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A strange matchup to see on today’s slate is Utah Tech hosting Florida International. The Panthers have the athleticism advantage but this is a tough travel spot coming out of the holiday break in St. George, Utah. The Panthers get another week off afterwards before conference play begins. Take the home team here in Utah Tech.

American University is just a slight road favorite today against UMBC. The Eagles dropped four of their last five games, but that was against stronger competition. UMBC is a much more favorable matchup and all we need is American to pull off the victory. Take the Eagles here.

A team that I fully expect to bounce back from a poor last outing is Arkansas Little Rock. In the Trojans last outing they lost by thirty points to Jacksonville State. Tennessee Tech is a conference opponent they had two close games against last year, with both games decided by two points. Take the Trojans here.

To open Horizon league play expect a competitive game with Oakland vs Cleveland State. The Golden Grizzlies come in having dropped four of their past five games, but have had eight days off. The rest factor and anticipation of the true beginning of conference play should lead to a great game. Take Oakland.

Post holiday look for value on the home underdog in the Washington Wizards. The Orlando Magic have lost four of their past five games. It’s sometimes tough for teams coming out of a holiday especially facing a five win team in the Wizards. Washington also played the Magic competitively in a five point loss to begin the month. Take the Wizards.

Wednesday, Kansas City travels to take on East Tennessee out of the Southern Conference. The Buccaneers are 4-0 on their home floor but both wins against a division one school were by two points or less. Look for UMKC to come close to an upset in this one. Take the points.

Tonight, look for the South Dakota Jackrabbits to have the advantage in a neutral site game against Wyoming. Led by Zeke Mayo, South Dakota State has a three guard lineup that should give the Cowboys problems. Take the Jackrabbits who continue to improve after starting the season 1-4.

Even with Kristaps Porzingis out, I’ll side with the Celtics. They just defeated two teams multiple times that gave them problems last season in Orlando and Cleveland. Golden State on the other hand is having a multitude of issues, and now their superstar in Steph Curry is coming off his first game without a three in 268 games. Grab the Celtics.

Georgia Southern remains winless at 0-11, even though they have fought hard and come lose to victory in recent matchups. Consistent losing takes a toll on a team and today is another vulnerable spot against Florida Gulf Coast. Expect the Eagles to add another loss for Georgia Southern, which will falter again in the second half.

Valparaiso comes into today’s contest on a five game losing streak. From an ATS stand point going down to Chicago State creates a buy low spot. Look for the early start time to aide the Beacons against a Samford team that is 0-2 on the road.

It was just a couple of seasons ago that Jacksonville State was in March Madness. Through the early portion of this season they have struggled with scoring. They rank towards the bottom of college basketball averaging 67 points per game. Yet, expect sluggish play to help Jacksonville State keep this close on the road. Grab the points here.

The Quinnipiac Bobcats are off to a successful start to their season with a 7-3 record. Coming off a six point loss to Yale, look for a big bounce back spot against Holy Cross. The Crusaders are just 2-8 and have consecutive losses by double digit points.

San Diego has an unblemished record on their home floor at 6-0. Their undefeated home streak continued thanks to a thrilling come from behind win last Saturday against Arizona State. This was more to do with a lack of effort defensively from ASU which surrendered 61 second half points. Look for Portland State to be dialed in and improve on their 8-2 record.

The Detroit Pistons abysmal stretch of twenty one straight losses is likely to continue Friday evening. They’ll face a Philadelphia 76ers team they just lost to on Wednesday on their home floor by eighteen points. Yet, there’s room for a stretch of a lack of effort on Philadelphia’s side. Additionally, the Pistons had the 76ers on the ropes in their first matchup on November 10th. Grab the points on the Pistons.

Lamar from the Southland conference will host Louisiana Monroe today. The Cardinals average 82 points per game and have six scorers that average nine or more points. After a stretch of three of four road games, look for Lamar to get back to .500 tonight. 

After years of exceeding expectations, Furman appears to be headed for a down season. The departures of Mike Bothwell and Jalen Slawson have hurt them defensively. Books have not fully adjusted but do expect their spreads to continue to rise in non-conference play. Take Tulane as Furman drops to 0-4 on the road.

A soft schedule has helped the Longwood Lancers race out to a 10-1 record. They have defeated three non division one schools, and narrowly defeated Delaware State in two matchups. Look for Milwaukee to step up to the challenge as they return from a three game road trip. Grab the points with the Panthers.

A contrast of home and road records is in play today with Appalachian State against Queens North Carolina. Queens has a 5-0 home record, while Appalachian State is 0-2 on the road. Nevertheless, Appalachian State has rolled off six straight wins and should be able to frustrate Queens with their half court defense. Take Appalachian State

Having a tough early season schedule has put Robert Morris in an early season hole. They are just 2-7 overall with losses against Xavier and Wisconsin. Conference opponents took advantage of the Colonials as Northern Kentucky and Youngstown State won by double digits. Look for Robert Morris to play a much better game today against Delaware, and cover as the home underdog.

Sacramento State has just a 2-6 record on the young college basketball season. A lack of true home games is a contributing factor, as they have faced just two division one schools at home. Look for the Hornets to catch a Cal State Fullerton in the midst of a three game road trip. 

The Wofford Terriers are off to a slow start this season, as they have been heavily hit by the transfer portal. Now they have built a two-game win streak including their last game over Gardner Webb. Grab them today against Coastal Carolina as their former Coach Ellis just retired on Monday.

A low profile matchup is in play today as Portland travels for two games in North Dakota. Tonight they will face North Dakota State before meeting North Dakota on Saturday. For the Pilots they should be a motivated team after losing in blowout fashion to Air Force. Take the Pilots as they take advantage of a Bison team coming off a hard fought overtime win Monday against San Jose State. ..

After consecutive losses, Iowa State bounced back nicely in a nineteen point rout over DePaul. Thursday, they will meet in-state rivals Iowa looking for revenge from last year’s 75 to 56 loss. Look for bench play to key the Cyclones with Wofford transfer Jackson Paveletzke.

UNC Greensboro has been one of the top consistent programs over the years out of the Southern Conference. Thus far they are 6-1, and have a marquee win over Arkansas that has inflated their spread number. We’ve seen a steep drop from the opening number here of 9.5, and I believe there is still room on the Colonels side. Back Eastern Kentucky.

Kennesaw State’s undefeated home record should be challenged tonight by UNC Asheville. The Owls lost key players from last year’s tournament team, and UNC Asheville comes in on a three-game win streak, including wins over Western Kentucky and Wofford. Look for the Bulldogs to be ready for their first road game since their opener against Michigan. Take the Bulldogs. 

Northern Arizona has had a rough start to their season at just 2-5. They’ve had key players out due to injury including big man Carson Towt. They also lost an impact transfer in Jalen Cone who is now at California. Still, they have scorers and a four guard lineup that will give Pacific problems. Grab the Lumberjacks to cover the number.

Saturday is an extreme rare occurrence in college basketball as Georgia Southern and Jacksonville will meet for the second time this season. On November 14th Jacksonville won decisively by seventeen points over the Eagles. Look for a different outcome today, as Jacksonville is playing their fourth game in eight days. 

Friday, Liberty will play their second straight game after losing yesterday by twenty-five points at Florida Atlantic. They will face a Charleston team that has the advantage in rest as they have not played since Sunday. Look for Liberty to weather the storm early and utilize their uncanny team three point shooting to topple Charleston. Take Liberty.

Minnesota St. Thomas has lost three of their last four games, and their only other win over a division one school was by one point. On the road it has been even worse where they are 0-3. Yet, today should be a regroup spot after a flat outing post Thanksgiving against Wisconsin-Green Bay. Take the Tommies plus the points.

One of the best games on today’s college basketball slate is East Carolina against UNC Wilmington. Last season, the Seahawks got the best of the Pirates by thirteen points. Attack the revenge angle here and also an East Carolina team that has talent that has underachieved early in the season. Grab the Pirates.

Today a matchup of teams with similar records will meet as Gardner-Webb travels to face Queens NC. The difference on the young season are the quality opponents that Gardner Webb has faced, as they battled both Arkansas and Baylor. Still, Queens has a tough minded group that has a knack of staying in games. This point spread should be a bit smaller. Take Queens.

Jacksonville is a team that could be a tad bit sluggish today as they make their return from a Pennsylvania tournament. Yet, this is a team that is extremely dangerous from beyond three point range, and goes on streaky spurts. Take the Dolphins as Campbell’s poor start to the season continues.

Holiday tournaments have started to come to an end, which means true road travel is in play. That is the case tonight as Minnesota will play in their first road game of the season in San Francisco. Look for the Gophers to play a competitive game and lean on veteran Dawson Garcia. Take the Gophers plus the points.

Hawaii has had the perfect setup to start the season undefeated. That should continue today against San Diego in a neutral site tournament in Palm Springs. Hawaii has three tough guards including Jovon McClanahan. Addtionally, I expect them to have the rebounding edge with high energy big man Justin McKoy. Take Hawaii.

Losing in an early season tournament game as a ranked team is not necessarily a bad thing. Corrections can be made quickly by top tier coaches such as Nate Oats. Alabama went down yesterday to Ohio State by eleven points. Prior they had won their first four games convincingly while scoring 98 points or more. Take Alabama over the Ducks.

Yesterday Jacksonville won against Robert Morris in a game that saw both teams benches get ejected for leaving the sidelines. The emotional part of the game could catch up to Jacksonville today against a Fairleigh Dickinson team that is a bit under rated based on a weaker schedule. I like the Knights in a neutral court spot to hold well. Take them plus the points.

It’s often examined that coming out of the holiday is one of the toughest games in sports. This is usually heightened in main conferences but also in smaller conference games. Minnesota St. Thomas travels to face Green Bay a day after the holiday. They’ve had some early season tournament games and I expect to be a little flat here. Grab Wisconsin Green Bay.

Friday’s play in tournament games should create a rise in the level of play. For the Knicks they will need a win to have a chance in their group. Additionally, the Knicks will seek revenge from last season’s playoff loss to the Heat. Take the Knicks as they end the Heat’s impressive 9-1 run.

Any time a team sustains a blowout loss over reaction in the betting markets will occur. Jacksonville is coming off a 107-56, fifty one point loss to Pittsburgh. Robert Morris has held tough in their losses to Wisconsin and Xavier, but the near two point line move in the market is an over reaction. Take Jacksonville plus the points.

Penny Hardaway and the Memphis Tigers have three quality wins already over Missouri, Michigan, and Arkansas. They have a roster filled with veteran transfer talent but one that lacks experience together. That bodes to the advantage of Villanova who may not have the talent advantage but are a more cohesive group. Take Villanova minus the small number.

Michigan has lost consecutive games and will have to face Stanford. This should be a good battle with the game likely tight throughout most of the game. Look for Michigan’s small rotation to pay dividends as the Wolverines end their two game losing streak. Grab Michigan as the small favorites.

Boise State has had to endure transfers and graduations but still has a solid team at their disposal. They have only played three games on the young season, and two against division one opponents. Look for a poor loss against Clemson to serve as the wake up call for the Broncos. Grab them plus the points.

North Alabama will have just their second true road test of the season today against UT Martin. The Lions are a team that likes to attack the basket. Led by senior KJ Johnson who has attempted a minimum of eight free throws over his last three games. Look for a free throw edge to assist the Lions in getting the road cover at UT Martin.

In the Gulf Showcase tournament Long Beach State will meet the Ragin’ Cajuns. Long Beach State may be .500 on the young season but they have faced strong competition and knocked off Michigan. They should have an above average output on the offensive end of the floor against a UL Lafayette team that does not match up well in the half court. Take Long Beach State.

Chicago has been a troubling team to watch. In most games this year they have dug themselves huge holes including their last matchup against the Miami Heat. After being down 20 to 1 they surged for a comeback win. It may be short lived but look for the Bulls to play inspired basketball off the big comeback.

The New York Knicks come into Monday’s game against the Timberwolves surging. They are also on a road trip that could cause them problems. Minnesota themselves have concluded their West Coast road trip, and sometimes that can lead to a sluggish start. Yet, I believe they will find their energy at a juncture in the second half and add another win. Take the Timberwolves.

A difficult schedule to open the season has featured matchups against Alabama, Purdue, and Penn State for Morehead State. That can create a bottom out spot even against opponents that are on their level. Bellarmine may be 1-3 but they have been an above average school since entering division one a few seasons ago. Look for their offense to create issues for Morehead State. Take Bellarmine.

Out the gate DePaul had two shocking losses to Long Beach State and Purdue Fort Wayne. Suffering early season let downs can help a team grow quicker. Additionally, neither South Carolina or DePaul has traveled yet this season. Take DePaul plus the points as South Carolina has had an easy schedule thus far for a 3-0 start. 

Despite being on a six game losing streak the LA Clippers still are sizeable favorites tonight. I expect Los Angeles to answer the call in a big way. In their last outing against the Denver Nuggets they showed a level of competitiveness that can finally get them over the hump. Take the Clippers.

Both Northwestern State and North Florida are coming off tournament losses yesterday. As a result this matchup has seen a big decline on the opening spread. The underlying factor is this tournament is being played on North Florida’s floor. Look for the Ospreys to end their two game losing streak.

Tonight figures to be a poor spot for UMass Lowell. For one they are not a team that is typically on the West Coast, as most of their games are played in the American East region. They are also in the midst of their third road game of six. Back ASU in this spot.

One of last year’s tournament darlings were the Princeton Tigers. Early in the season they have kept their momentum going with a 2-0 record, including an outright win over Rutgers. Today though look for Duquesne’s pace of play and balanced scoring to give Princeton problems. Take the Dukes as the small favorite.

Early in the college basketball season we tend to see travel play a factor ATS. Mercer is in the middle of a three game road trip as they take on Morehead State today. Additionally, their third game Friday could be a look ahead spot against top twenty five ranked Alabama. Take Morehead State to take care of the Mercer Bears.

DePaul was supposed to have an easy schedule to begin the season with three straight home games. Off the bat they fell to Purdue Fort Wayne as 11.5 point favorites. There are a multitude of concerns for DePaul as they did not defend the three, and had twenty two turnovers. Long Beach State gives the Blue Demons a battle tonight. Grab the slight underdog.

One of the smallest spreads on the day lies in a lower profile game between UT Rio Grande Valley and South Dakota. UT Rio Grande Valley put in over 100 points in their first matchup. Yet, their frenetic pace creates a lot of turnovers. They also have a lot of changes to their starting lineup. Grab South Dakota to get off to a 2-0 start on the season.

Last season UMass Lowell was one of the ATS darlings in non-conference play with a 14-2 start. They still have several upperclassmen that have remained with the program, but two key players are gone in Everette Hammond and Allin Blunt. This spread has rose far to high based on the River Hawks 2022 season. Take the points here with Dartmouth.

The NBA travels to Mexico City today as the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic meet. The Magic appeared to be going in the right direction after two strong wins, including one over the Lakers. Yet, in their last matchup they surrendered a double digit halftime lead of thirteen points to the Dallas Mavericks. They scored just thirty six second half points. Look for the Hawks to take advantage on the international stage.

Cal State Northridge nearly pulled off an upset in their opener against Stanford. In fact, they held a four point lead with under five minutes left. Thursday, look for a different outcome as Cal State remains on the road against Idaho. The Vandals defeated Cal State Northridge by three points last season, and should bounce back from the field after a poor performance shooting in their opener against Washington State.

UL Lafayette is expected to take a dip this season after losing Jordan Brown to Memphis and Greg Williams Jr to graduation. Youngstown State may have lost their top scorer in Dwayne Cohill, but did a good job in getting upper classmen from the transfer portal. Additionally, the Penguins won fourteen of their last eighteen games to end the season a year ago. Take them as the underdog and don’t be shocked for an outright upset.

Time and time again we see a cinderella story fade quickly into the next season. Fairleigh Dickinson had a terrific run to get to the Sweet 16, but also lost their former coach Tobin Anderson to Iona. Buffalo has a unique system of scorers at the 1 through 5 positions that is going to make it difficult for the Knights to keep pace. Grab Buffalo.

A revenge spot lies with Marshall hosting Queens University today. Last year Queens University opened their division one college basketball debut with an outright win over Marshall. That sprung the Thundering Herd as they went on to win nine straight and enjoyed a successful season. Although they have to replace Taevion Kinsey, Marshall has done a solid job developing the program for future growth. Take Marshall on the spread.

The Washington Wizards travel to face a Miami Heat team that may rank as the top team in search of a win tonight. Slow starts of the Heat are nothing new as last year they began the season 7-11. They have had a difficult schedule to begin the season but also are lacking the depth they had last year with Gabe Vincent and Max Strus. Grab the points here with the Wizards.

Friday, the Cleveland Cavaliers will attempt to get revenge on the road for the second time this season. They just defeated the Knicks on Wednesday after losing to them on Tuesday at home. That was a confidence booster for a team that was on a three game losing streak. Take Cleveland as Indiana’s poor defense continues.

The New Orleans Pelicans continue to have players in and out of the lineup. Tonight in a back to back scenario the Pelicans will have Zion Williamson out due to rest. There’s also a chance Brandon Ingram returns to the court. Look for the Pistons to bounce back off of consecutive losses and keep this close due to the Pelicans lack of lineup consistency. Grab the points.

The Dallas Mavericks undefeated start to the season is not fooling anyone. All wins were against teams that are undermanned or in a true transition with youth. Chicago may be a veteran team but their issues of competition for four full quarters are a real deal. Look for Dallas to continue taking advantage of a weaker schedule to begin the season. Grab Dallas.

Milwaukee is 2-1 on the season but has yet to cover a spread. In their first road game of the season tonight they may be under valued against the Toronto Raptors. Their new first year coach in Adrian Griffin was an assistant for the Raptors the prior five seasons. Additionally, the Raptors are struggling to adjust early in the season. Take the Bucks as the road favorite.

Two teams that have not began the year strong will meet in the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers. Last season the Knicks dominated their postseason matchup winning four games to one. Additionally, the Cavaliers are surrendering 115 points per game which is up considerably from last year’s top ranking. Take the Knicks as the Cavaliers lose their third straight home game.

The Utah Jazz have always been the type of team where home court has been a big advantage. It still may be but they just have run into the wrong first two opponents on their home court. The Sacramento Kings elevated their play for a double digit win, and the Clippers appear to have one of the deepest rosters in the NBA. Lay it here with LA.

The Portland Trailblazers are a completely new look team after trading Damian Lillard. Early in a season though often times we see these type of teams over achieve to begin the year. The youth and veteran presence of DeAndre Ayton, Malcolm Brogdon and Jerami Grant can give the Clippers enough of a battle to cover this big spread. Take the points as the Trailblazers cash as the biggest NBA underdog on the board.

The Phoenix Suns made the necessary moves of trading DeAndre Ayton and Chris Paul after years of playoff failures. Adding Bradley Beal now makes them a more offensive team, which should pay dividends off the bat against the Warriors. Last season they won the first three matchups decisively by double digits. Take the Suns who have consistently been one of the best regular season teams in the NBA.

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.