the second worst rated road bullpen in MLB. Additionally, expect James Paxton to bounce back to the norm where his home ERA is 3.00. Grab Boston on the run line. 

The Boston Celtics quickly have shifted the thoughts on the possibility of being the first team ever to erase a 3-0 series deficit. They have supreme confidence once again and the experience of so many trips to the Eastern Conference Finals. They may not jump out on the Miami Heat as quickly as in game five but their surge will happen. Take Boston to push this series to seven games and cover the number.

The Miami Heat used the momentum from stealing game two and rode it to a cruising game three victory. Clearly the Celtics were not ready to match the Heat’s intensity from the onset of game three. Yet, for the first time this series the tide has shifted to the Celtics being the underdog. Look for Boston to finally play with an edge as the Heat stumble a bit with such a big series advantage. Grab the Celtics.

The Miami Heat have full control of the Eastern Conference Finals series after winning games one and two at Boston. Yet, don’t expect the Celtics to not counter. They were down in their last series to the 76ers and have the pedigree of experience to overcome. They’re also a team that’s style of play does not wane on the road. On the steep spread discount grab Boston in game three.

In game one the Denver Nuggets dominated from the middle of the first quarter until the five minute mark of the fourth quarter. While the Lakers did make a run I expect game two to be a tale of two halves. Denver’s home dominance will not be over rode as their playoff streak improves to 8-0. Take Denver

The Lakers success this post-season has been their ability to knock off teams in game one. They did so against both Memphis and Golden State to set the tone. Yet, Denver is the first team this postseason that has the interior and perimeter balance to negate the Lakers defensively. Lay it as Denver covers and boosts their regular season and postseason home record to 41-7.

The point spread has not been a deciding factor in the playoffs. Tonight look for that to change with Golden State in a must win situation on the road. What has been their downfall in this series is executing in tight games. They’ll perform better in crunch time with their season at stake. Grab the points with Golden State.

The New York Knicks are lucky they are not down three games to nothing against the Miami Heat. They needed to rally in game two against an undermanned Heat team to win. Look for game three’s lackluster effort to finally be the wake up call the Knicks need. This will be a much more competitive game. Grab the points.

The Phoenix Suns have their backs against the wall after two disastrous road performances in Denver. They’ve had three full days off to regroup and accept a challenge. That challenge is to take care of home court with two games in the next forty eight hours. A new look lineup will benefit the Suns. Take Phoenix.

No matter how poor a series goes, teams that are down usually show a mini pulse on their home floor. Cleveland has to revert to the old adage of one game at a time. Game five tonight should be their best showcase performance of the season. Angry and poor play to get to this point should boil over. Take the Cavaliers.

The Denver Nuggets have shown to truly be a viable top seed in the post-season. That may change in the second round but clearly they have the upper hand from a roster stand point against the Timberwolves. Minnesota may show some fight for the first quarter or even first half, but look for the Nuggets to end this series today and close out the Timberwolves. 

After Saturday’s game one victory over the Cavaliers the Knicks have now won four straight over Cleveland. Yet often times we see a game one victory be an after thought. The tide can change quickly and I expect Cleveland to play much better where they were 31 and 10 on their home floor. They’ll boost their offense and keep the Knicks under 105 points. Take the Cavaliers.

Philadelphia cruised in game one over the Brooklyn Nets to win by twenty points. The merit to keep their foot on the gas and make quick work of the Nets is there. Yet, this is a big number for a Nets team that was within range of this spread for three quarters in game one. This may be a quick series but expect the Nets to put in their best effort tonight. Take the underdog here.

Almost by default the Timberwolves are slight underdogs Tuesday after an outright loss as near twenty point favorites to Portland. As inexcusable as the loss was the Timberwolves now have a handful of games with Karl Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards back on the court together. They’ve also been a better road team as of late where they are 3-1 over their last four road games. Take the Timberwolves

A non playoff team that has been stellar ATS-wise down the stretch has been Orlando. They’ve gone 8-0-1 ATS over the last nine games. Tuesday though is a spot of concern. Cleveland’s potent guard play combined with their top team defense is going to give the Magic problems. Additionally, minutes have been tough to come by with Markelle Fultz, Gary Harris, Cole Anthony, and Jalen Suggs all getting playing time. Take the Cavaliers as the Magic’s ATS streak comes to an end.

Down the stretch of the season the Denver Nuggets are becoming a conundrum. Although their home record is 32-7, they’ve dropped three of their past four home games. Uncertainty regarding starters and more importantly Nikola Jokic is creating value on road teams. Golden State may have just nine road wins but they are a team you can bump up ATS-wise April onward. Tail the Warriors

The Dallas Mavericks continue to fall short as they are 3-7 over their last ten games. They’ll travel to Atlanta today in a back to back spot still on the outside looking in for the post-season. Expect a tale of two halves as Dallas likely races out to a lead but falls short when it matters most. Tail Atlanta. 

Incentive to get into the post-season has trumped point spreads over the last several days. The Pelicans have been one of the best examples as they have won six of their past seven games, and the one loss they surrendered a twenty point lead to the Warriors. Yet, this is a spot where I believe the Clippers as a veteran team will rise to the occasion after a poor showing yesterday to the Grizzlies. Take the points here in a close game.

Tonight we should get a much better matchup than Wednesday’s Clippers and Grizzlies matchup that featured several players out. On the Clippers side they did see Norman Powell return to action, and Kawhi Leonard is expected to play tonight. Yet, I expect the Grizzlies to put on a showcase performance as this is their last true home game against a playoff opponent. Tail Memphis 

North Texas and UAB will meet for fourth time this tonight in the NIT championship. The Mean Green have the season edge with two wins but the Blazers won the most important and more recent matchup in their conference tournament. North Texas may have two victories over power five schools in Wisconsin and Oklahoma State, but UAB knows how to attack their top rated defense. Look for the Blazers to finish off the task Wisconsin blew. Take the Blazers. 

Before line movement occurs I want to get out in front with a mid-week play on the Phoenix Suns. Kevin Durant’s likely return should spark line movement on the Suns side. Phoenix has done very well this year with a 3-0 ATS mark against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Additionally, Devin Booker matched a season-high ten assists in one of the victories over the Timberwolves. With Minnesota playing their third game in four nights take the Suns.

Despite being on a six game winning streak the Memphis Grizzlies are favored only one point more than they were on the road against Orlando in January. That speaks to the recent success of the Orlando Magic who have won four of five games, and are on a 6-1-1 ATS streak. Take Orlando as they continue to compete hard and carry over some momentum into next season with their youth.

Tuesday, the Cleveland Cavaliers  will return to the city of their worst loss of the season against the Atlanta Hawks. On February 24th the Cavaliers lost by seventeen points and gave up 136 points total. Atlanta shot lights out at 59 percent and even had a forty nine point second quarter. As strong as the Cavaliers have been as of late, look for the Hawks to protect their home floor once again. Take Atlanta.

The Miami Hurricanes are back to the Sweet 16 for a second consecutive year, as they face top seeded Houston. The Hurricanes have experience but have found themselves as only a basket favorite against Drake and were a small underdog to a twelve loss Indiana team.  After needing to comeback to defeat Auburn look for Houston’s focus to be much higher as they get back to the Elite 8. Take Houston and purchase the hook.

This is the year that Gonzaga does not have the attention of years past. They had a few losses in the West Coast Conference and do not have the same caliber NBA talent. Yet, March Madness is all about draws and Gonzaga gets another solid matchup against UCLA. An under the radar Zags team takes down many people’s favorites to cut the nets in UCLA. Grab Gonzaga. 

A late add for the night cap on the Clippers. LA comes in having won five of six while the Thunder have won seven of nine. The big angle here is Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will be on the floor together for the first time this season against the Thunder. Look for the Clippers to attack a Thunder team that’s had a strange schedule as of late. Play the Clippers.

Getting by ugly in March Madness is one of the best carry over value angles. TCU did not deserve to get past Arizona State as they were outplayed by a wide margin. They fought and with new life they draw a Gonzaga team that suits their style better. The Zags lack the athleticism of Arizona State and will have issues handling the spurts of TCU on the defensive end of the floor. Tail TCU.

Baylor has the name of the past three seasons and still possesses key talent. But Creighton is a team all season that underachieved largely due to injuries and a tough Big East. They are rounding into shape at the perfect time and have the will to win after last year’s tough exit against Kansas. This time they get by a Big 12 opponent. 

I’m on another underdog in March Madness for today and it is Michigan State. There are teams that get in with double digit losses that are much stronger than their record reflects. Coach Izzo’s Spartans are not the sharpest on the offensive end but play high level defense. It should give the Golden Eagles problems and look for the Spartans to cary over the momentum offensively they exhibited in the second half against USC. Play Michigan State.

Year over year we have seen the success of play-in eleven seeds, but a seed line that also does well is power five eight-nine seeds. In the round of thirty two they have done surprisingly well. Arkansas fits the mold as a young team that can play far better than their seed. Anthony Black will be a matchup nightmare for Kansas and this should come down to the wire. Grab the points here with Arkansas.

Much like Furman in the Southern Conference, Kent State has been a team multiple years in the waiting to make it to March Madness. They play with an edge and that’s what cost them a season ago, when four players were suspended heading into the conference title game against Akron. They’ve regrouped from that experience and should hold their own against Indiana. Look for one surge to catapult Kent State against the spread.

The Providence Friars stumble into March Madness having lost four of their past five games. It’s a stretch that’s hard to ignore no matter how talented they are. Although there is motivation with former Wildcat Bryce Hopkins and tenured talent, look for Kentucky to exhibit a more fluid game plan. Tail the Wildcats which should be a dramatic ATS finish. Purchase the hook if you can not get minus four.

In conference tournament play NC State went from one of the more surprising blowout wins, to quickly exiting in a blowout loss the following night to Clemson. The Wolfpack can lean on that experience to come out more composed for a full forty minutes against Creighton. The Bluejays have experience but were just 4-5 in neutral court games this season. Grab the points here with the underdog Wolfpack.

Tonight’s night cap of day one for March Madness should be a fantastic game between Penn State and Texas A&M. The Nittany Lions ended the season winning eight of their final ten games, and pushed Purdue in the Big Ten Conference Tournament title game. As great as their finish to the season was, Texas A&M has been stronger and has the determination after missing out on last years tournament. Buy the bargain price here on the Aggies.

The Volunteers are one of the few four seeds favored by a big margin. Double digit losses on the season they will face a dangerous UL Lafayette team that went 26-7 on the season. What the Volunteers do a great job on is elevating their defense each stretch of the game. Expect their adjustments to cause havoc for UL Lafayette, and back the Volunteers. 

Northwestern stumbles into March Madness having lost four of their past five games. They’ll face a Boise State team that starts four seniors including sixth year player Marcus Shaver. Although Boise State may have an experience edge the pace and play of Northwestern will give them difficulties. Look for another stumble out of the Mountain West, as Northwestern edges to victory.

Wednesday, the Minnesota Timberwolves return home where they have lost four straight. In fact, their last home win was prior to All Star break on February 5th. The slide gets worse if you examine the Timberwolves on their home floor against Eastern Conference opponents, where they have dropped five straight. Take the Boston Celtics to recover from a poor loss to the Houston Rockets. Tail the Celtics. 

A matchup the public has been wrong on repeatedly this season has been the Warrior and Suns. The first three matchups the point spread moved heavily in the Warriors favor, to only see the Suns blow out the Warriors all three times. In fact, the Suns have won by double figures in all three meetings. For the fourth and final matchup look for the Warriors entire roster to dig in and avoid the embarrassment of four losses to the Suns this season. Grab the Warriors. 

The inconsistencies of the Miami Heat’s season has been puzzling this season. They are just three games above .500, and as a veteran team need to begin to raise their level of play. Tonight should be a golden opportunity against the Utah Jazz. Miami has had a home friendly schedule with six of their past seven games at home. There lone road game was in Orlando, so they have not left the state since February 27th. Play the Heat.

The Pistons have dropped ten straight and the outlook is bleak with several starters out. But the Pacers are untrustworthy on the defensive end of the floor, and this should be a spot where the Pistons actually show some value. Take them at home as the slight underdogs against the Pacers. 

For the second consecutive year, Kent State will have the difficult task of facing Akron in the semifinals of the MAC conference tournament. At the tail end of the season Kent State actually needed overtime to defeat Akron on their home floor. Yet, the MAC has shown year over year it’s a very difficult conference to be a repeat champion in. Look for Kent State to knock off Akron in a very competitive game.

Arizona has a scary matchup on their hands tonight as they’ll face a Stanford team that defeated them on February 11th. The Cardinal have a big lineup that should pose problems for Arizona once again. Guard Michael O’Connell actually had his best game of the season by far with twenty-two against Arizona. Look for a tight game that Arizona pulls away from late but the Cardinal do enough to cover the double digit spread.

There was more pressure on Charleston to win yesterday’s semi-final matchup against Towson, than the championship game tonight against UNC Wilmington. That’s indicative in the spread which was just 4.5 against the Tigers but is ten tonight. Simply put this a poor matchup for UNC Wilmington. Charleston dominated the Seahawks in what was UNC Wilmington’s worst loss of the season 93 to 61.  Grab Charleston.

Merrimack will not be in March Madness as they are ineligible, but this is still a chance to win a championship. We have seen this just as recent as last year with Bellarmine winning the Atlantic Sun conference tournament even though they were ineligible. The growth for Merrimack in-season can be examined by their record in both losses against Fairleigh Dickinson. In the first loss they were 2-13 and in the second loss 7-16. Since the second loss they have won ten straight. With the Knights ticket already punched tail Merrimack to be the stronger team.

The Mocs do not have the same personnel that won the Southern Conference tournament last season, but they are a group better than their .500 record. They should be able to challenge a Samford team that peaked in-conference with a 15-3 record. Yet, this is a new stage of the season and Samford showed in non-conference with a seven game losing streak how vulnerable they can be. Tail the Mocs with the pressure on the conference co-leaders in Samford. 

The LA Clippers free fall began last Friday with a loss against the Sacramento Kings. In that scenario the Kings were in a back to back spot but did not rest any players. In fact D’Aron Fox and Malik Monk both scored forty plus points. To see the way the Clippers melted in yesterday’s loss and now will have Kawhi Leonard on load management speaks volumes. Take the Kings who show no mercy.

Out in Conference USA two struggling teams will meet in Louisiana Tech and Florida International. The Bulldogs have dropped six straight games, but four of those were on the road. For Florida International their only win over their last six games was against Louisiana Tech. Look for the Bulldogs to clean up the offensive rebounding issues they surrendered against the Panthers, and to be more efficient offensively. Take Louisiana Tech.  

Over the years the Sun Belt conference has been filled with outliers in conference tournament play. This year should be no different with four conference newcomers in James Madison, Old Dominion, Southern Miss, and Marshall. Old Dominion has already had a tight contest against Texas State on February 11th, which was just a 70 to 68 victory. Grab the points here with the Bobcats.

California Baptist is just 1-6 over their last seven games straight up against division one schools. Tonight is finally a spot where their spread number may seem high but is actually a bargain. They faltered as seven point road favorites to UT Rio Valley Grande earlier in conference play. Tonight expect a better effort where the bettor only has to pay 3.5 more points on the Lancers home floor. Grab California Baptist. 

We’ve seen this repeat story with the Lakers fading without LeBron as the season nears end. Although they have a more talented team it’s a group that also senses the inevitable. Expect a lackluster effort against an Oklahoma City Thunder team filled with young and promising talent. Follow the line move here and ride the Thunder.

Wednesday a true conundrum exists whether to buy low on the Brooklyn Nets or buy high on the Knicks current six game win streak. I’ll buy low on the Nets, who I expected to struggle with their new look lineup especially post All Star break. The talent is there however and I expect the Nets to put up a good fight in a back to back scenario at Madison Square Garden. Grab the points here. 

Saint Josephs will host their final game of the season tonight against the Richmond Spiders. The Atlantic 10 was filled with talented teams this season, thus creating a cluster of middle of the pack teams. Richmond was in the mix but have lost six of their past nine games. Nevertheless this Spiders team still has some talent from last year’s Sweet 16 team. Take the Spiders who are a bit under valued being led by Assistant Coach Peter Thomas.

Winning ugly in conference tournament action can spark success, especially in smaller college basketball tournaments. Queens NC practically handed a win to Florida Gulf Coast last night as they went seven minutes of game action in the second half without a basket. Prevailing they now face the top seed and host of the Atlantic Sun tournament in Kennesaw State.  Queens had one lone victory over their final six games and that was on the road against Kennesaw State. Take the points here. 

Virginia’s consecutive losses could have been much worse. The Cavaliers should have lost to Duke where a foul in the last second was overturned incorrectly. Virginia then went on to barely defeat Louisville and the Irish. For as poor of a stretch as the Cavaliers have had they are filled with a core of veteran players that can bounce back before March hits. Take Virginia in a regroup spot against Clemson.

Minus key player Colin Castleton the Gators have struggled with three straight losses. Additionally, they have lost five straight road games. During a down turn minus Castleton has allowed for freshman guard Riley Kugel to blossom. He’s averaged eighteen points per game over the Gators last five. Take the Gators to hold off Georgia and end their road losing streak.

Season grand finales can bring betting value against an oppositions senior night. Bryant has the opportunity to do that tonight on the road against Maine. They’ve already torched the Bears with a decisive 71 to 53 victory on February 1st. Grab the smaller number based on Bryant losing three of their past four games. 

One of the more disappointing teams in the Big Sky has been Northern Colorado. They returned a ton of players including Daylen Kountz. Their defensive struggles have been the reason for a mediocre season. On senior night there will be lots of runs but also value to be had against the Bears. Take Idaho State who already has a seven point win over Northern Colorado. 

Madison Square Garden will be electric tonight as the New York Knicks look to push their winning streak to six games. They’ll have an opportune chance as they face a Celtics team short handed minus Jaylen Brown. Still, this Celtics team is more than just stars in Jayson Tatum and Brown. Their ability to score in bunches will be the difference as they pull away late. Take Boston.

Monday, conference tournaments officially begin in college basketball as the Atlantic Sun begins their first round. Name recognition exists with Florida Gulf Coast since their dunk city days. Conference newcomer Queens University has backpedaled to close out the season with losses in five of their past six games. Yet, look for new life of a conference tournament and already having a narrow 84 to 82 victory over the Eagles to pay dividends. Take Queens NC.

The Grizzlies wilted a huge lead to lose at Philadelphia in their first game back from All Star break. The loss now makes the Grizzlies just 4-10 over their last fourteen games. They’ll face a Denver Nuggets team that handed them their fewest points of the season in a 105 to 91 loss earlier this season. Yet, on their home floor look for the Grizzlies to correct their errors and play the type of basketball we expect. Tail the Grizzlies. 

Towards the tail end of conference play value can be had against underachieving teams. Western Kentucky had the talent to be a formidable threat, but in the middle of conference play suffered five straight losses. UAB should be able to get revenge from a home loss to Western Kentucky, as the Hilltoppers string of wins or close losses in seven straight games comes to an end. 

A solid matchup exists today in the Southern Conference between Wofford and Chattanooga. Both teams have represented the conference in prior years but are both in transition phases. An upper hand for the Mocs has been the rising play of former power five guard Jamal Johnson. A senior he will look to close out his final regular season collegiate game on a high note. In the interior look for emerging freshmen Sam Alexis to have an impact as well. 

In any conference it is tough to gain a season sweep. Out in the MAAC Niagara will attempt to do so tonight against Fairfield. The problem for the Purple Eagles is they have dropped three straight games. In fact, they needed to erase a 17 point deficit against Quinnipiac in the second half or they would be on a four game losing streak. Fairfield may have the poorer record but have been competitive winning two of their last four, and the two losses were both by a point. Tail Fairfield. 

To close out the season Drexel has hit a wall with losses in three straight games. This included a demoralizing loss to UNC Wilmington as Drexel surrendered a fifteen point lead. Thursday, should be a solid bounce back spot for Drexel as it is their final game of the season. They also had one of their best conference wins over Northeastern in which they won 76 to 55. Take Drexel. 

Longwood will endure their third of four road games tonight as they travel to Gardner Webb. A quality trait for the Lancers is the upperclassmen they have, and their ability to play team defense. Since January 12th they have allowed an average of 62 points per game. Take Longwood as the small road underdog as they stymie the Runnin’ Bulldogs for the second time this season. 

Long gone are the former days of Cal State Northridge being a contender in the Big West. Over the past few seasons they have been one of the worst lower level conference teams in all of college basketball. Over their past four games Cal State Northridge has actually managed to be competitive on their home floor. They’ve won three of their past four home games and the lone loss was by eight points. Take the home underdog in the Matadors. 

Monday’s light college basketball slate will feature a big portion of games out of the MEAC conference. One of the matchups will feature two teams with just five wins in South Carolina State and Delaware State. The Bulldogs have actually won two of their last three games, and have non-conference wins over Samford and East Carolina. Yet, Delaware State won the first matchup and on their home floor should pull out another close win. Tail Delaware State.

Stanford draws a small number tonight considering the record disparity of the Cardinal and USC. The Trojans stand ten games above .500 but lost two consecutive games to Oregon and Oregon State. A blowout win over California is downgraded with how poor the Golden Bears have been. Stanford has a knack of playing well against USC and has kept the result within six points in three of the last four matchups. Take the underdog with Stanford. 

Out in the Big Sky one can expect a competitive game between in-state rivals Montana State and Montana. In fact, their game this season and both last year were decided by seven points or less. Yet, this is where Montana State can lean on their experience and pedigree to disrupt the five game win streak of the Grizzlies. Lay it with Montana State. 

There’s no discounting a devalued emerging contender. Creighton began the year as a serious viable threat as a top ten team in the country. Injuries and a hard non-conference schedule took their toll on the Bluejays. Now healthy one can get a discount ATS-wise as they are playing like a top ten team but not getting the spreads of one. Take Creighton who already ran St. John’s out the gym 104 to 76 in their first matchup.

Wright State has recovered with a recent winning streak to boost a .500 season to 16-11. They of course were the representatives of the Horizon League in March Madness last season with a similar late January through February run. One team that has got in their way has been Cleveland State. They took both conference games last season and already have an eight point victory this season. Take the Vikings Friday in Horizon League action. 

Loyola Marymount has shown a knack for toppling the top teams in the WCC. They already have a one point victory over Gonzaga at Spokane and just defeated Saint Mary’s last Thursday. Yet, outside of that Saint Mary’s win they’ve actually lost three of their past four games. Take the Zags to come out with passion and assertiveness against a Loyola Marymount team that ended their 75 game home winning streak.

Thursday, out in the Sun Belt James Madison will host Old Dominion in an important battle for fourth place in the conference. Both teams met recently on February 2nd with James Madison defeating the Monarchs on their home floor by five points. It’s the only game that Old Dominion has lost since January 21st, but they have also been on the road in five of their past seven games. Take James Madison to pull away on the big number.

On today’s light college basketball slate, both of my plays are in the Colonial conference. The conference has several teams struggling at the bottom with five and six wins. Two of those teams with just six wins each will meet as Hampton faces Elon. Hampton does have spurts of offense but their record is indicative of a team that struggles mightily defensively. Grab Elon on the big number as they’ve won four of their past five games. 

Monmouth which began the season 1-20, had their four game win streak snapped on Saturday 86 to 57 at the hands of conference co-leader Hofstra. Monday, they’ll face the team that they began their win streak against in North Carolina A&T. In that outing, North Carolina A&T’s Kam Woods had a rare off night in which he went 1 for 13 from the floor. Look for Woods and the Aggies to not take Monmouth lightly this time as they gain the win.

Stephen F Austin -6

Heavy road travel is a big factor in handicapping college basketball in the months of February. There are going to be numerous lay an egg spots, but there are also opportune favorites to jump on. Today, Stephen F Austin is on their third straight road game, and sixth in their past eight games. They’ve actually lost four straight on the road, but sandwiched in between was a seventeen point home victory over UT Rio Grande. That ties as the their best margin of victory this season over a division one school. Lay the points here.

The Suns made significant changes before the trade deadline that will position them as one of the strongest contenders. Yet, they sat a lot of players in yesterday’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Although they have Devin Booker back, it’s still a tough spot playing in a back to back. Grab the Pacers to have enough offense to handle the Suns on their home floor. 

Thursday, Radford has a chance to take the season series over Gardner Webb. Back on January 7th, the Highlanders topped the Runnin’ Bulldogs by four points. It was a stretch of basketball for Gardner Webb that featured extensive losses against the top four teams in the conference. In fact, their record dropped all the way to 8-11. They’ve since won five straight games albeit against bottom level competition. Expect a tight game and for Gardner Webb to challenge Radford’s nine game winning streak. Take the points with the underdog. 

Louisiana Tech is in the midst of the toughest stretch of their season with four of five games on the road. Today, they’ll face a Florida International team that they have won three straight close games against. The Bulldogs have also shown a quality in conference in tight games, as they are 2-0 in-conference in games that go to overtime. With their guards excelling in Cobe Williams and Isaiah Crawford back Louisiana Tech.