Sports Picks & Predictions

If the season ended today, 10 ACC teams would be heading to the NCAA Tournament with two additional teams on the bubble looking in. This list does not include Syracuse which is 11-9 overall and 3-4 in the ACC. The problem is the Orange have only one quality win which came at home over Miami three weeks ago. The problem has been their lack of success on the road where they are 0-4 in conference action and all of those have been double-digit losses. Syracuse is 3-0 at home in the ACC and in need of a win here following blowout losses at North Carolina and Notre Dame last week. One of those 10 teams currently in the Big Dance is Wake Forest despite also being 3-4 in the ACC and having a 0-5 record against the RPI top 25. The Demon Deacons are coming off a pair of upset victories over Miami and NC State which has helped their rundown. They were picked to finish near the bottom of the ACC so we can definitely see a dropoff coming soon. The Orange are 4-0 ATS in their last four games as a favorite of fewer than seven points while the Demon Deacons are 5-14 ATS in their last 19 games following a straight up win. 10* (740) Syracuse Orange

Instead of this game being a matchup of potential NBA Finals candidates at full strength, it is more about the injuries that are bringing down the status of this game. The good news is that we know the situations so there will be no late surprises. San Antonio is coming off a 26-point win last night in Brooklyn despite missing three starters and a key reserve but it should get Kawhi Leonard back after sitting Monday with a sore hand but it was more about rest in the first game of a back-to-back. The Spurs have won four straight games including a win at Cleveland on Saturday but now are playing their third game in four nights and while they have been perfect in back-to-back road games, the other three games were against Washington, Minnesota and Portland. Toronto will be without DeMar DeRozan who is sitting with an ankle injury and while he is tough to replace, it will be up to Kyle Lowry and Jonas Valanciunas to take this one over and their usage and production increase significantly when DeRozan is off court in past seasons. The Raptors will be out for revenge from a 28-point loss in San Antonio earlier this month and going back, they are 8-3-1 ATS in their last 12 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (706) Toronto Raptors

This has not been the typical Michigan St. team we have seen in recent years but the schedule has had a lot to do with that. Last season, the Spartans went 13-0 prior to the Big Ten season but went just 8-5 this season and that was due to a brutal November slate. The Spartans had never faced three Top 10 opponents in November until this season, and had never played four Top 20 non-conference opponents in a single month during the regular season. What is similar is the early conference record as they are 4-3 this season and after starting 3-4 last season, they went on to finish 10-1 over their final 11 Big Ten games. Coming off two straight road losses, this is a huge game. Purdue has won two straight games but those were at home against Illinois and Penn St. and the Boilermakers have not been great on the road, going 1-2 with the lone win coming by just a point at Ohio St. Going back, the Spartans are 9-0 ATS in their last nine games as a home underdog of fewer than seven points. 10* (728) Michigan St. Spartans

Texas opened the Big XII season with a loss to Kansas St. and then a win over Oklahoma St. but has since dropped five straight games to sit in last place in the conference. While the Longhorns are 1-6 in the conference, they are 6-1 against the number which shows the record could be better than it actually is. Half of the losses have come by just one possession and all four road Big XII losses have come against teams with winning records in the conference. The last three games came against top ten teams and this marked the first time in program history that the Longhorns have faced three consecutive opponents ranked in the AP Top 10. Oklahoma got off to a rough start with four straight losses to begin conference play but was able to put together a pair of wins including a big upset at West Virginia before losing on Saturday in overtime against Iowa St. The Sooners were stacked last season in their trip to the Final Four but they are clearly feeling the effects from losing three starters including dynamic guard Buddy Hield. The Longhorns are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games following a straight up loss while the Sooners are 5-12 ATS in their last 17 games following an ATS loss. 10* (538) Texas Longhorns

The Bucks are in the midst of their worst stretch of the season as they have dropped five straight games after falling in Miami on Saturday by 12 points to make it a 0-3 roadtrip. One of these five losses came at home where Milwaukee is above .500 on the season and will be out for some quick revenge following a loss in Houston last Wednesday by 19 points. The Bucks are 5-2 ATS in their last seven home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. Houston bounced back from a loss against Golden St. with a win at Memphis the following night to improve to 12-1 straight up and ATS following a loss this season. The Rockets have beaten up on the poor teams this season, going 20-3 against teams ranked outside the top 16 but just 14-10 against teams within the top 16. Obviously one of those wins was against Milwaukee last week but we are getting incredible line value here as Houston closed at -6.5 at home and now it is favored by only a bucket less on the road so the typical six to eight-point swing on venue change is not happening here. The Rockets are 0-4 ATS in their last four games following a straight up win. 10* (512) Milwaukee Bucks

It has been a busy week for Denver since returning home from its London game against Indiana as the Nuggets re now playing their fifth game in seven days including their second back-to-back over this stretch. They took care of the short-handed Clippers last night as they never trailed and led by as many as 35 points for their fourth win in five games. Denver is 5-11 in its last 16 road games while going 1-5 ATS in its last six games playing with no rest. Minnesota is also coming off a win over the Clippers as it took care of them on Thursday and while it has struggled following a win this season, the ample time off negates that. The Timberwolves have won three straight home games and are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games here and two outright losses were by just two points against the Rockets and Jazz who are a combined 34 games over .500. Minnesota will be playing with double-revenge as well following a pair of losses against Denver, both coming by just one possession each. 10* (838) Minnesota Timberwolves

LaSalle is tied with Dayton and Richmond for first place in the Atlantic Ten Conference thanks to a schedule that has been pretty tame thus far. The Explorers opened the conference season with a loss at Dayton but have won five straight games to get everything turned around. Four of those games however took place at home and while a road win at Rhode Island was impressive, they are going into a bad spot on Sunday. VCU has had the complete opposite A-10 season thus far as it opened with four straight wins but lost both games last week against Davidson and Fordham, the latter taking place in overtime on Wednesday. Both of those defeats were on the road and the Rams head back home looking to improve upon their 8-1 record, the lone loss coming in overtime against Georgia Tech. LaSalle is 0-2 ATS this season as a single-digit underdog while the Rams are 14-5 ATS in their last 19 home games against teams with a losing record away from home. 10* (854) VCU Rams

The marquee game from last night turned out to be a dud as Houston fell apart in the second half and lost to Golden St. by 17 points. The Rockets are in a good position to bounce back though as they have had no issues playing with no rest, going 10-1 this season in the second of a back-to-back set. Additionally, Houston has responded when coming off a loss, winning 11 of 12 games this season coming off a defeat. The Grizzlies had no issues last night against the short-handed Kings as they won by 16 points against Sacramento which was playing its first game without Rudy Gay and it showed. Memphis snapped a two-game skid with the victory and the Grizzlies have been pretty average over the last month, going just 8-10 over their last 18 games. While Houston was not looking ahead to this game by playing the Warriors on Friday, there will be motivation tonight as the Rockets lost the first two meetings this season and will be out to extend their 16-8 road record as those 16 road wins are third most in the NBA. 10* (513) Houston Rockets

It has been a pretty average season for Tennessee as it is off to a 9-9 start overall including a 2-4 record in the SEC. This is a very young team but now that the Volunteers have been together for half of a season, the chemistry is getting better and that has been evident. They have had a tough schedule to open conference action with four of six games taking place on the road with two home games coming against two of the top teams in the SEC. they lost at Mississippi on Tuesday which came after a win at Vanderbilt so a trip back home should get them back on track. Mississippi St. is another very young team going through a complete overhaul and it has exceeded expectations thus far with a 12-5 record overall and a 3-2 start in the SEC. However, the majority of the wins have been unimpressive as the Bulldogs have played the easiest schedule of any team in the conference while the Volunteers have played the No. 5 ranked schedule in the nation. Mississippi St. is coming off a hard-fought loss at home against Kentucky so getting up once again will be extremely difficult. 10* (624) Tennessee Volunteers

We played against BYU last Saturday as the Cougars went to San Diego and lost by 13 points as a double-digit favorite and this game looks like a very similar setup. BYU is 5-2 in the conference following a 29-point home win over Pepperdine on Thursday. They are doing all of this without Kyle Davis, their best returning interior player, who is gone for the season with a knee injury. They are just 3-4 ATS in the conference and 8-9 ATS overall which shows how inflated their lines have been and that is the case again here as they travel to Pacific. The Tigers are off to an opposite start as they are 2-5 in the conference following a pair of road losses at San Francisco and St. Marys. They are 1-2 in the conference at home with one loss against Gonzaga and the other coming by just four points. Another reason we played on San Diego last week was that it was out to avenge a 58-point loss to the Cougars last season and the Tigers have even more recent revenge as they went to Provo on January 7 and was blasted by 29 points and they certainly have not forgotten that. 10* (626) Pacific Tigers

The Big Ten seems to be in a transition period and that is a good thing as there is no dominant team right now as the conference is wide open. Maryland has the lead at 5-1 but there are eight teams within two games of the Terrapins including both teams in this matchup. Minnesota has been a pleasant surprise this season with a 15-4 record including going 3-3 in the Big Ten. This does include losses in two straight games but those came on the road where the defense was as strong as ever but the offense forgot to show up, scoring just 47 and 50 points. The Gophers are 12-1 at home with the lone loss coming against Michigan St. by a single point in overtime. Wisconsin meanwhile is coming off two straight wins against Ohio St. and Michigan but both of those were at home where the Badgers are 11-0. They are just 2-2 on the road and there is not much of a difference with them and Minnesota as who they play as Wisconsin is 4-3 against the top 25 while the Gophers are3-3 against such teams. Minnesota is in excellent shape to snap a five-game losing streak against one of their hated rivals. 10* (602) Minnesota Golden Gophers

It is not too often that you will see a 0-6 team in conference play favored by this much on the road but that is the case here and we will bite on this one. Colorado is one of the most disappointing teams in the country since conference play started as the Buffaloes are winless in the Pac 12 following a 10-3 nonconference season. They have played a tough schedule thus far as they have faced the top four teams in the conference and after coming off an overtime loss Thursday against Washington, they will be out to put the hurt on Washington St. The Cougars were picked to finish dead last in the Pac 12 and they are headed in that direction. After a 2-0 start, Washington St. has lost its last four games including a 41-point bludgeoning at home against Utah on Thursday. That is a difficult defeat to recover from and at 6-4 at home, there is no real home court edge for the Cougars. Colorado needs this game to get going in the right direction and playing their typical game means they can name the score here. 10* (597) Colorado Buffaloes

Florida St. won on Wednesday but failed to cover for us as the Seminoles let a big late lead go by as Notre Dame got the backdoor cover. The Irish stayed in the game thanks to going an unheard of 15-21 (71.4 percent) from long range so Florida St. was pretty unlucky. The Seminoles conclude a six-game run of facing ranked opponents and the fact they are 4-1 through the first four games shows this team is for real. They are now 17-2 overall and are in a first place tie with North Carolina and Notre Dame in the ACC. The fact they remain home is big as is the fact that Louisville is coming off a Thursday game which gives Florida St. the travel edge. The Cardinals were involved in a close game early on against Clemson but pulled away in the second half for the big victory. Louisville is 2-1 on the road with two very weak wins and a loss at Notre Dame and coming off a three-game homestand is never a good situation for a team, especially going to a very hostile environment. Florida St. surely has not forgotten the 19-point loss suffered at Louisville last season almost a year ago to the day. 10* (546) Florida St. Seminoles

We lost a tough one with the Kings on Wednesday as they blew a 22-point lead and they checked out mentally when they lost Rudy Gay to a ruptured Achilles in the third quarter. "Obviously, it was on our minds," forward Arron Afflalo said. "But that's still no excuse to blow that game." It certainly should not be an excuse but it is human nature and the Pacers escaped with a fortunate come-from-behind win. Indiana has now won seven of its last eight games but five of those wins came at home where it is 16-5 but the Pacers are still just 6-13 on the road while going 3-8 ATS on the highway against losing teams. Going into that 3-8 record is the fact the Pacers are just 1-5 straight up and ATS as road favorites. The Lakers are in the midst of a five-game slide, both straight up and against the number, and this is now a big game for them because the upcoming stretch is not good. Eight of their next nine games are on the road and leading up to the All-Star break, they play nine of their last 11 con the highway. Los Angeles is a respectable 6-8 straight up and 7-7 ATS as a home underdog and overall, it has played the No. 5 ranked schedule in the league while the Pacers have played the easiest schedule in the NBA. 10* (868) Los Angeles Lakers

The Sixers are playing their best basketball of the season as they are coming off another win to put them 7-2 over their last nine games. Going back further, they are 10-8 over their last 18 games and are a surprising 5.5 games out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia has been able to get the job done in the weak Eastern Conference, going 10-14 while covering over 65 percent of those games, However, Philadelphia is just 4-12 against the Western Conference this season and while Portland is not part of the elite group of the conference, it is still a talented team that has dealt with injuries which as hurt continuity. The Blazers have lost three straight games including the first two games on this four-game roadtrip and with Boston on deck tomorrow night, this is a must win for Portland. The Blazers have struggled on the road with a 7-17 record including a 2-4 record over the last month. The four losses came against teams that will be going to the playoffs while the two wins came against the Lakers and Timberwolves which are both a game better than the Sixers. The favorite is 31-11 in Portland games this season and the Blazers are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games following a straight up loss. 10* (851) Portland Trailblazers

This is what we call an overreaction line. The Clippers bad luck continued on Tuesday as point guard Chris Paul went down with a thumb injury and after surgery, he will now be sidelined for six to eight weeks. This is the fifth and final game of this five-game homestand and taking a look at three other comparable teams, the Heat, Magic and Lakers, we see a massive overadjustment. Those three teams have 12, 17 and 15 wins respectively and Minnesota comes in close to all of those with 14 wins yet the line differential between those three games to this one is seven, eight and nine points respectively. No player in the NBA is worth that many points and this is a situation where the rest of the Clippers step up in the wake of adversity. Additionally, this is a huge game for Los Angeles with 11 of its next 13 games on the road which includes three matchups with the Warriors, two with the Hawks and away dates against the Raptors, Celtics and Jazz. Minnesota continues its struggles as it has lost two straight games and going back, has dropped its last six road games. The Timberwolves may feel confident to pick up a win here but the Clippers have a roster that is still very solid without Paul and Blake Griffin and we can take advantage of this generous home number. 10* (710) Los Angeles Clippers

Clemson opened the season 11-2 but has hit a major roadblock in the ACC. The Tigers two losses were against Xavier and Oklahoma by six points and they opened conference play with a win at Wake Forest but has lost the last four games. The schedule has not been in their favor as three losses came by three of the top teams in the ACC, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Virginia which are a combined 47-9 including 14-4 in the conference. Also in the mix was a bad loss at Georgia Tech but that was a tough sandwich spot. Clemson held their own in those three tough losses as they fell by 3, 4 and 5 points. Louisville has won its last three games after a 0-2 start in the conference including a win over Duke last time out. The Cardinals paid a price for that win however as they lost point guard Quentin Snider for the foreseeable future with a hip injury. Snider is second on the team in scoring with 12.1 ppg and leads the team with 4.0 apg. While the Tigers rely on Jaron Blossomgame, who is averaging 18.2 ppg, they are balanced beyond that as six players average between 8.0 and 11.3 ppg and all of which have posted multiple double-digit scoring games. 10* (745) Clemson Tigers

Two teams coming off opposite efforts over the weekend square off in Iowa City and this is a much bigger game for the host. Iowa is coming off its most lopsided loss of the Fran McCaffery era and its worst loss ever to Northwestern, an 89-54 rout at the hands of the Wildcats on Sunday night. The last time the Hawkeyes suffered a blowout loss, a 22-point setback at Purdue, they returned to Carver-Hawkeye Arena for its next game and won over Michigan as an underdog. Big Ten scoring leader Peter Jok scored just four points against Northwestern so expect a big rebound performance from him. Counting its win over Illinois on Saturday, Maryland is playing four out of five games on the road so this is a tough stretch. The Terrapins have won three straight games and they have been the underdog in all three games so winning another one in a similar role is going to be difficult. Maryland is average to below average nationally in defensive turnover percentage and opponent offensive rebounding percentage. If Iowa can operate without ball pressure or the passing lanes being filled, the Hawkeyes could make the Terrapins pay dearly. The Hawkeyes are 4-1 ATS in their last five home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (716) Iowa Hawkeyes

Sacramento concludes a seven-game homestand tonight and desperately needs a victory before hitting the highway for an eight-game roadtrip. The Kings have not done well during this home stretch as they have gone 1-5 but the schedule has played a big role in that as they have faced the Clippers, Warriors, Cavalier and Thunder, all resulting in losses. They defeated Detroit and lost a close one against Miami and are now laying their shortest price during this stretch. Sacramento is 15-8 ATS this season following a loss. Indiana defeated New Orleans on Monday following a blowout loss against Denver in London four days before that and the Pacers have the biggest home/road disparity in the league as the home team is 30-10 in their 40 games this season. They are just 5-14 on the road and while this is a manageable game to win, they have struggled in these spots, going just 2-8 ATS on the road against teams with a losing record including four straight losses. Sacramento is 4-1 ATS as a favorite of fewer than five points while Indiana is 3-9 ATS as an underdog of fewer than five points. 10* (516) Sacramento Kings

We won with Illinois St. for a small play on Saturday as it took care of Wichita St. outright, handing the Shockers there first conference loss while taking over sole possession of first place in the MVC. The Redbirds were expected contenders but coming off a massive home win like that can lead to a big letdown next time out and we see that happening here. They have covered three straight games and six of their last seven and are now laying a huge number on the road, by far their biggest of the season and this is just the third time all season they are laying double-digits. Bradley is 3-3 in the conference following a loss at Indiana St. and those three wins have already matched the conference win total from all of last season. The Braves were the youngest team in the country last season so their 5-27 overall record was not a surprise so their decent start this season should not come as a surprise either. They are 5-4 at home and while Bradley is 0-8 following a win this season, it is 7-3 following a loss and while winning this one outright will be a huge challenge, staying within this inflated number will not. The Redbirds are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games as road favorites between 7 and 12.5 points. 10* (556) Bradley Braves

Texas Tech and TCU are meeting for a meaningful game in a very long time. The Red Raiders fell to 2-3 in the conference with a loss at Oklahoma on Saturday but a win here can vault them back up in the Big XII standings and into a tie for fourth place. So far, the home team is 5-0 in their five conference games with two wins coming at home by Texas Tech against West Virginia and Kansas St. The Red Raiders are 11-0 at home this season and going back, they have won 16 consecutive home games and at 13-4 overall, they are in decent shape for making back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time since 2004-2005. TCU has matched its best start in program history as it is 14-3 including a 3-2 record in the conference following a pair of wins over Texas and Iowa St. The Horned Frog are 13-0 this season when they outrebound their opponent but face one of the top rebounding teams in the country as Texas Tech is tied for No. 9 in rebounding percentage. Even though the Red Raiders made the NCAA Tournament last season, it was a stressful entry after losing to TCU in the first round of the Big XII Tournament so revenge is on the table. 10* (540) Texas Tech Red Raiders

Washington has turned its season around and looks to continue that tonight before hitting the road for a three-game trip. The Wizards opened the season 7-13 while winning consecutive games only once but since then, they have gone 14-6 over their last 20 games to move two games over .500. they have been unable to gain ground on the red hot Hawks but have gained on the rest of the Eastern Conference and has moved into a tie for fifth place. During this recent solid stretch, the Wizards have gone just 2-6 on the road but have quietly put together a 12-game home winning streak, covering 11 of those games, missing the one by just a half-point. Memphis lost at home against Chicago on Sunday and it has been pretty average of late, going just 7-9 over its last 16 games. There have been some impressive wins over this stretch including two wins over Houston, and single wins over Golden St. and Oklahoma City. The Grizzlies have struggled against the Eastern Conference however, going 8-10 straight up and 6-12 ATS. 10* (504) Washington Wizards

Florida St. had a 12-game winning streak snapped at North Carolina on Saturday as they lost to the Tar Heels by 13 points. It has been a brutal stretch for the Seminoles and they have certainly held their own as they have huge wins over Duke, Virginia Tech and Virginia and it does not get much easier tonight against Notre Dame followed by a home game against Louisville on Saturday. The Seminoles are just the third team in ACC history to play six consecutive nationally ranked opponents and are the first to win three or more games during the stretch. Florida St. is a perfect 12-0 at home including additional impressive wins over Florida and Minnesota. Notre Dame has been equally impressive as it has won seven straight games as it the lone remaining undefeated team in the ACC. The Irish are 3-0 on the road this season but they are in a tough spot here as this is their third straight road game and all three have come in a span of seven days. Florida St. is 8-2 ATS this season as a home favorite and we will see a big bounce back effort tonight. 10* (536) Florida St. Seminoles

We played against Boise St. on Saturday as it suffered its first conference loss of the season at Fresno St. The Broncos were coming off a big win over San Diego St. in their previous game but a week off after that hurt the momentum from a perfect 4-0 start in the MWC. They will be fired up to get back into the win column tonight as they head home where they are 7-0 this season and 60-8 in their last 68 games at Taco Bell Arena. New Mexico snapped a three-game losing streak with a road win at Colorado St. on Saturday as they defeated the Rams by 13 points as a three-point underdog. The Lobos are 3-3 in the conference and the three losses have been tight ones as all three were by five points or fewer. That makes this line look pretty tempting to back the underdog but the situation is not in their favor. New Mexico has won only twice as an underdog and is just 3-6 following a victory. Boise St. has yet to lose as a favorite while going 5-1 ATS in its last six home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. 10* (742) Boise St. Broncos

The Lakers won a pair of games last weekend over Miami and Orlando but they have sense dropped four straight games and are now 5-20 over their last 25 games since the start of December. Four of those wins came at home where they are a respectable 10-12 on the season compared to just 5-18 on the road. In the recent four-game slide, Los Angeles was an underdog in all of those games and it has been much better as a favorite and it is laying a small number tonight. Denver has caught fire on offense the last two games, putting up 140 points against Indiana in London and then 125 points yesterday in a win over Orlando. The Nuggets are 7-7 over their last 14 games but only one of those wins has come in a true road game and on the season, they are 4-10 following a victory. Additionally, the Nuggets are 1-6 playing with no rest including a 0-4 record when going from a home game to a road game. Denver could also be caught looking ahead to a game against the Spurs as it looks to avenge a 28-point loss at home 12 days ago. 10* (710) Los Angeles Lakers

The two top teams in the MAC East square off with first place on the line. Akron is off to a 4-0 start in the conference including a pair of big road wins last week. Overall, the Zips have won seven straight games and since a season opening loss at Youngstown St., they have lost just twice with those coming against Creighton and Gonzaga which are a combined 35-1. Akron owns the third longest home winning streak in the country behind Kansas (52) and Oregon (36) as it has won 25 straight games at Rhodes Arena, dating back to the 2014-15 season. Ohio lost its first MAC game at home on Saturday against Eastern Michigan as he offense managed just 49 points. The big reason was that reigning MAC Player of the Year Antonio Campbell left the game after just three minutes with a foot injury. Campbell leads the team in scoring (16.4), rebounds (8.9) and blocks (1.1) and has been the anchor of the Bobcats much improved interior defense this season. He will travel with the team but is very doubtful to play. The Zips are 21-10 ATS in their last 31 games as a home favorite of fewer than seven points while the Bobcats are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games as an underdog of fewer than seven points. 10* (724) Akron Zips

It has been a weird season for the Clippers as they started out 14-2 and then went on an 8-12 run from late November through the end of December but they have now won all six games in 2017. The competition has not been great during the winning streak but this is an important run as they try to get to get some separation from teams below them and remain in the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference which comes with a first round home court advantage. Additionally, they are just four games behind the Spurs for second place. Los Angeles will have the full attention of the Thunder as its last loss came in Oklahoma City on December 31 where it fell behind by as many as 35 points so revenge comes into play here. The Thunder had won three straight games prior to a loss at Minnesota on Friday but they bounced back with a win at Sacramento last night behind another triple-double from Russell Westbrook, his 20th of the season. They moved a season-high eight games above .500 for the second time this season but have been horrible in these spots, going 0-4 on the season when playing the second of back-to-back road games with no rest. Those losses have come by an average of 15.8 ppg. 10* (518) Los Angeles Clippers

By the time this game tips off tonight, Kansas will be the new No. 1 team in the nation as it will take the spot vacated by Baylor following the Bears loss against West Virginia this past week. The Jayhawks improved to 16-1 overall and 5-0 in the Big XII following a win at home over Oklahoma St. on Saturday. They are riding a 16-game winning streak following a season opening loss in overtime against Indiana so Kansas is the best team in the nation at this point but that No. 1 ranking will be short-lived. The Jayhawks are a huge public consensus for tonight which comes as no surprise. Iowa St. lost at TCU on Saturday to fall to 3-2 in the conference, the other loss coming by just two points at Baylor. The Cyclones only home defeat came against Cincinnati by a point in overtime and going back, they are 83-8 at home over the last six seasons. Additionally, Iowa St. is 5-0 the last two seasons at home following a road Big XII loss. Another notable loss came against Gonzaga by just two points and it is important because it is one of only three games for the Bulldogs that has been decided by single digits. Kansas is just 4-10 ATS as a favorite while the Cyclones are 6-2 ATS in their last eight home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (546) Iowa St. Cyclones

This line came out late due to the questionable status of Celtics shooting guard Avery Bradley and all indications are that he will be back after missing four straight games. Boston is coming off a win on Friday over Atlanta thanks to a last second three-pointer by Isaiah Thomas which was its second straight victory. The Celtics return home as they remain two games behind Toronto in the Atlantic Division and they will look to continue being fueled offensively by good ball movement and attacking the rim which in turn should result in lots of good looks from three-point range which is clearly a strength of this team. That being said, this is a huge game for Charlotte which will look to salvage the final game of this five-game roadtrip after dropping the first four. Losses against Houston and San Antonio were predictable and we expected them to bounce back against the Sixers on Friday but that resulted in another loss. Because of the opposite runs from both sides, we are catching value on the Hornets. The Celtics are 3-13 ATS in their last 16 games playing on two days of rest while the Hornets are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following an ATS loss. 10* (511) Charlotte Hornets

This is one of those under the radar games that may be overlooked but it sets up exceptionally well for the home team. Oakland is one of three teams in the Horizon League that has a legitimate shot at winning the conference and heading to the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Grizzlies stumbled over the weekend however as they lost at home against then 2-14 Detroit by five points as an 18.5-favorite. That was the first conference loss for Oakland and just its fourth loss overall, three coming by single digits. This was simply a bad loss to the Titans and one that the Golden Grizzlies should be pretty upset about which should strike some fear into Cleveland St. The Vikings are just as bad, if not worse, than Detroit yet are getting four fewer points than the Titans were getting on Friday which gives Oakland some significant value in this spot. Cleveland St. fell to 1-5 in the conference with a loss at home against Valparaiso, the lone victory coming at home against Milwaukee. On the season, the Vikings are 0-9 on the road and it has been ugly as the losses have been by an average of 17.5 ppg and all but three have come by double-digits. Oakland steamrolled Cleveland St. at home last season which was also following a loss and we will see a similar result here. 10* (532) Oakland Golden Grizzlies

Xavier had a tough week last week due to the schedule as it hit the road to face two of the top teams in the Big East Conference and those resulted in losses at Villanova and Butler. To the Musketeers credit, the Wildcats and Bulldogs are a combined 18-0 at home and Xavier can be put in that same club as well as it is 9-0 at the Cintas Center this season. it has won 15 straight games here as well as 24 of its last 25 home games. This is a very similar situation for the Musketeers. Xavier lost two straight road games back in early December and came back home to defeat a very solid Utah team. Creighton is coming off a glorified exhibition over the weekend as it rolled at home over Truman St. the Bluejays are 4-0 on the road but this is the biggest test of the season on the highway. This is clearly one of the best teams in the nation but this is a tough matchup as the Musketeers have a huge edge in the rebounding category as Xavier is No. 7 in the nation in defensive rebounding percentage while Creighton is just No. 213. The Musketeers are 20-8 ATS in their last 28 games as a home favorite of fewer than seven points while the Bluejays are 0-5 ATS in their last five games as an underdog of fewer than seven points. 10* (522) Xavier Musketeers

While it was a great season last year for Northern Iowa that included another trip to the NCAA Tournament, the Panthers knew that this season would be more of an uphill battle. What they are currently experiencing however was not expected. They opened the season 3-0 but then back-to-back losses sent them into a tailspin and they are now on a 2-11 run that includes losses in seven straight games. Northern Iowa is 0-5 in the Missouri Valley Conference and it is in its longest losing streak since 2000-01. The offense has struggled big time but Northern Iowa is 5-1 when scoring 70 or more points while going 0-10 when scoring less than 70 points. The good news is the Panthers now face a team that does not play defense as Drake is allowing 77.6 ppg on the season including 83.4 ppg in conference games. The Bulldogs have won two straight games after taking care of Indiana St. on Wednesday but those wins were at home and they come in with a 0-5 record on the road. The last three road losses have been by an average of 18.7 ppg and they head to Cedar Falls at the wrong time. The Panthers are 10-1-1 ATS in their last 12 games against teams with a winning percentage below .400 while the Bulldogs are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games against teams with a winning percentage below .400. 10* (874) Northern Iowa Panthers

Atlanta had its seven-game winning streak snapped with a loss against Boston on Friday on a last second shot from Isaiah Thomas as the rally from 20 points down was for naught. The Hawks have a good opportunity to bounce back on Sunday afternoon before hitting the road for a two-game set starting tomorrow. This is a big game for Atlanta to not only bounce back from its loss but the Hawks have a 1.5-game lead over the Bucks and a victory here gives them the season series no matter what happens in the final meeting in March. Milwaukee has won two straight games following its Friday home victory over Miami. That came after a big upset in San Antonio prior to that which extended their road winning streak to three games. The favorite is 25-11 in Milwaukee games this season and with a manageable number, Atlanta has plenty of room to work with. The Bucks are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 road games against teams with a winning home record while the Hawks are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following an ATS loss. 10* (854) Atlanta Hawks

Last season was a difficult one for Rhode Island as injuries decimated the Rams in their quest for an Atlantic Ten Championship and they ended up just 17-15 overall and missed the postseason after posting 23 wins the season before. The good news is that they have four starters back as well as their best player E.C. Matthews who was lost for the entire 2015-16 season after suffering a torn ACL. After opening the season 10-4, with all four losses against elite opposition, the Rams have lost their last two games. The first loss came at another quality opponent in Dayton but the last defeat was inexcusable. They lost by 12 points at home against LaSalle as a 12.5-point favorite on Thursday so they will out for retribution today. Massachusetts is coming off an opposite game as it upset Dayton at home as a 6.5-point underdog on Wednesday. The Minutemen picked up their first conference victory in doing so but now they hit the road where they have struggled this season. In addition to the Rams looking to bounce back off a pair of losses, they will be out for payback after the Minutemen ended their season last year with a loss in the first round of the Atlantic Ten Tournament. The Rams are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following a double-digit loss at home while the Minutemen are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 games following an ATS win. 10* (868) Rhode Island Rams

BYU is one of the few teams to give Gonzaga a run in the West Coast Conference and at 4-1, the Cougars are off to a good start. They are doing all of this without Kyle Davis, their best returning interior player, who is gone for the season with a knee injury. They are just 2-3 ATS in the conference and 7-8 ATS overall which shows how inflated their lines have been and that is the case again here as they travel to San Diego. The Toreros had a miserable season last year as they finished 9-21 overall but are just one win from matching that total. They are off to a disappointing 1-4 start in the conference but have been involved in some close losses as three of the defeats have come by a combined 11 points while a 12-point loss at St. Marys is nothing to be ashamed of. One thing San Diego was ashamed of last season came on February 20 when it travelled to Provo and got dismantled by 58 points as it shot 24.6 percent from the floor including going 0-20 from long range. The Toreros should be highly motivated for a rematch and while returning the favor will not happen, staying within this inflated number will. 10* (662) 10* San Diego Toreros

It has been a miserable run for the Sooners to say the least. After a trip to the Final Four last season and a 5-1 start this season, Oklahoma is on a 1-8 run including a 0-4 start in the Big XII. They have lost to Baylor and Kansas in their two home games and considering those teams are 30-2 overall, it is not overly surprising. The Sooners lost a ton of talent to graduation but still have some key players back to go along with a solid recruiting class but they have not been able to put it together. To their credit, they have played the No. 16 ranked schedule in the country so that has not helped. Conversely, Texas Tech has played the No. 261 ranked schedule in the nation which is the worst in the conference so its 13-3 record should not be surprising. The Red Raiders are 2-2 in the conference with the two wins coming by just one point. Granted, those were against West Virginia and Kansas St. but they both took place at home and their lone road win this season came at Richmond. Oklahoma was picked to finish third in the Big XII and while that is not looking good now, it does show the talent is there to make a run and with a game at West Virginia on deck, this one is a must. 10* (658) Oklahoma Sooners

We played against Fresno St. last Saturday as it traveled to San Jose St. on a nine-game ATS winning run and lost outright as a 3.5-point favorite. The Bulldogs backed that up with a loss at Air Force on Wednesday but now they are back home where they have won six straight games. Remember, this Fresno St. team went to the NCAA Tournament a season ago and is expected to do some damage again but it needs to get on a run and win at home. Boise St. was picked below Fresno St. in the preseason MWC predictions as the Broncos lost a ton of veteran talent but they have geld their own and are off to a perfect 4-0 start in the conference. It was culminated with a big home win over San Diego St. last Saturday and after playing four games in 11 days, the week off killed some momentum. While they have been solid against the number this season, the Bulldogs are 17-5 ATS in their last 22 games against teams with a winning straight up record. 10* (632) Fresno St. Bulldogs

Since suffering their first defeat of the season at Oregon, UCLA has bounced back with four straight wins including a win at Colorado on Thursday by 15 points. That snapped a five-game losing streak against the number as they were unable to cover four double-digit spreads. The offense topped 100 points for the first time in seven games and still remains one of the most potent offenses in the country but now they face a team that can actually play some defense. Utah is on a two-game winning streak after a 22-point win over USC on Thursday as it held its third straight opponent at home to 64 points or less. On the season, the Utes are allowing opponents to shoot just 39.8 percent at home where they are 9-1 on the season. Going back, they have won 10 straight Pac 12 home games and are 25-4 in their last 29. They are 3-1 in the conference with the lone loss coming at Arizona in a game where they went to the free throw line only four times. We won with Utah last Saturday at Arizona St. where they ended up going to the line 20 times and that is something they need to continue to do as they are averaging 22.2 attempts per game. 10* (636) Utah Utes

It is a short Saturday slate and this was one of three games that did not have an opening line based on some questionable players. The Pelicans have Anthony Davis on the injury report while the Bulls have Jimmy Butler on theirs but both are expected to return on Saturday. New Orleans was still able to defeat the hapless Nets on Thursday without David for its second straight win outright as an underdog. Things will get a little tougher today though. The Pelicans are still just 6-13 on the road while going 2-6 ATS in their last eight road games against teams with a winning home record. The Bulls are coming off a miserable game against the Knicks and they have now lost three straight games including defeats against the Thunder and Wizards. Butler has missed the last two games and was non-existent against Oklahoma City as he scored just one point so his presence is essential. Despite a losing record, the Bulls are still ranked in the top 16 in the updated power rankings and New Orleans is just 5-16 against top 16 teams. The Bulls are 4-1 ATS in their last five games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points. 10* (504) Chicago Bulls

Temple is off to a rough 1-4 start in the AAC after losing four games in the conference all of last season. The schedule has had a lot to do with that as three of the first five games have come on the road and two of those losses came against 4-1 SMU and 3-1 UCF. The most recent road loss came at Connecticut which finally seems to be getting its act together. One home loss was against 4-0 Cincinnati but it has been a tough start. The Owls now host Tulsa which is 2-1 and is coming off an upset win at home over Memphis. The Golden Hurricane have covered all three of their conference games but they are just 1-3 on the road with the only win coming against Oral Roberts. Playing on the road is tough for this team following a 20-12 record last year as they lost nine seniors and this year have 10 freshmen and sophomores on the roster. The Owls final loss of the regular season a year ago was at Tulsa by 19-points so they will be out for some revenge from that. The Owls are 5-0 ATS in their last five home games against teams with a losing road record. 10* (602) Temple Owls

It has been an up and down season for Syracuse which opened 4-0 before going on a 4-6 run over its next 10 games including losses against three former Big East rivals Connecticut, Georgetown and St. Johns. The Orange bounced back with big home wins over Miami and Pittsburgh but then lost by 10 points at Virginia Tech on Tuesday. The one loss that stands out however was a 15-point loss at Boston College to open ACC action and you know they have had this one circled since then. Remember, Boston College went 0-18 in the ACC last season so that loss was as embarrassing as it gets. The Eagles are actually now 2-2 in the conference following a home win over NC State on Wednesday and they have now covered five straight games. That is helping with the number here but that should not even come into play as the Orange will be as motivated as ever to extract revenge on their old-time rivals. With back-to-back road games at North Carolina and Notre Dame, they know this one cannot get away. 10* (598) Syracuse Orange

Richmond is off to a perfect 4-0 start in the Atlantic Ten Conference which is a surprise considering the Spiders were not considered a contender heading into the season. Even more surprising is the fact they had an average nonconference record that included losses against Old Dominion, Bucknell and Oral Roberts. St. Joes is a game over .500 overall and 2-2 in the conference following a tough home loss against George Mason on Tuesday. That was the third game without leading scorer Shavar Newkirk who is out for the season with a torn ACL. The good news is that James Demery is back after missing 10 games with a stress fracture in his foot and he has picked up the scoring slack by averaging 19.3 ppg that Newkirk has been out. Going back, the Hawks are 44-21-1 ATS in their last 66 games following a straight up loss. 10* (532) St. Joseph's Hawks

This six-game roadtrip started well for Cleveland as it won its first two games against Brooklyn and Phoenix although those are the two worst teams in their respective conferences and the victories were far from convincing. The Cavaliers have since dropped back-to-back games against Utah and Portland and they are now on a 0-6 ATS run. Based on the losses and the comments made after, we will see an all-out effort from Cleveland even though it is just the Kings and with the Warriors on deck for Monday, this is now a big game. Cleveland was in a similar spot last season as it was coming off a loss and then traveled to Sacramento where it defeated the Kings by nine points. The Kings are coming off a win over the Pistons in their last game which snapped a three-game losing streak but winning streaks have been few and far between. Sacramento is just 5-10 following a victory while going 4-11 ATS in those games. While the Cavaliers have struggled to take care of the lesser teams convincingly, this is a situation completely different and we will see a great effort tonight. 10* (717) Cleveland Cavaliers

Philadelphia is playing some of its better basketball of the season as it has won two straight games as well as four of its last five. The Sixers 11 wins have already surpassed their win total from last season so they are on the right path to possibly turning this disastrous multi-year run around. Taking a look at those wins however show that they were far from impressive as three of those came against three of the five worst teams in the NBA while the other came against the struggling Knicks. Philadelphia has covered all five of these games following a 1-6 ATS stretch and its 7-14 record at home, as bad as it is, is even deceiving as only one win has come against a team currently with a winning record. Charlotte has lost some momentum after a great start to the season and it is currently riding a three-game losing streak. The last two losses came against San Antonio and Houston though so the Hornets step into a good spot tonight to get back in the win column. Going back, the Hornets are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 road games against teams with a losing home record. 10* (701) Charlotte Hornets

This is a big number to be laying down in the NBA but it is for good reason and we fully expect the Spurs to win this one going away. They are coming off a home loss to the Bucks on Tuesday which snapped a three-game winning streak as well as a nine-game home winning streak. Over this stretch, they have gone 5-1 ATS when laying double-digits, winning those games by an average of 19.2 ppg. San Antonio has covered five of seven games this season coming off a loss while going 9-0 ATS in their last nine games against teams with a losing straight up record. The Lakers are also coming off a loss as they fell to Portland at home. They are now 5-17 over their last 22 games after a solid 10-10 start through November. They will certainly be up for this game but they are catching San Antonio at the wrong place at the wrong time. The Lakers are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games following a double-digit loss at home while going 4-11 ATS in their last 15 road games. 10* (508) San Antonio Spurs

Miami has its seven-game winning streak snapped with a 15-point loss at Syracuse. That was eight days ago so the Hurricanes have had over a week to stew over that defeat. That was their first true road loss of the season and now they are back home where they are a perfect 8-0 on the season and while this will be the biggest test so far, we expect a big bounceback effort. Notre Dame has opened up 3-0 in the ACC with wins over Pittsburgh, Louisville and Clemson so it has been an impressive run. However, the last two came at home while the win over the Panthers came in overtime. Miami falls into a great college hoops strategy where you play on an unranked home favorite over a ranked road underdog as this has been very lucrative in the past. Going back, the Irish are 0-4 ATS in their last four games as an underdog while the Hurricanes are 20-6-1 ATS in their last 27 games as a home favorite of fewer than seven points. 10* (518) Miami Hurricanes

Typically, we are apprehensive in laying points on the road but this situation diffuses that. NC State hits the road where it is 0-3 on the season but if there is ever a spot where the Wolfpack should be fired up to get their first road victory, this is it. They are coming off a 51-point thrashing at North Carolina on Sunday which was the second-worst loss in school history. NC State is going to have to show some pride on the defensive end and stop settling for the shots that it did in Chapel Hill. The Wolfpack are 3-0 ATS this season as favorites and while they have yet to be favored on the road, they definitely should be here. Boston College is coming off a pair of road losses to fall to 1-2 in the ACC but the Eagles have not covered four straight games. It is important to note however that the lines have dictated the correct side in Boston College games as it was a double-digit underdog in all four games of this streak. Going back, the Eagles are 5-0 ATS in their last five games as a double-digit dog and 0-3 ATS in their last six games as a single-digit dog. NC State has won all three games this season following a loss and that continues tonight. 10* (761) NC State Wolfpack

This line came out late due to the uncertain status of Celtics guard Avery Bradley who has missed two straight games with a strained Achilles. He was initially supposed to be out much longer so if he can make a return, great but we are not banking on it. We played against the Celtics last night and after entering the fourth quarter with a four-point lead, they were outscored 34-22 in the final period and had their four-game winning streak snapped. Boston heads home where it is 11-6 including wins in five straight games and it is in a big revenge spot here. Even though it took place two months ago, Boston certainly has not forgotten the 25-point loss at Washington in the first meeting, easily its worst defeat this season. Washington won at home against Chicago last night on a last second jumper from John Wall which was the Wizards third straight victory. They are over .500 for the first time this season and are tied for sixth place in the Eastern Conference but are now in a tough spot playing in back-to-back nights. Washington is 0-4 this season in the second game of a back-to-back set when on the road while going 1-6 when playing with no rest overall. Boston is 17-6 ATS this season as a favorite of fewer than nine points while going 7-3-1 ATS in its last 11 games following a straight up loss. 10* (704) Boston Celtics

While Indiana St. was not expected to contend in the Missouri Valley Conference, it was not expected to get off to the start it has. The Sycamores have gotten off to a 0-4 start in the conference but it has been better than the record shows. They opened with a respectable eight-point loss against Wichita St. and then followed that up with a pair of overtime losses on the road. Indiana St. clearly ran out of gas after those games as it was beat up pretty bad over the weekend against Illinois St. Indiana St. is just 6-10 overall but three losses have come in overtime and another three losses came by three points or less so they are better that what the results have been. Drake has turned things around as after a 1-10 start, the Bulldogs have won three of their last five games with all three of those wins coming at home. This includes a 12-point win over Evansville on Sunday to move to 2-2 in the conference which is a surprise as the Bulldogs were again picked to finish last in the MVC following a 2-16 season a year ago. The Sycamores are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games as a favorite of fewer than seven points while the Bulldogs are 4-11 ATS in their last 15 games as an underdog of fewer than seven points. 10* (749) Indiana St. Sycamores

San Diego St. was picked by most places to win the Mountain West Conference but it has been far from coming close to that in the early going as the Aztecs have dropped their first three conference games. While no losses are good, the three defeats have come against quality opponents that will reside in the top half of the conference come season end. This is their third three-game losing streak of the season and they busted out of the last one with a blowout victory and we can expect the same here as a return home after two straight road games will have them amped up. We won with San Jose St. on Saturday as it defeated Fresno St. as a home underdog. The Spartans had dropped five straight games against the number which was part of the reason for playing on them and now they could not be in a worse spot. They have had their struggles with the Aztecs since moving to the MWC as they have lost all five meetings by at least 15 points and in four of those, San Diego St. was coming off a win. In the lone game it was off a loss, it destroyed the Spartans by 26 points. The Spartans are 0-4 ATS in their last four games following a straight up win while the Aztecs are 13-4-2 ATS in their last 19 games following an ATS loss. 10* (562) San Diego Aztecs

As expected, Arkansas lost at Kentucky on Saturday and it was not even close as the Razorbacks fell by 26 points to fall to 1-2 in the SEC. They will also be out to avenge their only home loss of the season which came in the conference opener against Florida. Sandwiched in-between there was a solid win at Tennessee and while the Volunteers are nothing special, it was still a quality road win. The tough opening of the conference schedule now eases up and it begins on Tuesday in a game Arkansas should have no problem running away with. Mississippi St. bounced back from a loss against Alabama with a win at LSU on Saturday which was its first true road game of the season. Things will be much more difficult this time around however. The Bulldogs have been an underdog only once this season but it has nothing to do with them being a quality team. It has to do with the fact they have played the No. 313 ranked schedule in the country as their best win is probably over Boise St. The Razorbacks are 21-9 ATS in their last 30 home games against teams with a winning road record. This line is big for a reason but not nearly big enough. 10* (556) Arkansas Razorbacks

Toronto has lost five of its last seven games following a 14-2 run toward the end of December and the Raptors have gone from having a decent lead in the Atlantic Division to leading Boston by just one game. This could be a very defining game for the Raptors even though it is very early in the season as they need to overcome adversity in order to actually being able to compete in the Eastern Conference with the Cavaliers. Toronto has won eight of 12 games following a loss this season and going back, the Raptors are 12-5-1 ATS in their last 18 home games against teams with a winning road record. The Celtics have made their move on Toronto thanks to four straight wins as well as a 10-2 run since mid-December. The streak is nice but the schedule has been on their side as seven of the 12 games have been at home while the overall strength of the opposition has been average at best. Overall on the season, Boston is 20-5 against teams ranked outside the top ten in the power rankings while going just 3-9 against teams ranked within and those three wins are the fewest of any top ten team. Additionally, the Celtics are 3-12 ATS in their last 15 games playing on two days of rest. 10* (504) Toronto Raptors

It has been an up and down season for Syracuse which opened 4-0 before going on a 4-6 run over its next 10 games including losses against three former Big East rivals Connecticut, Georgetown and St. Johns. The other loss came against Boston College on the road by 15 points to open ACC action but the Orange have bounced back with two very impressive wins against Miami and Pittsburgh. Both of those were at home however and they hit the road where they are 0-2, the other loss coming by 17 points at Wisconsin. Virginia Tech jumped into the AP Top 25 Poll thanks to a 12-1 start which included a 140point win over Duke but it was unable to keep the momentum roiling as it has dropped its last two games and both were ugly losses at NC State and Florida St. The Hokies are 9-0 at home this season and have won 14 consecutive home games, the longest home winning streak since the 2009-10 season. Between the two teams, the home team is 23-3 on the season not counting neutral site games. The Orange are 1-5 ATS in their last six games following a straight up win while the Hokies are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games following a straight up loss. 10* (522) Virginia Tech Hokies

The Knicks snapped a six-game losing streak with a win over Milwaukee on Friday but were unable to use that as a springboard as they lost at Indiana the next night by 14 points. They head home looking to snap a three-game losing streak at MSG where they are 11-7 overall and this is a good spot to extend that. New York is just 6-15 against teams ranked within the top 16 in the league but a solid 11-5 against teams outside that spot. Additionally, the Knicks are 6-0 ATS in their last six home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400 while going 9-3 both straight up and against the number as favorites. New Orleans has dropped three straight games following a four-game winning streak and the road has not been kind this season as the Pelicans are just 4-13 on the highway. They are 2-8 in their last 10 road games with the only wins coming against 10-25 Philadelphia and 12-26 Phoenix. The last New Orleans win came at home against New York in its last game in 2016 so the Knicks will be out for some revenge here. The Pelicans are 1-6 ATS in their last seven road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (702) New York Knicks

We are going against converging trends here as the value on the home team is too good to pass up. Troy has been involved in a brutal stretch over the last month as it has played seven straight games away from home. The Trojans have held their own however as they are 3-4 but most impressive, they have won all six games against the number that have been lined, covering two games as a favorite while staying close in the four games as an underdog. While this ATS run is impressive, we have to believe the travel finally catches up to Troy tonight. Georgia St. closed out 2016 with a loss at Georgia Southern but followed that up with a win over South Alabama on Saturday. The Panthers have failed to cover three straight games but the feeling is that it helps here and most important, they are on the opposite side of the travel aspect. They have not had to leave the state of Georgia since December 21 and have been at home every day of 2017. The Panthers also come in with massive confidence and momentum as they scored the final eight points against South Alabama on Saturday to earn the 78-77 win. That victory moved Georgia St. to 42-5 in its last 47 home games. 10* (710) Georgia St. Panthers

If we saw the records of these teams before the season, both overall and conference, we would have guessed they would belong to the opposite team. Connecticut and UCF are off to surprising starts and both in different ways. The Knights are 12-3 overall including a 3-0 record in the AAC which is good for a tie for second place and those 12 wins have already matched the 12 wins they had all of last season. It is hard to be completely sold on the Knights however as a look at the schedule shows no real quality wins. At this point, a win over Connecticut would not constitute a quality win either as the Huskies are off to a disappointing start. They are 5-9 including a 0-3 record in the conference and they were picked to win the AAC by many outlets. A season opening loss to Wagner was horrible as was the next game against Northeastern but they have lost to some elite teams since then and overall, they have played the No. 18 ranked schedule in the nation (compared to No. 302 for UCF). Riding a four-game losing streak with Temple, Georgetown and SMU on deck, this is a must win for Connecticut and we are getting a great price to back them at. 10* (538) Connecticut Huskies

Two of the top programs in the MVC square off today and while Wichita St. is living up to the credentials, Northern Iowa is not. The Shockers are off to another great start despite having to replace its best backcourt in the history of the program. They are 13-3 overall including a 3-0 record in the conference. Wichita St. has a solid road win but no cover at Indiana St. and the last two wins came at home against bottom feeders Bradly and Drake. The Shockers will be out for revenge after the Panthers snapped their 43-game home winning streak last February while also looking for payback after losing in the MVC Tournament Championship in overtime. However, laying a price this big on the road is not prudent. Northern Iowa is in some unchartered territory with its recent skids. It is in the midst of a five-game losing streak which is the longest such streak since the 2006-07 season. The Panthers have not lost six games in a row since the 2000-01 season which is also the last time they started 0-3 in the conference. This team is better than this current run and one thing to take into consideration is that the Panthers have played the No. 15 ranked schedule in the nation. The Shockers will no doubt get the best out of Northern Iowa this afternoon. 10* (532) Northern Iowa Panthers

Milwaukee had its three-game winning streak snapped on Friday against the Knicks in the second game of its home and home set. The Bucks are still a game over .500 on the season while going 11-8 on their home floor. This is the fourth and final meeting between Milwaukee and Washington and the home team has prevailed in the first three games so this is a big game for the Bucks to split the season series in case this tiebreaker comes into place come playoff time. Milwaukee is 10-6 this season following a loss and has covered four of its last five after a defeat. Washington snapped a two-game skid with a win over Minnesota on Friday making the host now 26-9 in Wizards games this season. While have been solid at home, they have been especially bad on the road as they are just 3-12. One of those wins came against Chicago but the other two came against Brooklyn and Orlando, which are a combined 24-49. Washington is just 1-9 on the season as an underdog, mainly because of the road struggles, and going back, the Wizards are 2-6 ATS in their last eight road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (506) Milwaukee Bucks

Despite all of the trade rumors for the Hawks, they have been playing some of their best basketball of the season as they are riding a five-game winning streak following a win at New Orleans on Thursday to make it two straight wins on this current four-game roadtrip. They are now a game over .500 on the highway but are laying points for the eighth time this season, going 2-5 ATS in the first seven games as a road chalk. They tend to step down to the level of competition as the Hawks are 1-7 ATS in their last eight games against teams with a winning percentage below .400. Dallas is coming off a bad loss at home against Phoenix on Thursday but it has been playing a lot better since getting healthier. The Mavericks are 5-5 over their last 10 games as they have been able to avoid long losing streaks that plagued them early in the season. While the injuries were a big part of the early problems, the fact they have played the toughest schedule in the NBA has not helped either. The Mavericks are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games following a straight up loss. 10* (712) Dallas Mavericks

This may seem like a big number to be laying but we are getting Kansas in a great spot. The Jayhawks are coming off a two-point win over rival Kansas St. on Tuesday thanks to a layup with no time remaining. That gave them their 13th consecutive win following a season-opening overtime loss against Indiana from Hawaii. Kansas has won 47 straight games at Allen Field House and it will be aiming for victory No. 2,200 in school history. They are in a good spot here based on that scare so we will see a bigger sense of urgency after blowing a 10-point lead especially after seeing what their opponent just did. Texas Tech is coming off an upset win at home against No. 7 West Virginia to improve to 12-2 overall and 10-0 at home. The Red Raiders nonconference schedule was non-existent so this was a surprising win and certainly presents a huge letdown. Kansas is 16-0 against Texas Tech in games played in Lawrence, with all 16 contests in Allen Fieldhouse. 10* (844) Kansas Jayhawks

This is another low profile game where we can take advantage of a good line that typically is not as tight as the higher profile games. Loyola-Marymount is projected to finish in the top half of the West Coast Conference but it is already off to a 0-3 start. The problem has not been that the Lions have been playing bad but the schedule has been the issue as they have faced the top three teams in the conference not named Gonzaga. They lost to the Gaels by 11 which was expected and the other two against BYU and Pepperdine were by six points combined. The bad news is Gonzaga is next on the road so this is a must win for sure. Santa Clara is off to a 2-1 start in the WCC following a pair of wins at home over San Francisco and Portland, two teams projected to finish low in the conference standings. So here we have two opposite conference records but the early schedules have played a role in that and we can take advantage of a soft line. Going back, the Broncos are 0-5 ATS in their last five games after allowing less than 50 points in their previous game while the Lions are 5-0 ATS in their last five games following a ATS loss. 10* (820) Loyola-Marymount Lions

Utah had its three-game winning streak snapped with a 10-point loss at Arizona on Thursday and it is safe to say the Wildcats had the home court edge as the Utes went to the free throw line just four times and were outscored by 12 points from the charity stripe. Utah has won its previous three games following a loss this season and we can expect the Utes to be a lot more aggressive in this one. The Sun Devils are coming off a win on Thursday over Colorado as underdogs as they caught a break when Xavier Johnson, one of the best Buffaloes players, got ejected with 1:23 remaining. That win improved them to 2-1 in the Pac 12 and 9-7 overall. This is an extremely young team with only one senior on the roster so coming back from a big win has been difficult as previous wins over San Diego St. and Stanford were followed up by blowout losses. Arizona St. has won consecutive games only twice this season and it is 1-5 ATS in its last six games following a win. 10* (799) Utah Utes

This is a low profile game which are typically good one to get some additional value on and this is certainly the case here. San Jose St. has opened up 0-2 in the Mountain West Conference as it goy throttled at Nevada and lost a close one here Wednesday against Colorado St. The Spartans are still a game over .500 overall and part of the value in this line is the fact they have not covered a game since December 3, going 0-5 ATS in the process. It has been an opposite run for Fresno St. which is 2-1 in the conference following a home win over Wyoming on Wednesday. Ever since failing to cover against UTSA in their first game of the season, the Bulldogs have covered every game since then, going a perfect 9-0 ATS in their last nine lined games. Now they come in as the biggest favorite they have been all season and the situation calls for the upset. Fresno St. had a great turnaround last season as it won 25 games and made it to the NCAA Tournament and while still talented, the Bulldogs lost four key players and they have struggled on the road with some mediocre wins and close overtimes decisions. We know where the public money will be going in this one. 10* (802) San Jose St. Spartans

After blowing out Illinois to open Big Ten play, the Terrapins were upset at home by Nebraska by a bucket on New Year's Day. They have had a week to stew over that game which was just their second loss of the season, the first coming against Pittsburgh at home which was nearly as surprising. Maryland is 4-0 away from home this season including a win at Georgetown in their only true road game thus far. Since January 2015, Maryland is 14-1 in games following a loss and since joining the Big Ten Conference, Maryland has lost only two consecutive games in conference play, falling to Wisconsin at home on Feb. 13, 2016 and at Minnesota on Feb. 18. Michigan bounced back from an overtime loss at Iowa to defeat Penn St. on Wednesday to improve to 1-1 in the conference and 11-4 overall. The Wolverines are 9-1 at home with the lone loss coming against Virginia Tech which is a very solid team but this will be the biggest home test to date. The Wolverines are 0-7 ATS in their last seven games against teams with a winning straight up record. 10* (777) Maryland Terrapins

We love playing on elite teams coming off upset losses and that is the case with West Virginia which got upset on a last second three-pointer at Texas Tech. The Mountaineers, which averaged 26.5 turnovers entering the game, only forced 13 turnovers so we will certainly see some havoc on Saturday afternoon. They followed up their first loss of the season with a 47-point win next time out over Manhattan and while we cannot compare Manhattan and TCU, it is not that overly far off. Additionally, this is the Big XII home opener for the Mountaineers. TCU is also 1-1 in the Big XII following a win over Oklahoma which ended a five-game homestand where the Horned Frogs went 4-1. While they have an identical 12-2 record as the Mountaineers, these teams are not even on the same level which is why this line is what it is. In three meetings last season, West Virginia won by an average of 23 ppg and while new TCU head coach Jamie Dixon know the Mountaineers well and was 11-7 against them when with Pittsburgh, his talent is much worse now. The Mountaineers are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games following a straight up loss while the Horned Frogs are 1-6 ATS in their last seven road games following three or more consecutive home games. 10* (732) West Virginia Mountaineers

This line came out late due to the uncertain status of Heat center Hassan Whiteside but even though he is questionable, he likely will not suit up. "Hassan is making progress, saw the doctor today," coach Erik Spoelstra said before the Heat faced the Sacramento Kings at the Bank 1 Center. "He should be able to fly out at some point this weekend to meet with us. It doesn't look like he'll be able to come out and play on Friday [against the Los Angeles Lakers], but hopefully this weekend he'll be ready at some point." Miami won in Sacramento on Wednesday for a rare road win as it snapped an eight-game road losing skid. The Heat are slowly getting healthier but received bad news as Justice Winslow is out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery. The Lakers lost in Portland last night as the Blazers welcomed the return of Damian Lillard. Los Angeles heads back home where it went 2-3 in its most recent homestand with four of those five games coming against winning teams. The Lakers are just 2-6 when playing with no rest however this is the first instance where the second game of the back-to-back has been played at home. 10* (512) Los Angeles Lakers

This is the first time in a long time that Ohio has had a distinct advantage over one of its biggest rivals and the Bobcats will take advantage tonight. Ohio rolled over Western Michigan in its conference opener by 29 points on Tuesday as it shot a blistering 51.6 percent from long range (16-31) to improve to 8-0 at home. It is the other side of the ball that has really been the difference this season. Ohio's effort on the defensive end was the lowlight of an otherwise strong 2015-16 campaign. The Bobcats ranked second-to-last in the MAC and 249th in the country by giving up 74.8 ppg but through 12 games in 2016-17, Ohio leads the MAC and ranks 60th in the nation with 65.6 ppg allowed and first in the conference and 52nd in the country with a 39.7 percent field goal percentage defense. Kent St. won its conference opener by 10 points over Ball St. but there are still a lot of questions on this team that lost four seniors and three other transfers. Overall, only two of the top seven scorers from last season are back. The Golden Flashes are shooting just 36.2 percent on the road while hitting just 16.9 percent from three and 59.2 percent from the free throw line. The Bobcats are 11-4 ATS in their last 15 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400 while the Golden Flashes are 1-7-1 ATS in their last nine road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (524) Ohio Bobcats

Minnesota came into the season with a ton of question marks as it lost a lot to graduation, rules violations and suspensions but so far, it has answered those questions. The Golden Gophers are off to a 13-2 start and coming off one of their most impressive wins in a while as they won at Purdue on Sunday in overtime. That came after a heartbreaking loss in overtime against Michigan St. prior to that. Those two big games coupled with the fact they have a big revenge game on Sunday against Ohio St. puts them in a very tough spot here. Northwestern is off to an equally solid start as it is 12-3 following a loss at Michigan St. on Friday which snapped a nine-game winning streak. The other two losses came against Notre Dame by four points and Butler by two points, both of which are 13-2, but both of those came away from home. The Wildcats are extremely deep while possessing arguably the top point guard in the conference in Bryant McIntosh and the return of Vic Law, who missed all of last season, has been huge. This is a big bounce back game and if the Wildcats want to make their first ever NCAA Tournament, these are the games that need to be won. 10* (752) Northwestern Wildcats

The Bruins are laying a pretty big number here but this is a game they should win going away. UCLA opened the season 13-0 and climbed up to No. 2 in the nation after a big win at Kentucky but suffered a last second loss in Oregon last week. The Bruins bounced back with a 13-point win at Oregon St. two nights later and we can expect the home floor to be rocking tonight. They have failed to cover three straight after a nine-game ATS winning streak and that is adding some value to this number. UCLA will be out to avenge a 12-point loss at California last season as well. The Golden Bears are coming off a similar week last week where they lost at home against Arizona before bouncing back two nights later with a blowout win over Arizona St. they are off to a decent 10-4 start with the other three losses against pretty solid teams but after 14 games, this is their first true road game of the season. They are one of only four teams in the country that have yet to play a true road game. While solid defensively, the offense lacks the big scoring punch and facing one of the best offenses in the nations means they will not have the ability to play catch up. 10* (750) UCLA Bruins

Both UAB and North Texas are winless to open C-USA play but this game means a lot more for the former. The Blazers are off to a 7-7 start after a 17-3 start a season ago and their seven losses have already matched their total defeats from all of last season. After getting upset in the C-USA Tournament and getting relegated to the NIT despite a 26-6 record, UAB planned on making a statement and came in as the favorite to win the conference. There is still plenty of time for that but coming off their worst effort of the season where the Blazers managed just 49 points at Middle Tennessee St. including only 23 points for the starters, they will be out for a big win tonight. North Texas is 0-2 in the conference with both losses coming on the road but there is no big home court edge for the Mean Green. They have defeated no team of significance and while the same can be said for UAB, the talent level disparity between these two teams is significant. The Blazers have not lost back-to-back games this season and are 6-0 following a defeat with those wins coming by an average of 17.3 ppg. 10* (747) UAB Blazers

Following a loss to the Pacers on Tuesday, the Pistons are 2-8 over their last 10 games and are now five games under .500 after a very promising start to the season. They have lost two straight and six of their last seven home games and all of this sets up a contrarian play on Thursday in what could be considered a must win spot with a five-game west coast roadtrip upcoming starting Saturday. Charlotte won last night against Oklahoma City as it trailed by one-point heading into the fourth quarter but outscored the Thunder 36-24 to claim the 11-point win. That snapped a two-game slide but the Hornets now hit the road where they are just 4-8 over their last 12 games. They are just 2-5-1 ATS as underdogs, winning just one of those games outright while Detroit is 6-3 ATS at home against winning teams. Additionally, the Hornets are 2-5 ATS this season when playing with no rest including 0-2 ATS in this particular situation coming off a home win and playing the next game on the road. 10* (706) Detroit Pistons

With a home upset over Duke on Saturday, Virginia Tech improved to 12-1 on the season and moved into the top 25. The Hokies have won eight straight games but now take to the road for the first time in over a month and while they have won their only other road game, the situation is a lot different this time around. This is the first time the Hokies have been ranked in either poll since the polls of Nov. 15, 2010 and this is the first time the Hokies have been 11 games over .500 since the 2010-11 season. NC State lost its ACC opener as it was routed at Miami which snapped a six-game winning streak. The Wolfpack are a perfect 9-0 at home and while this presents the biggest test at home of the young season, they catch the Hokies at the perfect time. After playing the first nine games of the season with at least one scholarship player missing, and sometimes two or three players missing, the Wolfpack have had their full complement of players for the last four games. Going back, they are 21-8-2 ATS in their last 31 games following a straight up loss. 10* (562) NC State Wolfpack

Iowa St. heads to Waco to try and hand Baylor its first loss of the season and these teams have played some solid games over the years. The Cyclones defeated Texas Tech on Friday to open Big XII action and extended their winning streak to three games. They have three losses on the season, one at rival Iowa which was not a pretty one, but the other two came by a point in overtime against Cincinnati and two points against Gonzaga. Baylor is one of only three remaining undefeated teams in the nation and the wins have been dominant for the most part. Ever since a non-cover in their season opener against Oral Roberts, they have reeled off seven straight covers including a blowout win at Oklahoma in their conference opener. Baylor has some big wins over big name teams this season but the cover streak is catching up as they are laying a bigger than expected number against a quality opponent. Going back, the Bears are 1-4 ATS in their last five games as a home favorite between 7.0 and 12.5 points while the Cyclones are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games as a road underdog between 7.0 and 12.5 points. 10* (567) Iowa St. Cyclones

This looks like an excellent spot for New York to snap its longest losing streak of the season which has reached five games after its Monday loss at home against Orlando. That was the second straight home loss for the Knicks following an 11-4 start at MSG with those four losses coming against Utah, Houston, Oklahoma City and Cleveland all of which are at least seven games over .500. The other loss came against Boston which is also seven games over .500 so they have been losing to elite competition with the exception of Orlando. The Knicks are 4-1 ATS in their last five games following a double-digit loss at home. Milwaukee has won two straight games and has been playing well this season without the services of Khris Middleton. The Bucks won in Chicago in their last road game but they have won consecutive road games only once this season and overall, they are just 6-9 on the highway. Going back, the Bucks are 2-7 ATS in their last nine road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (506) New York Knicks

After solid starts to the season, both Georgetown and Providence are trending in the wrong direction. The Hoyas had won six straight games prior to the Big East season but have dropped their first two games in the conference. They lost bad at Marquette and while they hung with Xavier, they gave it away at the end and that game was at home. Georgetown is 1-1 on the road with the lone win coming at slumping Syracuse. Providence is in a slump as well as it has dropped three straight games following its own six-game winning streak. The Friars three losses all took place on the road however and the last two, at Xavier and at Butler, came against two Big East contenders. Heading back home is just what they need where they are 9-0 on the season and are now laying a short number. The Friars are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a winning straight up record while the Hoyas are 6-15 ATS in their last 21 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* (528) Providence Friars

The Sixers concluded their four-game roadtrip with a win over Denver on Friday which was just their third road win of the season and eighth overall. They have performed better at home but not much so of late as they have gone only 1-9 over their last 10 home games. Injuries continue to be an issue which is affecting the depth as Philadelphia is now to its third point guard with Sergio Rodriguez out again tonight. The Timberwolves have been inconsistent as well but are a decent 5-5 over their last 10 games following a 1-8 stretch. This includes a 2-2 record on the road with impressive wins over Chicago and Atlanta and a narrow two-point loss at Denver in their last road game. While going just 1-10 in its 11 games following a win, Minnesota has won 10 of 21 games following a loss. Conversely, the Sixers have won just two of seven games following a win and they are 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games playing on three or more days of rest. 10* (701) Minnesota Timberwolves

Indiana opened Big Ten play with a loss against Nebraska at home which was its first loss at Assembly Hall this season and it snapped a 26-game home winning streak dating back to the start of last season. The Hoosiers then followed that up with a loss against Louisville on Saturday by 15 points in Indianapolis so this sets them up for a big bounce back on Tuesday night and at a short price. Wisconsin won its Big Ten opener against Rutgers which was far from a quality win and now the Badgers hit the road for just the third time this season. They are 1-1 on the highway with a loss at Creighton and a win at Marquette. They have won eight straight games overall but quality wins have been few and far between as the win over the Golden Eagles was the best of the bunch as Oklahoma and Syracuse are having down seasons. Going back, the Hoosiers are 23-9 ATS in their last 32 games following an ATS loss and fully expect them to bounce back again here. 10* (740) Indiana Hoosiers

Brooklyn is tied with the Sixers for the worst record in the NBA but a lot of the damage has been on the road. The Nets are just 1-16 on the highway following a pair of losses at Chicago and Washington to end 2016 but they are a much more respectable 7-8 at home. This includes a 4-3 record over their last seven games which includes an impressive win over the Clippers and a loss to the Warriors where they blew a 16-point lead. Utah meanwhile has won three straight games but all have come against teams with losing records including the last two at home. After a 5-3 start on the road, the Jazz are 4-3 over their last seven games on the road and while they have won every game as a road favorite this season, this is the biggest number they have had to cover in all of those. The Nets are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games following a straight up loss while the Jazz are 1-4 ATS in their last five games against teams with a losing straight up record. 10* (506) Brooklyn Nets

This line came out late due to the questionable status Evan Fournier and while it will be a bonus if he can go, the Magic are 2-1 in the three games he has missed and they have been off since Wednesday. We won with the Pacers in their last game as they snapped a four-game slide with a win over Chicago on Friday but they are overpriced tonight as they are just one game better than Orlando in the standings. While they have been solid at home with a 12-5 record, the Pacers are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games following a straight up win. Orlando lost that game on Wednesday against the Hornets which snapped a two-game winning streak. The Magic had a pretty solid December by going 8-8 while winning their last four games following a loss. This also included a 5-3 record on the road and Orlando sits right at .500 for the season on the highway. Orlando is 9-5 this season against teams ranked outside the top 16 in the league and spread-wise, the Magic are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six games against teams with a losing straight up record. 10* (701) Orlando Magic

We played against Drake on Thursday and it did not pan out as the Bulldog pulled off the upset at home against Loyola-Chicago but we will go against them once again here as they hit the road in a bad situation. They have won two straight games but they are 0-3 on the road and going back, they have lost 26 of their last 27 road games which includes losses in 19 straight true road games. While taking down Wichita St. in the MVC may not happen by any team, Southern Illinois is expected to be a top-tier team in the conference. However, the Salukis lost their conference opener at Bradly on Thursday as road favorites but a return home should turn things around. The value here is based on the season opening conference games as Drake is getting nearly the same amount of points on the road than it was at home against the Ramblers. Going back, the Salukis are 23-8 ATS in their last 31 games as a home favorite between 7.0 and 12.5 points while the Bulldogs are 1-5 ATS in their last six games following a ATS win. 10* (742) Southern Illinois Salukis

The Knicks and Rockets come into Saturday with opposite streaks and we will grab the generous points given to New York. Houston put up 140 points last night in a blowout victory over the Clippers for its third straight win and victory number 14 in its last 16 games. The Rockets are priced high again tonight and for good reason but when you compare some of the other similar spreads, this one is overadjusted. The Knicks lost at New Orleans last night which was their third straight loss and fifth straight loss on the road. They have been a double-digit underdog only one other time this season and that was at Golden St. where they stayed within the number. New York has covered 10 of 15 games this season coming off a loss and going back, the Knicks are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 games following an ATS loss. The Rockets are playing at a high level right now but are definitely overpriced in this situation. 10* (507) New York Knicks

Of the many marquee games on the schedule Saturday, Villanova and Creighton is the headliner and while many will think the home team has the edge, the Wildcats will prove why they are No. 1 in the nation. Villanova is coming off a scare from DePaul on Wednesday but it was pretty clear that the Wildcats were not focused at all and it almost cost them. That will not be the case here against the undefeated Bluejays. Creighton brings in an identical 13-0 record but only has one real quality win which came against Wisconsin in the second game of the season. In a game where the teams match up pretty well, free throws could be all the difference. Both schools are Top 25 nationally at keeping their opponents off the line, but once they get there Villanova has a massive advantage. The Wildcats are hitting 78.2 percent as a team which is good for No. 10 in the nation. Creighton on the other hand, is terrible at drawing fouls (230th) and even worse at making them count as they are shooting just 67.2 percent from the stripe which is No. 240 in the country. 10* (541) Villanova Wildcats

While we like to fade teams on big winning streaks, fading teams coming off massive wins is a much better strategy and that comes into play on Friday. USC won its 14th straight game to start the season as it defeated Oregon St. on Wednesday to open Pac 12 play. While the Trojans have been winning, they have not been covering as they have dropped five straight games at the betting window. However, they have been favored by at least nine points in all of those games and now they are close to that number in an underdog role. USC has been an underdog only once this season and that resulted in an outright win at Texas A&M. We won with Oregon on Wednesday as it defeated UCLA on a last second three-pointer and because of that, the Ducks go from being a home underdog to a relatively big home favorite over a quality opponent. It is too big of a swing and the celebration that took place after the win over the Bruins shows the Ducks are in a prime letdown spot tonight. The Ducks are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games as a home favorite of 7.0-12.5 while the Trojans are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games as a road underdog of 7.0-12.5. 10* (751) USC Trojans

The Pacers look to break a season long four-game losing streak as well as a season long five-game ATS losing skid as they host the rival Bulls on Friday. The recent schedule has not been kind to the Pacers as they have played 11 of their last 15 games on the road and that is where they have struggled by going 4-13 on the highway. For the season, the host is 24-9 in Indiana games as its 11-5 record at home is pretty solid. The Bulls have won two straight to improve to 10-6 at home but they are just the opposite on the road with a 6-10 record. Chicago has lost five straight road games and they have only two road wins since November 19 and those came against the Sixers and Lakers, both of which have losing records at home. Indiana has won eight of nine games this season as a home favorite and surprisingly has not been a home chalk of this small of a number in six weeks. The Bulls may be looking ahead to their rematch with the Bucks tomorrow night following their worst game of the season where they put up just 69 points in a hole loss two weeks ago. 10* (702) Indiana Pacers

After a thrilling win over Golden St. on Christmas Day, the Cavaliers lost on Monday when it traveled to Detroit and fell by 16 points. LeBron James sat that game out and that situation has been one of the lone problems for Cleveland as it is 0-4 this season when playing with no rest and going from a home game to a road game. The Cavaliers are 23-3 in their other games and the added benefit here is that they have had two days off before tonight. Boston has won its last two games and has been very solid on the road with a four-game winning streak. Of course, the Celtics have not faced the caliber of competition that they will be seeing tonight and when they have, it has not gone good. Boston has just two wins this season against a top ten team and those were both against Charlotte. It has dropped its other eight games against top ten teams while on the other side, Cleveland is 8-1 against the top ten with the lone loss coming against the Clippers. Going back, the Cavaliers are 10-3-1 ATS in their last 14 home games against teams with a winning road record. 10* (504) Cleveland Cavaliers

Typically, not a proponent for laying points on the road but this is a good situation to do so in the MVC opener for both teams. Loyola has gotten off to a solid 10-3 start after winning just 15 games all of last season. While the Ramblers are just 1-2 on the road, those losses came by just six points combined and they were against two quality opponents in Toledo and NC State. The loss against the Rockets was their last game back on December 20 so they have had eight days to seethe on that defeat. Drake is off to a 2-10 start and this is no fluke as the Bulldogs were picked to finish last in the Missouri Valley Conference. The nonconference schedule was far from difficult but they have still had big troubles with the only two wins coming against non-Division I Simpson College and Mississippi Valley St. which has yet to win a game this season at 0-13. That win over the Delta Devils came in their last game so which it could give them confidence, it more likely will be a false sense of confidence. Drake won only two conference games last season and one came on this floor against Loyola in overtime in the final game of the regular season and the Ramblers have not forgotten. The Bulldogs are 3-12-1 ATS in their last 16 games as an underdog of fewer than seven points while the Ramblers are 16-6 ATS in their last 22 road games against teams with a losing home record. 10* (533) Loyola-Chicago Ramblers

UCLA remains No. 2 in the nation following a perfect 13-0 start in nonconference action. Now the real season starts and the Bruins will be tested right out of the gate in Pac 12 play. They defeated Kentucky in their lone road game this season so while that was impressive, they will not be sneaking up on Oregon like they did against the Wildcats. Oregon opened the season at just 2-2 but has won nine straight games since then. They hope to get Chris Boucher back tonight to help bolster the defense. Boucher has missed two games due to an ankle injury and will be a game-time decision Wednesday, though his recovery has been trending in a positive direction. Oregon is 6-1 all-time versus ranked foes in Matthew Knight Arena where it has now won 33 consecutive games, the third longest home winning streak in the nation. Going back, the Bruins are 3-14 ATS in their last 17 games as a road favorite of seven or fewer points while the Ducks are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games as an underdog of seven or fewer points. 10* (762) Oregon Ducks

We won with the Nets on Monday as they defeated Charlotte outright at home for just their eighth win of the season. That snapped a five-game losing streak but now Brooklyn hits the road and has two horrible situations going against them. First, the Nets are a dismal 1-14 on the road with the only win coming at Phoenix way back in November. In the 11 losses since then, seven have been by double-digits and those 11 defeats have been by an average of 14.6 ppg. Second, the Nets have not won consecutive games this season, going 0-7 in its first seven games following a win and those losses have been by an average 14.2 ppg. Chicago has been all over the place this season and it looks to gain some momentum following a win over Indiana on Monday. They have won nine of 15 home games and the Bulls are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a winning percentage below .400 while the Nets are 4-11-1 ATS in their last 16 road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (710) Chicago Bulls

Michigan St. opened the season ranked No. 12 in the AP Poll but a brutal schedule has sent the Spartans clear out heading into conference play. They lost to Arizona, Kentucky, Baylor and Duke, all of which have two or fewer losses. Michigan St. also lost to Northeastern at home which is the only really bad blemish on the schedule. Minnesota falls into the category of a team with two or fewer losses however it has played a very soft schedule thus far. The only real quality win came against Arkansas but the records overall are playing a big factor in this line tonight. Michigan St. has held opponents under 40 percent shooting from the field in each of the last five seasons, including finishing second in the nation in field-goal percentage defense in 2012 (.379) and 2016 (.382). The strong defensive effort has carried over to 2016-17, as eight opponents have been held under 40 percent. Depth is also on the side of the Spartans as ten players average more than 10 minutes per game, while nine players have played in all 13 games. Michigan St. has covered five of seven games against teams with a winning record and going back, the Spartans are 8-1 ATS in their last nine road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (521) Michigan St. Spartans

Memphis is coming off a pretty bad loss last night in Orlando as it never led against the Magic while falling behind by as many as 29 points. The good news for tonight is that no player saw more than 29 minutes so the fact the Grizzlies are playing with no rest is far from an issue. Even so, they have thrived in these spots this season as they are a perfect 8-0 on the second of a back-to-back set, covering seven of those. Half of those have been outright underdog victories and back at full health, there is no reason to think an outright win cannot happen here. Boston defeated the Knicks on Christmas Day so while it has had a day off, it is not necessarily an advantage. The Celtics are at Cleveland on Thursday so the lookahead aspect can come into play which is a significant angle in this league. Motivation will be pretty high for the Grizzlies which will be out to avenge an overtime loss at home against the Celtics a week ago in a game where they blew a 17-point lead. Boston has covered just once in its last seven home games and is just 5-12 on the season against teams ranked No 16 or better in the league. Memphis meanwhile is 9-7 against like competition. 10* (501) Memphis Grizzlies

Portland is in a massive slump and will be without its best player tonight so you know which direction to go with here. The overpriced road team is going to be a huge public play here as the Raptors have won three straight games and seven of their last eight heading into Monday night. They won in Utah on Friday to open this six-game west coast roadtrip but their biggest test is on deck as they visit the Warriors on Wednesday so a lookahead to that is more than a possibility. The Blazers have dropped five straight games including a 20-point loss to San Antonio in their last game where Damian Lillard was hurt. His absence will be felt but C.J. McCullum will move to point and Allen Crabbe will start at shooting guard so they are still in decent shape. Portland used to have a huge home court edge but that is not the case this season but it is still a respectable 8-6 here. Eight of the Blazers last 11 games have come on the road so the schedule, which is ranked third toughest in the league, has not been easy of late especially. This is a great contrarian situation to take advantage of. 10* (718) Portland Trailblazers

Dallas is starting to get healthier but this is a tough team to trust as team chemistry remains an issue. The Mavericks have won consecutive games for just the second time this season and most surprising is that both of those came on the road. They were fortunate to face the Clippers without Chris Paul last timer out while prior to that, they defeated a slumping Portland team by just a point. Overall, Dallas is just 2-6 following a victory this season. New Orleans defeated Miami on Friday and while winning consecutive games has been an issue, the two days off definitely helps. The Pelicans are 4-14 against teams ranked inside the top 16 in the league but a much better 7-7 against those ranked outside. While Dallas has won just nine games this season, one of those came against New Orleans last month so the Pelicans will be out to avenge that defeat tonight. 10* (710) New Orleans Pelicans

It has been a tough season for Brooklyn as expected but the schedulemakers have done the Nets no favors of late. Their last three games have come against Toronto, Golden St. and Cleveland, three of the top four teams in the NBA as far as records go. Brooklyn never led in its last game against Cleveland and trailed by as many as 46 points but it was a very tough spot after blowing a 16-point lead the previous night against the Warriors. Now the Nets are catching another big number at home against Charlotte. The Hornets have won three straight games following a win over Chicago on Friday which came after a four-game losing streak. They are 7-7 on the road which is not horrible but it is just one game better than the Nets record at home. Charlotte won the first meeting here this season with the same line but by just four points. The Hornets are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a losing straight up record while the Nets are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games following a straight up loss. 10* (708) Brooklyn Nets

The Spurs are also playing with revenge today and we fully expect them to run away with this one. San Antonio opened the season with 13 consecutive road wins before heading to Chicago and losing to the Bulls by four points less than three weeks ago. The Spurs have some momentum going here as they won in Portland after suffering a loss to the Clippers the night before. They are 6-1 over their last seven games and after starting the season 4-4 at home, they have won four straight here. Chicago meanwhile comes in with no momentum as it has lost two in a row as well as five of its last six with four of those defeats coming by double digits. The team chemistry which was expected to be a problem early in the season is really starting to show now and not at a very good time. The Bulls are 0-4 ATS in their last four road games while the Spurs have covered five straight games against teams with a losing record. 10* (506) San Antonio Spurs

While we typically do not look at road revenge in the NBA, this is a special case. The Warriors will be out to avenge their NBA Finals collapse from last season and the line is dictating that. Golden St. has been favored in every road game this season but today is the lowest it has been favored by and on the year, the Warriors are 3-0 ATS when favored by fewer than seven points. This is the first time Cleveland has been a home underdog this season and while that normally would make us look at the Cavaliers, there is not enough to back them here. The Cavaliers have yet to face the Warriors with the new lineup and the motivation level will be sky high for the visitors. In what should be a classic, Golden St. will have enough to get it done here. Going back, the Cavaliers are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games against teams with a winning percentage above .600 while the Warriors are 20-7 ATS in their last 27 games playing on one day of rest. 10* (503) Golden St. Warriors

Milwaukee has had an up and down season and it looks to bounce back following a home-and-home sweep at the hands of Cleveland. This came after sweeping a two-game set against the Bulls and Friday is the start of its third straight home-and-home as the Bucks will again face Washington on Monday which is the start of a four-game roadtrip. Milwaukee is one of nine teams in the NBA that has one of fewer wins against the top ten in the league so it is a respectable 12-7 against everyone else. The Bucks have lost only two home games against teams with a losing record. Washington won its last game in Chicago on Wednesday which made it four wins in its last five games to move to two games under .500. The Wizards have struggled on the road despite the win against the Bulls as they are 3-9 on the highway and the other two wins came against the 7-21 Nets and 13-18 Magic. Washington has covered five straight games which is giving some decent value on Milwaukee which is out to revenge a five-point loss in Washington earlier this month. The favorite has covered eight of the last nine meetings in this series and we can expect that run to continue tonight. 10* (712) Milwaukee Bucks

Two of the biggest disappointments in the NBA square off tonight in New Orleans. Miami is coming off a rare win last night at home against the Lakers which snapped a three-game losing skid and the Heat are now just 3-8 over their last 11 games. This includes four straight losses on the road and this marks their first road games since December 10 as they are coming off a six-game homestand. New Orleans has played a brutal stretch of games recently which has not helped its cause to try and break out of a slump that has been ongoing all season long. The Pelicans have played the Clippers, Warriors, Rockets, Spurs and Thunder over their last eight games and to no surprise, all resulted in losses. The other three games against Phoenix, Indiana and Philadelphia, all teams with a losing record, and those resulted in wins. Going back, the Pelicans have won seven of their last 10 against losing teams and while New Orleans has really struggled within the conference as it is 4-18 against teams from the west, it is a much better 6-3 against teams from the Eastern Conference. 10* (714) New Orleans Pelicans

Golden St. is coming off a win last night in Brooklyn which was certainly expected to make it six straight victories. The Warriors are 14-2 on the road and while the majority of those have been blowouts, the majority have come against less than stellar opposition. 11 of the 16 games have been against teams with a losing record and while Detroit fits into that category, the Pistons are better than their 14-17 record shows. They are the highest ranked team with a losing record according to Sagarin and are in desperate need of a victory following their fourth straight loss on Wednesday. They lost by 12 points and all four of these recent losses have come by double-digits so they are getting more points than they normally would. Golden St. has a game in Cleveland on Christmas Day and there will be a lookahead to that revenge spot for sure. The Warriors have failed to cover their last four games playing with no rest with all four of those ATS losses coming when the second game is on the road. Meanwhile, the Pistons are 4-0 ATS in their last four home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (706) Detroit Pistons

Even though we have a power conference against a non-power conference, the wrong team is favored in this one. Georgia is off to an 8-3 start and has won three straight games heading into its final nonconference game of the season. The Bulldogs are a very solid team and have split their two road games, a 10-point loss at Clemson and a 17-point win over rival Georgia Tech in their last game. That last win was not overly impressive as the Yellow Jackets are a team in complete rebuilding mode. Oakland got off to a very impressive 9-1 start but has dropped its last two games, an upset loss against Northeastern on Tuesday and then a loss at Michigan St. the next night in a rare back-to-back scheduling occurrence. The Golden Grizzlies are one of the top teams out of the Horizon League and have a chance to pick up a quality win before starting conference action next week. Oakland is on a three-game ATS slide which is helping with the value and going back, the Golden Grizzlies are 26-9-1 ATS in their last 36 games against teams with a winning straight up record. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are 1-4 ATS in their last five games after allowing less than 50 points in their previous game. 10* (742) Oakland Golden Grizzlies

Despite the loss of four of their top six scorers from last season including Ben Simmons and Keith Hornsby, the Tigers are off to a better start through 10 games this year than last year. LSU has won four straight games but all of those were at home where it is a perfect 7-0. The Tigers have hit the road only three times and those came in a three-day stretch in Nassau in the Battle 4 Atlantis last month where they went 1-2. Tonight makes it the first true road game of the season and they were not very good in this spot last season as they are 0-5 ATS in their last five road games against teams with a winning home record. Wake Forest is 8-3 and it is a very respectable 8-3 as the Demon Deacons have done a lot of travelling thus far. They have played four true road games and three neutral court games including games against Villanova and Xavier. The last game was a roadie at Xavier and Wake Forest played very well in a four-point loss as it kept it close thanks to a big edge on the boards. The Demon Deacons have followed up their previous two losses with wins and covers while LSU is just 1-4-1 ATS following a win. 10* (532) Wake Forest Demon Deacons