Sports Picks & Predictions

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. The Clippers have won two of their last three games following a six-game losing streak and are back to a game over .500 which puts them at No. 6 in the Western Conference. Four of those recent losses came on the road and they remain home where they are 13-10 and this is the final home game before a stretch of 10 of the next 11 games taking place on the road. Kawhi Leonard missed a couple games to start the new year and after being limited in his first game back, he has caught fire by averaging 29 ppg over his last four games to go along with 7.5 rpg and 4.0 apg. The Sixers have been playing exceptional with 15 wins over their last 19 games and have moved to No. 4 in the Eastern Conference but remain six games behind first place Boston. They have opened 2-0 on this current five-game roadtrip but both of those wins came by one point each and on the season, Philadelphia is just 10-9 on the highway compared to 17-7 at home. The Sixers are ranked outside the top ten in both offensive and defensive shooting percentage and while they have gone 9-2 ATS at home against winning teams, they are just 3-5 ATS on the road. Here, we play against road teams where the line is +3 to -3 off an road win scoring 110 or more points, when playing their 3rd game in four days. This situation is 53-26 ATS (67.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (526) Los Angeles Clippers

This is a play on the WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS for our CBB Revenge Dominator. Clemson is coming off a monster win at home against Duke as the eight-point victory resulted in the fans storming the court. But it was not a typical monster win as Duke is not Duke this season as it is once again unranked so while a good one, it was not a major upset. Speaking of rankings, the Tigers are ranked No. 19 in the country after being unranked last week so the voters clearly have given them too much credit for that victory. They now hit the road in a big letdown spot where they are a solid 3-1 but one of those was against 1-6 Georgia Tech and the other two were against Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh, both impressive, but by 3 and 1 point respectively. Wake Forest is riding a three-game winning streak, granted they were nothing special coming against Louisville, Florida St. and Boston College but two of those were on the road which makes them a little better. The Demon Deacons are 5-2 in the conference, which is two games behind Clemson for first place and they are in a great spot here as they are a perfect 9-0 at home that also includes a Duke win as well as quality wins against Georgia and Virginia Tech and overall, two of the five losses have been by a bucket. This is also a revenge game for Wake Forest which lost by 20 points in Clemson in its ACC opener so there are many motivational factors here in what is going to be a crazy environment. 10* (658) Wake Forest Demon Deacons

This is a play on the IOWA ST. CYCLONES for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Iowa St. is coming off a tough two-point loss at Kansas on Saturday which snapped its six-game winning streak and it will be out for some retribution. The Cyclones are tied with Kansas St. and Texas for second place in the Big 12 at 4-1 and they are now 15-3 overall with all three losses coming against upcoming NCAA Tournament teams. All three losses have come away from home as Iowa St. is 9-0 at home and while a lot of those have been cupcake wins, it does include a 15-point win over a very solid Baylor team and all but one of those victories has been by double digits. The have a stout defense as Iowa St. has held its first five conference opponents to 70 points or less for the first time in Big 12 history. Texas enters tonight on a three game winning streak and the 15-2 start marks its best 17-game start to a season since 2009. It has not been easy of late however as the Longhorns last two wins came against TCU and Texas Tech by four and two points respectively and both of those were at home. They are a perfect 2-0 on the road with the wins coming by a point against 2-3 Oklahoma and a 10-point win against 1-4 Oklahoma St. The team has rallied around each other since the dismissal of head coach Chris Beard, who has since been fired, but this will be toughest test of the season away from home with the best opponent being Illinois on a neutral floor which resulted in a seven-point loss. 10* (640) Iowa St. Cyclones

This is a play on the KANSAS ST. WILDCATS for our Big 12 Game of the Month. Kansas has won 10 straight games following a two-point win over Iowa St. on Saturday as it added another close victory to the slate. Four of the last five wins have come by 2, 3, 4 and 2 points so the Jayhawks have been both fortunate and clutch but the latter is what makes good teams great. That being said, they are going into a hornets nest tonight. Kansas is 3-0 on the road with two blowout wins were against West Virginia, which is 0-5 in the Big 12, and Missouri, which is fading after an overachieving 12-1 start. They do nothing special as the Jayhawks are ranked No. 40 or worse in all eight major statistical categories. Kansas St. had won nine straight games before getting torched at TCU by 14 points on Saturday to fall to 4-1 in the conference, good for a second place tie with Texas and Iowa St. The Wildcats are 15-2 overall, with the other loss coming at Butler which was not a very good loss as they had their worst defensive game of the season, allowing the Bulldogs to shoot 54.9 percent from the floor. Both losses were on the road and Kansas St. is 9-0 at home and while this is the biggest test here on the season, they will be ready for this rivalry game coming off that defeat. Kansas has owned this series with wins in nine of the last 10 meetings including seven straight but this is the first top 15 matchup between the two teams since 2013. 10* (632) Kansas St. Wildcats

This is a play on the TULANE GREEN WAVE for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. Houston remains the No. 1 team in the country as it has won eight straight games to improve to 17-1 including 5-0 in the AAC. The one win last week was not a great one as the Cougars won by six points at home as a 23.5-point favorite and they hit the road where they are 3-0, covering all three of those games and they are laying a big number in what is a tough spot. They possess of the best defenses in the nation as they are No. 1 on points allowed and No. 2 in both opponents shooting percentage and opponents three-point shooting percentage but has a big test at hand here. Typically, this would be a game to look past but Tulane is off to a great start as it sits in solo second place in the AAC with a 5-1 record that includes five straight wins. The lone blemish came at Cincinnati in the conference opener and the offense has picked it up during this winning streak which has helped the Green Wave cover all five of those games. Tulane has the highest scoring offense in the AAC averaging 87.8 ppg in conference play and 81.9 ppg on the season and they have gone over 90 points five times which is more than the last two seasons combined. The game is already sold out and this is a rare time as Tulane has not hosted a No. 1 team since 2008 so this is a massive game for the program as they look to improve upon their 8-1 record at home. 10* (636) Tulane Green Wave

This is a play on the TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS for our NFL Wildcard Game of the Month. Tampa Bay was probably the most underachieving team in the league this season and was fortunate to have played in the weakest division in the NFL. That being said, Tom Brady has excelled in these positions before and is battle tested that can will his team to a win. He is coming off his worst passer rating since coming to Tampa Bay but he has been sharper with the vertical attack of late with the exception of a pair of bad games against Cincinnati and San Francisco and we cannot put Dallas on those levels. The Buccaneers closed the season 1-6 against the number and that is playing into the fact it is an underdog in this game and while its 4-4 record at home is not great, it needs to be respected. Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen could be activated this week after missing the regular season with a knee injury and this would be a massive boost to the offensive line. Dallas is coming off a clunker in the season finale but it was just going through the motions so we can probably discount that. Still, the Cowboys have not been playing well with some close wins and in the last four victories, they have faced Matt Ryan, Davis Mills, Gardner Minshew and Joshua Dobbs and they have been outgained in three of their last four games. The Cowboys were solid at home with an 8-1 record but are just 4-4 on the road and are at a disadvantage at quarterback. Dak Prescott is currently playing the worst football of his career and he has tossed 15 interceptions this season despite playing only 12 games and he had an awful performance in the first meeting with Tampa Bay. Here, we play against favorites in a game involving two teams allowing between 18 and 23 ppg, after a loss by 10 or more points. This situation is 33-9 ATS (78.6 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (152) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This is a play on the WESTERN KENTUCKY HILLTOPPERS for our CBB Monday Enforcer. We played against Florida Atlantic on Saturday and we lost by the hook in a game North Texas was leading late and we are going against the Owls again Monday in a letdown spot with an overinflated line. Florida Atlantic has won 15 straight games and has started 6-0 in C-USA and after a blowout win over Florida International to open conference action, the last five wins have come by a total of 18 points. The Owls are 5-1 on the road this season and this is just their third road game since December 4th as seven of their last nine games have been played at home. Western Kentucky is a team that can end this streak as it comes in with some momentum riding a three-game winning streak which came on the heels of a five-game losing skid that included some brutal losses. The Hilltoppers are 5-2 at home with the two losses coming against North Texas and Rice by a combined seven points and the five wins came by an average of 22 ppg. Western Kentucky is 3-3 in C-USA, trailing the Owls by three games, and it could be a lot closer as the three conference losses have been by a total of 12 points. This has been a winning program for years as Western Kentucky is one of 17 programs in the nation to have won at least 19 games in each of the last five seasons so this not a game they will be intimidated by. 10* (882) Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

This is a play on the BROOKLYN NETS for our NBA Sunday Supreme Annihilator. Brooklyn was on a roll as it had won 18 of 20 games and then the bad news came with Kevin Durant getting hurt who is now out of the line up for at least a month. The first game without him did not go well as the Nets lost at home to the Celtics by 11 points on Thursday and are now 3.5 games behind Boston in the Eastern Conference. This is a pivotal home game as they head out on a five-game roadtrip following this one and while they have played well on the road, taking care of the home floor against the non-elite teams is paramount. The Nets are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games against teams with a losing straight up record. Oklahoma City has won two straight games, both as an underdog, as it defeated Philadelphia and Chicago to make it four wins over its last five games. The Thunder have climbed back to three games under .500 which puts them in the No. 12 spot in the Western Conference, three and a half games out of the final playoff spot. Despite the two recent wins, the Thunder are only 7-14 on the road and while they are a very potent 11=4 ATS on the road against teams above .500, six of those covers have been while getting double digits where they are a percent 6-0 ATS on the season. Oklahoma City is 4-14 ATS in its last 18 games after having won four or five of their last six games. Here, we play against underdogs coming off an upset win as an underdog going up against an opponent off a home loss. This situation is 136-86 ATS (61.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (568) Brooklyn Nets

This is a play on the NEW YORK GIANTS for our NFL Sunday Enforcer. This line stinks. These teams played less than a month ago with the Vikings closing as a 4.5-point favorite as they won by three points on a last second 61-yard field goal and that result is partially dictating the line this week. Minnesota was outgained by 92 yards as it allowed 445 yards which has been the only time the Giants have eclipsed 400 yards in their last seven games as this defense is bad but New York was hurt by two costly turnovers. The Vikings have been outgained in six of their last nine games and they return home where they are 8-1 but seven of those wins were by only one possession with 11 of their 13 overall wins coming within that as well. They are the only team in NFL history that has at least 12 wins to go along with a negative point differential. The betting markets have caught up as Minnesota has dropped four of its last five games against the number. The Giants had nothing to play for last week against the Eagles, did not play most starters and still kept the game close. Brian Daboll has done an outstanding job in his first season as the head coach and he will have his team ready. The overall numbers have not been great but they are a respectable No. 18 in total offense with a great rushing attack and they possess the much better defense. While it was not an exceptional season for Daniel Jones, it was his best one of his career as he posted a career high 92.5 passer rating which was tied for No. 13 in the league and he was tied with, you guessed it, Kirk Cousins. His success can be credited to Daboll without question. Saquon Barkley had only 84 yards rushing in the first meeting but he ran it just 14 times and now faces a defense that has allowed an average of 138.7 ypg over the last six weeks. The Giants are 5-1 when Barkley gets 20 or more carries and that will definitely be the goal here as long as they do not get down big early. 10* (147) New York Giants

This is a play on the MISSOURI ST. BEARS for our MVC Game of the Month. This is a get right game for Missouri St. as it has dropped two straight games including a 10-point loss at Illinois St. on Wednesday but that game was decided in overtime. The Bears are now 4-3 in the Missouri Valley Conference and return home where they are 5-2 which includes three straight wins and covers, winning those games by 15.7 ppg. This is a very balanced team with some great depth as a total of 11 different Bears have scored in double digits this season. Missouri St. is ranked No. 36 in the country in scoring defense, allowing just 62.9 ppg this season including 62.4 ppg in conference games. Indiana St. has been the surprise of the conference as it is 13-5 overall including a 6-1 record in the MVC after suffering its first loss of the season on Wednesday at home against Southern Illinois. The Sycamores hit the road where they are 4-2 but the last two wins came against two of the fourth worst teams in the conference and the two losses were suspect ones at Duquesne and Southern Indiana. The offense was exposed in the last game against the Salukis and they will have another very tough assignment here. Here, we play on home teams as a favorite or pickem with a winning percentage between .400 and .499 coming off a road loss by 10 points or more, playing a winning team. This situation is 52-23 ATS (69.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (848) Missouri St. Bears

This is a play on the PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. We played against Portland on Thursday as it lost to Cleveland for its fifth straight loss to fall three games under .500 and after sitting around the bottom of the Western Conference playoff standings, the Blazers are now 3.5 games out of the final playoff spot. They failed to cover any of those five games as well and now they come in as a favorite despite this run which is an indication that Damian Lillard could get back on the floor tonight. The last two losses came at home where Portland is now 9-8 on the season. The Mavericks opened this current five-game roadtrip with a pair of losses against the Thunder and the Clippers but bounced back with a win at the Lakers on Thursday but that took overtime and now it heads to Portland for a pair of back-to-back games to conclude the trek. Dallas is 8-13 on the road while going 7-14 against the number and this includes a 3-9 ATS nark on the road against teams with a losing record. The offense has been the issue and they are also one of the worst free throw shooting teams in the league. Here, we play on favorites revenging a loss where opponent scored 100 or more points, off a home loss. This situation is 206-140 ATS (59.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (560) Portland Trail Blazers

This is a play on the LOYOLA-MARYMOUNT LIONS for our WCC Game of the Year. Loyola-Marymount has dropped two straight games following a 12-5 start but those came against two of the top teams in the West Coast Conference and now it returns home in need of a big win before facing Gonzaga next week. The Lions are now 2-3 in the conference and come into Saturday 7-2 at home while outscoring opponents by 13 ppg. They possess a great offense that averages over 75 ppg and now faces one of the worst defenses in the country. This has the potential for a huge blowout. San Diego is coming off a win over Pepperdine at home on Thursday which was its third straight home game and this is the first trip on the road since last month and in a bad spot on top of its. The Toreros are 2-5 away from home this season and while they do get credit for blowing out San Francisco by 12 points as 10-point underdogs, that was an outlier. The defense as mentioned is ranked No. 342 in points allowed, No. 352 in opponents shooting percentage and No. 362 in opponents three-point shooting percentage. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points in the second half of the season averaging between 74 and 78 ppg and after allowing 85 points or more going up against teams allowing between 67 and 74 ppg. This situation is 34-10 ATS (77.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (810) Loyola-Marymount Lions

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES CHARGERS for our NFL Saturday Primetime Dominator. The Chargers closed the season with wins in four of their last five games with the loss being the meaningless Week 18 game against the Broncos. They did play starters longer than expected with came with mixed opinions but they did not lose any rhythm which is a big part. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has been playing well over the second half of the season with a rating of 100 or higher in five of his last eight games and he presents a tough matchup for the Jacksonville defense. The Jaguars have faced Joshua Dobbs, Davis Mills and Zach Wilson over their last three games so they were not tested while allowing only 22 combined points in those games. On the season, Jacksonville finished No. 30 in DVOA and were one of just five teams that allowed 4,000 yards passing. Herbert was banged up earlier in the season and he has dealt with many key teammates missing time as well and the Chargers are relatively healthy heading into the postseason. He threw for 297 yards in the first meeting this season but he had broken ribs. Jacksonville meanwhile has won five straight games to get to this point with both sides of the ball playing well. A win over Dallas was very solid but the last three have come against the Jets, Texans and Titans which went a combined 4-20 over the last eight weeks and it took a fumble recovery for a touchdown to win last week. Trevor Lawrence has played well over the second half of the season as well but he was not sharp last week and is not as consistent as Herbert has been. Here, we play on teams revenging a loss where opponent scored 35 or more points, off a loss by seven points or less to a division rival. This situation is 65-28 ATS (69.9 percent) since 1983. 10* (143) Los Angeles Chargers

This is a play on the OREGON ST. BEAVERS for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. Arizona St. is coming off a big win at Oregon on Thursday by 17 points as an underdog and is now seeing a 12-point swing in a letdown spot. The Sun Devils have won three straight games to improve to 5-1 in the Pac 12 as they trail UCLA by one game with the lone loss coming against rival Arizona. They are now 3-2 on the road and this is the first instance this season where they are playing consecutive road games and in a span with only day of rest in-between. Oregon St. got beat by Arizona Thursday by 12 points to make it four straight losses but the previous three were all on the road. The Beavers are 0-8 this season away from home but are a solid 7-2 at home which does include an impressive conference win against Washington. Both teams possess above average defenses and play at slower paces which can favor the underdog in spots like these. They allowed 86 points against Arizona but this matchup is completely opposite of that fast paced team. Here, we play on underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points in the second half of the season averaging between 63 and 67 ppg and after trailing their last two games by 10 or more points at the half going up against teams allowing between 63 and 67 ppg. This situation is 52-22 ATS (70.3 percent) since 1997. 10* (698) Oregon St. Beavers

This is a play on the NORTH TEXAS MEAN GREEN for our CBB Revenge Dominator. North Texas has won four straight games to move to 5-1 in C-USA with that lone loss coming at home against Florida Atlantic so there is revenge in play today. The Mean Green are 4-1 on the road so winning in enemy territory is not an issue and they have one of the best defenses in the country and that aspect of the game travels well. They are No. 3 in scoring defense and No. 15 in opponent shooting defense so catching any points is a bonus. North Texas is 14-3 with the last two losses coming by two possessions. Florida Atlantic has won 14 straight games and has started 5-0 in C-USA and after a blowout win over Florida International to open conference action, the last four wins have come by a total of 14 points. The Owls are 10-0 at home so this is not an easy place for opponents success but these are the two top teams in the conference and Florida Atlantic handed the Mean Green their only home loss of the season. The Owls also have a great defense so we should expect a low scoring game similar to that first meeting. Here, we play on road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points revenging a straight up loss as a home favorite going up against an opponent off two consecutive wins by five points or less over a conference rival. This situation is 51-20 ATS (71.8 percent) since 1997. 10* (635) North Texas Mean Green

This is a play on the MISSISSIPPI REBELS for our CBB Saturday Afternoon Dominator. Georgia is coming off a win over Mississippi St. as a home underdog and has nor won five of its last six games while covering six of its last seven games including three straight. Only one of the recent six games was a true road game which was a loss at Florida and on the season, the Bulldogs are 0-3 on the road and getting outscored by more than what they are getting today. They do possess a strong defense to go along with one of the better rebounding margins in the country but have a tough matchup here. Mississippi is coming off a loss against Auburn to fall to 0-4 in the SEC but those have come against some tough opponents. It has played a tough schedule that is ranked No. 6 in the country and with a combined opponent record of 162-86, they have taken on eight teams with a current NET ranking in the top-100. The Rebels are averaging 12.6 offensive rpg, which has made them one of the best in the country in earning second chances on the glass, currently ranking No. 41 in the nation. Here, we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points after being beaten by the spread by 36 or more points total in their last five games going up against an opponent after going over the total by 36 or more points total in their last five games. This situation is 80-46 ATS (63.5 percent) since 1997. 10* (626) Mississippi Rebels

This is a play on the VCU RAMS for our CBB Friday Enforcer. This is a contrarian play with Dayton coming off seven straight wins, all by double digits and by an average of 21.7 ppg. The Flyers have started 4-0 in the Atlantic 10 and bring in a 9-0 home record but have their toughest matchup coming into town and the line is taking their recent run into account more than the opponent. They are very strong on defense and play at a slower pace as they are No. 9 in the country in points allowed and No. 4 in shooting percentage allowed but a lot of that is due to the opponents as they have played a schedule ranked No. 213 in the country. VCU comes in with an identical 12-5 record as it has won seven of its last eight games. The Rams got off to a 0-3 start on the road but won their first road game last time out over Loyola-Chicago by 14 points so they have that confidence on their side even though they also take a step up in competition. While not as good as Dayton on the defensive side of the floor, they are still very solid as they are No. 31 in defensive efficiency so with both defenses likely to dictate the flow of this game, a sizable underdog is very attractive. Here, we play on road teams as an underdog or pickem off a road win by 10 points or more going up against an opponent off a road win by 20 points or more. This situation is 81-41 ATS (66.4 percent) since 1997. 10* (881) VCU Rams

This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS for our NBA Western Conference Game of the Month. We are going against the grain here with one of the worst road teams in the league but the situation sets up ideally. The eight-game homestand started great for the Warriors as they won the first five games but it ended with a flop as they lost the last three game which included a pair of bad losses against Detroit and Orlando. They are back to full strength as Steph Curry is back in the lineup after missing close to a month of action and he showed some rust in his first game back against Phoenix. The offense remains one of the best in the league and Golden St. has a great matchup against a horrible defense that is last in the league in points allowing, shooting percentage allowed and three-point shooting percentage allowed. The Spurs have lost three straight games but they have been competitive with five straight covers while getting the cash in seven of their last eight games but there were only two outright wins over that eight-game stretch. They are 8-14 at home which is not horrible for one of the worst teams in the league but they are in a very bad situation here against a team out to prove something and ready for another big run. San Antonio has an offense that is better than its defense but it is still bottom half of the league whose leading scorers are Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell. Here, we play on road favorites (coming off two or more consecutive upset losses as a favorite. This situation is 49-21 ATS (70 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (535) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the CLEVELAND CAVALIERS for our NBA Thursday Enforcer. We played against Cleveland on Tuesday as it lost in Utah by a bucket to fall to 1-2 on this current five-game roadtrip but we are backing them here in a good bounce back spot. The Cavaliers are now in the No. 5 spot in the Eastern Conference, five games behind Boston and is just a game out of the No. 4 spot where they can take advantage of their excellent home court advantage. They have struggled on the road but when coming off a loss, Cleveland is riding a 60 percent winning clip and bring in the best defense in the NBA going up against a potentially banged up team as Damian Lillard is questionable with an ankle injury. Additionally, they get Ricky Rubio back in the lineup so his season debut. Portland has lost four straight games to fall two games under .500 including a bad home loss against Orlando last time out. The Blazers are now 3.5 games out of the final playoff position in the Western Conference. They had won four straight home games prior to the Orlando loss but those were all against losing teams and have won only two of five games as a home underdog. The Blazers are 0-8 ATS in their last eight games playing on one day of rest. Here, we play against home teams where the line is +3 to -3 off an upset loss as a home favorite going up against an opponent off a road loss. This situation is 32-12 ATS (72.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (527) Cleveland Cavaliers

This is a play on the USC TROJANS for our Pac 12 Game of the Month. Colorado has won two straight and seven of its last eight games and has moved to 3-3 in the Pac 12 after a 0-2 start. The issue with the Buffaloes is taking them out of Boulder in the high altitude where they are 8-1 compared to 1-3 on the road which includes a bad loss at California in their last road game as a double-digit favorite. The Buffaloes have posted a 39.7 percent defensive field goal percentage in nine home games, but that number jumps to 43.1 percent in the eight games away from home which includes four neutral site games. USC has dropped two straight games following a seven-game winning streak and this is the first time back home since December 18 when it knocked off a very good Auburn team. The Trojans got off to a 3-0 start in Pac-12 play, winning road games at two places where Colorado lost against Washington and California. USC is 7-1 at home which includes seven straight wins after a season opening loss against Florida Gulf Coast and will be fired up after a tough defeat against rival UCLA in their last game. Here, we play against road teams in the second half of the season in a game involving two teams allowing between 63 and 67 ppg, after a combined score of 125 points or less in two straight games. This situation is 30-12 ATS (71.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (828) USC Trojans

This is a play on the UTAH JAZZ for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. Utah has run into a lull as it has dropped two straight and seven of its last eight games to fall three games under .500 on the season and the Jazz are now three games out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Five of those seven losses came on the road and while the other two were at home, they were by a combined five points. This is the start of a stretch of six of the next seven games at home where they are 12-7 and outscoring opponents by close to five ppg. The Jazz are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. Cleveland has bounced back from a three-game losing skid with wins in three of its last four games including a win at depleted Phoenix last time out. The Cavaliers own one of the best home records in the NBA as they are 18-4 but are just 8-11 on the road while covering only six of those games. Cleveland has been the pleasant surprise in the Eastern Conference as it is just three games out of first place but has struggled with consistent covers as it has gone 1-6 in its last seven games following a spread win. The Cavaliers are 3-10-1 ATS in their last 14 road games against teams with a winning home record. Here, we play on underdogs averaging between 114 and 118 ppg and after allowing 120 points or more in two straight games going up against teams averaging between 108 and 114 ppg. This situation is 32-13 ATS (71.1 percent) since 1996. 10* (570) Utah Jazz

This is a play on the GEORGETOWN HOYAS for our CBB Tuesday Ultimate Underdog. Georgetown has lost seven straight games including six straight in the Big East and going back, it has dropped 26 consecutive conference games following a 22-point loss at Marquette on Saturday. The streak has to end sometime and this could be that spot but we are getting a generous line at home for some leeway. The Hoyas failed to cover six of those seven games and the adjustment has been put into this line in what looks to be a higher scoring game based on the total set and that can favor a home underdog of this many points. The Hoyas are 4-1 ATS in their last five games after allowing more than 90 points in their previous game. Seton Hall is coming off a win over Butler on Saturday to improve to 2-4 in the conference but that was at home where it is 8-4 but now hits the road where it is just 1-4 which includes three straight losses. The Pirates have been underdogs in all five road games by at least seven points and now the line has completely flipped which is another huge overreaction. Offensively, the Pirates have struggled as they are No. 229 in scoring and their three-point shooting has been a downfall where they are ranked No. 316 in the country. The Pirates are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games against teams with a winning percentage below .400. Here, we play against road favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points after beating the spread by 24 or more points total in their last three games going up against an opponent after being beaten by the spread by 42 or more points total in their last seven games. This situation is 42-9 ATS (82.4 percent) since 1997. 10* (640) Georgetown Hoyas

This is a play on the TCU HORNED FROGS for our CFB Bowl Game of the Year. TCU is the surprise of the college football season and it continues to get no respect. Despite a 12-0 record, the Horned Frogs were underdogs in the Big 12 Championship because no one wants to bet on this team and while they lost, it took overtime in a game they outgained the Wildcats by 65 yards and were more impressive last week. Many thought of it to be a mismatch against Michigan even with its high-powered offense but they scored 51 points and put up 488 yards against one of the best defenses in the country which showed the Horned Frogs do belong. They obviously have another big test here against one of the best defenses in the country but possess one of the best offensive minds in college football in head coach Sonny Dykes who worked with the late, great Mike Leach at Texas Tech and turned around offenses in his stops before heading to TCU. In the last two games, the Georgia defense has given up 850 yards passing and it has been middle of the road all season at No. 52 overall. Georgia no doubt has a power offense of its own and the fact TCU allowed 45 points against Michigan is a concern but overall, the Horned Frogs held some very solid defenses from the Big 12 in check. The Horned Frogs had more wins over ranked opponents (6) than Georgia (4) and while the teams cannot dictate who they play in not giving Georgia the same amount off opportunities, the fact that they won those games tells a lot for TCU. Power rankings call for Georgia being a touchdown favorite here which shows an inflated line which was also the case against Michigan that unfortunately we did not take advantage of. One overlooked factor here is that Georgia had the advantage of playing the SEC Championship and the CFP Semifinals at Mercedes-Benz Stadium which is not too far from campus so there was hardly any travel and that has been the case for most of this season. Eight games were played away from Athens including four neutral sites that were all close by and the furthest trip was to Missouri and we all saw what almost happened there. This is not an end all be all aspect but counts some. 10* (287) TCU Horned Frogs

This is a ply on the MILWAUKEE BUCKS for our NBA Monday Enforcer. Milwaukee is coming off an awful loss against Charlotte on Saturday as it lost by 29 points in a game that was basically over after the first 12 minutes as Charlotte scored 51 first-quarter points which tied the NBA record for most points in an opening quarter. Giannis Antetokounmpo was held to just nine points which was a season low so we can expect a bounce back from him here. The Bucks are now in third place in the Eastern Conference, two and a half games behind Boston, after their recent 3-6 nine-game run and this is the start of a four-game roadtrip where they are 9-9 on the season. The Bucks are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games following an ATS loss. The Knicks are in the midst of another streak as they have won four straight games which followed a four-game losing skid coming after an eight-game winning streak. The recent run includes two straight wins at home with the last real quality win coming against Cleveland back in early December. They are 4-11 against teams ranked within the top 10 which is tied for the third fewest wins against the top ten among teams ranked in the top 20. New York is 9-22 ATS in its last 31 home games when playing against a team with a winning record. Here, we play on favorites coming off an upset loss as a home favorite going up against an opponent off an upset win as a road underdog. This situation is 81-46 ATS (63.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (553) Milwaukee Bucks

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. The Clippers have lost five straight games and now sit just one game over .500 which is good for No. 6 in the Western Conference. Four of those losses were on the road and they are back home where they are 11-8 and catching a short number. The defense remains the strength as Los Angeles is No. 4 in points allowed and No. 6 in opponent shooting percentage and the numbers increase significantly on its home floor where it allows 104.9 ppg compared to 114.7 ppg on the road. The Clippers are 5-0 ATS in their last five games against teams with a losing straight up record. Atlanta is coming off a loss to the Lakers on Friday and have dropped five of its last six games to fall three games under .500 and it currently on the outside looking in on the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, two and a half games out of the final playoff spot. The Hawks have an identical 11-8 home record but they have struggled on the road where they are 7-13 which also matches their record against the number. They have played an overall weak schedule and come in with a 7-12 record against teams ranked within the top 16. The Hawks are 4-11 ATS in their last 15 games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game. Here, we play against road underdogs with a winning percentage between .400 and .499 off an upset loss as a road favorite. This situation is 33-11 ATS (75 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (550) Los Angeles Clippers

This is a play on the DETROIT LIONS for our NFL Sunday Primetime Dominator. Here is another easy scenario for Green Bay as a win and it is in the playoffs so the task at hand is to win its fifth straight game but the markets have adjusted here as well. The advanced line prior to the conclusion of the games last week had Green Bay -3 and it was quickly moved up because the Packers are going to be a big betting favorite this week and we are now catching value on the other side over a key number. In the Packers four victories, they were outgained in three of those as they only outyarded the Rams at home. Green Bay does nothing particularly well as it is ranked middle of the pack in all major statistical categories with the exception of its solid passing defense. The situation is a lot different for Detroit as it not only needs to win but also have Seattle lose earlier in the day. Because of this, the Lions will know their fate before kickoff but if Seattle wins, that does not mean they are going to pack in it. They might be disappointed once the news comes if the Seahawks are victorious, but they will be playing just as hard as this is a divisional rival and a chance to play spoiler and prevent the Packers from going to the playoffs. Teams do not pack it in in situations like this as players are still going all out for themselves, their contracts and their futures and Dan Campbell is not going down easy for anyone. This offense remains one of the best and keeps it in this one. Here, we play on road underdogs or pickems off a win against a division rival, in January games. This situation is 27-6 ATS (81.8 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (459) Detroit Lions

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES RAMS for our NFC West Game of the Month. It is an easy scenario for Seattle but not in its own control as it has to win here and have the Packers lose to Detroit Sunday night so this is a must win and in the final week of the regular season, these must wins scenarios force the markets to make adjustments. The advanced line was Seattle -3 and after its victory last week to keep its playoff hopes alive, the line jumped considerably as the Seahawks are a must win team that the public will be all over. We played against them last week and the Jets offense could not get anything going while Seattle was able to rush for 198 yards which was very uncharacteristic of the New York defense and Seattle will be facing another strong rushing defense here. It has been an up and down run for Los Angeles since Baker Mayfield took over as the Rams are 2-2 following a loss last week against the Chargers but they continue to play hard and would like nothing more than to eliminate Seattle from playoff contention. The win over Las Vegas was followed up by a horrible road effort at Green Bay with the weather playing a role in that and despite the loss last week, the running game has gotten potent again as they have gained 158 and 166 yards on the ground the last two weeks. Comparing the line to last week against the Chargers, Los Angeles is getting just a half-point less against a team not on the same level as the Chargers. Value and contrarian makes Los Angeles the play here and the Rams could use a big boost going into the offense after a disappointing campaign. 10* (451) Los Angeles Rams

This is a play on the SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS for our NFL Sunday Supreme Annihilator. This is the lone game we are going against a non-playoff team as Arizona is trash right now. The Cardinals have lost six straight games and while the last two were by four points combined including one in overtime, those were against bad teams in Atlanta and Tampa Bay and were already dominated once in the earlier matchup. The loss of Kyler Murray, who has played in just 10 games, has been a big reason for the rough season but he was not playing that well when he was in the lineup. This is a big number to lay but the situation calls for it and is backed up by a great one noted at the end. The 49ers are still competing for seeding in the NFC as they can clinch the No. 1 spot with a win and an Eagles loss and while the latter is unlikely, these games are being played at the same time so there will be no reason to let up unless they are scoreboard watching in the second half but they could already be winning huge by that point. San Francisco has won nine straight games and wants to keep this momentum rolling into the postseason no matter where it sits in the standings. The 49ers have been outgained only once over this stretch thanks to a top two defense and a top five offense behind Brock Purdy and his 101.4 quarterback rating to go along with his 10:4 TD/INT ratio. Here, we play against underdogs of 10.5 or more points with a winning percentage between .250 and .400 after two or more consecutive losses, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 27-3 ATS (90 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (468) San Francisco 49ers

This is a play on the CLEVELAND BROWNS for our NFL Sunday Enforcer. This is the third instance of going against an overinflated line favoring a team that needs to win to have a chance to get to the postseason. Pittsburgh has made a late season push as it has won three straight games and five of their last six to get to 8-8 and not only to try and secure a playoff spot but also finish without a losing record, something that has never happened under head coach Mike Tomlin. The win last week over Baltimore was a good one but it was against a second string quarterback and the other four wins over this recent stretch were all against teams with a worst record than Cleveland. The defense has been solid as they have held their last three opponents to fewer than 300 total yards but are in a tricky spot here. It is tricky because they are facing Deshaun Watson who has not been good through five starts but is coming off his best game with a 122.5 passer rating against a solid Washington defense as he finally showed flashes of what he is capable of even though he threw the ball only 18 times. His ability to run can cause problems here as the Steelers have not faced a quarterback like this since facing Jalen Hurts in late October. The Browns were expected to have a not so great season without Watson for 11 games and that came to fruition but still possess the No. 6 rushing offense to go along with an above average defense. Here, we play against home favorites in a game involving two teams committing 1.25 or fewer turnovers per game after a game where they forced one or less turnovers. This situation is 69-35 ATS (66.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (461) Cleveland Browns

This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. The Warriors are coming off a bad home loss against Detroit on Wednesday and while the absence of Steph Curry is a huge one, it had not deterred them recently previous to that game. Golden St. had won five straight games prior to that which included victories over Memphis, Portland and Utah and now it catches its second straight home game against one of the worst teams from the Eastern Conference. The Warriors have been the epitome of home court matters as the host is 33-6 in its 39 games this season and you have to go back a long way to find a defending NBA champion that has started the season 3-16 on the road which includes a one point loss at Orlando earlier in the season. The Magic put together a solid 8-1 run in December but have lost four of their last five games and this is their first game outside the central time zone since November 1 when they played a pair of games at Dallas and Oklahoma City. Orlando starts a five-game west coast swing here where it comes in 4-13 away from home and hits the wrong place at the wrong time to start it off. The defense remains the liability where they are bottom tier and have allowed 121.4 ppg over their last five games. Here, we play on teams revenging a straight up loss as a favorite of seven points or more, off an upset loss as a home favorite. This situation is 47-18 ATS (72.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (530) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the TENNESSEE TITANS for our NFL Saturday Primetime Dominator. Tennessee and Jacksonville have taken different routes in the second half of the season to get to this point where the Week 18 matchup decides the division. The Titans come in riding a six-game losing streak but three of those were one possession games while two of the blowouts were against Super Bowl contenders Philadelphia and Dallas and the sixth came against this Jacksonville team which adds some added juice even though that is not needed with what is on the line. While they have been outgained in all six of those games, only one, the game against the Eagles, was a complete domination and the other four were by just an average of 46.4 ypg so while the losses have accumulated, it has not been a complete implosion. Tennessee treated last week as basically a bye week as the game against Dallas meant nothing and it was still a game early in the fourth quarter so it comes in with a bunch of rested players which is at a perfect time. Joshua Dobbs gets the start at quarterback and he was not great but was able to move the ball vertically with no running game behind him and a healthy Derrick Henry along with a superior defense makes them a live dog here. Jacksonville meanwhile has won four straight games to get to this point with both sides of the ball playing well. A win over Dallas was very solid but the last two have come against the Jets and Texans which are a combined 2-12 over the last seven weeks. The play of Trevor Lawrence has been outstanding over the last eight weeks with 14 touchdowns and two interceptions although he did not throw a touchdown pass in either of the last two games. The overall offense has moved into the top ten but they are still facing a tough defense in a divisional game and based on recent results, the Jaguars number is overinflated. Here, we play on road underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points after allowing 99 or less rushing yards in three straight games. This situation is 23-5 ATS (82.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (457) Tennessee Titans

This is a play on the CONNECTICUT HUSKIES for our CBB Saturday Afternoon Dominator. Connecticut finally found a small speedbump in the schedule which was inevitable as it hit the road following a 14-0 start and lost games at Xavier and Providence by double-digits and now returns home out to prove something. The Huskies have rolled through their home schedule at 9-0 and has won those games by an average of nearly 26 ppg and while it has been filled with a bunch of cupcakes, it does include solid wins over Oklahoma St. and Villanova. Connecticut has dropped four straight against the number as the markets have had to some adjusting and that is the case here based on the recent roadtrip and the recent resurgence of Creighton. The Bluejays have won three straight games after a six-game losing streak and while five of those were away from home, the one home loss was a head scratcher against Nebraska by 10 points as a 14-point favorite. The recent three-game run has not exactly come against murderers row as they were against Butler, DePaul and Seton Hall which all have started under .500 in Big Easy play through five games. Creighton is 0-2 on the road and while it played Texas tough, it was blown out at Marquette as just a four-point underdog. 10* (608) Connecticut Huskies

This is a play on the SAN ANTONIO SPURS for our NBA Friday Supreme Annihilator. The Spurs have lost three straight games, the last two on the road against the Nets and Knicks and are back home in a rare spot. There have not been many winnable games for San Antonio this season as this is just the second time all season it has been favored which resulted in a win and cover and the Spurs have had success of late as they are 4-0 in their last four games when getting five or fewer points so they have fared well in the marginal games as well. The Spurs are 4-0 ATS in their last four home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. Detroit is coming off a win over Golden St. on Wednesday and it has alternated wins and losses over its last six games and this has been a common theme this season. Detroit has not been able to put together consecutive solid efforts this season as it is 2-16 this season following a cover in its previous game while winning just one of 10 games following an outright victory. The Pistons have had to deal with the season ending injury to Cade Cunningham and now they are without Marvin Bagley III for at least a month and a half. The Pistons are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a losing straight up record. Here, we play on teams allowing a shooting percentage of 50 percent or higher, averaging 48 or fewer rpg on the season. This situation is 41-20 ATS (67.2 percent) since 1996. 10* (510) San Antonio Spurs

This is a play on the BROOKLYN NETS for our NBA Friday Enforcer. Brooklyn had its 12-game winning streak snapped with a loss at Chicago on Wednesday and looks to regroup against a shorthanded Pelicans team. The Nets are now tied with Milwaukee for second place in the Eastern Conference, a game and a half behind Boston and the majority of this recent success has come on the road. Brooklyn has won seven of its last eight games on the highway after a 5-7 start while the offense has really picked it up as the Nets are averaging 123.2 ppg over their last 13 games. Brooklyn is 24-9 ATS in its last 33 road games after a game where they failed to cover the spread. New Orleans snapped a two-game losing streak with a win over the Rockets on Wednesday and the Pelicans have won five of its last seven games to remain in third place in the Western Conference, one game behind first place Denver and Memphis. They improved to 17-4 at home which is the third best home record in the NBA from a percentage standpoint but this is not the spot to add to it. New Orleans is without Zion Williamson for a few weeks and while the Pelicans brought it together in the first game he missed, that usually tends to happen in the first game a star is out and on top of that, it was against Houston. Here, we play on road favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points off an upset loss as a favorite going up against an opponent off a home win scoring 110 or more points. This situation is 58-25 ATS (69.9 percent) since 1996. 10* (513) Brooklyn Nets

This is a play on the WRIGHT ST. RAIDERS for our CBB Friday Star Attraction. Wright St. opened the season by losing its first three Horizon League games but got into the win column on Monday with a non-cover victory over IUPUI which can build some momentum going forward. The Raiders are back home following playing five of their previous six games on the road and their 3-3 record at home in nothing good but that is keeping this line short. The shortcomings have come on the defensive side but on offense, the Raiders are shooting 50 percent on the season which is No. 11 in the nation while their 78.2 ppg is good for No. 63 in the country. Detroit is 6-9 overall with a 2-2 Horizon League record and coming off a loss at home to Milwaukee and the Titans have lost four of their last five games going back to mid-December. That was their first home loss of the season where they are now 4-1 but they are 2-8 away from home on the season while getting outscored by over 10 ppg. They do play at a fast pace and while Detroit is No. 81 in adjusted offensive efficiency, it is ranked No. 311 in offensive shooting percentage and things are even worse on the other side where the Titans are No. 334 in adjusted defensive efficiency while sitting No. 302 in defensive shooting percentage. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points in the second half of the season averaging between 74 and 78 ppg and after a combined score of 165 points or more going up against teams allowing between 67 and 74 ppg. This situation is 34-10 ATS (77.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (880) Wright St. Raiders

This is a play on the USC TROJANS for our CBB Thursday Ultimate Underdog. USC had its seven-game winning streak snapped at Washington St. on Sunday as it lost by 10 points with a possible lookahead to this rivalry game. The Trojans are now getting a line more than 10 points higher which seems to be a very aggressive overreaction as its two other losses during an 11-2 stretch came against Wisconsin by five points and against Tennessee in overtime, both on a neutral floor. The defense has been the strength as USC is allowing opponents to shoot just 38.2 percent from the floor which is No. 17 in the country and that shortening of the game heavily favors a big underdog. UCLA has won 10 straight games including a sweep in Washington to improve to 4-0 in the Pac 12 that also includes wins over Stanford and Oregon in early December. The Bruins are a perfect 8-0 at home but has not been tested with the exception of that Oregon victory and that was actually one of their worst games of the season. The Ducks outshot UCLA 49 percent to 40.6 percent and that offense will be tested again here. Here, we play against favorites of 10 or more points in the second half of the season after three or more consecutive unders, averaging 76 or more ppg going up against teams averaging between 67 and 74 ppg. This situation is 93-51 ATS (64.6 percent) since 1997. 10* (821) USC Trojans

This is a play on the WICHITA ST. SHOCKERS for our CBB Thursday Enforcer. Wichita St. has lost two straight games following a 10-point loss against East Carolina and a 10-point loss against Central Florida to open 0-2 in the AAC. The Shockers are 7-7 with three of those other losses coming against major conference teams Missouri, Kansas St. and Oklahoma St. which are a combined 34-8. Two of those came at home where Wichita St. is 5-4 and going back, the Shockers have gone five straight games without a cover which is adding value to this number. Cincinnati had a four-game winning streak snapped with a loss at Temple on Sunday which was just its second road game of the season and its first since November 16 which resulted in a 13-point loss at Northern Kentucky. The Bearcats were rolled by Arizona and Ohio St. on a neutral floor and their only victory away from home was against 2-13 Louisville at the Maui Invitational. It is strength against strength as Cincinnati is powered by a potent offense but faces a defense that is ranked No. 9 in the country in opponent shooting percentage. Here, we play on underdogs coming off a loss by 10 points or more to a conference rival going up against an opponent off an upset loss as a road favorite. This situation is 135-77 ATS (63.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (818) Wichita St. Shockers

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Nonconference Game of the Month. Boston is coming off its worst loss of the season, and by a lot, as it lost in Oklahoma City by 33 points on Tuesday which was its second straight loss and it has been a bit of a rough stretch going back as the Celtics are 5-7 over their last 12 games. After allowing close to 60 percent shooting from the floor against the Thunder, Boston now sits just one game ahead of Milwaukee and Brooklyn for first place in the Eastern Conference and will look to close out this roadtrip 2-2 with a game at San Antonio on Saturday to conclude the trek. The defense overall has not been great but after allowing 48 percent or higher shooting in six of its last six games, Boston will put the pressure on tonight. Dallas has won seven straight games and is turning the corner after a slow start where it hovered right around .500 for most of the season. The Mavericks are six games over .500 and have moved into the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference, just two and a half games behind Denver and Memphis for first place. Luka Doncic has taken over as he has averaged 41.7 ppg during this winning streak including three 50-point or higher games and his 34.3 pp are nearly double of the Mavericks second leading scorer so it is clear who Boston has to key on. Here, we play on road favorites off a road loss by 10 points or more going up against an opponent off an road win scoring 110 or more points. This situation is 39-13 ATS (75 percent) since 1996. 10* (579) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS for our SEC Game of the Month. Arkansas is coming off a loss at LSU last week to open 0-1 in the SEC and the Razorbacks are now 11-2 and head back home to bounce back before another tough road game upcoming at Auburn. Arkansas is 7-0 at home and while it has been a tame schedule, it has been a dominating one as the Razorbacks have won those seven games by an average of 20 ppg. The pace of this game should be a fast one and that will favor Arkansas at home especially in a game it needs to rebound in. The Razorbacks had covered three straight games prior to this most recent loss. Missouri has exceeded expectations as it is 12-1 following an upset win at home against Kentucky by 14 points as a three-point underdog. The Tigers have won three straight games following its lone loss of the season which came against Kansas by 28 points. They are 1-0 on the road with the win coming at Wichita St. in overtime and the Shockers are not on the same level as the Razorbacks and their recent 6-2 ATS run including three straight is playing into this number. Here, we play against road teams as an underdog or pickem off a home win scoring 85 or more points, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages of .800 or better. This situation is 51-26 ATS (66.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (714) Arkansas Razorbacks

This is a play on the CHICAGO BULLS for our NBA Wednesday Enforcer. Brooklyn is the hottest team in the NBA as it has won 12 straight games and 16 of its last 17 after a slow start to the season to improve to 25-12. That run, along with some recent struggled by Milwaukee and Boston, have put the Nets into the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind the Celtics and one game ahead of the Bucks. This does include seven straight wins on the road after a 5-7 start but roll into a tough spot here and are favored by nearly the same number they were favored by two games ago against Charlotte, which is six games worse than the Bulls. Chicago is coming off a brutal loss against Cleveland in overtime where it blew a 21-point lead, allowed a game-tying bucket at the end of regulation and was outscored 15-4 in the extra five minutes. The story was Donovan Mitchell and his 71 points and 11 assists which outshined a strong performance from DeMar DeRozan who put up 44 points in the losing effort and has averaged 29.6 ppg over his last nine games. That made it two straight losses for the Bulls which came after a 5-1 run and they look to regroup at home where they are just 9-9 but have been solid in this situation overall, going 7-2 ATS as underdogs of five or more points. Here, we play against road teams covering eight or more of their last 10 games and playing six or less games in 14 days. This situation is 42-18 ATS (70 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (566) Chicago Bulls

This is a play on the ORLANDO MAGIC for our NBA Wednesday Supreme Annihilator. Orlando has lost three straight games all in blowout fashion but two of those had different circumstances as the loss in Detroit was overshadowed by a brawl that saw players get ejected and they were shorthanded in the last game against Washington. The Magic are getting seven players back that missed the game against the Wizards and are in a good situation to stop the three-game slide. Prior to that, Orlando was on an 8-2 run which was its best stretch of the season and it is now 5-2 in its last seven home games to move to 9-11 overall at home. Oklahoma City snapped a two-game losing streak with a 33-point win over Boston last night as a big second quarter put the game out of reach early. The Thunder are now 11-9 at home but hit the road where they are 5-12 and while they have a winning record against the number, most of those covers have come as big underdogs. They have played eight games against teams with a losing record compared to 25 games against winning teams so the schedule has been brutal but while they are 5-0 ATS at home against losing teams, they are 0-3 ATS on the highway. Oklahoma City is 1-3 in the second of back-to-back games this season. Here, we play against underdogs off an upset win as an underdog going up against an opponent off a home loss. This situation is 135-85 ATS (61.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (558) Orlando Magic

This is a play on the WESTERN CAROLINA CATAMOUNTS as part of our CBB Wednesday Three Pack. Western Carolina has started to play well hitting the heart of the Southern Conference as it has won four of its last five games including a 1-1 conference record following a 12-point win over Furman as an 11-point home underdog. That positive momentum can carry over into this game which is the start of three of the next four games taking place on the road. The Catamounts are 2-4 on the road and have covered four of the six games, all as underdogs, and two of the outright losses came against Georgia and Maryland which were more than expected. East Tennessee St. is off to a 2-0 start in the conference following road wins at VMI and Wofford which snapped a five-game losing streak and the Buccaneers and overvalued here. They have been favored eight times this season and this is the second biggest line they have laid despite going 2-6 ATS in those games including 1-5 ATS at home including four outright losses. East Tennessee St. is just 3-4 at home with not facing a single quality opponent to make up those defeats. Here, we play against home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points off a road win against a conference rival going up against an opponent off an upset win as an underdog of 10 or more. This situation is 33-10 ATS (76.7 percent) since 1997. 10* (659) Western Carolina Catamounts

This is a play on the ELON PHOENIX as part of our CBB Wednesday Three Pack. Two teams with nearly opposite records square off in the CAA as UNC-Wilmington heads to Elon with a 12-3 record that includes 11 consecutive wins so there is no surprise that it is putting this big of a number down. The Seahawks have gone 10-1 ATS in those games which is also a reason for the big line and this includes a 2-0 straight up and ATS mark in the conference against newcomers Monmouth and Hampton. This is no doubt a solid team that shared the CAA regular season title a season ago but they are in a tough spot here. Elon is 2-13 but it has played better than the record shows as the Phoenix have lost four of the last six games by six points or less. The schedule has been difficult of late as they have played their last five games on the road with this being their first home game since December 11 and they were a respectable 3-2 in those recent five road games. Elon is 2-3 at home with two of the three losses coming by four points each and it will be up to the offense to get back on track at home after scoring 50 and 52 points in the last two games. Here, we play against favorites of 10 to 19.5 points with a winning percentage of .800 or better having covered six or seven of their last eight against the spread. This situation is 102-61 ATS (62.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (688) Elon Phoenix

This is a play on the TULSA GOLDEN HURRICANE as part of our CBB Wednesday Three Pack. Tulsa is the worst ATS team in the country as it is 1-12 against the number which includes 10 straight losses. This includes a pair of ATS losses as double-digit underdogs but those games were against Oklahoma St. and Houston which are a combined 23-6. The Golden Hurricane are 0-4 on the road and are getting a huge number here based on the start to the season as not being able to cover and now the markets have overadjusted. This is a big spot to get some confidence going with two of the next three games against undefeated AAC teams. Tulane has split its first two conference games including an upset win against Memphis as a four-point underdog and now we are seeing a massive line switch by 17 points and it is just simply too much. The Green Wave are a solid 6-1 at home but it is a skewed record that has been inflated with cupcakes. Tulane has been favored by double-digits four times against some really bad teams and have failed to cover any of those and Tulsa is arguably the best of the bunch that it is laying these numbers to. This is a letdown spot on top of it. Here, we play on underdogs after a blowout loss by 20 points or more going up against an opponent after scoring 75 points or more in three straight games. This situation is 163-107 ATS (60.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (695) Tulsa Golden Hurricane

This is a play on the UTAH JAZZ for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. Utah has dropped four straight games to fall a game under .500 and it has fallen completely out of the Western Conference playoff standings, sitting a game and a half behind Phoenix and Golden St. for eighth and ninth place. The Jazz lost three of those on the road and after the most recent loss against Miami at home, they are now 12-6 at home and close a two-game homestand before hitting the road for three more games. The offense has been the strength overall as they are No. 4 in scoring with 117.3 ppg and that increases to 121.5 ppg at home. Utah is 15-5 ATS when playing against a team with a winning record this season. Sacramento had its two-game winning streak snapped with a 10-point loss at Memphis on Sunday. The Kings fell to 8-9 on the road and sitting four games over .500, they are No. 5 in the Western Conference, four games out of first place. It has been a surprisingly good season thanks to a potent scoring offense that is averaging 118 ppg and it is a reverse split like that of Utah as the scoring offense drops to 113.4 ppg on the road. The Kings are 2-5 ATS in their last seven road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. Here, we play on favorites revenging a loss where opponent scored 100 or more points, off a home loss. This situation is 204-136 ATS (60 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (552) Utah Jazz

This is a play on the VIRGINIA CAVALIERS as part of our CBB Tuesday Three Pack. Pittsburgh is coming off a big upset win over North Carolina to improve to 10-4 on the season including a 3-0 record in the ACC with all three wins coming as underdogs. After opening the season 1-3-1 against the numbers, the Panthers have covered nine straight games which is a streak to go against with value hitting the other side. Pittsburgh is 7-1 at home that includes six straight wins following a 25-point loss against West Virginia and now has its second straight tough test here. The Panthers are 1-4 ATS in their last five home games against teams with a winning road record. Virginia opened the season 9-0 but suffered a pair of consecutive losses against Houston and Miami, which are a combined 27-2, before bouncing back with two straight wins including a victory at Georgia Tech on Saturday to improve to 2-1 in the ACC. The defense has led the way of late, allowing only 52.3 ppg in their last four wins while allowing 32.8 percent shooting or less in three of those. Virginia is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 road games against teams allowing 42 percent or better shooting from the floor. Here, we play on favorites after two straight wins by 15 points or more going up against an opponent after scoring 75 points or more in three straight games. This situation is 81-37 ATS (68.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (633) Virginia Cavaliers

This is a play on the BUFFALO BULLS as part of our CBB Tuesday Three Pack. Ohio and Buffalo open conference play on Tuesday with the Bobcats bringing in a three-game winning streak to their MAC opener. Those victories were by 19, 19 and 16 points while easily covering those games and we are seeing value on the other side based on this run. Ohio hits the road where it is 2-4 that includes two straight wins on the highway where they are getting outscored by close to seven ppg. The offense has picked it up during this recent stretch, averaging 85.3 ppg and while facing a below average defense, it will be hard pressed to keep that going here. Buffalo enters the game with Ohio with a 6-7 record and is coming off loss at Michigan St. on Friday and is back home where it is 5-1 which includes four straight victories. The Bulls are second in the MAC averaging 78.8 ppg while shooting 46.6 percent from the floor with both of those are significantly better at home. The fast pace has skewed the defensive numbers and even more so with their three road games taking up part of that where they have allowed 89.7 ppg and that average drops by over 14 ppg. Here, we play on favorites with a winning percentage between .400 and .499 off a road loss by 10 points or more, playing a winning team. This situation is 58-24 ATS (70.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (604) Buffalo Bulls

This is a play on the MISSISSIPPI ST. BULLDOGS as part of our CBB Tuesday Three Pack. After opening the season 11-0, Mississippi St. has dropped its last two games including a loss to Alabama last week in its conference opener. The Bulldogs hit the road where they are 1-0 and are catching a massive number which is significant here based on this matchup. These are two of the best defenses in the country squaring off and this game has the lowest total of any game on the Tuesday schedule so a low scoring game greatly gives the big underdog an advantage. Mississippi St. is 6-0 ATS in its last six games after two or more consecutive losses. Tennessee opened SEC action with a four-point win at Mississippi last week to make it two straight wins to improve to 11-2 on the season. The Volunteers are 6-0 at home and have completely dominated here by outscoring opponents by 37.4 ppg but have not even been close to tested by a quality opponent. They have the best shooting defense in the country and by an even bigger margin in those home games and while the Bulldogs are no offensive juggernaut, this is the best they have seen. Here, we play on road underdogs of 10 to 19.5 points after being beaten by the spread by 30 or more points total in their last three games going up against an opponent after going under the total by 48 or more points total in their last seven games. This situation is 39-12 ATS (76.5 percent) since 1997. 10* (617) Mississippi St. Bulldogs

This is a play on the UTAH UTES for our CFB Rose Bowl Winner. Utah will be out for some retribution following a loss in the Rose Bowl last season, falling by a field goal to Ohio St. and it has a good matchup here to do so. Penn St. and Utah both do a fantastic job of getting pressure on the quarterback, stopping the run and creating turnovers but it is Utah that has played the tougher schedule and is better equipped to handle it here. Utah is one of five Power 5 teams that rank in the top 20 in both total offense and defense and led the Pac 12 in both categories. The offense is balanced led by underrated quarterback Cam Rising who threw for 2,939 yards and 25 touchdowns and just seven interceptions while completing 66.2 percent of his passes. The Utes will be without leading rusher Tavion Thomas but they have great depth and will be fine with Ja'Quinden Jackson and Micah Bernard. Over the last two games, Jackson rushed for 222 yards on 9.7 ypc and five touchdowns while Bernard rushed for 179 yards on 7.8 ypc and two touchdowns. One huge asset the Nittany Lions have is a strong rushing defense that is ranked No. 14 in the country despite allowing a whopping 418 rushing yards against Michigan. That is key because Penn St. faced some horrible rushing teams besides that. It was a great season for Penn St. with its only losses coming against Michigan and Ohio St. and it backed into the Rose Bowl because those two teams both qualified for the CFP. The Nittany Lions possess a very balanced offense led by veteran quarterback Sean Clifford who numbers rival those of Rising but faced some poor defenses down the stretch. Utah is ranked No. 20 in total defense with a strong rushing defense of its own as it is ranked No. 16 against the run. Here, we play on teams in the second half of the season averaging between 190 and 230 rushing ypg and after allowing 100 or less rushing yards last game going up against teams allowing between 140 and 190 rushing ypg. This situation is 99-54 ATS (64.7 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (283) Utah Utes

This is a play on the MINNESOTA VIKINGS for our NFL Sunday Star Attraction. The betting market has caught up to the Vikings as they have dropped three straight against the number including the last two games where they won outright by a field goal but failed to win by margin. Minnesota is now an underdog for just the third time in their last 14 games and we see the value. The Vikings clinched the division two games back and still have an outside shot for the No. 1 seen in the NFC should they win out and the Eagles lose their last two games. They will know the Philadelphia result before this game kicks off but they are not going to rest anyone in this divisional game that has a lot of meaning on its own as they will rest starters in Week 18 should they lock up the No. 2 seed but keep in mind they also are out to hold off the 49ers who are one game back. The Packers, who were left for dead a few weeks ago, have gotten back into the playoff mix as they have won three straight games but two of those were against the Bears and Rams and the other against the imploding Dolphins. The offense has picked it up after a slow start but the Packers could be without one of their best weapons as Christian Watson is questionable with a hip injury as he has not practiced all week. The Vikings have the offense that can have success against the passing defense of Green Bay and a lot of that will be to utilize the running game as there are only two teams that have a worse adjusted rush defense EPA than the Packers and those are the Seahawks and Bears. Betting against Aaron Rodgers in these spots is never easy but the Vikings are the clear side. Here, we play on teams where the line is +3 to -3 after three or more consecutive losses against the spread going up against an opponent after two or more consecutive wins against the spread. This situation is 36-11 ATS (76.6 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (127) Minnesota Vikings

This is a play on the NEW YORK JETS for our NFL Nonconference Game of the Month. The Jets and Seahawks, both of which looked to be playoff locks at one point in the season, have fallen on hard times and this is a must win game for both teams. The Jets have to win here and win next week in Miami so a loss here and their chances are done. New York has lost four straight games and is in much better shape at this point from a roster standpoint as they gladly welcome back quarterback Mike White who missed the last two games with a rib injury after Zach Wilson basically buried the Jets over those last two games. In the two losses prior to that at Buffalo and at Minnesota, New York outgained both opponents and both were there for the taking and now they will be facing their fifth straight opponent that is in the playoffs or still alive for a spot and it is the worst team of the bunch. While the offense has struggled with the inconsistent quarterback play, the defense is as good as it gets, ranked No. 3 overall and No. 4 in points allowed. Seattle has lost three straight games, also against playoff or playoff contending teams, and it has been outgained in four of its last six games. this team has been overrated all season long and going into Week 17, the Seahawks are ranked No. 30 in net adjusted EPA, ahead of only the Cardinals and Bears. This is mainly based on the defense which has been atrocious from day one. They are raked No. 29 in both total defense and scoring defense and are equally bad in both areas. Seattle has a bottom-10 pass rush, which has attributed to the secondary being left on an island and the rushing defense is even worse where they are second to last in the league. Here, we play on road teams involving two teams with winning percentages between .400 and .499 after failing to cover the spread in three out of their last four games. This situation is 22-4 ATS (84.6 percent) since 1983. 10* (123) New York Jets

This is a play on the WASHINGTON ST. COUGARS for our CBB Sunday Enforcer. Last week, Washington St. won its opening game at the Diamond Head Classic but followed that up with a pair of losses against Hawaii and Utah St. before returning home to resume Pac 12 play where it lost to UCLA by one point on Friday. The Cougars are now 0-3 in the conference with one of the other losses coming at home against Utah by just two points so they are a couple possessions away from having a winning record and now are now laying a short number at home with the public all over the road team. One major factor the public is against the Cougars is that they are 0-12 against the Trojans since January of 2016 but the last two meetings in Pullman were decided by just one bucket. USC is coming off a win at Washington on Friday and has opened Pac 12 play 3-0 for the second consecutive season and for only the second time since the 2002 season, when it began 5-0. USC has won seven consecutive games for the first time since beginning last season 13-0 but are in a tough spot with its second road game in three days and having a game against rival UCLA on deck. Like the Cougars, the Trojans possess a solid defense but one advantage the Cougars will possess on offense is its three-point shooting. Washington St. is 40-23 ATS in its last 63 home games after a loss by six points or less. 10* (810) Washington St. Cougars

This is a play on the HOUSTON TEXANS for our NFL Sunday Enforcer. The second to final week of the regular season is usually very important for teams trying to make a playoff spot but that is not the case here. Similar to Tennessee on Thursday, the season for Jacksonville comes down to next week in its home game against the Titans which will decide the AFC South win or lose here. The Titans rested a lot of players against the Cowboys and while the Jaguars have not announced anything as of yet, it would not be surprising for Doug Pederson to pull players as to remain healthy as he has done so in the past. Jacksonville is a sell team right now as it has won and covered three straight games to improve to 7-8 and while it is playing well, it has benefitted from a Tennessee meltdown to get into this position. The Jaguars offense remains the strength behind a great second half from quarterback Trevor Lawrence but the defense is well below average to give the Texans offense a chance for some success. Houston snapped a nine-game losing streak with a win over Tennessee last week and this provides its final opportunity to pick up a win at home as it is 0-6-1 which includes six consecutive losses. It has been an expected difficult season for the Texans but to their credit, they have played hard through the first 16 weeks as they have covered three straight games against either playoff or potential playoff teams and while they could have packed it in long ago, they have not. They did catch a break last week facing Tennessee with a backup quarterback but they have had the Jaguars number with nine straight wins in this series and while some of that is meaningless, there are matchup edges. Here, we play against favorites with a winning percentage between .400 and .499 after three or more consecutive wins against the spread, playing a losing team. This situation is 50-20 ATS (71.4 percent) since 1983. 10* (114) Houston Texans

This is a play on the CHICAGO BEARS for our NFL Sunday Ultimate Underdog. Detroit was rolling along with three straight wins and victories in six of its last seven games before getting exposed by Carolina last week as it allowed 37 points against one of the worst offenses in the NFL to severely hurt its playoff chances. The Lions are now 7-8 which is tied with Seattle and Green Bay, a half-game behind Washington for the final wild card spot in the NFL and are now favored for just the fifth time this season and by far the most the points they have laid. The one huge liability last week was the rushing defense as they allowed the Panthers to rush for 320 yards on 43 carries (7.4 ypc) and now face a team where rushing offense is the strength. The Lions do possess a strong offense but with that defense, any team can hang around. Chicago has lost eight straight games following a 22-point loss to Buffalo last week in horrible playing conditions and it closes out a lousy season with a pair of divisional games including this spoiler attempt. The Bears have covered only once in their last six games which creates value and those are the streaks we love going against especially in a divisional matchup. Despite gaining just 80 yards on the ground last week against Buffalo, the Bears still possess the top ranked rushing offense in the NFL. That poses well here and even more so knowing they rushed for 258 yards in the first meeting that resulted in a one point loss after blowing a 14-point fourth quarter lead that was aided by an interception returned for a touchdown by the Lions. Here, we play against home favorites with a winning percentage between .400 and .499 after covering the spread in six or seven out of their last eight games. This situation is 27-5 ATS (84.4 percent) since 1983. 10* (115) Chicago Bears

This is a play on the CLEVELAND CAVALIERS for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. Cleveland is coming off its third straight loss on Thursday as it fell to Indiana by nine points as a short favorite. The Cavaliers are No. 4 in the Eastern Conference, four games behind Boston and are in the midst of a nine-game stretch where seven of those games are on the road with this being the first game of a home-and-home with Chicago. The defense is coming off its fourth worst performance of the season as it allowed 126 points, the most it has given up since November 18, a span of 22 games and seeing that the Cavaliers possess the best scoring defense in the league, they will be out for some retribution. Cleveland is 13-5 against teams ranked outside the top 16. Chicago has won two straight games and five of its last six following a four-game slide to get back to three games under .500. The Bulls are one of six teams within two and a half games of each other vying for the final three playoff spots in the conference and they remain home where they are just one game over .500. In their last game against Detroit, the Bulls shot 57.6 percent from the floor which is just the tenth time they have eclipsed 50 percent shooting and they have gone 3-6 in the previous nine follow up games. Here, we play on road favorites off two or more consecutive upset losses as a favorite going up against an opponent off a home win. This situation is 51-22 ATS (69.9 percent) since 1996. 10* (509) Cleveland Cavaliers

This is a play on the KANSAS ST. WILDCATS as part of our CBB Saturday Three Pack. Kansas St. has won five straight games to improve to 11-1 on the season and opens Big 12 action at home where it is 7-0 and outscoring opponents by over 21 ppg. The Wildcats failed to make the postseason a year ago after it was eliminated in the first round of the big 12 Tournament with a loss against West Virginia which sets up a revenge spot on Saturday. West Virginia has won four straight games, all at home, and hit the road for just the third time this season after splitting its first two true road games. The Mountaineers rolled over Pittsburgh as a road favorite but then lost at Xavier by 10 points as a small underdog and this is only the fourth time is has gotten points all season, going 1-2 in those games and heads to its toughest environment yet. Here, we play against road teams as an underdog or pickem averaging 76 or more ppg going up against teams allowing 63 or fewer ppg, after three straight wins by 10 points or more. This situation is 130-78 ATS (62.5 percent) since 1997. 10* (770) Kansas St. Wildcats

This is a play on the LONG BEACH ST. 49ERS as part of our CBB Saturday Three Pack. Long Beach St. dropped its Big West Conference opener against UC San Diego in overtime on Thursday which snapped a two-game winning streak and sent the 49ers back under .500 for the season. They are now 3-2 at home and are 0-3 ATS in the three lined games at The Walter Pyramid and now they go from a nine-point favorite to a chalk by just a bucket in a great bounce back spot. UC Riverside easily defeated CSU Bakersfield in its conference opener at home and has now won two straight games and hits the road for the first time in two weeks. The Highlanders are 2-4 on the road compared to 6-1 at home and in neutral court games and this presents a letdown spot following a pair of double-digit victories. Here, we play against underdogs in a game involving two teams allowing between 67 and 74 ppg, after two straight wins by 10 points or more. This situation is 124-80 ATS (60.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (762) Long Beach St. 49ers

This is a play on the PACIFIC TIGERS as part of our CBB Saturday Three Pack. Loyola-Marymount has been one of the surprise teams in the West Coast Conference as it is off to an 11-4 start following a 20-point conference opening won at Portland on Thursday. The Lions have won and covered three straight games and are now favorites on the road as they come in with a 2-2 record on the highway. Pacific has struggled at home this season, going just 3-7 in its 10 home games following a 20-point loss to BYU last time out. The Tigers have failed to cover each of their last three games and are now getting value as they are getting just a bucket less than they were against the Cougars. Here, we play on underdogs in a game involving two teams allowing between 67 and 74 ppg, after scoring 50 points or less. This situation is 135-77 ATS (63.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (754) Pacific Tigers

This is a play on the ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE for our CFB Nonconference Game of the Month. Not too often will you hear Alabama and line value uttered in the same sentence but that is the case in the Sugar Bowl. The Crimson Tide have been favored by double-digits in all but one game this season which was a true road game at Tennessee where they were favored by nine points. Now they are favored less than that on a neutral field in a game where they will be playing with a chip on their shoulder and with no opt outs, they are here to win and win big. Alabama is out to prove something after missing out on the College Football Playoff, which it did not deserve a spot, but it did in its own mind and that is motivation enough. The Crimson Tide offense is at full strength after averaging 40.8 ppg during the regular season, good for No. 4 in the nation. The Wildcats are a respectable No. 53 in the country in total defense at 365.8 ypg and in the two games they faced a high-powered offense against TCU, they allowed 38 and 28 points, and in the two other games they points, those were against two offenses not on the same level as Alabama. The Kansas St. offense has been on a roll of late as the Wildcats have scored 30 or more points in five of its last six games but facing Big 12 defenses will do that. Obviously, one of those wins came against TCU but the Horned Frogs do not have a very good defense despite being the No. 3 team in the country and the best defense Kansas St. has faced over this six-game stretch is ranked No. 50. Alabama checks in at No. 15 and is ranked in the top 30 in all major defensive categories. Kansas St. has a great running back in Deuce Vaughn as he has 1,425 yards on the ground and a cause for concern is that the Crimson Tide allowed 318 yards rushing against Auburn but we can categorize that as an aberration as just four other teams managed to go over 100 yards on the ground against their defense this season. Alabama has big edges on both sides of the ball and we will gladly lay the short price. 10* (272) Alabama Crimson Tide

This is a play on the DENVER NUGGETS for our NBA Friday Enforcer. We played against Denver on Wednesday and caught a big fourth quarter rally from the Kings as the Nuggets lost by a point, squandering a 19-point lead in the process. They have been one of the better teams in the league coming off a defeat as they are 8-3 following a loss and look to get it back following an 8-1 run previous to that Sacramento loss. Denver is back home where it is 12-3 including six straight wins and after short stint in first place in the Western Conference, the Nuggets are now tied with New Orleans for the top spot, one game up on Memphis. This is a good matchup at home where they can dictate the pace of the game and controlling that is the key. Miami is coming off a win over the Lakers on Wednesday which was its second straight victory to get back over .500 on the season and this is the start of a five-game roadtrip looking to better its most recent trip on the highway where it went 4-0 but those were against some pretty below average competition. The Heat are 7-9 on the road overall which includes a 2-5 record against teams with a winning record and yet they continue to be overpriced. Miami has been favored in 10 of its last 11 games and while it comes in as an underdog here, it is a short price and this line has already dipped by a bucket despite the Heat having the worst ATS record in the NBA at 12-22-1. Here, we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points shooting 46 percent or better on the season, after three straight games allowing 47 percent or higher shooting. This situation is 62-30 ATS (67.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (576) Denver Nuggets

This is a play on the OHIO BOBCATS for our CFB Friday Enforcer. Wyoming is in a very tough spot as it has one of the worst offenses in the country as it is ranked No. 118 in total offense and No. 112 in scoring offense and is now down a ton in the Arizona Bowl. The Cowboys leading rusher Titus Swen, who had 1,039 yards on the ground entered the transfer portal as did leading receiver Josh Cobbs, who had just 407 yards which shows how bad the passing game has been. With Swen on the move, there is a ton of pressure on quarterback Andrew Peasley who was pretty bad as he threw for just 1,388 yards with nine touchdowns and eight interceptions while barely completing over half of his passes. They will be facing one of the worst defenses in the country against the pass but that will not matter here as Wyoming scored just 31 points total over their last three games. The Bobcats would struggle against a good offense but certainly not here. Ohio had one of the best offenses in the country as it was led by MAC Offensive Player of the Year quarterback Kurtis Rourke but he sustained a season ending injury late in the year so that offense will definitely not be as prolific. CJ Harris has played two games and was pretty good so that experience and extra preparation time will benefit him going up against a very good Wyoming defense. But that defense is also down some key players as it best corner Cameron Stone and edge rusher Oluwaseyi Omotosho, who was second on the team with 6.5 sacks, both entered the transfer portal. We can expect a big game from running back Sieh Bangura, the MAC Freshman of the Year, as he led the team with 940 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. We are catching a small line because of the Rourke absence but Ohio is in great shape for its first 10-win season since 2011. Here, we play against teams where the line is +3 to -3 after gaining 250 or less total ypg over their last three games. This situation is 34-10 ATS (77.3 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (266) Ohio Bobcats

This is a play on the UCLA BRUINS for our CFB Friday Afternoon Dominator. The transfer portal has affected these two teams in different ways with UCLA players showing the classy way to go out. Pittsburgh and UCLA had the leading rushers in their respective conferences with Israel Abanikanda leading the ACC with 1,431 yards and Zach Charbonnet leading the Pac 12 with 1,359 yards but only Charbonnet will be present on Friday as Abanikanda opted out to get ready for the NFL Draft. That is a big loss for the Panthers who will also be without starting quarterback Kedon Clovis who entered the transfer portal and is off to BYU leaving Pittsburgh with a makeshift offense. This is not good news for an offense that was average to begin with and now it will be Nick Patti and/or Nate Yarnell making the start at quarterback after throwing for just 258 yards combined on only 32 passing attempts. The UCLA defense is not very good and would have been vulnerable against a full Panthers offense but should be able to keep the Panthers in check. The defense did have its moments against some average offenses and that is what we can classify Pittsburgh at this point. Conversely, the UCLA offense is in fine shape with Charbonnet and do everything quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson playing despite both going to be taken in the NFL Draft and respect for them to play with their teammates in what was a great season. The Bruins finished No. 3 in the country in total offense and what made it so lethal was the balance as they were the only team in the country to have at least 2,900 yards rushing and 3,100 yards passing. Thompson-Robinson was exceptional as he accumulated 3,514 total yards and 39 touchdowns both through the air and on the ground and while facing a solid defense, that unit also lost players that have opted out including all-American tackle and NFL prospect Calijah Kancey. There will be plenty of motivation for the Bruins as they seek their first 10-win season since 2014, the same year they had their last bowl victory. 10* (262) UCLA Bruins

This is a play on the NEW YORK KNICKS for our NBA Thursday Enforcer. The Knicks were rolling along with eight straight wins but have since lost four in a row including an improbable loss against Dallas in overtime on Tuesday. Going into that game, teams that led by nine or more points with 35 or fewer seconds remaining were 13,884-0 but that record is now 13,884-1 as the Knicks blew it and had to watch Luka Doncic score a career-high 60 points and grab a career-high 21 rebounds to go with 10 assists in the 126-121 loss. The Knicks have to get up off the floor and not only bounce back from that but get rid of this losing streak that has seen them drop down to a tie for the No. 6 spot in the Eastern Conference yet are just one game out of ninth place in the jumbled bottom half of the conference. It was another instance where the Knicks could not get past one of the top teams in the NBA as they are now 3-11 against the top ten which is the third most losses in the league against the top ten but they are 15-6 against the rest of the league. New York is 10-7 on the road and it is a perfect 3-0 straight up and ATS when favored on the highway. The Spurs were in a tailspin with a 1-16 run but then won three in a row before its recent 2-5 slide including a 16-point loss at Oklahoma City on Tuesday. The Spurs did win their most recent home game against Utah as they had their second best defensive performance of the season by allowing just 40.2 percent shooting but they still have the worst defense in the league, allowing 50.4 percent shooting and could not catch the Knicks at a worst time. Here, we play against home underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after a game where they failed to cover the spread going up against an opponent after failing to cover the spread in three or more consecutive games. This situation is 42-17 ATS (71.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (559) New York Knicks

This is a play on the NORTH TEXAS MEAN GREEN as part of our CBB Thursday Three Pack. Two of the top teams in C-USA square off in an early conference battle. North Texas has won five straight games including the last four coming away from home and it returns to UNT Coliseum where it is 4-0 and while this is the biggest home test so far this season, the Mean Green easily passed the first one against Fresno St. They pride themselves with their defense as they are ranked No. 2 in the country in scoring, allowing more than 60 points only once, and No. 16 in shooting defense and can shut down this potent offense tonight. North Texas is 15-4 ATS in its last 19 games against teams shooting 45 percent or better from the floor. Florida Atlantic has won 10 straight games since suffering its only loss at Mississippi and while this includes a big win at Florida, the Gators are not the team we expected them to be. The last nine wins have come against no one as the Owls have either faced non-Division I teams or been favored in every game by at least six points. Despite playing a pair of SEC teams, the Owls have played a schedule ranked No. 277 which shows how bad the rest of the schedule has been. Here, we play against road teams as an underdog or pickem averaging 76 or more ppg and after three straight wins by 10 points or more going up against teams allowing 63 or fewer ppg. This situation is 130-77 ATS (62.9 percent) since 1997. 10* (720) North Texas Mean Green

This is a play on the WESTERN KENTUCKY HILLTOPPERS as part of our CBB Thursday Three Pack. Western Kentucky is coming off a pair of losses against two major conference teams on the road at Louisville and South Carolina and the Hilltoppers were favored in both so it is bounce back time in their conference opener. They have gone 0-4 ATS over their last four games which is keeping a leash on this number and they are back home where they are 4-0 and this has been one of the best home environments in the country as Western Kentucky is 75-18 (.806) at Diddle Arena under head coach Rick Stansbury. This is a very experienced team with plenty of scoring options as there are six Hilltoppers with significant Division I experience that now total 4,610 Division I points. Rice is off to a surprising 9-3 start but eight of those wins have come at home against absolutely no one with the best victory being Western Michigan with Georgia Southern being a close second. The Owls have played a schedule ranked No. 307 and it is only that high because of one game at Texas and while that was considered a quality loss in overtime as 24-point underdogs, that was the first game for the Longhorns following the suspension of head coach Chris Beard. Rice is 1-3 on the road overall with the other two losses coming at Pepperdine and Middle Tennessee St. by 39 and 35 points respectively. Another horrible road spot for Rice tonight. 10* (680) Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

This is a play on the BUTLER BULLDOGS as part of our CBB Thursday Three Pack. Butler got off to an 8-3 start but has lost two straight games to open conference play and they were not close as they lost by 22 points against Connecticut and 22 points against Creighton and now with a week off, it is time to get back on track. There has been a common theme with those five losses as the Bulldogs were underdogs in all five of those games and the wins also have a theme where they were favored in all eight victories, going 7-1 against the number. Butler is 6-1 at home with the lone loss coming against the No. 2 Huskies and it is in a good spot as it has gone 16-4 ATS in its last 20 games after two or more consecutive losses. This is a very balanced team as the Bulldogs five starters are each averaging double figures in scoring and they now have more depth with Jalen Thomas and Ali Ali back in the rotation after each missing the first 11 games. Providence has opened 2-0 in the Big East Conference following a four-point win at Seton Hall and a five-point home win against Marquette in overtime. The Friars have won five straight games while covering all five of those and are now catching another short price on the road. They have been solid on offense but the defense has kept games closer than they probably should have been and will be facing one of the best shooting teams in the conference. 10* (670) Butler Bulldogs

This is a play on the FLORIDA ST. SEMINOLES for our CFB Thursday Supreme Annihilator. We typically do not lay big numbers in bowl games but this will be an exception. Both teams should have plenty of motivation here as Oklahoma will want to avoid a losing season for the first time since 1998 so there will be pride while on the other side, the Seminoles will be out its first 10-win season since 2016 and looks to set the tone for 2023 which could be a special one given the talent that they are returning and bringing in via the transfer portal and recruiting class. These were two of the best rushing teams in the country during the regular season but they will be totally different heading into the bowl game. The Sooners would have had a significant edge against a pretty bad Florida St. rushing defense but star running back Eric Gray, who rushed for 1,364 yards, opted out of the game as did both starting tackles leaving the ball in the hands of quarterback Dillon Gabriel who did have a decent season but now has no running game to rely on and he will be missing his deep threat receiver Theo Wease who also opted out. He faces a Seminoles passing defense that allowed just 158.9 ypg which as No. 3 in the country. on the other side, the Seminoles finished just ahead of Oklahoma in rushing offense at No. 12 with 217.8 ypg and the difference here is that everyone will be playing. Their four leading rushers all eclipsed 4.9 ypc and together they combined for 26 touchdowns. Oklahoma ranked No. 107 in rushing defense, giving up at least 203 rushing yards five times and to no surprise, they lost all five of those games. The Sooners are just 1-6 when allowing more than 14 points this season and that will not be an issue for Florida St. to surpass that number. Pride can only go so far as the Sooners are severely undermanned in this matchup and what looks good on paper could potentially turn into a blowout. 10* (256) Florida St. Seminoles

This is a play on the SACRAMENTO KINGS for our NBA Wednesday Enforcer. Sacramento will be out for some immediate revenge following a seven-point loss to Denver last night as it blew a 20-point lead and was outscored 34-23 in the fourth quarter. It was the second straight loss for the Kings as they fell to 17-15 and they remain in the No. 7 spot in the Western Conference. Sacramento is now 9-7 at home which includes just a 1-3 start on this current six-game homestand and this is an important time to turn things around as they are in a stretch of 15 of 19 games taking place at home. Sacramento is ranked No. 3 in total offense and No. 4 in shooting offense and is coming off its lowest point total over its last six games despite shooting a solid 48.8 percent from the floor. The Kings have covered three of four games this season when playing on back-to-back nights and this is the first instance of a home-and-home in consecutive nights. Denver has won five straight games and eight of its last nine to maintain a one game lead over New Orleans for first place in the Western Conference. The Nuggets are now 10-8 on the road which is very good but not close to their 12-3 home record and the victory last night snapped a 1-3 road skid. Like the Kings, the offense is the strength as they are No. 7 overall and No. 2 in shooting and also like the Kings, they struggle on the defensive side of the floor and they could once again be without Aaron Gordon who missed last night and is questionable tonight with a shoulder injury. Denver is 6-17 ATS in its last 23 games after three straight games where they made 47 percent of their shots or better. Here, we play against road teams where the line is +3 to -3 coming off an road win scoring 110 or more points, when playing their 3rd game in four days. This situation is 52-25 ATS (67.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (548) Sacramento Kings

This is a play on the TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS for our CFB Wednesday Enforcer. Mississippi opened the season 7-0 and got itself into the top ten but then the schedule stiffened and the Rebels folded. They lost four of their last five games with the only win over that stretch coming against a bad Texas A&M team. That was the story this season as they beat just one Power 5 team that qualified for a bowl game all season which was Kentucky and went 0-4 in their other meetings with Power 5 bowl teams. Their rushing attack has been lethal as they average 261.6 ypg which is the most in the country from a non-option running team so the Red Raiders will have their hands full. But they possess a very underrated defense that was the best one to take the field in years as this season, Texas Tech is ranked No. 45 in EPA per play and No. 33 in success rate. Even more impressive is the fact they allowed 29.5 ppg which is nothing great but it is the fewest it has allowed in over a decade. The Red Raiders closed the season with three straight wins, two coming against bowl teams, part of four victories they have against bowl teams overall. The results are a bit surprising with this being the first season with head coach Joey McGuire and some low expectations coming in but they overachieved to finish 7-5 and will be amped up to carry some momentum into next season. One thing that has not changed is the offense that goes fast and is one of the best in the country. The Red Raiders average the most offensive plays in the country while their 44.2 passing attempts per game is the third most in the nation. That has led to the No. 13 ranked passing offense which will find success as the Rebels defense is ranked No. 98 in pass success rate which is a better indicator than the raw yards allowed. Despite some gaudy passing numbers, the running game is very effective and can keep defenses off balance as Texas Tech is averaging a solid 152.1 ypg on the ground. 10* (252) Texas Tech Red Raiders

This is a play on the ILLINOIS-CHICAGO FLAMES as part of our CBB Wednesday Three Pack. Illinois-Chicago is 8-5 which included wins in three straight games while covering four in a row before heading to Northwestern prior to the holiday break and the Flames were destroyed by 38 points to the surprising Wildcats so the time off came at a perfect time. The Flames have a very strong defense which was not on display in that last game as they allowed Northwestern to shoot 51.4 percent from the floor which was only the fourth time all season they have allowed an opponent to shoot higher than 47 percent from the floor and they have a good matchup here against a poor offensive team. The Flames are 4-2 at home which is not great but both losses came when they were underdogs and Illinois-Chicago is 6-0 ATS as a favorite this season. After a 2-6 start to the season, the Redbirds have turned things around to win four of their last five games as they head back into MVC play where they are 1-1. Illinois St. won all four of those games at home but going back, it has lost five straight games away from home and comes into a tough spot playing a team back home coming off a 38-point road loss that has been stewing for a while. The Redbirds are ranked No. 193 or worse in all six shooting and scoring categories on both sides of the ball. Illinois St. is 0-6 ATS in road games after a game where they made 78 percent of their free throws or better this season. 10* (634) Illinois-Chicago Flames

This is a play on the NORTHERN IOWA PANTHERS as part of our CBB Wednesday Three Pack. Missouri St. is off to a 5-7 start including 1-1 in the MVC and a slow start was expected with so many key pieces lost from last season. The Bears snapped a four-game losing streak with a blowout win over Central Michigan before the holiday break and now they hit the road where they are just 1-3, the lone victory coming as their only game as a road favorite. Their strength is defense but likely does not have enough offense to keep up here as they are ranked No. 324 in scoring and No. 245 in shooting. Additionally, Missouri St. is ranked No. 361 in free throw shooting at 58.7 percent and that dips even lower to 56.1 percent away from home. It has also been a slow start for Northern Iowa as it is also off to a 5-7 and 1-1 start but it is coming off consecutive wins for the first time this season and both were impressive double-digit victories over Towson and St. Bonaventure. The Panthers are just 4-3 at home but two of those losses came by three points and the other one as a significant home underdog against projected MAC champion Toledo. While Missouri St. possesses a solid defense, Northern Iowa is not far behind and it faces one of the worst offenses in the country. Sophomore guard Bowen Born has stepped up in a big way for the Panthers following the AJ Green departure as he leads conference in scoring at 19.3 ppg. 10* (636) Northern Iowa Panthers

This is a play on the VILLANOVA WILDCATS as part of our CBB Wednesday Three Pack. When Villanova lost to Temple in its second game of the season, you knew something was not right. Flash forward to a 2-5 start and things definitely were not right but the Wildcats have righted the ship as they have won five straight games including a victory to open Big East play following an impressive 15-point win over a solid St. Johns team. This has no doubt coincided with five-star freshman and top-five projected NBA Draft Pick Cam Whitmore making his debut. One hidden edge is that Villanova is No. 1 in the country in free throw percentage. Connecticut is off to a 13-0 start and has shown to be an early season National Championship frontrunner. This team is athletic, deep and loaded at every position and it is the cohesiveness that is most impressive. The Huskies are going to find their share of roadblocks along the way and this could definitely be one of those but more than nothing else, a closer than expected game is what we are looking for. This line is completely inflated with Connecticut off to an 11-1-1 ATS start to the season as not many will want to step in front of this train but at this price, we gladly will. Here, we play against home favorites of 10 to 19.5 points with a winning percentage of .800 or higher having covered six or seven of their last eight games against the spread. This situation is 68-38 ATS (64.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (611) Villanova Wildcats

This is a play on the DUKE BLUE DEVILS for our CFB Wednesday Afternoon Dominator. Central Florida opened this game as the favorite but the line has flipped with the Knights coming in banged up and shorthanded. UCF lost two of its last three games including a defeat in the AAC Championship and this is not the destination it was expecting just a few short weeks ago. Knights quarterback John Rhys Plumlee is not on the injury list but dealt with a hamstring injury down the stretch and that hurts the offense besides the passing game as he led UCF in rushing during the regular season with 841 yards. He could be limited against a Duke defense that finished No. 24 in the country in yards allowed per game and 18th in rush play success rate. While the running game could be hampered, the passing attack is hurt as top receiver Ryan O'Keefe is entering the transfer portal and will not play. The weakness of the Blue Devils defense is against the pass but they catch a break here. Duke is coming off an 8-4 season and while there were not many quality wins, the fact it was able to get to eight wins was a huge achievement for a team picked to finish near the bottom of the ACC. The Blue Devils won four of their last five games with the only loss coming to Pittsburgh by two points. They have a dynamic offense that is very balanced as Duke ranked No. 3 in the conference in rushing with 184.8 ypg and No. 6 in passing with 236.4 ypg while also averaging 33.1 ppg. The offensive line is responsible for a lot of the success, especially on the ground as they are ranked No. 4 in stuff rate, No. 9 in line yards, and No. 31 in the country in rush play success rate. The Knights passing defense is a big weakness, ranked No. 81 in coverage rate while allowing 268 passing ypg over its last nine games taking Navy out of the equation. Over the last three games, the Knights allowed 267 ypg rushing so this unit has been gashed all over the place and has been very inconsistent. 10* (246) Duke Blue Devils

This is a play on the WISCONSIN BADGERS for our CFB Tuesday Enforcer. Oklahoma St. was a favorite in the Big 12 coming into the season and after a 5-0 start, things were looking good. The Cowboys then suffered a loss in overtime against TCU which put them in a tailspin and while they did respond with a win against Texas, the closed the season on a 1-4 run with the only win coming against bottom feeder Iowa St. despite getting outgained by 89 yards and posting just 244 yards of total offense. The Cowboys averaged just 13.6 ppg over that five-game closing stretch and now have to go into the bowl game without starting quarterback Spencer Sanders who entered the transfer portal. Backups Gunner Gundy and Garret Rangel were not good when pressed into play as they completed 52 percent of their passes while throwing five touchdowns and seven interceptions so it is a significant drop off. They will not be facing one of the best defenses it has seen all season. The Badgers dropped their regular season finale against Minnesota to finish 6-6but it was a good rally following the firing of head coach Paul Chryst and there is motivation for Wisconsin to end the season with a win for interim head coach Jim Leonard who is a player favorite and did not get the permanent head coaching position. The offense struggled this season and will also have to play with a backup quarterback as starter Graham Mertz also entered the transfer portal but the drop off is not as significant even though there is little experience as they are not a passing team to begin with, ranking No. 22 in the country in running percentage. Leading rusher Braelon Allen is questionable after missing the last game but Wisconsin goes up against an Oklahoma St. defense ranked No. 100 in opponent yards per play. On the other side, Wisconsin ranked 12th in the nation in opponent yards per play when facing FBS opponents while allowing more than 24 points only once in its last seven games. 10* (244) Wisconsin Badgers

This is a play on the MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES for our NBA Western Conference Game of the Month. Both Phoenix and Memphis are coming off losses on Christmas and we expect the Grizzlies to be the team to rebound as they head back home where they are 13-2 and are actually getting some value here. Memphis won in Phoenix last week by 25 points as a three-point favorite but we are seeing a small line shift based on venue change and it will be out to bounce back from that 1-3 roadtrip that has sent it into third place in the Western Conference, one game behind Denver for first. Desmond Bane is back in the lineup after missing a month and after a solid debut, he struggled from the floor on Sunday against the Warriors as he was just 2-13 shooting. The Suns have lost three straight games and are now three games back in the Western Conference and are going to have to patiently wait to get fully healthy again as they finally got Chris Paul back but are again down their best player. Phoenix got Devin Booker back on Sunday but he lasted only four minutes as he suffered another injury, this time a groin injury and he will be out on Tuesday. The Suns are just 5-10 on the road including 1-5 over their last six games on the highway including losses in all three games when getting points while covering only one of those. The offense definitely has taken a hot with Booker back on the bench and they will struggle again against this defense after scoring just 100 points in the meeting last week. Here, we play against teams off a road cover where the team lost straight up as an underdog going up against an opponent off an upset loss of 10 points or more as a road favorite. This situation is 56-24 ATS (70 percent) since 1996. 10* (526) Memphis Grizzlies

This is a play on the SETON HALL PIRATES for our CBB Tuesday Star Attraction. This is an important stretch for Seton Hall. Including the game at Xavier a week ago prior to the holiday break, the Pirates are in a stretch where five of seven games are on the road and after a 0-2 start in the Big East, this game alone is huge. Prior to the rest, Seton Hall lost to Providence and Xavier by four and three points respectively and going back, three of its last four losses have come by five points or less. The Pirates are still a game over .500 and the strength they bring is their defense as they are ranked No. 35 in defensive efficiency and have one of the best perimeter defenses around, ranking No. 15 in three-point shooting defense. In the last game at Xavier, Seton Hall held the Musketeers, one of the top offensive teams in the country, to their lowest three-point shooting percentage this season at 25 percent and their second-lowest point total of the season with 73 points. Marquette has opened 1-1 in the conference and in eight games against teams from major conferences, the line the Golden Eagles are laying here is tied for the highest with the other being against Georgia Tech and Seton Hall is rated much higher than the Yellow Jackets. Marquette is 7-1 at home including 2-1 against those major conference teams and while that includes a win over Creighton, the Bluejays have been in a major slump. The Golden Eagles have a very solid offense and will be facing a test here and we can see this game playing out just like the game against Xavier for Seton Hall as the game is shortened which significantly favors the sizeable underdog. 10* (601) Seton Hall Pirates

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES LAKERS for our NBA Tuesday Ultimate Underdog. The Lakers have lost four straight games and eight of their last 11 and while this would typically be a contrarian play by playing against a Los Angeles team, it is contrarian by playing them here. They have failed to cover five straight games and the injury bug has hit once again with Anthony Davis once again on the shelf for at least a couple weeks so basically it has been LeBron James as the only production from the starting five. Los Angeles has fallen into No. 13 in the Western Conference with a lot to make up to get back into the playoff mix. The Lakers are ranked No. 7 in scoring offense and No. 9 in shooting offense and that has still held true during this losing skid and now faces a below average defense. Orlando is still well out of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference but it has narrowed the gap after an awful start as the Magic have gone 8-1 over their last nine games with the lone loss coming against Atlanta by just one points after nearly coming back from a late 13-point deficit. The Magic have covered 10 straight games and that is part of the contrarian aspect along with the straight up victories as the value is starting to turn with this being their third straight game as favorites and only the fifth time all season they have laid points. Orlando is now 9-9 at home and the Lakers visit will always bring extra energy for the home team but the Magic are in a tough spot. Here, we play on underdogs allowing 114 or more ppg on the season, after three straight games where both teams scored 115 points or more. This situation is 32-9 ATS (78 percent) since 1996. 10* (515) Los Angeles Lakers

This is a play on the UTAH ST. AGGIES for our CFB Tuesday Afternoon Dominator. A pair of underwhelming teams square off in Dallas and that typically favors the underdog, especially one that is getting a significant amount of points. Utah St. had its three-game winning streak snapped in a fluky loss at Boise St. to close the regular season as it was down by just five points midway through the fourth quarter before the Broncos scored on a 91-yard touchdown run and then on a 48-yard interception return for a score to close the game. It was an excellent run to close the season after the Aggies opened 1-4 and while the top level stats show weaknesses, digging deeper does show some edges in key areas. They possess an underrated defense where it is ranked No. 22 in Stuff Rate and No. 32 in Passing Success Rate so it can slow this Memphis offense down whose own top level numbers are inflated. Memphis also finished 6-6 and closed the season with a loss against SMU which snapped its own two-game winning streak. The Tigers beat the teams it should have but struggled against the rest of the slate as they went 1-6 against bowl teams. The Tigers passing game is solid but as mentioned, they will be facing a strong pass defense. Memphis does not run the ball well at all and it is ranked No. 84 in ERA per rush and No. 104 in line yards and that goes right up against the Utah St. strength along the line of scrimmage. Their defense is overrated as while they are No. 63 in total defense, they are No. 77 in EPA per play and No. 88 in Success Rate and the passing defense is a real weakness as the tigers are No. 95 in EPA per pass and No. 109 in Passing Success Rate and Utah St. can take advantage. Here, we play on underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points that have been outscored by opponents by seven or more ppg, after allowing 31 points or more in three straight games. This situation is 76-38 ATS (66.7 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (239) Utah St. Aggies

This is a play on the INDIANAPOLIS COLTS for our NFL Monday Primetime Dominator. Since winning against La Vegas in the first games for interim head coach Jeff Saturday, the Colts have lost four straight games and were outgained in all four of those. The new coaching staff has not been ideal at making halftime adjustments as the Colts have been outscored 72-9 in the second half and in overtime over the last two games which has obviously been the difference. The offense has done nothing as they have averaged only 306.0 ypg. Quarterback Matt Ryan has been a lawn chair and he has now been benched for a second time this season in favor of Nick Foles and this is the jumpstart this offense needs. We have already seen it a few times this season when a new starter enters and the team is energized. The absence of Jonathan Taylor is a big one at running back but Indianapolis will be facing a defense that has underwhelmed on the road, allowing 24 and 27 points over the last two games at Arizona and at Las Vegas. The Chargers have won three of their last four games and have a chance to clinch a playoff berth but they have underwhelmed this season. Of the eight victories, seven have come by one possession including five by a field goal or less. The Colts defense has been playing solid when using their normal schemes and they have a chance to disrupt Justin Herbert here. He has been pressured 201 times this season, which trails only Kirk Cousins and the Colts tied at No. 7 in sacks so this is where they sloe this offense down. While the Colts second half woes have been a problem, it should not carry over here as Los Angeles has no third-quarter touchdowns in its last nine games and has been outscored 175-109 in the second half and overtime this year. Defensively, Los Angeles has looked better the last two weeks and the matchup looks to be in its favor but in seven road games, it has allowed 24 or more points five times. Here, we play on home underdogs or pickems after being beaten by the spread by 21 or more points total in their last three games, in the last two weeks of the regular season. This situation is 60-27 ATS (69 percent) since 1983. 10* (482) Indianapolis Colts

This is a play on the NEW ORLEANS PELICANS for our NBA Monday Star Attraction. New Orleans has put a halt to a four-game losing streak with a pair of wins at home against San Antonio and on the road at Oklahoma City and it heads back home for the start of a three-game homestand. It is 13-4 at home this season which includes an 8-1 run the last nine games and it has been dominant by outscoring opponents by eight ppg in those 17 games while covering six of nine games against teams with a winning record. The Pelicans are one game behind Denver for first place in the Western Conference and the recent two-game winning streak is even more encouraging considering they were without Zion Williamson in those games because of an illness but he will be back in the lineup tonight. Indiana is coming off a pair of upset road wins the last two games which puts it into a go against situation. The Pacers improved to 17-16 on the season which has them in a tie with Atlanta for No. 7 in the Eastern Conference yet prior to the recent winning streak, they went 3-8 over their previous 11 games. The Pacers have not been able to put any sort of winning streak together as they have gone 1-6 in their last seven games following a win and it has not been pretty for the most part, losing those games by an average of 11 ppg. They do own an impressive six wins over teams ranked within the top ten but this is not the spot for that to continue. Here, we play against underdogs with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 coming off two or more consecutive upset wins as a road underdog. This situation is 57-22 ATS (72.2 percent) since 1996. 10* (512) New Orleans Pelicans

This is a play on the NEW MEXICO ST. AGGIES for our CFB Monday Enforcer. Bowling Green closed the season winning four of its last six games to earn a trip to a bowl game for the first time since 2005 but this is not a good team. The Falcons are ranked No. 97 or worse in six of the eight statistical categories including No. 105 in total offense and No. 106 in total defense and in its 12 games, Bowling Green has been outgained nine times. Despite a 5-3 MAC record, the offense scored 17 or fewer points five times and the Falcons will be facing a pretty strong defense. Quarterback Matt McDonald is coming off one of his worst games of the season and has been inconsistent throughout and keeping him clean will be a problem as he has been sacked three times or more in each of the last seven games. While this game is being played closer to home for Bowling Green, any advantage of having a home crowd on its side is minimal as there will be no one at this game. New Mexico St. had to play a non-scheduled game against Valparaiso of the FCS to get a special bowl waiver since two of its victories were against FCS teams but nonetheless, the Aggies are bowling for the first time since 2017 as head coach Jerry Kill has done an outstanding job in his first season, taking a program to the postseason that had not finished better than 3-10 since 2018, going 8-30 over that stretch. They have played a softer schedule but face an opponent right at their level and getting a favorable number. The Aggies are ranked No. 37 in the country in Points Per Opportunity which is based on getting inside the opponents 40-yard line and the Bowling Green defense has struggled defending that as it is ranked No. 100 in defensive Points Per Opportunity. Here, we play against teams after allowing 37 points or more last game going up against an opponent after two straight wins by 28 or more points. This situation is 131-69 ATS (65.5 percent) since 1992. 10* (235) New Mexico St. Aggies

This is a play on the TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS for our NFL Sunday Primetime Dominator. This is going to be a very public play which we despise but they do come through at times and we are giving Tampa Bay another shot this week after it blew a 17-0 lead against the Bengals as turnovers and penalties at the wrong time led to Cincinnati scoring 34 unanswered points to pull away. The Buccaneers did outplay Cincinnati from a statistical standpoint as they won the yardage battle by 159 total yards but not many teams are going to win when turning the ball over four times. This line has shot up considerably since opening at 3.5 but that is not a concern with this play as we are finally expecting that break out Tampa Bay game that we have really yet to see this season with the biggest two wins coming in the first two weeks of the season. Last week, the Bengals made the adjustments with the most notable applying more pressure to Tom Brady and it worked and with Cincinnati ranked No. 9 in pressure rating, Tampa Bay has faced three straight teams ranked No. 15 or better in pressure and that will be far from the case here with Arizona near the bottom of the league in that category. The Cardinals have completely bottomed out as the loss of Kyler Murray three plays into the New England game was their last shot to be competitive. They have lost four straight games and last week at Denver proved that as they allowed 24 points to the Broncos which was just the fourth time Denver has surpassed 20 points this season and the offense was absolutely useless. Arizona managed just 240 yards of offense and while that was one of the better defenses in the NFL, it will be facing another one here. Trace McSorley came in for an injured Colt McCoy and was ineffective and while he is getting a full week with the first team at practice in prep for this game, he will be outmatched again. Tampa Bay is No. 7 in total defense and they bring in the No. 10 ranked pressure rate and can easily keep this offense in check. Here, we play on teams after five consecutive games where they forced one or less turnovers going up against an opponent after a game where they committed three or more turnovers. This situation is 68-35 ATS (66 percent) since 1983. 10* (479) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This is a play on the PITTSBURGH STEELERS for our NFL Saturday Primetime Dominator. The Raiders were on the fortunate side of that Patriots game as they completed an improbable win on the last play of the game to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. This is a very tough spot coming off that victory with a long travel assignment and Las Vegas has struggled on the road as it is 2-6 and both of those wins easily could have been losses as they both came in overtime. That is part of three of their last four wins being walk off victories so the 6-8 record could be even worse but to their credit, they also possess some close defeats. The offense is ranked No. 11 both overall and in scoring but has a tough task here facing a defense that is playing its best on the season. The Raiders own defense is an issue as they are ranked No. 24 overall and No. 23 in scoring and while not facing a great offense here, they have allowed even worse offenses to look good against them at times earlier this season. The Steelers are coming off a win at Carolina to match the Raiders 6-8 record to keep their own playoff hopes alive and their road is a lot easier as they have Baltimore and Cleveland left after this. It has been a good turnaround as Pittsburgh is 4-2 in its last six games following a 2-6 start and the overall record is more impressive considering the Steelers have played the No. 1 ranked schedule in the league. Five of their eight losses came by one possession and two other losses came at Buffalo and at Philadelphia. The return of T.J. Watt has changed this defense completely as they are now again able to apply a lot of pressure and that will be the difference here as they have allowed only 16.3 over their last four games. 10* (474) Pittsburgh Steelers

This is a play on the MIDDLE TENNESSEE ST. BLUE RAIDERS for our CFB Saturday Enforcer. Two fairly even teams square off on Christmas Eve in Hawaii and we are getting value in this line with the Blue Raiders. Middle Tennessee St. closed the season with three straight wins to finish 7-5 and while those came against some weak competition, it matches up well here. The offense was middle of the pack as the passing game led the way. Quarterback Chase Cunningham completed 67.4 percent of his passes for 2,920 yards with 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions to lead a passing attack that is ranked No. 31 in the country. Now while they face a San Diego St. defense that has only allowed 206.6 ypg which was good for No. 35, those came mostly against teams in the MWC that had no semblance of a passing game with five teams ranked in the bottom 15 in the country in passing offense. A passing game that has an edge even though the stats do not state that from the top line is even better when that teams is a significant underdog. San Diego St. also finished the season 7-5 with just two solid wins against Toledo and San Jose St. as the other four FBS wins came against teams a combined 12-37. The offense was one of the worst in the country as the Aztecs averaged 321.8 ypg and 21.3 ppg, No. 117 and No. 109 in the country respectively and while it did improve over the second half of the season with a quarterback change, it was not overwhelming. Jalen Mayden, who is a converted safety, completed 62.3 percent of his passes for 1,721 yards with 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions so he did not light it up and actually regressed after teams got film on him. He was sacked 15 times in seven games and will be facing a solid Middle Tennessee St. defensive line that registered 34 sacks and while the defense was next to last in passing defense, there is not much worry here and the strength of the San Diego St. offense will be negated by the Blue Raiders No. 27 ranked rushing defense. 10* (233) Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders

This is a play on the TENNESSEE TITANS for our NFL Game of the Year. Give Houston credit for having a chance to win its last two games against Kansas City and Dallas but came up just short in both and that puts the Texans in a bad letdown spot. They lost in overtime against the Chiefs but it was definitely misleading as Houston was dominated, getting outgained by 282 total yards as the offense managed only 219 total yards and 15 first downs. This came after a last possession loss against the Cowboys where it was outgained there as well and it has now been five straight games where the Texans have been outgained with the offense going over 300 total yards just once and have averaged just 237.4 ypg over that stretch. Houston possesses the worst total offense in the league and is ranked No. 27 or worse in seven of the eight major statistical categories. This includes being dead last in rushing defense which is not ideal in this spot as it should get pounded on the ground. They are getting outgained by over 72 ypg on the road including close to 67 ypg on the ground. Houston is 3-13 ATS in its last 16 road games against teams allowing 90 or fewer rushing ypg. Tennessee looked to have the AFC South wrapped up not too long ago but has lost four straight games which has brought Jacksonville right back into the mix as the Titans are in first place by just one game over the Jaguars. The schedule was in their favor early on but during this four-game skid, all have come against teams currently sitting in definite or possible playoff spots and that does include a loss against Jacksonville two weeks ago which could make the Week 18 matchup at Jacksonville for the division. The Titans need this game for that reason especially with a home game against Dallas on deck and with the recent struggles, there is no chance to take Houston lightly. This offense has struggled all season but this is the best matchup it has seen over its last eight games going back to the first meeting with Houston where it outgained the Texans by 193 total yards which made that seven-point win a deceiving one as well with the Texans scoring a meaningless touchdown with 17 seconds left. The Titans are ranked No. 5 in offensive touchdown red zone percentage and that is important here to pull this game wide open. The Titans are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games against teams with a losing record. 10* (464) Tennessee Titans

This is a play on the CAROLINA PANTHERS for our NFL Saturday Enforcer. The run of Detroit is one of the top stories in the NFL as after a 1-6 start to the season, the Lions have won six of their last seven games while covering all of those games with the only outright loss coming against Buffalo on Thanksgiving by three points. Now, the Lions are in unfamiliar territory as they are laying points on the road for the first time this season and for the first time since 2020, a span of 20 games on the highway. It has not been a very dominating run however as Detroit has been outgained in four of these seven games including two of the three games that have been on the road. The offense was humming along with 31 or more points in four of five games before scoring just 20 points last week against a solid Jets defense and Detroit will face another good defense this week. The NFC South is a mess and Carolina is right in that mess as the Panthers are still alive for the playoffs despite their 5-9 record. It is plain and simple as if they win out, they win the division with an 8-9 record with next week being the real deciding game when they go to Tampa Bay but they are certainly not looking past this game. Carolina has gone 3-2 over its last five games to get into this situation and it needs to be emphasized that the two losses came against Pittsburgh and Baltimore, two defenses that have been playing at a high level and that is something that Detroit cannot claim. The Panthers offense has been bad all season but against this defense, quarterback P.J. Walker and the solid running game have the possibility for a big game, similar to what they did against the Falcons in both meetings that have taken place over their last seven games. 10* (458) Carolina Panthers

This is a play on the NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS for our NFL Saturday Ultimate Underdog. New England cannot be coming off a worst loss as it look like it was going to actually win before a controversial scoring call and then that lateral debacle on the final play. That is tough to recover from but the Patriots are still in the playoff hunt and a return home should get them energized again. They have the toughest remaining stretch of any team vying for a playoff spot as the combined record of their three final opponents is 29-13 so it is going to take their best mini stretch of the season along with getting some help. New England has lost three of four but two of those games could have and should have gone their as two really bad calls went against them. The Patriots defense is what needs to keep them into this game and it should as the unit is ranked No. 6 in total defense and No. 8 in scoring defense while sitting in the top ten both against the run and pass. Cincinnati keeps rolling along following a win over the Buccaneers last week to improve to 10-4 which put the Bengals a game up on the Ravens atop the AFC North and they have been one of the hottest teams in the league. They have won 10 of 12 games following a 0-2 start and they are 11-1 ATS over that stretch which is easily the best run in the league. Following back-to-back home wins against the Chiefs and a divisional win over the Browns, and then the come-from-behind win against Tampa Bay last week, this is an awful spot but the public still obviously loves them. The Bengals are laying the same number they did last week which is flawed as the Patriots are a better team than the Buccaneers but it is based on recency bias and the linemakers had to put the line this high. 10* (460) New England Patriots

This is a play on the MIAMI HEAT as part of our NBA Friday Three Pack. Miami had its four-game winning streak come to an end on Tuesday with a 10-point home loss against Chicago to fall back to .500 on the season. The Heat were without Jimmy Butler because of a stomach issue but he will be back tonight which will help the offense that has been inconsistent the entire season and they will also be facing a below average defense. Miami is 9-7 at home which is nothing spectacular and while it is an average 7-7-1 ATS following a loss, this is a much better situation than when coming off a win where the Heat are 3-13 ATS. They are the worst ATS team in the league but are catching value here as they were favored by 3.5 points at Indiana in their last meeting less than two weeks ago so the line difference based on venue shift is way off. Indiana snapped a two-game losing streak with a big win at Boston on Wednesday as it got a huge game from Tyrese Haliburton as he scored 33 points but is questionable tonight with a wrist injury so he might not be close to 100 percent if he goes. The Pacers have not been able to put ant sort of winning streak together as they have gone 0-6 in their last six games following a win and it has not been pretty for the most part, losing those games by an average of 11 ppg. Playing at a quick pace is the plan here but not a good plan against this team. Here, we play on favorites coming off an upset loss as a home favorite going up against an opponent off an upset win as a road underdog. This situation is 80-44 ATS (64.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (570) Miami Heat

This is a play on the MILWAUKEE BUCKS as part of our NBA Friday Three Pack. Milwaukee is coming off a loss at Cleveland on Wednesday to snap a two-game winning streak and the Bucks have gone just 3-3 over their last six games. But the one thing they do not do is lose consecutively as they are 7-1 this season following a loss and this is the first of two straight games against the top of the Eastern Conference with Boston on deck Christmas Day. Milwaukee is now a half game ahead of the Celtics for first place in the conference and while there is a ton of basketball left, these early games do go a long way. The Bucks defense remains the strength as they are No. 2 in opponent shooting and No. 3 in points allowed and can challenge this Nets team that has been overachieving because of the opposition they have faced which has not been very good. Brooklyn is playing its best basketball of the season as it has won seven straight and 11 of its last 12 with a home loss against Boston being the lone blemish. Taking a look at this recent 12-game run shows the Nets have played hardly anyone with wins over Portland and Indiana being the only victories against teams that are currently in a playoff spot and they are both in the No. 8 spot in their respective conferences. The offense remains the best shooting team in the league but this is their biggest test. Here, we play against favorites after scoring 120 points or more in two straight games going up against an opponent after scoring 43 points or less in the first half last game. This situation is 48-21 ATS (69.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (559) Milwaukee Bucks

This is a play on the CLEVELAND CAVALIERS as part of our NBA Friday Three Pack. Toronto came through for us on Wednesday as it won in New York to snap the Knicks eight-game winning streak but we are fading the Raptors as they are facing one of the top defenses in the league and will not be able to get the same 52-point game from Pascal Siakam that they got against the Knicks. Toronto is just 4-12 on the road and while it was in a great contrarian spot in its last game, it is time to fade the Raptors on the road on another short price. The Raptors are four games under .500 and have no offensive consistency as they are one of the worst shooting teams in the league at No. 28 overall and No. 30 from long range. Cleveland is coming off a big win against Milwaukee to make it five straight wins and after a little bit of a lull, the Cavaliers are creeping up in the Eastern Conference as they are now in the No. 3 spot, one game behind Milwaukee for first place. Cleveland is ranked No. 1 in the league in points allowed and No. 5 in defensive shooting and we know who they will be keying in on here. The offense is slowly improving and the Cavaliers are now No. 7 in shooting as they have shot 47 percent or better in six of their last seven games and will be going up against the No. 29 ranked shooting defense so they are again projected to go well above 50 percent tonight. Here, we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points revenging two straight losses going up against an opponent off an upset win over a division rival as an underdog. This situation is 60-24 ATS (71.4 percent) since 1996. 10* (564) Cleveland Cavaliers

This is a play on the WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS for our CFB Friday Enforcer. Wake Forest was a ranked team in late October but it closed the season with losses in four of its last five games to finish the regular season 7-5. It will be out to close the season strong and the roster is fully on board as it is just a little more intact with no optouts and quarterback Sam Hartman is the key piece as he easily could have to get ready for the NFL Draft but chose the noble move to end his five-year career here and play in the final bowl game. Wake Forest has the No. 10 ranked passing offense and will be facing a strong Missouri defense but it will be down heading into this game. The defense was shredded many times this season but those were against alite offenses and that will not be the case here. Missouri has momentum in its favor, having won its last two games to clinch a bowl berth but it struggled for the most part against good teams, going 1-4 against FBS teams with a winning record. Missouri was not hit too hard with the transfer portal but did lose top receiver Dominic Lovett which will hurt an already anemic passing offense and the Tigers will also be missing some key pieces on the defensive line. While dual-threat quarterback Brady Cook will be difficult to contain, if this game turns into a shootout, his throwing ability will not be able to keep up. The Missouri defense struggles when facing off against elite slot receivers and Wake Forest has two of the best in the ACC in Taylor Morin and Ke'Shawn Williams. Here, we play on teams after being beaten by the spread by 49 or more points total in their last five games, in December games. This situation is 55-22 ATS (71.4 percent) since 1992. 10* (231) Wake Forest Demon Deacons

This is a play on the IONA GAELS for our CBB Friday Supreme Annihilator. Iona is coming off a bad loss in the first round of the Diamond Head Classic as it fell to SMU by four points as a 9.5-point favorite and the Gaels are now laying fewer points today against a worst team. This was the second straight loss for Iona as it lost at New Mexico by eight points before heading to Hawaii but that was not a shocker as the Lobos are off to a 12-0 start to the season. The Gaels opened 7-2 with solid wins over St. Louis, St. Bonaventure and Princeton and they will be out for a big bounce back here and want to close the tournament strong before heading into MAAC play where they are the heavy favorite to win the conference. Seattle is also coming off a loss as it fell to Utah St. 84-56 and is not in a good spot in the second game of the tournament. The Redhawks are off to an 8-3 start which looks good on paper but underneath that record tells a different story. Seattle has won only one game season when not favored and that was a win at Portland as a 3.5-point underdog. In the other three games as underdogs, which were all losses, the Redhawks were not competitive as they lost by 11, 15 and 28 points. They are 5-0 at home against cupcakes which has inflated the record and overall, the Redhawks have played the No. 285 ranked schedule in the country. Here, we play on neutral court teams averaging between 74 and 78 ppg going up against teams allowing between 67 and 74, after playing a game where both teams score 80 points or more. This situation is 31-6 ATS (83.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (879) Iona Gaels

This is a play on the UNLV RUNNIN' REBELS for our CBB Thursday Supreme Annihilator. Southern Mississippi is off to a very surprising 11-1 start but a win at Vanderbilt is its only notable win and the last three victories have come as favorites of 13.5 points or more and now they go into a place at the wrong time. Three of those victories have come against non-Division I teams while four others have comes against teams ranked in the 300 range as the overall schedule is ranked No. 323 in the nation so this is easily its first real test of the season. The Golden Eagles overall numbers are excellent but it is due to the schedule they have played and every strength they have goes up against every strength UNLV has on the other side. UNLV opened the season 10-0 but lost last time out against a very good San Francisco team by a bucket as a six-point chalk and are only laying a couple points more against a team not nearly as strong as the Dons. The Rebels have not played the toughest of schedules either but it is ranked 100 spots higher and this is a get right game before MWC season gets underway. They are now 5-1 at home and outscoring opponents by over 20 ppg and bring in a top 50 defense in both scoring and shooting and can lock this Golden Eagles offense down. One key stat not to overlook is the fact that Southern Mississippi in ranked No. 303 in free throw shooting. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points averaging 76 or more ppg and after three straight wins by 10 points or more going up against teams allowing 63 or fewer ppg. This situation is 68-31 ATS (68.7 percent) since 1997. 10* (858) UNLV Runnin' Rebels

This is a play on the NEW YORK JETS for our NFL Thursday Primetime Dominator. We were waiting for the official news of Jets quarterback Mike White to see what sort of line would be established and the Jets are in good shape to snap its three-game losing streak and remain in playoff contention. Currently, New York is tied with New England on the outside looking in at 7-7, one game behind the Chargers and Dolphins so this has turned into a must win with this being the last home game and two games remaining on the road against playoff contenders Seattle and Miami. Zach Wilson was inserted back into the lineup last week and while he was far from great, he was not horrible, throwing for 317 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He gave the Jets the lead but the defense allowed the game-winning 51-yard touchdown pass with 1:49 remaining. That defense is still extremely solid as they are ranked No. 3 overall, No. 4 in passing, No. 11 in rushing and No. 5 in scoring so now it is up to the offense to get going and this is a good spot to do so. Jacksonville was a winner for us last week as the Jaguars scored on a pick six in overtime to defeat Dallas and keep their division hopes alive. They have won four of their last six games with both of those losses coming on the road where they are 2-5 and while their offense is starting to peak, they have a tough road test here. Trevor Lawrence has come into his own recently as five of his last six games has seen him post a passer rating of 106 or higher while throwing for 14 touchdowns and just one interception. He will have problems here though, especially playing on a short week with travel involved. The Jacksonville defense has been the liability as it is ranked No. 27 overall and No. 21 in scoring and its passing defense has been the real issue with a No. 29 ranking so this is the spot for White. Here, we play on teams after five consecutive games where they forced one or fewer turnovers going up against an opponent after a game where they committed three or more turnovers. This situation is 68-34 ATS (66.7 percent) since 1983. 10* (452) New York Jets

This is a play on the NEW ORLEANS PELICANS for our NBA Thursday Enforcer. New Orleans has lost four straight games since ascending to the top of the Western Conference and bad news came across Wednesday. Zion Williamson has been declared out for this game with an illness which puts New Orleans now out with its two stars as the Pelicans also will be without Brandon Ingram for at least two more games. Williamson has averaged 28.6 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 6.0 apg and 1.5 spg in the 11 games with Ingram out so his absence will be big but even when he was in the lineup, the Pelicans have been slumping. That being said, the line has dropped significantly and the New Orleans roster is still better than San Antonio even with those two out and there are plenty of options to step in, namely Jonas Valanciunas and CJ McCollum. This is a typical spot where a superstar goes out and others pick it up in the first game of the absence. San Antonio opened the season pretty strong by going 5-2 but then lost 16 of its next 17 games before finally getting into the win column with three straight victories. The Spurs then lost two more but came back with an upset win over Houston, if you can call it that, by 19 points as a 4.5-point underdog. Now they are getting only three more points. Not nearly enough. They are a respectable 5-8 on the road but three of those came during that early run. Here, we play on favorites coming off an upset loss as a home favorite going up against an opponent off an upset win as a road underdog. This situation is 79-44 ATS (64.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (552) New Orleans Pelicans

This is a play on the AIR FORCE FALCONS for our CFB Thursday Enforcer. Air Force comes into Thursday following four straight victories to close the regular season and finished in a three-way tie for second place in the MWC Mountain Division. A win over Baylor would give the Falcons a 10-win season for the second consecutive year and the fifth time over the last 16 seasons which is saying something for a service academy program. Air Force is 9-3 with the three losses coming against Wyoming, Utah St. and Boise St., all bowl teams, all by one possession and two of those being true road games. The solid record shows in the stats as the Falcons possess the top ranked rushing game in the country as they cause fits for most teams and will do so here against a team that fired its defensive coordinator at the end of the regular season. The flexbone offense has three productive backs so defenses cannot key on one particular player while getting confused by the numerous counters and fakes. Baylor has lost three straight games, albeit all against ranked teams, so it comes in with little momentum and after high expectations coming into the season, it has been a disappointing one at 6-6. The Bears have an above average offense led by quarterback Blake Shapen who has been wildly inconsistent especially down the stretch. Over his last four games, he has three touchdowns and five interceptions and none of those games came against a defense ranked in the top 50. Now, Baylor goes up against the top ranked defense in the country and the Falcons are great at both levels as they are No. 1 against the pass and No. 3 against the run and while this can be attributed to facing the fewest snaps by far, they are still No. 13 in yards per play allowed. Because of leading the country in time of possession, the defense is fresh throughout the game which leads to its great success. 10* (227) Air Force Falcons

This is a play on the WRIGHT ST. RAIDERS for our CBB Thursday Enforcer. Wright St. is coming off a 52-point win over Northwestern Ohio but that cupcake victory was needed for the Raiders after having lost four straight games coming into that. A favorite in the Horizon League, they started 0-2 and then had another pair of losses in nonconference play against Western Kentucky and Akron, two very good teams and both on the road, and while they now hit the road again, they have a great matchup here to keep the momentum going before getting back into conference action next week. This is one of the best shooting offenses at No. 15 in the country going up against one of the worst defenses in the nation as the Raiders look to finally get back to over .500. Miami Ohio is coming off an upset win over an excellent Bellarmine team on the road as a 7.5-point underdog and it has now won four of its last six games. Two of the others came against two awful teams and the other against a non-Division I team. Two of the RedHawks five wins have come against said non-Division I teams so that Bellarmine win was a shock and now they come back down to earth. They are ranked No. 328 in scoring defense and No. 345 in shooting defense and while the offense is better, it is not nearly good enough to keep up. Here, we play on road teams as a favorite or pickem with a +3.5 to +8 ppg scoring differential and after scoring 95 points or more going up against teams with a +/- 3.5 ppg scoring differential. This situation is 63-25 ATS (71.6 percent) since 1997. 10* (821) Wright St. Raiders

This is a play on the OREGON ST. BEAVERS for our CBB Wednesday Supreme Annihilator. Oregon St. has won two straight games following a 1-6 run to get it back to .500 on the season and it closes out its three-game homestand in solid spot to get back over .500 after starting the season 3-0. The Beavers have already doubled their win total from all of last season so the improvements are already showing and there will be no lack of motivation here as they will want to roll into Pac 12 action on a inning streak with three straight conference road games on deck. Oregon St. is 12-3 ATS in its last 15 games after having won two of their last three games. Denver is off to a solid 9-4 start but it has beaten no one as its best win is a victory at Idaho St. by a point as a 3.5-point underdog. Overall, the Pioneers have played a schedule ranked No. 360 out of 363 division I teams and have played just one team from a major conference which resulted in a 23-point loss at UCLA and while Oregon St. is not on the same level as the Bruins, we are not asking them to win by 23 points so this is still la big step up in class for Denver. The Pioneers lost at Nebraska-Omaha by 17 points as a slight favorite on Monday and is in a tough travel spot. Here, we play against underdogs averaging 53 or less shots per game on the season, after two straight games making 50 percent of their shots or better. This situation is 48-23 ATS (67.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (748) Oregon St. Beavers

This is a play on the WESTERN KENTUCKY HILLTOPPS for our CFB Wednesday Enforcer. South Alabama is coming off its best season since entering the FBS in 2012 as it posted its best winning percentage after going 10-2 with the two losses coming by a combined five points against UCLA and Troy so it is no surprise the Jaguars come in as the favorite. Half of its wins came by one possession so things could have gone worse as the Jaguars have the No. 12 ranked Luck Factor Rating so deep analytics can tell a different story. They have a good but not great offense as they are ranked No. 40 or worse in all categories and while facing a below average defense, the Hilltoppers improved immensely on that side of the ball over the second half of the season. The Hilltoppers closed the season with wins in three of their last four games with the only loss at Auburn and they won the yardage battle in all of those contests. Western Kentucky was on the other side of the Luck Factor Ratings as they have been unfortunate coming in ranked No. 117. South Alabama comes in with a with a very solid defense but the one liability is the passing defense where it allows 215.8 ypg which is ranked No. 52 and while not horrible, it has a horrible matchup. The Hilltoppers bring in the No. 2 ranked passing offense and they are fortunate to be at full strength. They are led by transfer quarterback Austin Reed who was named C-USA Newcomer of the Year after throwing for 4,249 yards and 36 touchdowns, which are ranked No. 2 and No 4 in the country respectively. They are fortunate as Reed initially entered the transfer portal in hoping to go to Louisville but has since reversed course and will be playing with a chip on his shoulder. The rushing offense is not as good but the passing game has done enough to bring in the No. 10 ranked total offense and No. 18 ranked scoring offense. The Jaguars earlier faced Georgia Southern who came in with the No. 6 ranked passing offense and they were lit up by quarterback Kyle Vantrease yet escaped with a 14-point come-from-behind win. 10* (226) Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

This is a play on the TORONTO RAPTORS for our NBA Divisional Game of the Month. Here, we have two teams heading in complete opposite directions and the short number is putting the majority on the Knicks. New York has won eight straight games including a 38-point blowout against Golden St. last night to move to 18-13 on the season and the Knicks are currently in the No. 6 spot in the Eastern Conference. This was the first victory for New York over the Warriors at home since 2013 so that was certainly a statement victory which spells a letdown tonight. This is typically not a good situational spot for the Knicks as they are 1-4-1 ATS in their last six home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. Toronto meanwhile has lost six straight games and has the complete opposite record of the Knicks at 13-18 as the Raptors have fallen completely out of the playoff picture as they are now 2.5 games out of the final spot in the Eastern Conference. Four of those six losses came by four points or less which includes an overtime loss against Philadelphia on Monday so this skid could be a complete flip if the bounces went differently. The Raptors are only 3-12 on the road so looking at the broad numbers makes New York the easy side here but a line like this is what makes this a great contrarian spot. Here, we play on road underdogs off a close loss by three points or less to a division rival going up against an opponent after two consecutive covers as a favorite. This situation is 24-6 ATS (80 percent) since 1996. 10* (539) Toronto Raptors