Sports Picks & Predictions

This is a play on the MONMOUTH HAWKS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Monmouth is coming off an upset win over Towson on Thursday in its Coastal Athletic Association opener to improve to 8-6 overall. The Hawks finished tied for last place in their first season in the conference last season at 5-13 and 7-26 overall but they came into this year expected to be much better and they have already surpassed their win total from last season. Monmouth is 5-1 at home with the lone loss coming in its home opener against 13-1 Princeton and has won its five games by nearly seven ppg while covering four of those. This is a pretty important early season game with the next three games on the road against the top three contenders in the conference. Northeastern has lost two straight, four of five and six of its last eight games and it now 5-9 on the season. The Huskies also opened conference play on Thursday and it resulted in a home loss to Stony Brook by nine points as a favorite and now hits the road where they are 2-6. Northeastern has been an underdog seven times and has won only one of those games. The Huskies are 1-10 ATS in their last 11 games as a road underdog of six points or less. 10* (862) Monmouth Hawks

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES LAKERS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. The Clippers have taken over the supremacy in Los Angeles as they are on a roll right now. After a 3-7 start to the season, they have gone 19-5 over their last 24 games and they are currently on a five-game winning streak while covering their last four games. The offense has completely turned things around as they have shot 49 percent or better in 10 of their last 14 games and have moved up to No. 8 in offensive efficiency with the public all over them tonight. The Lakers have been a mess as they have lost four straight games and are 2-9 over their last 11 games to fall under .500. They are a fringe playoff team and this is an important stretch with nine of 10 games taking place at home with the lone road game being in Utah. Los Angeles has dropped the first two games of this favorable home stretch and despite the recent struggles, it has played solid inside the arc, ranking No. 7 in two-point shooting percentage and No. 10 in opponent two-point shooting percentage. Here, we play against road favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points after successfully covering the spread in four or more consecutive games, playing their 3rd road game in five days. This situation is 56-26 ATS (68.3 percent) since 1996. 10* (526) Los Angeles Lakers

This is a play on the MARYLAND TERRAPINS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Maryland opened the season 1-3 with a pair of close losses against UAB and Davidson away from home and a blowout loss at Villanova but the Terrapins responded with wins in seven of their last eight games before getting thumped at home against No. 1 Purdue on Tuesday. They are now 1-2 in the Big Ten Conference with this one all of a sudden becoming a big game with a tough upcoming stretch. They have the best player on the floor in Jahmir Young who leads the team in scoring and assists and is a lock for All Big Ten honors. Minnesota is off to a surprising 11-3 start and has already surpassed its win total from last season where it went 9-22 including 2-17 in the Big Ten but the schedule has played a big part into its start. The Gophers have played the No. 352 ranked schedule (out of 362 teams) and have gone 13-1 ATS including eight straight wins against the number. They are coming off an upset win at Michigan and now their offense will be tested as they have faced teams with an Average Defensive Efficiency ranking of No. 362, last in the nation, and now face the No. 33 ranked team. 10* (851) Maryland Terrapins

This is a play on the GREEN BAY PACKERS for our NFL Game of the Year. Green Bay and Minnesota caught a break last week with Seattle losing to the Steelers meaning either team would make the playoffs by winning their final two games and it was the Packers who got the job done in Minnesota with a dominating 33-10 win. After a 2-5 start with things looking bleak, Green Bay has won six of its last nine games with quarterback Jordan Love completely turning his season around. Against the Bears, he put up a passer rating of 125.3, which was the third straight game he has tallied a rating over 109 and he now has nine games where he has eclipsed the 100 passer rating. Six of these have been over the last seven games after doing so just three times in his first nine starts. Green Bay have improved to No. 9 in offensive DVOA. Recent experience is going to help the Packers here as last season, they had an identical 8-8 record with a game against a divisional foe at Lambeau Field to earn a playoff berth but lost to the Lions 20-16. Chicago has turned its season around as well which has likely saved Matt Eberflus his job. The Bears have won five of their last seven games but four of those have been at home with the lone road win over this stretch being an ugly 12-10 victory at Minnesota. Chicago has done it with a vastly improved defense and while it did shut down Jared Goff and a potent Lions offense, of their other six wins this season, all have come against offenses ranked No. 22 or worse in offensive DVOA. Quarterback Justin Fields has been better since returning from injury but has only one game with a passer rating over 100 in the six starts since coming back. Green Bay has only five turnovers in its last seven games which negates the Bears defense that has 18 takeaways over their last six games. 10* (464) Green Bay Packers

This is a play on the PHILADELPHIA EAGLES for our NFL Supreme Annihilator. After opening the season 10-1 and having the inside track for the No. 1 seed in the NFC, the Eagles have lost four of their last five games and are now on pace for the No. 5 seed. They are coming off an awful loss against the Cardinals and now have to win and hope the Cowboys get upset at Washington with win the NFC East with the latter looking unlikely. The main focus now is playing a complete game heading into the playoffs no matter where they end up and that starts with the defense that has slid down to No. 27 in defensive DVOA. Whie they let a bad Cardinals offense do what they wanted, Philadelphia has a better matchup here to get right. The Eagles have failed to cover their last five games and are getting value here. In the meeting with the Giants on Christmas, they were favored by two touchdowns and we are now seeing an eight or more point line swing with no one wanting any part of them right now. The Giants put up a solid effort against the Rams as they had a chance to win but missed a last second field goal to make it three straight losses following a three-game winning streak. New York has covered its last two games and five of its last six after a 2-7-1 ATS start so the markets have tried to adjust and with an overadjustment here. The Giants have benefitted from 17 takeaways over this recent six-game stretch which has created favorable situations but that cannot be banked on here. New York remains No. 30 in offensive DVOA and have failed to reach 300 yards in eight of their last nine games. Here, we play on road teams in the second half of the season with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 off an upset loss as a home favorite. This situation is 33-9 ATS (78.6 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (459) Philadelphia Eagles

This is a play on the LAS VEGAS RAIDERS for our NFL Rivalry Rout. With Indianapolis, Houston and Pittsburgh all winning last week, Denver has been officially eliminated from playoff contention. We won with the Broncos last week but we expected a better effort on offense which was not the case as they tied for their second lowest scoring output of the season. Jarrett Stidham made his first start over Russell Wilson and he was not much better but he was far from awful and considering the players were likely playing harder because they knew they had a different quarterback, regression likely happens in the second game. Overall, Denver is ranked a respectable No. 18 in offensive DVOA but unlike last week facing a No. 29 ranked defense, the Raiders are ranked No. 11 in defensive DVOA, the Raiders are ranked No. 11. As for their own defense, the Broncos are No. 30 despite a solid effort against the Chargers. Las Vegas was also eliminated for a playoff berth after losing to Indianapolis but we feel there is to play for on this side. The Raiders have played well and seem to care a lot more since interim head coach Antonio Pierce took over and he is still coaching for a possibility to take over full time next year and players have been vocal about keeping him. The offense was good under Quarterback Aidan O'Connell who targeted wide receiver Davante Adams 21 times against the Colts, catching 13 of those passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns with O'Connell passing for 299 yards. The running game has been a bright spot as since moving into the lineup, Zamir White has 285 yards on 59 carries (4.6 ypc) the last three weeks. The Broncos are ranked No. 31 in rushing defense at 137.6 ypg while the pass rush is mostly nonexistent so Las Vegas can excel again while laying a short price at home. 10* (476) Las Vegas Raiders

This is a play on the CLEVELAND ST. VIKINGS for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. Northern Kentucky got off to a 7-5 start and it went to St. Mary's and while it lost that game by 36 points, it lost something bigger as potential All Horizon League guard Sam Vinson went down with a knee injury and that is a massive loss for this team. The Norse are 1-2 since then with the lone victory coming last time out against Youngstown St. by just three points at home. They hit the road where they are just 2-6 which includes a conference win over IUPUI which is ranked No. 361 out of 362 teams in the country. Cleveland St. had its four-game winning streak snapped as it lost at Wright St. by 12 points on Thursday. The Vikings are now 3-2 in the Horizon which puts them a game out of first place with them being a true contender. Both conference losses have been on the road and they head home where they are 8-0 and have won their last five games here by at least eight points. Cleveland St. is one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country and face off against a bad perimeter defense with its best defender in Vinson gone for the season. 10* (848) Cleveland St. Vikings

This is a play on the BELMONT BRUINS for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. Belmont opened Missouri Valley Conference play by winning its first two games but is coming off a 10-point loss at Southern Illinois on Tuesday to drop a game under .500 on the road. The Bruins return home where they are 5-0 and this is the first game they have been underdogs on their home floor as the value has come their way with a 1-5 ATS run being a part of it. Belmont is ranked No. 32 in effective field goal percentage and No. 36 in overall field goal percentage and leads the Missouri Valley Conference in steals per game. Drake comes in 12-2 overall including a 3-0 record in the conference which is tied for the early lead with Indiana St. who happens to be its next game on deck. The Bulldogs are contenders once again after missing out on first place by one game but won the MVC Tournament but they are in a tough and unfamiliar spot with what has been a very favorable schedule. Drake is 1-1 on the road, losing to a pretty bad rebuilding UAB team and winning against Valparaiso, the worst team in the conference and currently ranked No. 316 in the country. 10* (846) Belmont Bruins

This is a play on the TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS for our NFL Sunday Enforcer. Tampa Bay had momentum and a favorable schedule on its side but came up small last week in its regular season home finale, losing to New Orleans by 10 points which forces it to win this week to win the division. The Buccaneers lost the turnover battle 4-0 which helped put an end to its four-game winning streak with Baker Mayfield having an efficient game but he tossed two interceptions in there, the most he has thrown this season. Despite early money coming in on Tampa Bay, the number has gone down slightly and anything under a touchdown is well within play for what is on the line, the opponent and the situation. While the Buccaneers are 4-4 on the road, two of those losses were in Buffalo and San Francisco while the other two were against playoff bound Houston or Indianapolis. Carolina was shutout at Jacksonville after scoring a season high 30 points the previous week against Green Bay and the latter was the aberration as the Panthers have failed to reach 20 points in 12 of their 16 games. They are ahead of only the Jets in defensive DVOA and they have averaged just 14.8 ppg which is nearly a touchdown less than their opponents defensive average. Quarterback Bryce Young showed signs of life against the Packers, which have a defensive DVOA of No. 28, but he regressed against the Jaguars which was more in line for his entire rookie season. The defense has performed better than the offense but not by much and Carolina brings in zero home field advantage with its severely inflated attendance numbers. Here, we play on favorites of 3.5 to 10 points off an upset loss as a home favorite going up against an opponent off a road loss. This situation is 37-10 ATS (78.7 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (479) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This is a play on the HOUSTON TEXANS for our NFL Saturday Primetime Dominator. The playoffs are on the line and the winner of this game not only guarantees a playoff spot but also keeps the AFC South title within reach with some help from Jacksonville. Houston shook off a loss against Cleveland as it easily took out Tennessee and had its 13th game of the season with one or fewer turnovers and that will be a factor here. The Texans welcomed back quarterback C.J. Stroud who missed two games with a concussion and he did not miss a beat, completing 75 percent of his passes, his highest of the season, for 213 yards and a touchdown and while he did not throw for a lot of yards, he did not have to as the Texans built a big lead. Houston is ranked No. 12 in net DVOA which is seven spots higher than Indianapolis and despite having a rookie quarterback, they have the edge at quarterback. The Colts have played better over the second half of the season as they have won six of their last eight games to get into this position. They have won three straight games at home and laying a short price which is going to make them a public play come later in the week. The offense has been up and down with Gardner Minshew, as since taking over as the full time starter, he has four games with a passer rating of 100 or better but also has five games with a rating of 76 or lower. One consistency has been the defense as they are No. 27 in points allowed at 24.5 ppg and gets even worse at home where they give up 25.8 ppg and 358 ypg. The Colts won the first meeting despite getting outgained but the Texans were just 1-4 inside the redzone in what was just the second game of the season for Stroud and he has clearly progressed since then. 10* (469) Houston Texans

This is a play on the INDIANA HOOSIERS for our CBB Star Attraction. Indiana opened the season with a pair of Big Ten Conference wins against Maryland and Michigan which were considered good when they happened at the start of December but have lost some luster since then. The Hoosiers were then blasted at Nebraska by 16 points which halted a three-game winning streak and they return home where they are 7-1, the lone loss coming against Kansas by four points. The other two losses have come against Auburn and Connecticut, both top ten teams in Adjusted Efficiency Margin. Ohio St. snuck past Rutgers on Wednesday by four points and the Buckeyes are also now 2-1 in the conference. They have won four straight games following the lone Big Ten loss which was at Penn St., a team predicted to finished 13th in the 14-team conference and that has been the only true road game of the season. The only other loss this season was against Texas A&M and while the Buckeyes do own a very quality win against Alabama, the schedule overall has been lackluster, ranking No. 189 in the country. 10* (768) Indiana Hoosiers

This is a play on the LOUISIANA RAGIN' CAJUNS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Louisiana has lost its first two games in the Sun Belt Conference, dropping a road game at Marshall and then losing at home to 13-0 James Madison on Thursday. That was the first loss at home for the Cajuns as they are now 4-1 and remain here in a great bounce back spot. They are 7-7 overall with all seven of those losses coming when they were underdogs and this is just the fourth time all season they have been favored not counting a pair of non-lined games. Overall, Louisiana has a positive Adjusted Efficiency Margin despite playing a tough schedule ranked No. 89. Coastal Carolina is coming off an upset at Texas St. to move to 1-1 in the conference and it has been a tough season. The Chanticleers are 4-9 overall despite playing the No. 327 ranked schedule and making it even worse is their -10.58 Adjusted Efficiency Margin which is pushing No. 300 in the country. The Texas St. win was just their second against a Division 1 team, the first coming in overtime by two points over South Carolina St., ranked No. 334. 10* (770) Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns

This is a play on the IDAHO ST. BENGALS for our CBB Contrarian Closer. After starting the season 0-6 on the road, Nebraska Omaha won its first road game of the season last weekend at South Dakota and followed that up with a 26-point home win over Northern Arizona on Wednesday in its first of two games in the Big Sky-Summit Challenge. The Mavericks are now 8-8 on the season but half of those wins have been against non-Division 1 teams and have still struggled on offense despite facing teams with an average Adjusted Defensive Efficiency ranking of No. 305. It has been a rough start for Idaho St. as it is 4-10 on the season including a pair of losses to open Big Sky Conference action and following a loss to Denver on Wednesday in its first Big Sky-Summit Challenge game, it ran its losing streak to six games. The Bengals have failed to cover their last eight games and they are certainly overdue to cash and based on the power ratings, they are getting value here. Idaho St. is expect to contend in the conference and needs a get right win before Big Sky action resumes. 10* (782) Idaho St. Bengals

This is a play on the WASHINGTON WIZARDS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. The Knicks are coming off a huge win last night as they went into Philadelphia and beat the Sixers by 36 points to make it three straight wins and covers. This puts New York in a letdown spot especially facing team that it would not be up for in the first place. The Knicks are coming off their best defensive effort since late November and they are not going to match that again. New York is 2-5 straight up and against the number when playing with no rest including 1-3 both ways in the second of back-to-back road games. Washington is back home following a pair of losses in Cleveland by 39 and 24 points and this is the spot to back the Wizards. Prior to those two games against the Cavaliers, they were on a 7-2 ATS run that included a pair of outright wins at home. Washington has covered three of five games when playing with no rest and any good news from last night is the starters saw limited minutes with the game out of hand after three quarters. Here, we play on underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after scoring 95 points or less going up against an opponent after scoring 125 points or more. This situation is 40-17 ATS (70.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (504) Washington Wizards

This is a play on the ILLINOIS ST. REDBIRDS for our MVC Game of the Year. Southern Illinois opened the season 4-1 with the one loss coming against 13-0 James Madison but then it went into Indiana St. in its Missouri Valley Conference opener and got pounded by 29 points. It was up and down after that for a few games but the Salukis have now won four straight games including the last two in conference action against Illinois-Chicago and Belmont with all four of those by double digits but all four have been at home where they are 9-1. They are 0-2 on the road with the other loss coming at Wichita St. Illinois St. is also off to a 2-1 start in the conference as it won two early games against Illinois-Chicago and Murray St. but it coming off a loss on Tuesday against Drake. That was the second straight loss for the Redbirds, the other against Kentucky, but both of those were on the road and like the Salukis, they struggle on the road where they are 1-3 but return home to improve their 6-1 record while getting excellent value in this number. 10* (756) Illinois St. Redbirds

This is a play on the KANSAS ST. WILDCATS as part of our CBB Afternoon Three-Pack. Central Florida is back on the floor for its first ever game in the Big 12 Conference. The nonconference season went very well as the Knights went 9-3 but had one of the more favorable schedules of any major conference team in the country. The schedule is ranked No. 336 and they lost both of their strongest games against Mississippi and Miami with the latter being their only true road game of the season. Central Florida has not had to leave the state of Florida up until this game and it will get a test of the Big 12 road. Kansas St. finished with one more win in the nonconference position of the season with a 10-3 record. The Wildcats also lost to Miami with the other two losses coming against USC to open the season and against a surprisingly good Nebraska team which is their only home loss of the season. They have quality wins against Providence, Villanova and LSU so Kansas St. has played a much tougher schedule so the similar Adjusted Efficiency Margins are in reality not that similar. 10* (738) Kansas St. Wildcats

This is a play on the TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS for our CBB Rivalry Rout. Mississippi is one of only three remaining undefeated teams in the country but it is the lowest ranked of the three in Adjusted Efficiency Margin and by a lot. The Rebels are ranked No. 82 with a lot of that due to the soft schedule they have played which is ranked No. 288. Their best win of the season came against No. 39 Memphis which is a very strong victory but it was only by three points on their home floor. Mississippi has played only two true road games which resulted in wins over Temple and UCF by a combined three points. Tennessee has won six straight games to improve to 10-3 and all three of those losses were consecutive right before this recent winning streak. None of those losses were bad ones as two came against Purdue and Kansas at the Maui Invitational in Honolulu and the third was a loss at North Carolina. The Volunteers own two exceptional victories over No. 8 Illinois at home and No. 13 Wisconsin in Madison and overall they have played a schedule ranked No. 22. 10* (740) Tennessee Volunteers

This is a play on the JACKSONVILLE ST. GAMECOCKS as part of our CBB Afternoon Three-Pack. Jacksonville St. is in its third conference in four years, formerly playing in the Atlantic Sun Conference for the last two years and the Ohio Valley Conference previous to that and Saturday marks its first ever game in Conference USA. The Gamecocks have been picked to finish in last place but is more because of the unknown rather than what is in place and the latter is looking pretty good. They are 8-7 which could be a lot better as four of those seven losses have been by a combined seven points with two of those at home by three points. They are riding momentum with a four-game winning streak. Florida International opened the season 1-6 but has started to right the ship by going 4-4 over its last four games. The Panthers are coming off a loss at Utah Tech and while they have backed up each of their previous four losses with win next time out, all of those follow up victories were at home. Florida International is 1-4 on the road, the only win coming against No. 356 Houston Christian. 10* (728) Jacksonville St. Gamecocks

This is a play on the DUQUESNE DUKES as part of our CBB Afternoon Three-Pack. Duquesne opened Atlantic Ten play with a bad loss at Massachusetts by 19 points to fall to 9-4 on the season. It was an unexpected defeat, especially by that margin, as the Dukes are expected to be contenders in the conference and this game will certainly now get their attention. They have failed to cover their last four lined games which is the point to make them a play on team and their record is stronger based on their schedule ranking of No. 102 that includes quality wins and quality losses. Loyola-Chicago has won three straight games following a win over what we now consider a bad St. Louis team to move to 9-5 on the season. The Ramblers are back home where they are 7-1 with the loss to Illinois-Chicago and while the other four losses have been away from home, they have been blowouts against quality teams. Loyola-Chicago is coming off a 10-win season and are just one win off that but the Ramblers have played a schedule ranked No. 301 with their best win coming against Boston College. 10* (691) Duquesne Dukes

This is a play on the HOFSTRA PRIDE for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. Hofstra opened Coastal play with a 12-point loss against Charleston to make it three straight losses and it is now on a 1-5 run but the other four losses were away from home against St. Louis, Duke, UNLV and St. John's. The Pride are 7-7 which seems like a regression from their 25-10 record last season but they started 7-6 and then went on to win a share of the then Colonial Athletic Association regular season title at 16-2. This is a great bounce back spot for a team that has been tested with a schedule ranking of No. 66. Delaware took care of Hampton in its conference opener by 27 points but the Pirates are once again pegged to finish at the bottom of the Coastal. The Blue Hens have actually been better on the road than at home as they are 4-1 and while that does include an upset at Xavier, the other three wins came as being favorites so those were no surprise. Overall, they have played a schedule ranked No. 291. 10* (646) Hofstra Pride

This is a play on the CLEMSON TIGERS for our CBB Afternoon Dominator. North Carolina is coming off a win at Pittsburgh on Tuesday to improve to 2-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference and that was the first true road game for the Tar Heels. That was a great matchup however as they faced a Panthers team that faced offenses with an average Adjusted Offensive Efficiency ranking of No. 197 and now they face a defense that has gone up against teams with an average ranking of No. 16 in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency so this is a true test. North Carolina has won and covered three straight games which sends value the other way. Clemson suffered its second loss of the season as it got ambushed by Miami in the second half in a 13-point loss to drop to 1-1 in the conference. The only other loss was at Memphis and the Tigers return home where they are 6-0 and includes quality wins against South Carolina and Boise St. Clemson has played an overall difficult schedule as well that is ranked No. 33 and includes a game against No. 6 Alabama which the Tigers won by eight points on the road. 10* (612) Clemson Tigers

This is a play on the PURDUE BOILERMAKERS for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. Purdue has won six straight games since suffering its only loss of the season at Northwestern which happened to also be on a Friday night and as crazy as that atmosphere was, expect even more so here. The Boilermakers have reclaimed the top spot in the AP Poll and are No. 2 in Adjusted Efficiency Margin and this has been against the No. 9 ranked schedule in the country. Purdue is 10-3-1 against the number this season which is definitely a surprise considering the Boilermakers are usually overpriced and a publicly backed team but they are actually not overpriced in this spot. Illinois has won four straight games to improve to 11-2 overall and has made its way into the AP Top Ten and now comes a real test. The Illini have been a big money maker of late as they have 8-0-1 ATS in their last nine games against the closing number and that is a streak many like to ride no matter the opposition or the situation. They hit the road for the third time this season where they are 1-1, winning at Rutgers but losing at Tennessee. This is the first true road game in close to a month and more importantly, their first without Terrence Shannon, Jr. who has been suspended indefinitely and this is where his absence will show. 10* (892) Purdue Boilermakers

This is a play on the CHICAGO BULLS for our NBA Supreme Annihilator. Charlotte is coming off a win over Sacramento on Tuesday to snap an 11-game losing streak and the Hornets still remain one of five teams in the NBA that have yet to reach double digit wins. Charlotte has not responded well to a victory as it is 1-6 following a win with that one follow up victory coming against 6-27 Washington. The Hornets have been even worse after a cover, going 1-12 straight up and 3-10 against the number. They have been horrible at both ends as Charlotte is No. 26 in offensive efficiency and No. 30 in defensive efficiency. The Bulls dropped two games in Philadelphia and New York by 13 and 16 points respectively following a solid run where they went 10-5 over their previous 15 games. Those losses dropped Chicago to 4-12 on the road and it returns home where it is a much better 11-9 which includes a 6-1 record against teams not currently in a playoff position with those six victories coming by an average of 10.7 ppg. This is a good bounce back spot, especially for the offense that shot a combined 40 percent against the Knicks and Sixers. 10* (570) Chicago Bulls

This is a play on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES for our NBA Western Conf. Game of the Month. Minnesota is coming off a loss at home against New Orleans on Wednesday which was its second straight loss, the first time this season the Timberwolves have dropped consecutive games. This is the start of a five-game roadtrip so there will be plenty of focus and prior to the loss to the Pelicans, Minnesota won their previous seven games after a loss by an average of 13.3 ppg. The Timberwolves remain in first place in the Western Conference by one game over Oklahoma City. Houston has won two straight but those came against the horrible Pistons and the Nets which are mired in a 2-10 stretch and are in a tough spot here. The Rockets have been solid at home as they are 14-5 both straight up and against the number but prior to the two most recent wins, they went 1-4 in their previous five home games and catch Minnesota at the wrong time tonight. Here, we play on road favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points off an upset loss as a home favorite going up against an opponent off an home win scoring 110 or more points. This situation is 32-7 ATS (82.1 percent) since 1996. 10* (571) Minnesota Timberwolves

This is a play on the MANHATTAN JASPERS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Niagara is coming off a win at lowly Buffalo which was its third straight road game and it remains on the highway for two more games this weekend. The Purple Eagles are 2-4 on the highway with the other win coming at St. Francis which is ranked No. 346 and this is a game to avoid a 0-3 start in the MAAC as they lost their first two games in the conference, both of which were at home. Niagara has covered it last four games so it has stayed within margin but that streak is being factored into this number that is lower than it should be and lowest underdog number it has been this season. Manhattan is only a half-game better overall at 4-7 as it has dropped four straight games heading into Friday with a bad defeat last time out at home against Wagner by 12 points so that alone will have the Jaspers focused. They have played seven of their 11 games on the road and while some of those losses were ugly, they have come against Kansas, Connecticut and Fordham which has hurt their Adjusted Efficiency Margin but has given them a much tougher schedule they have faced, 180 spots higher than that of Niagara. 10* (880) Manhattan Jaspers

This is a play on the BUTLER BULLDOGS for our CBB Star Attraction. Going against Connecticut is not easy, but this is a great spot for Butler in what has turned into a big game. The Bulldogs opened Big East action with a 10-point win over Georgetown in what was a bad spot with a pair of big road games on deck and they were caught on the road, losing at Providence and St. John's by 10 and 16 points respectively. Butler is now 1-2 in the Big East Conference and 10-4 overall and returns home where it is a perfect 8-0 against some suspect opposition but the Bulldogs have been tested overall as evidenced by their No. 73 ranked strength of schedule. The value is here as they are 0-5 ATS in their last five lined games. Connecticut is 12-2 following a pair of home wins over St. John's and DePaul to move to 2-1 in the conference. The lone loss was at Seton Hall by 15 points one of two true road losses in its two home games and it will not get any easier at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Huskies won the National Championship last season with an Adjusted Efficiency Margin of +29.86 and it is down somewhat this season to +25.71 and that is because of the defense. Connecticut was No. 3 in the country in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency and its sits No. 24 this season and against a much easier schedule coming in at No. 184. 10* (878) Butler Bulldogs

This is a play on the SAN DIEGO TERREROS for our CBB Late Powerhouse. As is the case every year, St. Mary's is a contender in the West Coast Conference following a co-conference championship last season and another trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Gaels are on a roll with six wins over their last seven games which includes a very impressive win over 13-1 Colorado St. on the road but that has been the only true road game of the season and now they are laying a massive number. It is basically the same number they laid at San Diego last season with the power rating margin much bigger than it is this season and a lot of this is based on name with the Gaels being a very public team. San Diego opened the season 2-0 before a six-point loss at rival UC San Diego. The Terreros then won three straight games but then went on a 1-3 stretch with the three losses coming against Hawaii, Stanford and Utah St., all away from home, and San Diego have gotten it back together since then, winning four of its last five games heading into conference action. The Terreros are 9-1 at home, the lone loss by four points to Fresno St. 10* (824) San Diego Terreros

This is a play on the WICHITA ST. SHOCKERS for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. Wichita St. opened the season 7-1 and then the schedule caught up to the Shockers. They have lost four of their last five games but those four losses came against South Dakota St., the favorite in the Summit League, Missouri, Kansas St. and Kansas and all of those were away from home. Wichita St. has failed to cover each of the last five games and return home where they are 6-0 and have a ton of value based on that losing streak against the number to begin American Athletic Conference play. Only one of those wins came by less than what the Shockers are laying here. One of the slowest teams in the country last season, Wichita St. is No. 65 in Adjusted Tempo under new head coach Paul Mills. North Texas is 7-5 to start the season under a new head coach and clearly not the same team from last year when the Mean Green won a program record 31 games, tied the program record for conference wins with 16 and won the 2023 NIT championship. This is a step up from C-USA and they are picked as a middle of the pack AAC team. 10* (798) Wichita St. Shockers

This is a play on the MICHIGAN WOLVERINES for our CBB Rivalry Rout. Michigan went 7-5 last season before the calendar turned and it comes into 2024 with a 6-7 record so there is not much of a difference as it gets into the heart of the Big Ten schedule. The Wolverines have opened 1-1 with a home loss to Indiana and a road win at Iowa and overall, two losses have been in overtime and another two losses by three points so the record could be better but the big motivation here is that Michigan lost to McNeese St. at home in its last game by 11 points which matches an earlier loss against Long Beach St. as two brutal losses. The Wolverines are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games and laying a shorter than expected number in what is a good get right game. Minnesota has already surpassed its win total from all of last season where it went 9-22 including 2-17 in the Big Ten but the schedule has played a big part into its 10-3 start. The Gophers have played the No. 358 ranked schedule (out of 362 teams) and have gone 12-1 ATS including seven straight wins and this is just the second road game of the season. 10* (802) Michigan Wolverines

This is a play on the WASHINGTON HUSKIES for our CBB Star Attraction. Washington was rolling to an 8-3 start to the season which included wins over Xavier and Gonzaga and the Huskies were receiving votes in the AP Poll but then conference action got underway last week. They had a tough start with games in altitude and lost both against Colorado and Utah, two conference contenders, but the losses were by just four and five points respectively so despite getting defeated, they were both solid efforts. Washington returns to Seattle for its Pac 12 home opener and its only loss here in six games came against 13-1 Nevada and we expect a big effort against a perennial contender in the conference. The Huskies have played the No. 19 ranked schedule in the country. Oregon is 10-3 which is impressive with what it has gone through. The Ducks opened Pac 12 action with a pair of wins over USC and UCLA, which both are clearly having down years, but both of those were at home. They hit the road for just the second time this season, the first coming against Florida A&M and are still down their two top players. 10* (804) Washington Huskies

This is a play on the SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI GOLDEN EAGLES for our SBC Game of the Month. Southern Mississippi should be one of the most focused teams on the entire Thursday card. The Golden Eagles opened Sun Belt Conference action with a loss at Georgia Southern which came into the game 0-12 on the season. That was the fourth straight road game and now they have their conference home opener as they look to defend their regular season title, coming in as the favorites again. Nine of their first 13 games have come on the road and they return home where they are 3-1 and will be laser focused. Southern Mississippi is just 2-8-1 in its nine lined games, including 0-4-1 in its last five, which is helping the number. Georgia St. finished last in the conference last season and is expected to move out of the basement but there is not much talent. The Panthers are 6-6 overall including a 1-0 start in the SBC after a nine-point win against Arkansas St. and of the six wins, two are against non-Division 1 teams and the other four have come as favorites. Georgia St. is 2-5 on the road and is in a bad spot here. 10* (770) Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles

This is a play on the WRIGHT ST. RAIDERS for our CBB Revenge Dominator. Wright St. is 6-8 including a 1-2 start in the Horizon with both losses coming on the road where it is 0-5 on the season. After winning 22 games two seasons ago, the Raiders won only 18 games last season including 10-10 in the Horizon, their worst conference record since 2016. They are the preseason favorite to win the conference as they have three starters back including two possible first team conference players highlighted by preseason Player of the Year Trey Calvin. The Raiders are 0-5 in their last five lined games and they are back home where they are 4-2 with one of those losses coming by a points against MAC contender Cleveland and have played a much tougher schedule coming into this one. Cleveland St. has won four straight games to improve to 10-5 including a 3-1 conference start including a pair of wins last weekend. The Vikings are 8-0 at home and just 2-5 on the road that includes a win over 5-10 IUPUI but did fail to cover which snapped a 5-0 ATS run. This is a double-revenge spot for the Raiders after getting swept last year. 10* (740) Wright St. Raiders

This is a play on the HOFSTRA PRIDE for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Hofstra enters Coastal play on a 1-4 run including two straight losses but the four losses were away from home against St. Louis, Duke, UNLV and St. John'. The Pride are 7-6 which seems like a regression from their 25-10 record last season but they also went 7-6 in nonconference action last season and then went on to win a share of the then Colonial Athletic Association regular season title at 16-2 with Charleston. That makes this is a big conference opener for both teams and Hofstra has the edge playing at home where it is 3-1. Charleston opened the season 1-3 but has won eight of its last nine games including five straight. Those last five games were all at home however where the Cougars are 6-0 so they are 3-4 away from which includes a 1-1 record in true road games when getting points, beating Kent St. and losing to Florida Atlantic. It has been a big turnaround at the betting window as Charleston opened 0-5 ATS but has now covered five of its last seven which is sending value the other way. 108 (758) Hofstra Pride

This is a play on the DETROIT TITANS for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. It has been a tough start for Detroit but not to this extreme. The Titans are 0-15 to open the season and they certainly will not go winless based on what we have seen and this looks to be the spot to get off that losing streak. Detroit did itself no favors with the schedule which is ranked No. 98 in the country and of its 15 games, 12 of those have been true road games including three of four to open Horizon play. The home conference loss came against a solid Oakland team while the two nonconference losses came by a combined seven points against teams comparably ranked the same as the opponent tonight. Green Bay is coming off a 3-28 season including a 2-18 conference record and it has already surpassed both of those win totals as it is 8-7 including 3-1 in the conference. The Phoenix have played a much easier schedule however, ranked No. 229 and their 3-1 Horizon record includes three home wins and they are 2-5 on the road with the two road wins by a total of three points. 10* (762) Detroit Titans

This is a play on the UCLA BRUINS for our Pac 12 Game of the Month. Stanford is coming off a huge win over Arizona on Sunday by 18 points which was its second straight win at home over Arizona in as many years. The Cardinals snapped a two-game losing streak and a 2-5 run with the victory and this is now a big letdown spot as they hit the road for just the second time this season. The first road game resulted in a 14-point loss at San Diego St. and they will be tested here and will certainly be taken more serious after that big victory. This is a great shooting team but with only one road game mixed in, those numbers are skewed and they will be tested against one of the best defenses in the country. UCLA won the Pac 12 last season with an 18-2 record and went 31-6 overall on their Sweet 16 run but the Bruins have already surpassed that loss total as they are 6-7 following a loss at Oregon on Saturday. All of the losses have come down to the final minutes including losses to Marquette and Gonzaga by six combined points and in their seven games against top competition, UCLA has been favored only once showing how tough its schedule has been. The Bruins are 4-2 at home with the two losses coming in their two most recent games so they will be ready. 10* (722) UCLA Bruins

This is a play on the BROOKLYN NETS as part of our NBA Wednesday Triple Play. Brooklyn came up small for a us last night but we come back with the Nets here in a great value spot in a bounce back situation based on recent results. Brooklyn has lost four straight games while failing to cover its last five and going back, it is 1-10 ATS over its last 11 games after starting the season as one of the top cover teams in the league. This is another team no one will be betting on considering the fact their 2-9 run only includes two wins over Detroit. Brooklyn is now getting more points tonight against a lower ranked team that it did last night against a top ten ranked team. Houston is 19-15 following a blowout win over Detroit on Monday which snapped a three-game losing streak. The Rockets have had an amazing turnaround as they are only three wins away from matching their entire win total from last season. They are 13-5 at home but it is a tough spot as they have a back-to-back on deck against Minnesota and Milwaukee. Here, we play on underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after scoring 95 points or less going up against an opponent after scoring 130 points or more. This situation is 23-6 ATS (79.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (537) Brooklyn Nets

This is a play on the MIAMI HURRICANES for our CBB Star Attraction. Clemson has moved up to No. 16 in the country since suffering its only loss of the season at Memphis by a bucket and it is now 11-1 on the season. This team is playing with a chip on its shoulder after getting snubbed for an NCAA Tournament spot last season but they might be feeling a little too god about things right now. Clemson does own a pair of good road wins at Alabama and Pittsburgh before the loss to Memphis and this is just the fourth true game of the season. The Tigers now have that bullseye on its back and hits the road again in what is a very difficult spot. Miami is 10-2 with a pair of blowout losses against Kentucky and Colorado but both of those were away from home. The Hurricanes followed up the loss to the Buffaloes with three wins at home where they are 8-0 on the season where they are outscoring opponents by over 26 ppg and going back to last season they are 23-1 in their last 24 home games, the only loss coming by a point against Florida St. This is an experienced team that went to the Final Four last season and this is a pretty big game considering their best win so far is against Kansas St. and that is not saying a lot. 10* (700) Miami Hurricanes

This is a play on the ATLANTA HAWKS as part of our NBA Wednesday Triple Play. Oklahoma City is coming off a home underdog win over Boston last night to make it five straight wins which also includes wins over Denver and Minnesota and now falls into a tough spot tonight. The Thunder remain the biggest surprise in the NBA, with Minnesota close second, as they remain in the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference, one game behind the Timberwolves with a 23-9 record. Oklahoma City has been solid on the road at 9-4 and has covered four of six as a road favorite and the win over Boston increased its ATS record to 23-8-1 which is tops in the league. Atlanta has been the complete opposite from all aspects. The Hawks are coming off a win at Washington but failed to cover as they have now gone 0-5 ATS in their last five games and they return home where they have been throwing money away with a 1-12 ATS mark that includes 11 consecutive non-covers on their home floor. This is the ultimate contrarian play but the situation sets up perfectly especially with a number this short as Atlanta will likely be the least bet team from the entire 12-game slate tonight and we are all over that. 10* (536) Atlanta Hawks

This is a play on the MILWAUKEE BUCKS as part of our NBA Wednesday Triple Play. Milwaukee and Indiana meet for the second time in three days with the Pacers winning that first meeting in Milwaukee which was the third win in four games this season. The Bucks struggled from the floor, shooting just 44.1 percent, and they have been a great bounce back offense as in their previous six games shooting less than 45 percent, they shot at least 51.2 percent in their next game. Damian Lillard is coming off an awful shooting night as he went 3-16 including 1-9 from long range and scored just 13 points and he too has been great in bounce back games. Indiana has now won four straight games which has followed a horrible run after the In-Season Tournament where it went on a 2-6 run after the loss against the Lakers. The Pacers moved over .500 on the road with that victory and they head home where they are just 9-7. While the offense scores a ton, the defense gives up nearly as much and Indiana is No. 26 in defensive efficiency. Here, we play on road favorites against division opponents, off an upset loss to a division rival as a home favorite. This situation is 71-36 ATS (66.4 percent) since 1996. 10* (531) Milwaukee Bucks

This is a play on the ST. LOUIS BILLIKENS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. The Billikens opened the season 4-0 which includes a solid win against Wyoming in the opening round of the Myrtle Beach Invitational but things have gone south since then. They lost the next two games in South Carolina to Vermont and Wichita St. by double digits and they have gone 3-6 overall since the perfect start including a loss at North Carolina St. in their most recent game two weeks ago. St. Louis is 6-1 at home overall with a five-point loss against a solid Utah St. team being the lone defeat. St. Louis shoots the long ball extremely well as it is ranked 33 in three-point shooting and faces a defense that cannot defend the three, ranked No. 306 in opponent three-point shooting. Loyola-Chicago has won two straight games to move to 8-5 but both of those games were at home where the Ramblers are 7-1. They have played only two road games and both resulted in losses at Tulsa and South Florida by 11 and 13 points respectively and they were slight favorites in those similar to where this line opened. Loyola-Chicago is coming off a 10-win season and are just two wins off that but the Ramblers have played a schedule ranked No. 307 compared to a Billikens schedule ranked No. 116. 10* (670) St. Louis Billikens

This is a play on the UNC GREENSBORO SPARTANS for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. Furman is off to a 6-7 start which is just one fewer loss than all of last season when the Paladins went 28-8 and won the Southern Conference but lost a pair of players to the NBA and is now down Marcus Foster who has been out since early December. Furman has some tough losses against some good teams but it is coming off a horrible loss as it was defeated at home against Anderson University, a Division 2 team by five points. That will have the Paladins motivated for a bounce back but this team does not look equipped to stay with these quality teams. UNC Greensboro is a quality team as it is off to a 9-4 start and expected to compete in the conference once again after a 20-win season including a 14-4 record in the SoCon. The Spartans will also be very motivated as they are coming off a 35-point loss at Texas which dropped them to 1-4 on the road. They head back home where they are 5-0 and they come in having failed to cover their last six lined games so they have the value based on that and their opponents name. They are led by Mikeal Brown-Jones and Keyshaun Langley, both of which are in the Player of the Year conversation. 10* (682) UNC Greensboro Spartans

This is a play on the COLORADO ST. RAMS for our CBB Late Powerhouse. Colorado St. is 12-1 to open the season with a loss against St. Mary's being the only blemish and it remains home to start conference action. The Rams continue to be ranked in the polls matching their highest-ever ranking in the AP at No. 13. Colorado St. leads the Mountain West in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.10, assists per game at 21.2, effective field goal percentage at 60.8 percent, and field goal percentage at 53.2 percent with that also leading the country. The Rams opened MVC play last year with a 19-point loss at New Mexico so it will be out for a reversal of that heading into this season. After suffering a loss against St. Mary's to fall to 1-1, New Mexico has reeled off 11 straight wins but the schedule has been fairly easy and we have seen this before. The Lobos opened last season 14-0 but closed 7-10 down the stretch as the soft nonconference schedule caught up to them and we see it happening again. They are 1-1 on the road with the only win coming at New Mexico St. by one point as a 14.5-point favorite which happens to be their only cover loss in their last nine lined games which adds value to the Rams. 10* (652) Colorado St. Rams

This is a play on the WYOMING COWBOYS for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. San Jose St. has been off for nearly two week following a win at home over Santa Clara which put a halt to a 1-4 stretch. The Spartans are 7-6 but have faced a schedule ranked No. 259 and they now open conference play on the road where it is 0-4. The Spartans have a big disadvantage down low as San Jose St. was the top rebounding team in the Mountain West Conference last season and was set to return their rebounding Robert Vaihola but he sustained a foot injury and is out indefinitely. Also on the shelf is forward Trey Anderson who has been out since early December and he is the current leader in rebounds. The Spartans are ranked No. 293 in rebounding rate. Wyoming is also 7-6 but has faced a much tougher schedule that is ranked No. 89. The Cowboys most recent loss came at BYU on Saturday by 26 points so they will be ready for an immediate bounce back at home where they are 4-1. The Cowboys lead the conference and rank No. 6 in the nation shooting 40.8 percent from behind the arc. Wyoming added a big piece to its roster as Mason Walters became eligible three games ago and the NAIA National Player of the Year last season is already averaging 13.3 ppg. 10* (638) Wyoming Cowboys

This is a play on the BROOKLYN NETS for our NBA Ultimate Underdog. Brooklyn has lost three straight games while failing to cover its last four and going back, it is 1-9 ATS over its last 10 games. This comes after the Nets starting 17-5-1 ATS so it has been a complete reversal which has made the markets have to adjust. The defense has been dreadful during the three game losing streak as they have allowed opponents to shoot over 50 percent in each game and 54.4 percent combined. The Nets had allowed 50 percent or higher shooting only four times all season prior to that and Brooklyn is 18-4 ATS in its last 22 games after three straight games allowing 50 percent shooting or higher. New Orleans has won two straight games following a win over the Lakers on Sunday by 20 points to improve to 19-14 after a 4-6 start. To their credit, the Pelicans has been solid in this role, going 8-1 straight up and against the number as home favorites but they are in a tough spot here coming off that win over Los Angeles and with a game at Minnesota on Wednesday night. Here, we play against home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 playing a losing team, in January games. This situation is 36-13 ATS (73.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (523) Brooklyn Nets

This is a play on the BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Wake Forest has won seven straight games including a 23-point win over Virginia Tech to open up ACC play. The Demon Deacons are now 9-3 but have faced a very favorable schedule that is ranked No. 251 in the country. Each of the seven wins over this stretch have been at home and they have played only one true road game all season which was way back on November 10 against Georgia that results in a loss. Wake Forest has been successful without the services of Damari Monsanto who has yet to play this season and it not expected back until later this month. Boston College is also off to a 9-3 start to the season as it has won four straight games since suffering a loss against NC State at the start of December in its ACC opener. The Eagles are 6-1 at home with the Wolf Pack loss being the lone blemish and the other two losses coming on a neutral floor in back-to-back games against Colorado St. and Loyola-Chicago. The Eagles have an adjusted offensive ranking of No. 69 so they can match up well with the efficient offense of Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons are 1-8 ATS in their last nine games after covering the spread in three or more consecutive games. 10* (624) Boston College Eagles

This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. The Jazz are playing their best basketball of the season as they have won four of their last five games while going 7-3 over their last 10, covering five straight. Utah has struggled on the road with a 5-14 record but it has been solid at home, going 9-5 including three straight wins. The Jazz have had their problems against the top teams in the league as they are one of just eight teams with fewer than five wins against the top 16, going 4-12. Dallas defeated Golden St. on Saturday which snapped a two-game losing streak and it was its best shooting performance of the season, hitting 55.7 percent from the floor and it is in a stretch of shooting 50 percent over its last five games. The Mavericks have dominated the teams they should take care of, going 17-4 against teams ranked outside the top ten including a 12-2 record against teams outside the top 16. Dallas has been great in these spots, going 9-1 straight up and against the number as a road favorite including five straight wins. 10* (513) Dallas Mavericks

This is a play on the WASHINGTON HUSKIES for our Sugar Bowl Annihilator. Washington proved many wrong in the Pac 12 Championship as it came in as a 10-point underdog and beat Oregon by a field goal in a game it pretty much controlled throughout. There were certainly some struggles for the Huskies as they played down to the competition a few times but that is not a worry here and stepped up in the bigger games when needed. They have a dynamic offense as they are ranked No. 5 in the country in yards per play, No. 6 in offensive EPA, No. 1 in passing yards per game, and No. 11 in scoring offense. Michael Penix, Jr. was the Heisman Trophy runner up and while his numbers speak for themselves, he counters the one big Texas strength which blitzes around 30 percent of the time. Penix gets the ball out in a hurry as he has a pressure to sack ratio of 3.2 percent and this offense will be able to pick apart the Longhorns secondary. The Longhorns have played the No. 3 ranked schedule in the country but that is a skewed ranking. They faced five backup quarterbacks this season and while the defense was very good, it was far from elite as they ranked No. 26 in yards per play and No. 13 in opponent EPA. Against the pass, they finished No. 36 in opponent yards per attempt and now faces the best quarterback it has seen all season. Texas is not a great run blocking unit and relies on explosives and it is unclear how healthy wide receiver Xavier Worthy is as he was injured in the Big 12 Championship and if he is not near 100 percent, that is huge. Quarterback Quinn Ewers is playing great but his air yards/attempt is shorter than the national average and having a big down field weapon that is not healthy makes it harder. 10* (282) Washington Huskies

This is a play on the MICHIGAN WOLVERINES for our Rose Bowl Dominator. It was a trying season for Michigan off the field but it overcame the distractions, and suspensions of head coach Jim Harbaugh, to roll through its season at 13-0 as it has been playing with a chip on its shoulder from day one. The one big hit against the Wolverines was an easy schedule that was No. 59 in the country but that is no fault of theirs and they got the job done. Eight of their 13 wins came against teams that went bowling so it was not all that bad. Michigan was terrific in the key areas as it was No. 1 in the nation in fewest penalties, No. 2 in turnover margin, No. 1 in scoring defense, No, 2 in total defense, No. 3 in turnovers lost and No. 4 in passing efficiency. That defense applies pressure and gets off the field on third down where it finished No. 13 in third down conversion percentage defensively. Alabama needs to be balanced but running the ball could be an issue as it will be facing a similar unit like it did against Texas A&M and finished with 23 yards on 26 carries. Alabama is very good on defense but not its typically great unit as the Crimson Tide are No. 21 in defensive EPA and No. 18 in yards per play allowed. Michigan is an above average rushing team but not elite yet should get a good push here and its key will be quarterback J.J. McCarthy who remains underrated despite being a former five-star recruit, a future first-round pick and a second-year starter. In the only loss for Alabama, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers lit up the Tide and McCarthy finished the season No. 7 in passing efficiency and No. 2 in completion percentage. 10* (280) Michigan Wolverines

This is a play on the MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Memphis has dropped two straight games against the Nuggets and Clippers which snapped a four-game winning streak. That run started with the return of Ja Morant to the lineup and he came out blazing but did sit out the first of the back-to-back against Denver and had a poor game against Los Angeles. He has made a huge difference but has not found his shooting touch as he is 3-25 from long range and this is the healthiest the Grizzlies have been all season as Marcus Smart has also returned after missing six weeks. They are 2-11 at home but the 1-11 start was with that depleted roster. Sacramento defeated Atlanta on Friday to snap a two-game losing streak and that win over the Hawks was just their fourth road game since November 26 as it had 11 home games sandwiched in there. The Kings are 11-5 at home compared to 7-7 on the road and while they possess a top rated offense, their defense is once again a liability as it was last season. They are No. 21 in defensive efficiency after finishing No. 24 last season. They allowed a season low 39.4 percent shooting against Atlanta but regress back. 10* (590) Memphis Grizzlies

This is a play on the CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. It has not been a great start for California as it is 4-8 following a 19-point loss to Arizona to open Pac 12 action but the four wins have already surpassed the win total from last season which ended up being the worst season in program history. New head coach Mark Madsen brought in a winning attitude and a winning pedigree after rebuilding Utah Tech from not much to the NIT Final Four last season. Of the eight losses, three have been by one possession, two others in overtime and another against 12-0 Mississippi so even the record is not as bad as it seems. The Golden Bears are now in a great bounce back spot. Arizona St. opened its conference schedule with a win at Stanford on Friday which snapped a three-game losing streak and a four-game non-cover streak. That was just their second true road game of the season with the first resulting in a loss at San Diego. The Sun Devils have a solid defense but the offense has struggled as they are in the 300s in all offensive categories including sitting No. 353 in free throw shooting. 10* (884) California Golden Bears

This is a play on the ORAL ROBERTS GOLDEN EAGLES for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Oral Roberts is coming off an historic season where it posted 30 wins including an 18-0 record in the Summit League before a first round loss in the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Eagles knew they has their work cut out for them heading into this season with Russell Springmann taking over as head coach after six years here as the main assistant while losing their top player along with two other starters. They are coming off their first conference loss in 21 months, a 17-point loss at Kansas City, to fall to 5-7 which is two more losses than all of last season. Oral Roberts has been tested though with four of those losses coming against Big 12 teams and its 0-7 road record is actually better that what it shows. Denver is coming off a 15-point win at Omaha to open Summit action which was its third straight win. The Pioneers are 9-5 but have faced a soft schedule with four wins coming against non-Division 1 teams, all at home part of their 5-0 home record, and the five other wins against teams ranked No. 299, No. 325, No. 305, No. 256 and No. 296. 10* (879) Oral Roberts Golden Eagles

This is a play on the DENVER BRONCOS for our Divisional Game of the Month. It took 15 games, but the Broncos finally benched Russell Wilson with the writing being on the wall for quite some time. Since a five-game winning streak, the Broncos have lost three of their last four games including a bad loss at home last week against the Patriots as a touchdown favorite with Wilson coming off his ninth sub-200 yard passing game. It will now be Jarrett Stidham taking over the offense and because of the switch at quarterback, we have seen the line drop around two points or more from the opener. This is a great spot for Stidham to fall into as there is little film for the Chargers to look at and he faces a Chargers pass defense that has allowed the third-highest quarterback rating in the league this season at 99.1. Los Angeles is coming off a hard fought loss against the Bills two points on a last second field goal which was the first game for interim head coach Giff Smith and it was the classic game of a team getting up for the new coach in his first game taking over. It has been a rough season for the Chargers and it was the end for head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco after they gave up 63 points in a loss to the Raiders. Los Angeles has been the underdog in six games this season, and it has failed to win any of those contests. Here, we play against teams with a winning percentage between .250 and .400 after going over the total by 35 or more points total in their last three games. This situation is 50-22 ATS (69.4 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (130) Denver Broncos

This is a play on the CHICAGO BEARS for our NFL Sunday Enforcer. Chicago is coming off a win last week against Arizona for its fourth win over the last six games with both losses that could have gone the other way and it is still not yet eliminated from playoff contention albeit a slim chance. This is the final home game of the season for Chicago where it has won four straight games with the two losses prior to those coming by a combined nine points. Since Week 10, the Bears have allowed the fifth-fewest points, second-lowest passer rating and fourth-fewest rushing yards which is a recipe for disaster for the Falcons that have struggled away from home. The Falcons are coming off a season-high 29 points against the Colts where they have scored 28, 24, 25 and 29 points and even despite that output, they have scored the ninth-fewest points in the NFL this season. The reason is Atlanta has been awful away from home as it is averaging fewer than 14 ppg where it is 2-5 including losses against Carolina, Tennessee and Arizona and one win coming against the lowly Jets. The Falcons defense has been what have kept games competitive as they have allowed the eighth-fewest yards passing per game and eighth-lowest completion percentage which may surprise many but this has come against the easiest schedule in the NFL. Here, we play against teams where the line is +3 to -3 after allowing 14 points or less in two straight games. This situation is 65-31 ATS (67.7 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (110) Chicago Bears

This is a play on the INDIANAPOLIS COLTS for our NFL Supreme Annihilator. First off, coaching matters in this league and Antonio Pierce has come closer to winning the job in Las Vegas after being hired on October 31 as the interim head coach as he has gone 4-3 including a win last week in Kansas City as an 11-point underdog. This is the ultimate letdown spot based on that though and this also comes after a 63-21 win over the Chargers which ultimately led to the firing of Brandon Staley. The Raiders have won the turnover battle over the last two games as they were outgained last week and won the yardage battle against the Chargers by just 52 yards despite the 42-point win. In the game against the Chiefs last week, quarterback Aiden O'Connell was 0-10 over the final three quarters and comes into another tough environment. The Colts are coming off a bad loss at Atlanta which is their second loss over the last three games but both of those were on the road. This is just the third home game for the Colts since the end of October and they close out the season with the final two games at home which is a good situation to keep their playoff hopes alive. Indianapolis is currently in the No. 7 spot, one of four teams at 8-7 with one of those being Houston which comes to town in the season finale. The Colts will get Michael Pittman Jr. back after missing last week. Here, we play against teams off an upset win as a double digit underdog, with a winning percentage between .450 and .550. This situation is 21-4 ATS (84 percent) since 1983. 10* (114) Indianapolis Colts

This is a play on the ARIZONA CARDINALS for our NFL Ultimate Underdog. Arizona lost to Chicago by 11 points and it remains on the road where it is 1-7. Six of those losses have come against teams that are either in the playoffs or still are not eliminated and the five games they have not covered are all against the aforementioned playoff teams. The return of Kyler Murray has improved the offense, scoring 24 points or more in three of his six starts after scoring 24 or more points only three times in the first nine games without him and he is coming off his best passer rating of his six starts. We are seeing a reverse line move here with 94 percent of the money coming in on the Cardinals but the number has gone up. Overall, Arizona has played the No. 1 ranked schedule in the NFL. The Eagles snapped a three-game losing streak with a win over the Giants last Saturday but it was still not a pretty victory. Of their 11 wins, eight have come by just one possession including five of the six at home. Philadelphia has failed to cover each of its last four games and that would normally make it a play on team but this is not a number to be laying. The Eagles regained the lead in the NFC East by one game over Dallas and still have an outside chance of the overall top seed in the conference but will need to win out and have the 49ers lose their final two games as San Francsico owns the head-to-head and conference record tiebreakers. Here, we play on road teams after failing to cover the spread in three out of their last four games, in December games. This situation is 94-44 ATS (68.1 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (119) Arizona Cardinals

This is a play on the CSU BAKERSFIELD ROADRUNNERS for our CBB Late Powerhouse. UC Irvine is coming off a seven-point win against UC Riverside to open Big West Conference action and it hits the road as an overpriced favorite with a lot of that based on name and past history after winning the regular season conference championship last season. The Anteaters hit the road where they are 1-5 compared to a 4-0 record at home and while they have played some above average competition, that record is not surprising are a team picked to finish middle of the pack this season. CSU Bakersfield is coming off a 12-point loss at UC San Diego, where it has gone 0-4, to start conference play and it heads back home where it is a perfect 6-0 on the season. Potential Big West Conference Player of the Year Kaleb Higgins is coming off his worst game of the season with six points on 3-11 shooting but is still averaging 17.1 ppg with five 20-point games to his credit. The Roadrunners like to keep it slow as they are No. 342 in adjusted tempo and that is ideal when getting a big number like this at home and has covered three of four lined games off a loss. 10* (702) CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners

This is a play on the DALLAS COWBOYS for our NFL Saturday Primetime Dominator. This has turned into a big game for Dallas to have any shot at the NFC East following a pair of road losses at Buffalo and Miami as it is now 10-5, trailing the Eagles by one game. The bad news is that Philadelphia is closing with the Cardinals and Giants so the division seems unlikely but it is mostly about momentum right now. The Cowboys are locked into the No. 5 seed as they cannot drop down based on head-to-head wins over the Rams and Seahawks and one of the best parts about this spot is that it is a Saturday game meaning they do not know about the Eagles outcome so they will be out to win and win big. Despite where it is in the standings, Dallas is one of only four teams in the league that is ranked in the top ten in both offensive and defensive DVOA and a return home is just what it needs at this point. Everyone is aware of the cowboys struggles against winning teams but this is the spot to that that reversed. While it is a get right spot for the Cowboys, this is an awful spot for the Lions which are coming off a win over the Vikings which got them their first division title in 30 years. The locker room afterwords told the story and this is a tough situation to keep it going. Detroit is tied with the 49ers and Eagles with an 11-4 record but it is behind both teams in the two tiebreakers based on conference record and strength of victory and the way the schedule sets up, those two teams are not going to lose. Dallas has covered six straight games following a loss by six points or less, winning those games by an average of 19 ppg. 10* (104) Dallas Cowboys

This is a play on the OLD DOMINION MONARCHS for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. The Monarchs are coming off a 1-2 trip to Hawaii in the Diamond Head Classic and is back home for its Sun Belt Conference opener. Old Dominion had lost four straight games prior to its win over Temple before losing to Massachusetts in the final game. The Monarchs are coming off a solid 19-12 season despite going through numerous uphill battles mostly due to injury and so far, they remain healthy. SBC Player of the Year contender Chaunce Jenkins is off to a great start and this is where his season ramps up. South Alabama is coming off a blowout win over Alabama A&M, which is ranked No. 354 in the country, for its third consecutive victory that has helped pad its 7-5 record that also includes three wins over non-Division 1 teams. The Jaguars have played a schedule ranked No. 284 compared to a No. 70 ranked schedule for the Monarchs and only one of their wins have come in the role as underdogs which was against No. 263 Mercer. The only other road win came against 1-12 Buffalo in its second game of the season. 10* (690) Old Dominion Monarchs

This is a play on the DETROIT PISTONS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. This line stinks as the Raptors are laying fewer points tonight than they were three night ago at Washington and are now in an awful letdown spot. Toronto is coming off a hard-fought loss at Boston on Friday as it tried to rally back from a big deficit but fell just two points short. The Raptors are now 4-11 in their last 15 games and while they have been respectable at home, going 8-9 but are just 4-10 on the road. Toronto is below average on both ends of the floor as it is ranked No. 20 in offensive efficiency and No. 20 in defensive efficiency and in a game that hovers around the number, the Raptors are bad in putting games away, being the second worst free throw shooting team in the NBA. We won with Detroit on Tuesday as it covered at home against Brooklyn and then followed that up with an overtime loss at Boston on Thursday and despite 28 straight losses, the Pistons are playing hard to lose this streak. It will happen eventually and this is the perfect opportunity against a bad team coming off a game where full effort was put in late but fell short. 10* (570) Detroit Pistons

This is a play on the WYOMING COWBOYS for our College Football Game of the Year. Motivation is one of the biggest factors when it comes to bowl games and this looks like a one-sided affair in that regard in the Arizona Bowl. Wyoming is coming off a solid 8-4 season and has a chance to get to nine wins for the first time since 1996 and it be out to do that behind 10th year head coach Craig Bohl who announced he will retire after the Arizona Bowl. The Cowboys are down only one starter due to transfer and another because of injury but other than that, the entire rest of the roster is healthy and available to play. Wyoming has not been elite in any one aspect on either side but it does bring in top 50 ranked defense across the board against a much tougher schedule and catches a break against this Rockets offense. Motivation will be paramount here. It was another great season for Toledo as it comes in 11-2 and has not had a losing season since 2009 but it is considered a disappointment. The Rockets opened with a two-point loss against Illinois before reeling off 11 straight wins to get to the MAC Championship but the perfect conference season ended with a 23-14 loss against Miami Ohio and they failed to achieve their goal. Getting up for a game after that is not an easy task especially against an opponent that is hard to get up for. Toledo was one of only three teams to outgain every opponent this season but played a schedule ranked No. 122 which is the seventh easiest schedule of teams ranked in the top 100 and second easiest of teams ranked No. 75 or better, only behind 13-0 Liberty according to Sagarin. Now the Rockets will have to work their No. 34 ranked offense without MAC Player of the Year quarterback Dequan Finn who entered the transfer portal. It was one of only two offensive players lost to the portal but a devastating one. 10* (272) Wyoming Cowboys

This is a play on the TENNESSEE ST. TIGERS for our OVC Game of the Month. Little Rock remains on the road after a win over Tennessee Tech in its Ohio Valley Conference opener and the rod has been foreign of late as this is just the third road game in six weeks. The Trojans went 2-2 on their current homestand and hit the road for just the fifth time where they have started 1-3 straight up and against the number. The road win over the Golden Eagles was a rare one as Little Rock is 5-35 in its last 40 conference games and are catching another small number is what is an early letdown spot. Additionally, the Trojans have played a schedule ranked No. 338. Tennessee St. is also off to a 7-7 start to the season but it opened its conference schedule with a home loss to Tennessee Martin by 16 points which puts it in a good spot to bounce back. The Tigers were picked to finish second in the conference with a lot of this based on the health of Christian Brown and so far so good. He missed a chunk of last season and has a summer setback but the potential OVC Play of the Year is back on track and playing great. The Tigers have gone 0-6 ATS in their last six game. 10* (664) Tennessee St. Tigers

This is a play on the MARSHALL THUNDERING HERD for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Sun Belt Conference action gets underway for Louisiana and Marshall and the latter looks to bounce back from a loss to a very strong UNC-Wilmington team in its last game. The Thundering Herd are now 5-8 but half of those losses have come down to the last minute including its two other home losses against Duquesne and Miami Ohio. Marshall had its three-game cover streak snapped in that game against the Seahawks and laying a short price in is conference opener is a great take. The Cajuns are coming off a win at Rice to snap a four-game road losing streak to start the season and they were able to cover over the Owls to make it four straight wins against the spread. Louisiana finished second in the conference last season but have lost their second straight potential conference Player of the Year, this time Jordan Brown who went to Memphis. They like to go fast which is a bad matchup here as they are No. 318 in opponent shooting percentage. 10* (646) Marshall Thundering Herd

This is a play on the AUBURN TIGERS for our Music City Bowl Dominator. It was not a good season for Auburn as it went 6-6 which included a four-game losing streak in September and October against a brutal stretch of games against Texas A&M, Georgia, LSU and Mississippi. Auburn went 0-5 against teams ranked in the Top 30 but 6-1 against every other team, the lone loss coming against New Mexico St. coming in a bad scheduling spot late in the season. The Tigers ended the season with a disheartening loss against Alabama but that game was well over a month ago so there has been plenty of time to recover from that. Auburn faced the No. 30 ranked schedule so the overall numbers have been affected by that but it still has the superior roster. The transfer portal has not affected the Tigers much as only five players entered, none of which were starters, and three starters on defense have opted out but only one of those was among the top eight in tackles while their best secondary player Jaylin Simpson, who accepted a Senior Bowl invite, will still play. The Terrapins opened the season 5-0 but against five teams not playing in the postseason and finished 2-5 over their last seven games with the wins coming against Nebraska and Rutgers. Maryland has taken a much bigger hit with players not participating in this game. It loses its best player for this game in quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, the all-time Big Ten leader in passing, who entered the transfer portal and that presents a big hole to fill as the other quarterbacks have combined for 13 pass attempts. Beyond Tagovailoa, Maryland will be without its starting tight end, its best linebacker and two elite defensive backs. 10* (267) Auburn Tigers

This is a play on the RHODE ISLAND RAMS for our CBB Afternoon Dominator. Northeastern was coming off a tough home loss against Vermont and had 10 days off to get ready for Virginia and nearly pulled off a massive upset as it lost by a bucket on the road as a 16.5-point underdog. The Huskies hit the road again and bounced back with a win over Central Connecticut St. which is ranked No. 269 in the country in adjusted efficiency margin and they hit the road again for the third straight time, where they are 2-5, before CAA action gets underway. Northeastern is 4-1 ATS in its last five games and is overvalued here. Rhode Island is in the midst of a rough stretch as it has lost five straight games, failing to cover any of those. This has turned into a big game for the Rams which is in a get right nonconference spot before they begin Atlantic Ten play on Wednesday. After a 5-0 start at home, Rhode Island has dropped two straight here. The Rams opened the season 3-0 ATS but are 1-7 against the number since then which adds to the value to this short price. 10* (610) Rhode Island Rams

This is a play on the PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. San Antonio snapped a five-game losing streak with a win here in Portland last night which just its fifth win of the season. Playing consecutive good games has not been in the cards for the Spurs as they are 1-3 following their first four wins while going 2-8 following a cover in their previous game. This is the fourth game on the season playing back-to-back night and San Antonio is 0-3 both straight up and against the number playing with no rest, losing those games by 41, 12 and 15 points. The Blazers have not been much better as they are 8-22 but do have the revenge spot in play. Portland has failed to cover as a favorite this season so this is the contrarian side based on that but has covered four of five games playing with no rest with the lone exception coming against Cleveland. The Blazers hope to get back Anfernee Simmons back tonight after missing the game last night and there is also a chance Deandre Ayton comes back Friday after missing two straight games. here, we play on favorites revenging a home loss, off an upset loss by 10 points or more as a favorite. This situation is 50-20 ATS (71.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (564) Portland Trail Blazers

This is a play on the UTAH UTES for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. Utah is off to a 9-1 start with the only loss coming against No. 3 Houston in the Charleston Classic. The Utes are 6-0 on their home floor and while the schedule has not been overly difficult, they handed BYU its only loss this season here and have followed that up with a pair of blowout wins heading into conference action. Overall, Utah has played a schedule ranked No. 52 in the country which makes its overall No. 31 ranking in adjusted efficiency margin that much more impressive. Washington St. is off to an 9-2 start which includes a solid win over Boise St. last time out and now face a real test. The Cougars have split their four neutral site games, winning against Rhode Island and the Broncos while losing against Mississippi St. and Santa Clara are now head out for their first true road game of the season. The 9-2 record is nice but it has come against a schedule ranked No. 330 and they are pegged to finish tenth in the Pac 12. 10* (872) Utah Utes

This is a play on the MISSOURI TIGERS for our Cotton Bowl Annihilator. The future looks very bright in Missouri. The Tigers are coming off a 10-win regular season, their first since 2014, while bringing in a top 25 recruiting class according to Rivals and they have been very active in the transfer portal. Now, Missouri wants to concentrate on the present and its preparation for this bowl game is showing it is the team that wants this one much more. Missouri has nearly its whole team intact with the exception of a pair of defensive starters who are out with injuries and a backup linebacker in the transfer portal. That is it. This is a building block game for the Tigers and have a dream matchup against Ohio St. which is not at full strength but that will not diminish beating a name team such as the Buckeyes. The Tigers have a dynamic offense that surpassed 500 total yards in five of their last nine games headlined by quarterback Brady Cook, wide receiver Luther Burden III (1st Team All SEC) and running back Cody Schrader (1st Team All SEC) while the defense was a top 40 unit. Ohio St. has finished in the top 6 in each of the last nine seasons, making it to the College Football Playoff five times including three of the previous four seasons and now it has been relegated to the Cotton Bowl which is not exactly what the Buckeyes had planned. The transfer portal took quarterback Kyle McCord and starting receiver Julian Fleming along with several backups but the Buckeyes also have a massive list of opt-outs highlighted by All American receiver Marvin Harrison, Jr. This line has seen a five-point shift and for good reason and will likely still move so grab it early. 10* (263) Missouri Tigers

This is a play on the MILWAUKEE PANTHERS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Milwaukee is off to a disappointing 5-7 start but is coming off a solid overtime win over Chattanooga as it heads back into Horizon League play. The Panthers opened conference action with a 12-point loss at rival Green Bay to begin the month and they remain home where they are 3-2 and laying a small number. Milwaukee is coming off a 22-win season, the most since 2006, and looks to get the offense going that goes fast, one that finished No. 7 in the country last season in pace. Robert Morris is coming off a home cover against Cornell nut it was still another loss to drop it to 4-9 with half of those wins coming against non-Division 1 teams. The Colonials were a solid team defensively last season but have struggled as they are No. 332 in opponents shooting and that is not good against this attacking offense. Robert Morris is 1-5 on the road with the lone win coming against St. Francis PA that is ranked No. 349 out of 362 Division 1 teams. 10* (856) Milwaukee Panthers

This is a play on the NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. Northern Illinois is off to a 6-5 start but coming off a 13-point loss to Northern Iowa last time out. However, that was eight days ago and the Huskies are ready for a bounce back in a big time game. This is a team that had a .500 season in the MAC last year and s projected for a top five finish with plenty of experience. They got Keshawn Williams back in the last game with limited minutes and he is a big addition to what has been a balanced team with four double-digit scorers that has been very efficient. Iowa is coming off a 22-point win over UMBC in its last game to make it two straight wins to improve 7-5 and it is in a tough spot here. This is the last nonconference game of the season before Big 10 action gets back underway where the Hawkeyes are 0-2 and looking ahead to their game at Wisconsin on deck. This is nothing more than a middle of the pack Big 10 team that lost three huge part from last season and their fast paces offense has hurt defensively where Iowa is No. 178 in defensive efficiency. 10* (841) Northern Illinois Huskies

This is a play on the KENTUCKY WILDCATS for our Gator Bowl Enforcer. It was a disappointing season for Clemson which comes in 8-4 although it did win its final four games so there is momentum but that is offset with the players that will not be participating in the Gator Bowl. Despite the solid run at the end of the year, this is a game Clemson is not interested in which is proven by the numerous opt-outs and transfers and this is the first season since 2010 that the Tigers will not reach double-digit wins. This is not an explosive team on offense and they will be without starting receiver Beaux Collins who was second in yards and touchdowns so they will be relying on their running game. The typical stout defense was in form again this season as Clemson was No. 7 in total defense including No. 5 against the pass. This unit will not be close to the same however as the Tigers are down four starters including leading tackler and First Team All ACC linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and First Team ALL ACC cornerback Nate Wiggins. Clemson will start two true freshman on the outside at cornerback. Kentucky did not have nearly the same finish as after opening 5-0, the Wildcats went just 2-5 down the stretch but two of those were by one possession and the other three were against Alabama, Georgia and Missouri, all ranked in the top 10. Kentucky has lost starting edge Keaten Wade to in the transfer portal to Colorado but he is the lone starter that will not be playing. Second Team All SEC running back Ray Davis, who is taking off for the NFL Draft, is actually going to play which is a rarity and a big lift for the Wildcats. Big number because it is the Clemson name. 10* (258) Kentucky Wildcats

This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS for our NBA Star Attraction. Golden St. had its five-game winning streak snapped on Christmas with a loss at Denver but this is a great bounce back spot in the opener of a seven-game homestand. The Warriors are back to .500 on the season which includes a 9-6 record at home and while their ATS record of 4-10-1 is brutal, that is due to a 0-8-1 ATS start on their home floor. After a 1-6 start, Golden St. has won eight straight home games and this is the stretch where it needs to make a move and it is laying a short number here. Miami is coming off a Christmas Day win over the Sixers to make it three straight wins and the Heat have quietly been moving up in the Eastern Conference after a 1-4 start to the season. This is the start of a five-game west coast roadtrip and while they bring in a solid 9-6 road record, it is diluted with an easy schedule. Miami is 6-1 on the road as a favorite and this is the first time this season the Heat have been getting fewer than four points on the road which shows some overvaluation based on their recent results. Miami is 8-20 ATS in its last 28 games following consecutive home wins. 10* (544) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the EASTERN WASHINGTON EAGLES for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. The records show that Portland St. is the better team as the Vikings come in at 9-3 including a win at Fresno St. in their most recent game 10 days ago. While Fresno St. is a bigger name school, the Bulldogs are an awful team that is pegged to finish last in the Mountain West Conference so that win victory is not impressive. Three of their wins have come against non-Division 1 teams and their last two Division 1 win have come against two teams picked to finish last or second to last in their conference. Eastern Washington is off to a 4-7 start which is not horrible considering the Eagles have played the second hardest schedule in the country. Nine of their first 11 games have been on the road with seven of those coming against major conference teams and while this is first home game against a non-Division 1 team, the Eagles have been waiting for this one all year to back up their Big Sky Championship from last season. 10* (716) Eastern Washington Eagles

This is a play on the USC TROJANS for our CBB Star Attraction. Typically, backing Oregon on its home floor in its conference opener with a short price in a no-brainer but this line stinks with the public on 78 percent of the money and zero line movement. The Ducks are coming off another 20-win season with rather high expectations coming into this year with three starters back but two of those, N'Faly Dante and Nate Bittle are on the shelf with the latter out for the season. The former is the leading returning scorer and a preseason First Team All-Pac 12 center but is out until mid-January. The Ducks are 6-0 at home which is a big reason for the public action but this is not a good opening matchup. USC has been tested much more which equates to its 6-5 start. The Trojans have played a schedule ranked No. 45 in the country with games against Kansas St., Oklahoma, Gonzaga and Auburn. USC was the No. 2 team in the conference to challenge Arizona with the best backcourt in the Pac 12 behind Boogie Ellis and Isaiha Collier who are averaging close to 36 ppg. 10* (719) USC Trojans

This is a play on the TENNESSEE TECH GOLDEN EAGLES for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Little Rock hits the road after four straight home games and for the first time in close to three weeks and just the second time in six weeks. The Trojans went just 2-2 on their current homestand and hit the road for just the fourth time where they have started 0-3 straight up and against the number. They open Ohio Valley Conference action on the road and that road start is no surprise as Little Rock is 4-35 in its last 39 conference games and ideally this is not a good way to start conference action. Additionally, the Trojans have played a schedule ranked No. 338. Tennessee Tech is off to a 5-8 start where it has struggled on the road as well with a 1-6 and it heads home following a 31-point loss at Evansville. The Golden Eagles are catching points at home based on an adjusted efficiency rating that is in the negative but has played a schedule twice as difficult as the Trojans. There are no injuries on either side and based on what is expected coming in, Little Rock has no business laying points on the road. 10* (706) Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles

This is a play on the CLEVELAND BROWNS for our NFL Thursday Primetime Dominator. Cleveland has won three straight games and is one win away from clinching a playoff spot and the situation could not be better. The Browns are 7-1 at home and got the extra home game on their schedule with this being their final home game of the season unless they can catch a lower seed after the first round in the playoffs. Cleveland has been dominant at home where it is 7-1, the lone loss coming against Baltimore in Week Four. The defense has led the charge as the Browns are allowing only 11.8 ppg and 198 ypg on a paltry 3.7 yppl and face one of the worst offenses in the league. The Browns remain No. 1 in overall defensive DVOA and face off against the No. 32 offensive DVOA in the league. The offense has gone through four different starting quarterbacks but they have found their guy as Joe Flacco has rejuvenated the offense as he has thrown for 326.8 ypg in his four starts with 10 touchdowns and he just needs to cut down on the picks. The Jets defense will be a challenge as they are No. 3 in DVOA but like Cleveland, they are better at home than on the road. New York has definitely slowed down as after allowing more than 27 points only once in its first nine games, it has given up 28 or more points in four of their last six games. Offensively, they are coming off a solid game against Washington but this is a different test after their last home game with New England on deck. 10* (102) Cleveland Browns

This is a play on the NC STATE WOLFPACK for our Pop-Tarts Bowl Annihilator. NC State is quietly coming off a great season at 9-3 and closed the season with five straight wins including four against bowl teams all by at least a touchdown. The ACC against the Big 12 is a mismatch on paper and name but not in this case with the transfer portal and opt-outs along with coordinator changes hurting Kansas St. and not the Wolfpack. The offense is in good position as it came alive down the stretch with great balance and a rejuvenated running game. Quarterback Brennan Armstrong sat out three games midseason and was replaced by MJ Morris who was not very good and is not in the transfer portal. Armstrong started the last three games and was exceptional with 648 yards on a 70 percent completion clip with six touchdowns and no interceptions. The Wolfpack rushed for 208.7 ypg over those final three games and they are 8-0 when rushing for more than 112 yards. Kansas St. lost four close games this season all of which were spaced out enough to never have the Wildcats in the conversation for a big season. The transfer portal and NFL Draft opt-outs hit the offense the most as quarterback Will Howard is out along with second-leading rusher Treshaun Ward, top catch receiver Phillip Brooks and leading yardage receiver tight end Ben Sinnott. Kansas St. wins with field position advantage, special teams play, cutting down mistakes and winning the turnover battle and those intangibles cannot be controlled which cannot go into a handicap especially with the personnel losses. Kansas St. has allowed 113 or more in every game but four including eight of its last nine. 10* (253) NC State Wolfpack

This is a play on the BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES for our Fenway Bowl Dominator. This line is a big overreaction to the finishes for both teams but we have to look what each faced. Boston College opened the season 1-3 and then won five straight games before closing 0-3 and while it played in the weak ACC, it is still a power five conference. The Eagles were hit hard by injuries at the end of the season but the month-long time off will help with some of those plus extra practice time for the new players. They lost hardly anyone in the transfer portal and come in more battle tested as the Eagles played eight power five teams with mixed results but as least there were on the schedule. Boston College is playing this game right down the street from campus and while a tropical destination is always nice, playing in their backyard is a big advantage. SMU closed strong with nine straight wins including a victory over Tulane in the AAC Championship but the Green Wave were not the same team and the Mustangs overall have played the No. 155 ranked schedule. They played only two power five teams, losing both, and the AAC was bad all-around which inflated their stats, wins and scoring differentials. SMU had only three wins over bowl teams with the other two coming against Memphis and Rice which were by a combined nine points away from home. Quarterback Preston Stone was lost for the season and Kevin Jennings was below average in his only start against Tulane. Boston College will run and that is how it succeeds in this matchup as it is 6-0 when rushing for 185 yards or more, 0-6 when not while SMU is 11-0 when allowing fewer than 189 rushing yards, 0-2 when not. 10* (250) Boston College Eagles

This is a play on the CHICAGO ST. COUGARS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Chicago St. has been tested early, playing the most games of any team in the country, which is a solid edge this time of year, especially coming off its second largest break in-between games this season. The Cougars are the only independent team in the country which means they have to truncate their schedule late in the season and get in as many games before all other teams begin their conference slates. They are 7-10 which is four wins shy from all of last season and this team has made strides, especially after win totals of 3, 4, 0 and 7 the previous four years. Chicago St. is now facing a familiar foe from its recent WAC days and it is playing with some confidence as it had four straight wins, including a victory over Northwestern, before losing at Wisconsin five days ago. The Cougars play at a slow pace which is an advantage when getting a double-digit number. Cal Baptist is 7-4 with two wins coming against non-Division 1 teams. The Lancers has performed decent given they brought back just one starter but they have had a favorable schedule as of their nine games, they have been favored seven times, going 1-6 ATS. This is a tough spot with WAC play starting on Saturday with three straight games on the road. 10* (306513) Chicago St. Cougars

This is a play on the OKLAHOMA ST. COWBOYS for our Texas Bowl Dominator. Texas A&M is an absolute mess right now, not even close to resembling the team it had just a month ago. The coaching staff has completely turned over although Elijah Robinson, who was hired as the Syracuse defensive coordinator, will continue as the interim head coach so that is a plus but it is jumbled after that. The Aggies have had eight starters and six backups enter the transfer portal and additionally, four starters have opted out with potentially two more that could not play. An already disappointing season that ended at 7-5 looks to have no chemistry and limited motivation heading into this game. Third string quarterback Jaylen Henderson has made three starts and has not been bad but that was with a full complement of players around him and now he is without the right side of his line and his two top receivers. Defensively, they were gashed even more with seven starters to miss this one. Oklahoma St. put together a great season at 9-3 but was overmatched against Texas in the Big 12 Championship. That being said, the Cowboys are in far better shape as they have lost only three offensive players to the transfer portal, none of which were close to team leaders. Oklahoma St. has a potent offense that can take advantage of the depleted Aggies defense and it put up 39 or more points in five of its last eight games and only struggled twice over that span against UCF which came one week after beating Oklahoma, and against the Longhorns. Texas A&M opened -4.5 and has flipped but not much despite the mass exodus so the value is still there with the Cowboys. 10* (248) Oklahoma St. Cowboys

This is a play on the USC TROJANS for our Holiday Bowl Annihilator. USC came into the season with playoff aspirations and it opened 6-0 but there were signs that this team had no chance in making that playoff run. A blowout loss at Notre Dame where they were -5 in turnovers sunk their ship and they closed the season with only one win on their last six games with the lone victory coming against California by one point. No one wants a part of this team at the betting window because of the finish and of the personnel they will be down for this game. There is still a whole lot of talent even if some of the headliners are gone highlighted by quarterback Caleb Williams as well as second leading receiver Brenden Rice and leading rusher MarShawn Lloyd but there is plenty of depth unlike other teams that could not get away with losses like those. Defensively, this team was bad and they are down only one starter and they defensive front is still strong enough to get behind the line. Louisville had its chance for a really great season but a loss to Kentucky when it was ranked No. 9 cut that short and the Cardinals were unable to get past Florida St. in the ACC Championship which relegated them to a lower than expected bowl game. They bring in a top 50 offense and a top 20 defense so they have been very solid but they played a schedule that was ranked No. 55 from a conference ranked lowest of all power conferences. While USC lost an abundance of talent, Louisville has not gone unscathed as leading receiver Jamari Thrash and leading rusher Jawhar Jordan have opted out to get ready for the NFL draft. This number is too big of an overreaction. 10* (246) USC Trojans

This is a play on the MILWAUKEE BUCKS for our NBA Eastern Conference GOM. Milwaukee is coming off a Christmas Day loss to the Knicks which snapped a seven-game winning streak and the Bucks are now a game and a half behind Boston in the Eastern Conference for first place. The loss dropped them to 6-6 on the road but they have been great this season following a defeat and are laying a short price. Milwaukee is 6-1 following a loss this season with the lone defeat coming off consecutive road games when Damon Lillard did not play which have been his only two absences this season with Milwaukee going 22-6 in his 28 games played. Brooklyn was taken to the final minutes last night in Detroit but was able to escape with the six-point victory, sending the Pistons to an NBA single season record of 27 straight losses. The Nets return home riding an overall two-game winning streak, both against Detroit and they had dropped five straight games prior to that. Brooklyn is not great at home, going 9-7 with five of those nine wins coming against teams with a losing record. Additionally, they are 1-7 against teams ranked in the top 10 with the lone win coming against the Clippers in what was just the second game of the season for James Harden. 10* (523) Milwaukee Bucks

This is a play on the WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS for our Duke's Mayo Bowl Enforcer. West Virginia exceeded expectations this season as it got to eight wins including a 6-3 record in the Big 12, which was good for a tie for fourth place and the Mountaineers will be ready to keep it going with momentum into next season. They lost a fair amount of players to the transfer portal but no one of real significance that helped them to the9ir 8-4 record and West Virginia has a big edge in the ground game. The Mountaineers finished No. 3 in the country in rushing with 243.3 ypg thanks to a No. 5 ranking, including first in the Big 12, in time of possession behind an excellent offensive line. They rushed for 210 or more yards in five of their last seven games and faces a defense that was awful down the stretch. North Carolina also finished with eight wins but it was an opposite effect as the Tar Heels came in with high expectations and it started great with a 6-0 start but then the wheels fell off. The Tar Heels lost to Virginia which sent them spiraling and after that, they only defeated FCS Campbell and an injury-riddled Duke team by just two points. Now they come into their bowl game down a slew of starters, nine at a minimum in total, due to transfers, injuries and opt-outs. The big win obviously is quarterback Drake May which means Conner Harrell will make the start after throwing only six passes this season. Leading receiver Tez Walker is out as are three of the other leading five pass catchers. North Carolina is down five start on defense, a unit that was No. 98 overall including No. 89 against the run. We have seen a significant line move but it is warranted. 10* (244) West Virginia Mountaineers

This is a play on the OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER as part of our Tuesday Triple Play. Minnesota continues to cruise along as it has won two straight games following a loss in Philadelphia to improve to 22-6. The Timberwolves still lead the Western Conference by two games over reigning NBA Champion Denver but come into a tough spot on the road where they have had success but a lot of that against bad or banged up teams. Karl-Anthony Towns missed the last game with a knee injury and he is questionable once again tonight and not at 100 percent even if he does go. Oklahoma City is coming off a home loss to a desperate Lakers team on Saturday which snapped a three-game winning streak and the Thunder remain in third place in the conference, 4.5 games behind Minnesota. The Thunder are 15-6 in their last 21 games following a 3-3 start including a 9-2 record over their last 11 home games with the other home loss coming against the Sixers. Here, we play against underdogs off an upset win as an underdog going up against an opponent off a home loss. This situation is 134-86 ATS (60.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (506) Oklahoma City Thunder

This is a play on the NEW ORLEANS PELICANS as part of our Tuesday Triple Play. Memphis opened the season 6-19 but has gone 3-0 since the return of Ja Morant who has not missed a beat. He has averaged 28.0 ppg and 9.0 apg and is shooting over 50 percent from the floor but he is hitting only 18.2 percent from long range. The Grizzlies had one of the best home courts in the league last season but at just 2-11 at home this season and have been much better on the road but are in a tough spot here. They won here in the first game back for Morant on a last second shot by him and the Pelicans will be out for some payback. New Orleans is laying nearly half of that number in this rematch from just a week ago which started a two-game slide, both losses by two points, following a four-game winning streak. The Pelicans has been just average at home at 9-6 but the last three losses have come by five combined points so the record could be better. Here, we play on favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points revenging a straight up loss as a favorite of seven points or more, off an upset loss to a division rival as a home favorite. This situation is 32-10 ATS (76.2 percent) since 1996. 10* (508) New Orleans Pelicans

This is a play on the DETROIT PISTONS as part of our Tuesday Triple Play. It was another loss for Detroit as the Pistons tied the NBA record for most consecutive losses then they lost 126-115 on Saturday in Brooklyn. This is the last record they want, especially in front of the home crowd, what little of it there might be. For being the worst team in the NBA, they are not near the worst on either side of the ball as the Pistons are No. 22 in offensive shooting and No. 23 in defensive shooting. We have stayed off Detroit for quite a while but this is the spot to back them, especially with line value coming home. This is a tricky spot for Brooklyn coming off that win on Saturday, having the Christmas break with travel and then hosting Milwaukee tomorrow night. The Nets had not been playing well as they were on a five-game losing streak prior to the Saturday victory and they are still sitting a game under .500 and hit the road where they are 5-8. Here, we play on underdogs after a loss by 10 points or more going up against an opponent after two straight games where both teams scored 115 points or more. This situation is 71-31 ATS (69.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (504) Detroit Pistons

This is a play on the TEXAS ST. BOBCATS for our First Responder Bowl Dominator. Texas St. is coming off its first winning season since 2014 and will be playing in its first ever bowl game so there will be plenty of motivation for the Bobcats. They have an offense that can crank it up as they are No. 110 in the country in total offense and No. 17 in scoring offense and comes in with a very balanced attack, finishing No. 23 in both passing and rushing. Quarterback TJ Finley was excellent as he passed for 3,287 yards with 24 touchdowns and just eight interceptions while rushing for another five scores. They have big play ability and while their problem was giving the ball away where they are No. 119 in turnover margin at -8, they face a Rice defense that is not a ball hawking unit as it had only 12 takeaways and the Owls are No. 116 in turnover margin. The Bobcats own defense was not great but are No. 1 in the country in tackles for loss. This is not good news for Rice that had its moments on offense but struggled down the stretch behind backup quarterback AJ Padgett. The Owls need to control the tempo in this game as they are not a team that can play catchup and they will try to grind it out on the ground. They are 5-0 this season when rushing 30 times or more but just 1-5 when they do not and could be in a position to pass more than it likes to. Of the ix Rice victories, one came against an FCS team while the other five came against teams that finished with no more than four wins. The Owls were 1-6 this season when allowing more than 21 points. 10* (237) Texas St. Bobcats

This is a play on the BALTIMORE RAVENS for our NFL Monday Game of the Year. San Francisco is rolling along with six straight wins, all by double digits, and this is a perfect sell high opportunity. The 49ers have defeated five potential playoff teams over this stretch (Seattle twice) but four of those are going the wrong way, Philadelphia, Seattle and Jacksonville, with the other coming against Tampa Bay which is right at .500. San Francisco has overtaken the No. 1 seed in the NFC with outright wins over the Eagles and Cowboys so it is in great position to keep that, even with a loss here, as the remaining schedule is in its favor. Because of the recent run, this line has risen and is not a true indicator of the differential between these two teams. The 49ers are No. 1 in the NFL in Net DVOA and Net EPA but Baltimore is right there. The Ravens are No. 2 in Net DVOA and tied for No. 2 in Net EPA as they bring in an identical 11-3 record and sit atop the AFC, one game ahead of Miami with a game at home against the Dolphins next week. Baltimore has won four straight games and eight of its last nine games with the only blemish coming against Cleveland where it blew a 31-17 lead in the fourth quarter and lost on a last second field goal. While San Francisco is the only team in the NFC with a DVOA in the top five in both offense and defense and the Ravens are the only team in the AFC to stake that claim as well. Quarterback Lamar Jackson is 11-2 ATS as an underdog in his career so these have been the spots he has thrived in. Here, we play against favorites averaging 385 or more total ypg, after gaining 450 or more total ypg over their last three games. This situation is 30-8 ATS (78.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (481) Baltimore Ravens

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES LAKERS for our NBA Star Attraction. The Lakers are coming off a much needed win on Saturday against Oklahoma City to snap a four-game losing streak and they return home where they are 10-3 on the season with two of those losses coming by three and five points. After a rough stretch on offense, Los Angeles has shot 48 percent or better in seven of its last nine games including 52 percent or better five times. They will need to keep that rolling against the No. 5 ranked team in defensive efficiency. On their own defensive side, the Lakers are No. 8 in defensive efficiency. Boston has won two straight games after opening the roadtrip with a loss at Golden St. in overtime and that snapped a four-game road losing streak. While the Celtics are 14-0 at home, they are just 8-6 on the road while going 4-8-2 against the number which includes losing both games outright when favored by three points or more. Boston remains No. 1 in the Eastern Conference, a half-game ahead of Milwaukee but it is in a very tough position coming off a pair of blowout wins where the offense went off for 144 and 145 points. Here, we play on underdogs averaging 114 or more ppg on the season going up against an opponent after scoring 135 points or more. This situation is 46-19 ATS (70.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (592) Los Angeles Lakers

This is a play on the MILWAUKEE BUCKS for our NBA Afternoon Dominator. Milwaukee is coming off a 130-111 win over the Knicks on Saturday in the first game of this two-game set and we expect the Bucks to dominate again. They outshot New York 52.7 percent to 44.1 percent and they have shot 50 percent or better in seven of their last 10 games. Milwaukee has a big advantage down low as it outrebounded the Knicks 53-41 and they are now without Mitchell Robinson so their only true center is Isaiah Hartenstein. Milwaukee has won seven straight and it is 12-3 ATS over its last 15 games following six or more wins. The Knicks had a three-game winning streak at the start of the month but they have gone 4-5 since then and they have fallen into the No. 6 spot in the Eastern Conference, six games behind Boston. They have been good but not great at home, going 7-4 and while gong 7-2 as favorites, they have lost both games at home when getting points with the other loss coming against the Celtics. New York has struggled on defense of late, allowing opponents to shoot 50 percent or higher in six of their last 11 games and face the No. 2 ranked team in offensive efficiency. 10* (587) Milwaukee Bucks

This is a play on the HAWAII WARRIORS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. TCU opened the Diamond Head Classic with a 24-point win over Old Dominion which was without its coach and clearly not focused in allowing 111 points but the Horned Frogs were exposed in the second game against Nevada as the defense allowed 88 points after giving up 87 points in the opener. The jury is still out on this team after losing so much from last season and out of 362 teams in Division 1, TCU has played the No. 352 ranked schedule which includes a game against Clemson as well as the TCU game and those two games are the only tests thus far. The host Warriors rolled over Portland in the tournament opener before losing to Georgia Tech on Friday and they are in a good spot in this third place matchup. It was the second home loss of the season for Hawaii which also lost to Nevada a week ago by six points, the same team that just throttled the Horned Frogs. Dating back to the 2021-22 season, Hawaii is 13-2 coming off a regular season loss and catching a big number on its home floor is the added edge. 10* (646) Hawaii Warriors

This is a play on the ARIZONA CARDINALS for our Underdog Game of the Month. Chicago nearly won its third straight game but could not secure a Hail Mary to end the game against Cleveland as it blew a 17-7 lead going into the fourth quarter. The recent success in addition to three straight losses by one possession is overvaluing the Bears as they are favored for only the third time this season and by their biggest amount. The defense has improved dramatically over the second half of the season but will be facing their first mobile quarterback since playing Kansas City in Week Three. Chicago is still No. 24 in offensive DVOA as Justin Fields has been adequate but has regressed over the last four games. They are in a bad spot coming off that disheartening loss and the Bears have played down to the opposition going back to last season as they are 0-7 ATS in their last seven games against teams with a losing record. Arizona lost to San Francisco by 16 points and it hits the road where it is 1-6. Five of those losses have come against teams that are either in or still alive in the playoffs and the four games they have not covered are all against the aforementioned playoff teams. The return of Kyler Murray has improved the offense, scoring 24 points or more in three of his five starts after scoring 24 or more points only three times in the first nine games without him. He brings that added running dimension that can keep the Bears off balance and something they have not seen. Arizona is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 games as a road underdog of 3.5 to 7 points. 10* (473) Arizona Cardinals

This is a play on the ATLANTA FALCONS for our NFL Sunday Enforcer. This is a big reverse line move as major money has come in on the Colts yet the line has risen from the opener of -1.5. The Falcons are coming off a bad loss against Carolina where they managed just one touchdown but that game was played in horrible weather and now they are back home in the dome. They are 4-3 at home with two of those losses coming by a combined seven points. Here, we have another game with a quarterback change as Taylor Heinicke will make his third start and he is far from a downgrade from Desmond Ridder. Expect to see more running this week after the Falcons has been held to fewer than 100 yards in each of their last three games and will be facing a bad Colts rushing defense. Atlanta is still in the running for first place in the NFC South as they trail Tampa Bay by one game and the remaining schedule is favorable but this is the big one as this is their final home game of the season. Indianapolis has been a pleasant surprise in the AFC as it is currently in a playoff spot at 7-7 as the Colts have won five of their last six games. Two of those wins were on the road but one was against Carolina and the other needed overtime against Tennessee. The Colts do not do anything particularly good with their offensive running game being the biggest strength and they have been a very fortunate team as they are No. 6 in the Luck Rankings with the biggest factor being 5-2 in one possession games. 10* (458) Atlanta Falcons

This is a play on the TENNESSEE TITANS for our NFL Ultimate Underdog. Seattle kept its playoff hopes alive with a win on Monday night against the Eagles in the final minute to move to 7-7. The victory snapped a four-game losing streak for the Seahawks which have now covered three straight games and that gives us value as this number has gone up from the opener of -1.5. Give credit to Drew Lock for the winning drive against Philadelphia and he has played two solid games replacing Geno Smith but the latter is expected back and that is not a real big advantage. The Seahawks have regressed in their offense overall and especially in the running game as they got to 100 yards last week for the first time in five games and hitting the road is an issue as Seattle is 0-5 in its last five road games. Tennessee has had a rough season as it is now 5-9 following an overtime loss against Houston and Case Keenum and that was its fourth loss by four points or less. The Titans were coming off a couple of solid games offensively against Indianapolis and Miami but could not do much last week after jumping out to a 13-0 lead. This week, Ryan Tannehill could over at quarterback for Will Levis who has an injured ankle and even though he lost his job, he is one of the better backups in the league. There will be no quit for this team with head coach Mike Vrabel and he has been one of the best coaches in these spots. 10* (464) Tennessee Titans

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES LAKERS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. The Lakers have lost four straight games to fall to 16-14 including a loss at Minnesota on Thursday where LeBron James sat out with an ankle injury but will be back tonight. Los Angeles was able to cover that game because of the inflated line and this is a big game to get things right before Boston comes to town on Christmas day. The Lakers have struggled on the road with a 5-11 record but they are 4-1 in road games following a road loss. This is the second meeting this season with the Lakers looking for some payback after losing by 23 points in the first meeting. Oklahoma City has won three straight games and is now 13-4 over its last 17 games. We won with the Thunder on Wednesday against the Clippers which were without Kawhi Leonard and they were able to pull away late. Oklahoma City remains in second place in the Western Conference, two and a half games behind Minnesota. Here, we play on teams after having lost five or six of their last seven games, with a winning record on the season playing another winning team. This situation is 103-60 ATS (63.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (547) Los Angeles Lakers

This is a play on the SANTA CLARA BRONCOS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Santa Clara won for us last Saturday as it defeated Washington St. on a neutral floor in Phoenix to snap a three-game losing streak and that was its third win over a Pac 12 team. We played against the Broncos on Wednesday as it went to San Jose St. and lost to the Spartans as a 4.5-point favorite in what was a letdown spot. Now it is bounce back time for Santa Clara playing again on a neutral floor, this time in Las Vegas, and it has gone 1-4 over it last five games so this game is a big one prior to West Coast Conference getting underway. The Broncos are tested by having played the No. 94 ranked schedule in the country. Duquesne is off to a solid 8-2 start which is not unexpected as the Dukes are coming off a 20-win season following 15 wins in the previous two seasons combined but the schedule rather soft schedule has helped while three of those wins have come by four points or less. The Dukes had to replace 10 players on the roster from a year ago and they are still without one of their returning starters. This is a tough scheduling spot for Duquesne heading out west which is its furthest trip of the season and it comes in on a 2-5 ATS run, the lone covers against teams ranked No. 200 and No. 274. 10* (624) Santa Clara Broncos

This is a play on the PITTSBURGH STEELERS for our NFL Saturday Enforcer. Despite three straight losses, Pittsburgh is not dead yet as it is 7-7, tied with Denver for tenth place in the AFC and just a game out of sixth place but there are a few teams it has to leapfrog. The schedule is not great with the final two games of the season at Seattle and at Baltimore making this their final home game of the season. There is talk of head coach Mike Tomlin sitting on the hot seat which is pretty laughable considering what he has had to deal with at the quarterback position and another change is in store this week with Mason Rudolph getting the start. He has seen limited action the last three seasons but it can be an edge with limited film. The Bengals were left for dead when Joe Burrow was lost for the season but behind Jake Browning, they have won three straight games after losing his first start against the Steelers. Cincinnati is now 8-6 and in position to get into the playoffs but like Pittsburgh, the schedule is not on its side with a game at Kansas city on deck and then the season finale at home against Cleveland. The recent runs have seen a complete line shift from that first meeting as the Bengals go from a home underdog against Pittsburgh to a road favorite against the same team. Here, we play on teams where the line is +3 to -3 after three or more consecutive losses against the spread going up against an opponent after two or more consecutive wins against the spread. This situation is 37-13 ATS (74 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (454) Pittsburgh Steelers

This is a play on the UTAH ST. AGGIES for our Potato Bowl Dominator. It was a great start but a bad finish for Georgia St. which enters its bowl game on a five-game losing streak. The only positive from that is the fact those losses were against bowl teams but stating the obvious is this is another bowl team they face and the Panthers were blown out in five of those games. overall, they played nine straight bowl teams over the last nine games and the defense was only good in two of those games as the Panthers faced some strong offenses which they are going to see here. Georgia St. is No. 118 in total defense and allowed over 30 ppg and squares off against a Utah St. offense that finished No. 1 in total offense and No. 2 in scoring offense in the Mountain West Conference. The issue is that the Aggies are going with Levi Williams at quarterback who played only four games but led the offense to 44 points in a win over New Mexico in his only start in the season finale. The Aggies are 6-2 when coming up with 400 yards or more and are very balanced with a running game that came alive in the second half of the season. Georgia St. has the better quarterback with Darren Grainger but he will be playing with some of his key parts gone. Leading rusher Marcus Carroll, who had 1,350 yards and 13 touchdowns, transferred out to Missouri while leading receiver Robert Lewis, who had 881 yards and seven touchdowns, transferred to Auburn. Even though the Panthers are facing a below average defense, they do not have enough to keep up. 10* (228) Utah St. Aggies

This is a play on the SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI GOLDEN EAGLES for our CBB Afternoon Dominator. Southern Mississippi was left for dead last season coming off three seasons with wins of 9, 8 and 7 and picked to finish dead last in the Sun Belt Conference. All the Golden Eagles did was surpass their win total from 2021-22 by 18 games, the biggest one season improvement in the country in 49 years. They won the conference and are expected to yet again but they have gotten off to an uneven start at 6-5 but things are moving in the right direction as they are 4-1 over their last five games following a 2-4 start. Southern Mississippi is just 2-6-1 in its nine lined games which is helping the number and this is a game it has had circled. Mississippi is one of only three remaining undefeated teams in the country as it is 11-0 and ranked No. 25 in the country, its first time it has been ranked in nearly five years. The fact the Rebels are undefeated this late into the season and ranked that low is telling however. They have played only three teams ranked in the top 100 with two of those victories coming at home and two coming by a combined five points and overall they have played a schedule ranked No. 267. This will be another big neutral court test. 10* (611) Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles

This is a play on the XAVIER MUSKETEERS for our Big East Game of the Year. Seton Hall is coming off a pair of underdog wins as it defeated Missouri in Kansas City and on Wednesday, it took down No. 5 Connecticut by 15 points at home as an eight-point underdog. Now the Pirates hit the road for just the second time this season in a massive letdown spot as they are still celebrating that victory over the Huskies. They have played a pair of neutral court games as well, facing two average teams against Iowa and USC and lost those by 13 and 8 points respectively. Seton Hall is 8-4 overall and despite that big win, this is a bottom half team in the Big East Conference and are now overvalued. Also helping with this line is the fact that Xavier got mauled at St. Johns by 15 points on Wednesday so it is in the opposite situation ready for a rebound. Xavier opened the season with a pair of blowout wins at home before going to Purdue and getting smacked which started a 2-5 run but four of those losses, including three at home, could have gone either way including a six-point loss to No. 3 Houston. Even though they are just 5-3 at home, this is one of the toughest environments in the conference and the Musketeers are is 6-0 in conference openers under head coach Sean Miller. 10* (614) Xavier Musketeers

This is a play on the TROY TROJANS for our Birmingham Bowl Dominator. Troy is coming off another great season and brings in a ton of momentum into its bowl game. The Trojans are coming off a 10-2 regular season and then won the Sun Belt Conference Championship over Appalachian St. and Troy is one of the hottest teams in the country going back to last season as it has gone 22-2 over its last 24 games. Tt is the defense that has been great all year as they are No. 15 overall and No. 10 in points allowed and have given up more than 17 points only three times in their last 11 games. The Trojans have solid offense which has picked up steam over the second part of the season led by quarterback Gunnar Watson who is playing very efficient right now with a 18:1 TD:INT ratio his last eight games. Troy will be without head coach Jon Sumrall who left for Tulane but it will be seamless with defensive coordinator Greg Gasparato serving as the interim head coach. Duke also lost its head coach as Mike Elko took the head job at Texas A&M but it will be a seamless transition as well as associate head coach Trooper Taylor will man the team. The problem for Duke is that it has been hit hard in the transfer portal. Quarterback Riley Leonard is gone even though he has not played since October as Grayson Loftis has started the last four games and was fine. The issue is everywhere else as the Blue Devils lost leading rusher Jordan Waters to affect the offense but the defense has been ravaged as five starters entered the portal which crushes the unit that is No. 46 in the nation in total defense. 108 (222) Troy Trojans