Sports Picks & Predictions

There are three 1-4 matchups in the Sweet 16 and judging by this line, linesmakers feel this is the most lopsided one. Based on the RPI though, this is actually the closest of the three matchups with this being No. 5 vs. No. 14 and the other two being No. 4 vs. No. 16 and No. 3 vs. No. 19. North Carolina is favored this much because it is a heavily bet team no matter who or where it is playing so the adjustment had to be made. We played against Butler when it faced off against Middle Tennessee St. and the Bulldogs proved they are primed for a legitimate run. This was proved a while back when they defeated Villanova not once but twice during the regular season. Overall, Butler is 16-5 against the RPI top 100 while North Carolina is 17-6 and that difference is insignificant adding on that Butler faced a slightly tougher schedule than the Tar Heels. North Carolina is the best rebounding team in the nation which is a concern for all teams playing the Tar Heels but the Bulldogs have found ways to be able to compete with the top rebounding teams they have faced. Villanova is a much better rebounding team than Butler yet the Bulldogs won the battle of the boards in both meetings. While this certainly is not a great matchup for the Bulldogs, the same can be said for North Carolina as the Bulldogs defend hard and can take away some of that high-powered offense. The Bulldogs are 19-6-1 ATS in their last 26 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* (877) Butler Bulldogs

The Mavericks lost to the Warriors last time out as they hung around for a while until Golden St. pulled away in the second quarter. With the Denver win last night, Dallas is now 3.5 games behind the Nuggets for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference so time is starting to run out with just a dozen games remaining in the regular season. Dallas has lost consecutive home games for the fifth time this season and in the previous four instances, the Mavericks avoided a three-game home losing streak. Going back further, the Mavericks are 20-7 ATS in their last 27 games following a straight up loss. This is a big game for the Clippers as well as they trail Utah by a game for the fourth spot in the Western Conference following three straight wins. Those wins came against the lowly Lakers and Knicks and the resting Cavaliers so it is not very impressive. They have been a decent road team with a 20-18 record but they are just 7-14 ATS this season on the highway against teams with a losing record. Additionally, Los Angeles is 0-4 ATS in its last four games following a double-digit win. 10* (806) Dallas Mavericks

Many talking heads are saying West Virginia could be the team that takes down Gonzaga and its first ever trip to the Final Four because of the pressure the Mountaineers apply. While they do pressure well and force a ton of turnovers, Gonzaga handles the ball well, averaging 11.3 tpg, 40th in the nation. An argument can be made that Notre Dame was frazzled early and the same will happen to the Bulldogs, that should not happen as this veteran team will be able to handle it. Point guard Nigel Williams-Goss became the West Coast Conference player of the year after back-to-back double-digit scoring seasons at Washington. Johnathan Williams led Missouri in scoring, rebounding and blocks two years ago while graduate transfer Jordan Mathews started 65 games at California. People also point to the lousy schedule that Gonzaga played but it defeated Florida, Iowa St. and Arizona early in the season and overall it is 7-0 against the RPI top 50 and 13-1 against the RPI top 100. Meanwhile, West Virginia is 7-4 and 15-5 respectively so while it has more games against the better teams, those losses cannot be overlooked. This will be the tallest team that the Mountaineers have faced this season so their typical rebounding edge is no longer an edge and could end up a disadvantage here. The close game against northwestern was a good thing for Gonzaga and will help a large amount here. Going back, the Bulldogs are 20-6-1 ATS in their last 27 games against teams with a winning straight up record while the Mountaineers are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games against teams with a winning straight up record. 10* (816) Gonzaga Bulldogs

A compelling matchup leads off the Sweet 16 on Thursday as Oregon comes in as one of only two higher seeded teams that is an underdog. Rhode Island gave Oregon all it could handle, but a late surge in the second half, some clutch offensive rebounds and big-time threes gave the Ducks a 75-72 win. They compiled 15 offensive boards and 35 total rebounds against the Rams and that is a big edge to have in this upcoming matchup. Oregon lost center Chris Boucher to a season-ending injury in the Pac 12 Conference tournament, which has forced Oregon to play small and that will not hurt the Ducks here. The Wolverines struggle rebounding, and have been out-rebounded by 2.5 boards per game this season, one of the worst rebounding margins in the country. Offensive rebounding is particularly difficult, with Michigan getting 7.5 boards on that end per game. A strength of Oregon is long range shooting as it is hitting 40.5 percent from behind the arc since February and that is not good against Michigan as it is allowing opponents to shoot 37.5 percent from behind the three-point line, the 15th-highest rate among the 16 teams remaining. The Wolverines will be a very popular play here as they are the public darlings of the tournament, thus they are pegged as the favorite. That is an edge to Oregon as the Ducks are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games as an underdog of fewer than seven points. 10* (814) Oregon Ducks

The Bucks won in Portland last night to move to 3-2 on this current roadtrip and they conclude the six-game trek tonight. The two losses came at Golden St. and Memphis, both playoff teams, and they have done very well against the teams below them. Milwaukee is just 12-23 against teams ranked in the top 16 but the complete opposite 23-12 against teams ranked below that mark. Milwaukee is 13-5 over its last 18 games which has gotten the Bucks back to .500 mark overall and they currently sit in seventh place in the Eastern Conference. This is big considering the Bucks are just two games out of fifth place and just a game and a half out of ninth place so there is little room for error. Sacramento is just playing out the season at this point as it has struggled since the All Star Break with a 3-10 record. The Kings have been hit hard of late with injuries which has hurt the depth overall. While the home record is pretty similar to the Bucks road record, most of that home success came with DeMarcus Cousins in town as they are 2-6 at home without him. The Kings are 1-4-1 ATS in their last six home games against teams with a losing road record. 10* (763) Milwaukee Bucks

The Celtics have won four of their last five games after a big win over Washington on Monday which increased their lead to 2.5 games over the Wizards for the second spot in the Eastern Conference. That was the fourth straight home win and Boston is 11-1 in its last 12 home games but the spot it is in tonight has been a disaster for bettors. The Celtics are 0-10 ATS this season when favored by eight or more points including a 0-7 ATS record at home, two resulting in outright losses. The Pacers are coming off a win over the Jazz at home as underdogs and while consecutive wins have been few and far between of late, we do not need the outright win here as this line is generous enough. It is no secret Indiana has struggled on the road this season but they are a respectable 7-6 ATS in their last 13 road games. The Pacers are 5-1 ATS in their last six games against teams with a winning straight up record while the Celtics are 2-5 ATS in their last seven home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. 10* (753) Indiana Pacers

Central Florida will take on its second team from Illinois in three days and the Knights are back home to try and advance to MSG and the NIT Semifinals. They overcame an 18-point deficit and defeated Illinois St. 63-62 Monday on a pair of B.J. Taylor free throws with just 1.3 seconds to play. That type of comeback is huge moving forward and the Knights bring that momentum in Wednesday where they are 14-3 at home and are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 home games as favorites of less than seven points. Illinois is coming off an impressive effort on Monday as it took care of Boise St. by 15 points after trailing at halftime by a point. The second half effort was fueled by the fact that upcoming head coach Brad Underwood was in attendance, although not coaching, so the younger players were no doubt auditioning in front of their new coach. The Illini hit the road where they have struggled where they are just 3-6 and going back, they are 2-6 ATS in their last eight road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. Additionally, UCF is 8-2 ATS at home against teams with a winning record while the Illini are 3-7 ATS on the road against above .500 teams. 10* (768) UCF Knights

The Warriors won their game over Oklahoma City last night and swept the season series with the Thunder 4-0 by an average of more than 20 ppg. That was a big game and one that Golden St. got up for bigger than others and that will provide a slight letdown going into Dallas tonight. The Warriors are now two and a half games ahead of San Antonio in the Western Conference but they are in a horrible spot, not even taking Oklahoma City into account. They are 4-15 ATS this season on the road against teams with a losing record while going 2-7 ATS in the second of back-to-back road games. Dallas won its last game in Brooklyn to cap a 2-2 roadtrip where it has struggled mightily with just nine wins all season long. The Mavericks are 13-4 in their last 17 home games with some quality wins along the way and over that stretch, they have gone 14-3 ATS. Dallas is just two and a half games out of the final playoff spot in the conference and covering against an elite team is no issue as the Mavericks are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* (660) Dallas Mavericks

The NIT continues Tuesday and after seeing a pair of upsets by the road teams last night, we have that possibility again right here. We played against TCU last week when we felt it was overvalued against Fresno St. and that feeling is the same here. The Horned Frogs are coming off an impressive win at Iowa in overtime on Sunday and come home laying a big number. Since the end of their cupcake non-conference season, the Horned Frogs have only two wins by more than what they are laying here and those came against Oklahoma and Texas, both of which won just 11 games each this season. TCU will be without Jaylen Fisher who is its best three-point shooting, second best free throw shooter and is second on the team in assists. Richmond won on the road in the first round and was able to host its next game against Oakland which resulted in a four-point victory. The Spiders are 8-5 on the road this season and most important, they are 6-1 ATS as road underdogs, winning five of those outright with the two losses coming against VCU and Dayton. Going back, the Spiders are 8-3-1 ATS in their last 12 road games against teams with a winning home record while the Horned Frogs are 4-12 ATS in their last 16 games against teams with a winning straight up record. 10* (669) Richmond Spiders

Utah Valley finished 15-16 overall including a 6-8record in the WAC yet was invited into a postseason tournament. The Wolverines hit the road and easily took out Georgia Southern in the first round, a team that finished the season just 18-15 and was riding a three-game losing streak at the time. While that can be considered an impressive win, they will be facing a very big test. Utah Valley has only played four games this season that had lines and while it did cover all of those, it shows the discrepancy of the schedules and the levels of competition. Rice had a very strong season and is making its first postseason appearance since 2011-12. The Owls have won 10 of their last 13 games after defeating San Francisco in the first round, 85-76, last Wednesday. This is a young team with only two seniors on the roster so thing is a big springboard going into next season and that really can make a difference for teams getting extra time together. Rice has won 12 of its 15 games this season when playing with three or more days of rest while Utah Valley is just 8-11 when playing with that much time off. 10* (626) Rice Owls

The Pacers lost in Toronto last night to fall to 11-23 on the road but they have been a much better team at home where they are 24-10. Since suffering through a six-game losing streak leading up to the All Star break, the Pacers have yet to lose consecutive games as they are now 6-0 in their last six games following a loss. It has been well documented that they have struggled playing with no rest but all of the damage has come when the second game was on the road. Additionally, the Pacers are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points. Utah has lost its last two games following a win to open this four-game roadtrip and is now two games ahead of the Clippers for the fourth spot in the Western Conference. The Jazz are not in a good spot here as they have struggled against teams that have a significant home floor edge as going back, they are 7-18-1 ATS in their last 26 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. Indiana will be out to avoid a second straight series sweep to Utah in a game we feel the wrong team is favored. 10* (606) Indiana Pacers

This game is a contrast of styles as UCLA brings in the best offense in the country while Cincinnati counters with a top ranked defense and while the latter is usually an advantage at this stage in the season, the Bruins have too much firepower. The Bearcats have had a great season as they have lost only five games, two coming against SMU and two others against teams still in the NCAA Tournament. They are just 7-5 against the RPI top 100 as they were not tested much in the AAC. UCLA had no issues with Kent St. in its first game as the offense put up 97 points with five players scoring at least 14 points. UCLA totaled 25 assists against the Golden Flashes and shot 62.7 percent from the floor and the balance of this team cannot be overlooked. The Bearcats rank only 327th nationally in the Kenpom.com metric for AdjT (adjusted tempo), with 63.6 possessions per a 40-minute game. UCLA ranks No. 13 in that category at 73.1 and when this turns into a trackmeet, Cincinnati will not be able to keep up. The Bruins are 12-4 against the RPI top 100 and keep the run going on Sunday in easy fashion. 10* (732) UCLA Bruins

Rhode Island was a marginal bubble team prior to the Atlantic Ten Tournament but it went on to win three games in three days for the championship and then beat Creighton to move its winning streak to nine straight games. The Rams were up and down for the most part but five of their nine losses came by five points or less and overall they are now 10-7 against the RPI top 100. They provide matchup problems on both ends as they have a solid inside-outside game on offense and defensively, Rhode Island uses a version of VCU's "havoc defense" to relentlessly swarm the ball. Oregon did not get overly tested against Iona in its first game as it used its athleticism to run away from the Gaels. The Ducks will not be able to have that edge here though and they struggle against physical teams. The loss of Chris Boucher was big to begin with but it is bigger in a game like this as he was third on the team in scoring, second in rebounding and first in blocked shots. The Ducks are 1-4 ATS in their last five games against teams with a winning straight up record while the Rams are 4-0 ATS in their last four games against teams with a winning straight up record. 10* (729) Rhode Island Rams

San Antonio jumped over Golden St. for the top spot in the Western Conference but it lasted for just one day as the Spurs lost at home against Portland while the Warriors defeated Orlando on Thursday. They look to at least keep pace tonight as they head to Memphis and look to add to their 11-1 run following a loss and there is payback in play as well. San Antonio came here on February 6 and lost 89-74 which is by far its lowest offensive output of the season and snapped a nine-game winning streak in this series. Memphis had lost five straight games but has since put together a three-game winning streak and remains a half-game behind the Thunder for the sixth spot in the conference. The Grizzlies have been a pretty average team at home with a 20-14 record, the worst of all playoff contending teams ahead of them. They do own some big wins against solid teams this season but are just 1-5 ATS in their last six home games against teams with a winning road record. Meanwhile the Spurs are 14-6 ATS in their last 20 games after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game. 10* (511) San Antonio Spurs

Middle Tennessee St. dominated Minnesota on Thursday as the Blue Raiders led by as many as 17 points and held off a late Gophers rally to pull off its second upset in the NCAA Tournament in as many years. This really was not an upset though as they were favored despite being seeded seven spots lower. After Middle Tennessee beat the Spartans last year, it was crushed by No. 10 seed Syracuse 75-50 as the Orange made their way to the Final Four and that loss will benefit it big this time around. The Blue Raiders rolled through the regular season, with only Gonzaga and Villanova finishing with a better winning percentage so this team is for real. Butler cannot be taken lightly as it easily took out Winthrop to advance and shook off a loss in its first game in the Big East Tournament. The Bulldogs handed Villanova two of its three losses this season so they can certainly play at a high level but at the same time, they did suffer some bad losses. Middle Tennessee St. has been an underdog only three times this season and covered all of those, winning two outright and going back, the Blue Raiders are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* (525) Middle Tennessee St. Blue Raiders

Wisconsin won for us on Thursday as it was able to pull away late but now encounters a much tougher task in facing the No. 1 seed Wildcats. We mentioned that the Badgers were underseeded and they were able to take advantage against an overseeded Hokies team but because of their seeding problem, they have to face a top seed earlier than expected. Wisconsin was able to pull away against Virginia Tech thanks to taking 11 more shots including 14 more three-pointers which was in part to a 10-rebouind edge on the boards. However, the Hokies were one of the worst rebounding teams in the country, No. 263 in rebound rate and now will be facing one of the best. Villanova was up by just a point over Mount St. Marys at halftime but pulled away with a big second half and going into the game, head coach Jay Wright said he would expect his team to fell the No.1/No 16 pressure and that was the case as the Wildcats came out flat and played tight for 20 minutes. In addition to taking the rebound edge away from Wisconsin, the Wildcats have a huge free throw edge as they are hitting 79.2 percent compared to 64.8 percent for the Badgers. The Wildcats are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games as a favorite of fewer than seven points while the Badgers are 0-4 ATS in their last four games as an underdog. 10* (520) Villanova Wildcats

Wichita St. was considered by most to be most underseeded team in the NCAA Tournament and the linesmakers agree with that as they have listed the Shockers as a rather large favorite over Dayton despite being three seeds lower. Obviously they are a very solid team that finished 30-4 but the Missouri Valley Conference had a very down year and besides two wins over Illinois St., there were not many quality wins. They played a very easy schedule and went just 3-4 against top 100 teams with the other victory coming against Colorado St. Three of those four losses came against Louisville, Michigan St. and Oklahoma St. by an average of 10.7 ppg. Dayton actually comes in with a higher RPI than Wichita St. which makes the line that much more confounding. The Flyers bowed out of the Atlantic Ten Tournament after its first game but despite two losses in a row, they had won nine straight games prior to that. Dayton played a much tougher schedule and went 12-4 against top 100 RPI teams and six of their seven losses came by six points or less. Dayton went 4-1 ATS this season as an underdog while going 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games against winning teams. Meanwhile, the Shockers are 6-14 ATS in their last 20 neutral site games as a favorite. 10* (832) Dayton Flyers

The Sixers are back home following a four-game roadtrip where they went 1-3. They have definitely cooled off after a big January but they continue to cover because the public still does not want to back them thus overadjusted lines. Philadelphia covered all four of those most recent road games and it is 13-3 ATS over its last 16 games and is once again falling into a good spot. Additionally, the Sixers are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 home games against teams with a losing road record. The Mavericks are coming off an upset win at Washington on Wednesday as they put up 39 points in the fourth quarter to notch just their eighth road win of the season against 23 losses. This includes losses in five of their last six road games with three of those losses coming against losing teams and while it has been solid as a favorite, tonight marks the first time all season that Dallas is listed as a road favorite. The Mavericks are 2-5 ATS in their last seven road games against teams with a losing home record. 10* (802) Philadelphia 76ers

Rhode Island was a marginal bubble team prior to the Atlantic Ten Tournament but it went on to win three games in three days for the championship to move its winning streak to eight straight games. The Rams were up and down for the most part but five of their nine losses came by five points or less and overall they went 9-7 against the RPI top 100. This is the first NCAA Tournament appearance in 18 years for the Rams so this is a big deal. Creighton made a nice run in the Big East Tournament in beating Providence and Xavier it has struggled after an 18-1 start. There was talk of the Bluejays being a sleeper national title contender but then point guard Maurice Watson went down on January 16 and they closed the regular season 5-7 over their final 12 games. Davion Mintz, Tyler Clement and Ronnie Harrell all had their moments in the Big East tournament but no one has emerged at that spot and it takes them a while on a game-by-game basis to see which player actually prefers the matchup. This is not good in this tournament that favors strong guard play. The Bluejays are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games against teams with a winning percentage above .600 while the Bluejays are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* (843) Rhode Island Rams

It is rare to have a revenge game in the first rounds of the NCAA Tournament but that is the case here as USC defeated SMU back in late November. That game was in Los Angeles however where the Trojans were a perfect 18-0 this season. They are coming off a huge comeback win over Providence in one of the First Four games as they trailed by 17 points in the second half but came back to win by four. This is a tough situation playing a night game on Wednesday and then playing a day game two days later with a day of travel involved on top of that. SMU is one of the hottest teams in the country right now as it has won 16 straight games and is 26-1 over its last 27 games with the lone loss coming in Cincinnati by just two points. Still, the Mustangs did not get a great seed and they are highly motivated to make a big run especially not being able to play in the postseason last year due to program violations after finishing 25-5 overall. At the end of the regular season the Associated Press ranked SMU No. 12 and USA Today ranked them No. 15 in the nation. The Trojans are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600 while the Mustangs are 24-5-1 ATS in their last 30 games as a favorite. 10* (836) SMU Mustangs

Michigan comes into the NCAA Tournament with a lot of momentum as it has won five straight games including a stretch of four games in four days to win the Big Ten Tournament. The Wolverines have become a very popular pick to make a run but it will be tested right away. This game has pickem written all over it yet the Wolverines opened as the slight favorite and have already been bet up by the public. Michigan typically has a very efficient team and that is the case again this season however the Cowboys rank No. 1 in the nation in the KenPom adjusted offensive efficiency (points scored per 100 possessions) at 124.8. Oklahoma St. rolled through the non-conference with a 10-2 record, losing only to North Carolina and Maryland by a point but then things went south quickly as it lost its first six Big XII games. Five of those were against NCAA Tournament teams and four came down to the final minute. The Cowboys then went on to win 10 of their next 11 games before dropping their last three games, two against Iowa St. and the other against Kansas. The Cowboys are also one of the best free throw shooting teams in the nation and going back, they are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games as an underdog. 10* (827) Oklahoma St. Cowboys

While many are claiming that Wichita St. was the most underseeded team in the NCAA Tournament, I think that claim goes to Wisconsin. The Badgers ended up with a No. 8 seed which does not make sense when comparing it to other teams in the Big Ten. The most glaring comparison is with Minnesota. Wisconsin and Minnesota had a similar resume yet the Gophers got a No. 5 seed despite Wisconsin sweeping the season series. The Badgers stumbled down the stretch with losses in five of six games but most were close and they blasted Minnesota in the final regular season game before making a run to the Big Ten Tournament championship game. When the Badgers play efficient, they are tough to beat and Thursday they will be facing one of the worst defenses in the entire tournament. The Hokies are ranked No. 230 in defensive efficiency and they have the worst RPI of any ACC team that is playing in the NCAA Tournament. Virginia Tech also played the easiest schedule of all of those ACC teams as well and are without one of their best guards as Chris Clarke was lost for the season. While the Hokies still possess a strong offense, the Badgers have the much stronger defense which is the big edge in this matchup. 10* (716) Wisconsin Badgers

The Clippers are coming off a disappointing home loss last night against Milwaukee which was their second straight setback and they now trail Utah by three games for the fourth spot in the Western Conference. It has been a very up and down stretch for Los Angeles as after going 4-0 in its final four games prior to the All Star Break, it is just 5-7 in 12 games since then. The good news is that the Clippers catch a Denver team that is banged up right now. The Nuggets have won three straight games but the last two came against the Kings and Lakers. They paid a price as Wilson Chandler was hurt against the Kings and missed the Lakers game while Danilo Gallinari got hurt last game and both will be out tonight. These are two of the top three scorers which will make the frontcourt very thin. Denver won here by 25 points in the last meeting in January but the Clippers were without both Blake Griffin and Chris Paul. Going back, the Nuggets are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games against teams with a winning straight up record while the Clippers are 5-1 ATS in their last six road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (709) Los Angeles Clippers

The Raptors defeated Dallas on Monday and they trail Washington by two games for the third spot in the Eastern Conference which is a coveted spot considering it would mean avoiding Cleveland until the finals. They are also just two games out of fifth place so with just 15 games left, everyone is important now. Toronto has been pretty average since Kyle Lowry was shut down for surgery as it is 5-5 but that is not considered too bad when seeing that the Raptors were 5-11 in the previous 16 games with him in the lineup. The Thunder snapped a seven-game road losing streak with a win over Brooklyn on Tuesday which is not saying much. Overall, they are 13-20 on the road and of those 13 wins, only four have come against teams with a winning record. Oklahoma City has struggled all season by winning just eight of 26 games as an underdog while going just 3-8 ATS when getting fewer than four points. Toronto is 16-8 ATS this season against teams with a winning record while winning 12 of 14 games when playing with two or more days of rest, covering 11 of those. 10* (704) Toronto Raptors

This is the first ever NCAA Tournament appearance for Northwestern so just being here may seem like an excuse for the Wildcats not really showing up. That is the furthest from the truth and while the experience may be lacking on the court, it is not lacking on the sidelines. Chris Collins played and coached at Duke for a total of 17 years so he knows what the NCAA Tournament is all about. The Wildcats stumbled toward the end of the season as they lost seven of their last 12 games including a bad loss to Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament but they are in a good matchup here. Vanderbilt enters the tournament with the most losses in the field and is considered to be one of the sleeper teams in the tournament thanks to playing one of the toughest schedules in the nation. But the Commodores suffered some bad losses down the stretch of the season as five of their final seven losses came against teams not participating in the Big Dance and those were all in the SEC. The conference as a whole was very weak and if the Commodores cannot make threes, they are doomed which will likely happen here because of the strong Northwestern perimeter defense. The Wildcats balance will be the difference here. 10* (740) Northwestern Wildcats

While it has been mentioned that the lines can be affected by all of the so-called professional opinions leading up to the games on Thursday and Friday, this is one that makes sense. Rarely will you see a No. 12 seed favored but the Blue Raiders are a special team that rolled through their conference all season. C-USA is certainly not a strong conference but 17 of their 20 league wins were blowouts. Middle Tennessee St. has a couple of head scratching losses at home against Georgia St. and Tennessee St. but its other two losses were by just six points combined including a three-point loss against VCU. A 23-point win over Vanderbilt solidifies it and the win over Michigan St. in the NCAA Tournament a season ago shows they have kept the momentum going. Minnesota is a team that is hard to figure out as it has only one quality non-conference win and actually went through a three-game losing streak within the Big Ten. The Gophers bounced back with an eight-game winning streak but only two of those came against NCAA Tournament bound teams. 10* (733) Middle Tennessee St. Blue Raiders

The NCAA Tournament first round is announced four days prior to the first tip and we can gain so much line value based on all of the predictions that we hear leading up to that. Waiting often gives us an opportunity to go against some of these bold predictions upsets with the lines moving our way. One such game is one of the first games on Thursday as UNC-Wilmington is a very popular play for an upset and we are catching enormous line value. Virginia was an underachieving team this season with 10 losses but that is skewed. The Cavaliers lost four games by four points or less and dropped another two in overtime and those were all against ACC teams. The fact of the matter this is the No. 4 ranked defense in the nation in efficiency and is by far the best defense UNC-Wilmington has seen. The Seahawks score a ton but that came against No. 142 ranked schedule in the country. Many look at them hanging with Duke in the first round last season but that was a much easier matchup as Duke had no defense yet were laying more points than what Virginia is laying here. 10* (722) Virginia Cavaliers

Fresno St. was unable to duplicate what it did last season when it won its last six regular season game and tore through the MWC Tournament to win three games in three days to make it to the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs won five straight to end the regular season this year and took out New Mexico in their first tournament game but ran into a very strong Nevada team to get ousted. The head into the NIT as a No. 5 seed yet are getting a line compared to a No. 8 seed and the double-digit line is loaded with value. TCU played in a much tougher conference but the Horned Frogs are significantly overpriced here. They took out Kansas in the Big XII Tournament which was definitely a big win but the motivation of Kansas in that game needs to be questioned. TCU closed on a 2-8 run and its 13-6 home record is far from dominant. Fresno St. is 7-6 against top 100 RPI teams while going 21-6 ATS in its last 27 games against winning teams. TCU is just 4-12 against top 100 RPI teams and is 3-11 ATS in its last 14 games against winning teams. 10* (635) Fresno St. Bulldogs

Detroit got thumped in Cleveland last night as it fell to a very motivated Cavaliers team but now heading home, the Pistons will be the motivated bunch tonight. They are in seventh place in the Eastern Conference playoff race but sit just a game out of tenth place so there is little room for error. Detroit is 22-12 at home including wins in 13 of its last 16 at the Palace while going 8-0 ATS in its last eight games following a straight up loss, winning the last seven games outright. Utah won at home against the Clippers on Monday to make it five wins in its last six games. The Jazz are guaranteed of a playoff spot and they are gunning for home court advantage but they are not in a good spot here as they have struggled against teams that have a significant home floor edge. Going back, the Jazz are 5-18 ATS in their last 23 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (610) Detroit Pistons

The NIT tips off tonight and one of the intriguing games is this one where Indiana faces Georgia Tech but it is the lower-seeded Yellow Jackets that get to play at home. While the Hoosiers are the higher seed and have the right to hold the game on their home court, Indiana declined. ESPNU, which broadcast the selection show, said that it was due to a renovation project of Assembly Hall. A tweet from Indiana beat writer Mike Miller of the Herald Times of Bloomington (Ind.) reported that the school passed because students will be on spring break. This is excellent new for Georgia Tech which went 15-4 on its home floor this season and catches a Hoosiers team that won just two true road games all season. As for the Yellow Jackets, head coach Josh Pastner wants a home-court advantage and because of NIT rules where students have to buy tickets for $15 (home games are free during the regular season), he is paying for every student that wants to attend. The Yellow Jackets are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following a straight up loss. 10* (550) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Since a four-game winning streak toward the end of February, it has been a tough stretch for Cleveland which is 3-6 over its last nine games including going 1-4 over its last five games. Six of the last seven games have come on the road so that has been part of the issue but there really should be no excuses for a team of this caliber. The Cavaliers lead in the Eastern Conference is down to two games over Boston and things are not going to be getting easier as after a two-game homestand, six of the next seven are back on the road. Payback should add to the motivation as Cleveland has dropped the last two meetings against Detroit, both on the road. The Pistons have won two straight, including one win over Cleveland, and four of their last five games to get back to .500 and remain in seventh place in the Eastern Conference. Detroit has struggled on the road by going just 11-21 including a 6-17 record as an underdog, covering only seven of those. Going back, the Pistons are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (532) Cleveland Cavaliers

We lost with Memphis on Saturday as it put up a dud against the Hawks which resulted in a 17-point loss, its fifth straight setback. The Grizzlies are now six games over .500 and sit in the No. 7 spot in the Western Conference, one game behind Oklahoma City which jumped over Memphis. While the losing streak is not ideal, this is the opportunity to bust it as the Grizzlies take to the road after tonight for a two-game trip and going back, they are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a losing straight up record. Milwaukee has won six straight games to get to a game under .500 and climb over Miami for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Five of those wins came at home and the only road win came in Philadelphia and over the last two months, the Bucks have just one road win against teams with a winning record. Also, the Bucks are 6-13 ATS in their last 19 road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (508) Memphis Grizzlies

Washington has put together a great stretch at home but it has been the most recent roadtrip that has turned heads as the Wizards are undefeated, going a perfect 4-0 in a stretch of four games in dive days. While having a day off yesterday was good, the Wizards last two games took overtime to win and the travel distance from Portland to here is significant. The Wizards are 1-9-1 ATS in their last 11 road games against teams with a losing home record. Minnesota had a nice run going with wins in six of its last eight games before falling to Milwaukee on Saturday. The Timberwolves had covered all eight of those games so the fact they are coming off an ATS loss is helping with the number to go along with the Washington winning streak. Despite being 11 games under .500 overall, the Timberwolves are getting outscored by just 0.1 ppg and they have been much better at home despite being a game under .500 at the Target Center. The Timberwolves are 4-0 ATS in their last four games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* (510) Minnesota Timberwolves

The inconsistency for Chicago continued yesterday as it lost in Boston on Sunday afternoon no thanks to scoring just nine first quarter points and never leading the game. That was the fifth straight loss for the Bulls which a season high but we are getting a favorable line based on the recent struggled. They were getting a half-point more yesterday against the Celtics which are 12.5-game better than the Hornets. Charlotte lost its last game against New Orleans in overtime and it has been an up and down over the last seven weeks as the Hornets are just 6-16 over their last 22 games and their home floor does not offer much of an advantage. They are four games over .500 at home but have covered just twice in their last 11 games here while going 3-10-1 ATS in their last 14 games against teams with a losing straight up record. Additionally, Charlotte is just 4-10 this season when favored by six or more points. 10* (501) Chicago Bulls

We played on Atlanta last night which snapped its five-game non-cover streak and now the Hawks hit the road to face an opponent similar to the situation it was just in. The Hawks have been a solid road team this season as they are three games over .500 but they are just 4-5 in their last nine road games following a five-game winning streak on the highway to open the month of January. Memphis has lost four straight games, failing to cover any of those and this is its longest losing skid of the season. This is a very good defensive team but that has been the issue of late including allowing an embarrassing 122 points to the Nets two games back. Memphis has won 21 games against the top 16 in the NBA which is good for the third most in the league which is a reason it is still ranked in the top ten in the power rankings. The Grizzlies were 17-8 following a loss prior to this recent run and the Hawks are 1-10 ATS in their last 11 games when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game. 10* (720) Memphis Grizzlies

**Approx. 9:00 ET Start** We lost with North Carolina last night as Duke overcame a 13-point second half deficit to stun the Tar Heels in a game that looked like it would be a blowout the other way. Duke shot 59 percent in the second half and it was its best half of basketball in a very long time. Now the Blue Devils will be out to win their fourth game in four days, something that no team has ever done in the ACC Tournament. Getting past an efficient Notre Dame team will be no easy task and once again, the Fighting Irish are getting little respect. They defeated Virginia and Florida St. as underdogs and they are once again in that role despite being the higher seed by two spots. We won that game against Virginia noting that Notre Dame would be the more motivated team based on a home loss to the Cavaliers by 17 points. Now it catches a similar scenario as the Irish lost at home to Duke by 10 points which happened to be their next home game after that Virginia loss. Those were the only two home losses all season. The Blue Devils are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 neutral site games as a favorite while the Irish are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games against teams with a winning straight up record. 10* (756) Notre Dame Fighting Irish

**Approx. 6:00 ET Start** Iowa St. rolled over TCU on Friday as the Horned Frogs could not back up their huge win over Kansas and are now headed to the NIT. The Cyclones have different plans and will be out to win their third Big XII Championship in the last four years. This has been a very underrated team all season as they finished with just six conference losses, three coming by eight points combined and two coming against West Virginia so getting another crack at the Mountaineers is just what they want. West Virginia overcome a 12-point second-half deficit in winning against Kansas St. as the offense continues to struggle. The Mountaineers shot just 26.7 percent from the floor and have been held to 63 points or less in four of their last five games. The defense is the strength but even that has been concern, especially away from home. Friday was just like home for Iowa St., whose fans correctly refer to the Sprint Center as Hilton South as three-fourths of the sell-out crowd was backing the Cyclones which are now 7-2 ATS in their last nine games against teams with a winning straight up record. Meanwhile, the Mountaineers are 0-4-1 ATS in their last five games following a straight up win. 10* (749) Iowa St. Cyclones

**Approx. 6:00 ET Start** Nevada is rolling along with eight straight wins and it has covered all of those games as well which is more impressive considering it has been favored in every one of those. The Wolf Pack come in favored once again but it is an overinflated number based on the streak and it has already gone up from opening. Nevada won the regular season MWC Championship on the final day when it defeated Colorado St. at home in the lone meeting between the two teams. It ended up being an easy victory for the Wolf Pack on their home floor where they suffered only one loss all season and they have not been nearly as dominant away from home against quality teams. The Rams fit that category as they took down San Diego St. last night and they have been nearly as hot, winning 12 of their last 14 games. The loss against Nevada was surprising considering how big it was but it was all due to cold shooting in the second half as the Rams actually carried a two-point lead into the half. We expect this game to come down to the final moments which makes the heavy line very underdog friendly. 10* (747) Colorado St. Rams

**Approx. 1:00 ET Start** Rhode Island came through yesterday with a win over St. Bonaventure but it is still hanging on the bubble and has to continue its current run. While the Rams catch a Davidson team that is coming off an upset over Dayton, they would have been better off playing the Flyers which are the No. 27 ranked team in the RPI and that would have given them another opportunity for a quality win should they not gain the automatic bid with a championship. Rhode Island has won six straight games so peaking at the right time is on its side and going back, the Rams are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a winning straight up record. The Wildcats pulled off the upset yesterday to get a quality win in their corner but that was the first of the season away from home. That was actually just the second victory of the entire season as underdogs against seven losses and the first away from home. The Wildcats are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 neutral site games as an underdog while the Rams are 4-1 ATS in their last five games as a favorite. 10* (734) Rhode Island Rams

Atlanta is just 2-3 on its current homestand and could use a big win prior to heading out on a two-game trip against Memphis and San Antonio. The Hawks have failed to cover any of these five games and they have dropped six straight against the number which is adding value to the number tonight. Atlanta trails Washington by 4.5 games in the Southeast Division but more importantly, it trails Toronto by three games for the ever-important fourth spot in the Eastern Conference, adding to the importance of this final game of the homestand. Toronto is 2-1 on this current roadtrip including a win last time out in New Orleans to keep pace with Boston in the Atlantic Division. The Raptors are two games over .500 on the road but they have struggled going back further as they are just 6-12 in their last 18 games on the highway. Only one of those six wins came against a winning team while the other five came against the Nets (twice), Lakers, Knicks and aforementioned Pelicans. The Raptors are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games following an ATS win. 10* (508) Atlanta Hawks

**Approx. 7:00 ET Start** Vanderbilt is coming off a pretty easy win yesterday against Texas A&M and looks to sweep the Gators but Florida will have a say in that. The Commodores all but locked up an NCAA Tournament berth with the victory yesterday thanks to some quality wins and playing the third toughest schedule in the nation. Two of those wins came over Florida so there will be plenty of motivation on the Gators side tonight. Florida lost just four SEC games all year with the other two coming against Kentucky and South Carolina and the last loss against the Commodores came in the final regular season game so it is still fresh. The Gators didn't finish the season ranked No. 1 in the league in any of the prominent statistics, but they show up in the top five of 15 of them which shows how balanced this team is and a win here likely locks up a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament and a short trip to Orlando which is a huge edge. Florida is 8-1 ATS this season as a single-digit favorite and going back, the Gators are 4-0 ATS in their last four neutral site games as a favorite while the Commodores are 0-5 ATS in their last five neutral site games as an underdog. 10* (558) Florida Gators

**Approx. 7:00 ET Start** Duke made a strong comeback yesterday and took out Louisville for its second win in two days and now gets a chance to defeat North Carolina following a loss to end the regular season. The Blue Devils won Thursday despite getting outshot 48.3 percent to 44.1 percent but were fortunate that the Cardinals missed 17 of 21 three-pointers and struggled down the stretch by not making a shot over the final 3:43 of the game. They obviously have a tough matchup once again and while the motivation will be high, the motivation for North Carolina is on another level. With Kansas losing to TCU yesterday, the Tar Heels could make a case for the overall No. 1 seed with an ACC Tournament title. Yesterday against the Hurricanes, the Tar Heels blew open a 34-31 game by shooting 53 percent from the floor, including six threes, after halftime and holding Miami to 30.0 percent shooting. Because of the blowout win, North Carolina was able to ease up late and that is significant playing with no rest while this will be the third game in three days for Duke. The Blue Devils are 4-10-1 ATS in their last 15 games following a straight up win while going 2-7 ATS in their last nine games as an underdog of fewer than seven points while the Tar Heels are 19-5-2 ATS in their last 26 neutral site games as a favorite. 10* (570) North Carolina Tar Heels

**Approx. 2:30 ET Start** We won with Michigan St. yesterday and it feels like once again that when the postseason comes along, the Spartans step it up and that is attributed to head coach Tom Izzo. The Spartans rolled over Penn St. and got the best draw in the quarterfinals facing a Minnesota team that not only has overachieved but they have a significant matchup advantage. The Gophers big men, specifically starting center Reggie Lynch, cannot stay out of foul trouble against Nick Ward and their attacking offense had trouble against Michigan St. in both meetings this season. Minnesota went 11-7 in the conference thanks to an eight-game winning streak prior to a season ending blowout loss against Wisconsin. Of those eight wins, six came against teams that will not be in the NCAA Tournament. Michigan St. played the toughest schedule of all Big Ten teams and this is time of season it pays off as losses early in the year against Arizona, Kentucky, Baylor and Duke only helps now in the postseason. 10* (519) Michigan St. Spartans

**Approx. 2:30 ET Start** St. Bonaventure has had a solid season as it picked up its 20th win yesterday against Massachusetts but the body of work to get there has been suspect. The Bonnies have won 12 Atlantic Ten games including the victory yesterday but not one of those came against a team with an above .500 record in conference play. They are one of only three teams in the entire conference that has just one victory over a top 100 team as the Bonnies are 1-10 against such teams and overall have played the easiest schedule of all Atlantic Ten teams. Rhode Island was expected to contend for the conference title and finished just two games out, going 13-5 and 21-9 overall. Despite this, the Rams are not guaranteed of an at-large NCAA Tournament bid as they are currently the last team out so they need to make a run in this tournament meaning a loss here likely sends them to the NIT. They have won five straight games so they have momentum coming into Friday while the Bonnies are 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games following a straight up win. 10* (528) Rhode Island Rams

**Approx. 1:00 ET Start** Georgia survived against Tennessee yesterday and now gets a third crack at Kentucky in a game it essentially has to win to make an argument at an NCAA Tournament bid. The Bulldogs came in as the No. 8 seed in the SEC Tournament but are one of six teams in the conference with an RPI in the top 50. The problem has been they have very few quality wins but they have been so close to at least having a few. Georgia lost to Kentucky twice this season but both came down to the final seconds and in addition to the Kentucky losses, it fell to Florida on the road in overtime and lost to South Carolina twice by a combined seven points. The Bulldogs got forward Yante Maten back, who is second on the team with 18.4 ppg, after missing four games and his presence is huge. Kentucky is the class of the SEC as evidenced by this line but it is again inflated because of who the Wildcats are and they are 2-8 in their last 10 games as a double-digit favorite. Georgia is 5-0 ATS as an underdog of 7.5 or more points while going 10-2 ATS this season away from home against teams with a winning record. 10* (553) Georgia Bulldogs

**Approx. 11:30 ET Start** One of the biggest busts of the season, not only in the MWC but in the entire country, was San Diego St. which was expected to win the conference. Instead, the Aztecs lost their first three conference games and while they won eight of their next 11 games, a closing 1-3 stretch sent them to a 9-9 record and in need of running the table in the MWC Tournament. Things were not looking good last night as they trailed by 21 points in the second half but something clicked and they went on a huge run and won by 10 points in overtime. The 21-point second half comeback is the largest comeback after intermission in the history of the program and that effort can vault them a long way. Closing the game has been an issue as in five of its nine league defeats, it owned a lead of at least 11 points. Last night, they closed the other way. Boise St. closed the season with a win over Air Force to finish 12-6 to grab the No. 3 seed. While it was a solid year, the Broncos won the games they were supposed to but did not play great against the better teams down the stretch as they are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games against teams with a winning straight up record. 10* (789) San Diego St. Aztecs

**Approx. 9:30 ET Start** Many are saying that Virginia is peaking at the right time as after its win yesterday, the Cavaliers have won four straight games. However, one of those came against NC State while two others came against a poor Pittsburgh team. While the win over North Carolina was impressive, it was a huge revenge game and Virginia played arguably its best game of the season. Now the Cavaliers come in as a surprisingly big favorite that finished ahead of them in the standings and it seems to be overpriced. Notre Dame lost its regular season finale at Louisville after six straight wins and seems poised to make another tournament run. The Irish lost at home to Virginia back in January which was their worst loss of the season so they will be out for some retribution from that. As a matter of fact, Notre Dame has lost five straight to the Cavaliers, not covering once, so have that contrarian revenge angle going as well. We expect a tight game this time around and the favorable price gives a ton of value to the underdog. The Irish have covered six of their last seven games as underdogs. 10* (718) Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Cleveland is coming off a pair of losses against Miami but the circumstances were tough. LeBron James and Kyrie Irving sat out the first meeting while in the second meeting, Andrew Bogut broke his leg a minute into the game and James said the energy left the building at that point. The Cavaliers eventually fell behind by points and could not recover. Overall, Cleveland has now dropped four of its last six games and will be highly motivated to get back on track here after having two days off. The Pistons lost in Indiana last night and while this looks like a possible bounce back spot, they have not been good in the role of underdog, going 9-21 straight up and 11-19 ATS. Additionally, they are 0-7 ATS in their last seven games playing with no rest. They have been solid at home but the schedule has played a part. Detroit has won 20 games at home but only six have come against winning teams and while one of those came against Cleveland the day after Christmas, LeBron James sat that one out. It is well documented Cleveland has struggled on the road against losing teams but this is a different situation. 10* (701) Cleveland Cavaliers

**Approx. 5:30 ET Start** 2017 is looking a lot like 2016 for Fresno St. and the Bulldogs hope they can repeat what they did a season ago. Fresno St. enters the 2017 MWC Championships on a season-long five-game winning streak. Last season, the Bulldogs ended the regular season on a six-game winning streak before winning the 2016 MWC Championship. Momentum is on their side right now but they get a tough matchup in their opener with New Mexico which is back at full strength. Senior forward Tim Williams, who is averaging 17.5 ppg, missed two games in December due to concussion protocol and seven in February due to a stress reaction on his left foot. He is back after playing the last game against San Diego St. and while he was out, other players stepped up in his absence which makes this a very deep team heading into the tournament. New Mexico has proven that it can be strong away from home as it became the first team in Mountain West history to take down San Diego St., Colorado St. and Boise St. on the road in a single season. 10* (785) New Mexico Lobos

**Approx. 2:30 ET Start** It was a pretty average season by Michigan St. standards but scheduling had a lot to do with that as it played the No. 15 ranked schedule in the nation. After a 4-4 start in the Big Ten, the Spartans won six of their next eight games including some quality wins and while they dropped their last two, both of those were by just three points. This young team has grown up a bunch since early season losses to Arizona, Kentucky, Baylor and Duke. Penn St. is coming off a taxing overtime win over Nebraska yesterday which snapped a five-game slide. The Nittany Lions will have a tough time regrouping for the revenge minded Spartans. The Spartans and Nittany Lions played once during the regular season, with the Nittany Lions winning, 72-63, back on Jan. 7 in a game played at The Palestra in Philadelphia. Michigan St. turned the ball over 17 times against the aggressive Nittany Lions and now that it is one-and-done season, it cannot afford that many missed opportunities on offense. 10* (722) Michigan St. Spartans

**Approx. 2:30 ET Start** Duke was able to make a second half push against Clemson to pull out a second round win and now faces a much stiffer test with Louisville which comes in rested with four days off. The Blue Devils struggled in the first meeting in the ability to get shots off and that will be the Cardinals goal again as they will want to keep this one slow paced and win with their defense. The Cardinals are 14th in the nation in field goal percentage defense (.395), 11th in blocked shots (5.5 per game) and 14th in three-point field goal defense (.307) while sitting sixth in the nation in Ken Pomeroy's adjusted defensive efficiency. Louisville has been great as a favorite this season, winning 20 of 23 games while covering 15 of those and converting five of six on the season against the number when laying seven or fewer points. The Blue Devils are 4-16-2 ATS in their last 22 games following an ATS win. 10* (714) Louisville Cardinals

**Approx. 9:00 ET Start** Two of the biggest disappointment square off in the first round of the Pac 12 Tournament and Colorado looks to be very overpriced here. The Buffaloes opened 0-7 within the conference but closed on an 8-3 run to gain some momentum to try and make a postseason run but six of those wins came at home and against some poor opposition. These teams split their two regular season meetings and while Colorado won the second meeting at home in blowout fashion, the line has been overadjusted here based on their second half of the conference season which as mentioned, it overrated. The Buffaloes have a significant home court advantage based on being used to the elevation but this is a below average team when playing outside of Boulder and they come down to the level of the completion. Washington St. opened 2-0 in the Pac 12 but it was downhill from there although the Cougars played well over the final two weeks with a couple of wins and a solid game against UCLA. Washington St. was 8-5 ATS as a double-digit underdog while the Buffaloes are 5-12 ATS in their last 17 games following a straight up win. 10* (557) Washington St. Cougars

**Approx. 8:30 ET Start** The second game of the first round of the Atlantic Ten Tournament and the feeling here is that the wrong team is favored. St. Louis was picked to finish last in the conference but put together a solid run after a 1-7 start as the Billikens went a very respectable 5-6 over their final 11 games. Five of the losses came on the road however all were against teams above them in the conference standings. This was a very undervalued team throughout the season as St. Louis went 13-3 ATS over their last 16 games. Additionally, the Billikens are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 games following a straight up loss. Duquesne was also picked to finish near the bottom of the conference and the Dukes finished dead last with a 3-15 record. They lost 13 of their last 14 games so they come in with zero momentum and they were favored away from home only once and that resulted in an outright loss at St. Louis. The Billikens were 5-2 ATS this season as a single-digit underdog while the Dukes are 1-5 ATS in their last six games as a favorite of fewer than seven points. 10* (568) St. Louis Billikens

Indiana carries a four-game home losing streak into the All Star Break but was able to snap that in the first game back with a 10-point win over the Grizzlies. The Pacers were unable to carry that momentum onto the road however as they went just 2-3 on their five-game roadtrip. They are still a very solid 21-10 at home including going 16-3 when favored. Detroit is riding a two-game winning streak and sits just a game behind Indiana in the Eastern Conference playoff race as it looks to avoid getting swept in the season series after dropping the first three meetings. The Pistons are just 11-20 on the road with eight of those wins coming against teams with a losing record. They have been unable to put together any significant winning streaks this season as they are just 3-9 following consecutive wins including a 1-4 record on the road. Detroit is just 5-11 ATS when getting fewer than five points and 6-14 ATS in their last 20 games following a straight up win. Meanwhile, the Pacers are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points. 10* (514) Indiana Pacers

Houston is coming off a tough loss against San Antonio on Monday by a bucket but looks to get it back tonight and extend its lead over Utah to five games for the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference. The Rockets have been the best team in the NBA following a loss this season, going 17-2 straight up and 15-4 ATS and overall they have dominated the Western Conference with a 25-12 ATS record. Utah has certainly held its own and have quietly put together a three-game winning streak but it has been quiet due to the fact it has come against three teams that will not be making the playoffs. This has been a common trend all season as the Jazz have won the games they should be winning and losing the games against the better teams. While they are a solid 18-12 on the road, the favorite has won 25 of those 30 games while going 20-10 ATS. Utah has won just two games on the highway when getting points and all 10 losses have come by at least nine points and by an average of 12.6 ppg. Going back, the Jazz are 4-17 ATS in their last 21 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (516) Houston Rockets

**Approx. 6:30 ET Start** Game Three of the first round of the Conference-USA Tournament features Charlotte and UAB with the latter needing to run the table to make the Big Dance. While the Blazers were never a lock, they opened the conference season 7-2 and were well on their way to finish at or near the top as predicted but the wheels fell off with a 2-7 finish to fall into the No. 7 seed. This is a team that can make a run at the top seeds because this is a very veteran team as UAB's current roster has a total of 33 games of experience in Conference-USA tournament play, which is the most of any team in the league. Charlotte did not close well either as it finished on a 3-7 run over its final 10 games which included just one victory away from home. The 49ers lost by 13 points at UAB in the lone meeting this season and a big difference was they were manhandled on the boards and that is a significant matchup edge again tonight. The best aspect of course is that this game is being played on the Blazers home court which is a big edge in the early round as a lot of the other marginal school fan bases will not be traveling very well. The 49ers are 2-12 ATS in their last 14 games against teams with a winning straight up record. 10* (536) UAB Blazers

We played against the Blazers last night but their game in Minnesota got postponed due to condensation on the floor. We will be going against them tonight in what is an even better spot. As mentioned yesterday, Portland remains part of the Western Conference playoff picture as it sits just two games behind Denver for the eighth slot thanks to a pair of wins on Thursday and Saturday. Those came at home however where the Blazers are 16-13 but the road has been a different story as they are just 10-22 including losses in three of their last four games on their most recent roadtrip. Oklahoma City is coming off a three-game roadtrip that did not go well as it lost all three games and all three came against teams sitting outside of the playoffs including the first one coming against Portland setting up a quick revenge turnaround. The Thunder have won four straight home games and going back, they are 12-2 in their last 14 games at Chesapeake Energy Arena. They are 14-3 ATS at home against teams with a losing record while the Blazers are 8-20 ATS in their last 28 road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (702) Oklahoma City Thunder

Georgia Tech won for us exactly a week ago in this same matchup but unfortunately for the Yellow Jackets, they lost next time out in Syracuse putting some pressure on them this week. Georgia Tech is hanging on by a thread to make the NCAA Tournament as it is currently one of the last four teams out making this a must-win game and likely tomorrow as well. The Yellow Jackets are 2-4 in their last six games including an additional pair of road losses in Miami and Notre Dame and the one home loss against NC State really hurt them. Pittsburgh was close to the bubble as well but a run of four straight losses to end the regular season doomed the Panthers. They will be out to play spoiler but it has been a huge disappointment this season so the energy level tonight may be light. The feeling here is that the wrong ream is favored with a lot of that based on name and not what is at stake. The Panthers are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games as a favorite of fewer than seven points while the Yellow Jackets are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games following a straight up loss. 10* (712) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

The Hornets are back in Charlotte for the first time in three weeks as they have not played a home game since February 13th. The seven game roadtrip was wrapped around the All Star Break and while it resulted in just a 3-4 record, the road has been a problem for them all season. Charlotte will be out to snap a three-game skid at home where it is three games over .500 overall and has won 16 of 23 games when favored. Indiana has gone 2-2 on its current roadtrip including a win yesterday afternoon in Atlanta but now is in a very unfavorable situation. The Pacers are just 3-10 this season when playing with no rest, covering only two of those games and they are 0-4 straight up and ATS when playing back-to-back road games. Indiana has failed to cover its last five games in Charlotte which puts the Hornets in place to gain ground in the Eastern Conference playoff race. 10* (514) Charlotte Hornets

Philadelphia is coming off a rare home blowout loss and we say rare because it has been very solid in this role all season, covering 23 of 30 games as a home underdog. The Sixers lost by 30 points against the Pistons on Saturday but are still a profitable 20-5 ATS this season when getting fewer than seven points. They have lost consecutive games against the number only once since before Christmas. Milwaukee has won two straight games against a pair of playoff-bound teams and it has been a case of playing up or down to the competition all season. The Bucks have failed to cover four of their last five games as a road favorite and going back, they are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 games against teams with a losing straight up record. Meanwhile, the Sixers are 8-1 ATS in their last nine home games against teams with a losing road record. 10* (506) Philadelphia 76ers

At one point, Wisconsin was a clear top 10 team and shooting for a No. 2 seed and possibly even a No. 1 but the Badgers have fallen on hard times and are in need of something big before the Big Ten Tournament. Wisconsin has lost three straight games and five of its last six to fall into a tie for third place in the conference. The Badgers are coming off a last second loss against Iowa last time out but still sit at 14-2 at home and they have won 20 of their last 22 games at the Kohl Center. The Badgers are 4-0 ATS in their last four home games against teams with a winning road record. Minnesota has been on the opposite type of run as it has won eight straight games to solidify its spot in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. While the run has been solid, the schedule has played a role as only two of those victories are against teams that will be part of the Big Dance. Four of the last five wins took place at home and the Gophers bring in an average 5-4 road record and the spot and situation are not good as the Gophers are 3-18 ATS in their last 21 games as a road underdog of fewer than seven points. 10* (836) Wisconsin Badgers

Boston opened its five-game roadtrip with a relatively easy win over the Lakers as it avoided a letdown following a home victory over Cleveland. With upcoming games against the Clippers and Warriors on Monday and Wednesday, the Celtics cannot let this game slip away and they have been sensational in these spots all season. While Boston is 0-9 ATS when favored by eight or more points, it is 24-11 ATS when favored by less than that which includes a 13-4 ATS mark when favored on the road. Phoenix has been playing well as it has won two straight games while going back prior to the break, it has won three straight home games but is still a disappointing 11-17 at home. The Suns are just 4-15 following a win this season and going back, they are 10-27 ATS in their last 37 games following a straight up win. Boston has a chance to move to within two games of the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference and should do so with relative ease on Sunday. 10* (827) Boston Celtics

Memphis took to the road last night in Dallas and lost by four points as a small chalk and tonight we are seeing a double-digit line switch which is very aggressive. The Grizzlies have been playing well since the end of January as they are 9-5 over their last 14 games including a 6-3 record on the road. This is the fourth and final regular season meeting with Memphis having a 2-1 edge including a win here back in January and it matches up well here as one of the slower teams in the league. The Rockets bounced back after a loss to Indiana with a 19-point win over the Clippers on Wednesday and they are now 17-2 this season following a loss. While Houston has been solid at home, it has had a tough time covering the now inflated numbers and on the season, it is 1-8 ATS when favored between 7 and 11 points. The Rockets have struggled against solid competition at home as they are 4-11 ATS against teams with a winning record and while playing great off a loss, they are just 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games following a win. Memphis is 9-4 ATS this season when playing with no rest, winning 10 of those games outright. 10* (511) Memphis Grizzlies

After holding Virginia to a season low 41 points in the first meeting this season, North Carolina was held to a season low 43 points against the Cavaliers in its last game. It will be out to bounce back from that but more importantly, it will be out to avenge a loss at Duke in the first meeting this season as well as guarantee an outright ACC regular season championship. The Tar Heels lead Notre Dame by one game and the Irish are at Louisville earlier in the day so the it might already be decided but that is not going to take away any motivation for this one. The Blue Devils are coming off a win at home against Florida St. which snapped a two-game losing streak which came after winning seven straight. It has been an up and down season for Duke and it has dropped five of its eight ACC road games and now comes the biggest test of them all. Motivation will be high on the Blue Devils side as well but North Carolina is one of eight teams in the country to be undefeated at home and it wants to keep that intact. North Carolina has played Duke seven previous times under Roy Williams in the final game of the regular season with first place in the ACC at stake and it is a perfect 7-0. 10* (628) North Carolina Tar Heels

Virginia Tech will be making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2007 thanks to a 10-7 record in the ACC and a loss here would match their conference record from last season and it did not get an invite which shows how strong of a season it has been this year. The Hokies have four wins against the top 50 and they bring in a 15-1 record at home to Senior Day. They have quality wins here against Duke, Syracuse, Virginia and Miami and the lone home defeat came against Notre Dame by just five points and going back to last season, they have won 20 of their last 21 home games. The Hokies are 5-0-1 ATS in their last six games against teams with a winning straight up record. Wake Forest could use a win to punch a ticket into the Big Dance as it is one of the last four teams in heading into the weekend. The Demon Deacons have won two straight games including a home upset win over Louisville on Wednesday. Those were both at home however where Wake Forest is 6-3 in the ACC but on the road, it is 2-6 with the win coming against Boston College and NC State which are a combined 6-29 in the conference. The Demon Deacons are 7-17 ATS in their last 24 games following a straight up win. 10* (594) Virginia Tech Hokies

We played on Xavier is it last home game of the season and it fell behind early because of a hot shooting Marquette team, which finished hitting 61.1 percent from the floor, and sent the Musketeers to their sixth straight loss. They were an NCAA Tournament lock a month ago but that is no longer the case as they are teetering on the bubble and can ill afford another loss especially against an opponent like this. This is the longest losing streak for Xavier since 1982 and while laying a big number on the road is never easy, DePaul has very little home court advantage. The Blue Demons were picked to finish last in the Big East and they have not disappointed as they come in at 2-15 with those two wins coming by a combined three points. To their credit, they have had a share of close losses here but three of their last four home losses have been by at least 13 points. We are getting some value in this number because of the Xavier losing streak as well as the fact that DePaul has covered five straight games. Going back, the Musketeers are 7-0 ATS in their last seven road games against teams with a losing home record. 10* (535) Xavier Musketeers

The bubble watch is on for many teams that need to win and make some conference tournament runs to make it to the Big Dance and one of those is Kansas St. The Wildcats are on the outside looking in despite a 7-10 record in the Big XII but they actually have a relatively high RPI as they possess three wins over top 50 teams. Kansas St. is 10-5 at home but this record includes four straight losses so it will be out to snap that streak in its final home game of the season. Texas Tech was on the bubble for a while but losses in five of its last six games has knocked the Red Raiders out and a championship in the Big XII Tournament is the only way they will get in. Part of the issue has been the inability to win on the road as Texas Tech is 1-8 on the highway including a winless 0-8 record in the conference. A loss by the Wildcats will knock them completely out of the conversation and they will be forced to take the entire Big XII Tournament which is certainly a longshot. The home team has dominated this series over the years and that continues this Saturday on Senior Day in Manhattan. 10* (532) Kansas St. Wildcats

Pepperdine was supposed to take a step forward this season after two straight 18-win seasons but instead, it took a couple steps back as it heads into the WCC Tournament with just nine wins overall. The Waves have lost their last four games which came after winning three straight games but the wind came out of their sails right after their winning streak with the loss of forward Chris Reyes who is one of three players averaging double-digits in scoring. After Reyes went down, Pepperdine has been outscored by 118 points over three-plus games. Pacific has not had much better success this season as it has just one more win overall and actually finished with one fewer victory in the conference. The Tigers have lost three straight games but were able to cover all of those as they cashed a huge number against Gonzaga while their last two losses came by a point apiece against Santa Clara and Loyola-Marymount. Overall, five WCC losses came by five points or less and they head into the tournament in much better shape. Pepperdine is 4-15 ATS this season as an underdog of three points or more and the Tigers have had similar results with the favorite winning 22 of 28 lined games this season. 10* (879) Pacific Tigers

After sweeping Atlanta in the 2014-15 Eastern Conference Finals, Cleveland won all three regular season meeting last season as well as sweeping the Hawks in the playoffs once again but Atlanta was finally able to snap the slide, winning in November to halt the 11-game losing streak. Even though it was long ago, the Cavaliers certainly have not forgotten that loss and coupled with the loss in Boston on Wednesday, they will be giving a full out effort tonight. Cleveland has won its last four games following a loss and after its lead in the Eastern Conference has been cut to just three games, this is now a big game especially with a home-and-home on deck against red hot Miami. Atlanta dropped its first two games out of the break but has won two straight since then to keep pace with Washington in the Southeast Division. The Hawks are 2.5 games behind the Wizards but despite the recent wins, they are just 8-8 over their last 16 games including a meager 4-4 record at home. Cleveland has won 12 of 17 games this season following a loss while winning 13 of 18 games when favored on the road and on the other side, the Hawks are 0-4 ATS in their last four games following a straight up win. 10* (827) Cleveland Cavaliers

Loyola-Chicago was the most snake bit team during the regular season and there should be plenty of motivation for the Ramblers heading into the MVC Tournament. They finished 8-10 but it could have and should have been a lot better. Of those 10 losses, six came by four points or less, two coming in overtime, including four defeats by two points or less. Conversely, of the eight wins, six were by double-digits. To show how unfortunate they were, they outscored opponents by 6.9 ppg while Illinois St., which finished the season 17-1, outscored opponents by just 8.5 ppg. Loyola is 0-8 this season in games decided by five points or less and is tied for seventh in the nation with six losses by three points or less. Two of the close losses came against Southern Illinois, including a two-point loss in the regular season finale, so there is the revenge factor as well. The Salukis finished the regular season with a .500 record but were outscored on the season and they fall into the situation of going against teams in conference tournaments trying to defeat the same team for a third time. The Ramblers are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games against teams with a winning straight up record. 10* (865) Loyola-Chicago Ramblers

Here we have two teams coming off opposite schedules since before the All Star Break and this is one where Portland can take advantage of heading home. The Blazers are coming off a three-game roadtrip including three games since the break and they put up a 1-3 record to fall to 10-22 on the highway. They are just a game over .500 at home and will be looking to snap a three-game slide at the Moda Center and their recent record of 3-4 includes three close losses while going back, the Blazers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games following a road trip of seven or more days. Oklahoma City meanwhile is coming off a four-game homestand where it went a perfect 4-0 to improve to 23-8 on its home floor which is the second best home record in the Western Conference. The Thunder are just 12-17 on the road however and playing on the road has been a rarity of late as only four of their last 14 games have been away from home an all four of those have resulted in losses. It has been 17 days since the Thunder have had to travel and going back, they are 2-5 ATS in their last seven road games against teams with a winning home record. The home team has won the last eight meetings and we see that continuing here. 10* (706) Portland Trailblazers

UC Davis is one of eight teams in the country that possess an undefeated record at home and that is on the line tonight. The Aggies are one win away from posting its second undefeated home record in the last three seasons, and providing the perfect ending for five graduating seniors, J.T. Adenrele, Darius Graham, Brynton Lemar, Georgi Funtarov and Lawrence White. They are a half-game behind Cal Irvine for first place in the Big West Conference and that is where they head on Saturday so a loss here means they will not be able to win the conference outright. Hawaii comes in riding a two-game winning streak and it is coming off its final home game of the season with an overtime win over CS Fullerton. The final home game is a guarantee considering the Warriors are ineligible for the postseason so they are just playing out the string in these final two games. They are 3-3 on the road but the three wins came against three of the four bottom teams in the conference and going back, the Warriors are 1-4 ATS in their last five games against teams with a winning straight up record. Meanwhile, the Aggies are 6-0 ATS in their last six games as a home favorite of fewer than seven points. 10* (746) UC Davis Aggies

This is a pretty big weekend for UTSA as it can finish as high as seventh in the C-USA standings with a pair of victories and some help this week. The Roadrunners are 7-9 in Conference-USA so getting to .500 would be a huge accomplishment for a team that was picked to finish dead last in the conference following a 5-27 record last season. They are getting the job done at home as they are 10-2 with the two losses coming against Middle Tennessee St. and Louisiana Tech which are a combined 28-5 in the conference. Following a four-game roadtrip, the Roadrunners are 5-1-1 ATS in their last seven home games against teams with a losing road record. It has been just the opposite for Charlotte on the road as it is 2-8 with one win coming in the non-conference slate over Elon and its lone conference win came against 2-14 North Texas. Additionally, only one of its conference losses came by fewer than 13 points. The 49ers just came off their final home game of the season which resulted in a loss so this is a tough spot to get up for and it is a horrible spot as they are 3-13 ATS in their last 16 road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (722) UTSA Roadrunners

Sacramento opened the second half without DeMarcus Cousins with a win over Denver but has since dropped its last two games against Charlotte and Minnesota but it has a great chance tonight to even the homestand at 2-2. Going back, the Kings are 5-3 over their last eight home games and while the roster is different now, they are catching a very solid number. On the season, Sacramento is 3-1 straight up and ATS at home as a favorite of three points or less with the lone loss coming against Indiana. Additionally, the Kings are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points. Brooklyn was able to cover its last game against Golden St. but the Warriors were not playing at full throttle with the whole roster getting court time. The Nets have lost 16 straight games including seven straight on the road where they have won just twice all season. They seem to be getting too much credit here against a Sacramento team that despite the roster moves, is just two games out of the eighth spot in the Western Conference so there is plenty to be playing for. 10* (522) Sacramento Kings

We played on and lost with Xavier on Sunday as the Musketeers had every chance to pull away and win the game but turned the ball over too many times late in the game and thus, were outscored 19-8 to end the game. They have lost two straight home games for the first time since 2011 and with this being the final home game of the season, we will be a solid bounce back effort to stop that skid as well as an overall five-game losing streak. Included in that is a 22-point loss at Marquette so there is the revenge factor as well. The Musketeers are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. Marquette is just 3-6 on the road this season so it could use another win on the highway to bolster a possible berth into the NCAA Tournament but this is not the place to do it. The Golden Eagles host Creighton in their final game of the season so there is still a chance after this not to mention the Big East Tournament. The problem they are caching Xavier at the wrong place at the wrong time and they are 1-4 ATS in their last five games against teams with a winning straight up record. 10* (552) Xavier Musketeers

Milwaukee remains in the playoff hunt in the Eastern Conference as it sits two games behind Detroit for the eighth and final spot. The Bucks are coming off a loss to Cleveland which came in the second game of a back-to-back where they decided to rest Khris Middleton who is slowly but surely coming back to full health. The Bucks have been pretty solid at home this season despite just a .500 record as they have lost some close games along the way, dropping 10 of those by six points or less, seven of those coming against winning teams. Denver is coming off a win in Chicago last night as it shot 56.2 percent from the floor and had a 22-9 advantage from the free throw line. That was just the 11th road win on the season for the Nuggets and they have not won consecutive road games all season. Additionally, Denver has not won any back-to-back games in a month as it has gone 0-6 in its last six games following a victory, failing to cover any of those games on top of it. Also, the Nuggets are 3-10 this season when playing with no rest. 10* (512) Milwaukee Bucks

The Knicks are coming off a tough loss on Monday as they lost to Toronto by a point on a last second shot, sending the Raptors to their fourth straight victory. The loss was not a surprise as New York was coming off a win and it has not won consecutive games in over two months, going 0-9 in its last nine games following a victory. We should see a motivated bunch tonight as the Knicks will get Kristaps Porzingis back in the lineup. Orlando is off a rare win as it took out Atlanta on Saturday and the Magic have not won consecutive games many times this season as they are 6-15 following a victory including seven straight losses. Orlando has not been favored much this season and when it is, the results are not good as the Magic are 2-9-1 ATS in 12 games when laying points. The Knicks are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of less than .400 while the Magic are 3-13-1 ATS in their last 17 home games against teams with a losing road record. 10* (501) New York Knicks

While Northwestern is still pretty much guaranteed to make its first ever NCAA Tournament appearance, the Wildcats are not doing themselves any favors to make it a lock. They have lost five of their last seven games 9-7 in the Big Ten and they are currently projected as a No. 10 seed which seems pretty safe but losing their final two games as well as their first game in the Big Ten Tournament will put the decision in the hands of the committee. That is something they do not want so a win here is imperative with the final game of the season coming against Purdue. The Wildcats are 13-3 at home and they are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. Michigan has clawed its way into the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble thanks to five wins over its last six games including big victories over Michigan St., Wisconsin and Purdue but those all came at home where it is 15-3. The Wolverines played their final home game and won against Purdue so it will be tough to get up here and they 2-7 ATS in their last nine road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (530) Northwestern Wildcats

While winning the Mountain West Conference is a stretch, Boise St. is still mathematically alive as it sits a game behind Colorado St. and Nevada who face off against each other in the final game of the season. The Broncos are coming off a win over San Jose St. on Saturday to make it six wins over their last eight games including their fourth straight home win where they are 11-2 on the season and have won 64 of their last 74. While winning the conference may be a stretch, Boise St. currently sits in third place which is a huge spot as it avoids the No. 4-No. 5 matchup in the first round of the upcoming MWC Tournament and a win here guarantees at least a No. 3 spot. The Broncos are 5-2-1 ATS in their last eight games as a favorite of fewer than seven points. Fresno St. has won three straight games to move two games over .500 in the conference and could be peaking at the right time similar to last year when it made a run into the NCAA Tournament. This team has been much more inconsistent however and the Bulldogs have struggled on the road for the most part, going just 5-9 including a 2-6 record in the conference. The Bulldogs are 2-5 ATS in their last seven road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (754) Boise St. Broncos

Georgia Tech is hanging on by a thread to make the NCAA Tournament as it is currently one of the last four teams out meaning it will have to likely win out as well as win a game or two in the upcoming ACC Tournament. The Yellow Jackets are 1-3 in their last four games including a pair of road losses in Miami and Notre Dame and the one home loss against NC State really hurt them and they cannot lose another home game against a non-quality opponent. This is the last home game of the season so coupled with the must win scenario, Georgia Tech is in a great spot laying a short number. Four home wins against ACC teams heading to the tournament shows they can get it done here. Pittsburgh has had a very rough season but it was expected. The Panthers are a game over .500 but are just 4-12 in the ACC including a 1-6 record on the road and that win came against 2-14 Boston College. They are coming off their final home game of the season on Saturday which resulted in a blowout loss against North Carolina so they are now just playing out the string. The Yellow Jackets are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following a straight up loss. 10* (748) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

With the Miami loss last night, Detroit moved a game and a half ahead of the Heat for the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference and it looks to increase that to a full two games tonight. The Pistons lost here to Boston on Sunday but have been playing well at home for the most part as they are 9-3 over their last 12 games. They have been very solid as mid-range favorites, going 12-6 ATS when favored between four and seven points and are 6-0 ATS in their last six home games against teams with a losing road record. The Blazers are in the playoff hunt in the Western Conference despite being 10 games under .500 as they trail Denver by a game and a half for the final spot. They have been average at home but dreadful on the road as their 21 road losses are tied for fourth most in the NBA. Portland has lost 15 of its last 18 road games as an underdog and it has not been covering very often as well in this range as it is 3-12 ATS in its 15 games this season when getting fewer than six points. This is a big one for both sides but we give the significant edge to the home team based on the big home/road split variances. 10* (704) Detroit Pistons

This is the final home game of the season for Central Michigan which was looking good to possibly steal the MAC West but has dropped five straight games to fall into a tie for last place in the division. The losing run also includes five straight losses against the number and that is a big reason the Chippewas are home underdogs here despite playing a team with a losing record overall and the same record in the conference. This is likely the final home game for NCAA leading scorer Marcus Keene who is a junior but is projected to be a second round pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. Central Michigan will be out to avoid a four-game home losing streak before hitting the road to end the season. The Chippewas are 5-0 ATS in their last five home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. Eastern Michigan rolled on Saturday over Northern Illinois which snapped a six-game losing streak as well as a seven-game ATS losing skid. The road has been a real problem however as the Eagles are 4-10 overall including four straight losses. Additionally, the Chippewas will be out to avenge a 22-point loss against Eastern Michigan from last month. 10* (730) Central Michigan Chippewas

Miami has caught fire yet again as after a 13-game winning streak, the Heat dropped a pair of games before winning their final game before the break and since then, they have added another pair of blowout wins. Wins over Atlanta and Indiana were both double-digit victories and with the incredible 16-2 stretch, Miami is now just a game behind Detroit for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. While the Heat have been better on the road, they have been road favorites only four times, twice each against Brooklyn and Philadelphia. Dallas may not be a whole lot better than those two teams record-wise, the Mavericks are significantly better rating-wise. After a loss at Minnesota to open the second half, Dallas came back with a win over New Orleans on Saturday to make it seven wins over its last nine home games. The Mavericks are a game over .500 at home for the season and they are 10-2 ATS at home against teams with a losing record while going 7-0 ATS in their last seven home games against teams with a losing road record. 10* (512) Dallas Mavericks

North Carolina has won four straight games since a loss at Duke to move to 25-5 overall and it has clinched at least a share of the regular-season ACC championship with a 13-3 record in conference play. The Tar Heels have already clinched the No. 1 seed in the upcoming ACC Tournament so this game means little at this point and with a revenge game against Duke on deck in its final home game, it will be hard for them not to be looking ahead to that game. Virginia snapped a four-game slide with a win over NC State on Saturday to improve to 9-7 in the conference to move into a tie for seventh place in the loaded ACC. Should the Cavaliers win out, they have a shot of getting into the top four which comes with a double-bye but they will need some help along the way. They are 10-4 at home with three losses coming within the conference but one came in overtime, another by two points to Florida St. and the last coming against Duke which came two days after an excruciating overtime loss against rival Virginia Tech by a bucket. Virginia lost at North Carolina just over a week ago as it was held to a season low 41 points and the top defense in the nation would love to return that favor tonight. The Tar Heels are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 road games against teams with a winning home record while the Cavaliers are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (516) Virginia Cavaliers

Washington closed out with three straight wins prior to the break but lost momentum with the time off as it opened the second half with a loss at Philadelphia. The road has been the real issue for the Wizards which are now just 10-15 on the highway but they have been exceptional at home, especially of late. Washington is 24-7 at home on the season including a 19-1 record over its last 20 games here with the lone loss coming against Cleveland in overtime nearly three weeks ago. They are catching a favorable price here as they look to add to their stellar 16-5 ATS record as favorites of fewer than six points. Utah opened the second half with a win over Milwaukee on Friday to improve to 16-11 on the road. Most of those victories have come against inferior teams however as only three of those 16 wins have come against teams with a winning record. Utah has defeated the teams is should as it is 32-9 as a favorite but it has struggled against the better opposition as it is 2-12 as an underdog, covering just three of those games. Going back, the Jazz are 5-16 ATS in their last 21 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600 while the Wizards are 12-4 ATS in their last 16 games against teams with a winning straight up record. 10* (806) Washington Wizards

Butler is coming off an upset win at Villanova and the Bulldogs have handed the Wildcats two of their three losses this season so they certainly want no part of the Bulldogs come Big East Tournament time. Butler improved to 22-6 overall including 11-5 in the conference to remain in second place, a spot it is likely to stay in come the end of the regular season. After that is where it gets really interesting. Six teams are within two games of each other and only two of those teams will be locking down an extra day off in the tournament which comes with possessing a No. 1 though No. 4 seed. Xavier is in the mix as it sits in the No. 4 slot but is also just a half-game out of the No. 5 spot. The Musketeers have lost four straight games starting with a home loss against Villanova and then dropping three straight on the road. Xavier is 12-2 at home, the other loss coming against Creighton, so it will have to protect its home court here to avoid a second straight home loss for the first time since December of 2011. Xavier has won five straight games at home in this series and going back, the Musketeers are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 games as a home underdog. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are 0-4 ATS in their last four games following an ATS win. 10* (836) Xavier Musketeers

UAB was picked to finish second in Conference-USA but that will not be happening and now the Blazers goal is to get back into the top four to receive a first round bye in the upcoming conference tournament. They opened C-USA play with a loss at Middle Tennessee St. before running off five straight wins but is has been an up and down ride since then as UAB has gone just 3-6 over its last nine games. However, five of those losses came on the road (0-5) so a return home here is big as the Blazers are 10-3 on their home floor and this is the start of a three-game homestand to close out the season and UAB has not lost consecutive games at home since 2014. Middle Tennessee wrapped up the regular season championship with a win at Marshall last Saturday and while it can still finish with the same record as Louisiana Tech, it owns the tiebreakers and while closing the season against 6-10 FAU and 2-14 FIU. We do not see a ton of motivation on the side of the Blue Raiders considering this being their last true road game of the season and for what little is at stake. It is much more meaningful to the Blazers who will also be out for revenge after being held to a season low 49 points in the first meeting. The Blazers are 10-4-1 ATS in their last 15 games as a home underdog of fewer than seven points. 10* (822) UAB Blazers

UC Davis is tied with UC Irvine atop the Big West Conference and the Aggies travel to face the anteaters in the regular season finale so the next two games are very important to make that last game have any meaning. UC Davis defeated Northridge in its last game which halted a two-game slide but both of those were on the road including an overtime loss at Long Beach St which sets up a nice revenge spot here. The Aggies are a perfect 9-0 at home, winning those games by an average of 12.5 ppg and 11 of those victories have been by at least nine points. The 49ers are just two games out of first place but they are coming off an awful loss at home against 4-9 Cal Poly which was just their second home loss of the season. The road has been the problem as they are 3-14 and while a lot of those came early on against powerhouses to try and get them ready for conference action, it has backfired. The 49ers are 2-7 ATS in their last nine road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600 while the Aggies are 6-1 ATS in their last seven home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. 10* (656) UC Davis Aggies

The Hawks let us down last night but we will back them tonight in a very favorable situation. Prior to Friday, you have to go all the way back to early December to find the last time Atlanta has suffered consecutive losses. The Hawks fell behind early and big last night so no player registered more than 28 minutes which is a big factor heading into a game with no rest. Going back, the Hawks are 12-3 ATS in their last 15 games playing with no rest while going 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games following a straight up loss. Orlando played Thursday and lost for the sixth time in seven games as Portland beat the Magic by nine points. The home floor has provided no advantage all season as Orlando is 9-19 here including losses in nine of its last 11 games. The Magic have been home underdogs numerous times this season and it has not been a good role as they are 3-14 straight up and 4-13 ATS. Atlanta is 20-9 this season against teams ranked outside the top 16 in the league and it gets back into the win column in a big way tonight. 10* (503) Atlanta Hawks

After opening the season 20-2, Maryland has hit a rough patch as it has dropped four of its last six games including two in a row. The first one was a loss at Wisconsin which was expected but the last one came at home against Minnesota by 14 points and that one was certainly uncalled for. The Terrapins are now 10-5 in the Big Ten which is still good for solo third place so winning out will keep them in that spot and avoid a drop all the way down to sixth place in the conference. Iowa is coming off an overtime win at home over Indiana which snapped a three-game slide and the Hawkeyes are just playing spoiler at this point as they knocked the Hoosiers outside the bubble. While they have been solid at home, they have been dreadful on the road, going just 1-7 with the lone victory coming against 2-14 Rutgers. All but one of the seven road losses have been by double-digits and they are getting outscored by over 11 ppg on the highway. Going back, the Hawkeyes are 3-13 ATS in their last 16 road games against teams with a winning home record while the Terrapins are 10-2-2 ATS in their last 14 games following a double-digit loss at home. 10* (572) Maryland Terrapins

TCU hung around with Kansas for a half but eventually ran out of gas as it lost by 19 points in Lawrence and saw its losing streak reach four games. Three of those came on the road and the other came at home against Oklahoma St. and all four losses were against teams heading to the NCAA Tournament. The Horned Frogs will be facing another tournament bounce team on Saturday and an upset win here will more than likely secure their own berth into the Big Dance despite a losing conference record. Their two other home conference losses came against Baylor and Kansas and both were competitive games until the end so they can hold their own again here. West Virginia is just 4-2 in February with three wins coming against teams not heading to the tournament and the fourth coming against Texas Tech in overtime and the Red Raiders are still a bubble team as well. The Mountaineers are 5-3 on the road and could once again be without second leading scorer Esa Ahmad who was injured two games back. The Horned Frogs are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (522) TCU Horned Frogs

This is the final regular season game for Bradley and Drake as they look to position themselves for the final four seedings in the upcoming MVC Tournament. The Bulldogs are tied with Evansville and Indiana St., who are also playing each other this Saturday, for eighth place so a win here guarantees they will not be the lowest seed. They have dropped eight straight games with half of those coming on the road and three of the four coming at home against the top three teams in the conference. The other loss was just a three-point setback against Missouri St. Drake is 6-8 at home which is nothing great but this is the last home game of the season and it comes in a revenge game. Bradley has won its last two games but both of those came at home and on the season, the Braves are 2-10 on the road including a 1-7 record within the conference. Only one of those losses was a single-digit loss and they are getting outscored by nearly 14 ppg on the road. The Braves are 9-24-1 ATS in their last 34 games following a straight up win while the Bulldogs are 4-1 ATS in their last five home games against teams with a losing road record. 10* (544) Drake Bulldogs

Texas Tech has seen its NCAA Tournament hopes take a hit over the last week with a pair of overtime losses against West Virginia and Iowa St. The Red Raiders are now just 5-10 in the conference but they still have a relatively high RPI thanks to a pair of quality wins over West Virginia and Baylor while suffering some tough defeats. They have lost two other games by one point and another two games by four points so their record could be a lot better had they been able to close out some of these close games. They have a shot at winning out and then making a small run in the Big XII Tournament to enhance their chances. Oklahoma St. has been playing some of the best basketball in the conference as its 9-3 record over the last 12 games is second best only to Kansas. The schedule has been on the Cowboys side for sure though as seven of those conference wins have come against teams that are either in the bubble or have no chance of making the Big Dance. While road revenge is not a huge angle to go after, Texas Tech will be out to avenge it biggest conference loss of the season and one of only three losses at home. The Red Raiders have covered six of their last seven games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* (549) Texas Tech Red Raiders

Clemson has had this game circled for close to three weeks as it went to Tallahassee and got hammered by Florida St. 109-61. That has sent the Tigers on a 1-5 downward spiral yet despite being just 4-11 in the ACC, they are still considered a bubble team. That shows how bad the rest of the country is right now as far as average teams go and Clemson does deserve some credit despite this recent skid. Three of their last four losses have come by two points or less while the other came at Miami by just six points so the Tigers have been more than competitive. Florida St. bounced back from a pair of road losses with a win over Boston College which is far from impressive. The Seminoles have lost five of their last six road games and they are 1-5 ATS in their last six road games against teams with a winning home record. This is a must win for Clemson to have any shot at the TNCAA Tournament as the final two games are against NC State and Boston College so no quality wins would come from those. 10* (520) Clemson Tigers

We are getting our first back-to-back opportunity of the second half and this is a big edge for Denver following a lengthy layoff. The Nuggets lost at Sacramento last night by 16 points but that helps going into Friday as it was able to shake any rust off from the time off while heading home on top of it. The Nuggets are just 14-13 at home but they are 12-7 when favored and have won eight of their last 10 here while going back, they are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games against teams with a losing road record. The Nets possess the worst record in the NBA by a wide margin and they are currently riding a 14-game losing streak. While the All Star break typically helps teams that are in a funk, this is a completely different situation and no lengthy time off can help this mess. Brooklyn has lost 20 of its last 21 road games and on the season, it is 2-23 on the highway with those losses coming by an average of 12.4 ppg and nearly half of those coming by at least 12 points and by an average of 20.1 ppg. While it may not seem like a game Denver will be getting up for, the fact it has lost six straight meetings to the Nets, including the first meeting this season, will give it plenty of motivation. 10* (858) Denver Nuggets

Miami pulled off one of the most surprising first half runs as after opening the season 11-30, it ran off 13 consecutive victories before coming back to earth and dropping a pair of games over the Magic and Sixers. The Heat did rebound with a win at Houston prior to the break so any positive momentum has been lost from this solid five-week run. Prior to this, the Heat were 1-12 in their previous 13 road games and they heat to Atlanta to face a Hawks team that is in a prime spot tonight. Atlanta is 3.5 games behind Washington in the Southeast Division as it closed the first half with a loss at the Clippers. After suffering through a seven-game losing streak in November and December, the Hawks have been unbeatable after suffering a loss as they are a perfect 12-0 in their last 12 games following a defeat. They have won nine of their last 14 home games with all four losses coming against winning teams. Atlanta will be out for revenge following a 23-point loss in Miami to start February but that game came right after its epic four-overtime game against the Knicks. The Hawks are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 games against teams with a losing straight up record. 10* (848) Atlanta Hawks

The All-Star break could not have come at a better time for Indiana as the Pacers limped into the extended time off with six consecutive losses. To their credit, the schedule was not easy as two of those losses came against Washington which is one of the hottest teams in the NBA while two others came against Cleveland and a fifth against San Antonio. A home loss to Milwaukee was inexcusable but the Bucks were an unconscious 17-31 from long range. Now Indiana has a chance to get things going right and something says Paul George will have a say in that following all of the trade rumors yesterday. Memphis started the season 18-9 but is just 16-15 since then as the Grizzlies have been a pretty average team over the last two months. They have won two straight on the road but looking at their recent road wins shows victories over teams a combined 74-153. The Grizzlies are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games against teams with a winning straight up record while the Pacers are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 games following a double-digit loss at home. It is time for the losing streak to finally come to an end. 10* (842) Indiana Pacers

St. Mary's has won two straight games following its second loss of the season to Gonzaga and because of the Bulldogs win last weekend, the Gaels are officially eliminated from winning the West Coast regular season title. There is not a whole lot of incentive for them now as the goal is to stay healthy and make a run at Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference Tournament. This is the final road game of the season for St. Mary's making its game on Saturday at home against Santa Clara is its final home game which is something to look ahead to. The Gaels are now laying a monster number on the road which is unjustified in this spot. Pepperdine is coming off a three-game roadtrip where it lost all three games to fall to 1-12 on the road for the season. The Waves are now back home for the weekend to play their final two home games and they are a much better 7-5 at home including a solid win over BYU in their last home game. They were getting nine points in that game and it is questionable whether or not the Gales should be favored by 10 points more. The Waves are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (554) Pepperdine Waves

After a pair of losses last week, Wisconsin bounced back with a victory over Maryland at home on Sunday to remain a half-game behind Purdue for first place in the Big Ten. While the Badgers have had their share if blowout victories, they have also been involved in closer than anticipated games as three wins have come by five points or less while another three have come in overtime. One of the big victories was against Ohio St. by 23 points which sets the Buckeyes up for a payback situation tonight. Ohio St. is a disappointing 5-10 in the conference and just the opposite of Wisconsin, it has suffered some close losses along the way. Of those 10 defeats, four have come by five points or less including three by just one possession. All three of those were at home and the only other home conference loss was against Maryland by only six points in a game it was down by just a point with two minutes left. The Buckeyes covered their only game this season as a home underdog while the Badgers are 1-5 ATS in their last six road games against teams with a winning home record. Take advantage of Ohio St. getting its biggest home underdog line of the season. 10* (548) Ohio St. Buckeyes

UCLA is one of three Pac 12 teams ranked in the top six in the nation but that will change by the end of the weekend and that actually affects this game. The Bruins have a date with Arizona on Saturday which will go a long way in deciding the Pac 12 title and on top of it, they will be out for some payback following an 11-point home loss against the Wildcats last month so a lookahead to that is inevitable. UCLA is also coming off a 32-point annihilation of rival USC which capped a three-game homestand which equals a letdown-lookahead spot. Arizona St. has been pretty average this season as it has lost games it had no business losing but on the flip side, it has played some big games against solid opposition. The Sun Devils suffered a pair of road losses at USC and Oregon by just four points combined so when motivated, they can play with the best. They have won two of five games outright as home underdogs and are now catching a very overinflated number here. Going back, the Bruins are 6-22-1 ATS in their last 29 games as a road favorite while the Sun Devils are 5-0 ATS in their last five games following a straight up loss. 10* (546) Arizona St. Sun Devils