Sports Picks & Predictions

Chicago picked up its sixth straight win with a victory over Boston on Thursday to remain three games behind Cleveland, also winners of six in a row, in the Central Division. The Bulls have been fortunate with a favorable schedule as five of those six games came at home and while the one road win was an impressive one over Toronto, they have had the Raptors number over the last couple years with seven consecutive victories. Atlanta snapped a two-game slide with a win over Philadelphia on Thursday and while it wasn't considered a quality win, it was a much needed victory to get the offense going. The Hawks are 12-7 at home and need a statement win as they have struggled against the top teams in the league this season but we are catching a very good line here and Atlanta is 5-1 ATS this season when favored by fewer than three points. 10* (504) Atlanta Hawks

We played against St. Mary's again Thursday and admittedly got crushed. Now the Gaels will be playing a team that can win outright and not one that we are hoping that can just within the big pointspread. St. Mary's is 12-0 ATS and that is keeping the number inflated. Pepperdine is a solid team that is off to a 2-2 WCC start. The Waves are a perfect 6-0 at home and they were picked either third or fourth in the preseason conference poll showing this veteran team has the ability to compete with the usual big boys. The Gaels streak has to come to an end and here it is. 10* (592) Pepperdine Waves

Notre Dame is coming off a blowout winner at Boston College to move to .500 in the conference and heads home for its ACC home opener on Saturday. The Irish have dropped two games this season by two points or less, both of which came on a neutral floor but the dominant home court advantage is still in play this season as they are a perfect 7-0. Pittsburgh is on a nine-game winning streak and its only loss came against Purdue. The Panthers are 2-0 in the ACC but here comes a real challenge as this is their first true road game of the season and this is also the first time this season they have been an underdog. 10* (586) Notre Dame Fighting Irish

James Madison has dropped two of its first three conference games, both of which came at home so the Dukes should be out for blood here. They were picked to finish second in the CAA following a 19-14 season and with all five starters coming back so those two home losses were surprising following an eight-game overall winning streak. Towson is 2-1 in the CAA with the loss coming against Hofstra by 32 points, the team picked to finish first in the conference. The Tigers are a middle of the road team and James Madison feasted on these teams last year and we expect the same here. 10* (590) James Madison Dukes

Vanderbilt is a very veteran team that is expected to make a lot of noise in the SEC as it was picked behind Kentucky in the preseason poll. It has not been a good start however as the Commodores have dropped their first two SEC games, the last coming on the road in overtime against Arkansas. They have dropped all three games away from home but look for a big effort here as they continue to be solid from long range. South Carolina is one of just two remaining undefeated teams in the nation, SMU being the other, so the Gamecocks have exceeded expectations thus far. They have been dominant at the betting window, covering five straight games and going 10-1 ATS on the season which squarely puts the value on the other side. 10* (561) Vanderbilt Commodores

Washington St. is 1-1 in the PAC 12 as it split games with UCLA and USC, the latter coming at home. The Cougars have just two home losses, the other coming against Gonzaga and while they were picked to finish last in the conference, there is not a big difference between No. 6 and No. 12. Washington is in that bottom group as well as there is not a whole lot expected from the Huskies. They are off to a 10-4 start which includes wins over UCLA and USC but both of those were at home and this is the first road game of the season for Washington which has not left its own arena since November 27th. Home losses to Santa Barbara and Oakland proves there is not a whole lot to this team. 10* (564) Washington St. Cougars

We played against Florida Wednesday as Tennessee rolled to a win but we will be backing the Gators in a great bounceback spot here. Florida is 6-1 at home with the lone loss coming against Florida St. by a bucket despite going 4-25 (16 percent) from long range. LSU is coming off an upset win over Kentucky at home and now hits the road where it is just 1-2, the last road game resulting in an upset win at Vanderbilt. The Tigers are in for a big letdown now after two straight outright wins as underdogs. The Gators will be out to avenge two losses to LSU from last season as well. 10* (520) Florida Gators

The difficulties of the Pelicans continue as they are now 11-25 this season following making the playoffs a season ago so clearly things are going the wrong way. They are coming off a home loss against Dallas as 8-point favorites and now they are home underdogs against a team with nearly an identical record as the Mavericks which is a swing that is adjusted too much. New Orleans is a game under .500 over its last 15 games so it has been playing a lot better after a horrific start. Indiana defeated Orlando on Wednesday to move five games over .500 overall but the Pacers have not been playing at a high level of late. Since a six-game winning streak that ended in early December, they are just 8-10 over their last 18 games. One big reason the Pacers could be favored is the fact they have won eight straight and covered seven straight in this series but that is a trend we will gladly buck as it is meaningless at this point. The Pelicans are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following an ATS loss while the Pacers are 3-11 ATS in their last 14 games against the Western Conference. 10* (856) New Orleans Pelicans

Milwaukee is one of eight home underdogs of the nine games with lines as of early Friday and to no surprise, they are all big consensus plays from the public. Dallas is on that list as the third biggest public play as it has won two straight games to move to 21-15 on the season but the Mavericks have no chance of catching San Antonio in the Southwest Division. Dallas is 10-9 on the road this season but half of those victories have come against teams with a worse record than the Bucks. Milwaukee is not having the season it expected following a trip to the postseason last year thanks to a 41-41 record. Of their last seven losses, six have come against elite teams in the NBA as all have better records than Dallas and that seventh loss in this stretch came against the Mavericks in Dallas. Milwaukee was a 5.5-point underdog there and now the line has only shifted four points which is a smaller than expected adjustment based on the venue change. The Bucks are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games following a straight up loss while the Mavericks are 7-20 ATS in their last 27 road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (860) Milwaukee Bucks

We won with Washington on Wednesday as it snuck out a cover against Cleveland but was unable to pull out the victory, suffering its second straight loss. The Wizards are catching points at home again, albeit a much smaller number, but a much better chance to snap their outright straight up slide. Overall, Washington has lost four of its last five games to fall three games under .500 and the best news that came out of that Cleveland game was that Nene and Gary Neal returned from injury and got limited minutes which will increase tonight. Toronto defeated Brooklyn last time out which snapped its two-game losing streak and while it is seven games over .500, inconsistency has been the biggest issue. The Raptors are just two games over .500 since a 5-0 start and Washington will be out for some revenge following a pair of losses against Toronto this season by a combined five points. The Raptors are 0-8 ATS in their last eight games following an ATS win while the Wizards are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games following a straight up loss. 10* (852) Washington Wizards

We played against St. Mary's Saturday when it hosted San Diego and it ended up being a horrible call as the Gaels rolled once again. However we are going against them once again here. St. Mary's is 13-1 to start the season and this is already its fifth conference game, the first four resulting in wins including a 33-point victory over the Toreros. It is pretty amazing what the Gales have done as they brought back no starters from last season while possessing just two juniors and no seniors. Even more impressive it the fact they are a perfect 11-0 ATS this season, the only team in the country that has played at least three lined games and has yet to lose a game against the number. Loyola-Marymount is 0-3 in the WCC but all three of those games were on the road where it is 2-7 compared to a perfect 5-0 at home. Winning this one outright will be a challenge but St. Mary's could be caught looking ahead to a revenge game against a very good Pepperdine team on Saturday. St. Mary's has rolled in this series the last two years in all four games, another reason a full effort may not be forthcoming. 10* (762) Loyola-Marymount Lions

Old Dominion and Louisiana Tech both bring in four-game winning streaks and look to remain undefeated in C-USA after tonight. The Monarchs are coming off a nine-point win over Charlotte and while that was the fourth straight victory, all of those came at home where they are a perfect 7-0 this season. Conversely, they are 0-4 on the road and they failed to cover any of those four games where they were also underdogs in all of those. Louisiana Tech rolled over Southern Mississippi by 30 points on Saturday to win its conference opener and improve to a perfect 9-0 at home. The Bulldogs only had three conference losses last season and one came against Old Dominion on the road by 19 points so they have had this game circled for a while now. Louisiana Tech has covered all three games as a favorite this season all of which came on its home court. Going back, Louisiana Tech is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 home games following a home win scoring 85 or more points while going 15-5 ATS in its last 20 games coming off a win by 30 or more points. 10* (758) Louisiana Tech Bulldogs

Boston had last night's game in hand against the Pistons but blew a late 13-point lead in the third quarter and fell to the Pistons by five points, their third loss in four games. Boston, which went 6 of 28 from three-point range (Detroit was 10 of 27), scored only nine baskets over the last 18:50 of the game, none in the final 1:42. It was a tough loss in a game the Celtics needed but they have won three straight road games and look for a big effort tonight after last night's debacle. Chicago meanwhile has won five straight games including four straight at home, the last coming against Milwaukee as an 8.5-point favorite. So basically this line is telling us that Boston is just 3.5 points better than the Bucks? No chance. Chicago has been one of the worst cover teams in the NBA this season especially at this price range as they are 4-12 ATS as single-digit favorites of three points or more. The Celtics have been surprisingly better on the road than at home and going back, it is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 games as a road underdog of 3.5 to 6 points. Additionally, the Celtics are 6-0-1 ATS in their last seven games against teams with a winning percentage above .600 while the Bulls are 6-13 ATS in their last 19 games following a straight up win. 10* (703) Boston Celtics

Louisville shook off a loss against rival Kentucky with a win over Wake Forest on Sunday to earn its first conference win of the season. The Cardinals now begin a stretch of six straight games where they will be favored to win by rather large amounts but there are no guarantees. Louisville was picked seventh in the preseason ACC poll and while it is off to a 12-2 start, it has beaten absolutely no one. Close losses against Kentucky and Michigan St. can argue that this team can compete but a schedule that is ranked 298th, worst in the ACC, tells me otherwise. NC State was picked just below the Cardinals and they will look to bounce back from an overtime loss at Virginia Tech, which is actually looking like a quality loss after the Hokies defeated Virginia two days later. The Wolfpack had a six-game winning streak snapped and will be out for payback after Louisville defeated them in the Sweet 16 last season by 10 points. NC State has covered both games this season following a loss and going back, the Wolfpack are 12-3 ATS in their last 15 home games against teams with a losing road record. 10* (726) NC State Wolfpack

Northwestern enters Wednesday's game with the second-best 15-game start to a season in school history following just its second loss of the season Saturday right here against Maryland. The Wildcats were riding a 10-game winning streak prior to that, the only other loss before that coming against North Carolina. Northwestern has an opportunity to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever but it needs some quality wins, starting right here. After a slow start, Ohio St. has won six straight games, including an impressive win over Kentucky on a neutral floor while opening 2-0 in the Big Ten. This is just the second true road game of the season, the first resulting in a 20-point loss against Connecticut. Ohio State has won 10 straight against Northwestern dating back to 2009, and most of the match-ups were not especially close. However, we are now catching Ohio St. in a down year and Northwestern in an upswing so the streak is finally in jeopardy. The linesmakers agree as this is the first time the Wildcats have been favored in this series since 2009, their last victory over the Buckeyes. 10* (572) Northwestern Wildcats

Iowa St. suffered its second defeat of the season last time out as it lost against Oklahoma on Saturday by four points. The Cyclones head back home where they are 7-0, winning those games by an average of close to 20 ppg, and going back they have won 29 of their last 30 home games. Iowa St. is seventh nationally and second in the Big 12 shooting 50.9 percent from the field and that number jumps to 52.1 percent at home. Texas Tech comes in with a better record at 11-1 so that will certainly get the attention of the Cyclones. It is a very impressive start for the Red Raiders which are just two wins off their total victory count from a season ago and are coming off a quality home win over Texas. Tubby Smith is doing a solid job at turning things around but tonight represents the first true road games of the season for Texas Tech and going back to 2013-14, it has lost 18 straight games away from home. The Cyclones hold a 10-3 edge in games played in Ames, including wins in the last four meetings with only one of those being decided by less than 18 points. Last year, Iowa St. rolled the Red Raiders here by 37 points. 10* (568) Iowa St. Cyclones

Illinois St. has opened the MVC season a perfect 2-0 with victories over Missouri St. and Drake, both of which have been picked to finish in the bottom half of the conference. The Redbirds now take on their first opponent that is a projected top half finisher even though Loyola-Chicago has dropped its first two conference games. Overall, the Redbirds have won and covered three straight games while conversely, the Ramblers have dropped three straight against the number and are 3-10 ATS on the season which is playing into this number. Loyola is in need of a victory to not fall too far back this early in the season and no one will be giving it a chance here with its 0-3 road record but this game will be closer than what this line may be saying. The points are definitely a premium here as we have two pretty bad offenses that are both ranked in the 300's in points scored. That also puts the Ramblers into a great situation as we play against favorites in a game involving two teams averaging between 63 and 67 ppg, after a win by six points or less. This situation is 84-45 ATS (65.1 percent) over the last five seasons. Despite the poor ATS numbers, the Ramblers are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 road games against teams with a winning home record. Play (551) Loyola-Chicago Ramblers

Matt is coming off another winner last night with a Creighton BLOWOUT and is back Wednesday as the season gets ramped up! He has put up a SOLID 13-7 CBB run since December 15th and he has a profitable season to date! Going back, Matt is on a POTENT 36-25 College Basketball run and REMAINS RED HOT with THREE Wednesday Winners!

After suffering rare back-to-back losses, Cleveland has caught fire once again with wins in four straight games including a 22-point rout of Toronto at home last time out. Cleveland is obviously a very public team so their lines need to be adjusted accordingly which is a reason they are 14-17-1 ATS record which is the third worst ATS percentage of the 15 teams with 19 or more victories. This is especially true on the road where Cleveland is 3-8-1 ATS as a road favorite and on the road this season it has yet to cover against a team with a losing record in six chances. Washington is coming off a blowout loss at the hands of Miami on Sunday by 22 points and of its 17 losses, 11 have come by double-digits so when it plays bad, it plays really bad. The Wizards are 4-2 in their last six home games and there is a pretty good chance they will be up for this one as most teams bring all they have against Cleveland, especially on their home floor. Washington falls into a great situation as 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 47-25 ATS (65.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (506) Washington Wizards

Both Florida and Tennessee came into 2015-16 with new head coaches and both are off to less than stellar starts. The Gators come in as road favorites which has been the norm since 2012 but I think it is a little overaggressive this season. They have played a touch schedule thus far with their four losses all coming against quality opposition but they still do not have a quality win on the road as the lone road victory came at Navy in the first game of the season. Rick Barnes was one of the best offseason hires and he is expected to turn Tennessee around in a hurry and while it is off to an average 7-6 start, it could be a lot better. Five of the six losses have come by seven points or less and all have come away from home as the Volunteers are 7-0 at home and 0-6 away from Thompson-Boling Arena. Tennessee lost its SEC opener at Auburn Saturday as it was just 3-28 from long range while the Tigers nailed 12 three-pointers and you rarely see a differential that big yet the loss was by just six points. Florida could be without forward Devin Robinson who is its third leading scorer and second leading rebounder. 10* (538) Tennessee Volunteers

Creighton looks to get back into the win column against a team that had its number a season ago. The Bluejays opened Big East play with a road win at St. John's but then returned home and got blown out by Villanova by 14 points on Saturday. They are off to a 10-5 start which is just four wins shy of their win total from all of last season so things are improving. A lot of the success is due to the solid play of Mo Watson Jr. and Cole Huff, two of the top three leading scorers and who were forced to sit out last season because of eligibility issues. Consistency has been an asset as Creighton has used the same starting line-up in every game this season, the only Big East team to do so. Last season, Creighton used 10 different starting line-up combinations. Georgetown is off to a 2-0 start in the conference with wins over Marquette and DePaul and this has been a tough team to figure out. The Hoyas have close losses against Duke and Maryland but had closer than expected wins over UNC-Wilmington and Charlotte while losing outright to UNC-Ashville. Georgetown took all three meetings last season so that certainly has the attention of the Bluejays. Georgetown is 4-13 ATS in its last 17 games off a home win by 10 points or more while the Bluejays are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games following a double-digit loss at home. 10* (744) Creighton Bluejays

Sacramento hits the road once again following a win in Oklahoma City last night which was its second straight win. The Kings caught a break however as Kevin Durant missed the game due to an injured toe and Russell Westbrook had one of his worst shooting nights on the season. Still, it was a big win for the Kings which puts them in a tough spot tonight against a team in much need of a victory. Dallas has dropped two straight games including a loss at home against New Orleans last time out which snapped a five-game home winning streak. The Mavericks are a solid 10-6 at home and tonight's opponent should once again increase that win total. Dallas had won six straight meetings in this series until the first meeting this season in Sacramento which resulted in a 14-point Kings victory. The good news now is that Dallas is home where it has won 21 consecutive games over San Francisco. Dallas falls into a solid situation where we play against road underdogs that are averaging 102 or more ppg going up against teams allowing between 98 and 102 ppg, after allowing 104 points or more three straight games. This situation is 25-6 ATS (80.6 percent) over the last five seasons. Additionally, the Kings are 8-22-1 ATS in their last 31 games following a win while the Mavericks are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 games following a loss. 10* (706) Dallas Mavericks

Milwaukee is coming off a 2-2 roadtrip but does have momentum as it took care of business the last two games. The Bucks hit the road once again tomorrow as they head to Chicago so this home stop is important especially against a top caliber team like San Antonio. It has been a rugged stretch as the Bucks have played nine of their last 11 games on the road and they have been pretty solid at home with a 9--6 record which includes wins over Cleveland and Golden St. so there will be no intimidation here. The Spurs are riding a four-game winning streak with all of those games taking place at home where they are a perfect 20-0. The road has not been as good where they have the same record that the Bucks have at home so a case can be made that this line is inflated simply because of name. Milwaukee lost the first meeting this season by 25 points so there is added motivation. The Bucks fall into a revenge situation as well as we play on underdogs that are revenging a loss where team scored less than 85 points going up against an opponent off a win against a division rival. This situation is 55-25 ATS (68.8 percent) over the last five seasons. Additionally, Milwaukee is 14-3 ATS in its last 17 games after playing a game as a road underdog this season while going 5-1 ATS in its last six games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* (512) Milwaukee Bucks

TCU is coming off a successful season overall last year but the conference season was a disaster. The Horned Frogs opened 13-0 but went on to lose 15 of their last 20 games, all of which were conference games. The winning streak was halted almost a year ago to the day right here in Fort Worth against this same West Virginia team so this game has been circled for 366 days. The issue last year was on the road as TCU was much more competitive at home and that has been the case this year as it 6-2 at home and 1-2 on the road and while they are 0-3 in their last three lines games, all were on the highway including a 21-point loss at Oklahoma St. in their Big XII opener. West Virginia won its conference opener Saturday at Kansas St. in overtime so that puts the Mountaineers in a tough position here with a quick turnaround in another road game. Making it tougher is the fact West Virginia has Oklahoma St., Kansas and Oklahoma on deck. Going back, the Mountaineers are 1-4 ATS in their last five games following a straight up win while the Horned Frogs are 4-1 ATS in their last five games following a straight up loss of more than 20 points. 10* (526) TCU Horned Frogs

Fordham is one win away from matching its win total from all of last season so while it may seem like this is a vastly improved team, it really isn't. The Rams opened the season with a loss at Texas Arlington and then a very favorable schedule came into play as they have not left New York since then. They played nine straight home games against practically no one before facing a bad Boston College teams in Brooklyn on December 22nd and lost by nine points. But because of the overall 9-2 record, Fordham is not catching the usual huge number and we will take advantage. George Washington opens conference play as one of the favorites in the Atlantic Ten Conference. The Colonials are 11-2 including an impressive win over Virginia, the Cavaliers lone loss this season. They are 8-0 at home, winning by nearly 15 ppg and should have no issues today as long as they play to their ability. Fordham is 3-11 ATS in its last 14 games against teams outscoring their opponents by 8.0 or more ppg while going 5-21 ATS in its last 26 games after playing two consecutive games as favorite. The Colonials have covered seven of their last eight home games and are 4-0 ATS in their last four games against teams with a winning straight up record. 10* (834) George Washington Colonials

Atlanta is playing at a high level of late as it has won seven of its last eight games to take the lead in the Southeast Division which currently sits at one game over Miami and two games over Orlando. Three of these wins have come on the road where the Hawks are now 9-7 on the season and while they are the better team overall, the home/road splits between these two teams is just one game so the fact they are road favorites of this much is a surprise. The Knicks are coming off a loss against Chicago on the road, its fifth loss in six games. Four of those have been on the road however and all against teams at least three games over .500. That included a loss in Atlanta the day after Christmas which was the second blowout loss suffered at the hands of the Hawks this season which brings payback into play. As a matter of fact, the Knicks are 13-5 ATS in 18 games when playing with double revenge this season. Additionally, the Knicks are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* (802) New York Knicks

After opening the season 0-5, San Diego has been playing a lot better as it has won five of its last seven games. The Toreros opened West Coast Conference action on Thursday against Pacific and lost a tough one by a bucket and I expect them to be competitive here as well. They do own a quality win over San Diego St. and while this spread says this one won't be close, it is inflated for a good reason. St. Mary's is 12-1 to start the season and this is already its fourth conference game, the first three resulting in wins including an 11-point victory over BYU on Thursday. It is pretty amazing what the Gales have done as they brought back no starters from last season while possessing just two juniors and no seniors. Even more impressive it the fact they are a perfect 10-0 ATS this season, the only team in the country that has played at least three lined games and has yet to lose a game against the number. That is the reason this line is so big and will prove to be too big here. 10* (657) San Diego Toreros

Indiana won at Detroit in its fourth game of the season and first victory of 2015-16 but Detroit got its payback in the second meeting at home, a 22-point win last month. Now the Pacers will try to get their own revenge while also looking to snap a three-game skid. Indiana lost at Chicago on Wednesday in overtime and could not recover at home as it lost to Milwaukee the next night. Detroit snapped a three-game slide with a win over Minnesota on New Year's Eve, rolling by 25 points. The Pistons improved to 11-5 at home but are just 7-10 on the road, nearly identical home/road splits as the Pacers. Since a 3-0 start on the road, Detroit has won only four times with two of those wins coming against 3-32 Philadelphia and 12-21 Minnesota. The Pacers have a great situation on their side as we play on favorites that are averaging 102 or more ppg going up against teams averaging between 98 and 102 ppg, after allowing 120 points or more. This situation is 58-27 ATS (68.2 percent) since 1996. Additionally, Indiana is 12-3 ATS when playing against a team with a winning record this season while the Pistons are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 road games. 10* (506) Indiana Pacers

Miami has won six straight games since suffering its first and only loss of the season at home against Northeastern. The Hurricanes are coming off a less than impressive effort against Princeton in their final tuneup before conference action gets going. Miami missed the NCAA Tournament last season despite 21 wins and came one win away from capturing the NIT so expectations and goals are high this season. Still, this is a big number to cover and while Syracuse has been inconsistent this season, the Orange are getting a very favorable number today. They lost their ACC opener on Wednesday at Pittsburgh but it was a much closer game than the 11-point defeat shows as it was close near the end before the Panthers pulled away. Rebounding was the difference there and that is the one area they need to clean up here. Syracuse falls into a great contrarian situation as we play against favorites of 10 to 19.5 points that are shooting 45 percent or better while allowing 42 percent or better, after five straight games of allowing 40 percent or better shooting. This situation is 46-17 ATS (73 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (559) Syracuse Orange

We are all aware who the worst team in the NBA is but the Sixers have been playing decent of late as after opening the season with 18 straight road losses, they have won two of their last three on the highway including a win at Sacramento two nights ago. The offense has come to life in those victories and while they are facing a brutal defense tonight, the Lakers will have the edge. Los Angeles is clearly the second worst team in the league but the NBA did it no favors early on as the schedule has been one of the toughest. Not only have the Lakers been facing quality opposition, they have played two-thirds of their games on the road as their 11 home games played are the fewest in the NBA. Los Angeles will be out for some revenge here as well as it allowed the Sixers their first victory of the season following 18 straight losses. Here, we play against underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points that are allowing 103 or more ppg going up against an opponent after scoring 110 points or more. This situation is 71-33 ATS (68.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (810) Los Angeles Lakers

Miami is coming off an overtime loss at Memphis which was only the third time all season that the Heat have followed up a loss with another loss. They are now 9-3 following a defeat overall which includes a perfect 3-0 record at home when directly coming off a road game. Dallas hits the road following a three-game homestand that it swept which includes a victory over the Warriors on Wednesday and with a revenge game against New Orleans tomorrow, the Mavericks are in a tough sandwich spot here. Overall, Dallas has won four straight games and while it is 9-8 on the road, only one of those nine wins have come against teams with a winning record, which was a four-point win in Boston. The Mavericks are 1-7 ATS in their last eight games following a straight up win of more than 10 points while the Heat are 9-4-1 ATS in their last 14 games following a straight up loss. 10* (804) Miami Heat

This line came out late due to the injury reports for both sides and while the list is bigger for Washington, the Wizards still have a significant edge based on the spot. After four straight victories to get back to .500, the Wizards have dropped two straight games including a two-point loss at Toronto last time out. The 7-8 home record is not attractive but five of those losses have come against Western Conference teams. Orlando meanwhile has won two straight games, both of which came at home and while the Magic have won two straight road games as well, this is just the third road game in three weeks. Orlando heads to Cleveland tomorrow so a potential lookahead is possible as well. Here, we play on favorites that are allowing 46 percent shooting or worse on the season, after a game allowing a shooting 35 percent or less. This situation is 26-4 ATS (86.7 percent) since 1996. 10* (802) Washington Wizards

The public is all over the Clippers here based on what looks like a fishy line but in reality, they are in a horrible spot tonight. Los Angeles won in Charlotte last night for its fourth straight win since the start of this roadtrip, the last three without the services of Blake Griffin. The Clippers were favored by a bucket last night against a 17-13 team coming in yet are getting a bucket tonight against a team that is 10-21. The Pelicans have been off since Monday after a 15-point loss in Orlando, their 15th road loss in 18 games. Things have been better at home where they are 6-2 following a 1-4 start and their 13 home games are tied for second fewest in the NBA so the schedule has not been on their side. Included in those victories are wins over San Antonio, Cleveland and Houston. The Clippers are 1-9 ATS in 10 games this season after scoring 100 points or more three straight games while going 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games following a ATS win. Meanwhile, the Pelicans are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following an ATS loss. 10* (510) New Orleans Pelicans

Detroit returns home following a loss in New York on Tuesday which was its third straight defeat, one short of a season high. However, the four-game skid came on a west coast roadtrip so the situation is more in their favor here. It has been an up and down season for the Pistons but it has been mostly up as they are still over .500 overall and are just five games back of Cleveland in the rugged Central Division. Minnesota is coming off a home win last night over Utah and while the road has actually better than home, the Timberwolves are catching the wrong team at the wrong time. More recent, they have lost six of their last seven road games, the lone win coming against 9-23 Brooklyn. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points that are revenging a home loss of 10 points or more, off a home win by 10 points or more. This situation is 106-60 ATS (63.9 percent) since 1996. Additionally, the Timberwolves are 13-29 ATS in their last 42 games playing with no rest while the Pistons are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points. 10* (504) Detroit Pistons

Providence is off to a solid start at 12-1, the lone defeat coming against Michigan St. in a game it was close in until the Spartans pulled away late because of a big free throw advantage. The Friars were expected to be good but have exceeded expectations which includes quality wins over Illinois and Arizona. Kris Dunn is a candidate for Player of the Year and his numbers are outstanding but it is the group behind him that has made this team even more solid. Ben Bentil (18.8 ppg and 8.0 rpg), Rodney Bullock (13.6 ppg and 7.5 rpg) and freshman Ryan Fazekas (7.9 ppg) keeps teams from solely worried about Dunn. Butler is off to its second best start ever as it is second in the nation in scoring but its fast tempo will not be daunting to the Friars which like to move it fast as well. The Bulldogs are 7-0 at home but this is by far their biggest test and that is proven with this line as they have been favored by at least 13 points in all seven home games. While this is always a tough venue, Providence knows it can win here as it has done each of the last two seasons and going back, the Friars have covered six straight road games. 10* (527) Providence Friars

Loyola is off to a disappointing 7-5 start but it has faced a pretty difficult schedule this far and does bring in a 6-1 record at home. The Ramblers are expected to have another solid season as they return four starters and eight of their top nine scorers from last year's squad, which earned a postseason berth (CBI Champions) for the first time in 30 years. Loyola finished 87th in the final 2014-15 RPI report and its 205-spot improvement from the previous season was good for the third-biggest jump among Division I teams. Southern Illinois meanwhile had a rough season last year at 12-21 and has been picked to finish ninth in the 10-team MVC due to so many personnel losses. The Salukis however have exceeded expectations already and are just one win away from matching the 12 wins from last season. Because of the differing starts, we are catching a great number with the Ramblers. The fact that Southern Illinois is 4-0 on the road also helps immensely. Here, we play against road teams with a winning percentage of .800 or better where the line is +3 to -3 that have won 8 or more of their last 10 games, playing a team with a winning percentage between .501 and .600. This situation is 35-12 ATS (74.5 percent( over the last five seasons. 10* (752) Loyola-Chicago Ramblers

Orlando is one of the NBA's early season surprises as it is off to an 18-13 start after winning just 25 games all of last season. The Magic are just a game and a half behind Atlanta in the Southeast Division and a lot of the success can be attributed to the home floor where they are just two wins shy of matching last year's win total of 13. of their six home losses, four have come against teams ranked 13th or better in the power ratings. While they are 4-9 against the top 16, they are 14-4 against everyone else and the Nets fall into the everyone else category. Brooklyn is coming off an upset win over Miami on Monday, it second straight upset on the road but don't look for that run to continue. The Nets are just 3-12 on the road overall and they have won consecutive games only twice this season, going 2-6 following their first eight wins. Orlando falls into a spot where we play on teams that are +/- 3 ppg in scoring differential going up against teams that are between -3 to -7 ppg in scoring differential, after scoring 100 points or more four straight games. This situation is 43-21 ATS (67.2 percent) over the last five seasons. Additionally, the Magic are 9-0 ATS in their last nine games against losing teams and also 9-0 ATS in their last nine games following a win by 15 or more points so no letdown is expected here. 10* (702) Orlando Magic

Marquette is coming off a horrible season, the first under head coach Steve Wojciechowski as the Golden Eagles went 13-19 overall including just 4-14 in the Big East. It was expected though as the cupboard was left bare by previous coach Buzz Williams to no fault of his own as players ran out of eligibility while others transferred out. Now that experience from last season is already helping as is one of the best recruiting classes in recent memory. Marquette is off to a 10-2 start which includes a nine-game winning streak as it heads into conference play. The Golden Eagles lead the Big East in both assists (18.8) and steals (8.6) per game and those marks are good enough for 14th and 23rd in the nation, respectively. Seton Hall is also off to a 10-2 start but expectations are not the same. The Pirates were ranked last season after a 12-2 start but they closed the season by going 4-13 and lost a ton of talent from that team. They are 1-1 on the road but the lone victory came against a very bad Rutgers team. While Marquette is just 2-6 ATS at home, it has been favored by at least 12.5 points six times, failing to cover four of those so now it gets a very manageable number tonight. 10* (740) Marquette Golden Eagles

While this would typically be a mismatch because of the huge size advantage down low, that is not the case tonight for Rhode Island. The Rams will likely be without junior forward Kuran Iverson as he injured his ankle in practice and he joined E.C. Matthews and Hassan Martin on the growing injury list. Iverson and Martin are the two top big men on the roster and they are the team's top two leading scorers. Rhode Island is now down to just two true big men in Earl Watson and Andre Berry. This bodes well for the guard heavy Bears ass they will not be at a disadvantage and may actually have an edge now as they have been led by Cedric Kuakumensah, who averages nearly a double-double per game with 13 ppg and 9.5 rpg and is also the Ivy Leagues all-time blocked shots leader. This is a big rivalry as this marks the 157th meeting and this is a good opportunity for Brown to snap the three-game series skid even though the line may not be saying the same thing. It has not been adjusted enough to take into account the injuries and going back, Brown is 11-3 ATS in its last 14 home games after failing to cover the spread while Rhode Island is 0-5 ATS in its last five road games. 10* (744) Brown Bears

Michigan St. enters its first true road test of the season as it heads to Iowa City to take on the Hawkeyes in the Big Ten opener for both teams. The Spartans come in undefeated at 13-0 and ranked No. 1 in the nation in both polls by wide margins and while they deserve to be where they are, they are here because teams that were above them put up some early season losses. Not only is this the first true road test but it comes with the services of Denzel Valentine who is sidelined with an injury. Valentine has been sensational as he leads the team with 18.5 ppg, 8.3 rpg, and 7.1 apg. The Hawkeyes have three losses this season, al of which have been quality ones with losses to Iowa St. by a point, Notre Dame by six points and Dayton by five points. Those teams are a combined 27-6 and it is important to note that all of those games were away from home. This is a very deep and balanced team as Iowa has had nine different players score in double figures as it brings back four starters from last year's 22-12 team. There will some extra incentive for the Hawkeyes as they have had this game circled after the Spartans came in here last January and won by 14 points as they outscored the Hawkeyes 47-22 in the second half. While some may dispute this line, Iowa is favored for a reason. 10* (548) Iowa Hawkeyes

We won by playing against Atlanta last night and will go against the Hawks again tonight as they head to Houston for the second of a back-to-back set and third game in four nights. The loss snapped a six-game winning streak and while many will argue that they are good enough to rebound tonight, the situation is not good. The Hawks are 0-4 ATS in their last four games playing with no rest and in three games this season where the second game was on the road, they lost the game outright by four points to Minnesota, 20 points to San Antonio and 13 points to Oklahoma City. The Rockets are also coming off a loss as they fell to New Orleans on the road but that was back on Saturday. The extra rest helps as does they fact they are back home where they have won seven straight and covered six straight, the last three coming against San Antonio, Charlotte and Los Angeles, all of which are at least four games over .500. Going back, Houston is 13-4 ATS in its last 17 home games against teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .700 while going 11-2 ATS in its last 13 home games after playing a game as a road favorite. 10* (508) Houston Rockets

The Bulls won for us on Christmas Day but they could not capitalize on that momentum as they lost the next night in Dallas as they blew a late double-digit lead. Chicago now returns home where it has dropped two straight at the United Center including an embarrassing loss against Brooklyn as a double-digit favorite. They Bulls were 11-3 prior to those pair of losses and they catch Toronto at a good time in a very good matchup. The Raptors defeated Milwaukee on Saturday to secure their second straight win following a 1-3 stretch. They are a game up on the surging Celtics in the Atlantic Division but this is a very tough matchup tonight. Last season when Toronto was clearly much better than the Bulls, Chicago still swept the four-game season series. The Raptors are 0-6 ATS in their last six games following a ATS win while the Bulls are 5-2 ATS in their last seven home games against teams with a winning road record. Look for the Bulls to get back to their winning ways at home. 10* (712) Chicago Bulls

Indiana snapped a three-game losing streak on Saturday with a win at Minnesota and while it was far from a quality victory, it provided some much needed confidence. The Pacers rallied as they outscored Minnesota 36-20 in the fourth quarter and they should be pretty hungry here. They lost their last home game back on December 23rd against Sacramento but are still 10-4 at home and look to get some payback against Atlanta after getting swept last season in the three-game season series. The Hawks are playing like the Hawks of last year as they have won six straight games while covering all but one of those but it should be noted they were favored in five of those games. The winning streak is giving us some excellent value with this number and Atlanta has gone just 4-7 against the NBA top ten while Indiana is 6-4 against the top ten teams in the league. Additionally, the Pacers are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 games against teams with a winning straight up record. 10* (704) Indiana Pacers

Portland is coming off an upset victory last night as the Blazers thumped Cleveland by 29 points on their home floor. The victory snapped a five-game slide, with all of those losses coming on the road where Portland is 5-14 on the season. That has been the issue for Sacramento as well as it has it is 4-10 on the highway but a much better 8-6 at home. The Kings have not played since Wednesday when they concluded a four-game roadtrip with a victory at Indiana and they have the big edge tonight based on that extended time off along with Portland playing just last night. Even more impressive for the Blazers win last night was they did it without Damian Lillard who has now missed three straight games and is questionable against for tonight. Going back, the Blazers are 3-12-1 ATS in their last 16 road games against teams with a winning home record and they fall into a negative situation where we play against underdogs after beating the spread by more than 24 points in their previous game, with a winning percentage between .250 and .400 on the season. This situation is 26-5 ATS (83.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (508) Sacramento Kings

We played against San Antonio and lost on Wednesday as the Spurs rolled over Minnesota by 25 points. That was the seventh consecutive win for San Antonio to improve to 25-5 on the season and they once again come in as big favorites on Christmas Day. They were favored by 11 over the Timberwolves and are now favored by just seven points less which is a smaller than expected adjustment despite the disappointing start from the Rockets. Houston sits at .500 following a loss against Orlando on Wednesday and while the home floor has not been completely dominated like it used to, the Rockets have won six straight games here. Going back to last season, Houston is 16-5 ATS in its last 21 home games after a non-conference game and it is 14-6 ATS in its last 20 home games against teams with a winning record. Meanwhile, the Spurs are just 9-19 ATS in their last 28 divisional games. 10* (508) Houston Rockets

Chicago has dropped three straight games including a horrible home defeat in its last game at home against the Nets as a double-digit favorite. The skid started following a four-overtime loss against the Pistons and that game really knocked them out as that was the start of a three-game in a four-day stretch. Now they have had four days to rest and regroup and should be a different team today. The Thunder have won three straight games and going back, they have won nine of their last 10 games to take control of the Northwest Division with a seven-game lead over Utah. Oklahoma City has split its last six games against the number and we are catching another inflated one at home where the Thunder have covered just four of their last 11 games. The Bulls fall into a solid situation where we play on road teams that are averaging between 98 and 102 ppg going up against team allowing between 98 and 102 ppg, after allowing 100 points or more two straight games. This situation is 94-52 ATS (64.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (503) Chicago Bulls

The Spurs have won and covered six straight games and are now laying double-digits on the road which is a rarity against a team not names Philadelphia. San Antonio has the second best record in the NBA behind Golden St. and is a clear public team at this point, thus the large number. Minnesota lost at Boston in its last game on Monday which snapped a two-game winning streak. The home floor has not been kind to Minnesota this season but we won with the Timberwolves in their last home game against Sacramento. The Spurs are 8-5 on the road but are coming off a four-game homestand and have a date at Houston on Christmas Day. The Timberwolves fall into a situation where we play against road favorites of 10 or more points that are outscoring their opponents by nine or more ppg. This situation is 57-28 ATS (67.1 percent) since 1996. Additionally, the Timberwolves are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* (714) Minnesota Timberwolves

Brooklyn snapped a five-game losing streak with a road win at Chicago on Monday, which was just its second road win of the season. The Nets are now 8-20 overall and they have won consecutive games only twice all season and are 3-9 against the Western Conference on the season. Dallas lost in Toronto last night but expect a big effort tonight before heading back home for a three-game homestand. The Mavericks have struggled against the top teams in the league as they are just 2-7 against the top ten but are 11-4 against teams ranked in the bottom half of the NBA. The Mavericks are 5-0 ATS in their last five games playing with no rest and they fall into a great situation where we play on teams where the line is +3 to -3 that are coming off a road loss going up against an opponent off a road win by three points or less. This situation is 24-4 ATS (85.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (711) Dallas Mavericks

Charlotte has lost four of its last five games and the lone victory was a fortunate one as it beat Toronto in overtime due to a reversed call because of a timeout to end regulation. Three of those losses came on the road and the other home loss came against these Celtics so there will be some payback in store fro tonight. Boston snapped a three-game skid with a home win over Minnesota on Monday to get back to two games over .500 and remain two games behind Toronto in the Atlantic Division. Charlotte falls into a solid situation we play against road teams where the line is +3 to -3 after three or more consecutive overs, that are averaging 102 or more ppg going up against teams allowing between 98 and 102 ppg. This situation is 28-6 ATS (82.4 percent) over the last five seasons. Additionally, the Hornets are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game. 10* (704) Charlotte Hornets

We are catching a solid number with Western Kentucky at home as the Hilltoppers look to bounce back from a weekend blowout loss at Louisville by 22 points. That was their second blowout loss of the season but the other was against No. 6 Xavier. Detroit meanwhile has won four straight games while covering all of those as well and that stretch is helping with keeping the spread low. Not counting neutral court games, home teams are a perfect 17-0 in Detroit and Western Kentucky games this season so the home floor has been a huge edge. I expect that to continue tonight as this is the Titans first true road game in three weeks. Going back, Detroit is 9-21 ATS in its last 30 games after successfully covering the spread in three or more consecutive games while the Hilltoppers are 16-7-1 ATS in their last 24 games following a straight up loss. 10* (554) Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

Memphis won for us on Saturday which snapped a two-game slide for the Grizzlies to move to back over .500 on the season overall. They are just 6-8 on the road however including losses in three straight games. Playing Philadelphia is always a tough one to get up for and we saw this in the first meeting last month when Memphis had a lethargic eight-point win at home. Obviously, the Sixers are having a historically bad season and of late, they have had trouble staying close as they have not covered a game since December 1st. The schedule has had a lot to do with that however as Philadelphia has played the second toughest schedule in the league. Only nine of its 29 games have been played against teams ranked in the bottom half of the league, which is where Memphis sits, and the Sixers have covered over half of those. The Sixers fall into a great situation where we play against favorites of 10 or more points after allowing 85 points or less going up against an opponent after allowing 100 points or more four straight games. This situation is 62-32 ATS (66 percent) since 1996. Additionally, Memphis is 1636 ATS in its last 52 games as a double-digit favorite while the Sixers are 6-1-1 ATS in their last eight games against the Western Conference. 10* (502) Philadelphia 76ers

These teams are coming off different results on Saturday as Iowa St. was upset by a bucket against Northern Iowa on a neutral floor in Des Moines while Cincinnati defeated VCU on the road. The loss by the Cyclones was their first on the season and I expect them to bounce back here even though this is a tough environment to play their first road game. The Bearcats are a very solid team defensively but taking a loss at the home loss to Butler shows that a strong offense can be a problem for them. Butler is No. 2 in the country in scoring while Iowa St. is No. 22. Cincinnati is 9-21 ATS in its last 30 games as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points while the Cyclones are 18-5 ATS in their last 23 road games following three or more consecutive home games and 10-4-1 ATS in their last 15 games against teams with a winning straight up record. 10* (537) Iowa St. Cyclones

Xavier is up to No. 6 in the country as it moved to 11-0 following its 24-point win over Auburn on Saturday which was its 10th consecutive double-digit victory. Because of the domination, the Musketeers have covered seven straight games so the lines need to be adjusted and it is starting with this one on the road, their first true road game during the ATS streak. Wake Forest will be a test for Xavier as the Demon Deacons are off to an 8-3 start which includes upset wins over Indiana and UCLA. They have won three straight home games and the fact that they have failed to cover three straight games is also helping with this number. The Demon Deacons are 14-5 ATS in their last 19 games against teams with a winning straight up record while going 17-6 ATS after playing a game as a home favorite. 10* (544) Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Oklahoma City lost in Cleveland last Thursday and took out its frustrations on the Lakers in its next game as it rolled to a 40-point victory. Now the Thunder hit the road again where they are under .500 on the season but come in as favorites here and they shouldn't be. Their 5-6 road record includes only two wins against a winning team (15-14 Memphis, 15-2 Orlando) with all six losses coming against teams .500 or better. The Clippers are coming off a pair of losses on the road over the weekend at San Antonio and at Houston. While the home floor hasn't been exceptional, Los Angeles has won five of its last six home games and while they have failed to cover at home against any winning teams, they have only been a home dog twice, one that resulted in a push and the other coming against Golden St. Here, we play on home teams with a winning percentage between .501 and .600, where the line is +3 to -3 coming off 2 or more consecutive road losses, playing a winning team. This situation is 68-34 ATS (66.7 percent) since 1996. 10* (718) Los Angeles Clippers

We played against Indiana on Saturday as it was defeated at Memphis following a three-game winning streak and it has now lost four straight games on the road. The Pacers are tied with Miami for the second best record in the Eastern Conference and while they are under .500 on the road, they are outscoring opponents by close to a bucket per game. The line is this big because of their opponent however as the Spurs are 15-0 at home and have been beating most teams pretty badly but this will be the best team they have faced at home this season. Taking nothing away from what San Antonio has done but it has played the second easiest schedule in the NBA and this will be one of the deepest and most balanced roster they have faced. The Pacers are 10-2 ATS this season when playing against teams with a winning record and are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games following a double-digit loss. Look for a great battle here. 10* (713) Indiana Pacers

The Celtics are in a slide as they have dropped three straight games to fall two games behind Toronto in the Atlantic Division. They are just a game over .500 after the skid but those three losses were all against teams at least four games over .500 and going back, their last seven losses have come against winning teams including San Antonio and Golden St. Boston is 7-6 at home with all six losses coming against winning teams so it is catching Minnesota at a good time. The Timberwolves buried the Nets on the road yesterday to make it two straight games but like the Celtics, they have struggled against the good teams as only four of their 11 wins have comes against winning teams, none since November 25th. The Timberwolves are 1-5-1 ATS in their last seven games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game while the Celtics are 5-1-1 ATS in their last seven after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game. 10* (704) Boston Celtics

We played against Sacramento on Friday and will be going against the Kings once again here as I feel they are again getting too much respect for no apparent reason. They are six games under .500 which includes a miserable 2-9 record on the road and yet are catching a small number here. The Kings were favored in Minnesota on Friday which was the call by linesmakers and in this situation on Sunday, they are just 4-9 ATS this season as single-digit underdogs. The Raptors snapped a two-game slide with a win at Miami Friday and they bring in a, 8-4 home record into Sunday. They have won four straight games here and the four losses have been by a total of 11 points so the record could even be better. Toronto was a two-point favorite in Sacramento last month which would equate to it being roughly an eight-point favorite at home based on the venue change so you can see the value we are getting in this number. The Raptors lost that game as they blew a late double-digit lead so they will be out for some payback tonight at home, something they have been good at as Toronto is 10-2 ATS revenging a loss this season. Meanwhile, the Kings are 8-18 ATS in their last 26 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* (512) Toronto Raptors

Well it's safe to say that the secret is out on Monmouth. Known prior for their bench antics, the Hawks now have the reputation of being a very good basketball team that has not been fearful of their non-conference schedule, only to relish it and take down some big opposition. Wins over UCLA, Notre Dame, USC and Georgetown are very impressive but those can be cases where Monmouth caught extra fire while the power teams looked past the Hawks. Don't expect Rutgers to look past them as they cannot afford to. Rutgers is 4-2 at home with losses coming against Seton Hall and Wake Forest, two power conference teams. As good as Monmouth has been, it is very beatable, just ask Canisius, and there is no way the Hawks should be favored by this many points on the road against a team from a power conference no matter where the latter falls in the pecking order. All the notoriety they have received, from the upsets to the "Bench Mob", has overinflated this line. As a comparison, the Hawks were favored by the same amount over Niagara which has won just 18 games over the last three seasons combined. Here, we play against road teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .800 as a favorite or pickem after successfully covering the spread in two or more consecutive games, playing a team with a winning percentage between .400 and .499. This situation is 68-32 ATS (68 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (526) Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Indiana defeated the Nets last night for its third straight victory, all of which came at home. The Pacers are now in second place in the Eastern Conference thanks to a 10-3 record at home. They are just 6-6 on the road and have dropped three straight games on the highway. Memphis meanwhile is coming off a loss at Dallas last night, its second straight loss and fourth defeat in five games, Three of those have come on the road however and while the Grizzlies are just 8-6 at home, anything with a short price like this is a must. They are 7-3 ATS as favorites of fewer than five points while going 0-5 ATS when favored by more. They have a great situation on their side as we play against road teams where the line is +3 to -3 that are a loss going up against an opponent off a road loss against a division rival. This situation is 28-7 ATS (80 percent) over the last five seasons. Additionally, Indiana is 2-11 ATS in its last 13 road games after scoring 100 points or more three straight games. Meanwhile, the Pacers are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games playing with no rest while the Grizzlies are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games playing with no rest. 10* (708) Memphis Grizzlies

It has been a very difficult start for LSU as it currently sits at 5-4 after coming into the season as a top 25 team in the first AP Poll. Expectations were high for the Tigers with five star freshman Ben Simmons already off to a fantastic start while another freshman, Antonio Blakeney, is averaging 11.4 ppg. They are two of five players averaging double figures and while that may be skewed since Keith Hornsby has only played two games, he averaged 13.4 ppg last season and his return is huge. He missed the first seven games after undergoing hernia surgery. The Tigers are coming off a blowout win over Gardner Webb, not exactly the best of competition, but it was a needed victory after losing two overtime games and another by a single point against Marquette. Two problems for this team has been defense and rebounding but they excelled in both on Wednesday and they catch another opponent they should be able to match. Oral Roberts is 8-4 and all four losses have been by at least 16 points on the road. The Golden Eagles are an above average team in their own conference but cannot matchup against a power conference team especially getting outrebounded overall, are shooting just 43.2 percent on the season and are horrible at forcing turnovers. Oral Roberts is 4-13 ATS in its last 17 games as a road underdog and we are catching a solid price today. 10* (828) LSU Tigers

Michigan St. is the No. 1 team in the country and has pretty much rolled through its schedule thus far. The Spartans are coming off a less than impressive win over Florida last time out and this game marks its first true road game of the season. Taking nothing away from what they have done, but they are the No. 1 team by default as all of the other power teams in front of them lost after starting the season No. 13. Northeastern is coming off a 23-win season, the most victories for the program in nearly 30 years and while it did lose its best player to graduation, the Huskies brought back four starters from that NCAA Tournament team that nearly defeated Notre Dame in the first round. They are 7-3 on the season and the three losses have come by a combined 10 points with Northeastern having chances to win two of the three in the final seconds. The big win on the season came at No. 15 Miami which indicates that this team is certainly not intimidated. Northeastern is 15-4 ATS in its last 19 games against teams with a winning record while the Spartans are 2-6 ATS in their last eight road games following three or more consecutive home games. While an outright win would be monumental, we fully expect the Huskies to stay within this inflated number. 10* (726) Northeastern Huskies

New Orleans is coming off a rare road victory at Utah which was just its second road win of the season as opposed to 12 losses. It has been a horribly disappointing start for the Pelicans which came into the season with some high expectations after making the playoffs a season ago. They have lost three straight games following a victory and are catching the wrong team at the wrong time. Phoenix is also off to a disappointing starts and will be out tonight to snap a two-game skid but those losses were against Dallas and Golden St. The Suns have dropped the first two meetings against New Orleans this season so double revenge is in play as well. Here, we play on favorites that are averaging 102 or more ppg going up against teams averaging between 98 and 102 ppg, after allowing 120 points or more. This situation is 56-27 ATS (67.5 percent) since 1996. Also, New Orleans is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games off an win as a road underdog while Phoenix is 15-5 ATS in its last 20 games after a loss by 15 points or more. 10* (522) Phoenix Suns

It has been a huge turnaround for Denver as after a 6-13 start, it has won five of its last six games but this is a streak that cannot last. The offense has scored 106 or more points in all five of those victories after scoring 106 or more points only seven times in its previous 19 games. Conversely, it has been a horrible run for Utah which has lost four straight games as the offense has been limited to 90.8 ppg. That changes tonight as the Jazz face one of the poorer defenses in the NBA and while a home loss against New Orleans last time out was a bad one, the other three losses came against San Antonio and Oklahoma City twice. The home floor has been average but three of the six losses have come against Golden St. and Oklahoma City twice and two of those losses were by three and four points. The Jazz are 24-12 ATS in their last 36 games after having lost four or five of their last six games while Denver is 4-14 ATS in its last 18 games when playing with 2 days. 10* (520) Utah Jazz

Sacramento is coming off a three-game sweep in its homestand but now it hits the highway for a four-game roadtrip and for some reason, the Kings are favored here. They have not been a road favorite all season and while the schedule has been tough, a comparison can be made with Milwaukee which is just a game better than Minnesota and the Kings were 4.5-point underdogs. Minnesota has dropped four straight games and eight of nine and has yet to cover a game in December, which is a big reason the Timberwolves are dogs, but this presents the best opportunity. The Timberwolves have a solid situation on their side as we play against favorites in a game involving two teams with a +/- 3 ppg scoring differential., after a win by 10 points or more. This situation is 134-77 ATS (63.5 percent) over the last five seasons. The Kings are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 road games against teams with a losing home record while going 7-19-1 ATS in their last 27 games following a straight up win. 10* (514) Minnesota Timberwolves

The Celtics are in need of a victory and should be pretty fired up tonight. After a loss against Cleveland on Tuesday, Boston was in a letdown the next night in Detroit. The defense didn't show up against the Pistons as they allowed 119 points and going back the last three weeks, Boston has allowed 108 or more points four previous times and followed that up with a victory last time out. Additionally, the Celtics will be out to avenge a 24-point loss to the Hawks last month. Atlanta is coming off a win over the Sixers which snapped a three-game losing streak. After a 7-1 start to the season, the Hawks are just 8-11 over their last 19 games as winning streaks have not occurred with the Hawks going 1-7 over their last eight games following a victory. Boston is 27-8 ATS in its last 35 games when playing their 3rd game in 4 days while going 40-27 ATS in its last 67 games revenging a loss. Meanwhile the Hawks have failed to cover their last four games against winning teams. 10* (508) Boston Celtics

This is a huge value play on Philadelphia as these teams faced each other just over two weeks in New York with the Knicks favored by 8.5 points and now they are favored by slightly less on the road. New York is coming off a pair of wins against Portland and Minnesota and this is a tough spot to get up for as not only because it is the Sixers but because a revenge game against the Bulls is on deck. While Philadelphia is a bad team and there are no excuses for losing but the Sixers have played the most difficult schedule of an Eastern Conference team. They are 4-11 ATS against winning teams including 0-5 ATS at home but a much better 7-4 ATS against teams with a losing record. Additionally, there is a situation on our side as we play against teams after two straight wins by six points or less going up against an opponent after a combined score of 205 points or more. This situation is 71-39 ATS (64.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (506) Philadelphia 76ers

At first glance, Clemson looks pretty good as a home underdog in this rivalry game along with the fact South Carolina is playing its first true road game of the season. However, the circumstances are different here. Clemson is 6-1 at home but the Tigers are not playing on campus this season as Littlejohn Coliseum is going under renovations the entire season so not only are they not playing on campus, they are playing 45 minutes away from campus. That is a huge deal. Last season, Clemson averaged close to 9,000 fans in home games but that is far from the case this season and tonight could feature more South Carolina fans in attendance. The Gamecocks were expected to be vastly improved but they have exceeded expectations thus far with nine straight wins to open the season. The Gamecocks welcomed back four starters along with the best recruiting class under head coach Frank Martin and this team is relevant for the first time in a long time. Five players are averaging double figures so they are balanced, deep and athletic. The Gamecocks are 7-0 ATS in their last seven road games following three or more consecutive home games while the Tigers are 0-5 ATS in their last five games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* (525) South Carolina Gamecocks

We played against Oklahoma City last night and that got thrown back in our face as the Thunder led by as many as 25 points in their 16-point win over Portland. Clearly there was no lookahead and now riding a six-game winning streak, they head to Cleveland with their 5-5 road record. The schedule has been relatively tame as 15 of 25 games have been played at home and of those five road wins, only two have come against winning teams, 14-13 Memphis and 14-11 Orlando. A telling stat for Oklahoma City is the fact that of the top 22 teams in the NBA, only the Thunder and Clippers have failed to win two or more games against top ten teams as they are 1-4 (Clippers are 0-5). Cleveland rolled over Boston on Tuesday to make it three straight wins and the Cavaliers head home where they are 10-1 on the season, the lone loss being a shocking defeat against Washington where they never led. Going back, Cleveland is 30-2 in its last 32 games at home. Kyrie Irving said Wednesday that he won't be playing Thursday night against Oklahoma City and as great as he is, that is a good thing in this game as the Cavaliers chemistry will not be interrupted. 10* (704) Cleveland Cavaliers

Belmont and Middle Tennessee have met at least once per year every season since 2004 and the Bruins have had the Blue Raiders' number as of late, winning seven of the last eight. This includes three straight wins by Belmont but that streak comes to an end tonight. The Blue Raiders are 6-2 following a 19-17 season where they had 10 new players on the roster and now with an abundance of experience, they are once again expected to contend for a conference championship. Belmont has been a great program for years and this year will be no different as it is expected to win the Ohio Valley Conference. The Bruins are 7-4 with all four losses coming on the road with most coming against teams of similar strength. Their offense is the strength but this will be one of the best defenses they have faced and we can expect an even better effort from Middle Tennessee on its home floor in a big revenge situation. Middle Tennessee has been one of the best home teams in the country over the last five seasons and holds a 58-9 record at the Murphy Center and with a short line, a win likely means a cover so the short price is in our favor. The Blue Raiders are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 home games after playing a game as a home underdog and 10-2 ATS in their last 12 home games against defenses allowing 77 or more ppg. 10* (712) Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders

With Golden St. finally losing, Oklahoma City is currently riding the longest active winning streak in the NBA with five straight victories and it has a comfortable 5.5-game lead in the Northwest Division. Three of these five wins have been by six points or less including a home overtime win over Utah last time out. This is a tough spot for the Thunder as they have a nationally televised game at Cleveland tomorrow night so the lookahead spot is there with the possibility of giving starters fewer minutes tonight. After a seven-game losing streak in early November, Portland has gone 7-6 over its last 13 games and while that is nothing spectacular, this pointspread is more in line with a team not playing nearly as good. Despite being four games under .500, the Blazers are dead even in scoring differential as the offense has improved immensely, scoring 00 or more points in 11 of their last 14 games. Here, we play against favorites after a win by six points or less going up against an opponent after scoring 100 points or more in four straight games. This situation is 135-85 ATS (61.4 percent) since 1996. 10* (513) Portland Trailblazers

Minnesota has dropped three straight games and this game ends a three-game run against Western Conference teams. While the Timberwolves are just 3-10 at home, they are 6-5 on the road and they are the only team in the NBA with a losing record overall but a winning record on the highway. Minnesota is 5-6 against the Eastern Conference this season but the body of work is much better than that. Wins include Atlanta twice, Miami and Chicago while of those losses, three came by four points or less. New York snapped a four-game losing streak with a win at Portland and it has been a very tough run of late, going just 3-8 over its last 11 games to fall three games under .500. Minnesota has yet to cover at game as a favorite, going 0-6 ATS but has been much better as a dog and even more amazing is that the road team is 20-3-1 ATS in their 24 games this season. Meanwhile, the Knicks are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game. 10* (505) Minnesota Timberwolves

Brooklyn is having a horrible season as its 7-17 record is second worst in the Eastern Conference, sitting only ahead of the inept Sixers. Winning on the road is the issue as the Nets are just 1-11, one of only three teams with one or fewer road wins, but they are a much more respectable 6-6 at home. This marks the conclusion of a six-game homestand where they are 2-3 so far with two of those losses coming against Golden St. and the Los Angeles Clippers. Miami comes in riding a two-game winning streak but this is a tough part of the schedule as this is its fourth road game over the last six and this is its fourth game over the last six nights. But speaking of schedule, the Heat have played a relatively easy one thus far with 15 of their first 23 games taking place at home and they are just 3-5 on the road. They did defeat Atlanta on the road in their last game but they are 0-9 ATS in their last nine games coming off a road win as a road underdog. Meanwhile, Brooklyn is 11-1 ATS in 12 games this season coming off losses in two of its last three games. 10* (508) Brooklyn Nets

Richmond is off to a 6-3 start with the losses coming against Florida, West Virginia and James Madison. The last one was a bad loss that opened the season and the Spiders can ill afford another one like that in non-conference play. They were shunned by the NCAA Tournament committee last season and they were relegated to the NIT as a No. 1 seed which shows how close they were to the big dance and getting there is the goal this season. They have four starters back from that 21-14 team and this year they have four players averaging double-figures including three averaging 15 ppg or more. Old Dominion is coming off a great season where it went 27-8 and should be very good again this season but it is off to a 4-5 start and has one just once away from its home floor. The offense has been very out of synch and while the Richmond defense has been up and down, the Spiders finished in the top 40 in defensive efficiency last season and is very capable of keeping the Monarchs down as well. Old Dominion is 0-8 ATS in its last eight road games against teams outscoring their opponents by 4.0 or more ppg while going 0-7 ATS in its last seven road games after failing to cover the spread in two or more consecutive games. Meanwhile, the Spiders are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games against teams with a losing road record. 10* (528) Richmond Spiders

Two of the most disappointing teams in the NBA are Washington and Houston and while we played against the former, we will be playing on the latter tonight. The Rockets lost in Denver last night as they fell behind by 14 points after the first quarter but were able to take the lead at the half only to give it right back in the third quarter. Houston fell to 5-6 on the road and despite the loss last night, it is 9-7 against teams in the lower half of the NBA. The Rockets catch Sacramento at the right time as they have won six straight meetings including the first two this season. The Kings are coming off a pair of wins over Utah and New York but that last was way back on Thursday so any positive momentum has been lost. They are just 2-7 ATS following a win this season while going just 10-26 ATS in its last 36 games revenging a same season loss over the last two seasons. Additionally, they fall into a poor situation where we play against all teams where the line is +3 to -3 that are allowing 103 or more ppg on the season, after a win by three points or less. This situation is 44-15 ATS (74.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (705) Houston Rockets

Auburn made a very surprising run in the SEC Tournament last season until fatigue finally caught up to the Tigers as they were eliminated by Kentucky. It was a solid end to Bruce Pearl's fist season at Auburn and he is expecting this year to be much better. He truly thinks he has an NCAA Tournament bound team and while that may be pushing it, this is an improved team despite losing three starters. Auburn brought in the No. 28 recruiting class in the nation and that did not even include transfer T.J. Dunans, who was the top ranked JUCO prospect in the nation. They have four players averaging 13 or more ppg and they return home following a 1-1 roadtrip. Mercer is back in action after a 10-day break for finals while currently riding a five-game winning streak. The Bears were picked to finish fourth in the SoCon after a third place finish a season ago after losing three starters and while they are off to a 6-1 start, they have not played anyone solid as out of 350 teams in the country, their schedule is ranked 330th. Mercer made a name for itself when it defeated Duke two years ago in the NCAA Tournament but none of those starters are here. Auburn is 6-0 ATS in its last six home games after a pair of non-conference games while going 4-0 ATS in its last four games following a straight up loss. 10* (740) Auburn Tigers

The inconsistent season for Memphis continues as it has dropped two straight games following a loss in Miami yesterday. The Grizzlies have avoided long losing streaks of late however as this is the first time they have dropped consecutive games since early November and playing at home should provide them with added motivation. They have lost two straight games at home for the first time this season and they were not pretty as they fell to Charlotte by 24 points on Friday and by 37 points against Oklahoma City prior to that. Washington is coming off a victory in its last game at Dallas on Saturday which was three wins on the road over its last four games on the highway. Winning consecutive games however has not been happening much as the Wizards have dropped four straight games following a victory and they have not won back-to-back road games since the first two games of the season against Orlando and Milwaukee. Even worse, the Wizards are 3-18 ATS in their last 21 games after a win by six points or less. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are 20-8 ATS in their last 28 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game while going 6-1 ATS in the second game of a back-to-back set. 10* (512) Memphis Grizzlies

We won with Portland last night as it defeated the Suns by 10 points and I expect a letdown tonight coming off that double revenge winner. The Blazers are not having a good season and inconsistency is the issue as both offense and defense have been all over the place. Portland is 5-5 at home so there is no real home edge and on the season the Blazers are just 2-5 ATS as favorites of fewer than eight points. This is the last game of a three-game roadtrip for New York as it looks to snap a four-game slide before having the next three days off. The Knicks are definitely an improved team this season as it took them until February to win their 10th game last season. History has not been good here in Portland but this is not the same Blazers team and despite a win in their last home game nine days ago, Portland has yet to win back-to-back games this season. The Knicks are backed by a solid situation as we play against home teams where the line is +3 to -3 that are allowing 99 or more ppg on the season going up against an opponent after a loss by six points or less. This situation is 214-138 ATS (60.8 percent) since 1996. 10* (517) New York Knicks

The 83rd edition of the Crosstown Shootout takes place Saturday between Cincinnati and Xavier and the Bearcats will be out for revenge following a two-point home loss last season. It is even more significant considering the fact that all five of Cincinnati's starters are back this season. Certainly this is no easy test but Cincinnati is no easy out either as for the first time since Jan. 19, 1994 and only the second time in the history of a series that began in 1929, both teams are ranked. The home floor for Xavier is a strong one but I think this line is more than it should be based on the fact of the opposite ATS runs that both teams are going through. Balance has been the key for the Bearcats as they have put at least three players in double figures in every game this season and overall, they have eight players averaging 7.3 or more ppg. While this is just their second true game of the season, the Bearcats are 13-4 ATS in their last 17 road games following three or more consecutive home games. 10* (559) Cincinnati Bearcats

Wichita St. is coming off its first true test at home and it passed with a win over UNLV that got closer than expected at the end. Still, it was a victory against a UNLV team that has already picked up two wins over Top-15 teams this year and the Shockers held the Rebels to 33 points below their season average. The Shockers haven't lost a home non-conference game since Feb. 18, 2011, as they have now won 33 straight. And in this building, they are a perfect 5-0 lifetime. Utah is ranked 24th in the nation and is riding a four-game winning streak as it heads out on the highway for its first true road game of the season. Wichita St. has had this one circled for a while as it lost in Utah last season by a point in overtime which ended its 35-game regular season winning streak. The Utes are 1-5-1 ATS in their last seven games after scoring more than 90 points in their previous game while Wichita St. is 40-22 ATS in its last 62 games following a win. 10* (548) Wichita St. Shockers

The Golden Bears finished 18-15 last season and were left out of the postseason but bring back a ton ready to make a big run. California has NBA talent at every position and the biggest issue here is that it may be tough to keep everyone happy which is a good problem to have. They opened the season with four straight wins before a pair of losses in Las Vegas but have responded with three straight victories. We are catching a lower than expected number due to the fact they have failed to cover their last five games as well as the fact that St. Mary's comes into this game undefeated and has covered all four of its lined games. The Gaels do own a quality win over Stanford but now comes a totally different situation as they are the only team in the country than has yet ot play a game away from their home floor whether it be a neutral court game or a true road game. Making it even tough is St. Mary's lost all five starters from last season which makes the task even tougher. 10* (550) California Golden Bears

Phoenix is riding a two-game winning streak but is still three games under .500 overall and is still part of a bad run as it has gone 3-8 over its last 14 games. The Suns have lost three of four games at home and they are not in a great spot here as they face a Blazers team that is out for payback. Portland is coming off a pair of losses on the road but one came by just a bucket against Milwaukee and the other came by five points against Cleveland. The Blazers opened the season with a win over New Orleans but then dropped back-to-back games against Phoenix which bring in the double revenge situation. Phoenix has not been good in those spots as it is 3-7 on the season as a favorite of fewer than seven points while going 0-5 ATS in its last five games against teams with a losing record and 0-4 ATS in its last four games following a win. Portland meanwhile is 5-1 ATS in its last six games following a loss and fall into a situation where we play against teams after two straight wins by six points or less going up against an opponent after a combined score of 205 points or more. This situation is 70-36 ATS (66 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (721) Portland Trailblazers

Minnesota is coming off a four-game homestand where it went just 1-3 to fall to 3-9 at home and while the road has surprisingly been better, after a 4-0 start, the Timberwolves are just 2-3 in their last five road games. The defense has been the issues of late and we can expect Denver to take advantage after being held to just 78 points in the first meeting this season which was its home opener. The Nuggets have dropped five straight home games but those have come against some top teams in the NBA including the up and coming Magic last time out. Minnesota has been a favorite only five times this season and it has yet to cover any of those games while going 0-3 straight up when favored by four points or less. Denver meanwhile is a perfect 2-0 ATS as an underdog of fewer than three points and is 5-2 ATS in its last seven games after scoring less than 75 points in their previous game. Here, we play against road divisional favorites that are coming off a home win scoring 110 or more points. This situation is 45-18 ATS (71.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (718) Denver Nuggets

We have been on Charlotte its last two games and both resulted in blowout victories over Detroit and Miami by 20 and 18 points respectively. Those games were at home however where the Hornets are 10-3 but now they hit the road where they have played just eight games, going 3-5. They are clearly one of the most improved teams in the NBA but have played just six games against the Western Conference and while four of those were wins, three came against Sacramento, Minnesota and Portland. The Grizzlies have been up and down this season but to their credit, they have played the second toughest schedule in the NBA. Memphis is just 2-8 against the top ten in the NBA but 11-2 against everyone else and the latter is where the Hornets fall. Memphis is 18-8 in its last 26 games as a home favorite of six points or less and it falls into a great situation where we play against teams averaging 83 or more shots per game on the season, after two straight games allowing a shooting percentage of 39 percent or less. This situation is 48-18 ATS (72.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (714) Memphis Grizzlies

After a slow start, the Clippers have won three straight games and six of their last seven after a disappointing 7-8 start that included a dreadful 3-8 stretch. They are coming off a road win at Milwaukee last night, the second to start this five-game roadtrip which also extended their road winning streak to three games. All four road wins on the season have come against losing teams and the real kicker is that with the exception of the Lakers and Sixers which are a combined 4-39, Los Angeles is the only team in the NBA that has yet to defeat a top ten team. Chicago falls into that category despite losses in three straight games including a tough one last night against the Celtics in Boston. After a 7-1 start at the United Center, the Bulls have dropped two straight here but the wins have been solid as of those seven home victories, six have been against teams with a winning record. Overall, the Bulls are 4-2 against top ten teams. The spotlight has been good to Chicago as it is 6-1 ATS in its last seven TNT games while the Clippers are 0-5 ATS in their last five games following a straight up win of more than 10 points. 10* (506) Chicago Bulls

Iowa is coming off a 22-12 season that was filled with many feats that had not happened in a while as the Hawkeyes went 12-6 in the Big Ten, their best conference record in nearly a decade, and they had their longest conference winning streak in nearly two decades. Iowa went 7-3 on the road last season so coming in here is not an issue, especially with four starters back from last season's successful team and already posting a 28-point win at Marquette last month. Overall, they are 7-2 and will be fired up to take out their undefeated rival. The Cyclones are 7-0 and ranked No. 4 in the latest AP Poll and No. 2 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, the highest ranking ever for Iowa St. so there could be some pressure which is their first real test of the season. Iowa matches up extremely well with the Cyclones as the comparisons are tight. Senior forwards Jarrod Uthoff of Iowa and Georges Niang of Iowa St. are averaging 19.3 ppg, 7.8 rpg and 3.8 bpg and 20.8 ppg, 8.8 rpg and 1.5 bpg in their last four games respectively. Both teams have veteran point guards in Mike Gesell for Iowa and Monte Morris for Iowa St. and they are averaging 6.9 apg and 7.3 apg respectively. Defensively, the teams are allowing virtually the same amount of points on the same shooting percentage. Here, we play against home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points after allowing 25 points or less in the first half last game going up against an opponent after two straight wins by 15 points or more. This situation is 44-13 ATS (77.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (511) Iowa Hawkeyes

Wichita St. went from a top ten team to not even receiving votes following three straight losses in the AdvoCare Invitational in Orlando, Florida at the end of November. It was the first time in 42 consecutive weeks that the Shockers were not in the top 25 and while it may take a while to get back, they will be there. The three losses came without the services of All-American candidate point guard Fred VanVleet who has played in only three games and that includes just three minutes in one of those. The good news is that he is back and in just 18 minutes in his first game back, he scored 11 points and dished out seven assists. Now back home for just the third time this season, we will see the real Shockers tonight. UNLV has gotten off to a very good start at 7-1 with the lone loss coming against UCLA by just a bucket and it is coming off an impressive home win over Oregon. Now, the Rebels hit the road for the first time this season and being a very young team that went 3-8 on the highway last season, I do not expect them to have success in this building. The Shockers haven't lost a home non-conference game since Feb. 18, 2011, when Final Four bound VCU escaped Charles Koch Arena with a 68-67 win on a last-second free throw and they have now won 33 straight. 10* (742) Wichita St. Shockers

The Spurs are coming off a 51-point win over the Sixers on Monday which was a product of San Antonio being one of the best teams in the league and Philadelphia being the worst. The Spurs were favored by 10 there and are now favored by half that and while they were without three key players, they are clearly overvalued here. After three straight home losses, Toronto snapped that skid on Monday with a win over the Lakers and while that was an unimpressive victory, it was needed. It has been a slow start for the Raptors and there issue has been not playing well against the poor teams. They have been great against the top teams as they are the only team in the NBA with six wins over top ten teams and on the season, they are 7-0 ATS against winning teams and 7-0 ATS as an underdog of three or more points. Here, we play against favorites in a game involving two teams averaging between 98 and 102 ppg, after leading in their previous game by 20 or more points at the half. This situation is 48-21 ATS (69.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (708) Toronto Raptors

We won with Charlotte on Monday and we will back them again tonight as they continue to get undervalued. The Hornets are just a half-game behind Miami in the Southeast Division in what is turning into a wide open division. Charlotte is 9-3 at home with those three losses coming against Atlanta, Cleveland and Golden St. Miami has been a pleasant surprise although many picked the Heat to win the division but I am not sold on this team yet as they have been the most fortunate team in the NBA when it comes to the schedule. 14 of their first 19 games have been on their home floor and this has equated to being the second easiest schedule in the league thus far. It gets tougher after the New Year as they play a stretch of 14 of 15 on the road. Charlotte falls into a situation where we play on teams where the line is +3 to -3 that are averaging 102 ppg going up against teams allowing between 92 and 98 ppg after a win by 20 points or more. This situation is 45-18 ATS (71.4 percent) since 1996. 10* (702) Charlotte Hornets

The Bulls hit the road following a pair of home losses and it was the first time they have lost consecutive games this season as they are now 5-1 following a defeat. I don't see it making it to three straight as Chicago has not lost three straight regular season games since early March of last season. The Bulls are 4-4 on the road and this is a good place to get back over .500 on the highway as they have covered four straight meetings in Boston not including a push while the road team has covered the last four. The Celtics are coming off a 3-2 roadtrip to move three games over .500 and they have now covered four straight games. Boston has done well against the bottom teams in the NBA, going 9-1 against the bottom 14 teams while going just 3-8 against the top 16. The Celtics ppg differential is skewed because of this as eight of those nine wins against the lower half have been by double-digits. Chicago is 20-9 ATS in its last 29 road games after playing a home game while Boston is 50-78 ATS in its last 128 games off a road win by 10 points or more. 10* (703) Chicago Bulls

TCU got off to an incredible 13-0 start last season but it is just 4-3 through seven games this year. Granted, the Horned Frogs have lost to some quality competition but on the flip side, they have defeated no one of note. This also marked their first true road game of the season and it comes in a very tough environment. Injuries are playing a role in the average start as three potential starters are banged up. Washington bounced back from a pair of losses in Atlantis with a win over Charlotte and returned home to pick up a blowout win over CS-Fullerton on Sunday. The Huskies had a miserable time last season and the roster was filled with players that clearly could not gel but they have cured that so far this season with good balance and a strong defense. TCU is 18-34 ATS in its last 52 games after allowing 55 points or less while Washington has covered four of its last five games against teams with a winning record. 10* (544) Washington Huskies

Central Florida is coming off a blowout win on Saturday against Illinois-Chicago to get to .500 for the first time this season while improving to a perfect 5-0 ATS on the season. UCF had fewer turnovers than their opponent for the first time this season, forcing the Flames to give up the ball 16 times throughout the game. The Knights have a big revenge game on deck against Florida Atlantic where it lost by 13 points just about a year ago to the day. Massachusetts is coming off its second loss of the season and both defeats have come against quality opposition in Mississippi and Creighton. The Minutemen have an exceptional backcourt as they have three perimeter players averaging 17 or more ppg. That will severely hurt the Knights which are 4-16 ATS in their last 20 home games against good ball handling teams that are committing 14 or fewer turnovers per game. Additionally, the Minutemen are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following a double-digit loss at home. 10* (513) Massachusetts Minutemen

Princeton is coming off its first loss of the season as it got thumped by 14 points at Stony Brook, clearly a very bad loss against an inferior opponent. The Tigers have yet to play anyone worthwhile and while St. Joe's is no elite power team, it represents their toughest test to date. The Hawks come in at 5-2 and they have defeated the teams they should beat while losing to Villanova and Florida. Two key things St. Joe's is doing well over last year's 13-18 team is it is converting free throws at a higher rate and limiting turnovers. The Hawks have converted over 70 percent from the line in five of seven games and they are ranked 17th in the nation and third in the A-10 in assist/turnover ratio with 1.39. The Hawks have covered six straight home games against teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .800 while going 5-1 ATS in their last six games against the Ivy League. Meanwhile, the Tigers are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 non-conference games. 10* (520) St. Joseph's Hawks

The Pistons are coming off a perfect homestand where they went 4-0 but those four victories came against teams with losing records. Those wins moved Detroit to 8-2 at home but the road has been a different story where the Pistons have dropped seven of their last eight after a 3-0 start on the highway. Charlotte is just a game and a half behind Miami in the Southeast Division following an upset win in Chicago on Saturday following a seven-game homestand. The Hornets are 8-3 at home and those losses have all been quality as they came against three of the four teams that were in the Conference Finals last season including Cleveland and Golden St. This is the first time this season that Detroit is playing the second game of a back-to-back on the road with the first coming at home so it is not in an ideal spot. The Hornets are 7-3-1 ATS in their last 11 games against teams with a winning record while the Pistons are 1-7 ATS in their last eight road games. 10* (702) Charlotte Hornets

It looked as though the Clippers were turning the corner as they had won three straight games following a miserable 1-4 stretch but they put up a dud at home against Indiana on Wednesday. The absence of Chris Paul did not help and now the absence of J.J. Reddick does them no favors but they have plenty of depth and have been able to get a good amount of practice time in. The hottest teams in the NBA not named Golden St. comes from an unlikely source as Orlando has reeled off five straight wins. The defense has been stifling but we see that coming to an end tonight. This includes two road wins to open this trip but they catch the Clippers in a not so ideal spot. Orlando falls into a solid negative situation as we play against teams where the line is +3 to -3 that are coming off an upset win as a road underdog. This situation is 155-101 ATS (60.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (720) Los Angeles Clippers

We won with the Knicks last night but that was more of a play against Brooklyn than anything else and tonight we will be going against New York. The Knicks have won two straight games to move back to .500 but are coming off a four-game homestand and are now playing their first road game since before Thanksgiving. The Bucks lost their second straight game, this time at Detroit last night. They never led and it ended up being their eighth straight loss on the road but they are a much more respectable 5-2 over their last seven home games. They opened the season with a 25-point home loss to New York so Milwaukee will be out to make amends even though it already did pick up a win at MSG. The Bucks have played exceptional this season playing with no rest, going a perfect 4-0 ATS. In my opinion, the wrong team is favored tonight. 10* (714) Milwaukee Bucks

This is an early season revenger for Minnesota as it lost at home against Portland last month to aid in its not-so-good 2-7 record at home. Surprisingly, the Timberwolves are 6-3 on the road so it has been a very unusual start for them as they head into this one having lost two straight. Portland meanwhile is coming off an upset win over Indiana at home but it has been a trying season for the Blazers without LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum. After starting the season 4-2, Portland is just 4-10 over its last 14 games including a 1-6 record on the road with the lone win coming against the 3-16 Lakers. Here, we play against teams where the line is +3 to -3 coming off an upset win as an underdog going up against an opponent off a upset loss as a favorite. This situation is 63-28 ATS (69.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (708) Minnesota Timberwolves

Here we have the perfect contrast between two teams that is inflating the line to a drastic measure. Central Florida, despite a 2-3 record, has yet to lose against the number as it is a perfect 4-0 ATS. The three straight up losses have been very tight so the record could be better. On the other side, Illinois-Chicago has just one win in five tries and it is 0-4 ATS in its four lined games. The Flames are coming off a poor season and arte now with a new coach and not much is expected this season. However, this line is certainly in their favor and we can go back to last season as an example. Illinois-Chicago was a favored by 1.5 points last season at home and now the line has shifted 15.5 points since then and there is no way these two teams have gone that much apart from each other. Going back, the Flames are 8-1 ATS in their last nine games following a double-digit loss at home while the Knights are 7-19-1 ATS in their last 27 games against teams with a losing straight up record. 10* (777) Illinois-Chicago Flames

Southern Illinois is off to a surprising 7-1 start but the schedule has been pretty tame and in its favor. The Salukis have played only one true road game and that was against lower level Sam Houston St. of the Southland Conference and it took overtime to win. There was a lot of turnover for Southern Illinois from last season so they have to be happy with the start but laying a big number on the road is overaggressive. North Texas is no elite team and it has yet to cover a game this season but those situations were all different. Two road games against Northern Iowa and Utah were blowouts against power teams and in three home games, they were favored in all and two resulted in losses by a bucket. Now the Mean Green are a big home underdog and we will grab the generous number. Going back, the Salukis are 2-7 ATS in their last nine road games while the Mean Green are 3-1-1 ATS in their last five home games against teams with a winning road record. 10* (782) North Texas Mean Green

It has been a trying season for the Rockets as they have done their best to fall out of contention in the Western Conference. They made it to the Western Conference Finals a season ago so expectations were high but after a poor start to this season, head coach Kevin McHale was let go which has not cured much. Although Houston has won three of its last four games and is catching a very solid number here. Dallas is just three games over .500 following a 2-4 run but the fact it is riding a five-game home winning streak is the main reason for the size of this number. The Rockets fall into a great situation as we play on road teams after allowing 100 points or more four straight games going up against an opponent after a win by six points or less. This situation is 45-19 ATS (70.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (509) Houston Rockets

Fresh off a pair of wins, Brooklyn heads to MSG to face the Knicks for the first meeting this season. The Nets are in the midst of their first multi-game winning streak of the season with both of those wins coming by just three and four points and both took big fourth quarter comebacks. The Knicks meanwhile are coming off a win over the Sixers, which is certainly nothing great, but it snapped a four-game skid so it in fact was a much needed victory. Brooklyn has won just one road game this season and despite a 1-10 road record, it is catching the smallest line it has seen on the highway all season. Going back, Brooklyn is 4-16 ATS in its last 20 games following consecutive wins while the Knicks are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following a win. 10* (502) New York Knicks

The Wizards are playing some horrible basketball right now but in no way should they be a home underdog in this spot. They are coming off a loss against the now 3-15 Lakers which was their fifth loss in six games and they were unable to capitalize off a big upset win in Cleveland the previous night. Phoenix is going though a similar skid as it has lost six of its last seven games including losses in two straight following a win in Toronto to open this roadtrip. The Suns were favored over Brooklyn by 3.5 points to open the week and there is no way they should be favored again on the road against a much better team despite the home team struggles. Going back, the Suns are 0-4 ATS in their last four games against teams with a losing straight up record while the Wizards are 5-2-1 ATS in their last eight games against teams with a losing straight up record. 10* (504) Washington Wizards