Sports Picks & Predictions

The Celtics have not played a back-to-back set since the start of the month but the past few days has been extremely busy. They have played three straight overtime games and won them all and based on the schedule, there has been travel in-between all of those games. The latest came in Memphis on Tuesday as they overcame a 14-point halftime lead thanks to Isaiah Thomas scoring 36 points after halftime. Speaking of back-to-back games, Boston returns home tomorrow to face Oklahoma City in a revenge spot following a three-point loss to the Thunder earlier this month. We played against Indiana on Tuesday as the Knicks overcame a 15-point deficit thanks to a 34-24 fourth quarter to get the win and cover. The Paces now head home where they have not played much as nine of their last 12 games have come on the road and all three of those home games resulted in wins. Going back further, Indiana has won five straight games at home and is 11-4 at home on the season. Only three teams have more win than the Pacers do against top ten teams and in addition, they will be out to avenge a six-point loss here against the Celtics last month. 10* (508) Indiana Pacers

We played against UCLA on Saturday and while the Bruins ended up covering that game, Ohio St. was in it for the majority of the game until the very end. That made it nine straight covers for UCLA which is pretty much an unheard of run in college hoops but the line tonight is showing that the linesmakers have overadjusted. This is the final nonconference game of the season for the Bruins and while they are off for a week after this, the Pac 12 opener against Oregon has to have some of their attention. Western Michigan is off to a tough 3-7 start but it has played a tough schedule to this point. The Broncos have not lost a game by more than what they are getting tonight and this includes games against Villanova, UNC-Wilmington, Oakland, Boise St. and Washington, all of which have winning records. The last game came against the Huskies which resulted in a six-point loss on Sunday but the fact Western Michigan stayed out west is a big factor here as the travel aspect can be disregarded here. Pulling off the upset is not going to happen but staying within this inflated number will as the Broncos are already 2-0 ATS this season as double-digit underdogs. 10* (749) Western Michigan Broncos

Portland ended its roadtrip with another loss last night as it blew an 11-point halftime lead and was defeated by the Kings by five points. The Blazers went 0-3 on the roadtrip and has now lost seven of their last eight games as well as 13 of their last 19 games but the schedule has done them no favors. 13 of their last 18 games have been on the road including eight of their last nine where they dropped the last seven but a return home will get things going back in the right direction. Portland has won six of its last eight games at the Moda Center and catch a perfect opponent to get back into the win column. Dallas is having a horrible season as injuries right from the start have put the Mavericks in last place in the Western Conference. They lost in Denver on Monday and have not won a game on the road since November 8, a stretch of 10 straight losses on the highway since then. To their credit, they have played the toughest schedule in the NBA but while going 4-4 against the bottom part of the league, they are 3-17 against the top 16 which is where Portland resides. The Blazers have played the second toughest schedule in the NBA and the favorite has gone 23-7 in their first 30 games this season. While Portland is just 1-5 ATS this season when playing with no rest, the lone win came in the only spot where it went from the road to a home game, a 19-point win over the Thunder. 10* (716) Portland Trailblazers

The Knicks are back home following a disappointing 2-3 roadtrip which started fine with two straight wins but concluded with a trio of losses including two 13-point losses against Golden St. and Denver to end it. That put New York at 5-9 on the road but MSG has been a lot better as it is 9-4 with three losses coming against Utah, Oklahoma City and Houston, three of the top seven teams in the Western Conference, and the other coming against Cleveland. Indiana is over .500 for the season thanks to a two-game winning streak including a win over Washington last night. This is a tough stretch for the Pacers however as this is their fifth game in seven nights which has included no consecutive home games so there has been travel involved every day for the last week. While Indiana has won two straight games, it has struggled all season by going 3-11 ATS following a victory which includes a 0-6 record on the road following a home win. Those losses have come by an average of 13.5 ppg and includes defeats against the lowly Nets and Sixers. The Knicks are 7-2 ATS as favorites this season while going 5-0 ATS in their last five home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. 10* (510) New York Knicks

Northeastern is coming off a very impressive win as it upset Michigan St. on Sunday by eight points as a 10-point underdog. The short turnaround is not in the Huskies favor however as they stay in Michigan to face a very strong Oakland team. The win moved Northeastern to 6-5 on the season and while those five losses have come by just 17 points combined, they came against some suspect opposition. A loss to Harvard can be overlooked but defeats against Stony Brook, Cornell, LIU-Brooklyn and Boston University cannot. Those teams are a combined 18-25. Oakland meanwhile is off to a 9-1 start with its lone loss coming against a very solid Nevada team by just four points in Alaska as the Wolf Pack made six more three-pointers than the Golden Grizzlies. They will not be overlooking Northeastern here after its big win despite having their own game against Michigan St. on deck tomorrow night. The Golden Grizzlies have led by at least 13 points in every game this season and have only surrendered one second half lead. Oakland has only seen two second half deficits and have led for 190 of 200 minutes in the final 20 minutes. Going back, the Golden Grizzlies are 26-7-1 ATS in their last 34 games against teams with a winning straight up record. 10* (526) Oakland Golden Grizzlies

Two of the three worst teams in the NBA square off tonight and while the records are bad, the young talent on these teams is some of the best in the league. The Suns hit the road on a two-game losing streak with losses against the Spurs and Thunder and while those were a given, they have struggled on the road, even against the bad teams. They tend to step down to the level of competition as they are just 4-9 ATS against losing teams. Minnesota has lost seven straight games at home but the teams it has faced has a lot to do with that. Six of those seven teams possess winning records while the lone losing team was Detroit which is just one game under .500. The last loss came on Saturday and it was a tough one. The Timberwolves led the Rockets by 12 points with just over two minutes to play. That lead was quickly squandered and Minnesota eventually lost in overtime. Luckily, there has been a day in-between to forget that meltdown and try to get some momentum back. Going back, the Suns are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of less than .400 while the Timberwolves are 4-1 ATS in their last five games against teams with a losing straight up record. 10* (708) Minnesota Timberwolves

It has been a rough stretch for Syracuse which has gone 2-4 over its last six games after a 4-0 start. The latest setback came against rival Georgetown on Saturday and the difference came down to free throws as the Hoyas made eight more free throws than the Orange. Should Syracuse had won that game, the spread in this game might be a little higher but it would be a no play based on the possible letdown. Instead, the Orange will be out to make up for that and in a big way after suffering their first home loss of the season. Additionally, the Orange lost just their third nonconference home game over the last nine years and are now 78-3 in their last 81 nonconference home games. Eastern Michigan lost at Vermont on Saturday by eight points which was its second loss this season where no line was posted and those games should not be lost. That snapped a four-game winning streak and while they are 6-4, three of those victories came against non-division I teams. This is a good matchup for Syracuse to get its struggling offense in gear as Eastern Michigan likes to push the pace and that can lead to some easy transition baskets for the Orange. 10* (712) Syracuse Orange

Utah brings in a three-game winning streak on Sunday to visit Memphis and it remains a game ahead of Oklahoma City in the Northwest Division. Going back further, the Jazz are 10-2 over their last 12 games following a 7-8 start to the season. While the recent stretch is very solid, the schedule has played a big role in that as 10 of the 12 games have come at home and the two road games have been against the Lakers and Timberwolves. Overall, eight of those 10 games came against teams with losing records. Utah has won just three games against teams ranked in the top 16 and that is tied for second lowest in the NBA, ahead of only Philadelphia which has two. The Grizzlies lost their last game which was the first game back for Mike Conley after he missed nine games with a back injury. He struggled from the floor as did the whole team which shot 37.7 percent including going just 5-25 from long range but we should see a much better effort tonight. Memphis has lost consecutive games only twice all season as it is 7-2 in its first nine games following a loss. On the season, the Grizzlies are 6-2 straight up and against the number as home underdogs while the Jazz are 3-13 ATS in their last 16 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (510) Memphis Grizzlies

Old Dominion is 5-4 but has played better than that record shows. The Monarchs lost in overtime against Louisville and then followed that up with a six-point loss the next day in a clear letdown spot. They are coming off a tough three-point loss against 8-3 VCU, their second straight loss so they will be out to rebound this afternoon. It has been a tough schedule thus far as not only has Old Dominion played some stiff competition but there has been a lot travel involved. This is the first time this season where the Monarchs have gotten to play back-to-back home games and this is just the fourth home game of the season. Going back, they are 34-5 in their last 39 games played at the Ted Constant Convocation Center. The Panthers enter the game with a 6-3 overall record, are 6-0 at home/on neutral hardwood, but 0-3 on the road. Losses against Auburn and Purdue were expected but Georgia St. has a winnable game at Mississippi St. but lost by 22 points. The Panthers are 3-13 ATS in their last 16 games against teams with a winning straight up record while also going 3-13 ATS in their last 16 games as an underdog of fewer than seven points. Meanwhile the Monarchs are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games following an ATS and 6-1 ATS in their last seven home games against teams with a losing road record. 10* (518) Old Dominion Monarchs

This line was not released with the rest of the openers due to the status of Kemba Walker who missed the Hornets game on Friday due to a personal matter but it was announced yesterday that he will be back for this one. We are going contrarian with this game as many factors point toward Atlanta but the line has taken that into consideration. The Hornets fell to 0-4 on this current five-game roadtrip and they will look to avoid the shutout tonight and remain ahead of the Hawks in the Southeast Division, a lead that has shrunk to a half-game. Atlanta pulled off the upset win in Toronto last night to make it three wins in four games following a dreadful 1-10 run. That was a tough stretch with a lot of travel and not a lot of rest so the Hawks seem to be getting back to their normal selves. Atlanta is just 7-5 at home and one real contrarian factor is the no rest attribute as Charlotte has failed to cover all five games in the second of a back-to-back while Atlanta is 3-0 ATS playing with no rest in an away to home situation. As for the Hornets, they won four of the five games played the night before and the lone loss was an overtime one so this is a completely different situation showing that 0-5 record is pretty skewed. We should see a lot of effort from the Hornets to break this skid and a rested Walker can only help. 10* (707) Charlotte Hornets

UCLA was expected to contend with Oregon and Arizona in the Pac 12 but not many saw what a terrific start it has begun. The Bruins are 11-0 and a win over Kentucky vaulted them to No. 2 in the country. There was no letdown from that though as they destroyed Michigan and UC-Santa Barbara as the offense hit triple-digits both times. Now they will be facing a very tough defense and will be putting their eight-game ATS winning streak on the line. Ohio St. shook off an embarrassing loss at home to Florida Atlantic with a win over Connecticut while its only other loss came at the hands of 8-1 Virginia on the road by just a bucket making that defeat to the Owls a real head scratcher. The Buckeyes returned all five starters and their top six scorers from last season and they currently have six players averaging at least 9.2 ppg. If this game was at Pauley Pavilion, it may be a different story but catching the Bruins in Las Vegas is a great opportunity to pull off a major upset. We will grab the generous points based on the UCLA spread run nonetheless. 10* (783) Ohio St. Buckeyes

Texas has had a roller coaster start to the season, similar to last season before it rallied late to make the NCAA Tournament. A return trip is expected however it already has four losses and cannot ill afford any more before conference action starts later this month. All four losses have come against teams that are 7-3 or better so at least there have been no non-quality defeats and a win here adds a solid quality win to the record. The Razorbacks are off to an 8-1 start but the schedule has been pretty tame thus far. Arkansas has traveled outside of Bud Walton Arena only once this season and that resulted in a 14-point loss in Minnesota and while this is a neutral court game, the Razorbacks are tough to be trusted laying points away from home. Many feel Texas is an overrated team but they play hard every game and give 110% percent to head coach Shaka Smart and the outright win is far from out of the question here. 10* (770) Texas Longhorns

After suffering a pair of losses, Richmond bounce back with a win over Maryland-Baltimore County last Saturday and while that is far from a statement win, it was a much needed victory. That moved the Spiders back over .500 on the season and this would provide a must needed out of conference quality win. Texas Tech is 9-1 with the lone loss coming against Auburn in the first round of the Cancun Challenge. The Red Raiders have won six straight games since then but it is important to note that this is the first true road game for them this season and once it gets this late, it is a great angle to back. Richmond has lost two home games this season, one against a solid Old Dominion team and the other against Wake Forest which has turned into a pretty big rivalry. These teams met at Texas Tech last season and the Red Raiders prevailed by 15 points, setting up a big revenge situation in the rematch. 10* (722) Richmond Spiders

Milwaukee defeated the Bulls last night in the first game of this home-and-home set which snapped a three-game skid and moved the Bucks back to .500 on the season. This is the start of a rare scheduling situation where Milwaukee is playing three straight home-and-home sets with this one followed by two-game series against the Cavaliers and Wizards. The Bucks have had their struggles on the road this season as they are 3-6 and those three victories have come against teams with losing records and the nine road games are tied for the fewest in the NBA which is part of the reason Milwaukee has played the easiest schedule in the NBA. Chicago encounters a quick revenge spot after the loss last night and it will be out to avoid a third straight loss after going down here against Minnesota on Tuesday after blowing a 21-point lead so there will be no lack of motivation. The Bulls are 7-4 at home and while they are 0-3 straight up and ATS playing with no rest going from the home to the road, this is the first instance of playing with no rest at home following a road game. Milwaukee is 0-4 straight up and ATS when playing with no rest which includes a 0-3 mark when going from home to the road with the three losses coming by 10 ppg. Going back, the Bucks are 0-6 ATS in their last six road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (510) Chicago Bulls

Brooklyn is coming off a rare win on Wednesday as it defeated the Lakers by 10 points but that puts the Nets in a tough spot here. They have yet to win consecutive games this season as they are 0-6 following a victory and four of those losses have come on the road. Those four defeats have come by an average of 16.8 ppg which should not come as a huge surprise considering that Brooklyn is 1-10 on the highway for the season. Orlando lost its last game as it fell to the Clippers by five points as the struggles at home continues. The Magic are 7-7 on the road but just 4-9 at home which puts them in the rare case of having a better road record than home record, one of only six teams that can boast this. That may be concerning to back Orlando here but this is a game they need and the matchup is in their favor in the first meeting against the Nets this season following a four-game sweep last season. Orlando is 10-1 ATS in its last 11 home games after allowing 100 points or more four straight games while going 15-4 ATS in its last 19 games after playing four consecutive games as an underdog. Additionally, we play against teams allowing 103 or more ppg on the season going up against an opponent after allowing 110 points or more two straight games. This situation is 63-35 ATS (64.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (502) Orlando Magic

We played against Denver on Tuesday as it closed out a six-game roadtrip with a 20-point loss at Dallas as a road favorite to finish 2-4 on the trek. The Nuggets now return home where they have struggled this season but they are slowly but surely coming back to full health and are in good position to get back into the win column. Denver has played a very tough schedule this season as well as having 15 of its first 25 games taking place on the road while having home games against teams with winning records in eight of its 10 home games. Portland is coming off a win against Oklahoma City on Tuesday which snapped a four-game losing streak but that came at home and the road has not been a kind place. After a 3-1 start, the Blazers are 2-9 in their last 11 games on the highway and while some of those defeats have been close, most have been blowouts. Portland has won just three of 12 games this season following a victory and in all 25 Portland games this season, the favorite has won 20 of those so the short price with Denver tonight suggests that a win means a cover as well. The Nuggets fall into a solid situation as we play on teams that are averaging 103 or more ppg on the season, after trailing in their previous game by 15 or more points at the half. This situation is 182-121 ATS (60.1 percent) since 1996. 10* (708) Denver Nuggets

On paper, Auburn looks to be the dominant team in this matchup based on the fact it comes from the SEC while Coastal Carolina is playing its first season in the Sun Belt Conference. This is not the case however as the Tigers are coming off a brutal loss against Boston College at MSG on Monday and will be shorthanded tonight. Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl has suspended sophomores Bryce Brown and Horace Spencer who were arrested for misdemeanor marijuana possession. Both were starters which averaged over 20 minutes per game and while their scoring averages are nothing great, it is the other things that will be missed. Brown is the best defender for the Tigers while Spencer is considered the best rebounder on the team. The Chanticleers, who currently rank 11th in the country and first in the Sun Belt Conference in rebounds (43.8) will present challenges similar to what the Tigers have already faced this year. Coastal Carolina is 5-6 overall and while it is 0-3 on the road, it has performed better of late with two straight covers as a double-digit underdog. The Tigers will have only six players available tonight that are averaging more than 10 minutes per game which is far from ideal. Coastal Carolina falls into a solid situation where we play on road teams in a game involving two up-tempo teams averaging 60 or more shots per game after two straight games allowing 37 percent shooting or less. This situation is 75-39 ATS (65.8 percent) since 1997. 10* (719) Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

We won with Dallas on Monday as the Mavericks never trailed in their 20-point win over the Mavericks. It has been a tough start to the season for Dallas which is now 6-18 and while we have given them the benefit of the doubt of playing the toughest schedule in the NBA, that argument can be tossed out tonight. Reason being, the Mavericks have struggled against the better teams in the league as their best win has come against No. 11 Chicago based on current power rankings. Dallas is 1-15 on the season against teams ranked No. 16 or better and while it may not seem like it, Detroit is a top ten team going into tonight. The Pistons are just 13-13 but they are better than that record shows and there will be plenty of motivation tonight. They are coming off an embarrassing 20-point loss at home against Philadelphia on Sunday and the have been a solid bounce back team of late, going 4-0 in their last four games following a loss. Additionally, Detroit is 15-4 ATS in its last 19 games coming off a loss as a favorite and falls into a fantastic situation here. We play against home teams that are coming off an upset win as a home underdog going up against an opponent off a home loss. This situation is 34-12 ATS (73.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (515) Detroit Pistons

The St. Louis basketball program has slipped tremendously over the last couple years as it has gone from 27 wins in 2014 to just 11 wins in each of the last two seasons. It is expected to be another rough year and a 3-6 start to the season is looking like that will happen again. to the Billikens credit, they have lost to some very good teams but they have not been competitive for the most part as three losses have come by 30, 31 and 30 points. The problem now is the system as it does not fit with the players. Travis Ford is in his first season at St. Louis and he preached playing up-tempo but St. Louis has topped 60 points only once in its last five games and is shooting 38.2 percent on the season. A 45-43 win over 3-6 Chicago St. in its last game is nothing to get excited about. Southern Illinois should be pretty focused tonight following a pair of losses over the last week against Louisville and Sam Houston St. The Salukis are 5-5 but they are better than the record shows and this is the first lined game of the season against a team with a losing record. The Salukis are 24-9-1 ATS in their last 34 games as a favorite of 7.0-12.5 points while St. Louis is 9-22 ATS in its last 31 road games after playing a game as a road underdog while going 4-13 ATS in its last 17 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (528) Southern Illinois Salukis

A win over Chicago on the last day of November got the Lakers to .500 but December has not been kind as they are 0-7 this month following a loss in Sacramento on Monday to open this seven-game roadtrip leading up to Christmas. Tonight presents a great opportunity to get out of this slump and while a losing record is not ideal, Los Angeles has played the No. 2 toughest schedule in the league. Brooklyn has lost two straight games and is just 2-12 in its last 14 games and only a handful of those losses have even been competitive. Now the Nets are being asked to lay points for the first time this season and while that can be justified based on the Lakers losing streak, there is a talent gap here. The Lakers have welcomed back D'Angelo Russell who has played the last two games after missing 11 games with a knee injury and while his minutes are limited, having him back is big. Los Angeles has a contrarian situation on its side as we play on road teams with a winning percentage between .250 and .400 where the line is +3 to -3 after six or more consecutive losses, playing a team with a losing record. This situation is 26-6 ATS (81.2 percent) since 1996. Additionally, the Nets are 5-11-1 ATS in their last 17 games against teams with a losing straight up record. 10* (509) Los Angeles Lakers

This line jumps out as being a short price for Memphis and the public agrees as the Tigers are the biggest basketball consensus of the night. Well, it is short for a reason. Memphis is 7-2 to open the season including a 6-0 record at home and while it has a pair of decent wins over Iowa and UAB, this is the biggest home test of the season. While it is not a complete rebuilding project for Tubby Smith, who is in his first season with the Tigers, this could be a tough transitional period. Memphis has a dynamic player in Dedric Lawson who leads the team in scoring at 20.7 ppg, but there is not much after him. They have only seven players that are averaging double-digits in minutes played. Monmouth got snubbed last season for a spot in the NCAA Tournament and the mission this season is to not let that happen again. The Hawks won the MAAC regular season championship and had numerous quality non-conference wins but their 28-8 record was not good enough. They opened the season with losses against South Carolina and Syracuse but have won eight straight games since then and this is a big game because while quality wins are big for the future, avoiding non-quality losses are just as important. Monmouth has nine players averaging at least 10 minutes per game so this is a very deep and talented team. The Hawks are 13-4 ATS in their last 17 games as a road underdog or pick while Memphis is 3-12 ATS in its last 15 games coming off a home win over the last 2 seasons. 10* (721) Monmouth Hawks

Cleveland has won four straight games following that three-game losing streak and it has been winning in dominant fashion. While this line may seem large against a quality opponent, it is this big for a reason and there is an angle to go along with it that backs it up. The Cavaliers are 11-2 at home this season with their last five wins coming by double-digits. Memphis has been even hotter as it has won six straight games despite a rash of injuries with players coming in and out of the lineup. The Grizzlies are still without Mike Conley for at least another month and they will also be without center Marc Gasol tonight who is resting tonight with another game against Cleveland tomorrow. Cleveland lost only eight regular season home games last year and one of those came against Memphis and the Cavaliers likely have not forgotten that. It was a game where they were not necessarily outplayed but it was one where they gave it away by committing 25 turnovers. The angle is that we play against road underdogs of 10 or more points after allowing 90 points or less two straight games going up against an opponent after allowing 105 points or more. This situation is 25-5 ATS (83.3 percent) since 1996 with the average point differential being +17.3 ppg. Additionally, Cleveland is 22-9 ATS in its last 31 home games after three consecutive covers as a favorite while the Grizzlies are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (702) Cleveland Cavaliers

South Carolina is off to an 8-0 start and is currently ranked No 19 in latest AP Poll and this is looking a lot like last season. The Gamecocks started last season 15-0 including a 13-0 sweep in non-conference action but they really did not play anyone too strong and it showed once the SEC season started as they struggled to stay consistence. They have a pair of solid wins this season over Michigan and Syracuse but here comes the toughest test to date in my opinion. They will have to do it without leading scorer Sindarius Thornwell who has been suspended. Seton Hall is 7-2 following a 25-9 record last season that included a Big East Tournament Championship. The Pirates are coming off a tournament win in Hawaii and while this is not a true home game, it will feel like it being so close to their campus in New Jersey. They have a quality win at Iowa and while a loss to Stanford was bad, a five-point loss to Florida in the same tournament was not a bad one. Seton Hall has had to replace Isaiah Whitehead but four other starters returned as well as some strong incoming talent including four-start recruit Myles Powell, one of four players averaging double-digit scoring. Seton Hall is 13-3 ATS in its last 16 games after allowing 60 points or less and have a good matchup here to go along with a good line on top of it. 10* (520) Seton Hall Pirates

We played against Denver on Saturday and that backfired as it won in Orlando by eight points, snapping its two-game losing streak. Putting together winning streaks in the issue however as the Nuggets are 1-7 this season following a win but those of those wins came on their home floor. This is actually the fourth time they have been favored on this roadtrip which is surprising considering 9-15 overall record. Dallas defeated Indiana on Friday then laid an egg in Houston the next night losing by 22 points. The Mavericks are 5-18 which is the worst record in the NBA and while injuries have been the main factor, playing the toughest schedule in the league has not helped much either. 16 of their 23 games have come against the top 16 in the NBA including 10 against the top 10 where they are 0-10. Now stepping down in competition, the Mavericks are 9-3-1 ATS in their last 13 games against teams with a winning percentage below .400. They have a great situation on their side as we play against teams with a winning percentage between .250 and .400 where the line is +3 to -3 that are coming off a road win. This situation is 52-20 ATS (72.2 percent) over the last five seasons. Additionally, Denver is 3-15 ATS in its last 18 games coming off a road win over the last two seasons. 10* (510) Dallas Mavericks

Nevada is off to a solid 7-2 start and following a loss to Iona in the finals of the Great Alaska Shootout, the Wolf Pack have responded with a pair of double-digit wins over Bradley and Pacific. They have taken care of business at home in a big way with four blowout wins but hitting the road for a second straight game could be an issue considering they are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games as a road underdog. They are without Elijah Foster however, who is third on the team in scoring and second in rebounding as he has been suspended for the last five games and remains out. Washington returns to Seattle for its first home game since November 22 and this is the perfect time. The Huskies have lost three straight games and none have been close as they dropped back-to-back games against TCU by 13 and 15 points and most recent, lost at Gonzaga by 27 points. Those losses should put a spark into Washington as it looks to get back over .500 on the season prior to its week off for finals. The Huskies are 6-0 ATS in their last six games as a home favorite of less than seven points and will pull away in this one. 10* (730) Washington Huskies

BYU opened the season 4-0 before hitting a speedbump toward the end of November. The Cougars lost against a very strong Valparaiso team in Las Vegas and then followed that up with a head scratcher. BYU had a bad home loss against Utah Valley where the Wolverines nailed 18 three-pointers so some bad luck can be put into that defeat. The Cougars are coming off a much needed win over Weber St. on Wednesday to gain some momentum heading into this game. They lost by nine points in Colorado last season so they will be out for some payback tonight before taking a week off. Colorado is coming off an upset win over Xavier on Wednesday and now hits the road for just the second time this season. The Buffaloes defeated Portland in their first road game but that is quality win and they now face a huge test. They own one of the best home court advantages in the nation but they have been a very average road team and going back, they are 8-19 ATS in their last 27 road games as underdogs between 3.5 and 6 points. Meanwhile, BYU is 11-2 ATS in its last 13 games coming off a no-cover where the team won straight up as a favorite. 10* (584) BYU Cougars

Both Denver and Orlando enter this game riding two-game losing streak but at this price and matchup, the Magic are in a solid spot here. After three straight ins, Orlando has lost its last two games by 30 and 21 points which is a big reason the line has risen to where it is. The Magic are just 4-7 at home including a 0-3 record both straight up and against the number as home underdogs. Two of those were against Boston and Utah and the other against Washington which resulted in just a three-point loss. Denver had the night off on Friday following consecutive losses against Brooklyn and Washington on Wednesday and Thursday. The Nuggets were favored in that game against the Nets, just the second time this season they have been favored on the road. The first time was their game before that against Philadelphia meaning their two games as a road chalk came against teams with 11 combined wins. Now they are favored again on the road against a team with 10 wins and while Orlando is far from elite, it is clearly better than both the Nets and Sixers. Here, we play against teams where the line is +3 to -3 that are allowing 103 or more ppg on the season, after scoring 85 points or less. This situation is 53-20 ATS (72.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (502) Orlando Magic

Obviously, we are big fans of playing on elite teams coming off losses and San Diego St. fits the bill on Saturday. The Aztecs opened the season 4-1 with the lone loss coming at Gonzaga but has since dropped their last two games, a loss at Loyola-Chicago and a loss at Grand Canyon. Those are two horrific losses and after missing the NCAA Tournament last season, they can ill afford another bad loss which would be the case here. San Diego St. was 28-10 including 16-2 in the MWC last season which shows there is little room for error as it was the first time in six years that the regular season champion failed to make the Big Dance. Arizona St. finished 5-13 in the Pac 12 last season and projections are again saying that the Sun Devils will finish near the bottom of the conference once again. They are off to a 5-4 start which does not seem that bad however, there is not a significant win on the slate so far. Additionally, three losses have come by 19, 46 and 34 points and those were on neutral floors. This is the first true road game of the season for Arizona St. and that is not good for a team that has gone 6-19 on the highway the last two years. The Sun Devils are 0-6 ATS in their last six road games after a loss by 15 or more points. 10* (568) San Diego St. Aztecs

Ohio St. is likely not a Big Ten contender this season as some sources say and coming off a home loss to Florida Atlantic in its last game will cement that. However, this is a team that cannot be counted out and this is an ideal situation to back the Buckeyes. They are coming off a 21-14 season where they made it to the NIT but they are one of the most experienced teams in the nation which makes that loss against the Owls even more surprising. They have their top six scorers back from last season with five of those being upperclassmen. There may have been a lookahead to this game from Tuesday as Ohio St. is out to revenge a 20-point loss to the Huskies from last season. Connecticut was ranked No .18 in the Preseason AP Poll but an opening loss to Wagner followed by a loss against Northeastern knocked it out pretty quickly. The only win in the Maui Invitational came against Chaminade and while the Huskies are coming off a win over Syracuse, it was ugly as they shot just 31 percent from the floor and 56.5 percent from the stripe. The Huskies are now entering a bad spot with finals week coming up as well. Ohio St. is 11-3 ATS in its last 14 home games following a loss. 10* (564) Ohio St. Buckeyes

We played on this Xavier team Wednesday as it was coming off a blowout loss in Baylor but the Musketeers failed to bounce back as they lost at Colorado by a bucket. Now, coming off two straight losses and heading back home, this is a statement game for them as they cannot afford a loss to anon-quality opponent and a blowout win is needed. Utah may not be considered non-quality to some but the Utes can be placed in that category this season. The Utes lost a ton of talent and have had to basically rebuild their roster which puts them in a tough spot here. They are off to a 6-1 start but their biggest win was against either UC-Riverside or Montana St. and if that is a question, it shows how soft of a slate it has been. Out of 350 Division I teams, Utah has played a schedule ranked No. 344 and has yet to leave its own gym on top of it. Do not let the big number be a scare here as this one has the potential to get out of control quickly. Xavier is 16-3 ATS in its last 19 home games against teams outrebounding opponents by seven or more rpg and we already know that that Utah number is skewed. 10* (560) Xavier Musketeers

Dallas has been one of the biggest disappointments in the NBA but most of that can be attributed to injuries that have hampered the Mavericks from the start. They are 4-17 which is the worst record in the NBA and while injuries have been the main factor, playing the toughest schedule in the league has not helped much either. 15 of their 21 games have come against the top 16 in the NBA including nine against the top 10 where they are 0-9. Dallas has been better at home and it can take advantage of a good matchup tonight. Indiana has been somewhat of a disappointment as well as it has been unable to consistently put a run together. The Pacers are coming off a win at Phoenix on Wednesday to move to 2-2 on this roadtrip and they head home tomorrow to face Portland in a revenge game from a loss 10 days ago. Indiana has won consecutive games only once this season as it has gone 2-8 both straight up and ATS following a victory. Dallas is coming off its worst home loss of the season and we will see plenty of focus and effort tonight in front of the home fans. 10* (714) Dallas Mavericks

Opposing streaks square off tonight as the Spurs bring in a four-game winning streak into Chicago to take on the Bulls which have dropped their last three games. The losing skid for the Bulls started right after their home win over the Cavaliers, the only other time this season they have been a home underdog. This is the second three-game losing streak of the season and the first one was snapped with a 42-point home win over Orlando. The Spurs cannot be compared to the Magic obviously but they face a tough test tonight against a team desperate for a victory. San Antonio will be trying to tie the record set last season by Golden St. for consecutive road wins to open a season but it has not been the most taxing schedule thus far. While many feel this is a good matchup for the Spurs, it is the exact opposite. The Bulls are second in rebound differential at +5.4 and first in the league in offensive rebounds per game with 13.7 rpg. The Spurs have been fairly mediocre at crashing the boards and are No 17 in differential which could be a problem tonight giving the Bulls second chance opportunities. The Bulls are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600 while the Spurs are 4-9-1 ATS in their last 14 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points. 10* (512) Chicago Bulls

Middle Tennessee St. made a name for itself last season when it upset Michigan St. in the NCAA Tournament and it will make another run this season. The Blue Raiders are riding a six-game winning streak and are led by Arkansas transfer JaCorey Williams who leads the team with 19.7 ppg, one of three players averaging at least 14 ppg. At 8-1, the Blue Raiders have risen to sixth in the NCAA RPI ratings and have been one of the best home teams in the country in recent years, holding a 70-12 record in the Murphy Center since 2011-12. Vanderbilt bounced back from a loss against Minnesota with a 27-point win over High Point to improve to 5-4 on the season. It has definitely been an uneven start for the Commodores under first year head coach Bryce Drew which were picked to finish middle of the pack in the SEC. The team that was picked ahead of Vanderbilt, Mississippi, fell to Middle Tennessee St. last month on its home floor so a middle of the road SEC team is no issue for the Blue Raiders. The Commodores are 0-5 ATS in their last five games as an underdog while the Blue Raiders are 5-0 ATS in their last five games as a home favorite of less than seven points. 10* (518) Middle Tennessee St. Blue Raiders

After a 14-2 start, the Clippers hit a bit of a rough patch as they have dropped four of their last six games. To their credit, three of those losses came on the road during a six-game roadtrip but they did win at Cleveland over that stretch. They are coming off their worst home loss, a nine-point setback against Indiana the night before the Pacers were throttled by the Warriors by 36 points. After getting swept by Golden St. last season, Los Angeles will be out to prove it can contend. The Warriors are coming off a five-game homestand where they went 4-1, the four wins coming against teams with a losing record and the loss coming against Houston. Overall, Golden St. has played the No. 29 schedule in the NBA as it has faced just seven teams with a winning record. According to the Sagarin power rankings, the Clippers are No. 2 behind the Warriors and based on the numbers, this game should be a pickem so we are getting significant value. The Warriors are 2-6-1 ATS in their last nine games against teams with a winning percentage above .600 while the Clippers are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* (720) Los Angeles Clippers

Long Beach St. opened the season with a win over CS-Los Angeles and has now gone on to lose nine straight games. While that may seem to be an issue in backing the 49ers, the fact of the matter is that all of those games were away from The Pyramid and includes games against Wichita St., North Carolina, Louisville, UCLA and Kansas. They have been off for three days which is significant after traveling over 15,000 miles over the last three weeks. Pepperdine has been struggling as well as it has dropped three straight games following a 4-1 start to the season. The Wave have defeated no one of significance however so its 4-4 record is worse than it looks. This is the first true road game of the season for Pepperdine as well and it will take to the road for the first time without Stacy Davis and Jett Raines, who combined for 2,786 career points. Long Beach St. has underachieved of late but is picked to win the Big West Conference and with a game at Texas on deck, it needs this one in a big way and a blowout will only help matters. 10* (760) Long Beach St. 49ers

Playing on elite teams coming off big losses are always a great angle and it fits here for Xavier. The Mustangs moved to as high as No. 7 in the AP Poll but then traveled to Baylor and were annihilated by 15 points despite leading by three at the half. They shot a mere 23 percent in the second half and were on the wrong end of a 19-2 run. Xavier is expected to give Villanova a run once again with four of its top six scorers back and this is a hungry team after an earlier than expected ending to last season in the NCAA Tournament. A big road win will help and Colorado can fit the bill. The Buffaloes are expected to be solid once again but the start this season has been average despite what looks like a solid 6-2 record. They have not beaten anyone, and that includes Texas, while they lost at home against Colorado St. which is a middle of the road team in the MWC. Playing in the Coors Events Center is never easy but Xavier has what it takes to win away from home (13 last season) and we are getting a good line on top of it. 10* (747) Xavier Musketeers

We played on Milwaukee two nights ago and it nearly handed San Antonio its first road loss of the season but did manage the cover. That loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Bucks and as mentioned Monday, they have played the elite teams tough at home. They 6-5 at home and the last three losses have come against San Antonio, Toronto and Golden St. by a combined 10 points. Now they take a step down in competition with Portland even though the Blazers are a solid team. They are riding a three-game winning streak following a win in Chicago on Monday but that was their first win against a team with a winning record in close to a month which was a win over Memphis on November 6. Overall, Portland has just three wins over current winning teams and the record on the season against teams above .500 is 3-8. The favorite is 17-4 in Portland games this season and with a short price here, an outright favorite win likely means a cover as well. The Blazers are 8-20 ATS in their last 28 games following a straight up win while the Bucks are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games playing on one day of rest. 10* (714) Milwaukee Bucks

SMU started the season 3-0 including an impressive win over Pittsburgh prior to getting hammered against Michigan the next day at MSG. The Mustangs have been up and down since then with a pair of losses against USC and Boise St., two solid teams, but they bring in a two-game winning streak into tonight. SMU missed the NCAA Tournament last season because of violations and then head coach Larry Brown resigned but this team is in great shape to make another run as Duke transfer Semi Ojeleye has been everything as advertised. We are catching a small line here because TCU is off to an 8-0 start behind first year head coach Jamie Dixon. A pair of wins over Washington and a win over UNLV look good on paper and in name but those programs are in down years. The win at UNLV was the lone true road game of the season and TCU won that game thanks to being given 18 more free throw attempts as it was outshot from the floor as well as from long range. 10* (740) SMU Mustangs

New York has won three straight games to move to two games over .500 for the first time this season. The Knicks have been on a sold roll since a blowout loss in Toronto as they are 8-3 over their last 11 games. The schedule has been in their favor however as they have played only three road games over this stretch, going 1-2 with the lone victory coming by just a bucket at Minnesota. This is not an easy spot for New York as it returns home tomorrow for a revenge game against Cleveland which it lost to by 29 points in the season opener. This is a pretty big game for Miami which is coming off a 2-1 roadtrip and then has another three-game roadtrip on deck. The Heat have been better on the road than at home as they are just 2-7 at American Airlines Arena including two straight losses. Their schedule has been pretty tough however as seven of the nine home games have come against projected playoff teams and overall, they have played the fifth toughest schedule in the league. New York is 2-6 on the road and the Heat are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 home games against teams with a losing road record. 10* (506) Miami Heat

St. Bonaventure and Hofstra both come in riding four-game winning streaks and we are getting significant value with the home team. The Bonnies are coming off a sensational 22-9 season but were snubbed by the NCAA Tournament committee despite sharing the A-10 regular season championship and the disappointment showed in an opening round loss in the NIT. They only lost two starters but they were two big ones in Marcus Posley and Dion Wright which averaged a combined 36.3 ppg. Now St. Bonaventure hits the road for the first time this season and is listed as a surprising favorite. Hofstra has won three games away from home during this current winning streak and tonight marks only the second home game of the season. The Pride have a great inside-outside duo in center Rokas Gustys who is averaging 14.3 rpg, which is tops in the country, and freshman guard Eli Pemberton who leads the team in scoring at 15.3 ppg. Gustys is expected to contend for CAA Player of the Year while Pemberton will likely be top newcomer in the conference. Hofstra has a legitimate shot at this one outright but we will gladly grab the points. 10* (514) Hofstra Pride

The Bulls had a weekend that is so typical in this league. On Friday, Chicago defeated Cleveland as a home underdog and a big win like that often brings a letdown and that was certainly the case. The Bulls went to Dallas the next night and lost to the then 3-15 Mavericks by 25 points. They head back home to avoid their first losing streak since early November when they dropped three straight games. Since then, Chicago is 5-0 in its last five games following a loss while covering all five of those games as well. Additionally, the Bulls have covered five of their seven home games this season. Portland is coming off a 3-1 homestand with the lone loss coming against a surging Houston team. The Blazers have struggled on the road, losing five of their last six games on the highway while two of four road wins have come against Brooklyn and Dallas which are a combined 8-29. Portland is 1-7 ATS as an underdog this season with only one of those losses coming by fewer than eight points. Going back, the Blazers are 7-20 ATS in their last 27 games following a straight up win. 10* (712) Chicago Bulls

Milwaukee has put a solid run together as it has won four straight games to improve to 10-8 on the season and this has been done without the services of Khris Middleton who is out with a torn hamstring. While the last two wins have come against the lowly Nets, the victory prior to that was against Cleveland and they have done an excellent job when facing elite competition. The Bucks are a respectable 6-4 at home and the last two losses have come against Toronto and Golden St. by a combined nine points. Tonight will be a challenge in facing the Spurs who are still undefeated on the road at 11-0. The road slate has been relatively easy for the most part with the win over Golden St. being the best but that was the season opener. Overall, San Antonio is on an 11-1 run but it is just 5-7 ATS in those games as its lines have become inflated because of the success. That is the case here where the Spurs are favored by just two points less than they were favored by at 3-15 Dallas. The Spurs are 1-5 ATS in their last six games when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game while the Bucks are 5-1 ATS in their last six games when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game. 10* (714) Milwaukee Bucks

The race in the Eastern Conference is getting tighter with Toronto on a run of six straight wins while the Cavaliers have dropped their last three games. The Raptors have won five of the six games by at least 13 points including the last four and the last two coming by 33 and 44 points. While they will be out to prove that they can hang with the Cavaliers, it has not happened as of yet. Toronto has had a pair of chances to avenge its series loss in the Eastern Conference Finals but has failed both times. This is the first three-game losing streak for Cleveland since the end of the 2014-15 season when it lost the last three games of the NBA Finals against Golden St. with a totally banged up team missing Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. For Cleveland, it comes down to focus and execution. Cut down on the turnovers, and things will fall into place. This is the type of game that Cleveland steps it up when facing adversity and while the Raptors winning streak is nice, they have been facing a string of teams that are either struggling or without key players, or both. While Cleveland falls into the former, the struggles are easily fixable. 10* (705) Cleveland Cavaliers

Auburn is a middle of the pack team in the SEC that is off to a solid 5-1 start because the schedule has been pretty light. The only true test came against Purdue in the Cancun Challenge which resulted in a 25-point loss and now the Tigers travel to UAB for their first true road game of the season. They have been a horrible road team over the last few years as they have not won more than two road games since 2008-2009 and have gone 12-64 on the highway since then. UAB is off to an average 4-3 start but has played a difficult schedule thus far with tough games against Kansas, St. Marys and George Washington. The Blazers won their last game and while it was only against Alabama A&M, the 30-point win was needed for confidence sake. UAB will be out for revenge here as it lost in Auburn last season by a point, losing in the final second by an Auburn three-pointer. Look for the Blazers to pull away for the comfortable win. 10* (800) UAB Blazers

This line came out late due to the questionable status of Paul Millsap who has missed two straight games with a hip injury. The Struggling Hawks look to snap a five-game skid tonight in what is a classic contrarian play here. Atlanta has dropped eight of its last nine games to fall to 10-10 on the season after getting pounded at home against Detroit by 36 points. The only positive that came out of that game was that the starters played very few minutes which will benefit them in the second of this back-to-back. Toronto meanwhile has been rolling as it has won five straight games with a win over Houston being the only noteworthy victory. With the struggles of Atlanta, the Raptors may look past this game as they have a revenge game on deck against the Cavaliers. Atlanta has covered five of six games this season against winning teams and is catching a solid number here based on the direction of where these teams have gone recently. Additionally, the Hawks are 9-0 ATS in their last nine games playing with no rest. 10* (705) Atlanta Hawks

Houston is coming off a monumental win last night in Golden St. as it outlasted the Warriors in double overtime. The Rockets snapped the Warriors 12-game winning streak while also snapping their six-game losing streak to Golden St. Now comes the tough task of playing tonight following that victory and making it even tougher is the fact three players logged over 42 minutes of playing time. Houston has won both games this season playing with no rest but the difference now is that both of those wins came after losses the previous night. Denver is off to a tough 7-11 start including losses in three of its last four games. The Nuggets have struggled at home with a 4-6 record but one of those losses came against Golden St. while three others came in overtime. The Nuggets are 7-3 ATS this season following a loss and catch Houston at the perfect time. Denver is slowly getting healthier and it gets Will Barton back in the lineup tonight. Going back, the Rockets are 4-11 ATS in their last 15 games after scoring more than 125 points in their previous game. 10* (518) Denver Nuggets

Philadelphia has dropped four straight games after a decent run where it went 4-3 over a seven-game stretch following a 0-7 start to the season. Now the Sixers come in as favorites for the first time this season and while may be a red flag to some, this is a great opportunity to back them. They are a perfect 4-0 ATS this season at home against teams with a losing record and going back, they are 6-0 ATS in their last six home games against teams with a losing road record. Orlando is coming off a loss last night in Memphis and it was not a typical loss. The Magic blew a 14-point lead midway through the fourth quarter, eventually giving up the lead with 12 seconds left. They were unable to get off a shot in their last possession and that loss will be difficult to recover from one night later. This is the third road game in four nights for Orlando who came in here on November 1 and won by a bucket as a five-point favorite so the line change to now is telling. Orlando is 3-10 ATS this season against teams with a losing record. 10* (502) Philadelphia 76ers

Both Milwaukee and Brooklyn are coming off impressive victories on Tuesday as the Bucks won at home by 17 points over the Cavaliers while the Nets won in overtime at home against the Clippers. We now need to figure out which team benefits from that big win and which one suffers a letdown. Considering Brooklyn has just won just 26 games combined the last two seasons, it will be the one that suffers the letdown. The Nets have not won back-to-back games this season as they are 0-4 following a victory and going back to last season, they are 4-21 following a win. The Bucks improved to .500 with the win over Cleveland and that is pretty solid considering they have been without Khris Middleton all season. That victory over the Cavaliers was just their second against a top 16 team and against teams below No. 16, the Bucks are 6-3 on the season. They fall into a great situation where we play on road favorites coming off a win over a division rival as an underdog going up against an opponent off a win as an underdog. This situation is 27-7 ATS (79.4 percent) since 1996. Additionally, the Nets are 1-5 ATS in their last six games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game while the Bucks are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 road games against teams with a losing home record. 10* (703) Milwaukee Bucks

Rider is one of nine teams in the country that has yet to play a home game so tonight marks the first time the Broncs take the floor at Alumni Gymnasium. They are off to a 3-2 start which is pretty solid considering they started the season with five road games. Rider has five players averaging 9.8 ppg or more and it is the frontcourt that has been the strength, led by seniors Kahlil Thomas, Xavier Lundy and Norville Carey. They have won the battle of the boards in all five games this season. The Broncs have failed to cover both lined games this season which is giving them value in the short price at home. Fairfield is 4-1 including a 2-1 record on the road. The signature win was a victory at Wagner, which beat Connecticut earlier in the season but Rider also defeated Wagner on the road this past Saturday. This is the conference opener for both teams and with Rider coming off their first 20-loss season which included a 0-5 start in the MAAC, the Broncs will be highly motivated for a better start and the home opener takes care of that. 10* (726) Rider Broncs

This is the second meeting this season between Northern Illinois and Indiana St. and the latter will be out for some payback. Two free throws from Laytwan Porter with 4.3 seconds remaining helped lift the Huskies to an 80-78 overtime victory over Indiana St. in the season opener for both sides. Northern Illinois had a great season a year ago based on what was expected but was just 3-10 on the road and they are already 0-1 on the highway this season. Indiana St. comes into tonight with a 2-4 overall record, with its four setbacks coming by a total of 10 points. This past weekend at the Advocare Invitational in Orlando, Fla., the Sycamores fell to Iowa St. by two, Stanford by three and Quinnipiac by three. This is just their second home game and going back, the Sycamores have won 53 of their last 71 home games making this a very potent home court advantage. Additionally, Indiana St. is 34-14 ATS in its last 58 games as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points. 10* (548) Indiana St. Sycamores

The rebuilding season in Mississippi continues and while its 5-1 record looks good, it does not have much to it. Four of the wins came against Tennessee-Martin, UMass, Oral Roberts and Montana by a combined 17 points, only one by more than seven points and that went to overtime. The Rebels are doing well on offense after having to replace reigning SEC leading scorer Stefan Moody but are struggling on defense. Middle Tennessee St. made a name for itself last season when it upset Michigan St. in the NCAA Tournament and it will make another run this season. The Blue Raiders are riding a four-game winning streak and are led by Arkansas transfer JaCorey Williams who leads the team with 21.6 ppg. While this is the first true road game for the Blue Raiders, they are getting a very healthy number here in a game they feasibly can win outright. The Rebels are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games as a favorite while Middle Tennessee St. is 7-0 ATS in its last seven games against teams averaging 84 or more ppg. 10* (553) Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders

Memphis is a pretty banged up team right now as it added Mike Conley to the injury list as he will be out for at least six weeks with a back injury. The line is taking that into consideration but it might be taking it just a little too far at this point. This is still a very solid team with a lot of depth and while the Grizzlies are off a home loss against Charlotte, they are 7-2 over their last nine games and are only a half-game worse than Toronto. The Raptors have won three straight games including a 27-point win over Philadelphia on Monday to open their six-game homestand. They are just 5-3 at home and while they have dominated the Eastern Conference with a 7-2 record, they are just 4-4 against the Western Conference including a pair of losses against Sacramento and two of those wins were over Denver by a combined five points. Here, we play against home favorites of 10 or more points coming off a win by 20 points or more over a divisional opponent going up against an opponent off a home loss. This situation is 29-8 ATS (78.4 percent) since 1996. 10* (503) Memphis Grizzlies

Detroit is coming off a win last night in Charlotte which was just its second road win in 10 games this season. It has been an up and down season for the Pistons which are still a game under .500 and the road has been the issue where they are getting outscored by close to 10 ppg and some of those losses are against average to bad teams. Boston won in Miami two nights ago as a favorite and the Celtics have flourished in this role all season as they are 9-2 as a favorite while covering eight of those games. The home floor has been average for Boston as it is 4-3 on the season including losses in its last two games here but those were against Golden St. and San Antonio. The Celtics have won eight of 11 games against the Eastern Conference and welcome back Al Horford which is a big return to try and neutralize Andre Drummond. Look for the Celtics to push the pace on their home floor after a low scoring game in the first meeting this season. The Pistons are 6-16 ATS in their last 22 road games revenging a loss while the Celtics are 5-0 ATS in their last five games against teams with a losing straight up record. 10* (506) Boston Celtics

Ohio is off to a 4-0 start including a win in its only game on the road. The Bobcats are picked to contend in the MAC once again following an 11-7 conference record last season, good for second in the MAC East. The one road win came at Georgia Tech which may look good on paper but the Yellow Jackets are in a down year. Marshall is 4-1 on the season and will look to rebound from a 41-point shellacking at Ohio St. five days ago. The Thundering Herd were a big surprise last season as they finished second in C-USA with a 13-5 record and are a potent bunch once again. They were the third highest scoring team in the nation and while they lost James Kelly, four starters are back including point guard Jon Elmore who leads the team in scoring at 20.2 ppg and the point guard position is huge in the Dan D'Antoni fast paced offense. Marshall will look to snap a four-game losing streak in this heated rivalry with this being meeting No. 102. 10* (538) Marshall Thundering Herd

Cleveland has the best record in the Eastern Conference by three games over Toronto as it is now 13-2 following a win over Philadelphia on Sunday. That was just the Cavaliers fifth road game compared to nine home games and coupled with playing over half of their games against teams ranked outside the top 16, they have played the easiest schedule in the NBA. While Cleveland is outscoring opponents by 13 ppg at home, it is just +1.8 ppg in scoring differential on the road. Milwaukee won its last game against Orlando but is still on a disappointing 3-6 run over its last nine games. The Bucks are a respectable 5-4 at home and the last two losses have come against Toronto and Golden St. by a combined nine points. They fall into a very positive situation as we play against favorites in a game involving two teams allowing 102 or more ppg, after scoring 110 points or more 3 straight games. This situation is 52-23 ATS (69.3 percent) since 1996. Additionally, Cleveland is 9-23 ATS in its last 32 road games after scoring 105 points or more 2 straight games and 1-8 ATS after 2 or more consecutive wins this season. 10* (706) Milwaukee Bucks

Arguably the most surprising team in the NBA is the Lakers which are off to a 9-9 start after going 3-15 in their first 18 games last season and it was not until January 12 that they recorded their ninth win which ironically came against New Orleans. After suffering a pair of blowout losses against Golden St. in a home-and-home set, Los Angeles rebounded with a 15-point win against Atlanta on Sunday. The Lakers are 3-5 on the road including losses in two straight. New Orleans has been playing much better after a 0-8 start as it is 6-4 over its last 10 ten. The Pelican have dropped two in a row however but those were on the road and they bring in a four-game home winning streak. The last home loss came on November 12 which resulted in a 27-point loss against the Lakers so there is a huge revenge factor in play tonight. We have a great contrarian situation in play as we play on teams coming off an upset loss as a favorite going up against an opponent coming off an upset win as a home underdog. This situation is 66-37 ATS (64.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (708) New Orleans Pelicans

The ACC/Big Ten Challenge started last night and continues through Wednesday. Georgia Tech is off to a 4-1 start with the four wins coming against no one impressive. The Yellow Jackets lone loss came against Ohio at home and tonight is the first road game of the season for them. Georgia Tech returns seven lettermen from the 21-15 team, but it lost its top four scorers and lost upwards of 85 percent of its production from a lot of the major statistical categories. Expectations are very low and Georgia Tech has been picked to finish last, or near last, in the ACC. Penn St. is a young team as well with no seniors but it still brings back three starters and brought in one of the best recruiting classes in program history. Two of the top three scorers for the Nittany Lions are freshmen and overall they have four players averaging double-digits. Overall, they are 4-3 and after a loss in their season opener, the other two losses have come against No. 4 Duke and No. 21 Cincinnati. It is rare to see Penn St. a decent-sized favorite but it has had success in the past going 15-5 ATS in its last 20 games as a favorite between 6.5 and 9 points. 10* (724) Penn St. Nittany Lions

It has been a busy stretch for Oklahoma City as this is its fifth game in seven days and it has not been an easy time. There has been travel involved every day based on three of the past four games taking place on the highway. The Thunder are coming of a motivated win over Detroit by 18 points which avenged a loss in Detroit earlier in the month by 16 points. New York is coming off a home-and-home set with Charlotte on Friday and Saturday with the home team winning the set. The Knicks won in overtime at MSG but lost by five points in Charlotte the next night which snapped a three-game winning streak. With the Friday win over the Hornets, the Knicks have won six straight home games and the home team is now 13-3 in their 16 games on the season. New York is 5-1 ATS this season as a favorite while also sitting at 5-1 ATS at home against teams with a winning record. Oklahoma City is 5-15 ATS in its last 20 games as a road underdog of six points or less while going 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game. 10* (506) New York Knicks

Sacramento hits the road following a rugged five-game homestand where it went 2-3 against some very powerful teams. The Kings are just 2-5 on the road and while this seems like an easy start to the roadtrip, this is the first time all season they have been favored on the highway. They have not fared well in these spots in the past as the Kings are 6-16 ATS in their last 22 games against teams with a winning percentage below .400. Brooklyn is mired in a six-game losing skid but it too has played some elite teams during this stretch. The Nets have failed to cover any of these games and the last four have not even been competitive. This is the time to jump on board however as the situation and setup is in their favor. Brooklyn has won three of seven games outright this season as a home underdog and the home team is 11-4 in its 15 games this season. Here, we play on underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points that are averaging 103 or more ppg on the season, after trailing in their previous game by 15 or more points at the half. This situation is 48-20 ATS (70.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (706) Brooklyn Nets

This is a classic case of experience versus inexperience with the latter taking a trip to a very tough environment. Central Michigan is off to a 4-2 start but do not let that record fool you any as two of those win came against non-Division I teams. The Chippewas are coming off a decent 17-16 season a year ago but they do not have much back as they have only six scholarship players returning. Guard Marcus Keene leads the team in scoring at 29.3 ppg which is also tops in the nation but after that, there is not much. Green Bay is 3-2 and will be playing just its second home game of the season. Since 2011-12, the Resch Center has been one of the toughest places for the opposition as the Phoenix are 63-13 here. They bring back seven seniors from the team that went 23-13last season and will be making another run at the Horizon League title. Here, we play on favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points that are averaging 76 or more ppg going up against teams allowing between 74 and 76 ppg, after scoring 95 points or more. This situation is 48-17 ATS (73.8 percent) since 1997. 10* (528) Green Bay Phoenix

It has not been the start Minnesota was hoping for. The Timberwolves came into the season as a popular pick for a huge turnaround as they are loaded with talent but is has been disappointing so far. They are just 4-10 overall but they have mostly struggled against the top teams in the league, going 1-7 against the top 16. Despite the poor start, they are still ranked No. 17 in the latest power rankings. Phoenix won the final game of its recent six-game roadtrip where it went 2-4 overall. The Suns are 5-11 on the season including a 2-3 record at home with a pair of poor losses against Sacramento and Brooklyn. This is a tough team to trust and they fall into a negative contrarian situation where we play against home teams where the line is +3 to -3 that are coming off an upset win as an underdog going up against an opponent off a road loss. This situation is 57-26 ATS (68.7 percent) over the last five seasons. Additionally, Phoenix 1s 7-19 ATS in its last 16 games after 1 or more consecutive wins including 1-3 ATS this season. 10* (721) Minnesota Timberwolves

We played on Charlotte Wednesday and it resulted in a push or a win depending on the line but nonetheless, the Hornets lost their third straight game. After a red hot 6-1 start, Charlotte has dropped five of its last seven games but three of those came against division leaders while the other two came against Memphis and New Orleans which are on 6-0 and 4-0 runs respectively. New York has won two straight and four of its last five games and in addition, the Knicks have won five straight home games but only one of those has been against a team with a winning record. Here, we play on road teams after allowing 105 points or more in three straight games going up against an opponent after a win by six points or less. This situation is 28-5 ATS (84.8 percent) over the last five seasons. On top of that, New York is 9-23 ATS in its last 32 games as a home underdog of six points or less while the favorite is 12-2 straight up in the Hornets games this season. 10* (705) Charlotte Hornets

The Clippers have the best record in the NBA at 14-2 and they are one of just two teams that are perfect on the road as they are 7-0. Because of that, they are paying the price in this number as adjustments have to made by the linesmakers yet are still a big consensus play for tonight. The Pistons are two games under .500 following their win over Miami on Wednesday and that was a big victory that snapped a four-game slide. Detroit is 6-2 at home while going just 1-7 on the road and it will be out for some revenge as well as it lost the first meeting in Los Angeles by 32 points and trailed by as many as 43 points. The Pistons have excelled in these spots of late as they are 15-4 ATS in their last 19 home games revenging a loss against opponent of 10 points or more including going a perfect 8-0 ATS revenging a loss where team scored less than 85 points. Additionally, the Clippers are 9-22 ATS in their last 31 games as a road favorite of 6.5 to 9 points while going just 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games against teams from the Eastern Conference. 10* (710) Detroit Pistons

Illinois coming off a nightmare season where it posted its worst record since 1999 as injuries took its toll before and throughout the season. Now healthy, the Illini can put a bounce back season together and get back to the NCAA Tournament after missing it for three straight years. The return of point guard Tracy Abrams is pivotal after he missed the last two years with injuries and he is one of six players scoring in double-figures, led by Big Ten Player of the Year candidate Malcolm Hill with 20.6 ppg. Illinois is 4-1 and coming off a loss to an extremely solid Winthrop team in overtime. West Virginia is off to a 3-0 start but it is hard to say how this team is overall based on the fact none of their games had lines showing the easiness of the slate. The Mountaineers are expected to give Kansas a run in the Big 12 and are currently ranked No. 19 in the nation but inexperience down low is an issue and will be early on in the season so Illinois will not be at a disadvantage here like it could be against other teams that are big. Illinois is 8-0 ATS in its last eight games after scoring 75 points or more two straight games while the Mountaineers are just 1-4 ATS in their last five non-conference games. 10* (513) Illinois Fighting Illini

After winning 28 and 30 games the last two season, Valparaiso is expected to flirt with those numbers once again as it brings back the majority of its team from last season. The Crusaders will have the best player on the floor with Alec Peters who is already averaging 25.4 ppg and 8.8 rpg through five games. They took care of Alabama in the first round of the MGM Grand Main Event and are now catching a very favorable number against BYU. The Cougars rolled over St. Louis in the first round game to improve to 4-0 but this will easily be the biggest test of the young season. They lost two key players from last season, Big West Conference Player of the Year Kyle Collinsworth and leading scorer Chase Fisher and while still very talented, it is hard to gauge how good this team actually is. These teams met last season in the NIT Semifinals at MSG and Valparaiso won by a bucket. On that neutral floor, the Crusaders were favored by 2.5 points and now we are seeing a double-digit line shift despite both teams being relatively equal to the teams from last season. 10* (790) Valparaiso Crusaders

Oklahoma City has hit a rough patch but is in good position to get out of it tonight. The Thunder lost last night to a more solid than expected Lakers team to make it six losses over their last eight games after starting the season 6-1 with the lone defeat coming at Golden St. in a game that meant a ton to the Warriors. Back-to-back losses against Orlando and Detroit were uncalled for but the other four losses during this stretch have come against pretty solid opposition. This is just the second time the Thunder have been a single-digit underdog and both resulted in covers against the Clippers. Sacramento is 5-9 on the season, is coming off a win over Toronto and has covered four straight games but does not deserve to be the chalk in this matchup. Additionally, Sacramento is 3-14 ATS in its last 17 games playing on two days of rest. Here, we play against teams where the line is +3 to -3 that are allowing 103 or more ppg on the season, after a close win by three points or less. This situation is 44-15 ATS (74.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (723) Oklahoma City Thunder

Brooklyn has dropped four straight games, all of which have come against some stiff competition and while that is the case tonight with the opponent, it is catching a great number at home. The Nets are 4-9 overall which is nothing special but the play at home has been pretty solid with a 3-3 record as opposed to a 1-6 record on the road. Brooklyn lost at Boston by five points last month as an 11.5-point underdog so the change in venue shows the improper line adjustment. The Celtics are 2-0 on this roadtrip to get back to .500 on the road, and while the Nets are getting their biggest amount of points at home, this is the most Boston has been favored by on the road. Boston is definitely the better team but this is way too aggressive of a number. The Nets fall into a situation where we play on underdogs after allowing 105 points or more three straight games going up against an opponent after a win by 6 points or less. This situation is 38-11 ATS (77.6 percent) over the last 5 seasons. 10* (714) Brooklyn Nets

The Spurs continue to get it done in the wake of the Tim Duncan retirement as they are off to an 11-3 start including a 7-0 record on the road, one of only two teams in the league that has yet to lose on the road. After defeating Golden St. in the season opener, San Antonio has had a pretty easy go of it on the highway with only one team being above .500 at the time and that was a six-point win at Houston which was actually a revenge game in a home-and-home set. Charlotte is off to a solid 8-5 start despite losses in its last two games. Four of the five losses have been games that were decided late or in overtime and the only other time the Hornets were home underdogs, it resulted in a two-point loss to Toronto. They fall into a situation where we play on home underdogs with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 coming off an upset loss as a favorite, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 53-21 ATS (71.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (708) Charlotte Hornets

After dropping the first two games of this roadtrip, the Blazers won on Sunday in Brooklyn in a game they pretty much led throughout. Portland is now 4-4 on the road but three of those wins have come against teams with five or fewer wins overall and a winning percentage of .385 or worse. While each game counts, the Blazers will be caught looking ahead to a game tomorrow in Cleveland. The Knicks are coming off a win as well as they defeated Atlanta at home on Sunday to improve to 5-2 at MSG which includes four straight victories. On the season, the host is 10-3 in New York games and the home/road splits are similar for the Knicks ATS as they are 5-2 ATS at home and just 1-5 ATS on the road. This team is greatly improved from last season as the Knicks will seek to get to .500, a mark they were not able to reach after January 20 last season when they finished 32-50. Going back, the Blazers are 8-20 ATS in their last 28 games following a straight up win. 10* (504) New York Knicks

Yale had an epic season a year ago as it won the Ivy League with a 13-1 record and then defeated Baylor in the NCAA Tournament before losing to Duke in the second round. The Bulldogs will be hard-pressed to come close to matching the effort from last season as they lost two-time Ivy League Player of the Year Justin Sears and forward Brandon Sherrod who averaged 12.7 ppg. Yale had been counting on Makai Mason, the leading scorer from last year, to lead the team but he is lost for the season with a foot injury while top incoming freshman Jordan Bruner is out until early December. Pittsburgh is coming off a solid win over Marquette at MSG on Friday to move to 3-1 on the season. The Panthers have a new head coach as Jamie Dixon left for TCU and Kevin Stallings from Vanderbilt steps in. Pittsburgh is a middle of the pack team in the rugged ACC but this is a very solid group that has six of its top seven scorers back from last season as they only lost James Robinson and his 10.2 ppg. Yale wax hammered in Virginia by 24 points and while Pittsburgh is not as good as the Cavaliers, they will be able to pull away for a blowout here. 10* (516) Pittsburgh Panthers

Despite being battered with injuries, the Grizzlies have run off four straight wins and covers to move to 8-5 on the season. Memphis is now two games behind San Antonio in the NBA Southwest Division but it is one of only two teams in the Western Conference that possesses a winning record but has a negative scoring differential. Charlotte meanwhile is coming off a tough loss on Saturday as it fell in overtime against then 3-10 New Orleans. The Hornets are off to a solid 8-4 start however and have followed up their three previous losses with wins twice and this is the first situation on the season playing at home off a road loss. It was a clear letdown for the Hornets who were coming off a statement win over Atlanta the previous night. Memphis has been successful this season mostly due to forcing turnovers but it will not have an easy time tonight as the Hornets average a league-low 11.3 turnovers per game while the Grizzlies are seventh in the NBA at 18.2 points off turnovers per game. Going back to last season, the Hornets are 6-0-1 ATS in their last seven games after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game and this season they are 6-1 ATS when favored by fewer than six points. Memphis is just 2-7 ATS in its last nine road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (708) Charlotte Hornets

Clemson broke in the newly renovated Littlejohn Coliseum with a convincing win over Georgia and has held its own so far in Puerto Rico. The Tigers defeated a very good Davidson team before losing to No. 11 Xavier on Friday by just six points. Clemson had a surprisingly good season last year despite playing its home games a half-hour away from campus as it finished 17-14 overall including 10-8 in the ACC. The Tigers are pretty loaded this season as they return three starters including First Team All-ACC forward Jaron Blossomgame and they have six players averaging double-figures in scoring. Oklahoma suffered its first loss of the season in overtime against Northern Iowa and after a magical run last season, it is rebuilding time in Norman. The loss of Buddy Hield cannot be overstated but the Sooners also lost two other seniors that averaged double-digits in scoring so a ton needs to be replaced. In a down year in the Big 12, Oklahoma is still picked to finish only sixth. Even as good as they were, the Sooners are just 3-12 ATS in their last 15 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* (533) Clemson Tigers

Portland has been a frustrating team for backers as it has now gone seven straight games without a cover while losing its last three games outright. The Blazers have opened this five-game roadtrip with a pair of blowout losses while all three losses on this skid have come by at least 12 points each. They possess two of the best players in the game in Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum so it is a surprising drought. The good news is that they now face one of the worst defenses in the NBA as the Nets are allowing 112 ppg on the season and have allowed at least 100 points in seven straight games including at least 113 points in five of those. Brooklyn has been decent at home this season with a 3-2 record but the situations have been in its favor and that is far from the case here facing a desperate Portland team in dire need of a victory. Portland is just 2-5 against the top 16 teams in the NBA but 5-2 against all teams below that and Brooklyn is sitting at No. 29 in the NBA. Going back, the Nets are 3-7-1 ATS in their last 11 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points. 10* (503) Portland Trailblazers

This line came out late due to the questionable status of Devon Booker and TJ Warren for the Suns both of which are big pieces in the offense. We are making this play based on both playing and if one or both do not suit up, it is an additional benefit. Phoenix rolled last night in Indiana as it downed the Pacers by 20 points but it was a fortunate circumstance as Paul George was a late scratch. That was the just the second road win for Phoenix this season and this is the first instance this season playing back-to-back road games with no rest. The Sixers were hammered in Minnesota on Thursday as they trailed by as many as 33 points in the 24-point loss. The road has been torture for Philadelphia as in five games, only one loss has been by fewer than 16 points. The home floor has been a lot better as the Sixers have won two straight while three priors losses against Cleveland, Orlando and Oklahoma City were by one, two and seven points respectively. The Sixers are 4-0 ATS in their last four home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400 while the Suns are 7-22 ATS in their last 29 games following a straight up win. 10* (712) Philadelphia 76ers

The Rams are off to a 3-0 start this season and while those victories have come against some weak opposition, this is a very strong team. They are currently ranked No. 21 in the nation following a 17-15 season that was not as good as expected. A big reason for that was Rhode Island lost E.C. Matthews early in the year and then other injuries took place throughout the season. The Rams have nearly everyone back and have four players averaging double-digits in scoring led by Matthews and his 20 ppg. While this is not a home game, the Rams will have plenty of fans here in Connecticut. Cincinnati has rolled in its first two games against lesser opposition and faces a big test here. The Rams defeated Brown by just seven points in the last game and that will be big motivator here. After the Brown game, head coach Dan Hurley, clearly not pleased, left all of his players in the locker room instead of bringing two with him when he met the media. He called the defensive play of his guards "pathetic." That will certainly fire up the players for this contest and a chance to play Duke on Sunday. 10* (740) Rhode Island Rams

Golden St. opened its roadtrip with a win at Toronto to make it five straight wins after a horrible loss at Los Angeles against the Lakers. The Warriors have the most efficient offense in the NBA so you know what you are going to get pretty much every night. Their problem has been the defense however but a lot of that has to do with pace and with Boston being one of the fastest teams in the NBA, the defense will have its hands full once again. The Celtics were blown out in back-to-back games but have responded with a 3-1 run to get back over .500. This is one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference even though the record may not show that and they will be putting that on the line tonight. Boston can keep up for sure as on the season, the Warriors are yet to hold a team below 95 points, and they have surrendered over 100 points in all but two of their first 11 games. Boston should be extra fired up simply because it is the Warriors and they handed Golden St. one of its nine regular season losses and it could have been a tenth but the second meeting resulted in an overtime loss. Here, we play against favorites in a game involving two teams allowing 102 or more ppg), after scoring 110 points or more 4 straight games. This situation is 27-6 ATS (81.8 percent) since 1996. 10* (510) Boston Celtics

Georgia Tech is off to a 2-0 start with a pair of wins over Tennessee Tech and Southern but do not let those fool you. This is not a good team. Georgia Tech returns seven lettermen from the 21-15 team, but it lost its top four scorers and lost upwards of 85 percent of its production from a lot of the major statistical categories. Expectations are very low and Georgia Tech has been picked to finish last, or near last, in the ACC. Additionally, the Yellow Jackets will be without senior point guard Josh Heath. He is suspended for the first four games of the regular season and can return Nov. 26 against Tulane. Ohio is also 2-0 as it also defeated Southern while beating a very solid Sam Houston St. team by 21 points. The Bobcats are coming off a 23-12 season and are expected to have an even better season this year. They have the reigning MAC Player of the Year in Antonio Campbell as well as a great point guard in Jaaron Simmons as well as two other returning starters. This team is loaded and the line shift in this game is warranted. 10* (529) Ohio Bobcats

We played against Phoenix two nights ago as it got throttled in Denver to make it three straight losses but we will be backing the Suns tonight in a good matchup in their favor. The Suns will look to rebound and improve to 2-1 against the Eastern Conference this season, the third game of a six-game roadtrip. They have played a very tough schedule that is ranked No. 5 in the NBA. The Suns are still league leaders in field goals attempted, two-point field goals made and attempted, second in free throws made and attempted, second in total rebounds, third in defensive rebounds, fourth in offensive rebounds, and fifth in steals so the defense needs to come around. Indiana meanwhile has played the second easiest schedule in the league and caught a break last game when LeBron James took the night off on Wednesday, causing a seven-point line shift. This is a bad matchup for the Pacers whose defense is bad also as their 45.1 percent allowed is fifth worst in the Eastern Conference. Herd we play on road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points that are averaging 103 or more ppg, after trailing in their previous game by 15 or more points at the half. This situation is 34-11 ATS (75.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (501) Phoenix Suns

This is a huge game for Connecticut. The Huskies are off to a 0-2 start after suffering embarrassing home losses against Wagner and Northeastern and the season could get out of control very shortly. Following the game tonight, Connecticut heads to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational where it faces Oklahoma St. in the first round. The remaining teams include North Carolina, Oregon, Georgetown, Tennessee and Wisconsin so it will be a true test and going in there 0-3 could very well mean coming out 1-5 at best. The Huskies need to build confidence heading into next week. Loyola Marymount is a program on the rise but it is not on the same level as Connecticut despite the poor start for the Huskies. The Lions are 1-1, winning a glorified exhibition against Vanguard and then getting thumped at Nevada by 15 points. Hosting Connecticut is a big deal so the Lions will no doubt be fired up for this one but they are catching the Huskies at the wrong time. A fast start is important for Connecticut as it has led only for five minutes and five seconds this season and twice trailed by double digits in the first half. Going back, Loyola-Marymount is 2-11 ATS in its last 13 home games after one or more consecutive losses. 10* (735) Connecticut Huskies

This line came out late due to the uncertain status of guard Bradley Beal for Washington and he most likely will be missing his fourth straight game because of a hamstring injury. The Wizards dropped their third straight game last night to fall to 0-5 on the road and 2-8 overall. To their credit, if there is any left, they have played the eighth toughest schedule in the NBA with eight of the 10 games coming against the top 16 in the league. While the did lose the two games outside the top 16, both were on the road. The three home losses have come against teams a combined 22-11. The Knicks won their second straight game last night, a hard fought 105-102 victory over Detroit. They have been solid at home with a 4-2 record but are just 1-4 on the road and while they have also played a difficult schedule, this is a tough spot with this being their third game in four nights. New York is 1-5 straight up and ATS as an underdog this season and Washington falls into a great contrarian situation where we play on teams after allowing 105 points or more three straight games going up against an opponent after a win by six points or less. This situation is 54-21 ATS (72 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (702) Washington Wizards

UC Santa Barbara lost its season opener by 14 points to Omaha which may seem like a horrible loss but in reality, the Mavericks are a solid team out of the Summit League and following that win, they played USC and Kansas St. very tough in a pair of losses. Back to the Gauchos which are expected to contend in the Big West this season and will be in full bounce back mode tonight. They have three starters back led by a strong backcourt and the addition of Jalen Canty will help the undersized roster right away. The Gauchos will struggle against big teams but San Francisco poses no threat down low. The Dons are coming off an unimpressive win at home against Illinois-Chicago by just a bucket and this team is in for a long season. They lost two starters to graduation and when head coach Rex Walters was fired, they lost two more starters who opted to transfer out. Now they hit the road for the first time and in a very bad spot. The Gauchos fall into a solid situation as we play on favorites with two more starters returning from last year than opponent, in the first five games of the season. This situation is 153-96 ATS (61.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (534) UC Santa Barbara Gauchos

Both Denver and Phoenix are off to slow starts but this is a good spot for the Nuggets to get their first home win of the season. They are 3-7 overall including a 0-3 record at home and the schedule has been brutal. Denver has played the toughest schedule in the NBA as of those 10 games, only two have come against teams ranked outside the top 16. The Nuggets are 1-1 in those games, defeating New Orleans and losing to Memphis by just one point and both of those games were on the road. The three home losses have come against teams with winning records. Phoenix is coming off a loss at Golden St. last time out to fall to 3-8 overall and 1-5 on the highway. The lone road win came at 2-9 New Orleans by a point in overtime so that one could have gone either way. Phoenix has been solid playing upper tier competition, going 6-1 ATS against winning teams but the Suns are just 1-3 ATS against teams with a losing record. The Nuggets are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games following a loss while going 13-1 ATS in their last 14 games after allowing 100 points or more five straight games. 10* (518) Denver Nuggets

Many are down on Miami and up on Atlanta based on the recent runs from both sides but this is a spot we like to play contrarian and we are getting an exceptional line to go along with it. The Hawks have won and covered four straight games and are currently 7-2 overall, good for a tie for second place in the Eastern Conference. They have played a very favorable schedule thus far as six of their nine games have been at home and the schedule overall is ranked second easiest in the league. On the flip side, Miami has dropped five straight games following a loss in San Antonio last night. The Heat are 2-7 on the season but their schedule has been just the opposite of the Hawks as the Miami slate is ranked No. 7 in the NBA and while they have failed to beat any of the elite teams, the situations have been tough. This can be considered another tough one playing a back-to-back but a return home and getting a huge number helps Miami out. Atlanta is playing with more rest but going back, it is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 road games when playing only their 2nd game in five days. 10* (704) Miami Heat

On paper based on last year, the fact that Georgetown is favored here may be shocking and that is a significant reason that Maryland is a huge public consensus tonight. The Hoyas were one of the most disappointing teams in the country last season as they lost some games to teams they never should be losing to enroute to a 15-18 season, the first losing record ever under head coach John Thompson III. Georgetown will bounce back this season and the first game was a good start as it rolled over USC Upstate. While that may seem unimpressive, remember Georgetown lost its first game last season against Radford. Graduate transfer Rodney Prior led the Hoyas with 32 points and he is a big piece of the resurgence after leading Robert Morris in scoring and rebounding last season. The Hoyas also have four starts back. That is the complete opposite of Maryland which lost four starters and while the lone returnee is a great one in Melo Trimble, it is going to take some time for this team to come together. That was proven in the Terrapins opener, a narrow six-point win over American (The Eagles lost by 23 at Texas A&M last night). Look for a signature Hoyas win tonight. 10* (716) Georgetown Hoyas

Auburn closed last season with a four-game losing streak which closed a bad second half of the season where the Tigers went just 2-11 over their last 13 games. A lot of this was due to the unexpected injury to their point guard and then a suspension to their leading scorer. There is a solid foundation in place and expectations are pretty high in Auburn thanks to blue chip recruit Mustapha Heron. This is the third year here for head coach Bruce Pearl and this is usually the pivotal one as every player on the team is his recruit. Georgia St. is a team in transition after losing some very key components from last season. The Panthers were solid on defense but were unable to score consistently and while that has been addressed heading into this season, it will take some time for this team to jell as the roster is young in some spots and transfer heavy in others. They are coming off a blowout win in their opener but that came against Thomas University, a team from the NAIA. The Panthers have failed to cover their last six games against the SEC. 10* (544) Auburn Tigers

This line came out late due to the questionable status of Paul George who missed the Pacers last game because of an injured ankle. Indiana lost that game to the Celtics by six points which was their second straight loss to fall to 4-6 on the season. The Pacers welcome back former coach Frank Vogel who is in his first season with Orlando. Throughout his time in Indiana, through all the wins and losses, Vogel always exuded the upbeat and underdog personality that players and fans grew to love. He will certainly be out to win against his former team that did not renew his contract but this is a tough spot for his players. Orlando snapped a three-game losing streak with an upset win in Oklahoma City last night as former Thunder Serge Ibaka went off for 31 points against his former team. Offense has been the issue for the Magic which are dead last in the NBA in scoring with just 95 ppg. Indiana struggles on defense but will not have any issues tonight. Here, we play on teams after allowing 105 points or more three straight games going up against an opponent after a win by six points or less. This situation is 53-21 ATS (71.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (502) Indiana Pacers

Connecticut entered the season ranked No. 18 but dropped its opening game against Wagner on Friday which snapped a 27-0 home opening winning streak on campus. It was a horrible loss for the Huskies but it does give us an edge here as you can guarantee they will put up their best effort tonight in trying to bounce back. Expectations coming into the season were very high, even higher than the preseason ranking based on some solid returning talent as well as one of the top freshman classes in the country. Northeastern is coming off a win in its season opener against Boston University but it was not overly impressive but at least it was a win, something that Connecticut cannot say. The Huskies are coming off an average season, one that was supposed to be much better as they had two of the best players in the conference in Quincy Ford and David Walker but they have now departed to this is a team in transition mode. Northeastern heads to Connecticut at the wrong time which results in a blowout loss tonight. 10* (520) Connecticut Huskies

Wichita St. has been a mid-major power for years and while the Shockers are picked to win the Missouri Valley Conference once again, some of that has to do with the rest of the conference team being down rather. The Shockers lost Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet to graduation and the NBA and those are two tough losses top make up. Overall, three starters have to be replaced and no returning players scored in double-figures last season so there is plenty of work to be done. The Shockers defeated South Carolina St. by 46 points so that victory is inflating this line. Long Beach St. is the pick to win the Big West Conference and it is also coming off a big Friday win by 36 points over CS-Los Angeles. The 49ers have a veteran backcourt, always important in games like this in a very tough environment, and one key ingredient is Evan Payne who transferred in from Loyola-Marymount. He led the team with 15 points on Friday in just 21 minutes after averaging 18 ppg with the Lions two years ago. This has the makings of an early season classic battle and we will gladly grab the double-digits. 10* (727) Long Beach St. 49ers

The Lakers are off to a 6-4 start and are one of the early season surprises in the NBA. It took them until December 30 last season to reach six wins so clearly this is a team on the rise. They won five road games all of last season and are riding a three-game road winning streak heading into Sunday but the jury is still out on this team. Los Angeles is 2-0 on the current roadtrip but the opposition has not been great and while the Timberwolves are off to a dreadful 2-6 start, they have still been pretty solid. Minnesota fell behind by 13 points after the first quarter last night and could never come back against the Clippers but the Timberwolves have a much better matchup tonight. They have not been as bad as the current record shows as their scoring differential is dead even. Minnesota is ranked ahead of the Lakers in the current power rankings so the fact it is favored here comes as no surprise. Going back, the Timberwolves are 15-6 ATS in their last 21 games against teams with a winning straight up record while the Lakers are 4-13 ATS in their last 17 games after scoring 100 points or more two straight games. 10* (704) Minnesota Timberwolves

Milwaukee is off to a solid 4-4 start considering the Bucks are without Khris Middleton as not much was expected with his absence which will be at least another five months. They are coming off a pair of losses as they fell to Dallas on the road in overtime last Sunday and then handed New Orleans its first win of the season on Thursday in this building. That should be a big motivator tonight for the Bucks. Memphis is coming off a win against Denver on Tuesday by a point which concluded a 2-2 homestand. The Grizzlies are also at 4-4 on the season but it could be much worse as two wins have come in overtime and the other two have been by a combined five points. This is also just the third road game of the season for the Grizzlies. Milwaukee falls into a great situation where we play on teams where the line is +3 to -3 after allowing 105 points or more going up against an opponent coming off win by three points or less. This situation is 37-15 ATS (71.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (518) Milwaukee Bucks

Here we have San Antonio playing an early season revenge game but like the Clippers last night, we are going against that and fading the road revenge favorite. San Antonio won and covered last night against the Pistons in what was a very physical defensive game and while the travel is not far, it is still a trip with no rest. San Antonio lost at home against the Rockets on Wednesday by a bucket but it will be interesting how the rotation is juggled tonight. The Spurs are 4-0 on the road and that is a record we love to go against. The Rockets have not played since that win at San Antonio which was part of a 3-2 roadtrip. Houston is playing just its second home game of the season as seven of its first eight games have come on the road so that puts the Rockets in a favorable spot here. Additionally, we play on home teams where the line is +3 to -3 playing only their 2nd game in five days, with a winning record on the season playing another winning team. This situation is 83-43 ATS (65.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (510) Houston Rockets

This is one of those lines that makes no sense and because of that, the public is jumping all over the Clippers. We played against Los Angeles last night and won with the Thunder which stayed within the inflated number in a very hard fought game that came down to the end. Now the Clippers are playing the second of a road back-to-back and are actually laying less points to Minnesota which is a big red flag. The Timberwolves are off to a disappointing 2-5 start but five of their first seven games have been on the road and of those five losses, three have come by a combined 10 points. Minnesota is playing on two-days rest here which is a big factor considering the Clippers starting five combined for 164 minutes last night. We have a solid situation on our side as well as we play against favorites that are averaging 102 or more ppg going up against teams allowing 102 or more ppg, after scoring 110 points or more four straight games. This situation is 34-10 ATS (77.3 percent) since 1996. 10* (512) Minnesota Timberwolves

This is an early season revenge game for the Clippers whose only loss of the season came at home against the Thunder. However, we are not playing road revenge in this spot, especially laying points on the road. Los Angeles owns the best record in the Western Conference at 7-1 and is currently riding a four-game winning streak while covering all of those games as well. The Clippers were favored by 7.5 points in that home game against the Thunder and now it is laying just over a bucket less on the road and that is a big overinflation. Oklahoma City is coming off its second loss of the season as it fell at home against Toronto by 10 points. It was an uncharacteristically poor game for Russell Westbrook who did score 36 points but was just 9-26 from the field including 3-12 from long range while committing eight turnovers. Expect a big bounce back from him. Two solid situations are in our favor here as well. First, we play on home underdogs off an upset loss as a favorite, with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 on the season. This situation is 54-22 ATS (71.1 percent) since 1996. Second, we play against teams after two consecutive covers as a favorite going up against an opponent off a home loss by 10 points or more. This situation is 48-20 ATS (70.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (712) Oklahoma City Thunder

Georgia Tech enters the season with a new coach and plenty of questions. Josh Pastner takes over the program after Brian Gregory was fired and he inherits a team without much firepower. Georgia Tech returns seven lettermen from the 21-15 team, but it lost its top four scorers and lost upwards of 85 percent of its production from a lot of the major statistical categories. Expectations are very low and Georgia Tech has been picked to finish last, or near last, in the ACC. Additionally, the Yellow Jackets will be without senior point guard Josh Heath. He is suspended for the first four games of the regular season and can return Nov. 26 against Tulane. Tennessee Tech lost its top two scorers but this could very be the deepest team head coach Steve Payne has had in his five years with the Golden Eagles. They reached their first postseason since the 2012 CIT and this season, Tennessee Tech is picked to finish second in its division of the Ohio Valley Conference. It is loaded with JUCO talent coming along with impact players coming back led by preseason all-OVC Serbian combo guard Aleksa Jugovic. After watching Georgia Tech struggle with Shorter in its lone exhibition game, this one is certainly no gimmie. 10* (811) Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles

Evansville posted a 25-9 record last season, the best record for the program in 27 years, but a heartbreaking loss in the MVC Tournament against Northern Iowa ended its season earlier than expected. The Purple Aces were passed over by the NCAA Tournament and the NIT and decided not to play in any other postseason tournament. Now the rebuilding process begins. They lost guard D.J. Balentine who led the conference in scoring three straight seasons and center Egidijus Mockevicuis who led the conference in rebounding three straight seasons. Also gone are three-year starter Adam Wing, MVC Sixth Man of the Year Mislav Brzoja and projected starter Blake Simmons who is out for the season after a summer injury. Louisville had a potential Elite Eight team last season before the university's administration sacrificed the season because of the Andre McGee allegations. This team is a potential top ten team once again and they will be out for blood early on. Louisville is built to run, create turnovers and score and Evansville does not have the bodies to keep up here. 10* (718) Louisville Cardinals

Louisiana Tech went 23-10 last season and finished in a tie for third in Conference-USA and the Bulldogs will once again contend for the conference title. They lost three starters from last season but they are still experienced and very deep so they will be able to run and defend without a problem. The Bulldogs recently scrimmaged a Power Five team, according to head coach Eric Konkol, who said he was pleased with the performance. Freshman guards Jalen Harris and DaQuan Bracey, who are expected to see significant playing time, will be key in replacing Alex Hamilton, the 2015-16 C-USA Player of the Year. South Carolina tied a school record for wins last season with 25 but failed to make the NCAA Tournament and made an early exit in the NIT. The Gamecocks have a solid backcourt but they lost their entire frontcourt and enter the season with seven new scholarship players including five freshmen so it will take a while for this team to get going. Overall, South Carolina only has ten scholarship players and they lost 36.9 points of their scoring production in the offseason to graduation and transfer. 10* (733) Louisiana Tech Bulldogs

Portland defeated Phoenix last night to avenge an early season road loss and now it hits the road to avenge an early season home loss. The Blazers lost at home on October 27 to the Clippers by eight points as Los Angeles got some payback for its loss in the Western Conference Quarterfinals from last season although that was decided by injuries more than anything. Overall, the Blazers have lost three games with the third being against the Warriors. The Clippers have moved into the top spot in the current power rankings as they are off to a 6-1 start including three straight double-digit wins. The lone defeat came against Oklahoma City in their first game in November and they head to Oklahoma City on Friday so the possibility of a lookahead is there. Heading to Los Angeles to face the Clippers is never easy but this is one of the better spots you can come across. 10* (719) Portland Trailblazers

The Nets won their third game of the season last night over Minnesota but now hit the road for the first game on their five-game roadtrip. They are 0-2 on the road this season and going back to last season, they have dropped 13 straight games on the highway. New York is off to a 2-4 start but has played a very difficult schedule along the way. The Knicks schedule is ranked No. 5 in the league as all four of their losses have come against teams with winning records including three teams that are ranked in the current top ten. New York has had two days off and has a day off coming up prior to back-to-back games against Boston and Toronto on Friday and Saturday. It is likely that leading scorer Brook Lopez will be out tonight for the Nets as he will be given a night of rest. Brooklyn has dropped six of its last seven games against teams with a losing record while the Knicks are 4-1 ATS in their last five games following a loss against the spread. 10* (704) New York Knicks

This line came out late due to injury information but it is not significant enough to make a huge difference here. Charlotte could be without Michael Kidd-Gilchrist tonight but with the exception of his first game of the season against Milwaukee, he has not been a difference maker. The Hornets are one of the bigger surprises in the Eastern Conference as they are off to a 5-1 start and have a half-game lead in the Southeast Division. Another injury situation is on the other side as Utah has George Hill listed as questionable with a thumb injury. Utah is off to a solid 5-3 start following its second straight win to open this roadtrip but this is the biggest challenge of the trek thus far. The Jazz have struggled mightily in tough games on the road in general such as the one they will face against Charlotte. The Jazz are 2-11 ATS in their last 13 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (708) Charlotte Hornets

Not many would have thought Minnesota would have a worse record than Brooklyn at this point in the season but that is the case. The Timberwolves enter Tuesday with a 1-4 record while the Nets are 2-4 but those records are somewhat skewed based on the schedules. This will be the first game against the Eastern Conference for Minnesota while this will be the first game against the Western Conference for Brooklyn. The Timberwolves are coming off a loss at Oklahoma City by 10-points which was by far their worst loss of the season. The other three defeats came by four, three and three points so a few bounces the other way and Minnesota could have a winning record for sure. The Nets have some close losses as well and they bring in a very solid 5-1 ATS record but this is the fewest amount of points they have gotten at home in their 5th game as a home underdog. This is not a good matchup for the Nets which were swept in both meetings last season and neither were even close. Look for the Timberwolves to break through for their second victory of the season. 10* (503) Minnesota Timberwolves