Sports Picks & Predictions

This is a play on the ATLANTA FALCONS for our NFL Sunday Supreme Annihilator. Atlanta is coming off a brutal loss against Dallas last week as a special team miscue led to an on-sides kick recovery for the Cowboys. While that could cause concern for a letdown, it should give the Falcons plenty of motivation. Atlanta has scored 64 points and put up 886 yards of total offense but are 0-2 as the defense, and special teams, have let them down. In the opener, they actually outgained the Seahawks by 123 total yards. There should be no cause for concern here facing a Bears offense that has faced two poor defenses in the Lions and Giants and yet have averaged just 333.5 ypg. Over the last 18 games, Chicago has scored 24 or more points just four times. Quarterback Mitch Trubisky threw three fourth-quarter touchdowns against Detroit and was sharp in the first half against the Giants, but the other five quarters have not gone as well for him. Additionally, the defense is going to have to get off the field against a significantly better offense than it faced the first two weeks. The Bears are 1-5 ATS in their last six games following a straight up win while the Falcons are 5-1 ATS in their last six games against teams with a winning record. 9* (476) Atlanta Falcons

This is a play on the TROY TROJANS for our CFB Saturday Late Night Bomb. BYU is coming off a 55-3 win over Navy to open its season but by the time this game kicks off, the Cougars will have been idle for 19 days. While the win was impressive, Navy came into that game not prepared as they did no tackling prior to the game and it showed on both sides. The Cougars come in overpriced and at this point, we really do not know how good they are not 14 points better than Troy. Troy offensive coordinator Ryan Pugh, previously the BYU offensive line coach in 2018, led the Trojans successful offensive front in 2019. Last season, the Trojans averaged 34 ppg and they finished in the top 20 in the nation in total yards. In 2019, the Trojans defense allowed an average of 35 ppg but the defense proved productive during the 2020 season opener against Middle Tennessee St. BYU was supposed to play Army last week but 10 players had tested positive for COVID-19 and as many as 22 had to be quarantined. Some practices were canceled while others were broken into groups of 10 or fewer players. The Trojans are 12-4 ATS in their last 16 games after accumulating more than 450 total yards in their previous game while the Cougars are 1-7 ATS in their last eight games as a favorite. 9* (409) Troy Trojans

This is a play on the DENVER NUGGETS for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. The Lakers took Game Four of this series with a six-point win on Thursday and they can close the Western Conference Finals with a win tonight, but Denver will have something to say about that. The Nuggets have been down 3-1 in their two previous series, so they have been here before and have thought nothing about it as they came back to win both of those. Winning another series being down 3-1 is a tall task but Denver has been competitive throughout this series as two losses have been by a combined eight points with one of those coming on a last second buzzer-beater from Anthony Davis. Speaking of Davis, he sprained his ankle and while he is likely going to play, he might not be 100 percent. In Game Four, the Lakers 12 offensive rebounds led to 25 second-chance points, which dwarfed six second-chance points for Denver. Nikola Jokic had an off-game by his lofty standards, finishing with just 16 points and seven rebounds on 6-of-13 shooting and we expect a big game from him Saturday night. He and Paul Millsap were in foul trouble early in Game Four, which ultimately reduced their playing time and ability to find a rhythm later in the game. The Nuggets are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games following a straight up loss while the Lakers are 3-7-1 ATS in their last 11 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* (711) Denver Nuggets

This is a play on the MISSISSIPPI ST. BULLDOGS for our CFB Saturday Star Attraction. The SEC is finally back in action and the defending national champions are hosting their season opener. LSU is still going to be very good, but it was gutted during the offseason when they had 14 players depart via the NFL Draft, including five in the first-round while also losing offensive coordinator Joe Brady. For Mississippi St. there is defensive experience overall, and the parts filling in for the lost producers might just be better. As long as the passing game and the offense do what they are expected to, the defense just has to hold serve once in a while. KJ Costello came over from Stanford and while Mike Leach has not fully committed to him just yet, he is going to start, and he can make this offense roll. He has thrown for over 6,000 yards in his college career and his next touchdown will be his 50th. Numbers like that breed confidence. LSU should take a big step down on offense so the somewhat inexperienced Bulldogs defense will not be as bad off. Death Valley will not be the same as it normally is on top of it. Leach is also 20-8 ATS as a dog of 14-plus points in his CFB career. 9* (433) Mississippi St. Bulldogs

This is a play on the ARMY BLACK KNIGHTS for our CFB Saturday Ultimate Underdog. Army is 2-0 this season with home wins against Middle Tennessee and Louisiana-Monroe by a combined 79-7 and it has moved into the latest top 25 poll at No. 22. The Black Knights run the triple-option offense and that that offense led by quarterback Christian Anderson has scored touchdowns on all six tries inside the red zone while holding the ball just over 36 minutes per game. In their first two games, the Army defense has displayed unusual speed and cunning. The Black Knights swarm to the ball and seem decidedly adept at preventing the big play. The continuity of this team cannot be underestimated as the team has been in the West Point bubble since June and while most teams would not be able to conquer that, players from Army can as that is what they are about. The Cincinnati run defense is solid, but they have not faced an option attack since 2018. The offense is dynamic, but Cincinnati receiver Alec Pierce will miss several weeks due to a knee issue. He had 37 receptions for a team-leading 652 yards in 2019. Black Knights are 4-0 ATS in their last four games after accumulating more than 450 total yards in their previous game while the Bearcats are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games as a favorite. 9* (445) Army Black Knights

This is a play on the LIBERTY FLAMES for our CFB Non-Conference Game of the Year. The Flames took to the road as 15-point underdogs and won outright against Western Kentucky, winning the time of possession by almost 10 minutes and the yardage battle by 196 yards without turning the ball over. They have quarterback Malik Willis, who was the Auburn second-string quarterback in 2017 and 2018 so you know he has legit talent. He proved that in his debut rushing for 168 yards, three touchdowns while also completing 13 of 21 passes for 133 yards. The Liberty offensive line is its under-the-radar weapon. Florida International begins its season finally and it will be looking for young inexperienced players to continue its recent success under head coach Butch Davis. Quarterback James Morgan and cornerback Stanley Thomas-Oliver were drafted in the fourth and seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft, respectively. Thomas-Oliver and Sage Lewis were selected as second-team All-C-USA for the 2019 season. The Panthers did not have any spring practices, so it might be tough to keep up with Willis and the Flames who have a game under their belt. Here, we play on favorites of a touchdown or more in their second game of the season coming off a win as a double-digit underdog. This situation is 11-5 ATS since 1996. 10* (442) Liberty Flames

This is a play on the LOUISVILLE CARDINALS for our CFB Saturday Supreme Annihilator. Louisville is coming off a tough loss against Miami and while it lost by 13 points, it outgained the Hurricanes by 31 total yards. The Cardinals were hurt by three turnovers and Miami scored on two plays that were both 75 yards each. This is a loaded offense that will continue to get stronger. Quarterback Malik Cunningham has topped 300 yards in both games to date, running back Javian Hawkins is averaging 5.1 ypc and is coming off of a 164-yard game. The Pittsburgh defense has been impressive, but the opposition has been horrific, so the numbers are skewed. The Panthers offense has not seen a real defense yet and the running game still is not playing well. They have a committee backfield that is averaging 3.47 ypc against Austin Peay and Syracuse, after posting just 3.5 ypc in 2019. Their passing attack remains largely dink and dunk, completing 68.8 percent but their 8.2 yards per attempt average is skewed by their Week One dismantling of Austin Peay. The Panthers are 8-20 ATS in their last 28 games as a home favorite while the Cardinals are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following an ATS loss. 9* (401) Louisville Cardinals

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Friday Enforcer. Boston is officially in must win mode now as it trails three games to one in the Eastern Conference Finals after a three-point loss in Game Four. The three losses have come by an average of 3.7 ppg so this series has been closer than the deficit shows. Taking care of the ball has been the big issue for the Celtics as they are averaging 15.8 turnovers per game in the Conference Finals compared to the Heat's 10.5 turnovers per game. They lost the turnover battle 19-8 in Game Four yet were still in it so that is a huge factor tonight. They also need to get Jayson Tatum involved early as he could not get anything to fall in the first half of Game Four, heading into halftime with zero points on 0-for-6 shooting from the field and 0-for-4 from three-point range. Miami got a huge game from Tyler Herro who scored 37 points to save the game for Miami and we do not expect anything like that again. The Celtics have had eight winning streaks of three or more games this season, including the playoffs. Winning a few games in a row is more than doable for a third-seed and it starts tonight. The Celtics are 7-1-1 ATS in their last nine games following an ATS loss. 10* (716) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the UTSA Roadrunners for our CFB Friday Star Attraction. UTSA is off to a 2-0 start and while the schedule has not been tough, confidence goes a long way. The Roadrunners have outgained opponents by an average of 89.5 ypg and they get another great matchup here on Friday night where they have edges on both sides of the ball. While they have been outpassed in both games, the running game has been tough to defend. Middle Tennessee St. returned just five starters on defense and it is showing as the Blue Raiders are dead last in both yards allowed and points allowed per game. They were outgained by 184 yards against Army and 255 yards against Troy last week. The big issue has been the run defense as they are allowing 290.0 ypg and this is another horrible matchup as UTSA is averaging 282.5 ypg with is seventh in the country. The offense is not much better as they are also dead last in total yards and points scored and the opposition has not been overwhelming. Here, we play on home teams after gaining 450 or more total yards in five consecutive games, with 5 defensive starters returning, in the first month of the season. This situation is 30-4 ATS (88.2 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* 456) UTSA Roadrunners

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES LAKERS for our NBA Game of the Year. Denver won Game Three as it withstood a late Lakers run to get back into the series. After an easy series opening win, Los Angeles has not looked nearly as good and could very well be down 2-1 if not for the Anthony Davis buzzer-beater in Game Two. The Nuggets outrebounded the Lakers (35-21) because of hustle. And the Lakers committed 16 turnovers and 21 fouls because of sloppiness. They were able to cut the lead to three points, but the Lakers made only one out of seven shots in the final 6:07. Now it is time for the best team in the league with the best player to step up. LeBron James did have a triple-double but his play down the stretch was erratic as he had a team high six turnovers. Just like the Jazz and Clippers before them, the Lakers played against the Nuggets as if they would coast to a win. As the Jazz and the Clippers already experienced, the Lakers were then proven wrong. The Lakers are 20-7 ATS after having won three of their last four games this season while the Nuggets are 4-13 ATS after successfully covering the spread in two or more consecutive games this season. 10* (709) Los Angeles Lakers

This is a play on the MIAMI DOLPHINS for our NFL Thursday Star Attraction. We like what we have seen out of Miami as it fought hard in two divisional losses. This is a team on the rise, and this is its first winnable game of the season and quite frankly, should not be an underdog here. These teams are even in the power rankings and the three points assigned for home field advantage is overinflated since the stadium will seat only 14,000 fans and this is one of the worst home field advantages anyway. Ryan Fitzpatrick is 7-0-1 ATS in his career as an underdog coming off consecutive losses. The Jaguars can be considered impressive as well, but it is a bit misleading. They defeated the Colts in the season opener, but they were outgained by 204 total yards. It was a narrow loss last week against Tennessee, but it was more the Titans letting the foot off the gas as they had a 30-17 lead after three quarters but allowed Jacksonville to sneak back in it. The Dolphins are 4-0 ATS in their last four games after allowing more than 30 points in their previous game while the Jaguars are 1-5 ATS in their last six games after accumulating more than 250 yards passing in their previous game. Here, we play against home favorites that allowed 24 or more ppg last season, after scoring 30 points or more last game. This situation is 24-3 ATS (88.9 percent) since 1983. 10* (301) Miami Dolphins

This is a play on the SOUTH ALABAMA JAGUARS for our CFB Thursday Enforcer. We like what we have seem from South Alabama thus far as we won with them in their opener against Southern Mississippi and then lost by just three points against Tulane. There are some new faces from the squad that got slaughtered by UAB last season, and maybe that is a good thing. Chance Lovertich will take over at quarterback and he has played in both games this season, completing 20 of 32 passes for 311 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. The Jaguars have a solid running back in Carlos Davis who is averaging 5.4 ypc to go along with a veteran offensive line. The Blazers will also start a new quarterback on Thursday in redshirt freshman Bryson Lucero, who replaces the injured Tyler Johnston, out indefinitely with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder. The defensive line for the Blazers has shown susceptibility against the run as the rebuilt defensive line has yet to get it going. Here, we play on teams off a home loss by three points or less, in the first month of the season. This situation is 32-8 ATS (80 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (418) South Alabama Jaguars

This is a play on the MIAMI HEAT for our NBA Wednesday Enforcer. Boston bounced back from losing the first two games of this series with a resounding 117-106 win that was not as close as that score indicates as the Celtics led by as many as 20 points and Miami never had the lead. The problem here is that Game Three was on Saturday and with three days off, any momentum gain has been lost with the time off. The Heat are insisting that there will be more urgency at the beginning as first quarters have been their problem. In the 36 minutes of first-period action against the Celtics, the Heat have led roughly one-sixth of the time. Boston has won the first quarters by a combined score of 88-68, shooting 54% percent to 32 percent for Miami. From the start, we have said that top to bottom, Miami has the best roster in the NBA and that will make a difference in a rebound win. Here, we play against teams where the line is +3 to -3 outscoring their opponents by six or more ppg, after allowing 105 points or more in three straight games. This situation is 36-12 ATS (75 percent) since 1996. 10* (714) Miami Heat

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES LAKERS for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. The Lakers stole Game Two away from Denver as Anthony Davis hit a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer to give Los Angeles a 2-0 series lead in the Western Conference Finals. While Denver could have won the game, two things took away an even better chance as the Nuggets hit just 3 of their 13 attempts from three in second half and missed eight free throws on the night. That was a huge, missed opportunity and the Lakers, as we have seen in this postseason, take advantage of these situations of busting out after a close game or a loss. Here, we play against underdogs off a cover where the team lost the game straight up as an underdog, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. This situation is 70-21 ATS (76.9 percent) since 1996. 10* (707) Los Angeles Lakers

This is a play on the LAS VEGAS RAIDERS for our NFL Monday Star Attraction. The Raiders won their season opener over Carolina 34-30 and head home for their first game ever in Las Vegas albeit with no fans. While the Saints won their opener last Sunday, they were actually outgained by Tampa Bay by 39 yards. They took a bigger hit as they lost wide receiver Michael Thomas for a few weeks with a high ankle sprain and he is an obviously a big part of this offense. The Saints run defense has been one of the best in the league the last few years but they will be tested here as running back Josh Jacobs ran for 93 yards and three touchdowns and caught four passes for 46 yards in the opener. The offensive line did a great job from that standpoint and Derek Carr was under pressure on only 10 percent of his dropbacks for the game, the best rate in the league in Week One, according to Pro Football Focus. Here, we play against favorites off a home win, in the first month of the season. This situation is 77-37 ATS (67.5 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (290) Las Vegas Raiders

This is a play on the NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS for our NFL Sunday Star Attraction. New England is coming off a win in its first game without Tom Brady as his replacement Cam Newton looked very solid as he has this offense down. Overall, the Patriots racked up 357 yards of offense including 217 yards on the ground and it needs to be noted that six players had at least 22 yards with five averaging at least 4.0 ypg. Russell Wilson and the Seahawks offense looked great, though that was against a below-average defense in Atlanta. They face a much tougher test against the Patriots. One of the loudest venues in the NFL will be silent for the Seattle home opener. No fans will be allowed in CenturyLink Field for at least the first three home games for the Seahawks and that is a big disadvantage for one of the loudest venues in the NFL. Here, we play against home favorites that allowed 24 or more ppg last season, after scoring 30 points or more last game. This situation is 24-2 ATS (92.3 percent) since 1983. 9* (287) New England Patriots

This is a play on the DENVER NUGGETS for our Sunday Enforcer. The Lakers took Game One of this series on Friday as they pulled away in the second half. Denver took a two-point lead after the first quarter, its biggest lead of the game, but the Lakers outscored the Nuggets 67-41 over the next two quarters and cruised from there. In the second quarter alone, Los Angeles attempted 24 free throws as the Nuggets top players got into foul trouble, so it was not an even matchup for a good portion as Nikola Jokic played just three minutes in that quarter. For Denver to have a chance to even up the series after committing 16 turnovers in Game One, valuing each possession and being able to have more control over the pace of the game will be key. If this postseason has taught us anything about the resiliency of the Nuggets young core, it is that one game does not make a series. Denver has covered four of its last five games following a loss. 10* (705) Denver Nuggets

This is a play on the SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS for our NFL Game of the Month. The 49ers are coming off a disappointing season opener as they lost to the Cardinals, continuing the trend of the Super Bowl loser hangover. A big part of the 49ers loss to the Cardinals was the scrambling of quarterback Kyler Murray, but Sam Darnold will be a relative sitting duck for the San Francisco pass rush. This San Francisco defense will be playing with a chip on its shoulder after allowing 404 yards to the Cardinals. Jimmy Garoppolo had an efficient game and can thrive against the Jets which allowed 404 yards against Buffalo. Tight end George Kittle is upgraded to probable after having just four catches last week. Here, we play on teams in Week Two after losing in Week One as favorites of six points or more. This situation is 15-4 ATS (78.9 percent) since 2002. 10* (269) San Francisco 49ers

This is a play on the MINNESOTA VIKINGS for our NFL Sunday Enforcer. Minnesota and Indianapolis are both coming off disappointing losses in their season openers and we expect the Vikings to be the team that rebounds. They lost to Green Bay 43-34 as they were thoroughly outgained until a late fourth quarter surge and while a lot can be blamed on the defense, the offense was on the field for just 18:44, the lowest in franchise history. That led to a gassed defense that just could not keep up. They will be in better shape here against Philip Rivers that struggled against Jacksonville in a 27-0 loss. He threw two interceptions and Pro Bowl receiver T.Y. Hilton dropped the last two passes of the game while Marlon Mack was lost for the season. Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer is 12-4 ATS off a loss against a division rival. Here, we play on road underdogs or pickems allowed 335 or more ypg last season, after allowing 450 or more total yards in their previous game. This situation is 24-3 ATS (88.9 percent) since 1983. 9* (273) Minnesota Vikings

This is a play on the SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI GOLDEN EAGLES for our CFB Saturday Enforcer. We played against Southern Miss in its season opener and the Golden Eagles lost outright as 12-point favorites. Now after a bye week, they catch a great spot. It should be noted that head coach Jay Hopson resigned after that loss but because of the week off, Southern Miss has had plenty of time to prepare under former receiver coach Scott Walden who was given the interim head coach tag. Louisiana Tech has yet to play a game this season and are at a big disadvantage here based on experience as the Bulldogs have just eight starters back including two on defense. Expect them to struggle early in the season and that includes here against a team with a game under their belt and one that brings back double the starters. 10* (126) Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles

This is a play on the OKLAHOMA ST. COWBOYS for our CFB Saturday Supreme Annihilator. The Oklahoma St. and Tulsa game was postponed last week because of positive COVID tests and has been moved to this week. The Cowboys are loaded on offense as they bring back quarterback Spencer Sanders and his top three receivers along with running back Chuba Hubbard who rushed for over 2,000 yards last season. Defensively, they were not great last season but should take a big step up as they return 10 starters on that side of the ball. Tulsa will be overwhelmed on defense as it was horrible a season ago and returns just four starters. The offense has a chance to be good led by quarterback Zack Smith, but not in this spot against that experienced stop unit of Oklahoma St. The Cowboys should be able to name the score. 9* (142) Oklahoma St. Cowboys

This is a play on the NAVY MIDSHIPMEN for our CFB Afternoon Dominator. Navy got hammered on Labor Day against BYU as it lost 55-3 and it was thoroughly dominated as much as that score shows. The Midshipmen were outgained 580-150 and they managed only seven first downs. It was the worst loss under head coach Ken Niumatalolo, and he took full responsibility sighting the fact he did not allow tackling during preseason practices. Expect a major rebound here. Tulane is coming off a win over South Alabama, but it was a narrow three-point win as 11.5-point favorites. The Green Wave outgained the Jaguars by just four total yards and they actually trailed in this game 24-6 before needing to score 21 unanswered points to put the game away. Expect Tulane to struggle against the Navy ground attack in this one. 9* (133) Navy Midshipmen

This is a play on the DENVER NUGGETS for our NBA Friday Star Attraction. The Lakers have lost the first game of each of their last two series and it would not be a total surprise if it happens again here. They are on a long layoff of six days and while rest is always good, too much can be a detriment, especially in this shortened season. Denver is riding some crazy momentum right now as it is coming another series win after trailing 3-1. The most recent was a shocking performance against the Clippers where the Nuggets overcame double-digit second half deficits in Game Five and Six and then winning Game Seven by pulling away late in the second half. The Lakers are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games against teams with a winning percentage above .600 while the Rockets are 10-2 ATS when playing with double revenge this season. 10* (733) Denver Nuggets

This is a play on the CLEVELAND BROWNS for our NFL Thursday Enforcer. Cleveland got hammered in its opener 38-6 at Baltimore but the score is a bit skewed. The Browns were outgained by just 71 total yards, had only three fewer first downs and won the time of possession. Four of the six Baltimore scoring drives started at midfield or in Cleveland territory, so field position played a big role. The defense needs to step up and they can do so here against a rookie quarterback. Joe Burrow was decent but unspectacular as he threw for just 193 yards while tossing an interception and having no touchdown passes although he did run for one. The defense played surprisingly well but the Bengals will be facing a more loaded roster this time around. The Browns will be out for revenge as one of the Bengals two wins last season came in the season finale. The Browns are 3-0-1 ATS in their last four games as a home favorite while the Bengals are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games as an underdog. 10* (102) Cleveland Browns

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Thursday Enforcer. Miami overcame a 14-point deficit by outscoring Boston 35-23 in the fourth quarter and eventually won in overtime to take the opener of the Eastern Conference Finals. One favorable takeaway is that Boston outscored Miami 28-16 in the third quarter and held the Heat to their lowest scoring total for a quarter in the playoffs. This is noteworthy because Boston lost every third quarter to the Raptors in the East semifinals. Kemba Walker will be the key for Game Two. He has been extremely inconsistent on offense and while he has played some solid defense in the playoffs, he was bad on Tuesday as NBA tracking had him giving up 22 points on 9-18 shooting. Here, we play against teams where the line is +3 to -3 allowing 103 or more ppg on the season, after a win by 3 points or less. This situation is 143-89 (61.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (702) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. Give a lot of credit to Denver which is now 5-0 in elimination games so far this season. Win Tuesday, and they will become the first team in NBA history to successfully erase a pair of 3-1 deficits in the same season, but their time Is done. Los Angeles does not have history on its side but that is no worry with arguably the best roster in the NBA. The Clippers have never been to the conference finals and they have had seven chances to get there in their franchise history, going 0-7 in those games. This series should already b over, but the Nuggets went on a 17-0 run midway in the third quarter in Game Six to stave off elimination. Here, we play on favorites revenging a straight up loss as a favorite of 7or more against opponent off 2 or more consecutive upset wins as an underdog. This situation is 49-21 ATS (70 percent) since 1996. 10* (730) Los Angeles Clippers

This is a play on the DENVER BRONCOS for our NFL Monday Star Attraction. We are getting exceptional value with Denver here as Tennessee is going to be a heavy bet team early on based on its run at the end of last season. The Titans went 9-4 in their last 13 games and jumped out to an early double-digit lead at Kansas City before succumbing 35-24 to the soon-to-be Super Bowl champs. Now they are road favorites and they go to a place where it has not been good for opponents early in the season. At home in the first two weeks of the season, Denver is 33-4 straight up and 22-11-4 ATS since 1989 and this is based on teams having trouble early on due to the altitude. Additionally, Denver is 18-2 straight up and 16-3-1 ATS in its last thirty games in home openers against non-division opponents. The Broncos finished 7-9 last season, but they have a strong chance to improve upon that this season with a strong defense, sans Von Miller, and the continued improvement of quarterback Drew Lock. 10* (482) Denver Broncos

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES RAMS for our NFL Sunday Star Attraction. This is a situation where the lack of a full stadium does not hurt the home team as the crowd here would have been at least 50 percent Dallas. Most talk about the Rams focuses on the personnel they lost after last season, including Todd Gurley, Brandin Cooks, Dante Fowler, Cory Littleton, Eric Weddle and Clay Matthews. This is still a great roster with one of the top head coaches in the NFL in Sean McVey. Dallas is the favorite in the NFC East as it brings back nearly everything from last season where it went a disappointing 8-8. It also brings in a new head coach in Mike McCarthy, but he is fortunate that he has a loaded roster. That being said, the Cowboys are overpriced here laying a price on the road. Quarterback Dak Prescott is often a no-show in key road games and it will not be surprising if he struggles here. Los Angeles also has contrarian value in a primetime game, receiving only one-third of tickets on Sunday Night Football. The Rams are 12-3-1 ATS in their last 16 games against NFC teams. 9* (478) Los Angeles Rams

This is a play on the TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS for our NFL Sunday Enforcer. With home field advantage taken away for most teams this season for the foreseeable future, Tampa Bay gets a big edge in the season opener. The fact the Buccaneers added so much on both sides of the ball, they are the trendy pick to win the division. We all know what happened with the offense with the additions on offense where they will be much more efficient, but the other side is what should get the job done here. The Buccaneers defense finished 14th in defensive DVOA according to Football Outsiders and they should be even better this season as turnovers on offense will likely be down meaning less time on the field. New Orleans went 13-3 last season, tied for the second-best record in the NFL and expectations are high there as well but the Saints are laying more than expected. Here, we play on road underdogs or pickems that averaged 360 or more ypg last season, versus division opponents. This situation is 22-4 ATS (84.6 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (475) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This is a play on the LAS VEGAS RAIDERS for our NFL Sunday Supreme Annihilator. These are two teams that are in opposite stability heading into the season. The Raiders are in their third year under head coach Jon Gruden and have a quarterback in that system with a lot of weapons. The entire offense is essentially intact from last season and they added Henry Ruggs as another weapon. Only the Dolphins allowed more points than the Panthers 470 in 2019 and they lost All Pro linebacker Luke Kuechly to retirement. Carolina will be starting nearly from scratch with a new head coach, new coordinators and a new quarterback and with no preseason, that hurts teams in this situation. They still have the unstoppable Christian McCaffrey, but this offense will struggle early on. The Raiders have won three of their last four openers, and in the game that they lost, outgained their opponent and led at halftime. Our numbers project Carolina to produce 344 yards of offense and going back, the Panthers are 0-7 ATS in their last seven games when gaining between 300 and 350 total yards. 9* (459) Las Vegas Raiders

This is a play on the LOUSVILLE CARDINALS for our CFB Saturday Supreme Annihilator. Louisville had an excellent season last year, going 9-5 under first year head coach Scott Satterfield after a 2-10 season in 2018 under Bobby Petrino and now returns eight starters on each side of the ball. This is a loaded offense that should only be better. Micale Cunningham is a productive dual threat at quarterback who had 22 touchdown passes with only five picks while running for 482 yards and six scores. Running back Javian Hawkins finished second in the ACC with 1,525 yards, ringing up eight 100-yard games. Tutu Atwell led the ACC with 98.2 receiving ypg while Dez Fitzpatrick would have been highly drafted but decided to come back. Western Kentucky relies on a particularly good pass rush to keep things in front of them but that is not always easy when you have the play action game that Louisville has. The Hilltoppers are solid on offense but they are replacing quarterback Ty Storey and 1,000-yard receiver Lucky Jackson. The Cardinals need to get more pressure on the opposing quarterbacks, which will lead to more turnovers. Louisville only had seven interceptions and recovered 11 fumbles last season in 13 games. Here, we play on favorites of 10.5 to 21 points that averaged 6.4 or more yppl last season, with an experienced quarterback returning as starter. This situation is 36-12 ATS (75 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (406) Louisville Cardinals

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES LAKERS for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. We totally read the Lakers wrong and how they are approaching this series. The Rockets version of small ball worked for Game One and then the Lakers made adjustments and have dominated since. Los Angeles outrebounded Houston 52-26 including 12-1 on the offensive end and teams cannot overcome a deficit like that. The Rockets can get hot from long range but that cannot be counted on based on the defense the Lakers have thrown at them, especially when James Harden only was able to attempt six three-pointers in Game Four. The thing is the Lakers can't play small ball. The only guy in their rotation who is under 6'5" is Rajon Rondo so the length and wingspan is simply too much. The Rockets are 1-5 ATS in their last six games against teams with a winning straight up record while the Lakers are 6-0 ATS in their last six games playing on one day of rest. 10* (724) Los Angeles Lakers

This is a play on the UTSA ROADRUNNERS for our CFB Saturday Ultimate Underdog. The is some excellent value here with UTSA that has 13 starters back and now it is up to new head coach Jeff Traylor to try giving the program a kickstart. The Roadrunners get back eight starters from an offense that averaged just 345 ypg and 20 ppg. It is going to all start with an improvement up front even though the offensive lines opened lanes for a strong run game. Sincere McCormick was the Conference USA Freshman of the Year, leading the team with 983 yards and eight scores, and catching 24 passes for 194 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, eight of the 10 top tacklers return and UTSA led Conference USA in tackles for loss last season. Texas St. is coming off a loss last week against SMU by just seven points, but it was a misleading final score as the Bobcats were outgained 544-396 including just 217 yards through the air. It does not be a surprise the offense struggles as it averaged just 318 ypg and 18.4 ppg with no ground game and not enough of a downfield passing threat to make up for it. The defense got gashed as the top three tacklers, six of the top eight, nine of the top 13, and 13 of the top 20 are gone. Here, we play on underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points that allowed 425 or more ypg, with 8 or more offensive starters including the QB returning, in the first month of the season. This situation is 54-23 ATS (70.1 percent) since 1992. 9* (421) UTSA Roadrunners

This is a play on the IOWA ST. CYCLONES for our CFB Saturday Afternoon Dominator. Optimism is extremely high in Ames this season. Since 1996, only four Iowa St. teams have finished league play with a winning record. During Matt Campbell's four-year tenure, the Cyclones have achieved this feat three seasons in a row. They are loaded with 13 returning starters including quarterback Brock Purdy who led an offense that ranked second in 2019 in the Big 12 with an average of 311.3 ypg through the air while running back Breece Hall rushed for 897 yards as a freshman, averaging just over 100 ypg over his last eight games. While the defense was not great last season, they should be a much more improved unit this year with nine starters back. Iowa St. went 7-6 last season but three of those losses were by a combined four points and those were against Iowa, Baylor and Oklahoma. Louisiana is no pushover as it went 9-3 and has a ton of experience coming back but the talent gap between the two rosters is pretty big. The offense is loaded once again but the loss of two key offensive linemen will be felt hard. Louisiana is 1-7 under Billy Napier when going under 200 yards rushing and has lost ten of its last 11 when it fails to get there. Here, we play on favorites of 10.5 to 21 points that averaged 6.4 or more yppl last season, with an experienced quarterback returning as starter. This situation is 36-12 ATS (75 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 9* (416) Iowa St. Cyclones

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Friday Enforcer. We lost a tough one on the Celtics in double overtime in Game Six and now it is all on the line. This series should already be over if not for a miracle win in Game Three by the Raptors. The Celtics responded with a Game Five win that was never in doubt as they led by as many as 30 points while Toronto never led the game. While all three Toronto wins have come down to the end of the game, Boston owns two blowout wins and another showing from Kemba Walker in Game Six where he totaled just five points on 2-11 shooting is not going to happen again. Also, we are not going to see Kyle Lowry shoot 60 percent from long range again. Here, we play on teams where the line is +3 to -3 allowing 103 or more ppg on the season, after a close win by three points or less. This situation is 142-89 ATS (61.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (717) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the HOUSTON TEXANS for our NFL Thursday Enforcer. Houston will face the Chiefs for a second straight time after blowing a 24-0 second-quarter lead in the playoffs last season, eventually losing 51-31. Revenge is obviously in play and there is too much value on the Texans and do not forget that they defeated the Chiefs once last season. While that was at home, only 22 percent of the seats will be filled this Thursday, knocking down the homer field advantage. Houston head coach Bill O'Brien likes having one featured back in his offense, so David Johnson should get plenty of opportunities as the Texas want to milk the clock and keep the Kansas City offense off the field as much as possible. The matchup favors Houston as the Chiefs gave up 4.9 ypc last season, fourth most in the league, and allowed running backs to total 1,039 yards receiving, second most in the NFL. Additionally, with all five starters on the offensive line returning, including Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil, they should take a big step forward protecting Deshaun Watson. We all know what the Chiefs offense is so it will be up to Houston to slow the attack down because they cannot stop it completely. A healthy J.J. Watt is a big boost to the unit a well. The last 20 games in Week One where there was an underdog of eight or more points, the underdog covered 15 times. 10* (451) Houston Texans

This is a play on the UAB BLAZERS for our CFB Thursday Star Attraction. UAB has a huge edge of already having a game under its belt as it defeated Central Arkansas 45-35 last Thursday. The Blazers dominated even what seemed like it was a close game as they outgained the Bears 459-293. Central Arkansas scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery and two others in the final six minutes when UAB reserves were in. Spencer Brown is the star of the offense over the first two years with well over 2,500 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns but was dinged last season. He finished with 127 yards on 24 carries (5.3 ypc). Defensively, this team will be great once again. The Blazers were ranked second in the league in total and scoring defense, third in the nation in third down stops, and 11th in sacks and eight of the top 10 tacklers are back. They also got the best defensive player at South Alabama via transfer. Rhett Lashlee, Miami's new offensive coordinator, has installed a high-tempo attack, and rebuilt an offensive line that was among the worst in college football last season. While the offense can be effective, it might take a while and that gives the stout UAB defense an edge. Last year, Miami surrendered 51 sacks, the most among Power 5 teams. Defensively, the back seven is a question mark. At linebacker, the Hurricanes must replace 99 combined starts with a group of mostly unproven linebackers and lost their best defensive back. 10* (393) UAB Blazers

This is a play on the HOUSTON ROCKETS for our NBA Thursday Enforcer. After taking four in a row off of Portland, the Lakers have now beaten Houston in both Games Two and Three to take a 2-1 series lead over the Rockets. Houston needs to make adjustments to get more production from other players. In Game Three Russell Westbrook gave the Rockets 30 points on 13-of-24 shooting while James Harden chipped in 33 points, but the role players put up only 39 points beyond them. Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said fatigue undermined the Rockets late-game performance where the fourth quarter did them in for a second straight game, but the Lakers deserve full credit for harassing the Rockets into miscues and errant shot attempts. Houston is capable of squaring up this series but even a close game either way gets us the cover here. The Rockets are i15-4 ATS in their last 19 games when playing with double revenge while the Lakers are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games following a straight up win. 10* (716) Houston Rockets

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Wednesday Supreme Annihilator. This series should already be over as Boston had a 3-0 series lead wrapped up with less than a second left before Toronto hit a miracle shot in Game three and carried that into Game Four. The Celtics responded with a Game Five win that was never in doubt as they led by as many as 30 points while Toronto never led the game. This has been a horrible matchup for the Raptors as the Celtics defense has been stifling with no Toronto player able to step up and take over a game while Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker and Jaylen Brown are all averaging over 19 ppg in the postseason with all three able to take over a game. The Raptors are 1-6 ATS in their last seven Conference Semifinals games while the Celtics are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following a straight up win. 10* (710) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES LAKERS for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. The Lakers lost Game One of this series but bounced back in Game Two and we expect the momentum to continue forward. Efficient shooting was the key. The Lakers took 38 three-pointers in Game One. In Game Two, their shot composition changed a lot even though they took 83 shots, the exact same number as Game One, they took just 27 three-pointers, half as many as the Rockets attempted. They shot 62.5 percent inside the arc, an improvement from 53.3 percent the game before. The Lakers will have to depend on the Rajon Rondo they saw in Game Two to make good, quick decisions as opposed to some of the rash ones he made in Game One. A 9-to-1 assist to turnover ratio is a major improvement from 4-to-4. 10* (707) Los Angeles Lakers

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES LAKERS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. Houston had a plan for Game One and it worked to perfection. The Rockets made the bet that post-ups and mid-range jumpers are so inherently inefficient that no amount of them can overcome the math advantage that comes with winning the three-point and turnover battles. It is up to the Lakers to be more efficient with the ball and for LeBron James to step up after a pretty average opener. For the second time, the Lakers had six days off going into a Game 1 while their opponent had played just two days before. And both times, against the Trail Blazers and then the Rockets, they looked like the slower, less-prepared team. They bounced back in Game Two against Portland and we anticipate the same here. The Rockets are 1-4 ATS in their last five games playing on 1 day of rest while the Lakers are 16-7 ATS after having won 3 of their last 4 games this season. 10* (748) Los Angeles Lakers

This is a play on the ARKANSAS ST. RED WOLVES for our CFB Saturday Star Attraction. Arkansas St. has 14 returning starters including nine on offense and it is expected to score points in bunches once again. The Red Wolves scored 30 or more points in 10 of their 13 games last season and they bring back both quarterbacks along with the entire offensive line. Additionally, leading rusher Marcel Murray is back after running for 820 yards and six scores. They went 8-5 last season which was exceptional given the rebuilding job that had going on and expectations are higher this season. Arkansas St. has a nice groove under head coach Blake Anderson with six straight bowl appearances and six straight winning seasons. Memphis has a strong offense back as well but the defense struggled and will have a tough time holding down the Red Wolves offense. One huge factor here is the preseason schedule where Arkansas St. had 11 practices and Memphis had none and that is a huge issue considering the Tigers have a new head coach. Additionally, the Red Wolves had 18 days of fall practice compared to just nine days before school started for both teams and practice time became limited. 10* (237) Arkansas St. Red Wolves

This is a play on the TORONTO RAPTORS for our NBA Enforcer. Toronto recorded a miraculous victory in Game Three to avoid a 3-0 deficit in this series and it has gained the momentum which carries into Game Four. Toronto has caught a second wind and is going to come out in Game Four aiming to prove they are the defending champions for a reason. The Celtics struggled against the zone and they have had trouble against zones for much of the season. Sometimes, they have been able to figure it out and go on runs, but Toronto mixes up their zone coverages well enough to keep the Celtics off balance. Additionally, the Celtics only scored two fast-break points in Game Three. The Raptors are 12-4-1 ATS in their last 17 games following a ATS loss. Here, we play against underdogs off a cover where the team lost the game straight up as an underdog, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. This situation is 69-21 ATS (76.7 percent) since 1996. 10* (741) Toronto Raptors

This is a play on the MILWAUKEE BUCKS for our NBA Friday Supreme Annihilator. The Bucks have dug themselves into a hole after dropping the first two games of this series. Milwaukee was uncharacteristically outscored 42-24 in the paint in the series opener but looked like themselves again Wednesday, dominating the Heat by a score of 52-32 inside. The problem was long range shooting as Miami attempted 20 more three-pointers than the Bucks and made 10 more, outshooting Milwaukee by a 37.8 percent to 28 percent clip from deep. Do not expect that to happen again. The Bucks shot better from the free throw in Game Two compared to the opener and that has to stay the same into Game Three. Here, we play against underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after beating the spread by 24 or more points total in their last three games going up against an opponent after being beaten by the spread by 24 or more points total in their last three games. This situation is 49-19 ATS (72.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (737) Milwaukee Bucks

This is a play on the SOUTH ALABAMA JAGUARS for our CFB Opening Night Star Attraction. South Alabama went just 2-10 last season but should be a much-improved team with 15 starters back. It was a woeful offense last year, but quarterback Desmond Trotter started as a freshman late and had eight touchdown passes and two picks, while moving the offense and pushing the ball down the field. The receiving corps should get back six of the top seven wideouts while the offensive line returns four starters. Defensively, seven of the top eight tacklers are back from a unit that finished fifth in the SBC in points allowed and yards allowed. While Southern Miss was supposed to bring back a lot of starters, some key ones will not be here Thursday. Former first-team All-Conference USA defensive end Jacques Turner, former freshman All-America linebacker Racheem Boothe, wide receiver and return man Jaylond Adams and running back Steven Anderson have all opted out of this season. For the third time in three years with Jack Abraham at quarterback, Southern Miss has a new offensive coordinator so there will a whole new playbook to learn. 10* (235) South Alabama Jaguars

This is a play on the MILWAUKEE BUCKS for our NBA Wednesday Enforcer. We won with Miami on Monday with two key factors coming into play. As mentioned, the Heat have one of the best top to bottom rosters in the NBA and taking the top two players out from each team, Jimmy Butler and Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Miami has the better roster. Also, the Heat were the only Eastern Conference team to win a season series with the Bucks this year. That being said, we expect the Bucks to come out strong in Game Two just like they did in Game Two of their first round series against Orlando after losing Game One. This already has the feel of a back-and-forth series with the best team in the conference going up against a team that matches up very well with them. Here, we play against underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 after successfully covering the spread in 3 or more consecutive games, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 32-11 ATS (74.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (730) Milwaukee Bucks

This is a play on the TORONTO RAPTORS for our NBA Tuesday Supreme Annihilator. After running through Orlando in a first round sweep, Toronto got hammered by Boston in Game One as it trailed by as many as 24 points and never led in the game. The Raptors shot just 37 percent from the floor including 25 percent on 10-40 shooting from long range. The Raptors are now 11-2 in regular-season and postseason games played at Disney World, with both losses coming against the Celtics. Toronto trailed the Celtics by 40 on the way to a 122-100 loss on August 7th. We just do not see an effort from either side in Game Two with Toronto evening up the series. Here, we play against underdogs after beating the spread by 18 or more points total in their last three games, with a winning record on the season playing another winning team. This situation is 198-130 ATS (60.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (724) Toronto Raptors

This is a play on the MIAMI HEAT for our NBA Monday Enforcer. The Bucks came into the playoffs as the top seed in the Eastern Conference but were the only team not to sweep their opening round series although it did take them just five games after dropping the opener. Things now start to get tougher. Miami is coming off a sweep of Indiana where it covered all four games in which it won by at least nine points. The Heat have one of the best top to bottom rosters in the NBA and taking the top two players out from each team, Jimmy Butler and Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Miami has the better roster. The Heat were the only Eastern Conference team to win a season series with the Bucks this year. Butler missed the lone loss which was played in the bubble. The Heat are 38-18 ATS in their last 56 games playing on 3 or more days rest while the Bucks are 2-6-1 ATS in their last nine games following a straight up win. 10* (719) Miami Heat

This is a play on the UTAH JAZZ for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. Denver was able to stay alive and force a Game Six as it defeated Utah 117-107 thanks to some late clutch success. Jamal Murray went off late, draining four straight shots at one point deep in the fourth quarter to turn a 101-all tie into a 110-101 lead with 1:20 to play. The Jazz had a 15-point lead in the third quarter but were unable to hold on as they seemed to let off the gas which was a bad move obviously and they made numerous mistakes on both ends of the floor to lose Game Five. The Jazz thought they had already won the series and acted like it and now they will need to win it for real which we expect in Game Six. Denver is 4-17 ATS in its last 21 games away from home after a win by 10 points or more. 10* (714) Utah Jazz

This is a play on the HOUSTON ROCKETS for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. After opening the series with a pair of blowout wins, the Rockets have lost the last two games in tough fashion, one in overtime and the other after blowing a 15-point lead. The Thunder are 32-15 in clutch games, including the playoffs (5-point game within the final five minutes) and had to rally back into the contest once again. James Harden finished with 32 points, 15 assists, and eight rebounds, but managed just 13 points in the second half, under immense defensive pressure from Thunder wing Lu Dort. It will be up to Harden to take over the game late and we see that happening in Game Five. The Thunder are 1-4 ATS in their last five games following a straight up win while Houston is 14-4 ATS in its last 18 games when playing with double revenge. 10* (704) Houston Rockets

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. Dallas was able to even up this series with an overtime win over the Clippers on a last second three-pointer from Luka Doncic. The Mavericks were down by as many as 21 points before overtime as the Clippers completely melted down with a chance to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. They did have a big fourth quarter to force overtime and while momentum is on the Dallas side, Los Angeles is the better team top to bottom and will bounce back with a big win here. The Clippers are 15-4 ATS in their last 19 games revenging a straight up loss as a favorite while the Mavericks are 1-5 ATS in their last six games following a straight up win. Here, we play against underdogs in the second half of the season in a game involving two teams averaging 82 or more spg, after three straight games making 50 percent or more of their shots. This situation is 28-9 ATS (75.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (716) Los Angeles Clippers

This is a play on the UTAH JAZZ for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. After dropping the opener of this series in overtime, Utah has taken control of this series with blowout wins the last two games. Denver is down two starters s Will Barton and Gary Harris are out with injuries and it has taken its toll. In three games against Denver, the Jazz are averaging 18 made three-pointers per game and have shot 45 percent or better from behind the arc in both victories. The Nuggets are a mess on defense and have struggled to find a consistent rhythm on offense. The Nuggets are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games as an underdog while the Jazz are 20-9-1 ATS in their last 30 games following a straight up win. Here, we play on favorites off a win by 10 points or more over a division rival, playing their 3rd road game in 5 days. This situation is 31-10 ATS (75.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (748) Utah Jazz

This is a play on the OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. Houston has taken a 2-0 series lead over Oklahoma City following a 111-98 win on Thursday. The Rockets finished 19-of-56 from deep to set the record for most three-pointers attempted in a playoff game and they did so without Russell Westbrook. The Thunder now have their backs against the wall, but if they can take anything away from Game Two, it is that they are onto something with Lu Dort who did an outstanding job defensively against James Harden. The problem was the offense as the Thunder scored just 19 points in the third quarter and 20 in the fourth quarter. The Rockets went on a 14-0 run in the fourth quarter without Harden on the floor. Oklahoma City is 25-13 ATS as an underdog this season while the Thunder are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points. 10* (736) Oklahoma City Thunder

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS for our NBA Friday Enforcer. Dallas is coming off a Game Two win over the Clippers to even the series at one game apiece in what was a must win game. The Mavericks jumped to an early 15-2 lead and never looked back as the Clippers never led and Dallas led by as many as 18 points during the win. Kawhi Leonard scored a game-high 35 points in the loss but Paul George struggled with just four made shots on 17 attempts and a total of 14 points and George needs to compliment Leonard for the Clippers to perform at their standards. While Luka Doncic was dominant, the Mavericks bench stepped up as Seth Curry, Trey Burke, Boban Marjanovic and Delon Wright combined for 47 huge points. Time for Los Angeles to respond. The Clippers are 8-1 ATS in their last nine games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points while the Mavericks are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* (727) Los Angeles Clippers

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES LAKERS for our NBA Thursday Enforcer. The Blazers stunned Los Angeles in Game One of this series on Tuesday and the Lakers can ill afford to fall down 2-0 in this series against one of the hottest teams since the restart. LeBron James and Anthony Davis combined to go just 17-44 (38.6 percent) from the floor including 1-10 from long range. The Lakers did not look like he team that tore through the league during the regular season and we can chalk up Tuesday as an anomaly. They are not going to routinely convert just 4 of 17 second-chance opportunities are they are not usually going to miss more than half of their shots within 9 feet of the hoop. Do not expect this again as in the seeding games, the Blazers ranked 20th (out of 22) in defensive rating with 120.4, nearly seven points worse per 100 possessions than its regular-season defensive rating of 113.6 that itself ranked 27th. 10* (718) Los Angeles Lakers

This is a play on the BROOKYN NETS for our NBA Wednesday Enforcer. This is a great situational play for Brooklyn which lost by 24 points in the opener of this series. The Nets are down a bunch of players but that was not the issue as the Raptors outshot them 33-16 at the free throw line and outscored them by 21 points at the stripe. Toronto also went 22-44 from long range and it cannot keep that pace up. Toronto has won four of the five meetings, but they would have covered four of those if this was the number in those games. Brooklyn is 13-2 ATS in its last 15 games away from home outscoring their opponents by six or more ppg. Here, we play on underdogs of 10 or more points revenging a loss away from home of 10 points or more, playing only their 2nd game in five days. This situation is 140-81 ATS (63.3 percent) since 1996. 10* (701) Brooklyn Nets

This is a play on the MIAMI HEAT for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. Miami and Indiana square off for the third time in four games and the Heat have the matchup and intangible edges in this series and the Heat should exploit those on Tuesday to take the opener. In a normal season, the Pacers homecourt advantage, as the No. 4 seed, would be a factor, with Indiana known to have somewhat overly passionate fans. While the top three players on each team cancel each other out, the clear difference in the rosters is players 4 through 10. Miami has the edge with depth and arguably has the best top ten roster in the league. Expect the Heat to key on T.J. Warren, who has been the Pacers go-to option in the bubble with All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis absent due to plantar fasciitis. 10* (769) Miami Heat

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Monday Enforcer. Philadelphia has struggled recently as it has dropped three straight games before closing the season with a meaningless rout of Houston. The Sixers are down a star as Ben Simmons is out with a knee injury and that is obviously a huge loss as they were a contender before that. Without him, the Philadelphia defense could crumble against the Celtics collection of All-Star caliber perimeter players. Boston needs to dominate the wing battle and what we have seen thus far since the restart, it should do just that. In the bubble, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have looked fantastic as they have averaged more than 22 ppg and have locked in their long-range shooting while hurting opponents off the dribble. 10* (756) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. The playoffs are finally here where every game is starting to count, and we begin Saturday with the No. 8 vs. No. 9 play-in game. The young Grizzlies carry a massive experience deficit into the play-in round against a battle-tested and veteran-led Blazers team. The Blazers are looking deep with Jusuf Nurkic back and Gary Trent Jr. suddenly an impact scorer. Damian Lillard has gotten all of the attention but CJ McCollum's production in Orlando has been overshadowed and underrated as he has averaged 20.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg and 5.3 apg. As for the Grizzlies, the loss of Jaren Jackson Jr. has emaciated their already poor shooting ranks. 10* (724) Portland Trail Blazers

This is a play on the MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. Motivation will be a key roll going forward until playoff time and this game features two teams on opposite ends. With a victory, Memphis can clinch a spot in the best-of-two play-in series for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. It has been a tough restart for Memphis which is 1-5 but the Grizzlies now know what is on the line. Boston is locked into the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference so there is nothing to play for so after six games in the eight-game seeding season, starters will be seeing limited minutes. The Celtics have won three straight games including an overtime win over Orlando on Sunday where starters played significant minutes which adds to the possibility of limited minutes today. 10* (756) Memphis Grizzlies

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Friday Enforcer. Boston is coming off a 34-point win over the Nets on Wednesday and with a win here, the Celtics would bring them within 3.5 games of the second place Raptors in the Eastern Conference. Boston is 2-2 since the restart so it has not been overly impressive, but it still has one of the best rosters in the league and can make a big run. According to Boston head coach Brad Stevens, the playing minutes for Kemba Walker will incrementally increase again Friday as he has been limited with a knee injury. The Raptors have been on fire since the restart and have been shutting down their competition. They have won all three of their games since the restart and have one seven straight games going back before the season was shut down. 10* (711) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the INDIANA PACERS for our NBA Thursday Enforcer. Both Indiana and Phoenix have started a perfect 3-0 since the restart and we will be backing the more balanced Pacers in this game. Indiana has a one game lead over Philadelphia, which has won two straight games, for the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference. At this point, Indiana will be playing Miami in the first round and it wants to avoid falling behind the Sixers which would mean a first round series with the Celtics. After ripping off three straight wins and coupled with a slow start for No. 8-seed Memphis, the Suns have kept their hopes of an unlikely playoff berth alive. They remain a game and a half behind Portland for the No. 9 seed and a play in game, but they have to surpass three teams to get into that spot. 10* (779) Indiana Pacers

This is a play on the SAN ANTONIO SPURS for our NBA Wednesday Enforcer. Despite being down three starters, the Nuggets were able to defeat Oklahoma City by eight points in overtime on Monday. They will again be not at full strength with Will Barton and Gary Harris both being out and Jamal Murry being a question mark with a hamstring injury. Denver is a game behind the Clippers for second place in the Western Conference so it still has something to play for but there is more on the line for San Antonio. The Spurs are coming off a tough two-point loss to the Sixers on Monday following a pair of wins following the restart. San Antonio is two games out of the eighth spot in the Western Conference with Portland sitting a half-game in front of them. The Spurs are 4-0 ATS in their last four games as an underdog while the Nuggets are 0-4 ATS in their last four games following a straight up win. 10* (768) San Antonio Spurs

This is a play on the PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. Portland is 1-1 since the restart having defeated Memphis and losing to Boston by four points last time out. This is a must win game for the Blazers which sit two games behind the Grizzlies for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference. This is a good matchup as they have won the last two meetings, one home and one away, by 10 and 13 points respectively. Houston is 2-0 since returning to action, winning both games by four points, and the Rockets have moved into fourth place in the conference thanks to a pair of Utah losses. That being said, they are overpriced in this spot against a team with a lot more on the line fighting with five other teams to grab that last postseason spot. 10* (762) Portland Trail Blazers

This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. Dallas is coming off a tough loss to Houston in overtime in its first game since the stoppage and the Mavericks are now 2.5 games behind the Rockets for sixth place in the Western Conference. The Mavericks scored just 20 points in the fourth quarter against the Rockets and have a chance to clinch a playoff berth with a win here or a loss by Memphis. Phoenix is now five games behind Memphis for the final playoff spot following a blowout win over Washington to open the seeding schedule. Phoenix is a longshot to get to a playoff or play-in series as the last team from the Western Conference. Dallas will not only be out to capture a playoff spot but also to avenge a loss at home to the Suns by 29 points earlier in the season. 10* (737) Dallas Mavericks

This is a play on the INDIANA PACERS for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. Philadelphia and Indiana are tied for fifth place in the Eastern Conference and while there is no homecourt advantage on the line because of the bubble, playing for playoff matchups is key. The Sixers were the best home team in the league prior to the shutdown with a 29-2 record but they won just 10 games away from home. Conversely, Indiana was 18-15 away from home which shows they are the better team to play on a neutral floor at this point. Victor Oladipo could play tonight after initially stating he was not going to return for the rest of the season and that will be a big boost for the Pacers which covered all three meetings this season. 10* (724) Indiana Pacers

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Friday Enforcer. We are getting some great value on Boston here as the Celtics look to chase down Toronto for the second spot in the Eastern Conference. With eight games on the schedule, Boston is three games behind the Raptors but more importantly, the Bucks have pretty much locked up the top spot in the conference so there is a sense that they will be going out to stay fresh meaning limiting starters playing time until the playoffs begin. 10* (711) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the GEORGIA BULLDOGS for our CBB Wednesday SEC Crusher. Georgia was arguably the biggest disappointment in the SEC as it was picked to finish sixth but it limps into the SEC Tournament as the No. 13 seed. The Bulldogs were blown out at LSU by 30 points in their last game to finish with two straight losses. This is a strong offense as the Bulldogs season scoring average of 75.7 ppg is on pace to be their highest since the 2002-03 season. Earlier this season, the Rebels defeated the Bulldogs at home by 10 points which was the only true road win for Mississippi so revenge is in play. Mississippi is also coming off a blowout loss in its final game as it fell to rival Mississippi St. by 25 points. Here, we play on underdogs revenging a loss as a favorite, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .400 and .499. This situation is 130-79 ATS (62.2 percent) since 1997. 9* (671) Georgia Bulldogs

This is a play on the ARIZONA WILDCATS for our CBB Wednesday Supreme Annihilator. It was a clunker of a finish for Arizona which lost four of its last five games to fall to 10-8 in the Pac 12 and tumble down to the No. 5 seed in the tournament. Three of those losses were by five points or less and of the Wildcats eight losses, three came by exactly one point. Arizona has some immediate revenge to take care of as it lost to Washington on Saturday at home in the final regular season game. Assuming the Wildcats shoot the ball better in Vegas, they should cruise. Washington won its final two games of the season but could not climb out of the basement as it finished 5-13 that included a nine-game losing streak. Here, we play on favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points revenging a home loss against opponent off an upset win as a road underdog. This situation is 36-9 ATS (80 percent) over the last five seasons. 9* (646) Arizona Wildcats

This is a play on the GEORGE WASHINGTON COLONIALS for our CBB Wednesday Enforcer. George Washington has a lot of incentive on Wednesday. Not only did the Colonials lose their last five games of the regular season to fall to 6-12 on the season but they lost twice to Fordham this season, the only two conference wins for the Rams. George Washington won five times away from its home floor which is eighth most in the Atlantic Ten. The Colonials have won their opening game in the A-10 Tournament six straight years. As mentioned, Fordham won only two conference games this season while winning just two games away from home. The Rams have been outscored by 11.4 ppg in 12 games away from home. Here, we play on neutral court teams revenging a loss where team scored less than 60 points, off a loss by 10 points or more to a conference rival. This situation is 130-76 ATS (63.1 percent) since 1997. 10* (642) George Washington Colonials

This is a play on the CLEMSON TIGERS for our CBB Wednesday ACC Annihilator. Clemson had a chance to move into the No. 5 spot in the ACC Tournament but lost its final two games to fall to 9-11 in the conference. Things could have been a lot better as six of those 11 losses came in the final minute of regulation or overtime. The only chance Clemson has of making the NCAA Tournament is winning four games in four days which is very unlikely but getting out of the second round is not. Miami closed the regular season with a home overtime win over Syracuse which prevented the Hurricanes from playing a first round game. Miami has had some close calls as well but of its 13 losses, nine were by double-digits. Here, we play on favorites revenging a home loss going up against an opponent off a win over a conference rival as an underdog. This situation is 97-55 ATS (63.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 9* (632) Clemson Tigers

This is a play on the MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. Memphis has won four of its last five games to get back to .500 on the season and is four games clear of ninth place in the Western Conference. The Grizzlies are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 home games against teams with a losing road record. Orlando posted its seventh win in 11 games on Sunday with a 126-106 victory at Houston. The Magic are averaging 120.8 ppg during the 11-game stretch and have reached at least 120 points on five occasions in that run. That being said, the Grizzlies are an above average defense in terms of efficiency. Memphis is out for revenge as well as it lost the first meeting in Orlando by 32 points, its worst loss of the season. Here, we play on home favorites revenging a road loss of 10 points or more, off a home win by 10 points or more. This situation is 58-25 ATS (69.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (538) Memphis Grizzlies

This is a play on the HOFSTRA PRIDE for our CBB Tuesday CAA Championship Winner. This was not the expected matchup for the CAA Championship but Northeastern found a way to make it to the title game after producing a 9-9 regular season record. Hofstra is 25-8 on the season and earned a trip to the title game with a 75-61 win over Delaware in the semifinals. The Pride have cruised through the first two games while Northeastern has had two games that were decided late and the former is far and away the class on this conference. Hofstra is 12-3 all-time when facing a team in the conference tournament it swept during the regular season. The Huskies are 2-7 ATS in their last nine games following a straight up win while the Pride are 24-6-1 ATS in their last 31 games against teams with a winning straight up record. 10* (614) Hofstra Pride

This is a play on the BYU COUGARS for our CBB Monday WCC Tournament Winner. BYU rolls into the WCC semifinals with nine straight wins and has had nine days off to rest and make a push at Gonzaga. The Cougars are guaranteed to make the NCAA Tournament and are currently projected as a No. 5 seed. BYU finished second in the WCC at 13-3, the best win percentage and tied for the most conference wins since joining the league. This is a deep and talented roster that can make some noise going forward as BYU has three players on its roster with 1,000 career points, including two in the top 10 on the BYU career scoring list. The Gaels are the No. 3 seed and defeated No. 6 seed Saturday night in double overtime to advance to Monday's semifinal matchup. They had another solid season overall but struggles away from home with their defense as they allowed 74.7 ppg on 47 percent shooting. Here, we play on neutral court teams as a favorite or pick in a game involving two teams allowing between 67 and 74 ppg, after three straight wins by 10 points or more. This situation is 76-33 ATS (69.7 percent) since 1997. 10* (894) BYU Cougars

This is a play on the ATLANTA HAWKS for our NBA Monday Enforcer. The Hawks are out of contention for the playoffs as they have lost three straight games but are 13-19 at home and have won eight of their last 11 games at State Farm Arena. Atlanta has three winnable games this week with all of those coming at home. The Hawks hope to have Trae Young back to full strength for the game. The team's leading scorer at 29.4 ppg did not play in Friday's loss to Washington because of flu-like symptoms and was not at full strength when he tried to go on Saturday and managed only 16 points against Memphis. The Hornets still cling to hopes of making the playoffs but are six games behind Orlando for eighth place in the NBA Eastern Conference. They are coming off an upset win over Houston on Saturday which snapped a three-game losing streak. Charlotte is just 12-20 on the road. Atlanta is 12-3 ATS in its last 15 home games after trailing in their previous game by 15 or more points at the half. 10* (524) Atlanta Hawks

This is a play on the TOLEDO ROCKETS for our CBB Monday MAC Tournament Winner. The Rockets have won four of their last five contests and are the No. 7 seed in this year's MAC Tournament, while the Broncos are the No. 10 seed. The winner of Monday's matchup will face No. 2 seed Bowling Green in the MAC quarterfinals on Thursday. The Rockets have some solid momentum heading into the tournament and Toledo is 23-8 at home since the start of the 2018-19 campaign. The Rockets are first in conference play with a 1.17 A/TO ratio. Toledo is shooting 80.3 percent from the free-throw line in its last six games and come postseason time, this is a huge asset to have especially down the stretch of games if needed. Additionally, Toledo's plus-2.1 rebounding margin is third in the MAC. Western Michigan is coming off a loss against Central Michigan and it has lost six of its last eight games. The Broncos are just 3-11 on the road including a 1-8 record in the MAC with six of those losses coming by double-digits. The Rockets won both meetings this season as Toledo held Western Michigan to 59 points in each contest. 9* (874) Toledo Rockets

This is a play on the MARYLAND TERRAPINS for our CBB Sunday Afternoon Dominator. Maryland has lost two straight games and has failed to cover in five straight games with a lot on the line for Sunday. With a win, the Terrapins would claim their first Big Ten Championship and first conference title since winning the ACC regular season in 2009-10. This is their final home game where they are 15-1 on the season, the lone loss coming against Michigan St. last time out so they will be out to close the home slate with a big win and everything that comes with it. The Terrapins are 45-7 overall at home since the start of 2017-18, and those 45 home wins are the most in the Big Ten since the start of the 2017-18 season. Michigan had lost two straight games but rolled to a 24-point win over 2-17 Nebraska which is not saying a lot. The Wolverines are just 4-6 on the road and it is 1-8 ATS in its last nine games after covering six or seven of its last eight games against the spread. 10* (832) Maryland Terrapins

This is a play on the FULLERTON ST. TITANS for our CBB Saturday Last Chance Cash, Fullerton St. has lost four straight games including the last three on the road and it looks to wrap up the Big West with a .500 record at home. This is a big game for the Titans as a win guarantees them a spot in the upcoming Big West Conference Tournament as a loss here and a win from Cal Poly knocks them out due to tiebreakers. Overall, the Titans have has struggled to score, combining to shoot just 43.1 percent from the field, 32.9 percent from three and 67.3 percent from the free-throw line against Division I opponents. That should change here however as Long Beach St. is allowing significantly bigger numbers than those as well as allowing 75.1 ppg including 80 ppg on the road. Long Beach St. is 11-20 including a 6-9 conference record and a Fullerton win would knock the 49ers into the No. 8 spot after losing both meetings to the Titans. 10* (708) Fullerton St. Titans

This is a play on the PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. Portland has won two straight games to keep pace with Memphis in the Western Conference playoff race as the Blazers remain 3.5 games behind the Grizzlies for the eighth and final playoff spot. Portland is 17-13 at home which is nothing spectacular but it has won nine of last 12 home games and it needs to protect home court especially in games like this. The return of Damian Lillard is big for the stretch run after he missed five games with groin injury. In three meetings with the Kings this season, Lillard has averaged 28.7 ppg and 6.7 apg. Sacramento had a three-game winning streak as well as a 6-1 run snapped with a bad 17-point home loss to the injury riddled Sixers. The Kings are still in the playoff hunt as they trial the Blazers by just a half-game but they have struggled on the road with a 13-19 record. 10* (574) Portland Trail Blazers

This is a play on the XAVIER MUSKETEERS as part of our CBB Saturday Trifecta. Xavier is coming off a loss at Providence on Wednesday to fall to 19-11 overall and 8-9 in the conference. The Musketeers are 12-4 at home and they will be honoring four seniors in their final home game of their career. A win over Butler would also extend Xavier's streak to 38 seasons of finishing .500 or better in conference play, the longest active streak in the nation. Xavier is ranked 14th in the nation in KenPom defensive efficiency while being ranked first in the Big East Conference and 28th in the nation in three-point field goal percentage defense at 29.8 percent. Butler, 21-9 overall and 9-8 in the Big East Conference, is coming off its second straight win, a 77-55 victory over St. John's on March 4. The Bulldogs can clinch fifth place with a win but they have been spotty on the road with a 4-6 record including three straight losses. 9* (694) Xavier Musketeers

This is a play on the MISSISSIPPI ST. BULLDOGS as part of our CBB Saturday Trifecta. Mississippi St. is coming off a loss at South Carolina which snapped a two-game winning streak as well as a 4-1 run in its previous five games. The Bulldogs head home where they are 13-2 on the season and playing their final home game. They will also be out for some big time revenge against their rival after an 83-58 loss last month. The Bulldogs are tied for 1st in the SEC, tied for 4th among Power Five schools and tied for 32nd nationally in field goal percentage. Mississippi St. also ranks first in defensive rebounds allowed per game in addition to being ranked fourth in free throw percentage and three-point field goal percentage in the SEC. The Rebels are coming off a pair of home wins against Missouri and Vanderbilt, two of the three worst teams in the conference. Mississippi is just 1-9 on the road, the lone win at 5-12 Georgia. 9* (672) Mississippi St. Bulldogs

This is a play on the TCU HORNED FROGS as part of our CBB Saturday Trifecta. TCU will host Oklahoma and this is a big game for both sides as the winner will be the No. 6 seed and receive a first-round bye at the Big 12 Championship next week. We give the edge to the home team here as TCU has won 15 home games in all three seasons of the Jamie Dixon era and the Horned Frogs are 14-4 at home this season. They are coming off a nine-point loss at Kansas on Wednesday which was their second loss to the Jayhawks this season. The other three home losses came against Texas by a point as well as Xavier and USC. Revenge is in play on Senior night following a 20-point loss in Norman in the first meeting. Oklahoma is 18-12 overall and 8-9 in the Big 12 Conference following a 52-51 loss to Texas Tuesday. The Sooners are 3-8 on the road including a 2-6 record in the conference with five of those losses coming by as least eight points. 9* (666) TCU Horned Frogs

This is a play on the ORLANDO MAGIC for our NBA Friday Enforcer. Orlando has lost three straight games to fall to 27-35 on the season and has slipped back into eighth place in the Eastern Conference, one game behind Brooklyn. While the Magic are in very little danger of missing the playoffs, they need to start playing better to try and avoid a first round matchup with Milwaukee. While Orlando is just 11-20 on the road this season, it is 12-4 ATS in road games against teams allowing 110 or more ppg this season. Minnesota has won consecutive games for just the second time in 2020 and just the fourth time this season since starting 4-0. Clearly it is has been a horrible season as injuries have been their downfall and their two best players to start the season are out with Andrew Wiggins having been traded and Karl-Anthony Towns out with a wrist injury. The Timberwolves are just 8-22 at home and here, we play on road favorites after a loss by three points or less going up against an opponent after scoring 105 points or more. This situation is 106-61 ATS (63.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (553) Orlando Magic

This is a play on the CLEMSON TIGERS for our CBB Friday Star Attraction. The Tigers will look to move to .500 in conference play with its 10th win in the ACC and lock down a tie for fifth place in the conference. They are coming off a loss at Virginia Tech on Wednesday as they closed just 3-8 in true road games. Clemson has won six of its last seven home games to move to 11-5 on the season. With the most recent win over Florida St., the Tigers earned their third Top-6 ranked win of the season and now leads the country in Top-6 victories. While Georgia Tech is not part of that group, it shows how good the Tigers are capable of playing and we should see that in their final home game of the season. Georgia Tech has won three straight games to improve to 10-9 in the ACC but all three of those games were at home. The Yellow Jackets are just 5-7 on the road and their three most recent wins have come against teams with seven or fewer conference wins. Clemson will be out to avenge a nine-point loss at Georgia Tech late last month. 10* (854) Clemson Tigers

This is a play on the ARIZONA ST. SUN DEVILS as part of our CBB Thursday Trifecta. Arizona St. has lost two straight games to fall to 10-6 in the Pac 12 but it still is in third place and can hold down that spot in the upcoming Pac 12 Tournament should it win out against 3-13 Washington and 6-10 Washington St. The Sun Devils return home where they are 12-2 including a 7-1 record in the conference and they are outscoring opponents by 12 ppg. The Sun Devils are 15-4 in the past two seasons after a loss, including 6-3 this year. Arizona St. leads the conference in turnovers forced at 16.29 tpg and it is ranked second in the Pac-12 in steals at 7.82 spg while its turnover margin (+2.89) is good for third. Washington was supposed to contend in the conference this season but the Huskies are sitting in last place with a 3-13 record. They suffered through a nine-game closing streak before winning against California by 35 points only to lose to Washington St. in its last home game last Friday. 9* (674) Arizona St. Sun Devils

This is a play on the MEMPHIS TIGERS as part of our CBB Thursday Trifecta. Memphis is coming off a road win at Tulane on Saturday to move to 9-7 in the AAC. Memphis also has won three of its past four games, with the other two wins over East Carolina and at No. 22 Houston. With less than a week of the regular season left, the battle is intense with six teams with winning records vying for the all-important four first-round byes. The Tigers are one game out of fourth place and a win here gets them into a tie for that spot. They are 14-3 at home with the three losses coming by a combined nine points. It starts with defense for Memphis as it is allowing just 36.2 percent shooting from the floor and that is best in the country. The Tigers are the only team in the nation to rank in the top-10 in both field goal percentage defense and blocks per game. Wichita St. rallied from a 19-point deficit against SMU on Sunday and we feel this is a big spot for a letdown in its second straight road game. 9* (668) Memphis Tigers

This is a play on the HOUSTON ROCKETS for our NBA Thursday Star Attraction. Losing to the Knicks was a bad loss for the Rockets but their previous accomplishments cannot be ignored. Houston has picked up wins against the Lakers, Celtics (twice) and Jazz. The Rockets have featured a dangerous offense now that they spread the floor better than any team in the NBA. The difference has been Russell Westbrook who has never had an extended stretch so efficient and prolific as the tear he has been on for the past two months. Westbrook has averaged 32.9 ppg on 53.3 percent shooting, as well as 7.8 rpg and 7.3 apg during that span. The Rockets are back home where they are 21-8 on the season and they are 11-4 ATS in their last 15 games playing on two days of rest. The Clippers will seek to extend their winning streak to six games following a big win at Oklahoma City on Tuesday. Los Angeles is just four games over .500 on the road and the Clippers are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games as a road underdog. 10* (538) Houston Rockets

This is a play on the DRAKE BULLDOGS for our CBB MVC Tournament Winner. Of the lower half of the MVC teams that could make a run in the tournament, Drake could be just that team. The Bulldogs were picked to finish fourth in the conference and they were sitting at 8-7 with three games left with a chance to move up to get a bye but they lost those final three games. They were blown out in their last game against Northern Iowa but that game meant nothing. Six of the 10 losses were decided late so the season could have been better but there is still time for a late run. Additionally, in the 10 Drake losses, the Bulldogs have shot 45.6 percent (232-of-527) and have shot better or even than its opponent in six of its 10 MVC losses. Illinois St. struggled for consistency this season and it has just one win away from its home floor as it is 1-14 outside of Normal, IL. The Redbirds are coming off a win in their last game but that was against 0-18 Evansville and they are 0-8 in their last eight games following a win. 10* (712) Drake Bulldogs

This is a play on the OHIO ST. BUCKEYES as part of our CBB Thursday Trifecta. Ohio St. remains home following a 14-point win over Michigan on Sunday. The Buckeyes are now 20-9 overall including a 10-8 record in the Big Ten and are projected to be a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Ohio St. is 14-2 at home this season with the two losses coming by a combined seven points and this is the final home game of the season for the Buckeyes. Ohio St. is No. 3 nationally for the most home wins with a 175-32 (.845) record since the 2009-10 season. The Buckeyes are outscoring opponents by 17.5 ppg at home and if they win out and get some help, they could still grab a double-bye. Illinois enters the game at 20-9 overall and 12-6 in Big Ten Conference play. Illinois has won its last four games to move into a tie for third place in the conference. The Illini are 6-5 on the road and do own impressive road wins but we are catching some value here based on their winning streak and spot in the standings. 9* (664) Ohio St. Buckeyes

This is a play on the RHODE ISLAND RAMS as part of our CBB Wednesday Trifecta. The Rams are coming off a 10-point loss on Sunday against St. Louis at home and Wednesday marks their final home game of the season. They are tied with Richmond for second place in the conference and Rhode Island needs one win in its final two regular season games to clinch one of the coveted double byes for the Atlantic Ten Basketball Championship. The Rams are 12-2 at home and have a chance to reach 13 victories at home for the fifth time in the last six seasons. Rhode Island is one of the best teams in the country at defending the three-point shot as it allowing opponents to shoot just 29.3 percent from beyond the arc, which ranks 20th in the country. Dayton remains perfect in the Atlantic Ten at 16-0 and has already wrapped up the regular season championship. While Dayton is 8-0 on the road in the conference, the last six have all been by single digits and some of those have come against some poor teams so the Flyers have not been dominating like their record may show. 9* (794) Rhode Island Rams

This is a play on the UTAH JAZZ for our NBA Wednesday Enforcer. The Jazz embarked upon a four-game Eastern Conference roadtrip by beating the Cavaliers 126-113 on Sunday for their second straight win following a four-game losing streak. Defense remains a concern as Utah has allowed at least 113 points in six straight games and nine of the last 10 overall but New York is averaging just 105.8 ppg at home. The Jazz are 16-4-1 ATS in their last 21 games following a straight up win. The Knicks raced out to a 21-point, second-quarter lead and staved off a furious rally by the Rockets to hang on for a 125-123 upset win on Sunday for their second straight victory. The win over the Rockets was just the eighth this season for the Knicks over a team currently occupying a playoff spot. New York is just 10-20 at home and despite the win over Houston, the Knicks are 6-16 ATS in their last 22 home games against teams with a winning road record. Here, we play against home underdogs revenging a loss of 20 points or more, off a home win by three points or less. This situation is 37-11 ATS (77.1 percent) since 1996. 10* (523) Utah Jazz

This is a play on the VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES as part of our CBB Wednesday Trifecta. Virginia Tech is coming off a loss at Louisville Sunday by 16 points which was its fourth straight loss and dropped the Hokies to 6-12 in the ACC. They head home where they are 11-6 on the season and this is their final home game of the season as they close at Notre Dame. The Hokies have dropped four of their last five home games but two of those were against 15-4 Louisville and 13-5 Virginia and the other two came in overtime. The Hokies are outscoring opponent by 9.7 ppg at home. Virginia Tech ranks tied for 15th nationally in three-point field goals made per game with 9.8 and is one of only four schools in a high-major conference to average 9.8 or more makes a game. Additionally, Virginia Tech averages 9.8 tpg which is tied for third in the nation. Clemson is coming off an upset win against Florida St. on Saturday and the Tigers have now won five of their last five games. This does include two wins on the road but they are 3-7 overall where they are averaging 60.9 ppg. 9* (750) Virginia Tech Hokies

This is a play on the CHARLOTTE 49ERS as part of our CBB Wednesday Trifecta. The 49ers are coming off a loss against Florida International on Sunday which was its third loss in four games. Charlotte enters Wednesday with a 15-12 overall record and a 9-7 C-USA record. Its 15 wins passes the previous two seasons combined win total. The 15 wins are the most by the 49ers since winning 17 games in the 2013-14 season and its nine C-USA wins are the most by the Niners since winning nine C-USA games in 2015-16. The 49ers who are currently tied for fourth place in the conference still have a chance to win out and claim the spot alone. Charlotte is 12-2 at home and it tied the school record for home wins so there will be motivation to break that record on Wednesday. The 49ers are ranked 71st in the nation in scoring defense, limiting their opponents to 65.5 ppg. North Texas clinched the C-USA Regular Season Title with a win over Western Kentucky on Sunday so we are not sure how much motivation there will be here especially with this being the final game. 9* (800) Charlotte 49ers

This is a play on the ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS for our CBB Wednesday Star Attraction. Arkansas is coming off a loss at Georgia to fall to 6-10 in the SEC which snapped a two-game winning streak. Of those 10 losses, seven have come by single-digits including four by four points or less, two of which came in overtime so things could be a lot better. Prior to the two-game winning streak, Arkansas had lost five straight games but those all took place without Isaiah Joe who is averaging 16.9 ppg but he has returned. The Razorbacks are 13-4 at home this season while outscoring opponents by 13.5 ppg. Arkansas only commits 11.9 tpg on the season and just 10.6 in SEC play, both are the fewest in SEC, while forcing a league-best 16.63 tpg. Additionally, the Razorbacks are ranked 9th in the nation and they lead the SEC in turnover margin at +4.7. LSU rolled over Texas A&M on Saturday to move into a tie with Auburn for second place in the SEC. The Tigers are just 5-5 on the road including a 3-4 record in the conference. Of the 13 SEC wins, seven have come by four points or less. 10* (760) Arkansas Razorbacks

This is a play on the IOWA HAWKEYES as part of our CBB Tuesday Trifecta. Iowa defeated Penn St. on Saturday to move into a tie with the Nittany Lions for fifth place in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes will be playing their final home game of the season, making it Senior Night for three players and a manager. Iowa is 14-1 at home this year, winning its last 13 contests inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes own eight Quad 1 wins and five Quad 2 victories. The 13 combined victories are third most in the Big Ten. Iowa leads the Big Ten in scoring offense at 78.1 ppg and has led the conference in scoring two of the last six previous seasons, including last year. Also, in Big Ten games only, Iowa leads the conference in scoring at 76.5 ppg, and assists at 16.7 apg. Purdue enters Tuesday's game having lost four of its last five contests. The Boilermakers are 11-4 at home this season, but 3-8 in true road games. Big time revenge is in play on Tuesday as Iowa lost the first meeting in West Lafayette 36 points. 10* (648) Iowa Hawkeyes

This is a play on the OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. The Thunder are coming off a 133-86 blowout loss in Milwaukee on Friday, one of the most lopsided games in the NBA this season and the worst loss in franchise history. That snapped a five-game winning streak for Oklahoma City as it is now in sixth place in the Western Conference, one game behind Utah and one game ahead of Dallas. The Thunder are 20-12 at home and they are 8-0 ATS in their last eight games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points. Los Angeles comes into Tuesday's game having won four consecutive games since adding starter Marcus Morris and backup guard Reggie Jackson into the rotation. The Clippers are tied with Denver for second place in the Western Conference, 5.5 games behind the top-seeded Lakers. While they are 25-6 at home, they are just 16-13 on the road and the Clippers are 0-4 ATS in their last four games after scoring more than 125 points in their previous game. Here, we play on home teams playing with three or more days rest, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. This situation is 134-84 ATS (61.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (506) Oklahoma City Thunder

This is a play on the PENN ST. NITTANY LIONS as part of our CBB Tuesday Trifecta. Penn St. is coming off a loss at Iowa on Saturday to make it three losses in its last four games to fall into a tie for fifth place in the Big Ten. With 21 overall wins, Penn St. ties the third-highest win total in its Big Ten era, and now has its second-highest total in Big Ten wins with 11. According to Kenpom, Penn St. plays one of the toughest schedules in the nation. In the most recent NCAA NET rankings, Penn St. owns a No. 26 NET ranking and has played or will play 10 opponents (14 games) with NET scores in the top 40. Defense has been the big strength as 19 teams have been held below their respective scoring averages, , five by double digits. Michigan St. is coming of a win at Maryland on Saturday which got it to within a game of the Terrapins for first place in the Big Ten. The Spartans have won three straight road games but they are an average 6-4 overall, outscoring opponents by just 1.7 ppg in those games. 9* (622) Penn St. Nittany Lions

This is a play on the SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS as part of our CBB Tuesday Trifecta. South Carolina is coming off a loss at Alabama on Saturday to fall to 9-7 in the SEC which is good for sixth place. The Gamecocks have a shot at fourth place if they win out and get a little help along the way. South Carolina is 11-5 at home on the season, including a 6-2 record in the conference and since the beginning of the 2016 SEC campaign, South Carolina is 32-12 in conference home contests. The Gamecocks are holding opponents to just 39.2 percent from the floor, which is second in the SEC and 19th nationally. Additionally, Gamecocks opponents have been held to under 30 percent from the field from three-point range. Mississippi St. has won two straight games and four of its last five to move into a tie for fourth place in the SEC at 10-6. The Bulldogs are just 4-6 on the road including a 3-5 record in the conference. This is a big revenge game for South Carolina as it lost the first meeting in Starkville. 9* (602) South Carolina Gamecocks