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The LA Clippers had their four game win streak end on Monday against the Oklahoma City Thunder, in what was just a six point loss. Now, the Clippers head to Houston where we will see James Harden return to where he played the best basketball in his career. This is the first of consecutive games against the Rockets, which is always a bit tricky for the road team. Tail Houston in the first matchup as they seek their longest win streak of the season at three games.

Northeastern nearly knocked off the expected top team in the Ivy League in their last matchup, Princeton in a narrow three point loss. Today, they will host a Harvard team that has had consecutive poor losses to Navy and American. In their third straight road game look for the Crimson to settle in and perform better for two halves of play. Additionally, Harvard has beaten Northeastern in three straight matchups. Take the underdog with Harvard.

The Dallas Mavericks are in search of a team pickup spot to get them going. At .500 they have lost consecutive games but both were narrow defeats by two points or less. Look for the Mavericks to be inspired by Klay Thompson’s return to Golden State, and cover against a Warriors team that over performed on their recent road trip. Grab the points with Dallas.

The disarray that the Milwaukee Bucks are in is not going to get better in the long term. In the short term tonight is an advantageous spot against the Toronto Raptors. Toronto is 0-6 on the road this season and coming off a four-game West coast road trip against the Nuggets, Kings, Clippers, and Lakers. Even with the Bucks short handed minus Damian Lillard there should be two to three stretches of dominant basketball on the Bucks side. Take Milwaukee.

An eight win team from last season finds themselves as a double digit favorite tonight in Incarnate Word. The Cardinals had one of the biggest on court issues last season, where several players were suspended for an on court brawl. With the majority of their key players back, and the addition of Davion Bailey from Ball State the Cardinals should eclipse double digit wins this season. Tail the Cardinal tonight.

Oddsmakers have continued to be off with North Florida as they have began the season 3-0. Tonight, a steep rise from the opener has occurred on Georgia’s side, and I believe the number is still short. The Ospreys are playing their second game in forty eight hours on the road. Expect the shots that fell against Georgia Tech for 105 points to come up short, and for Georgia to thrive in transition. Lay it with the Bulldogs.

The San Antonio Spurs had a poor Saturday loss to the lowly Utah Jazz. They did get back Devin Vassell though who put in 21 points in 22 minutes. Tonight, they will take on a Sacramento Kings team that has had issues over their last five games in second halves. Expect that to reoccur in a back to back spot after defeating the Phoenix Suns last night.

Austin Peay pulled off a big upset over Butler as 16.5 point underdogs on Friday. Following up those type of performances is tricky, and will be tonight against Chattanooga. The Mocs head into their third straight road game after opening the season against USC and Saint Mary’s. They did not fold in the loss to Saint Mary’s, and may have discovered reserve Makai Richards deserves more minutes on the floor. Play the Mocs to get their first win of the season.

The Utah Jazz at 1-7 are in a tough spot once again to conclude their road trip against the San Antonio Spurs. In their last six losses they have lost by eight points or more.  Today’s early start time is troublesome considering the Spurs just defeated the Jazz by eighteen points on Halloween. Take the Spurs as their ATS value is going to be on the rise entering their tenth game with their new starting five. Tail the Spurs.

Graduation and portal transfers have hit mid-majors harder then ever in college basketball. A team that may be feeling the affects early on this season is Wright State. Typically they have been a solid team ATS to back but the makeup of their team is not to the standard of years past. Take Miami Ohio as they build off their outright win over Appalachian State. 

The Milwaukee Bucks finally got a win last night by twenty three points over the Utah Jazz. In their prior two games they nearly knocked off the Cleveland Cavaliers in two losses by two points or less. Traveling to Madison Square Garden in a back to back spot is the definition of a bad spot. Grab the Knicks to emphatically end their two game losing streak.

The Furman Paladins lost key pieces to their tournament team two seasons ago, including guards Marcus Foster and JP Peagues. Yet, the Paladins have always been solid at rebuilding quickly. Seniors Garrett Hien and junior Ben Vanderwal give Furman a leadership presence. While the offense will take some time look for the Paladins to hang around tonight against Belmont with their defense. Take Furman. 

Two teams that had contrasting results in terms of scoring will meet tonight in Air Force and Jacksonville State. The Gamecocks scored nearly double the points Air Force did in their game one victory with 112 points. Yet, that was against a non division one school. Easy offense can become difficult when pace of play is dictated as is expected from the Falcons. Look for their first road game combined with altitude to result in Jacksonville State’s first loss of the season.

Typically one won’t see a team in a back to back spot that just lost by 27 points be a favorite. The Spurs find themselves as one after losing 127-100 to Houston last night. A positive in the loss was the offense picked up with 61 second half points. Look for the Spurs to come out with energy that was missing in the first half of yesterday’s loss to Houston. Take the Spurs as Portland has a let down spot off their 18 point win over the Pelicans.

Early season upsets over a power conference school in game one are commonplace in college basketball. The letdown spot in the next game is also a repetitive pattern. Look for that angle tonight as North Florida comes off an outright win over South Carolina. Charleston Southern is also in a revenge spot from last season’s 81-70 loss to North Florida. Tail the Buccaneers.

The Seattle Redhawks will head into the 2024 season having to fill the production of Cameron Tyson and Alex Schumacher. As difficult as that will be Seattle gained valuable extended play last season by playing in and winning the CBI tournament. Look for the Redhawks to use their senior experience with Paris Dawson and Kobe Williamson to take down an Eastern Washington team that struggled against Colorado. Play Seattle.

The Memphis Grizzlies have had difficult covering as favorites this season where they are 1-4 ATS. They are also down two starters in Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart. Yet, the Lakers have struggled defensively on this road trip. Additionally, the Grizzlies had to face six straight Eastern Conference opponents. Seeing the Lakers and a familiar Western Conference matchup bodes to their favor. Take Memphis.

Monday night the Sacramento Kings will finish their four game road trip in Miami. Sacramento had won three straight until a tough spot against Toronto on Vince Carter’s jersey retirement night. Look for the Kings to bounce back against a Heat team returning from playing the Washington Wizards in Mexico City. Take the Kings.

Going into a new season with a new coach presents ATS value in all main sports. That is the case for Siena who will now be led by Gerry McNamara. McNamara comes from years at Syracuse as an assistant, with strong ties to the New York region. Look for McNamara to get Siena off on the right foot against Brown. The Bears caught fire at the end of Ivy League play with seven straight wins, but struggled in non-conference play. Take Siena. 

One of the more drastic point spread rises on opening night lies with Georgia Southern. The Eagles began last year 0-12 but endured the struggles and grew as a team as the season went on. They return several starters including sophomores Eren Banks and Avantae Parker. Look for the Eagles to showcase a true 360 as they take down Northern Illinois. Lay it with Georgia Southern.

A spread that is near perfect comes in the MAC-SBC showdown between Western Michigan and Coastal Carolina. Coastal Carolina has the home court advantage but lost four of their five starters from a season ago, and their top sixth man off the bench. New Coach Justin Gray brought in high level talent including guard Rasheed Jones with him from Western Carolina. Yet, the continuity takes time to establish especially in the first game of the season. Take the points here with Western Michigan.

The Brooklyn Nets have had a strong week with wins over the Milwaukee Bucks, and in a back to back spot defeated the Memphis Grizzlies as double digit underdogs. Yet, look for the Bulls to cool them off. Chicago is coming off a fantastic defensive effort where they limited the Orlando Magic to just thirty seven second half points. Take the Bulls to hinder the Nets recent success as the slight road underdog. 

The Denver Nuggets travel to Toronto as the biggest road favorite on the day, despite being 0-2. They will face a Raptors team that has inexperience due to being without multiple starters including Immanuel Quickley. Their one victory on the season was against an undermanned Philadelphia team. Take the Nuggets to have optimal focus and avoid an 0-3 start.

The Golden State Warriors last season were a strong team on the road with a 25-16 record. Additionally they won all four matchups against the Utah Jazz last season. This included a twenty two point road win, and the other road matchup they scored 140 points. Take Golden State as the Jazz lose their first two games at home, to a deep talented Warriors team

Shock value always can provide ATS value in NBA betting markets. That is the case with the 76ers who will not have Paul George or Joel Embiid in the lineup. Yet, Tyrese Maxey became a top option with his experience without Embiid in the lineup last season. He is more than capable of handling the duties and the 76ers added veteran depth to their lineup with Andre Drummond and Caleb Martin. Also, the Bucks last four road openers they have lost three with the one they did win being by two points.

The new look Minnesota Timberwolves will now no longer have Karl Anthony Towns. In game one there may be some rusty stretches against the LA Lakers. Yet, this is a Lakers team that under Lebron has been abysmal in game one’s of the season. In fact they are winless with an 0-6 record. Take the Timberwolves behind superstar Anthony Edwards.

Each game so far between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks has been down to the wire. That is not typical of a postseason series, and I expect game five to be the game that is not competitive. Minnesota limited PJ Washington, Luka Doncic, and Kyrie Irving all below thirty three percent shooting in game four. They’ll continue to have success on the defensive end, and look to end a 1-4 postseason stretch at home. Tail the Twolves.

It’s going to take rapid adjustments from the Minnesota Timberwolves to even the series after losing game one to the Dallas Mavericks. Offensively they had a couple of surges to begin the fourth quarter and erasing a 97-89 deficit, but could not put it together. Look for Minnesota’s adjustments to come on the defensive end, in particular on Luka Doncic who looks as healthy as he has been in the postseason. Take the Timberwolves to respond in game two.

A weakness for the Dallas Mavericks in the postseason has been their performances in game ones. They lost decisively by twelve points in both game ones to the Oklahoma City Thunder and LA Clippers. The stage is different now and I believe they will be ready for the road challenge against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Take the value on the underdog with the Timberwolves coming off a series win over the defending NBA champions.

I’m tailing the Denver Nuggets as the final game seven of today. It’s clear that the Minnesota Timberwolves have the better overall team in my opinion, but the Nuggets have the edge in coaching and home court. Look for the home crowd to spark Denver and Michael Malone to have his team ready to get back to the WCF. Take Denver. 

Indiana and New York has been a fantastic series, and one that each team has traded blows to get to seven games. What we do not know is the level of effectiveness Josh Hart or OG Anunoby will provide the Knicks on the floor. Expect those minutes to possibly hurt the Knicks as the Pacers play determined basketball. Grab the Pacers as the slight underdog.

The Oklahoma City Thunder should already be eliminated with as poor as they have played offensively against the Dallas Mavericks. Yet, they found a way in game four with a late rally at Dallas, and all it takes is that one game for a team to wake up in the postseason. Take the Thunder to finally look a bit more fluid offensively for the first time since game one.

During this postseason we have seen the Indiana Pacers be a resilient group off a loss. Game five featured a high level effort from the Knicks in particular Jalen Brunson. Expect the Pacers to re-adjust defensively and be more aggressive on the offensive end of the floor. This goes seven games like the Twolves-Nuggets. Lay it with the Pacers.

The youth of the Oklahoma City Thunder may cost them in this series against the Dallas Mavericks. They had the Mavericks on the ropes in game three but completely unraveled in the third quarter allowing a big 15-0 run. Yet, they still had a chance to win late and in their first test of needing a win I think they respond tonight. Take the Thunder in game four, as this series has seven games written all over it.

Postseason patterns have been apart of the Boston Celtics playoff runs for years. Game two has been an issue thus far in both postseason series, but look for Boston to turn it up a notch in game three. From an offensive stand point expect a night and day difference from game two. The Cavaliers may be in the second round but they are extremely vulnerable as witnessed in three losses to the Magic, and game one to the Celtics. Lay it with Boston.

The Thunder had their first postseason loss in game two on their floor to the Mavericks. Dallas responded well with a bump up in play from their bench led by Tim Hardaway Jr. Yet, this Thunder team will make adjustments, including playing Wiggins more than struggling Josh Giddey. Expect better defense on Doncic as well. Grab the Thunder in game three

Denver heads to Minnesota for game three in a heap of trouble. They were blown out at home in game two, and now find themselves attempting the impossible. This series is likely going to go the Timberwolves way, but I look for the defending champs to put together a better effort tonight.  With three days off since game two, take the points with Denver.

Denver is going to have their difficulties against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but game two I believe goes there way convincingly. For as mediocre as Denver played in game one, they still had the lead for stages and had a chance to win late. Expect Denver to have better team balance and get more shots for Aaron Gordon, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and their star guard Jamal Murray. Play the Nuggets on the spread.

This spread in game one is a bit high in my opinion. We have the Knicks coming off a physical series against Philadelphia, to now facing a team that plays with tempo in Indiana. Indiana has the better overall depth that could test the Knicks, and they won two of the three regular season matchups. The lone loss was by just four points. Take the Pacers on a generous second round spread.

We finally saw a competitive game in game five between the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers. I think we see one once again as the Cavaliers try to avoid the blowouts we saw in games three and four. Jarrett Allen was at shoot around this morning, so having Allen would be a huge upgrade to the Cavaliers. Take the Cavs as they get the cover in Orlando tonight.

The New York Knicks should be resting after letting game five slip away multiple times. As great as Tyrese Maxey was, the Knicks have to feel comfortable with how well they’ve kept the 76ers in check the majority of the series. Expect Jalen Brunson to defer the ball a bit more, and give his teammates the open shots that are there. Take the Knicks plus the points in game six.

The Pacers played very poor in game five, where the road element likely got to them. Milwaukee over the last three games has shown their veteran makeup, pushing Indiana in both games at Indiana, and the blowout on their home floor. Yet, Indiana had these type of letdowns in the regular season, and is just to potent of an offensive team. They’ll bounce back with or without Gianna/Lillard on the floor. Play Indiana.

One has to wonder how much is left in the tank for the Milwaukee Bucks. They fought hard in Indiana taking game three to overtime, and hanging around for the majority of game four. Yet, with Damian Lillard out in game four the Bucks made ten less three pointers than Indiana. Fatigue along with that factor will be the difference in game five. Take the Pacers.

Of all the NBA series, the Philadelphia 76ers and Knicks has been arguably the most competitive. Three of the four games so far have went down to the wire. Closing out a team in the playoffs is so difficult, and I expect the Knicks to feel that pressure on their home floor. Additionally, both Josh Hart and Donte Divencenzo struggled in game four. Take the points here with Philadelphia.

In a crucial game four for the LA Clippers, there is no doubt we will see a heightened effort. Where Dallas has grown is their ability to wear down the Clippers on the offensive end of the floor. In both games two and three they scored below ninety six points. That leaves the door open for one key run for a talented team like Dallas to push past the number late. Take Dallas on the spread.

In the NBA playoffs right now we are seeing lopsided series in the West with Dallas winning consecutive games, Minnesota up 3-0, and Denver up 3-0. The Pelicans if they are going to take one game the best opportunity will be in game three. Oklahoma City is coming off an A+ offensive game in which they put in over 120 points. But in the third quarter the Pelicans got their star finally going in Brandon Ingram. He should be much more aggressive in game three and the Pelicans will feed off his energy. Take the Pelicans.

We saw the Dallas Mavericks flip the switch in game two on the defensive end of the floor. They forced tough shots the entire game from the Clipper’s star players in Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Paul George. Now expect the Mavericks to defend their home court as they were the top team in the NBA down the stretch of the season.

The Boston Celtics are once again huge favorites in game two. Thanks to a big fourth quarter run from the Miami Heat in game one, I expect an even faster start from the Celtics in game two. Additionally, Celtics star Jayson Tatum will play with a chip on his shoulder after Caleb Martin collided into him at the tail end of the game. Miami just does not have the personnel to run full speed with the Celtics for four quarters. Take the Celtics to cover once again.

Look for the Pacers to respond in game two tonight in Milwaukee. As poor of a first half as the Pacers played they fought back to cut the deficit to just twelve points. They held Damian Lillard scoreless in the second half, and Milwaukee to just forty points post half time. Look for Indiana to shoot much better from the field and not be held under 100 points again. Take Indiana.

At first I leaned towards the Oklahoma City Thunder side but sometimes we see teams get better through a key injury. The Pelicans know they will be without Zion, but have one of the better developed rosters in the NBA. Ingram looks ready to go, and I expect CJ McCollum to bounce back from two rare off games in the play in. Additionally, the Pelicans had one of the eight wins on the Thunder’s home floor this season. Take the Pelicans. 

One of the toughest elements of the postseason is handling a team’s talent and escalated pressure. For the Minnesota Timberwolves they had a banner year but now enter a phase they have not experienced as a higher seed in the Western Conference. To make matters worse the Suns have won nine out of the last ten matchups including a road win last Sunday. Take Phoenix to get another win over the young Timberwolves. 

Atlanta goes into the play in with a record of just 36 and 46. At ten games below .500 they lost the final six games of the season. Yet, this team has adapted after missing Trae Young for nearly two months. Furthermore, Chicago is a team they defeated at the United Center on April 1st by a margin of twelve points. Grab the generous amount of points here on the Hawks side.

The Sacramento Kings are a team that down the stretch of the season did not look like a postseason team. Yet, they have two young talents in D’Aron Fox and Sabonis that can override their depth issues for one game. Additionally, the Warriors appear to have peaked towards the end of the season. Lets not forget they Rockets were a game back of catching them for the tenth spot. In a Northern California battle grab the Kings plus the points.

The Milwaukee Bucks head into Sunday’s matchup against the Knicks with three straight losses against the Wizards, Grizzlies, and Toronto. Piling on to the matter is the fact that Giannis is questionable. Expect the Knicks to give maximum effort as they are two games back of the Bucks for the 2nd seed in the East. Tail the Knicks as the Bucks woes continue.

The Detroit Pistons put forth a disastrous effort and performance yesterday against the depleted Memphis Grizzlies. That creates a buy low opportunity today against a Brooklyn Nets team they defeated last month by six points. Jaden Ivey had his second best performance of the season with 34 points, and is coming off thirty one points in yesterday’s loss to the Grizzlies. Take the points here with Detroit.

The Philadelphia 76ers used a late surge to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder in their last game. The win was Joel Embiid’s return, but also devalued because the Thunder were without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams. Thursday, the 76ers get a solid matchup against a Heat team they defended well and limited to 91 points on March 18th. Grab the 76ers as the slight underdogs.

One constant for Indiana State during the NIT has been their offensive excellence. They can play from behind as they did against SMU and Cincinnati, and they can hold off runs as they did from Minnesota and Utah. Seton Hall had problems with the Sycamores type of offense in particular against St. Johns. Look for Indiana State to complete their NIT title and get the win over the Pirates.

The Portland Trailblazers continue to have key players out in Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons, and off the bench Matisse Thybulle. As a result the Trailblazers have lost ten straight games as they utilize more role players. Yet, they did come close to defeating the Magic as they lost by one point. Take the Blazers in what is a solid matchup against the Hornets.

The Houston Rockets had their eleven game win streak snapped in a big way by the Dallas Mavericks. Now the Rockets are two games back of the Golden State Warriors for the final play-in spot, and will face a Timberwolves team driven to win. The Timberwolves are just one game back of the top seed in the Western Conference, and are coming off a poor let down home loss to the Bulls. Grab the Timberwolves.

Utah has been dominant in the NIT with three decisive wins by nine points or more. Their size has been a big advantage with 7 footer Branden Carlson having his way. Yet, Indiana State has shown an ability to adjust in-game. They came back from big deficits against SMU and Cincinnati, and also handled a run from Minnesota. Being tested is something Utah has not experienced since the Pac-12 tournament. Take Indiana State on a neutral court.

The Phoenix Suns will aim to bounce back after a twenty five point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The last three times they have lost by double digits they have responded with wins by an average margin of ten points. Additionally, the Suns have incentive for their true last attempt to get out of the play in round. Two games back of the sixth spot Pelicans, they have tonight and at the end of the week a home matchup against New Orleans. Take the Suns.

Typically in a repeat matchup I will take the prior winner. In this case I’ll make the exception and back Alabama. In non-conference play Clemson’s first true  test was against Alabama, while the Crimson Tide had come off a tournament. As a result, Clemson wore tired out Alabama down the stretch outscoring the Crimson Tide by fifteen points in the final thirteen minutes. Look for Alabama to give the Tigers problems with their pace for forty minutes, as we have seen Clemson struggle to score in second halves. Back Alabama.

Under Doc Rivers the Milwaukee Bucks have had several mini stretches that make a person scratch their head. They appear to be in the middle of another down turn after blowing a near twenty point fourth quarter lead to the Lakers, and then falling to the Pelicans. Atlanta may be lacking depth but they have won four straight, including two wins over the Celtics. Play the Hawks

Throughout NC State’s seven game winning streak they have not been tested in terms of a deficit. They’ve been in the lead or as was the case against Virginia tied at halftime. Look for that to change today against a Marquette team that has had their leader back for a couple of games now in Tyler Kolek, after he missed their last six. The Golden Eagles are also the best team that the Wolfpack have faced this season in terms of field goal percentage. Lay it with Marquette.

North Carolina was a trendy team to go down in their last game against Michigan State. The Spartans just could not execute enough in the half court on two occasions with a big lead and a comeback in the second half. Alabama offensively is going to give North Carolina problems with their flurry of runs and the high level play of Mark Sears. They may survive but the result will favor the underdog. Grab the points with Alabama.

The ACC has been a surprise in March Madness where they have been 8-0 overall. Clemson nearly blew their last matchup against Baylor but did just enough to hold on. The Tigers have an upper hand on knowing Caleb Love’s strengths from his years as a Tar Heel. Chase Hunter has also emerged as he has been the leading scorer for the Tigers in both tournament games. Grab the points with Clemson.

It is odd to have an Eastern Conference and Western Conference opponents face each other again in a quick turn around. Yet, that is the case with the Philadelphia 76ers who just defeated the Clippers three days ago in LA. Off their four game West Coast road trip look for the Clippers to be fueled to even the series. Lay it with the Clippers.

Seattle thus far has been unchallenged in the CBI tournament with three lopsided wins. Today they will face a High Point team that will match their size and veteran players in Cameron Tyson and Alex Schumacher. Additionally, this is Seattle’s sixth game in a span of fourteen days. Take High Point to win the CBI.

I’ve been very high on UNLV for much of their progression down the stretch of the season. To get a win over Princeton showcased how much they have improved offensively. Yet, they are a bit beat up at this stage and we just saw Boston College take advantage of a Providence team in the same situation. UNLV has also had a tendency to play down to their opponents at home. Take the points with Boston College.

The Cleveland Cavaliers continue to deal with a bulk of their starting lineup out. It has resulted in losses in three of their last four games, including just ninety one points scored in their last matchup against the Timberwolves. Yet, the Miami Heat’s style of play should keep Cleveland in this one. Just four days ago they lost by three points to the Heat. Take the points.

James Madison had their way in the opening round against Wisconsin. The Badgers failed to challenge the Dukes at the onset, and never got into a flow offensively. That will change today against a Duke team that is going to make James Madison work for their shots. Take Duke as they played two strong halves of basketball defensively.

The final stretch of the NBA regular season is upon us. This is an important phase for the Phoenix Suns to take care of business against below .500 teams. Eight of the Suns final twelve games are on the road, making it even more important to handle weaker opponents. Grab the Suns to put on a showcase performance in what is the first of two straight road games against the Spurs.

Oakland did a terrific job hanging with Kentucky and getting the upset. The victory was more on hot shooting and a Wildcats team that did not resemble what we saw offensively in the regular season. NC State is on a roll confidence wise, and is prepared to end the Grizzlies run. Take NC State -6.

When seed lines come out for Selection Sunday, attention gets drawn to an 8 or 9 seed that has potential to upset the top seed. Michigan State was that team this year as it began the season as a top five team. The tournament is about going on a run and your draw, and the Spartans match up well with the Tar Heels. Look for a great battle and for Tom Izzo’s Spartans at the very least to cover the number.

For Florida they will face a Colorado team that finally played up to their potential down the season. A veteran team they also have potential top pick Cody Williams coming off the bench. Yet, down the stretch of the season Colorado has used team defense to excel. Over their last four wins no opponent has eclipsed fifty eight points. Look for Florida to change that as they are to octane of an offense.

The Mountain West has seen three teams fall, with Boise and Nevada losing in heart break fashion. Look for the conference to get a win today with New Mexico. The Lobos found a steady guard with sophomore Donovan Dent paired with senior Jaelen House. In the interior the Lobos have the bigs with Nelly Joseph and freshmen JT Toppin to matchup with PJ Hall and Clemson. Tail the Lobos as the 11th seed favorite.

I fully expect their to be a game day rise on the Kansas spread, so lock in this number now. The Jayhawks may be undermanned but still have carry over talent from their title two years ago with Duane Harris Jr. and KJ Adams. Samford also lacks a go to scorer outside of Achor Achor, who I believe Kansas will limit. Additionally, the Bulldogs need to be able to run to have success. They ranked seventh in the country in fast break points. Expect Kansas to attack the weaknesses of the Bulldogs defensively. Lay it with the Jayhawks.

Momentum prior to the tournament can be rated on different scales depending on the team. For NC State their momentum is on a higher scale after winning five games in five days. Experience is on their side with DJ Horne who was apart of last year’s eleven seed with ASU. They also can withstand runs which may be their biggest tournament quality. Take the points with NC State.

Typically I do not go against streaks but I’ll back the Bulls against the Houston Rockets. Their lone regular season matchup went to overtime, but it was a game the Bulls should have won decisively. Houston’s perimeter defense was poor as the Bulls made nineteen three pointers, and had five players that made two or more three’s. Grab the Bulls to at least cover the number.

South Carolina has sleeper potential in my opinion, but March Madness is about the draw. South Carolina gets a poor draw against an Oregon team whose system fits tournament play. Dana Altman has continually advanced Duck’s squads in the tournament, and they come in with confidence after winning the Pac-12 tournament. An underlying factor is Jermaine Cousnard began his first three seasons as a Gamecock.

UNLV was an interesting team in how they developed in conference play. They played like a tournament team but their body of work from November and December was not there. Defensively they will give Princeton problems with their length and ability to keep defenders in front of them. Even with the far road travel look for the Rebels to keep this close.

Even with travel in play look for the Sacramento Kings to handle the Toronto Raptors decisively. Value is to be had with the Kings faltering ATS in consecutive home games against the Knicks and Grizzlies. Yet, this is a Raptors team playing for next year and were handily defeated in their last game against the Magic. Tail the Kings.

The Denver Nuggets are coming off a rare loss Sunday to the Dallas Mavericks. Look for Denver to bounce back as a motivated team against a Timberwolves squad that defeated them 110-89 in the lone matchup. Minnesota’s last back to back spot was a lackluster performance and a nine point loss to an undermanned Cavaliers team. Tail Denver as Minnesota is playing their third game in four nights.

Often times the heart break of missing out on March Madness has a ripple effect in a consolation tournament. For Providence their matchup against Boston College could showcase the reason they are not in the tournament. Additionally, Boston College has played well down the stretch of the season and looked good in the ACC tournament. Take Boston College plus the three.

The Memphis Grizzlies have shown fight the entire season, even with how thin they are. Expect that Monday as Sacramento is coming off a low point in their season, scoring just 91 points against the Knicks. It was De’Aaron Fox’s worst shooting performance of the season. Tail Memphis

South Florida had an incredible American Conference season, with a record of 16-2. UAB actually had one of the few wins over South Florida, a 75-71 victory. They also seem to be more dialed in since blowing a huge lead to Memphis. They’ve won three straight, and have the defense to contain the Bulls. Grab UAB.

The Atlanta Hawks seek to end their two game losing streak on the road against the Utah Jazz. This should be a favorable matchup for the Hawks who won in lopsided fashion by twenty seven points against Utah on February 27th. It was their best game post All Star break, and when the Jazz were relatively healthy with Lauri Markannen available. Back the Hawks as the slight road favorites.

San Diego State showed in yesterday’s win over UNLV how efficient they can be as a team with a downgraded game offensively. They overcame their offensive woes with superior defense and that was with UNLV having a playmaker in Dedan Thomas Jr on the floor. Tail the Aztecs as Utah State’s win streak snaps in Las Vegas.

This is important to buy the hook and get this to the key number of three. Akron has the pedigree with three straight strong MAC seasons, including getting to the big dance two seasons ago. Holdover talent exists with multiple players from their NCAA tournament appearance, but they have faded down the stretch of the season. Once 11-1 in conference, they are just 3-4 over the last seven. This includes a loss to Ohio. Take the Bobcats with the half point buy.

I fully expect UC Santa Barbara’s Big West tournament experience to be one and done. They have a good matchup to start against Cal State Northridge, a team they can attack versus settle for jump shots. Their biggest win in-conference actually came in a road win over Northridge by 28 points. Take UC Santa Barbara.

Typically one will not see a team favored in correlation to a regular season spread. That is the case with Montana which was a seven point favorite on their home floor in mid February against Montana State. In both season victories Montana scored with ease 88 and 87 points. Grab them for the tri-fecta over Montana State.

Notre Dame finds themselves as a slight favorite against Georgia Tech even with a worse record. The Irish played well against Georgia Tech this season, defeating them in both matchups. Look for a rare three game season sweep for a team 12-19 on the season.

The Big Sky has showcased upsets galore, with both Northern Colorado and Eastern Washington going down. Today, would be easy to mark Montana as next on upset watch. Their worst loss in-conference was against Portland State, 72-46.  Look for Montana to be extra focused from that loss and seeing the top seeds falter. Grab Montana

Often times season series from the regular season can change swiftly in the postseason. For Minnesota St. Thomas they have a recent flat loss against North Dakota State. In fact, they scored just fifty points in the matchup. Look for their level of focus to be dialed in as a loss concludes their season. Much sharper performance as Minnesota St. Thomas gets the cover. 

Samford has been the front runner of the Southern Conference this season, but conference tournaments can be tricky for top seeds. Case in point today’s matchup against Furman presents a team that gave them difficulties in-season. Furman won the first matchup decisively and lost the most recent by two points. Grab the points as Furman’s season record does not match their play today.

In tonight’s Pac-12 matchup between Colorado and Oregon, I’ll follow the line movement on the Ducks side. Colorado may be on the better win streak than the Ducks, but have had issues in nationally televised games. Look for the Ducks to get strong revenge from the prior sixteen point loss to Colorado.

The same angle as yesterday’s Ohio Valley Conference win with Tennessee State over Southern Indiana is in play in the Patriot League. The Boston Terriers are on their home court and excelling on a five game winning streak. Yet, this is a different Navy team than they began that win streak against. Since that loss, Navy has won their last five games. Grab the points with Navy.

Line movements in conference tournaments can be tricky. Texas State opened as the favorite and we have seen a rapid three point line move to Southern Miss’s side. This likely has more to do with Texas State having played consecutive overtime games. Additionally, Southern Miss has the rest advantage of six days off. Yet, grab Texas State who runs a simplistic but effective offense.

In the final regular season game in the Southland I’ll back the top underperforming conference team in Incarnate Word. The Cardinals issues made the mainstream news with several players suspended down the stretch. Today’s spot is advantageous of a Texas A&M Corpus Christi team taking them lightly and looking ahead to the Southland Conference tournament. Grab the points as Incarnate Word keeps the loss under ten points.

The Ohio Valley Conference tournament begins today on Southern Indiana’s home court. The Screaming Eagles dropped five of their final six games, including the final two as sizable home favorites. An appealing factor on today’s matchup is Southern Indiana had one of their two conference home victories against Tennessee State. They also played a competitive road game in which they lost by five points. That will raise Tennessee State’s game in a must win scenario to move onto the second round. Take Tennessee State.