Sports Picks & Predictions

This is a play on the CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS for our CBB Wednesday Enforcer. California is the only team remaining in all of Division I that has yet to win a game and it comes into Wednesday as the favorite which is putting the public on the Mavericks. The Golden Bears are 0-12 and having no wins is clearly not a good thing but they have played a very tough schedule and they are in a great scheduling situation here. They are coming off a road loss at Santa Clara on Sunday and return home where they are 0-7 which includes four losses as slight favorites and here they are again in their final nonconference game before Pac Ten action resumes next week. California is 15-6 ATS in its last 21 games after scoring 30 points or less in the first half in two straight games. We played on UT-Arlington as our free play for Monday as it went into San Francisco and defeated the Dons by five points as a 15-point underdog which snapped a three-game losing streak. That could provide momentum heading into tonight or it could bring a letdown and we are banking on the latter. The Mavericks have covered three of their last four games and it was their defense that got the job done the other night and they now face one of the worst offenses in the country so it looks inevitable that they are going to smother another opponent but the short travel turnaround could pose an issue after having nine days off prior to the last game. 10* (700) California Golden Bears

This is a play on the DENVER NUGGETS for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. Denver is coming off a win over Charlotte on Sunday to make it four wins in its last five games and with the victory, the Nuggets improved to 18-11 on the season, which has them tied with the Suns for the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference. They trail Memphis by one game so a win here gets Denver into a first place tie and tonight the Nuggets are getting points at home for the first time this season. They are 9-3 at home with the three losses coming by a total of six points including the last two where they shot 50 percent or better from the floor and the first defeat came with no Nikola Jokic in the lineup. He is listed on the injury report along with Jamal Murray, which is the likely reason this line is what it is, but both are listed as probable and are good to go. Memphis had its seven-game winning streak snapped with a loss at Oklahoma City on Saturday and in those seven victories, six were at home while the other one was at Detroit. The Grizzlies are 13-2 at home but just 6-8 on the road where they are anywhere between 3-9-2 and 3-11 ATS and even if this game flips back to Denver being favored, that is fine as Memphis is 0-4 ATS as a road underdog. Their defense remains No. 3 in efficiency but this will be a test facing the No. 3 ranked team in offensive efficiency as they are 2-5 this season against teams ranked in the top six in that category. Two contrarian situations favor Denver tonight. First, we play against road teams covering eight or more of their last 10 against the spread, playing six or less games in 14 days. This situation is 39-17 ATS (69.6 percent) over the last five seasons. Second, we play on teams failing to cover six or seven of their last eight games against the spread, with a winning record on the season playing another winning team. This situation is 131-83 ATS (61.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (528) Denver Nuggets

This is a play on the FRESNO ST. BULLDOGS as part of our CBB Tuesday Three-Pack. Fresno St. opened the season 1-5 before a pair of much needed wins but it has lost two straight coming into this game, both as favorites, and this is the final tune-up before Mountain West Conference opens up at the end of the month. Those early five losses came against some very good teams where they were underdogs in all of those with the exception of one-game where it was favored by a point against San Francisco. Fresno St. has been really close to a much better record as every loss have come by single digits as the defense has been really good as the Bulldogs are No. 54 in points allowed and has a great matchup here facing one of the worst offenses in the country. CSU Bakersfield is just 4-6 with two of those wins coming against non-Division I teams but what really stands out has been the losses. The Roadrunners have lost three straight which came against Dartmouth, San Jose St. and Abilene Christian. The schedule has been a challenge based on playing a lot away from home but in three home games, they are 2-1 with the two wins coming against those aforementioned non-Division I teams. This is a bad spot with a team with no proven win and with low expectations coming into the season that has been pegged near the bottom of the Big West Conference. Here, we play against home teams as an underdog or pickem after scoring 60 points or less in three straight games, with just one or fewer starters returning from last season. This situation is 100-59 ATS (62.9 percent) since 1997. 10* (643) Fresno St. Bulldogs

This is a play on the ILLINOIS-CHICAGO FLAMES as part of our CBB Tuesday Three-Pack. Northwestern is off to a surprising 8-2 start considering the Wildcats have been picked to finish No. 13 in the 14-team Big Ten Conference. They do have a quality win at Michigan St. but nothing else except for that as the rest of the schedule has been soft. Northwestern has relied on a very strong defense that is No. 7 in points allowed and No. 3 in opponent shooting but the issue in games like this is the fact the offense is putrid as the Wildcats are No. 313 in scoring and No. 355 in shooting. Trying to cover a number this high against a very good team makes it difficult because of that as the Wildcats have laid double-digits four times, going 1-3 ATS with the only cover coming against Chicago St. which is ranked No. 327 in the country. Illinois-Chicago is 8-4 which includes wins in three straight games while covering four in a row. The Flames also have a very strong defense which means this looks like a low scoring game which is evidenced by the fact this is the sixth lowest total on the entire card tomorrow of 42 games in total. The schedule has not been great but in 11 lined games, the Flames have been underdogs in five of those and have covered both when getting double digits. Here, we play against favorites of 10 to 19.5 points shooting 73 percent or better from the free throw line and allowing a shooting percentage of 33 percent or less going up against teams shooting between 65 and 69 percent from the free throw line. This situation is 26-5 ATS (83.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (631) Illinois-Chicago Flames

This is a play on the NORTHERN COLORADO BEARS as part of our CBB Tuesday Three-Pack. Northern Colorado comes in two and a half games worse than Air Force as it is just 5-6 including a 1-2 record at home and the line flipped early going to the Bears being the favorite and it makes sense and we are on it. The Bears were on a 4-1 run before going to Colorado on Saturday and losing by 11 points but covered the 15.5 points and that game ended a stretch of six straight games away from home. This is their first home game in 29 days and Northern Colorado wants to get some retribution on its home floor after losing to non-Division I Colorado Christian by a point. The defense has been awful of late but that was all on the road and now face a team not accustomed yet to feel it on the road. Air Force is 8-4 thanks to possessing one of the softest home schedules in the country where the Falcons are 8-2 that includes five straight covers and six straight overall and that is bringing the public into play. They have shot great over this stretch but all of the good ones were at home and in the two games they have been on the road, where they are 0-2, they have shot just 40 percent. The shooting defense has been solid as well but all at home again and while they have allowed only 50 percent shooting once, that was in one of the road games. Here, we play against road teams after beating the spread by more than six points in three consecutive games going up against an opponent after beating the spread by 24 or more points total in their last three games. This situation is 56-24 ATS (70 percent) since 1997. 10* (618) Northern Colorado Bears

This is a play on the SAN JOSE ST. SPARTANS for our CFB Tuesday Supreme Annihilator. San Jose St. comes in as a relatively short favorite hear which is based on its 0-6 ATS stretch to close the season as the public rides those streaks while those are the ones we go against. San Jose St. comes in with two key edges in the quarterback matchup and the defensive advantage. Quarterback Chevan Cordeiro, an All-Mountain West second-team selection has thrown for 2,885 yards with 20 touchdowns and just four interceptions. The offense overall has not been great but it has been efficient as the Spartans are No. 4 in the country in turnover margin as they have only turned the ball over six times all season while the defense has grabbed 18 takeaways. Corderio has led an offense that is No. 34 in passing and while facing a tough passing defense, he should be just fine here. The Spartans are 16-6-1 ATS in their last 23 games against teams with a winning record. Eastern Michigan brings in a similar offense overall but it is way down the ranks in both rushing and passing so it does not flourish in any one area. The Eagles are No. 86 in passing offense and No. 74 in rushing offense and they have a bad matchup here. Defensively, the Spartans are No. 25 overall and No. 22 in points allowed as they are a great pressure team and have the ability to get into the opponent backfield. San Jose St. in ranked No. 5 with 36 sacks on the season, led by defensive linemen Viliami Fehoko and Cade Hall which will be playing on Sunday in the near future, and the Eagles are ranked No. 85 in pass protection after giving up 30 sacks. Expect San Jose St. to be under pressure all day with quarterback Taylor Powell under duress. The Eagles are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games after allowing less than 275 total yards in their previous game. 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 55-21 ATS (72.4 percent) since 1992. 10* (222) San Jose St. Spartans

This is a play on the GREEN BAY PACKERS for our NFL Monday Primetime Dominator. The Rams are coming off a big come-from-behind win over Las Vegas last Thursday as Baker Mayfield propelled Los Angeles despite being with the team for just two days. Now that he has had time to get into the playbook, many will expect a good effort on that side of the ball but there is still very little to work with because of numerous players out. The offense has managed to average only 266.3 ypg over their last three games and we cannot see them keeping up here. Even with the extra time off, the Rams defense also continue to be plagued with injuries. Defensive lineman Aaron Donald (ankle), defensive tackle Marquise Copeland (ankle), linebacker Travin Howard (hip) and defensive back David Long Jr. (groin) have all been ruled out. The Rams are 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 games after accumulating less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game. Green Bay is coming off its bye week which came later than it would have liked but it was good timing for its quarterback situation as Aaron Rodgers was a full participant in practice this week for all three practices, a first since his thumb injury against the New York Giants. The Packers are back home the first time in a month following a pair of road games prior to the bye where they are 3-2. The offense has struggled to score points consistently but Green Bay is still ranked in the top half of the league in total offense, rushing offense and passing offense and facing a depleted defense is just what it needs to cure the scoring woes. The weather is in their favor as according to PFR, the Rams have played five games with a kickoff temperature of 15 or colder in their whole existence, the last coming in 1992. Green Bay is 22-8 ATS in its last 30 home games after a game with a turnover margin of +3 or better. 10* (332) Green Bay Packers

This is a play on the ST. THOMAS TOMMIES for our CBB Monday Supreme Annihilator. North Dakota is coming off a non-Division I victory over North Central-MN which snapped a four-game losing streak that included three road losses all of which were by double-digits. Those defeats dropped the Fighting Hawks to 2-4 on the road and they hit the highway for their conference opener Tuesday. They will be in for a struggle this season as two of their six wins came against non-Division I teams and they have been underdogs in 10 of their 11 lined games. This is a game St. Thomas has had circled since last season as it went 4-14 in the Summit League which was its first season at this college level and now coming off a disaster of that that, it knows it is better and wants to get out strong. The Tommies were picked No. 8 in the preseason poll but there was not much separation between them and the No. 4 spot so this team could surprise as they are already just one win shy of their total from all of last season. Head coach Johnny Tauer has two of his three double-digits scorers back from year one in Riley Miller and Parker Bjorklund and both are in double-digits again joined by freshman guard Andrew Rohde to head an offense that is No. 93 in total offense and No. 59 in shooting offense. Additionally, St. Thomas is one of the best free throw shooting teams in the country (No. 12) against one of the worst (No. 322). Here, we play against road teams as an underdog or pickem in a game involving two teams shooting 36.5 percent or better from long range, after a game where they made 50 percent of their three-point shots or better. This situation is 62-32 ATS (66 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (816) St. Thomas Tommies

This is a play on the ATLANTA HAWKS for our NBA Divisional Game of the Month. This is a ripe spot for Orlando to get blown out as the Magic are coming off another win at Boston to sweep the back-to-back on the road, both coming as double-digit underdogs. That made it six straight wins for Orlando with the first four coming at home where it was an underdog in all of those as well. The two wins in Boston moved the Magic to just 3-11 on the road which makes this an awful spot staying on the road for a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights. Orlando is 0-4 in the second game of a back-to-back this season and now after covering seven straight games, we are getting value based on that as the last five road games, they were getting 10 or more points. It has been a rough stretch for Atlanta as it has gone 4-8 over its last 12 games but did snap a two-game slide with a blowout win at Charlotte on Friday. Sitting at 15-15, the Hawks are in the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference and while injuries have been a slight issue, Trae Young is back healthy and playing well as he is close to averaging a double-double with 27.0 ppg and 9.9 apg and his assist numbers have surged and has helped the rest of the roster. One of the recent losses was an 11-point loss at Orlando two games back so immediate revenge is in store and Atlanta is 27-14 ATS in its last 41 home games revenging a loss where opponent scored 110 or more points. Here, we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points revenging a loss of 10 points or more, playing only their 2nd game in five days. This situation is 62-33 ATS (65.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (506) Atlanta Hawks

This is a play on the MARSHALL THUNDERING HERD for our CFB Monday Enforcer. In their first season under of head coach Jim Mora, the Huskies are back in a bowl for the first time since 2015 and have a chance for their first winning season since 2010. There is a ton of motivation for this program but this is not a good matchup. We played against Connecticut in its final game of the regular season and while it won the overall yardage battle, Army controlled the game with its rushing attack as it gained 320 yards on 5.5 ypc. Connecticut is ranked No. 88 in rushing defense and while the Marshall running game is a difference scheme than that of the Black Knights, it is still a powerful one. The Thundering Herd are No. 21 in rushing offense led by Khalan Labon and his 1,423 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns while freshman quarterback Cam Fancher has done a solid job taking over for an injured Henri Colombi and has led a balanced attack where he has also utilize his legs. On the other side, the Huskies rely solely on their running game as they are a solid No. 32 in rushing offense but have no passing game to speak of and that is a problem here. The Thundering Herd have the No. 5 rushing defense in the country so Connecticut will have a hard time getting anything going on the ground and relying on freshman quarterback Zion Turner is a problem as he has not been as effective as his counterpart as he has thrown for only 1,242 yards on the entire season while throwing just nine touchdowns and seven interceptions. It has been a nice story for the Huskies but playing a soft Independent schedule helped as they are ranked just No. 132 in the current ratings and are ranked below many teams with losing records. This will be a boring game with a lot of running on both sides with Marshall having the ability to control the line of scrimmage from start to finish. 10* (220) Marshall Thundering Herd

This is a play on the DETROIT PISTONS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. Brooklyn is rolling along with five straight wins including the first three of this four-game roadtrip and going back it has won nine of its last 10 games but this is a very common trip up spot. The Nets are now 8-7 on the road with the scoring differential just about dead even at +0.4 ppg with a big reason being its poor perimeter defense. They are allowing opponents to shoot 38 percent from long range which is slightly above the season average allowed that checks in at No. 29 in the NBA. Detroit has certainly had its share of problems this season at 8-23 overall but the Pistons do have a winning record against the number because of inflated numbers like this one. The Pistons are coming off a loss to Sacramento on Friday to make it four losses over their last five games as they still possess the top ranked schedule played in the NBA which has obviously played a role in the overall record but this is an excellent spot against a team not fully focused here. The Pistons are 8-2-2 ATS in their last 12 games against teams with a winning straight up record. Here, we play against teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 after two consecutive covers as a favorite, playing a team with a winning percentage between .250 and .400. This situation is 48-21 ATS (69.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (568) Detroit Pistons

This is a play on the TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS for our NFL Sunday Star Attraction. Cincinnati keeps rolling along following a win over the Browns last week to improve to 9-4 which kept the Bengals tied with the Ravens atop the AFC North but are now a half-game up following the Baltimore loss Saturday and they have been one of the hottest teams in the league. They have won nine of 11 games following a 0-2 start and they are 10-1 ATS over that stretch which is easily the best run in the league. Following back-to-back home wins against the Chiefs and then a division rival, this is an awful spot against a team no one wants to touch. Cincinnati is 4-3 on the road which includes no quality win. That begs the question is Tampa Bay a quality team? The Buccaneers are coming off a brutal loss against San Francisco following a last second win over the Saints and an overtime loss against Browns so they are stuck in a bad place but this still one of the better rosters in the league. The offense has not been able to get much going with Tom Brady but they have been so close and they are facing a passing defense that has struggled as the Bengals are No. 20 in the NFL in passing defense. Get some sort of rushing game going and they will be good. Here, we play on underdogs or pickems committing 1.25 or fewer turnovers per game and after three consecutive games where they forced one or less turnovers going up against a team with forcing 1.25 or fewer turnovers per game. This situation is 38-13 ATS (74.5 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (328) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This is a play on the JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS for our NFL Nonconference Game of the Month. Dallas is a massive public favorite this week based on the short line and who it is playing based on name which makes this another great contrarian spot. The Cowboys are on a four-game winning streak that includes three straight home wins and that alone is a tough spot playing on the road for the first time in a month. Dallas is 7-1 at home and get that extra home game based on the new schedules and get the Eagles there next week but come in only 3-2 on the highway with two of those wins coming against the overrated Giants and Vikings and the other against the hapless Rams. We cannot count out Jacksonville just yet. With a 2-1 record over its next three games coupled with a 1-2 Tennessee run in its next three games means a Week 18 showdown will decide the division based on the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Jaguars got into this spot with a 36-22 win over Tennessee last week on the road and while up and down, they are coming together when it counts with a 3-2 record over their last five games which followed a five-game losing streak but those were all decided by one possession so their record could be flipped right now. Here, we play on home teams in non-conference games, off a win by 10 points or more over a division rival. This situation is 31-9 ATS (77.5 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (322) Jacksonville Jaguars

This is a play on the CHICAGO BEARS for our NFL Sunday Enforcer. We are going contrarian here with the Bears as they are coming off a bye week which makes them in a healthy spot, notably quarterback Justin Fields who was at one point possibly to have been shut down for the season and he is capable of another big game here. The Bears have lost six straight games but won the yardage battle in half of those including a +52-yard edge in the last game against Green Bay and it knows how to play to it strength which is in the running game. Chicago has the No. 1 rushing offense in the league and Fields is a big part of that and that can be exploited here against an Eagles defense that allows 6.8 ypc against opposing quarterbacks which is worst in the NFL and getting that to go along with a significant home underdog to shorten a game is ideal. The Eagles suffered their first loss of the season against Washington and followed that up with poor effort at Indianapolis but they have rebounded with three straight dominating wins and are pretty much locked in for the top seed in the NFC. This is a tough spot coming off a big divisional win against the Giants with the Cowboys on deck and they have not been exactly dominating on the road of late and getting out of here healthy with a vanilla win, especially with this being the second of three straight road games. Here, we play against favorites outgaining their opponents by 0.75 or more yppl, after gaining 400 or more total ypg over their last three games. This situation is 58-18 ATS (76.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (318) Chicago Bears

This is a play on the FRESNO ST. BULLDOGS for our CFB Saturday Supreme Annihilator. Fresno St. had a rough start to the season as it opened 1-4 due to the loss of starting quarterback Jake Haener but his return brought a resurgence as the Bulldogs closed the season with six straight wins as the defense also picked it up late. Haener has thrown for 2,616 yards on 72.6 percent completions while throwing 18 touchdowns and only three picks and has an ideal matchup here. This line has done a big flip but justifiably so with the Cougars taking a big hit with absences. Washington St. is down some key players and personnel heading into its bowl game. Wide receivers De'Zhaun Stribling and Donovan Ollie and middle linebackers Francisco Mauigoa and Travion Brown went into the transfer portal. But the biggest one is outside linebacker Daiyan Henley, an All-Pac-12 first-team selection, opted out of the LA Bowl to declare for the NFL draft. Additionally, defensive coordinator Brian Ward left for Arizona St. early this month while offensive coordinator Eric Morris left the team to take over the head coaching job at North Texas. The transfer portal has done a number on a bunch of teams and Washington St. has been one of the most affected and scrambling in an early bowl game makes it more demanding. The Cougars had won three straight games before getting pummeled by Washington in the Apple Cup to close the regular season. Here, we play on teams after allowing 17 points or less in three straight games going up against an opponent after a loss by 17 or more points. This situation is 54-25 ATS (68.4 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (211) Fresno St. Bulldogs

This is a play on the INDIANAPOLIS COLTS for our NFL Saturday Enforcer. The Vikings had their run come to an end last week against the Lions but it has not been a good run overall despite all of the winning. While going 3-2 over its last five games, Minnesota was outgained in all of those games and while the public will be all over them here in a bounce back situation, this is a tram that cannot be trusted. The Vikings have been outgained by over 60 ypg which is unheard of for a team that is 10-3 and the NFL Luck Factor ratings are still led by Minnesota and by a wide margin and the scoring differential tells the real story as its -1-point scoring differential is the lowest by any 10-win team in NFL history. The defense is horrible as Minnesota is ranked dead last overall and in passing yards allowed. Indianapolis won in Las Vegas in the coaching debut of Jeff Saturday but has lost three straight since then but it has not been awful as the Colts have been outgained by only 46.3 ypg during this losing streak. Following their 33-point defensive meltdown against the Cowboys, the Colts had their bye week and while the roster seems depleted, having that week off got a lot of players back in the rotation. Matt Ryan has been a lawn chair but he is facing by far the worst defense he has seen since back as the starting quarterback and this is a game we should see Jonathan Taylor get his third 100-yard rushing performance this season. Here, we play against home favorites of 3.5 to 10 points with a winning percentage of .750 or better after having won eight or more out of their last 10 games. This situation is 24-7 ATS (77.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (307) Indianapolis Colts

This is a play on the CHICAGO BULLS for our NBA Friday Enforcer. The Knicks have won five straight games including at win at Chicago on Wednesday in overtime to improve to 15-13 on the season which has out them into sixth place in the Eastern Conference. The victory against the Bulls was just their fourth against a top 16 team this season which is the second fewest for a top 16 team, ahead of only the Clippers who have three victories against this group. Additionally, New York has 10 losses against the top 16 which is the most in the top half of the NBA and while that is tied with the Bulls, Chicago has double the amount of wins. The Knicks have won three straight road games but the other two came against Detroit and Charlotte which are a combined 15-43 on the season. Chicago has lost two straight games with the first coming in Atlanta in overtime as well on a last second shot. This is a great spot to bounce back to remain above .500 at home. And they have a solid edge in offense as their efficiency in No. 3 in the league over the last three games and they go up against a Knicks defense that is middle of the road in defensive efficiency. 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 79-41 ATS (65.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (544) Chicago Bulls

This is a play on the SEATTLE SEAHAWKS for our NFC West Game of the Month. The early opener for this game was San Francisco -1 and has quickly gone to -3.5 with all of the early money coming in on the 49ers and this line will likely only go up more from here as there is not a more public betting team in the NFL right now with Cincinnati a distant second as San Francisco has been all over the national limelight. The 49ers improved to 9-4 after an absolute rout of Tampa Bay in the first start for Brock Purdy to make it six straight wins but the schedule could not have been more favorable. The streak opened with a win at the hapless Rams on October 30 and that has been the last true road game they have played as four of their last five games have been at home with the other coming in Mexico City. Purdy now makes his first road start in one of the toughest environments in the league against a team in need of keeping its season alive. San Francisco has the No. 1 total defense, scoring defense and rushing defense and is the real deal but will have a road test here. The Seahawks have taken a step back with losses in three of their last four games but all three of those losses were winnable as all were by one possession and this has turned into a big game at the wrong time with the recent 49ers domination. Seattle has fallen back from being a likely playoff team to now having to deal with the Giants, Commanders and Lions for the final two spots in the NFC with those four teams separated by a game and a half. Seattle remains home where it is 3-3 and does have two more home games after this so the schedule in in its favor with nine home games and just seven road games with a neutral game mixed in there. The Seahawks are on a 0-4 run against the number so we cannot ask for a better spot especially with Pete Carroll on the sidelines as he has thrived here in Seattle going 20-8 ATS as a home underdog, 17-5 ATS at home revenging a loss and 14-3 ATS against teams 3.5 or less ypc. Historical trends are typically meaningless but these are something to definitely take into account. 10* (302) Seattle Seahawks

This is a play on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES as part of our NBA Wednesday Three Pack. The Clippers are coming off a 20-point win over Boston and while we were on the wrong side of that, we are fading Los Angeles here in what is close to an 11-point line shift and no matter good the Celtics may be, they are not separated by this many points against a competent that sits right around the .500 mark. The Clippers got the best game of the season from Kawhi Leonard as he scored 25 points to go along with nine rebounds and six assists and they need this the rest of the season to make any long playoff run but that is something that cannot be counted on yet. The Clippers are just 8-6 at home and could be in for a lookahead spot here with Phoenix on deck tomorrow. Minnesota has lost two straight games, both in Portland to from a game over .500 to a game under .500 which came after a mini run of 3-1 as it still plays in the absence of Karl-Anthony Towns. The Timberwolves are a respectable 6-7 on the road and like the Warriors, they are a top ten team overall in shooting on both sides of the floor which makes them dangerous any night and especially in betting aspects of getting a number this big. Here, we play against home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 coming off a home win scoring 110 or more points, playing a losing team. This situation is 47-19 ATS (71.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (519) Minnesota Timberwolves

This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS as part of our NBA Wednesday Three Pack. We played against Golden St. last night as it was able to build an early lead but that did not last long as it fell behind as many as 26 points in the 16-point loss against Milwaukee. The road struggles are evident as the Warriors fell to 2-12 on the highway and this is a good spot to bounce back in the midst of this six-game roadtrip that gets tougher after this. Despite a .500 record, the Warriors are a top ten team in both offensive and defensive shooting , effective field goal percentage and three-point shooting. Indiana has lost its first two games of this three-game homestand and has lost six of its last eight games as the overachieving start has started to catch up. This is no great home court advantage like the Warriors have gone against for most of the season as the Pacers are 8-6 with half of those wins coming against Orlando (twice), Detroit and Washington. While the Warriors are top ten in the aforementioned shooting rankings, the Pacers are ranked in the bottom half of the league in all of those with the exception of offensive three-point shooting. Here, we play on road teams after allowing 63 points or more in the first half in two straight games going up against an opponent after scoring 90 points or less. This situation is 36-13 ATS (73.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (501) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the ATLANTA HAWKS as part of our NBA Wednesday Three Pack. Atlanta is coming off a 25-point loss at Memphis on Monday to make it four losses over the last five games. After a great start to the season where the Hawks opened 10-6, they have lost eight of their last 10 games with the inconsistency of Trae Young being in the lineup being a big issue with that. He missed the last game against the Grizzlies with a back issue and comes into this game questionable but will likely be in the lineup in the start of a get right stretch of six straight games against teams with a losing record. Orlando has turned a corner with wins in three straight games, all at home and all as an underdog of at least 6.5 points but this corner cannot last very long. The return of some key injured players have started to show some bright signs recently but prior to this run, the Magic lost nine straight games which included a home loss by 17 points against Atlanta where they were getting 6.5 points. Now they are getting just 2.5 points and they are 1-4 ATS this season when getting three of fewer points with the lone win and cover coming against 7-20 Charlotte. Here, we play on favorites with a scoring differential of +/- 3 ppg going up teams with a scoring differential between -3 and -7 ppg, after a loss by 15 points or more. This situation is 38-14 ATS (73.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (503) Atlanta Hawks

This is a play on the UTSA ROADRUNNERS for our CBB Tuesday Ultimate Underdog. UTSA comes into Tuesday after falling to undefeated New Mexico on the road this past Saturday to fall to 5-4 on the season and while facing its biggest test of the season, it is also getting the most points it has seen. The Roadrunners got off to a slow start against the Lobos but hung in and kept it very respectable in a very tough environment and we expect the same here against an opponent in a tough spot. The offense had had their struggles this season and will be facing a tough defense but the Roadrunners do have some edges on the other side as they have a very strong perimeter defense that can combat the outside shooting of the Utes. The Roadrunners are 5-0 ATS in their last five games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. Utah comes into the game riding a four-game winning streak that has been highlighted by an 81-66 win of then-number-four Arizona at the Huntsman Center. The Utes are now 8-2 and while one of the losses was a quality one against Mississippi St. by just three points on a neutral floor, the other came against San Houston St. by 10 points at home so focus could be an issue again. A big reason for that is the fact Utah travels to rival BYU in its next game and will be out for revenge following an 11-point loss to the Cougars at home so they have had that game circled. The Utes have covered five straight games so this line is inflated due to that as we have this line well below that based on the most recent power ratings. A low scoring game is expected which favors the underdog especially one that is this big. 10* (619) UTSA Roadrunners

This situation is MILWAUKEE BUCKS for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. We played against Milwaukee on Sunday as it went into Houston and lost outright as a 10-point favorite and now it is back home in the second part of the proverbial sandwich where the Bucks won at Dallas Friday and has the Rockets in-between the two games which possibly caused the letdown, lookahead situation. The loss kept the Bucks a game and a half behind Boston for first place in the Eastern Conference and they head into Tuesday where they are 12-3 at home and look to get back on track following a 7-1 previous to Sunday. The Bucks are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 home games against teams with a losing road record. Golden St. snapped a two-game losing streak with a win over Boston on Saturday as it avoided a Celtics pursuit of getting revenge from the NBA Finals from last season. The Warriors moved back to a game over .500 on the season which has been a major disappointment following their championship last year. Golden St. improved to 12-2 at home but now hit the road where it has been a disaster with a 2-11 record with the only wins coming against Houston and Minnesota on the highway and it has lost two straight since that most recent win against the Timberwolves. The Warriors are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games following a straight up win of more than 10 points. Here, we play on home teams after two or more consecutive unders, that have a scoring differential between +3 to +7 ppg going up against teams with a scoring differential of +/- 3 ppg. This situation is 87-40 ATS (68.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (568) Milwaukee Bucks

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Nonconference Game of the Month. Boston opened this roadtrip with three wins including a solid 27-point win over then-Western Conference leading Phoenix where it built a 45-point lead but suffered a loss at Golden St. on Saturday by 16 points which was its worst defeat of the season. The Celtics are now 21-6 and after the previous five losses, they won four of their follow up games and by an average of 11.5 ppg and are in another good spot to bounce back from the most recent loss. Boston remains in first place in the Eastern Conference as the offense still is tops in the league in scoring, three point shooting and free throw shooting while sitting No. 4 in overall shooting. The Clippers return home from a four-game east coast roadtrip where it went 2-2 and they are 15-13 overall showing nothing special along the way. They are just 7-6 at home and are still barely ranked in the top 20 in the power rankings as their schedule has been very easy, ranked No. 28 in the league as their wins have come against the poor teams in the NBA. Los Angeles is 13-5 against teams ranked outside the top 16 and just 2-8 against the top 16 that includes a 1-5 record against the top 10, one of only three teams in the entire league that has only one win against a top ten team, their being a two-point win against Cleveland. The Clippers do have a tough defense but the offense does not have enough to keep up. Here, we play on road favorites coming 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 39-12 ATS (76.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (563) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the CREIGHTON BLUEJAYS for our CBB Monday Enforcer. After a 6-0 start to the season, the Bluejays have lost four straight games and have fallen outside the top 25. The four losses were not bad ones as they were against Arizona, Texas, Nebraska and BYU, all of which have winning records so no real harm there especially when three of those were by five points or less and all away from home. Creighton is still ranked No. 27 in the latest ratings as the schedule has been a difficult one which is ranked No. 52 in the country and it was shorthanded last game with Ryan Kalkbrenner sitting out which was confirmed just one hour before the game so they had to change on the fly and it clearly did not work out and he should be good to go Monday. Arizona St. is 9-1 to open the season which does include a win over Michigan but there has not been much besides that with a schedule that is ranked No. 185. The Sun Devils are a quality team with a defense that has led the way, allowing 34.4 percent shooting from the floor which is No. 4 in the country, including 25.8 percent shooting allowed from long range which is No. 8. This is a good thing because the offense has struggled despite the soft schedule as Arizona St. is bottom third in the nation in overall shooting and shooting from behind the arc. Creighton finally gets that bounce back win after three straight failed efforts. 10* (811) Creighton Bluejays

This is a play on the ARIZONA CARDINALS for our NFL Monday Primetime Dominator. The season is on the line for both teams here and despite the recent struggles for the Cardinals on their home field, they are in a good matchup with both sides of the ball having edges where they count. Arizona is 4-8 including a 1-5 record at home and going back it is 1-10 in its last 11 games at home but this season, the Cardinals have outgained three of six opponents here and two of those that they did not were against Kansas city and Seattle. One big edge on offense is Kyler Murray as there is one problem that Bill Belichick's defenses have struggled with for a while and that would be defending quarterbacks that can run. That has been the case this season as they have struggled against Lamar Jackson, Justin Fields and Josh Allen which resulted in losses to Baltimore, Chicago and Buffalo respectively and those were all on their home field. Defensively, the Cardinals are excellent against the rush as they are No. 11 and Rhamondre Stevenson was ineffective last week against the Bills and could struggle again here. The passing defense has not been as good but Arizona applies a lot of pressure on the quarterback and that is a big factor here as Mac Jones does not have the ability to make plays when under pressure as he has completed only 43.8 percent of his passes with one touchdown and five interceptions. Overall, the defensive numbers are not great but the quarterbacks they have lost to are Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford, Jalen Hurts, Kirk Cousins, Jimmy Garoppolo, Justin Herbert and Geno Smith. Sorry Mac, you are not close to being in that group. There are a lot of historic numbers, angles and trends that are on the Patriots side but last we looked, Tom Brady is no longer there. Looking at the raw power rankings and with home field added in, the wrong team is favored here. 10* (128) Arizona Cardinals

This is a play on the MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS for our CBB Sunday Enforcer. Minnesota is coming off a home loss against Michigan and while it was by 15 points, we have to look at the value here as the Golden Gophers are now getting double that amount tonight which seems way off considering Michigan and Mississippi St. are separated by just a half-point in the power rankings. Minnesota is now 4-5 on the season following four straight losses and bettors are steering clear of the Gophers so the linesmakers hands are tied when setting this number and despite the inflated line, Minnesota is a go against for the majority. Mississippi St. is off to an 8-0 start but it is in a very tricky spot here as the Bulldogs are plying their first true road game of the season and over its last two games on a neutral floor, it resulted in a pair of wins by just three points against Marquette and Utah. Overall, the Bulldogs have played the No. 346 schedule in the country out of 363 teams so while they possess the No. 1 ranked scoring defense in the nation, that is totally skewed and despite the strength of schedule, the offense has been below average in all major statistical categories so if we are expecting a low scoring game, the total is the lowest on the entire Sunday board, that favors the underdog and especially a big one at home. Here, we play against road teams with a winning percentage of .800 or better after going under the total by 42 or more points total in their last seven games, playing a team with a losing record. This situation is 28-3 ATS (90.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (788) Minnesota Golden Gophers

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES CHARGERS for our NFL Sunday Primetime Dominator. Miami is coming off a poor loss last week against San Francisco as it scored on its first play from scrimmage but was shutdown pretty much the rest of the way as after that 75-yard touchdown, and another 45-yard touchdown, the Dolphins managed only 188 total yards elsewhere. This looks to be a good bounce back spot against a struggling team but it is not going to be as easy as some may think and despite having a two-game better record, Miami could be considered a false favorite here based on power rankings, namely the Sagarin rating that have these teams dead even not taking into account any home field advantage with in fairness, is basically nothing for Los Angeles. The defense is below average and after getting beat up by Brock Purdy, they have a much worse matchup here. This is a tough spot as Miami stayed in Los Angeles which is good for travel but kept them out of their normal routine as far as facilities and familiarity. The Chargers have lost three of their last four games to level out at 6-6 on the season and this is a massive game to stay in the playoff picture not only for the win but the quality victory for strength of wins if it comes down to a tiebreaker. The offense is ranked No. 13 overall and No. 14 in scoring and it is this low because of injuries, namely to wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams but both are finally heathy at the same time as this will be just the fourth time all season they will be active and playing together and this is a massive upgrade for the offense. The big weakness of the defense is against the run which happens to be the weakness for the Dolphins offense so the strength of the secondary will make it a tough matchup again for an injured Tua Tagovailoa. Here, we play against favorites with a poor turnover defense forcing one or less tpg, after a game with a turnover margin of -3 or worse. This situation is 35-10 ATS (77.8 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (120) Los Angeles Chargers

This is a play on the HOUSTON ROCKETS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. We played against Houston on Friday as it lost at San Antonio in the first game that it has been favored in all season and now heads back home where it is significantly better than it is on the road. The Rockets have been better overall, going 4-4 over their last eight games which includes three straight home wins where they are now 4-5 on the season as opposed to 3-13 on the highway so they have played a very heavy road schedule. This is part of the reason Houston has played the No. 3 ranked schedule in the league and they are catching a huge number at home where they are 4-1 ATS against teams with a winning record including an outright win over Philadelphia in its last game at home. The Rockets will be out for revenge following a 20-point loss in Milwaukee in the first meeting this season which is tied for their biggest loss of the season. Milwaukee is coming off a one-point win at Dallas on Friday to make it four straight wins and victories in seven of its last eight games. That puts the Bucks in a tough situation here as coming off that win and having a game on deck at home against Golden St. leads them into a tough sandwich spot. The runs along with the Celtics loss last night puts Milwaukee now one game behind Boston in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks are 7-3 on the road and they have actually been outscored overall on those 10 road games despite being four games over .500. The Bucks are just 2-5 ATS as favorites of more than seven points. Here, we play on teams coming off an upset loss as a favorite going up against an opponent off a road win by three points or less. This situation is 52-22 ATS (70.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (550) Houston Rockets

This is a play on the CAROLINA PANTHERS for our Sunday Ultimate Underdog. NFL Seattle snapped a two-game losing streak with a win over the Rams last week but it has failed to cover its last three games following a four-game win and cover streak. The Seahawks improved to 7-5 which kept them one game behind San Francisco in the NFC West but they are not as good as this winning record indicates as they have an atrocious defense that is ranked No. 30 overall and No. 28 in points allowed. Their three best offensive weapons, Geno Smith, Kenneth Walker III and D.K. Metcalf, are all questionable heading into the weekend and while all three will likely be on the field, there is no guarantee they can finish and none of the three will be going in close to 100 percent. There has been significant line movement here as this line opened at -6 and pounded by the early money which has brought it down significantly and now the public money is pounding the Seahawks with no more line movement, another Red flag game similar to one of our other ones. Carolina has won two of its last three games and is 3-3 over its last six games with just one bad game in that mix which came against a red hot Cincinnati team. The Panthers are coming off their bye week which is big here to have an extra week of preparation for Sam Darnold who was very efficient in his first start two weeks ago against a very strong Denver defense and he could be in store for a huge game here. The running game remains solid as D'Onta Foreman has been very good in taking over for Christian McCaffrey as he has ran for over 100 yards in four of his last six games. The Panthers defense has been the strength and matches up well here. Here, we play against home favorites with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 coming off a no-cover where the team won as a favorite, playing a losing team. This situation is 26-5 ATS (83.9 percent) since 1983. 10* (121) Carolina Panthers

This is a play on the DETROIT LIONS for our NFC North Game of the Month. We have won and covered the last two games with the Vikings but they have been a team that can take years off your life. From a situational standpoint, they would be the play here by going against the Detroit cover streak but the bounces will eventually betray them and we feel this is that spot. Minnesota is coming off three straight home games and was outgained in all of those and by an average of 175 ypg so the fact it won those last two games is certainly fortunate but we think it is now time to jump ship. The Vikings are 3-1 on the road and were outgained in two of those and in the two they won the yardage battle, it was by 6 and 38 yards. The NFL Luck Factor ratings are still led by Minnesota and by a wide margin and the scoring differential tells the real story as its +10 point scoring differential is the lowest by any 10-win team in NFL history. Detroit has played its way back into the playoff picture in the NFC as it is now 5-7 after wins in four of its last five games with the lone loss coming against Buffalo by just a field goal on Thanksgiving. While Minnesota has won all of the close games, the Lions have been on the opposite side of that as of those seven losses, five have come by four points or less with four of those taking place at home and this is a statement game for Detroit. Those Luck Factor rating are not on their side as the Lions are No. 20 and while these analytics typically only talk about the past and not about future performance, as we all know, things come back to the median to at least a limited degree. The Lions defense remains one of the worst in the league and this is a tough matchup there but the offense makes up for it as Detroit is now No. 7 overall and No. 6 in scoring and if this game is won, the Lions are looing good the rest of the way with the last four games including three losing teams and the Jets. 10* (106) Detroit Lions

This is a play on the CLEVELAND BROWNS for our NFL Sunday Enforcer. Cincinnati is coming off a big win against Kansas City last week to improve to 8-4 which kept the Bengals tied with the Ravens atop the AFC North and they have been one of the hottest teams in the league. They have won eight of 10 games following a 0-2 start and they are 9-1 ATS over that stretch which is easily the best run in the league. Both of those streaks along with a high-profile win against the Chiefs is putting the public all over Cincinnati as 73 percent of the money has come in on the Bengals yet the line has not budged. Red flag. They are the No. 5 total offense in the NFL and No. 7 in scoring but are facing a tough defense that brings a lot of pressure which can hurt this offensive line which has done a good job of keeping Joe Burrow upright after a poor start. Cleveland won in Houston last week as Deshaun Watson made his season debut and he was awful but that was expected in his first action in over a season and a half and with the nerves and anxiety out of the way, we should see a much better performance this week. The Browns are just 2-4 on the road which includes a bad loss against Miami but two of those losses were by three points with the other coming against Buffalo in Detroit. We expect another rush heavy gameplan as the Browns possess the No. 4 ranked rushing offense and face off against a rather average rushing defense and an overall average stop unit. The difference in the records are just three games which is not a large enough variance to constitute this line in a divisional game as linesmakers have been forced to inflate it which still is not keeping the public off. Here, we play against home teams (averaging 7.3 or more ypa and after gaining 6.75 or more passing ypa in four straight games going up against teams averaging between 5.9 and 6.7 ypa. This situation is 32-9 ATS (78 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (113) Cleveland Browns

This is a play on the PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. Portland is coming off a brutal home loss against Denver on Thursday as it went down on a last second three-pointer from Jamal Murray which snapped a modest two-game winning streak. The Blazers fell to 5-6 at home as they are one of only three teams in the Western Conference that possess a losing home record with San Antonio and Houston being the others. That being said, they are in a great spot here coming off that loss and facing a team on a back-to-back. Portland is ranked No. 4 in the league in three-point shooting going up against the Timberwolves perimeter defense that is No. 25 in long range shooting allowed which sets up Damian Lillard to have another huge game similar to his outburst against the Nuggets. Minnesota has won two straight games following a 10-point win at Utah last night. This is the Timberwolves fourth time this season playing back-to-back games and while having gone 1-2 against the number in the first three instances and this is the first of the season where both consecutive games have come on the road. The offense has been on a roll but the defense has been dreadful as the Timberwolves have allowed 123 ppg over their last six games. Here, we play on teams coming off a loss by three points or less to a division rival going up against an opponent after a road game where both teams scored 100 or more points. This situation is 35-10 ATS (77.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (536) Portland Trail Blazers

This is a play on the ST. LOUIS BILLIKENS for our CBB Saturday Enforcer. St. Louis is coming off a bad loss and looks to regroup as it heads back home where it is 5-0 on the season and is in a great situation for a big bounce back. After losing by 22 points at Iona, Boise St. and Drake offer two of their few remaining chances at wins that will display in the NET rankings, which came out this week. That loss to the Gaels dropped the Billikens way down the power rankings to No. 81 so these are the types of games they can ill afford to give up before conference play gets going. The Billikens have been at their best in this spot as they are among the better offensive teams in the country at home. They face a strong defense but one that has yet to see an environment like this. The Billikens have had injury issues early this season but are expected to be fully healthy as they begin their three-game homestand. Boise St. has won six straight games following a 1-2 start and it hits the highway for its first true road game of the season. It has already notched three wins against Power Five opponents, which is the most ever for the Broncos in a single season so that is a concern but they will be facing their first team going through some adversity. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points averaging between 67 and 74 ppg and after two straight wins by 10 points or more going up against teams allowing between 67 and 74 ppg. This situation is 39-14 ATS (73.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (716) St. Louis Billikens

This is a play on the ARIZONA WILDCATS for our CBB Saturday Star Attraction. Two of the best shooting teams in the country square off in Las Vegas. The Wildcats have size, play an up tempo style and are battle-tested this season with wins over Cincinnati, San Diego St. and Creighton all of which came on a neutral floor at the Maui Invitational. Arizona enters the game with the second-best offense and the best effective field goal percentage in the country and the Indiana defense, which has been extremely solid, has not been tested like this. The Wildcats are balanced inside and out and having the fastest paced team in the country is even more potent as their bigs run the floor better than any team in the nation. The Hoosiers are playing away from home for the just the second time in close to three weeks and that one trek resulted in a 15-point loss at Rutgers. Indiana does have the better overall numbers on the defensive side as it has only allowed one opponent to score more than a point per possession in a game this season which was against Xavier as the Hoosiers escaped that with a two-point win. The only other solid win was a 12-point win over North Carolina but the Tar Heels have gone from No. 1 to unranked so that victory has lost a lot of its luster. Here, we play against underdogs shooting 52 percent or better on the season. This situation is 83-48 ATS (63.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (711) Arizona Wildcats

This is a play on the SAN DIEGO ST. AZTECS for our CBB Saturday Supreme Annihilator. Following a pair of losses against Arizona and Arkansas, San Diego St. has rebounded with three straight wins but you have to go all the way back to November 21 to find the last time the Aztecs have covered a game, a span of five straight contests. They are laying a short number here and while they are the designated road team, this is on a neutral court in Phoenix with this being another opportunity for a quality win similar to the last time they covered against Ohio St. which was also on a neutral floor. St. Mary's snapped a three-game losing streak with a win over Missouri St. by 20 points so that bounce back is out of the way and that was arguably their best win of the season as the Gaels have lost to all three opponents that are ranked within the top 100. They have relied on a strong defense but have a test here against a San Diego St. team that is coming off an awful performance against Troy were it won but managed a season low 60 points. Offensively, they have struggled throughout the season as they have shot over 50 percent only once and faces a defense that has allowed 50 percent or higher shooting only once. Here, we play on neutral court teams as a favorite or pickem coming off a home no-cover where the team won straight up as a favorite, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .800. This situation is 73-36 ATS (67 percent) since 1997. 10* (637) San Diego St. Aztecs

This is a play on the AIR FORCE FALCONS for our CBB Friday Enforcer. After a 1-3 start that included a pair of four-point losses including one in overtime at home against Texas A&M-Commerce, Air Force has won five of its last six games including five straight victories at home where the home court advantage is typically pretty sizable. This is a very young teams with 17 of the 20 players on the roster being underclassmen which led to the rough start but now they are coming together especially on the defensive end. Air Force is ranked No. 5 in the nation in three-point shooting defense at 24.0 percent and No. 36 in scoring defense at 61.2 ppg. This is the last game for the Falcons for nine days because of finals which puts some extra importance on this game as well as the fact they will be out for revenge following a 21-point loss at Arkansas St. last season. Arkansas St. stays on the road following a loss at Central Arkansas on Tuesday to fall to 0-3 on the highway and 5-4 overall with that overall record being skewed. Three of those wins came against non-Division I teams Bethel, Lyon and Harding by 25, 24 and 31 points respectively so those have skewed their overall numbers and even the other victories have been suspect. The Red Wolves also have defeated Mississippi Valley St. which is the lowest ranked team in the country at No. 363 and Tennessee Martin which checks in at No. 307 and their own ranking of No. 266 seems inflated with a schedule played ranked No. 350 in the nation. 10* (888) Air Force Falcons

This is a play on the INDIANA PACERS for our NBA Eastern Conference Game of the Month. Indiana was on a decent roll where it was on a 9-2 run before heading out on a seven-game roadtrip where it ended up going 2-5 to fall to 13-12 on the season. The Pacers are now back home for the start of a four-game homestand and while they have been playing over their heads based on their power ranking that is in the bottom third of the league, this is a good spot to get back into the win column to get some of that momentum back. They have a mismatch advantage in the backcourt tonight as Tyrese Haliburton, Benedict Mathurin and Buddy Hield are averaging 54.7 ppg to go along with a lot of depth from the bench. Indiana is 7-4 at home and the Pacers are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games against teams with a losing road record. One reason for the backcourt disadvantage for Washington is that Bradely Beal is on the shelf again as he is out with a hamstring injury and as mentioned in other scenarios, teams initially tend to step up when a star player goes down but this is now the third game with him out and his absence has been felt as the thin backcourt does not have a reliable scorer to make up for his production. The Wizards have lost four straight games and seven of their last eight to crawl back under .500 for the season and the road has not been kind of late as they have dropped six straight games on the highway. The Wizards are 6-16-1 ATS in their last 23 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. Here, we play against underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points that are revenging a loss as a favorite, off a cover where the team lost the game straight up as an underdog. This situation is 139-82 ATS (62.9 percent) since 1996. 10* (506) Indiana Pacers

This is a play on the SAN ANTONIO SPURS for our NBA Thursday Enforcer. The Spurs have lost 11 straight games and 16 of their last 17 games with 14 of those against potential and current playoff positioned teams and the other three of those against the resurgent Lakers so while losing like this is certainly not good, it has been a brutal stretch. The lone win came against Milwaukee in a fluke and now San Antonio finally catches a break and gets a team on its own level. They have played the No. 8 ranked schedule in the NBA and have faced only four teams at home with a losing record, covering only one but two of the losses were against the Lakers and the other was against Charlotte which was way back in the season opener. Houston has been playing better as it has won four of its last seven games including an overtime win in its last game against Philadelphia and also included an improbable road win at Phoenix three games back. That being said, the recent stretch is a reason along with the Spurs struggles that the Rockets are favorites on the road for the first time this season and for the first time overall as they have gotten points in all 24 games heading into Thursday. That is an automatic play against situation and one that also falls into a contrarian spot as no one will be betting on the 1-16 run of the Spurs. Here, we play on teams allowing 50 percent shooting or worse on the season and averaging 48 or fewer rpg on the season. This situation is 33-14 ATS (70.2 percent) since 1996. 10* (578) San Antonio Spurs

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES RAMS for our NFL Thursday Primetime Dominator. The Rams have lost six straight games and their season is definitely over but they are now getting value as they covered last week and they are getting nearly the same amount of points this week as they did last week against the Seahawks despite the Raiders being two games worse than Seattle. The loss of Matthew Stafford has certainly hurt the offense as John Wolford was not great against the Seahawks but the second game after getting thrown into the lineup typically goes better and the Raiders do not possess a intimidating defense where they can shut him down. The best outcome last week was Cam Akers having a game after being nonexistent for most of the season and they can rely on him and overall, the Rams rushed for 171 yards on 33 carries (5.2 ypc). The defense should get Aaron Donald back and the unit has still played well as they are No. 14 overall including No. 4 against the rush and can bottle up a resurgent Josh Jacobs. The Raiders were embarrassed at home against the Colts in the coaching debut of Jeff Saturday but they have won three straight games since then but two of those were in overtime and could be in for a letdown following a rival win over the Chargers last week. Their playoff hopes remain intact as Las Vegas is currently in tenth place, two games behind the Jets for the final Wild Card spot. It has been a tough schedule of late as this is the fifth road game over their last seven games and while the distance has not been an issue, it is simply the logistics of traveling. Las Vegas does possess a top ten offense but that goes against the strength of the Rams while the defense is ranked No. 27 overall and No. 26 in points allowed which goes against the Rams weakness so this is not a very favorable matchup where they can be dominant in any one area. Here, we play on underdogs or pickems after failing to cover the spread in three out of their last four games going up against an opponent after covering the spread in three out of their last four games. This situation is 43-15 ATS (74.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (102) Los Angeles Rams

This is a play on the IOWA HAWKEYES for our CBB Nonconference Game of the Month. The Cyclones lost a ton from last season, most notably their two best backcourt players and leading scorers Izaiah Brockington and Tyrese Hunter who averaged a combined 28.3 ppg, 10.6 rpg and 6.6 apg. Iowa St. has been picked to finish No. 8 in the 10-team Big 12 but has gotten off to a 7-1 start that includes big wins over Villanova and North Carolina. But those were big at the time as Villanova is down under new head coach Kyle Neptune and North Carolina is currently on a four-game winning streak. The Cyclones followed that up by getting hammered against Connecticut and now hit the road for their first true road game. Iowa opened the season 5-0 before a loss against a very good and underrated TCU team and then after a blowout win over Georgia Tech, the Hawkeyes lost by 12 points against Duke, a team that is starting to come around after a pair of early loses, at MSG on Tuesday. The Hawkeyes return home in this rivalry where they are 4-0 and will be out for some big time revenge following a 20-point loss in Ames last season almost to the day. This is a very efficient team that does not give the opponent easy opportunities as Iowa is No. 1 in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.93) and second in fewest turnovers per game. They have one of the top scoring offenses in the country at No. 21 and they have four players that are hitting 50 percent or better from the floor. 10* (876) Iowa Hawkeyes

This is a play on the PHOENIX SUNS as part of our NBA Wednesday Three Pack. We played against Boston in its last game and once again, the Celtics stepped up late as it turned a close game against Toronto into a runaway thanks to a 35-18 edge in the third quarter before Toronto made it respectable at the end. The Celtics possess the best record in the NBA at 20-5 and still hold a two-game lead over Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference. Boston has won two straight games after a win over Brooklyn on Sunday prior to the Raptors win which closed a 5-1 homestand. The Celtics are a perfect 9-0 against teams outside the top 16 but 11-5 against teams within that and while still good, it is just 4-2 on the road against those top 16 teams with this being the biggest test of the season. The Suns are still atop the highly competitive top portion of the Western Conference at 16-8 and after a 7-1 run, they are coming off a 19-point loss at Dallas on Monday which was their worst loss of the season. Of those eight defeats, five have come by two points or less so a few bounces their way and they could be right with the Celtics for the best record in the league. Phoenix is 12-2 at home with the two losses coming by three points combined and it is getting points here which it should not be based on the power rankings and the fact they are at home. The Suns are 7-0 ATS in their last seven games following a loss. Here, we play against road teams where the line is +3 to -3 off a road win scoring 110 or more points, playing their 3rd game in four days. This situation is 51-24 ATS (68 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (574) Phoenix Suns

This is a play on the FLORIDA GATORS for our CBB Wednesday Signature Enforcer. Florida had a rough go of it at the Phil Knight Legacy Tournament in Portland as it lost two of three games against Xavier and West Virginia but came home and throttled Florida A&M and Stetson by 40 and 38 points respectively and while we normally take cupcake games like that with a grain of salt, these were big for the Gators and they needed some confidence and momentum back before a brutal stretch coming up starting on Wednesday. They are 4-1 at home and while the one loss was a bad one against Florida Atlantic, the Owls have turned out to be a solid team at 7-1. They match up well here against a team that has been a mismatch for most opponents. Connecticut is 9-0 and has turned into a sleeper national title team at +1800, tied for fifth with Purdue and it comes in ranked in the same position at No. 5 after entering the season unranked. The Huskies do have a good win over Alabama on a neutral floor which has been the only game they have been an underdog in all season which is telling but they do have others on that same floor against Oregon and Iowa St. They have played the No. 140 schedule in the country which is not horrible but they have yet to face a true road game until tonight and it comes against an opponent in need of a quality win over a quality opponent. A big public team should go down here. 10* (706) Florida Gators

This is a play on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES as part of our NBA Wednesday Three Pack. Indiana concludes its seven-game roadtrip tonight in Minnesota and it has not been a good one as the Pacers are 2-4 through the first six games but they are coming off a big upset on Monday as they went into Golden St. and came away with an eight-point win as an 11-point underdog. Indiana is now 6-7 on the road which is respectable for a team not expected to do much but has been outscored by five ppg overall and half of those wins came against bottom-feeding teams in the league. On the season, the Pacers are 4-6 against the much tougher Western Conference and they have a ranking of just No. 24 in the NBA as they are one of only two teams ranked in the bottom third of the league that have a winning record. Minnesota has split its first two games in the absence of Karl-Anthony Towns and looks to bounce back from a home loss against Oklahoma City last time out. The Timberwolves have lost two straight games at home where they are just 6-7 on the season and they have been a money-burning 2-6 ATS over their last eight games but are in a good spot here with their high-powered offense going up against an Indiana team that is ranked No. 17 in defensive efficiency and allow the eighth-most points in the league. Also, they are facing a Pacers team with two of their top three scorers questionable for tonight. The Timberwolves are 5-1 ATS in their last six games playing on three or more days of rest. 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 78-41 ATS (65.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (562) Minnesota Timberwolves

This is a play on the MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES as part of our NBA Wednesday Three Pack. Oklahoma City went through a rough stretch where it lost five of six games but it has rebounded with three consecutive wins including a pair of outright wins on the road at Minnesota and Atlanta as sizeable underdogs. The Thunder are two games under .500 which is still very good for a team expected to be near the bottom of the NBA after losing No. 1 pick Chet Holmgren for the season before it even got underway. To their credit, the Thunder have played the No. 9 ranked schedule in the NBA but it has gone as expected as they are a solid 10-5 against teams outside the top ten but have gone just 1-8 against those ranked within that with the only victory coming against Dallas early in the season and have lost seven straight to the top ten teams. Memphis is rolling again after a bit of a lull where it went 1-4 over a five-game stretch but the Grizzlies have won five of their last six games and are positioning themselves in the top part of the Western Conference. They are 15-9 overall which is good for third place in the conference, one game behind Phoenix for first place. Memphis has dominated the teams it should dominate, going 10-2 against teams ranked outside the top 16 in the league and it brings in a 9-2 record at home, the only losses coming against a surprising Sacramento team that the whole league has caught off guard and the Celtics who have the best record in the NBA. Here, we play against underdogs coming off two or more consecutive upset wins as a road underdog. This situation is 196-129 ATS (60.3 percent) since 1996. 10* (566) Memphis Grizzlies

This is a play on the EASTERN MICHIGAN EAGLES for our CBB Wednesday Ultimate Underdog. Eastern Michigan opened the season with a win over Wayne St. and then went on to lose six straight games but those were against some strong competition as the Eagles were underdogs in five of those games with the exception being a three-point loss against San Diego as a small favorite. They came back with a win against Florida International for their first true road win of the season but gave it back with a 28-point loss last weekend at home against Florida Atlantic. We talk about get right spots and this team is in need of one in a good matchup getting an abundance of points against a team that is struggling just as much. The defense has been a real problem but that will be a no issue here against a team that has scored more than 69 points only once. Illinois St. was riding a five-game losing streak before pulling off a 10-point win over Belmont on Sunday to move to 3-6 overall which is just one game better than Eastern Michigan and the Redbirds are in no position to be laying this number which is the third most they have put down this season. Illinois is just 1-2 at home which included two losses to open the season where it also went 0-6 ATS through its first six games before covering the last two games as underdogs. The Redbirds have one of the worst offenses in the nation as they are ranked No. 329 in scoring and this is against a schedule that is ranked No. 247 in the country. 10* (685) Eastern Michigan Eagles

This is a play on the RHODE ISLAND RAMS for our CBB Wednesday Supreme Annihilator. We played against Rhode Island in its last game against rival Providence and it lost by 14 points as the Rams were abused on the boards which led to not many second chance points and now they have another rival coming into the Ryan Center and this is a perfect get right game. Rhode Island has lost four of its last five games but it has been underdogs in those four losses so they were not too surprising and two of those could have gone the other way. This started as basically a brand new roster and they are still coming together and this starts a very favorable stretch to get a run going before conference season starts. This offense has been putrid from a pace and shooting standpoint but have a good matchup here. Brown is off to a 5-4 start which is about was is expected as the Bears do not have a lot to offer this season as they have been picked to finished No. 6 in the eight-team Ivy League. They do come in on a roll as they have won and covered four straight games after some really bad losses to start the season. The overall issue is the schedule they have played no one as their best opponent has been Massachusetts which was an 11-point home loss and Brown has played the No. 341 ranked schedule in the country out of 363 teams so it has hardly been tested. Despite that, Brown is ranked No. 313 in the nation in scoring and No. 303 in opponent field goal percentage allowed. 10* (678) Rhode Island Rams

This is a play on the TOLEDO ROCKETS as part of our CBB Tuesday Three Pack. The Rockets are coming off a road loss at George Mason on Saturday which snapped a two-game winning streak and dropped them to 5-3 on the season and 0-1 on the road. Toledo is coming off back-to-back conference titles and consecutive NIT berths the last two seasons and has been picked to finish second in the MAC this season so it know how to win games like this that can go a long way as while it really will not be a quality win, it would be more of a detrimental loss. They do own a solid neutral court win over UAB early in the season which set the tone for a 3-0 start before suffering a pair of poor losses as favorites. The offense remains one of the best in the country and they have a good matchup here. Northern Iowa opened MVC play last week and split its games, losing big at Bradley which was expected and it then rebounded with a 17-point win over Evansville. The Panthers are used to being at the top of the conference but not much is expected this season and they are off to a 3-4 start with the three victories coming against one non-Division I Wartburg and the other two coming as double-digit favorites. Those all came at home and are the only three home games this season so Northern Iowa has yet to be tested here. The Panthers were underdogs in all four losses as they were getting six points or less in each and lost those by an average of nine ppg. 10* (639) Toledo Rockets

This is a play on the ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI as part of our CBB Tuesday Three Pack. We played against Illinois on Friday as it dropped its Big Ten opener on the road to No. 22 Maryland, which was its second loss of the season, both coming against undefeated teams, the other being against 7-0 Virginia. This game will be the fourth against a ranked opponent in nine games with the third one coming against UCLA in a nine-point win on a neutral floor so it has certainly been tested and Illinois has 10 wins over top 10 teams since 2019-20, second-most in the NCAA behind Baylor which has 12. This is a raw team that did not bring much back from last season but give head coach Brad Underwood credit for bringing in the transfers that can work together which they have accomplished. Texas has moved up to No. 2 in the country after a 6-0 start and this is not only its toughest test of the season, but it is its longest trip as well. The Longhorns do have one neutral court win but that was against Northern Arizona which took place in nearby Edinburg, Texas so it was hardly a demanding trip. They are coming off a five-point win over Creighton after blowing a double-digit second half lead and that was a game they had a great matchup in with the Bluejays being one of the worst perimeter defenses in the country but now faces a very strong perimeter defense. Texas is 4-14 ATS in its last 18 games against teams averaging 77 or more ppg. 10* (607) Illinois Fighting Illini

This is a play on the GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS as part of our CBB Tuesday Three Pack. Georgia Tech moved to 5-3 on the season with a 81-63 victory over Northeastern on Friday. Two of its losses were on a neutral floor to teams that earned top 10 wins last week with Utah defeating Arizona and Marquette defeating Baylor. The other loss came on the road at Iowa which just missed out on the top 25 this week. The Yellow Jackets are 4-0 at home and while this will be the biggest home test, they have already built a solid overall schedule and Georgia is certainly no powerhouse. Georgia Tech is 15-5 ATS in its last 20 games after five straight games committing 14 or less turnovers. Georgia has won three straight games, all at home where it is 6-0 but all of those games came as a favorite of at least nine points. The Bulldogs lost their only true road game at Wake Forest by 10 points and overall, they are 7-0 this season when favored and 0-2 when getting points. To their credit, the Bulldogs have already surpassed their win total from all of last season so things are moving in the right direction in Athens but the schedule has helped. Georgia is the fourth lowest ranked team with seven or more wins in all of Division I, ahead of only Fordham, Towson and Duquesne as it has played a slate ranked No. 353 out of 363 teams at this level. Georgia is 7-18 ATS in its last 25 road games after allowing 60 points or less in two straight games. 10* (614) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

This is a play on the NEW ORLEANS SAINTS for our NFL Monday Primetime Dominator. Tampa Bay is coming off a loss at Cleveland last week and will be a popular play this week in a bounce back spot but in the first two instances this season coming off a loss following a win prior to that, the Buccaneers lost a second straight game so it is no automatic rebound victory. It has been a bad season for Tampa Bay which is pretty apparent as this offense has been inefficient in getting the ball into the end zone. The Buccaneers have scored more than 22 points only once and they are No. 27 in the league in scoring offense. The passing game has been fine but Tampa Bay is dead last in the league in rushing offense and this is not a good matchup against the Saints defense. New Orleans is ranked No. 7 in passing defense and it allowed only 188 yards passing in the first meeting and that is one of seven times this season the Saints have allowed fewer than 200 yards passing. They get a ton of pressure on the quarterback as the Saints are No. 7 in sack percentage and it gets heightened here against an immobile quarterback. New Orleans is coming off a shutout loss at San Francisco last week which is always a good spot to play on in the next game and it will be catching a depleted Tampa Bay secondary as safety Mike Edwards, safety Antoine Winfield Jr, and cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting listed as doubtful or questionable. Andy Dalton could have a short leash which has already been lengthened way too long. New Orleans is 8-1 ATS in its last nine road games against teams averaging 235 or more passing ypg. Here, we play against favorites of 3.5 to 10 points with a winning percentage between .400 and .499 after having won two out of their last three games, playing a team with a winning percentage between .250 and .400. This situation is 34-10 ATS (77.3 percent) since 1983. 10* (477) New Orleans Saints

This is a play on the TORONTO RAPTORS for our NBA Monday Enforcer. This is going to be considered a fishy line to some as the 19-5 Celtics, leaders of the Eastern Conference by two games over Milwaukee, are only favored by a point and the majority are already lining up on their side. Boston is coming off a win at Brooklyn on Sunday as it bounced back from an overtime loss against Miami on Friday which closed a 5-1 homestand and this is the second game of a six-game roadtrip that sends them out west after this. This is just the second time this season they have played back-to-back games on the road and the first resulted in a win but non-cover against Orlando. The Celtics are a perfect 9-0 against teams outside the top 16 but 10-5 against teams within that and while still good, it is just 3-2 on the road against those top 16 teams. Toronto bounced back from a pair of road losses with a win against Orlando on Saturday to improve to 9-2 at home as opposed to a 3-9 record on the road so the venue has played a big part in its success. The Raptors elevate when playing against the better teams in the league as they are 10-4 ATS this season against teams above .500 including a 6-1 ATS mark at home. Facing the top ranked offense in the league will be a challenge but the Toronto defense forces a lot of turnovers as over its last 17 games, it has taken it away at least 17 times in 12 of those after not doing so in any of their first six games and Boston has had at least 14 turnovers in eight of its last 11 games. Here, we play against teams in the first half of the season where the line is +3 to -3 averaging 118 or more ppg on the season. This situation is 33-13 ATS (71.7 percent) since 1996. 10* (536) Toronto Raptors

This is a play on the WASHINGTON WIZARDS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. The Lakers have won two straight games and are 7-2 over their last nine games following an upset win over Milwaukee on Friday. It should be noted that three of those wins came against San Antonio which has lost 10 straight games and another against Detroit, one of the worst teams in the NBA. The win over the Bucks was impressive with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook combining for 87 points but Los Angeles is still just 3-6 on the road with the other two wins coming against the aforementioned Spurs. The Lakers are 8-19 ATS in their last 27 games after successfully covering the spread in two or more consecutive games. Washington lost at Charlotte last time out and has now dropped five of its last six games. All five of those losses were on the highway where the Wizards are 3-8 on the season and they head home where they are 6-1 over their last seven games and they will have a big home crowd on their side in this one with the Lakers in town. Washington is now back under .500 but are in a good spot with James not 100 percent with an ankle injury and the Wizards come in with the No. 3 ranked shooting percent defense in the league and can slow down the Lakers offense after 133 points scored against Milwaukee. Here, we play on teams coming off a loss by three points or less to a division rival going up against an opponent after a road game where both teams scored 100 or more points. This situation is 35-9 ATS (79.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (524) Washington Wizards

This is a play on the CINCINNATI BENGALS for our NFL Sunday Star Attraction. The Bengals get to host this rematch of the AFC Championship from last season. Cincinnati has won seven of its last nine games to pull into a tie with Baltimore for first place in the AFC North and it has done so by playing seven of its first 11 games on the road. The Bengals are 3-1 at home with the lone loss coming against the Steelers in Week One as they lost the turnover battle 5-0 with all three wins coming by blowout. The offense gets a huge weapon back as Ja'Marr Chase missed the last four games after a hip injury put him on IR but he returns this week and while the Bengals offense was fine without him, his return only adds to this dynamic offense, one that Kansas City has not seen during its recent five-game stretch. Cincinnati has a very underrated defense that does not get a lot of talk because it lacks any big names but is ranked in the top half of the league in all major statistical categories. Cincinnati is 13-2 ATS in its last 15 games against teams allowing 235 or more passing ypg. The Chiefs have won five straight games to remain atop the AFC as they have basically gone through the motions which shows how good they obviously are. Kansas City is ranked No. 1 in the NFL in scoring offense and total offense and will definitely see a different defense than it saw last season but it is the other side that is the concern. During the Chiefs five-game winning streak, they have allowed 18.8 ppg but have not faced an offense of this strength with the 49ers offense being the best of that group as they are currently ranked No. 9 and that is only due to a recent resurgence after playing Kansas City. The Chiefs are 3-17 ATS in their last 20 games after gaining 450 or more total ypg over their last three games. Here, we play against road favorites outgaining their opponents by 0.75 or more yppl, after gaining 400 or more total ypg over their last three games. This situation is 27-6 ATS (81.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (474) Cincinnati Bengals

This is a play on the MIAMI DOLPHINS for our NFL Sunday Ultimate Underdog. Miami has won five straight games to improve to 8-3 on the season and have control in the AFC East but there is a lot of football left and this is a very good litmus test with those five recent wins coming against some poor teams. The Dolphins are in a good spot here as if any team is going to come in with a master gameplan, it is them with head coach Mike McDaniel who came over from the 49ers so he knows this team more than any other opposing coach with him just being in San Francisco last season. Tua Tagovailoa has been outstanding since returning from his concussion as in his five starts, he has three games with a passer rating of 135 or higher and in those games overall, he has passed 1,529 yards (305.8 per game average) with 11 touchdowns and no interceptions. And what makes him so dangerous is that he is the best play action quarterback in the league and he can keep the best defense in the league off balance. The Dolphins are 18-8-1 ATS in their last 27 games after accumulating more than 250 yards passing in their previous game. The 49ers are playing just as good with a quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo who is playing at a high level as well but like Miami, the schedule has not been overly difficult. Over their four-game winning streak, the 49ers best win came over the Chargers and they won it by only six points against a team that was severely banged up. Speaking of banged up, San Francisco, which was getting healthy once again, is now going through injuries again, namely on offense with Garoppolo, Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and Elijah Mitchell all on the injury report with Mitchell being the only definite player out but none of the other three will be at 100 percent. The Dolphins defense has been playing a lot better since early struggles and they can hold their own here. 10* (469) Miami Dolphins

This is a play on the WASHINGTON ST. COUGARS for our CBB Sunday Supreme Annihilator. This is a tough scheduling spot for Utah as in most Pac 12 weekends, teams host two games one weekend and go on the road for two games the next but in this case, the Utes got a home game against Arizona Thursday and rolled and now have to hit the road for their second conference game which puts them in a bad spot. Utah has played the second easiest schedule in the Pac 12 behind Washington as prior to Arizona, it was favored by double-digits in all four of its home games and it actually lost one of those against Sam Houston St., and it has split its two neutral court games making this its first true road game of the season. The same scheduling situation goes for Washington St. as it played at Oregon and got smacked by the Ducks but now the Cougars return home to make up for that and catch a Utah team at the right time. Washington St. is 3-3 on the season which includes a 2-0 record at home with blowout wins over Texas St. and Detroit and this is a test they will be fired up for. Utah has one of the best defenses in the country, including its perimeter defense but the Cougars counter with the No. 7 ranked three-point shooting team in the nation as they are hitting 42.1 percent from long range. Great spot and great value. 10* (772) Washington St. Cougars

This is a play on the MINNESOTA VIKINGS for our NFL Sunday Enforcer. Minnesota picked up a win on Thanksgiving over New England as it bounced back from that blowout home loss against Dallas and this marks the third straight home game for the Vikings and they have the advantage of playing with extended rest. That game against the Cowboys was just the third time over their last nine games they have scored fewer than 28 points and playing a tough defense has been commonplace of late as they have faced defenses ranked No. 4, No. 7, No. 8 and No. 12 over their last four games and have had success with the exception of that Dallas game. Despite the 9-2 record, the Vikings are not getting the public money here as the Jets are the new public darling and that is keeping this line down and even though the luck factor has been on their side, this is a good spot for that possible breakout game. The Vikings are 4-0-1 ATS in their last five games after allowing less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game. A quarterback change did the Jets right as New York replaced Zach Wilson with Mike White and he was outstanding with 315 yards on 22-28 passing with three touchdowns and no interceptions. The came against a depleted Bears defense and now New York hits the road where it is 4-1 on the season but all four wins came against teams that are not going to be seeing the postseason. This will be a tough environment for White and while he will be facing a below average defense, the situation is not ideal. The Jets defense has been sensational of late as they have allowed 14.4 ppg over their last eight games and they have moved to No. 4 in scoring defense and No. 5 in total defense but this will be a major test. The Jets are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games after scoring more than 30 points in their previous game while going 8-20 ATS in their last 28 games in the second half of the season against teams allowing 375 or more ypg. 10* (452) Minnesota Vikings

This is a play on the WRIGHT ST. RAIDERS for our CBB Sunday Enforcer. Wright St. is coming off a humbling loss against Robert Norris in its conference opener and it was not just a loss but the Raiders lost by 21 points as a 12.5-point favorite. We played against the Colonials on Saturday which did not pan out as they did not cover but we expect the Raiders to win this in a blowout. They opened the season with an overtime loss against Davidson but won four straight before a loss against UC-Riverside on a neutral floor and as one of the favorites to win the Horizon League, this has turned into a must win even though it is early in the season. Youngstown St. is coming off that tough loss against Northern Kentucky in overtime and has to hit the road again against a team that is ready for a full effort. The Penguins have no quality wins as four of the victories they were favored in and the other same against a non-Division I team. Thus is the fifth straight game away from home for Youngstown St. over the last two weeks and it’s a trying trek for a team especially coming off that overtime loss that they could have captured in what is a great letdown go against spot. 10* (736) Wright St. Raiders

This is a play on the CLEMSON TIGERS for our ACC Game of the Month. Clemson came up small for us last week in a 31-30 loss against South Carolina as the passing game was non-existent with just 99 yards through the air which negated another great game from the rushing attack. With that defeat, the Tigers are out of the CFP picture but they would have been out nevertheless as they did not get any needed help from other teams last week. Now, the goal is to regain the ACC Championship title that they held for six consecutive years before Pittsburgh won it in 2021. While the offense struggled through the air, the Tigers rushed for 237 yards against the Gamecocks, the fourth time in the last five games they have surpassed 200 rushing yards. They face a North Carolina defense that is very bad at all levels that will get lit up here. Quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei was just 8-29 through the air but head coach Dabo Swinney gave him the vote of confidence as he will start this week. The secondary gave up over 350 yards passing to South Carolina and that is concerning with Drake Maye and the high-powered Tar Heels offense on deck and we should see a better effort in this rebound spot. Defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin knows getting his group back with the right mindset will be key, and early on he has liked the way the unit has responded. Since claiming the ACC Coastal Division title three weeks ago, and knowing the ACC championship matchup with Clemson was forthcoming, North Carolina lost its final two games of the regular season so that is not the momentum it wants coming into this game. there is not a whole lot to say about this team as it is very transparent with a great offense and an awful defense and both matchups are not in their favor this week especially against a Clemson team out for blood after having its 40-game home winning streak come to an end. Here, we play on teams in the second half of the season averaging 4.8 or more ypc and after outrushing opponent by 125 or more yards last game going up against teams allowing between 4.3 and 4.8 ypc. This situation is 34-13 ATS (72.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (321) Clemson Tigers

This is a play on the FAIRFIELD STAGS as part of our CBB Saturday Three-Pack. Fairfield is another team that has waited for nearly a month to play its first home game of the season. The Stags are just 2-6 to open the season which includes five true road game losses following a defeat at Manhattan in the MAAC opener on Thursday. That followed a 2-1 showing in Savannah, Georgia at the Hostilo Hoops Community Classic that included a win over a very solid Towson team and a victory against Evansville with the one loss coming against Mercer by a bucket. Fairfield was picked to finish No. 5 in the MAAC preseason poll so this is a team to watch out for and the Red Sea will be energized tonight, part of a sold out arena. St. Peter's was the story of the NCAA Tournament last season as it ran through the field to make it to the Elite Eight following wins over Kentucky, Murray St. and Purdue before losing to North Carolina. It is far from the same team with a brand new head coach and a revamped roster that is not expected to do a whole lot this season. The Peacocks are off to a 4-3 start but the wins have come against no one of significance and they opened conference action against Mount St. Mary's on Thursday which resulted in a 15-point loss against the team picked to finish No 10 in the 11-team MAAC. 10* (696) Fairfield Stags

This is a play on the MILWAUKEE BUCKS for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. Milwaukee had its three-game winning streak snapped with a loss to the Lakers last night and they are in a great bounce back spot tonight. It was a bittersweet loss as the Bucks welcomed back Khris Middleton as he took the floor for the first time since the start of the NBA Playoffs last season. He scored 17 points in 26 minutes and he will likely rest tonight in the second of a back-to-back but his return just gives them a spark going forward in pursuit of the Celtics. Milwaukee prides itself on defense as it is ranked No. 4 in points allowed and No. 3 in shooting percentage allowed but last night LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook combined for 87 points and the Bucks allowed a season-high 133 points. Charlotte also played last night and it pulled off the upset against Washington and the Hornets have now won three of their last four games, easily their best four-game stretch of the season. All three of those wins came at home and by just nine points combined after starting the season 1-6 on their home floor and they are getting outscored by close to four ppg which may not seem like much but some of those losses came against some bad teams. Charlotte is just 1-3 following a win this season and those three losses have come by an average of 18 ppg. Here, we play on road favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points coming off an upset loss as a home favorite going up against an opponent off an home win scoring 110 or more points. This situation is 31-5 ATS (86.1 percent) since 1996. 10* (505) Milwaukee Bucks

This is a play on the NORTHERN KENTUCKY NORSE for our Horizon Game of the Year. Northern Kentucky opened the season by getting throttled at home against Kent St. but has won four straight home games since then including an upset win over Cincinnati and then opened Horizon League action with an overtime win over Youngstown St. on Thursday. The Norse have yet to play on the road but Northern Kentucky did travel to the Gulf Coast Showcase in Florida and lost all three games against Florida Gulf Coast, UT-Arlington and Toledo prior to the two recent home games. Northern Kentucky was picked to finish in a first place tie with Purdue Fort Wayne in the preseason Horizon League poll. Life in the Horizon League did not start very good for Robert Morris as it went 8-28 in its first two seasons but opened 2022-23 with a bang as it went to Wright St., picked to finish third in the Horizon, and won by 21 points as a 12.5-point underdog so this is a big letdown spot and Northern Kentucky certainly took note of that. It was a surprising win for the Colonials that came in on a four-game losing streak and its only two wins of the season were against non-Division I teams Pittsburgh-Greensburg and West Virginia Wesleyan. That victory is giving the Norse excellent value and should turn into a rout. 10* (688) Northern Kentucky Norse

This is a play on the EASTERN WASHINGTON EAGLES as part of our CBB Saturday Three-Pack. It has taken about a month but Eastern Washington finally gets to play its first home game of the season after enjoying the first nearly month of the season on the highway. The Eagles are 2-5 with two wins against Mississippi Valley St. and Stony Brook which is not saying a lot but for a team to have to wait to take its home floor for this long will get the juices flowing. The losses have been bad but expected as all five came as underdogs against some notables in Santa Clara, Yale and Washington St. as well as a vacation in Hawaii against the host Warriors and Mississippi Valley St. North Dakota St. has had a very similar schedule as it has been able to sneak in two home games, a loss against Pacific as a favorite and a win over Non-Division I Crown College. The Bison are 0-6 away from home and it has been ugly. To their credit, the first two games were at Arkansas and Kansas and they did cover both but were still blown out in both. The concern is the other five losses as they failed to cover any of those and four results in double-digit defeats. This team should be fine once Summit League play starts but they are going to the wrong place at the wrong time. 10* (676) Eastern Washington Eagles

This is a play on the PROVIDENCE FRIARS as part of our CBB Saturday Three-Pack. We played against Providence in its last game as it hit the road for the first time and got smacked by a very dangerous TCU team by 13 points to fall to 2-3 after a 3-0 start. The two wins over that stretch were anything but solid as the Friars played Merrimack and Columbia and they basically went through the motions as 20-point favorites in both and still won by double-digits in each of those. They did fail to cover those big lines and they head to rival Rhode Island on a 0-5 ATS run with a bitter taste stemming from that TCU beatdown but it is a good spot with that one game on the road under their belt. Rhode Island is a mess. The Rams have only five players returning on the roster with just a combined 37 starts last season between Abdou Samb, Sebastian Thomas, Jalen Carey, Ishmael Leggett and Malik Martin with Leggett accounting for 30 of those so there is very little experience and it has shown in its 2-5 start to the season which includes losses as favorites against Quinnipiac and Texas St. and a non-cover as an 11.5-point favorite against a horrible Stony Brook team that is ranked No. 329 in the country. The best team the Rams have faced is Kansas St., the lowest ranked team in the Big 12, and lost by 20. 10* (677) Providence Friars

This is a play on the TULANE GREEN WAVE for our CFB Saturday Enforcer. Tulane captured the AAC regular season championship with its victory at Cincinnati last Saturday, snapping the Bearcats 32-game home winning streak, and closed the season with a perfect 5-0 record on the road. They return home where the Green Wave get to host the championship game in looking to add to their 5-2 record at Yulman Stadium. One loss came against Southern Mississippi by three points despite outgaining the Golden Eagles 198 total yards with the difference being allowing an interception return for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter. The other defeat came against these Knights 38-31 in a game Tulane never led so there will be plenty of motivation in addition to its first ever AAC Championship. Head coach Willie Fritz has led the Green Wave to only their second double-digit win campaign in program history that runs 118 seasons so this has been a special one and the fear of him leaving is gone as it was announced Tuesday that he will be around amid rumors he was leaving for Georgia Tech. Tulane is 13-4 ATS in its last 17 games against teams averaging 31 or more ppg. Central Florida was in the championship game no matter the result of the Tulane/Cincinnati game as it defeated both and it limped in to end the regular season with a loss against Navy and then a seven-point win against South Florida as a 19.5-point favorite. Going through the motions was probably inevitable and while the Knights come in riding a three-game road winning streak, all of those wins were by one possession and this is a tough travel spot with this being their fourth road game in five weeks. They will expect to see a better defensive effort from Tulane this time around as they put up 336 yards rushing in the first meeting but 67 of those yards came on one play. Central Florida 1-10 ATS in its last 11 games after scoring 42 points or more last game. Here, we play on favorites of 3.5 to 10 points revenging an upset loss against opponent as a home favorite, off a win by seven points or less over a conference rival. This situation is 40-14 ATS (74.1 percent) since 1992. 10* (314) Tulane Green Wave

This is a play on the BOISE ST. BRONCOS for our CFB Supreme Annihilator. Boise St. came away with a win last week against Utah St. in one of the craziest endings of the season that got the Broncos the cover and they bring in a three-game winning streak into the championship game. They rolled to an 8-0 record in the conference with all four home wins coming by at least 19 points. Boise St. is 5-1 at home with the lone loss coming against BYU that was decided on an acrobatic catch by the Cougars and played into their victory. Offensively, the Broncos are ranked No. 28 in rushing offense and racked up a season high 316 yards on the ground in the regular season meeting and should go off again against a Fresno St. rushing defense ranked No. 95 that allows 4.9 ypc on the road. The Broncos are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games after allowing more than 450 total yards in their previous game. Fresno St. comes in on a heater as it has won seven straight games to win the MWC West Division by two games over San Diego St. and San Jose St. The Bulldogs went 3-3 on the road with the three wins coming within the conference against teams that finished 3-21 in the MVC. The best news for Fresno St. is that is has a healthy Jake Haener at quarterback as he missed four games but the bad news is the defense they will be facing. Haener faced just two defenses that were ranked inside the top 40 and those resulted in a loss to Oregon St. and a narrow midseason win over San Diego St. were he totaled only four touchdowns and had two of his three interceptions on the season. Boise St. enters with the No. 7 ranked total defense and No. 9 ranked total defense and the Broncos are ranked in the top 5 in four passing defense statistics so they can shut him down. He did not play in the 40-20 loss early in the season. The Bulldogs are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games after allowing less than 20 points in their previous game. here, we play against teams where the line is +3 to -3 revenging a road loss against opponent by 14 points or more, off three straight wins against conference rivals. This situation is 38-13 ATS (74.5 percent) since 1992. 10* (316) Boise St. Broncos

This is a play on the TULSA GOLDEN HURRICANE for our CBB Saturday Signature Enforcer. It has been a slow start for Tulsa as it is 2-4 which does include a solid win against Loyola-Chicago by 19 points as a 7.5-point underdog over in South Carolina. Three of those losses came against Oregon St., Murray St. and Oklahoma St. so nothing horrible there and now the Golden Hurricane return home for the first time in three weeks where they are 1-0 and will be not only looking to snap their 0-3 straight up and ATS run but to provide a better performance at home after a satisfactory first game in a six-point win over Jackson St. as a pretty big favorite. Time to break out for a quality win. Oral Roberts is the top ranked team in the Summit League but we are still not sure about this team quite yet as the Golden Eagles are 5-3 but four of those wins came against non-Division I teams and two of those against Oklahoma Baptist and Rogers St. were far from impressive as they won by just 10 and 11 points respectively. Oral Roberts is 1-3 on the road but to its credit, the three losses were against some good teams in St. Mary's, Houston (elite) and Utah St. but none were close. This cupcake schedule is too good to pass up to go against until we see something good come about. 10* (638) Tulsa Golden Hurricane

This is a play on the TULANE GREEN WAVE for our Saturday Supreme Annihilator. We are getting some excellent value on Tulane as it is 5-2 to open the season but has not been able to cover as it has gone 0-6 ATS over its last six games and both of its outright losses came on a neutral floor against Nevada and Western Kentucky in the Cayman Islands. The Green Wave head home where they are 4-0 but just 1-3 against the number as they have not been tested by laying spreads of 16 or more points in all four games but have still won those all by at least 15 points. They are laying a much smaller number here because of the inability to cover as well as the opponent winning streak coming in. This is a solid team picked No. 4 in the preseason rankings. Fordham opened the season with a win over Dartmouth and then got lambasted at Arkansas but the Rams have responded with six consecutive victories yet they should not get too excited. The Rams finished .500 or better for just the second time since 2007 last season but lost coach Kyle Neptune in the offseason to Villanova and expectations are not high as Fordham is picked to finish No. 13 in the 15-team Atlantic Ten. The six consecutive victories are something to build on but going on the road for the first time in three weeks is not ideal especially when the best win of the bunch is Harvard. 10* (612) Tulane Green Wave

This is a play on the USC TROJANS for our Pac 12 Championship Winner. Utah has a shot to make it to back-to-back Rose Bowl games which would be the first team since Stanford did it in 2013 and 2014 but it will not be easy with this matchup. Last season, the Utes had a big mismatch with Oregon which it also dominated during the regular season and while they have already defeated USC this season, that game was at home and it was far from a domination in a one-point victory. Utah backed into this game as it went down to the fourth tiebreaker between them, Washington and Oregon and it had the edge in conference strength of schedule of the three. The Utes finished 6-0 at home but only 3-3 away from home with all three of those wins coming in the Pac 12 against teams that had losing conference records. This is no doubt an all-around great team as they are ranked in the top 20 on both sides of the ball but the difference here will be its defense will not be able to stop the USC offense similar to where it allowed 556 yards in the regular season meeting at that was at home. The Trojans had a couple scares along the way with one possession wins at Arizona, Oregon St. and UCLA but they won the yardage battle in all of those true road games and the Utah game was the lone game they were outgained this season and that was by only six total yards. This offense has been humming as USC has scored 38 or more points in six straight games while accumulating over 500 yards five times, averaging 551.3 ypg over that stretch and there is no reason for that to end especially against a defense that is has already schooled. Quarterback Caleb Williams has come into his own as he has averaged 353.6 ypg with 20 touchdowns over the last six games after averaging 265.0 ypg with 14 touchdowns in his first six games and he has tossed only three interceptions all season long. The Trojans are back and a win gets them into the CFP as long as there is no Ohio St. bias. 10* (306) USC Trojans

This is a play on the BROOKLYN NETS for our NBA Divisional Game of the Year. Brooklyn is 12-11 after a 113-107 win over the Wizards on Wednesday to improve to 3-0 on its season-long seven-game homestand. Kevin Durant has carried the offense of late as he has scored 30 or more points in four straight games and while Brooklyn is just 5-7 when he scores at least 30 points, half of those games took place when the Nets lost six of their first eight games and since then, they are 10-5 and becoming more dangerous as the defense has also picked it up. Brooklyn has allowed just 106.5 ppg over that 15-game stretch and will be out to extend its five-game home winning streak. It is safe to say a coaching change has been a great move. Toronto is coming off an 19-point loss at New Orleans on Wednesday which was its sixth loss in its last seven road games to fall to 3-8 on the season on the highway. This is not a good spot to get right as the defense has regressed as the Raptors have allowed opponents to shoot 50 percent or higher in six of their last nine games and they are catching a red hot offense that has surpassed 50 percent from the floor in seven of their last eight games. Toronto has had no rhythm throughout the season as it has won back-to-back games four times but was unable to turn that into three straight wins all four times and the Raptors are coming off starting their 12th different lineup and that kills continuity. Here, we play on home teams where the line is +3 to -3 after having won five or six of their last seven games, with a winning percentage between .450 and .550. This situation is 51-17 ATS (75 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (564) Brooklyn Nets

This is a play on the COLORADO BUFFALOES for our CBB Thursday Supreme Annihilator. Pac 12 action opens this week with Arizona St. heading to Colorado for the opener for both. Colorado is 4-3 to start the season as it has been very uneven as focus and motivation seem to be the biggest issues. After opening the season with a blowout against UC-Riverside, the Buffaloes lost at Grambling by nine points as a 14-point favorite but came back two days later and defeated Tennessee by 12 points as a 15-point underdog. And it goes on. Colorado snuck by Yale in its last game at home by just three points but it was guilty of having a week off after playing a destination tournament in Myrtle Beach and it possesses a great home court edge at altitude where Colorado is 166-34 under head coach Tad Boyle. Arizona St. is off to a 6-1 start that includes big wins over VCU and Michigan on a neutral floor and the Sun Devils hit the road for the second time this season with the first resulting in a one-point loss against Texas Southern as an 11-point favorite. Obviously, this will be a bigger road test and the line giving Arizona St. a lot of credit based on its overall record and pair of quality wins. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points that are averaging between 67 and 74 ppg and after two straight wins by 10 points or more going up against teams allowing between 67 and 74 ppg. This situation is 37-12 ATS (75.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (768) Colorado Buffaloes

This is a play on the BUFFALO BILLS for our AFC East Game of the Month. This is a big divisional game for both teams, positioning for Buffalo and keeping playoff hopes alive for New England. While the Bills are tied with Miami atop the AFC East, the Dolphins currently own the first two tiebreakers with a head-to-head win and a better record within the division. The Bills are 0-2 in the division so far this season, while the Patriots (2-1), Dolphins (2-1) and Jets (2-2) are all ahead of them so New England has to avoid a loss to drop to 0-3. It has been an up and down stretch for the Bills as they have gone 2-2 over their last four games and while outgaining the opponent in three of those, they were far from dominating performances. Buffalo has shown flashes on offense, defense and special teams over this recent stretch but has not been able to put all three phases together in a single game and what better place to resolve that here. The Bills are still a top five unit in both offensive and defensive scoring and face a very inconsistent Patriots team. New England is also coming off a Thursday road game so there is no rest advantage for the Patriots which had their three-game winning streak snapped against the Vikings. The three wins were typical Bill Belichick productions as his defense allowed an average of 203.7 ypg as they were able to shut down young quarterbacks, Zach Wilson twice and San Ehlinger and of their six wins, the best quarterback they have defeated was Jared Goff as the other two wins were against Jacoby Brissett and Mitch Trubisky. The five losses were against Tua Tagovailoa, Lamar Jackson, Aaron Rodgers, Justin Fields and Kirk Cousins so you can see the pattern here. Offensively, New England did get a big game from Mac Jones against Minnesota but the offense managed 288, 203 and 297 total yards in those three previous victories and he is in a tough spot here. Despite the loss of Von Miller, Buffalo is getting healthy on defense around him as safety Jordan Poyer and cornerback Tre'Davious White are off the injury list while linebacker Tremaine Edwards, who has missed the last two games, will be back this week. 10* (301) Buffalo Bills

This is a play on the ILLINOIS ST. REDBIRDS for our CBB Thursday Signature Enforcer. Missouri Valley Conference action is tipping off this week and one game is taking place at Murray St. as the Racers are hosting their first MVC game after coming over from the Ohio Valley Conference. It will certainly be a fantastic atmosphere for their conference home opener but laying this number is very aggressive. The Racers rolled through the OVC last season as they went 18-0 and won their first round NCAA Tournament game but now it is a different story. Not only is it an upgrade in conference but the team is brand new with a new head coach and a roster that returned only two players from last season and are picked to finish No. 8. Murray St. is relying on transfers and freshmen and it has been an uneven start as they are 3-3. Illinois St. is pegged two spots lower and while it also has a big roster turnover, their transfer acquisitions are much better and this is a more veteran team. The Redbirds have dropped four straight games after a two-game winning streak and a big reason this line is so large is that they are 0-7 ATS to start the season so a big adjustment needed to be made and it is way to big. Here, we play against home teams as a favorite or pickem averaging between 74 and 78 ppg and after a loss by 6 points or less going up against teams allowing between 63 and 67 ppg. This situation is 57-22 ATS (72.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (759) Illinois St. Redbirds

This is a play on the DETROIT PISTONS for our NBA Thursday Enforcer. We played against Detroit on Tuesday as it lost by 30 points at home to the Knicks despite shooting over 50 percent from the floor and the Pistons have now lost three straight games but we are going the other way on Thursday and taking the bigger number at home. This is big contrarian play and being the standalone game, the public is all over the more public team in what will be considered a short line. Detroit is 6-2-1 ATS over its last nine games and the Pistons are catching a number they have been very profitable at as they are 8-3-2 ATS as underdogs of more than seven points. That defense that was lit up against New York should get a reprieve as Dallas is not a good offense and it needs to be noted Detroit has played the No. 2 ranked schedule in the league. Detroit is 7-0 ATS in non-conference games this season. The Mavericks are coming off a big home win over Golden St. which snapped a four-game losing streak and this sleeper championship team has been inconsistent all over the place. The Mavericks are ranked in the bottom half of the league in almost every major statistical category which has made them dead even at 10-10 on the season. Dallas hits the road where it is just 1-7 which came against Brooklyn in the second game of the season and while they have lost to some really good teams, they also have lost to Orlando and Washington on the highway. The Mavericks cannot lay points over a bucket at they have gone 2-11-1 ATS when laying three or more points. Dallas is 0-9 ATS after one or more consecutive wins this season. 10* (554) Detroit Pistons

This is a play on the TEXAS LONGHORNS for our Thursday Star Attraction. Texas has rolled through its early schedule as it is 5-0 which includes a 19-point win over Gonzaga. The Longhorns come into the week ranked No. 2 in the country and this will be their biggest test of the season and what Creighton normally has advantages in, Texas counters that unlike many other teams can. The big edge is in the backcourt that is led by Tyrese Hunter who was the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and is currently the big playmaker up top who leads the team in three-point shooting and faces and awful three-point shooting defense that is going to give Texas plenty of open looks. Creighton comes into this game at 6-1 following a two-point loss against No. 14 Arizona on to close out the Maui Invitational. The Bluejays did enjoy a pair of top 25 wins and come in as the No. 7 team in the nation so this is no easy out for the Longhorns but it is a tough spot for Creighton as this is its first true road game of the season. The one aspect that Creighton has dominated in is rebounding as it is top 15 in rebounding and No. 10 in offensive rebounds per game allowed but face their toughest test here with Texas led by Dillon Mitchell who is top 10 in the country in offensive rebounding percentage. Here, we play on home teams - after a cover as a double digit favorite, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages of .800 or better. This situation is 47-20 ATS (70.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (752) Texas Longhorns

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES LAKERS for our NBA Revenge Dominator. The Lakers have shown signs of improvement after an awful 2-8 start as they went on a 5-1 run before an implosion on Monday as they blew a 17-point fourth quarter lead against Indiana. Los Angeles is in a good bounce back spot here after the defense allowed 32 fourth quarter points and this unit will take exception to that. The Lakers defense has kept their heads somewhat above water as they are ranked No. 9 or better in all seven defensive shooting categories including No. 3 in defensive shooting efficiency. They also get a boost with the return of Patrick Beverly as he is back from his suspension. The offense has been okay but has been hindered by poor long range shooting which could break out here. Portland is coming off a brutal loss last night as it blew an 18-point lead, getting outscored 36-17 in the fourth quarter to make it two straight losses for the Blazers. They shot 49 percent from long range on Tuesday as they remain a top three team in three-point shooting but will face a tough test here and they have had to rely on their perimeter shooting this season which is a tough way to go about having long-term success. Portland is ranked No. 26 in two-point shooting percentage and is in the bottom half of the league in most other shooting categories including being one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the league. Portland is 16-29 ATS in its last 45 games against teams shooting 46 percent or better from the floor. Here, we play on favorites revenging a straight up loss as a home favorite, off an upset loss as a home favorite. This situation is 65-27 ATS (70.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (552) Los Angeles Lakers

This is a play on the SACRAMENTO KINGS for our NBA Supreme Annihilator. Sacramento was on a big run with seven straight wins after a 3-5 start but the Kings have dropped their last three games which included two road losses at Atlanta and Boston as healthy underdogs and then dropped their most recent game at home against Phoenix on Monday by five points. They remain a top three offense in efficiency with a 57.1 percent effective field goal percentage thanks to leading the NBA in two-point shooting at 58.8 percent. A lot of this has to do with great transition offense as they are No. 5 in fast break points and No. 4 is assist/turnover ratio. The defense leaves a lot to be desired but they face a middle of the road offense in efficiency. Sacramento is 8-1 ATS in its last nine games after playing a home game this season. Indiana has been one of the bigger surprises in the Eastern Conference as it has improved to 12-8 on the season following a win at the Lakers on Monday as it overcame a 17-point fourth quarter deficit to make it 11 wins in its last 15 games. The majority of those wins have come against some very bad teams as the Pacers schedule is ranked No. 27 in the league and they are No. 24 in the Sagarin Ratings, the lowest mark of any team with a winning record. The Pacers are ranked in the top ten in only one of 14 offensive and defensive shooting categories and that is a No. 87 ranking in defensive two-point shooting percentage. Indiana is 14-27 ATS in its last 41 games after playing 2 consecutive road games. Here, we play on teams coming off an upset loss as a home favorite going up against an opponent off a road win by three points or less. This situation is 35-13 ATS (72.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (550) Sacramento Kings

This is a play on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES for our NBA Wednesday Enforcer. Minnesota had one five straight games to improve to 10-8 after a slow start but it has since lost its last three games and now will have to go on without Karl-Anthony Towns who is out for upward of six weeks with a calf strain but it is not a huge concern as this is still a great roster that can make up for his absence and we always like the angle of the first game played without a go to guy with others getting the opportunity to step up and make a name. The Timberwolves are a game under .500 at home so that along with the Towns news is giving them value here. The numbers have been great with the exception of long range shooting which has kept the efficiency down as Minnesota is No. 3 in offensive two-point percentage and No. 6 in defensive two-point percentage so they are getting quality shots. Memphis has won and covered two straight games including a win at New York which snapped a three-game road losing streak that all resulted in double-digit defeats. Overall, the Grizzlies are just 3-4 over their last seven games as they remain banged up as well with Desmond Bane and his 24.7 ppg remains on the sidelines and Dillon Brooks and his 17.6 ppg is hobbled with a thigh injury and he is questionable for tonight. Looking at the seven shooting categories on both sides, they are ranked No. 19 or worse in half of those and are not ranked higher than No. 10 in any of those and the perimeter defense has struggled which will help the Minnesota outside shooting. Memphis is 6-17 ATS in its last 23 road games after having won two of their last three games. Here, we play on home underdogs revenging a road loss of 10 points or more, off an upset loss by 15 points or more as a favorite. This situation is 44-16 ATS (73.3 percent) since 1996. 10* (540) Minnesota Timberwolves

This is a play on the TCU HORNED FROGS for our CBB Wednesday Supreme Annihilator. TCU is off to a 5-1 start with the one loss coming against Northwestern St. by a point as a 22.5-point favorite at home so we can toss that hiccup away as the Horned Frogs clearly did not come to play. They did come to play after that as the Horned Frogs rolled over California and Iowa to capture the Emerald Coast Classic in Florida and that is more like what we should expect from TCU as it has been tabbed to finish No. 4 in the Big 12 Conference as Jamie Dixon has this team poised to make a run at the conference championship. TCU has four starters back from the team that nearly made it to the Sweet 16 but an overtime loss against No. 1 seed Arizona ended their season and they bring back the most minutes of any team in the conference. The Horned Frogs are 9-2-1 ATS in their last 12 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. Providence has won five of its seven games to open the campaign and it has gone as what has been put in front of them. The five wins all came at home against a bunch of patsies where the Friars were favored by double-digits in all five games and they lost their two games against Miami and St. Louis where they were underdogs on a neutral floor. This is the first true road game for Providence and it is not the easiest of trips and with a rivalry game looming at Rhode Island, the focus might not be full here. The Friars have failed to cover each of their last four games. 10* (690) TCU Horned Frogs

This is a play on the DUKE BLUE DEVILS for our CBB Game of the Month. Duke opened the season 6-1 that included a pair of wins out west in the PK Legacy before losing to Purdue in the finals and it was not even close as the Blue Devils lost by 19 points against one of the most underrated rosters in the country. Duke shot 36.2 percent from the floor including going just 2-19 from long range against the Boilermakers and now it heads home to face its second straight Big Ten opponent. The Blue Devils are 4-0 at home and have yet to be tested here but the home floor edge is huge for this team in a great bounce back spot. Ohio St. had a successful run at the Maui Invitational as after getting beat handily by San Diego St., the Buckeyes went on to defeat Cincinnati and Texas Tech in the final two rounds to improve to 5-1 on the season. Ohio St. now hits the road for its first true road game of the season and it comes at the wrong time and wrong place. The run in Hawaii gave us some better perspective after opening the season with three straight cupcake wins and the last two games is adding value into this number as people do not seem to be sold on Duke just yet. Here, we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points after being beaten by the spread by 24 or more points total in their last three games going up against an opponent after going over the total by 42 or more points total in their last five games. This situation is 46-18 ATS (71.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (676) Duke Blue Devils

This is a play on the MIAMI HURRICANES for our CBB Wednesday Signature Enforcer. Miami has gotten off to a 6-1 start with the lone loss coming against undefeated and No. 23 Maryland in Connecticut and the Hurricanes have won their two games since then including an impressive two-point win at Central Florida on Sunday. They are back home where they are 4-0 with all four being blowout wins by an average of 19 ppg. This will be the biggest home test to date but it not an overly difficult matchup and Miami is catching a great line based on the opponent results. The Hurricanes have been average on both ends and while facing a stout defense, that is skewed based on schedule. The Hurricanes are 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. Rutgers has started 5-1 with the lone loss coming against Temple on a neutral floor which has been its only test of the season. The Scarlet Knights other five games have all been at home and they were favored by at least 13.5 points in all of those games while covering four of those. Of the 363 Division I teams, the Rutgers schedule checks in at No. 356 and while this is considered a possible sleeper team in the Big Ten, we have yet to see what they can do after losing Ron Harper, Jr. and Geo Baker. The Scarlet Knights are 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (674) Miami Hurricanes

This is a play on the EASTERN MICHIGAN EAGLES for our CBB Wednesday Ultimate Underdog. Eastern Michigan has been a brutal disappointment this season as after a win over Wayne St. in its opener, the Eagles have lost six straight games but four of those were competitive games decided by seven points or less including games against Michigan and Oakland. What makes this start more disappointing is the fact Eastern Michigan has one of the best young players in the country in Emoni Bates, a future lottery pick, as he is averaging 19.5 ppg and 6.3 rpg on a team that can put up points but needs to get better on the defensive end. Florida International is expected to be one of the worst trams in C-USA as it is picked to finish No. 10 in the 11-team conference. The Panthers are coming off a couple big wins over Stony Brook and Eastern Washington and now the line is inflated because of those recent double-digit wins along with the struggles of Eastern Michigan. The offense has been good but like the Eagles, the defense is an issue as they have allowed 74 or more points in four of their last five games including point totals of 91 and 107 points. Here, we play against favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points allowing between 74 and 78 ppg and after two straight wins by 10 points or more going up against teams allowing 78 or more ppg. This situation is 22-3 ATS (88 percent) since 1997. 10* (653) Eastern Michigan Eagles

This is a play on the WICHITA ST. SHOCKERS as part of our CBB Tuesday Three-Pack. Missouri is coming off a 12-21 season and head coach Cuonzo Martin was shown the door in what was expected an overhaul but not to that extent. Dennis Gates was hired was hired as the new head coach, coming over from Cleveland St. where he turned around a program going nowhere leading the Vikings Horizon League regular-season and tournament titles, and earned an NCAA tournament bid. Now things get tough as he got a team that lost 69 percent of its minutes and 67 percent of its scoring. Off to a 7-0 start, the Tigers look to be already exceeding expectations but it is not as strong of a start as it looks. All seven games have come at home with the best team they have played is probably Pennsylvania and in those games, they have been favored by at least 12 points. Out of 363 Division I teams, Missouri has played the No. 363 ranked schedule in the country so now comes the first real test and outside of Columbia. Wichita St. is 4-2 which includes a solid road win at Richmond and a close neutral court loss against a very good San Francisco team. Seven players transferred out in what was a mass exodus after the first sub-.500 conference finish in over a decade for the program but the chemistry has been there early on the defensive side of things where it is ranked No. 30 in scoring defense and No. 13 in shooting percentage defense. The offense is led by a strong backcourt duo of Craig Porter, Jr. and Jaykwon Walton who are averaging 27.0 ppg, 5.1 apg and 12.7 rpg. This is a tough place to play to begin with let alone the first time out for Missouri. 10* (624) Wichita St. Shockers

This is a play on the NEW YORK KNICKS for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. The Knicks got back to over .500 at 8-7 following a pair of wins over Utah and Denver in mid-November but has lost four of its last five games to fall to 9-11. The losses were all against teams from the Western Conference that possess winning record and with three of those ranked in the top ten in the Sagarin ratings. This is a get right game with this already being the third meeting after the Knicks won the first two by 24 and nine points and this is the first meeting on the road where they are a respectable 5-6 on the season. Those six road losses have all come against teams that are No. 11 or better in the ratings and overall, New York is 7-2 against teams ranked outside the top 16. Detroit has gotten off to an expectedly bad start at 5-17 which is the worst record in the NBA but the Pistons have been cashing for backers as they are on a 6-1-1 ATS run but that means little here except for the value that comes with it on the other side. This is the smallest line Detroit has seen over this stretch and five of those games they were getting double digits, covering all of those. Detroit has been better at home than on the road with a 3-6 record with the only notable win coming against Golden St. which is 2-9 on the highway. Here, we play against home underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points with a winning percentage of .250 or less having covered six or seven of their last eight games against the spread. This situation is 48-21 ATS (69.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (521) New York Knicks

This is a play on the LOUISVILLE CARDINALS as part of our CBB Tuesday Three-Pack. Maryland and Louisville meet in one of the six ACC/Big Ten Challenge games on Tuesday and it matches two teams that have gotten off to completely opposite starts. The Louisville start has been well documented as it is 0-6 under new head coach Kenny Payne and it heads back home following a 0-3 showing in the Maui Invitational where it lost those games by a combined 77 points. Prior to the trip out to Hawaii, Louisville became the first team since 1980-81 to lose their first three games of the season by one point and the Cardinals 0-3 start at home was the first time since 1940-41 that have accomplished this dubious feat of opening the season with three consecutive home losses. We are backing the Cardinals here as they are better than this and are getting value based on not just the straight up mark but the fact they are 0-6 against the number as well. The Terrapins are off to a 6-0 start and jumped into the AP Poll at No. 23 this week and while they have a good pair of wins over St. Louis and Miami on a neutral floor, they have played no one else as they were favored by 17 or more points in those other four games. This is the first true road game for Maryland which is another reason for going against them and despite laying double digits on the road, the public will be all over a 6-0 team facing a 0-6 team. The Terrapins were not on the radar coming into the season as they were picked to finish No. 10 in the 14-team Big Ten so while the 6-0 start is nice, it is against a schedule ranked No. 298 so we are far from sold on this team just yet. 10* (604) Louisville Cardinals

This is a play on the SOUTH FLORIDA BULLS as part of our CBB Tuesday Three-Pack. South Florida opened the season 0-5 but if there ever is a positive start with five losses, this was it. Three of those losses were by six combined points and another came at No. 15 Auburn by just eight points. The Bulls have responded with two straight wins and can carry that into this second game of a three-game homestand. With three impact transfers in Tyler Harris (Memphis) Keyshawn Bryant (South Carolina) Selton Miguel (Kansas State), early chemistry would be an issue and that was the case with the rough start but it takes time to gel and the feeling is that they are almost there. After laboring through an 8-23 season that featured 25.2 percent shooting from three-point range, worst in the country and 57.5 ppg, there has been an uptick on offense. Massachusetts is 4-1 to start the season including a solid run in winning the Myrtle Beach Invitational with victories over Colorado, Murray St. and Charlotte all by six points or less. The coaching of Frank Martin who is in his first season already looks to be paying off in crunch time but now the Minutemen hit the highway for their first true road game of the season. They have had eight days off since their last game which can hurt the momentum from their winning streak and we figure they are the false favorite. Here, we play against teams where the line is +3 to -3 after two straight wins by six points or less going up against an opponent after scoring 75 points or more in two straight games. This situation is 44-17 ATS (72.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (612) South Florida Bulls

This is a play on the SEATTLE REDHAWKS as part of our CBB Monday Three-Pack. Seattle is off to a 5-0 start which comes as no surprise as the Redhawks returned four starters after going 23-8 last season including a 14-4 WAC record and shared the regular season conference title. Granted, the schedule has been far from daunting but this team is loaded once again. Seattle returns four starters including First-Team All-WAC guard and Player of the Year candidate Cam Tyson who leads the team with 28.3 ppg on 50 percent shooting and that scoring average would easily lead the nation but he has not qualified because he has not played in 75 percent of the games as he sat out both games against non-Division I teams. This is little brother vs. big brother and Seattle has the punch to snap its 16-game losing streak in this crosstown series. Washington is off to a 5-1 start with the loss coming against California Baptist and the Huskies have escaped with some poor efforts against lesser teams in North Florida and Utah Tech as big favorites. They are coming off a pair of wins against Fresno St. and St. Mary's in Anaheim so they do come in with some confidence. Washington has been pegged a bottom half team in the Pac 12 after losing their only two double-digit scorers including conference scoring leader Terrell Brown. This is a team of unknowns still and playing a deep and veteran team that is hungry for that signature victory will be a challenge. 10* (815) Seattle Redhawks

This is a play on the SAM HOUSTON ST. BEARKATS as part of our CBB Monday Three-Pack. Sam Houston St. is off to a 6-0 start and it is not because of playing a home heavy cupcake schedule as it has won four games away from home that includes wins at Oklahoma and Utah with the other two coming against Northern Illinois and South Dakota by 34 and 31 points respectively. The loss of Savion Flagg was supposed to be devastating for the Bearkats who led the team with 18.7 ppg and 8.1 rpg and while his absence is certainly a big one, they have adjusted just fine. This is one of the deepest teams in the country as they have 11 players that average double-digits in minutes led by Wichita St. transfer guard Qua Grant who leads the team in scoring and is a floor leader and is one of seven guards that can handle the ball. The depth is key for a team that presses constantly. Nevada is 6-1 to open the campaign with the only loss coming against Kansas St. in overtime by nine points which is its only blemish against the number. This start is surprising as the Wolf Pack are basically starting from scratch after going 12-17 including 6-12 in the MWC. They have been picked to finish No. 8 in the conference with just one reliable scorer returning and some of the big transfer help has fizzled thus far with Tyler Powell from Seton Hall averaging less than a bucket per game and Hunter McIntosh from Elon having yet to take the floor. Wrong team favored. 10* (817) Sam Houston St. Bearkats

This is a play on the UTAH JAZZ for our NBA Monday Enforcer. Utah has come back down to earth a little bit after a 12-6 start as it has lost four straight games but the last two were definitely expected as the Jazz travelled to Golden St. and Phoenix in back-to-back nights against a pair of teams a combined 20-2 at home. Utah returns home where it is 6-2 on the season and will be out to bounce back after its worst home loss of the season against Detroit by nine-points as a 12-point favorite. The Jazz are laying a short price and despite the recent results, they are still ranked No. 5 in offensive efficiency and No. 15 in defensive efficiency. The Bulls are coming off an overtime loss at Oklahoma City which came after a pair of upset wins over Boston and Milwaukee and they remain on the road where they are 3-6. After a decent 5-4 start to the season, Chicago has lost seven of their last 10 games and has been all over the place. The Bulls are an average offensive team, ranked No. 16 in offensive efficiency but the defense has been horrible, ranking No. 26 in defensive efficiency and that makes for a very bad matchup tonight. Chicago has been awful in this price range this season, going 1-6-1 ATS as underdogs of fewer than five points. Chicago is 4-14 ATS in its last 18 nonconference road games. Here, we play against road underdogs coming off an upset loss as a road favorite, with a winning percentage of between .400 and .499 on the season. This situation is 32-7 ATS (82.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (516) Utah Jazz

This is a play on the PITTSBURGH STEELERS for our NFL Monday Primetime Dominator. The Colts story has been nice but lets be honest, this cannot last. Indianapolis won its first game with interim coach Jeff Saturday at the helm and with the exception of some former get off my lawn head coaches, most everyone was rooting for him and the Colts nearly pulled off the double play as they lost to the Eagles at home last week by a point. While they remain home and seem to have a good matchup this week, that is not the case. Getting Matt Ryan back onto the field has added a veteran leadership but not necessarily much production as Indianapolis has averaged only 20.5 ppg and while the running game busted out for 207 yards against the Raiders, it regressed with just 99 yards against the Eagles last week and will not have success here against the No. 6 ranked rushing defense. The Steelers are coming off a tough loss last week against the red hot Bengals as they were in it for three quarters before Cincinnati pulled away. Overall, Pittsburgh has played the toughest schedule in the league with six of their games coming against the top ten and seven of 10 coming against the top 16. Quarterback Kenny Pickett has been put into a tough situation with limited weapons around him and he has been able to keep them in games with the eight interceptions being his downfall but no need to worry about that here, and the defense got a boost with T.J. Watt coming back as his presence is felt with the pass rush that has struggled since he went down early in the season. Here, we play against favorites averaging 17 or fewer ppg. This situation is 28-8 ATS (77.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (275) Pittsburgh Steelers

This is a play on the UTSA ROADRUNNERS as part of our CBB Monday Three-Pack. Game three of the 210 San Antonio shootout takes place Monday night with Incarnate Word and UTSA having different results in the first two games. The Roadrunners lost to Grambling in the opener by 20 points before falling in overtime last night so it is time to get back on track. UTSA is not expected to do much in the loaded C-USA but playing for pride tonight on its home floor is paramount before a pair of tough road games at New Mexico and Utah. UTSA has a strong backcourt led on offense by newcomer guards Japhet Medor and John Buggs III but All-Conference selection center Jacob Germany has led the way with 12.7 ppg and 7.4 rpg after a huge night on Sunday. Incarnate Word has done the complete opposite as it has won its first two games, defeating Grambling and Dartmouth by a combined seven points. The Cardinals have overachieved thus far at 4-3 and they have been picked to finish dead last in the Southland Conference and we are getting value on the home team based on the Incarnate Word 4-0 run against the number. They have struggled on both ends of the floor as they are No. 311 in offensive effective field goal percentage and No. 210 in defensive effective field goal percentage. While recent results favor the Cardinals here, they will have too much to overcome with a ton of motivation on the opposite bench. 10* (306616) UTSA Roadrunners

This is a play on the OREGON ST. BEAVERS as part of our CBB Sunday Three-Pack. Big time revenge is in play in the seventh-place game at the Chiles Center pitting Oregon St. and Portland St. this is the second meeting this season between the Beavers and Vikings after Portland St. won in Corvallis 79-66 on November 19th which marked the Vikings first win in the intrastate series as the Beavers claimed the first 16 games dating back to 1974. Oregon St. has some confidence as it lost to Duke by just three points, holding the Blue Devils to 26.7 percent shooting but was unable to shake that off as it fell to Florida by 13 points the following night. The Beavers have already matched their win total from all of last season so the improvements are already showing and there will be no lack of motivation here. The Vikings lost to sixth-ranked Gonzaga in their opener, then West Virginia on Friday night as they committed 24 turnovers, twice their season average, and in the two games, they allowed a combined 60.5 percent shooting from the floor. The win over Oregon St. was impressive but it was a little skewed as the Beavers attempted only 46 field goal attempts. This is not expected to be a good team as the Vikings are picked No. 8 in the preseason Big Sky poll. 10* (789) Oregon St. Beavers

This is a play on the PHILADELPHIA EAGLES for our NFL Sunday Primetime Dominator. While this is not a typical contrarian play, it could be considered that way with how the Eagles are playing of late as they have hit a lull that all teams go through with a loss against Washington and then barely survived against a bad Colts team last week. If this game was played two weeks ago, the Eagles would be favored by double-digits but they are getting a good price here due to the recent struggles that they can easily reverse especially on their home field where they were embarrassed last time out against the Commanders. The offense has not been very dynamic over the last two games but the Eagles are still ranked No. 5 in total offense and No. 4 in scoring offense and will be facing a defense that has been gorged against the run, allowing 153 or more yards in four of their last six games. The Eagles are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games against teams with a losing road record. Green Bay had that huge fourth quarter comeback against Dallas to win at home in overtime but laid an egg last Thursday against Tennessee and have now been outgained in five of their last seven games. The big news this week out of Green Bay is that Aaron Rodgers has been playing with a broken thumb but that was pretty evident to everyone as he has struggled with his accuracy and even his arm strength to a lesser degree. They will be facing the No. 2 ranked defense in the NFL and while the weakness of the Eagles is the rushing defense, if Green Bay falls behind and is forced to pass, it will be lights out as Philadelphia is No. 2 against the pass. The Packers are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games after allowing more than 350 total yards in their previous game. 10* (274) Philadelphia Eagles

This is a play on the PORTLAND PILOTS as part of our CBB Sunday Three-Pack. Michigan St. is the biggest favorite in the final round of the PK Invitational and will still be a very publicly backed team here based on name and its early season results have far exceeded expectations. The Spartans are 3-2 with wins over Kentucky, Villanova and Oregon with the latter two coming by a combined six points and the victory over the Wildcats coming in overtime. The schedule has been brutal for this young team but they have clearly held their own but after five straight games against teams that can make legitimate NCAA Tournament runs, this presents a letdown spot and laying a large number on an away court. Portland is a team not to sleep on this season as the Pilots have been picked No. 5 in the top heavy WCC after going 19-15 last season including 7-7 in the conference after a 1-42 run in the WCC the previous three seasons. They have been dealing with an injured backcourt but have held their own with a bear miss against North Carolina and then bouncing back with a win over Villanova which prevented a Michigan St./Villanova rematch. Playing a third straight power five team with rich history is not going to faze Portland that will have the home floor edge. 10* (779) Portland Pilots

This is a play on the ATLANTA HAWKS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. Miami snapped a four-game losing streak with a pair of home wins over Washington on Wednesday and Friday and now it hits the road against where it has been a poor start. The Heat are 1-7 on the road which includes seven straight losses following a win over Portland in their first road game of the season. There have been close calls along the way but four of the seven losses have come by more than what they are getting on Sunday and they are catching the wrong opponent at the wrong time. Miami is 3-13 ATS in its last 16 games coming off two or more consecutive home wins. Atlanta has been all over the place after a 7-3 start to the season as it has lost five of its last nine games including a pretty embarrassing loss at Houston on Friday by six points as an eight-point chalk. That made it three losses in four road games over this recent stretch and the Hawks return home where they are 7-3 and in a great bounce back spot. Atlanta is 6-1 this season following a loss and the lone two-game losing streak this season came in back-to-back road games at Milwaukee and Toronto. Atlanta is 13-3 ATS in its last 16 home games when playing against teams with a winning percentage between .400 and .499. Here, we play on favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points after failing to cover five or six of their last seven games against the spread going up against an opponent after having covered two of their last three games against the spread. This situation is 103-61 ATS (62.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (568) Atlanta Hawks

This is a play on the OREGON DUCKS as part of our CBB Sunday Three-Pack. Villanova has lost three straight games and while the loss against Iowa St. in overtime is looking a lot better after the Cyclones defeated North Carolina as is the loss against Michigan St. prior to that but getting defeated by Portland by 12 points raises questions. The transition from Jay Wright to Kyle Neptune was supposed to be seamless but it has been a struggle as there is also a loss against Temple mixed in there with the two wins coming against LaSalle and Delaware St. by a combined 22 points where they were favored by a combined 50 points. Villanova has been without Big East Preseason Freshman of the Year Cam Whitmore and second team Preseason All-Big East guard Justin Moore. Oregon has also dropped three straight games but has had a tougher stretch as those three losses have come to teams ranked in the Top 20. While not a true home game, the Ducks have the advantage of their campus being nearby so they will have the crowd edge and they have the better roster to bounce back at this point. Oregon could be without N'Faly Dante but the Ducks to have two other big bodies down low as Kel'el Ware and Nate Bittle combine for 40-plus minutes per game and offer size that Villanova cannot counter. 10* (776) Oregon Ducks