Sports Picks & Predictions

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

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

This is a play on the UCLA BRUINS for our CBB Star Attraction. UCLA has been in a funk making this a get right game with a short price based on recent results. The Bruins did play a solid game against Gonzaga a month ago, losing by four points at home and they have not recovered from that close call. They narrowly defeated UC Riverside, winning by a point as an 18.5-point favorite then came a stretch of three straight losses. UCLA lost at Villanova, dropped a seven-point game against Ohio St. on a neutral floor and most recently, were embarrassed as home against CSU Northridge as it lost by four points as a 17.5-point favorite. The Bruins lost a lot from their Pac 12 champion team from last season but this was not the start that was expected and this is a needed bounce back win before conference action gets underway next week. Maryland is riding a three-game winning streak, all at home where it is 7-0 but hits the road heading out west in a bad spot. The Terrapins have played four games away form home, two true road games and two neutral court games, and lost all four of those. This is a revenge game for Maryland but road revenge is never a good angle especially in a situation like this. 10* (878) UCLA Bruins

This is a play on the NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. This is a great bounce back spot for Notre Dame as it is coming off a 20-point loss at home against The Citadel and it heard about it after. Head coach Micah Shrewsberry issued an apology to fans for having to spend their money to watch a trash product and lit a fire under his players that if you do not play hard, then you can sit and rot over on the bench. It was a classic motivational rant and we will see one of their best efforts this season. It was the third straight loss for the Irish including two straight at home where they are 3-3 and while they are 4-7 overall, it has come against a schedule ranked No. 145 with this being the final tune up before ACC action gets underway. Marist was the worst team in the MAAC last season and while improvements were expected, the 7-2 start, that includes a pair of early conference wins, is a bit surprising but a look at the schedule is the reason. The Red Foxes have not played a team from a major conference while playing six of their nine games against teams ranked No. 303 or worse. Overall, they have played a schedule ranked No. 359 out of 362 teams and are catching Notre Dame at the wrong time. 10* (866) Notre Dame Fighting Irish

This is a play on the MURRAY ST. RACERS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. SMU is off to an 8-4 start including wins in three of its last four games. Two of the wins came against No. 357 Houston Christian and No. 301 Texas A&M-Commerce with another coming against a bad Florida St. team while the loss came against Arizona St. that is slowly proving to be another bad team. The Mustangs have covered four straight games including both on the road but this is the first time they have been favored and are overpriced having played a weak schedule. Murray St. is riding a five-game losing streak and is 1-8 over its last nine games following a 2-0 start. The Racers have been close to reversing that 3-8 record or making it more respectable as six of those losses came down to the final minute with all six close defeats coming by six points or less. Murray St. came into last season as a total rebuild yet put together an 11-9 record in their first season in the conference coming over from the OVC and the Racers are better equipped this year with a lot of experience and the best frontcourt in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Racers are 3-2 at home with this being just their second home game this month. 10* (854) Murray St. Racers

This is a play on the MONTANA ST. BOBCATS for our CBB Afternoon Dominator. CSU Northridge has won three straight games including a huge upset at UCLA on Tuesday, winning outright by four points as a 17.5-point underdog. The Matadors improved to 8-3 and are now in a big letdown spot after that victory with Big West Conference action on deck. They have been cash all season, going 8-1 ATS including covers in their last five lines games so the numbers are now getting inflated. Northridge is 4-1 at home but two of those wins came against non-Division 1 teams and another coming against 0-11 Mississippi Valley St. and overall the Matadors have played a schedule ranked No. 352. Montana St. has been up and down as it is 5-5 but has won two straight games following a three-game losing streak. The Bobcats have been the class of the Big Sky Conference for the last few years but had to replace a lot of their roster along with their head coach yet have been competitive in most of their games. Four of the five losses came by eight points or less against mostly better competition and they do own a win on the road at California. Montana St. is 0-5 ATS in its last five lined games which adds to the value. 10* (851) Montana St. Bobcats

This is a play on the SOUTH DAKOTA COYOTES for our CBB Late Powerhouse. After suffering a pair of road blowout losses, San Diego returned home and defeated Arizona St. and Portland St. but by just five and four points respectively. The Toreros are now 8-4 which includes a 7-0 record at home but are now laying their second biggest number on their home floor as they failed to cover against LeMoyne who is in its first year at the Division 1 level. Despite the winning record, San Diego has a negative adjusted efficiency margin and part of the reason is it has faced an average opposing offense schedule of No. 298. They are coming off two great situational spots but are now overvalued. South Dakota is 7-5 following a pair of losses against UC Irvine and CSU Bakersfield which followed a three-game winning streak as well as a three-game cover streak. The Coyotes has fared extremely well with a brand new roster that is tall and athletic which has helped with easier looks on offense. South Dakota has a big edge from long range as they are No. 19 in the country in three-point shooting while facing a below average defense that has allowed 72 or more points in five of their last six games. 10* (777) South Dakota Coyotes

This is a play on the BRADLEY BRAVES for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. Bradley opened the season 6-0 but the Braves have lost five straight games and the Braves are in a get right game and will be highly motivated in this spot. They won the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title last year and should be right there again even though two of their five losses came in the conference. They do not resume MVC play until the new year and have a game against Truman St. on deck a week away so there is no look ahead and have already played a schedule ranked No. 106 in the nation. SIU Edwardsville is 7-5 to start the season but the schedule has been very favorable. The Cougars have defeated three non-Division 1 teams and the four other wins have come against teams ranked No. 226, No. 330, No. 296 and No. 271. They hit the road for their sixth true road game and have lost the first five all by double digits and by an average of 16.2 ppg and three of those games have come against teams ranked lower than Bradley. This is a great spot for the Braves with a manageable number as they won their only other game laying double digits by 23 points. 10* (760) Bradley Braves

This is a play on the CHARLESTON COUGARS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. This is a good spot for Charleston that has gotten itself right following a tough start to the season. The Cougars defeated Iona by a bucket to open the season and then dropped three straight games which was part of a brutal stretch as they traveled to Annapolis, Myrtle Beach, Conway, Kent and Boca Raton over a span of seven games and against quality opposition. They were able to recover by going 3-1 in the next four games away from home with the lone loss coming against Florida Atlantic. Charleston has been back home for its last three games and brings in a 6-1 run against another quality opponent as it looks to improve to 5-0 at home. St. Joseph's has gotten off to a great start as it is 9-2 that includes six straight wins while covering five in a row. The Hawks do own solid wins over Villanova and Princeton while taking Kentucky to overtime in an eight-point loss on the road and those games are overvaluing St. Joseph's here as it has played a schedule that is ranked just No. 323 overall. The defense has been exceptional as it is top ten in opponent shooting percentage but faces an offense that has found its rhythm after a slow start. 10* (732) Charleston Cougars

This is a play on the OLD DOMINION MONARCHS for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. TCU suffered its first loss of the season last week against Clemson but bounced back with a 20-point win over Arizona St. with the Sun Devils starting to prove they are awful. Prior to that, it beat a bad Georgetown team and they won it on a three-point bomb as time expired but it never should have been a win as the shooter stepped out of bounds. Out of 362 teams in Division 1, TCU has played the No. 360 ranked schedule and that includes that game against Clemson which shows it has basically played no one. The Horned Frogs were loaded last season but lost over 48 percent of their scoring from that team. Old Dominion has lost three straight games while failing to cover its last four but it has been off since December 9 so the travel aspect to Hawaii is not an issue. The Monarchs are coming off a solid 19-12 season despite going through numerous uphill battles mostly due to injury and so far, they remain healthy. They have the best player on the floor in Chaunce Jenkins, a junior point guard who led the team in scoring, assists and three-point shooting last year and he is averaging 16.7 ppg so far and he is in the running for SBC Player of the Year. 10* (784) Old Dominion Monarchs

This is a play on the SAN JOSE ST. SPARTANS for our CBB Late Powerhouse. San Jose St. erased a three-game losing streak with a win over New Orleans last Saturday but lost on Sunday at home against Montana to fall back to .500 at 6-6. The Spartans have failed to cover each of their last five games but three of those were on the road and they remain home where they are 4-1 and the venue has been important thus far as the home team is 8-1 in the nine Spartans games played on campus floors. The Spartans look to keep the offense rolling as they are No. 95 in the country in shooting. Santa Clara won for us on Saturday as it defeated Washington St. on a neutral floor in Phoenix to snap a three-game losing streak and that was its third win over a Pac 12 team and we can expect a letdown here similar to the previous two games following the first two Pac 12 victories. The win over the Cougars was a revenge situation after losing to them in the NIT last season and the Broncos finally put up a solid game defensively against a Division 1 team after allowing 82 or more points in five straight games previous to that. The Broncos are 1-1 in true road games, the last one resulting in a 15-point loss at California. 10* (694) San Jose St. Spartans

This is a play on the NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS for our CBB Star Attraction. It has been a tough stretch for North Carolina having to play Connecticut and Kentucky on a neutral floor in its last two games, both resulting in losses, and now plays its third straight top ten team and fourth in its last five games. The Tar Heels have failed to cover their last three games, the one prior to the most recent two coming against Florida St. in what amounted to a lookahead spot with the Huskies on deck. Overall, they have played the No. 22 ranked schedule in the nation with this being the final test for a while. Oklahoma has surged up to No. 7 in the country after a 10-0 start but it is not close to that in the power rankings that are based on actual metrics and not opinions. The Sooners came into the season unranked and did not even start receiving votes until the third week but because they continue to keep winning, they have been able to pass many teams. Oklahoma has three good wins to its credit over Arkansas, Providence and Iowa but none of those are ranked inside the top 50 based on the power numbers and overall has played the No. 332 ranked schedule so this is by far the biggest challenge taking place in Charlotte. 10* (687) North Carolina Tar Heels

This is a play on the ARIZONA ST. SUN DEVILS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Arizona St. has lost two straight games including one this past Saturday in what was a good revenge spot against TCU and after taking a four-point lead into halftime, the Sun Devils collapsed, getting outscored 53-29 after the break. This is the final game prior to Pac 12 play starting but that is well over a week away and the focus will be here following back-to-back losses. This is another neutral site game but again close to home and they come in more battle tested having played the No. 58 ranked schedule in the country and we are catching value with them having dropped three straight against the number. Northwestern is coming off a win at DePaul to move to 8-2 on the season and 2-1 away from home. The two wins came against teams ranked No. 229 and No. 215 and with a combined six wins. The Wildcats do own a great win over Purdue, the only loss the Boilermakers have had this season, but that was at home in a great spot with that being the first true road game for Purdue. Even with that game, Northwestern has played a schedule ranked No. 258 and prior to DePaul, it lost to No. 312 ranked Chicago St. at home as a 24.5-point favorite. 10* (684) Arizona St. Sun Devils

This is a play on the NORTH DAKOTA FIGHTING HAWKS for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. Nebraska is coming off a pair of massive wins over Michigan St. and Kansas St. which puts the Huskers in a tough spot here. In the game against the Wildcats on the road Saturday, they held Kansas St. to 27 percent shooting including a 4-30 effort from long range. Nebraska turned a three-point halftime deficit by dominating the second half, allowing only 12 points. The defense has led the way this season as the Huskers are No. 37 in defensive efficiency but have not been nearly as good at home where they check in at No. 150. North Dakota is off to an 8-4 start following an upset win at Utah Tech on Saturday which snapped a five-game winless streak against the number. The Fighting Hawks come in undervalued in this matchup which is actually more of the Huskers being overvalued because of the recent results. They have become a stronger team with the addition of Tyree Ihenacho, the 2020-21 Summit Freshman of the Year and transferred back from James Madison, who made his season debut as he was granted a waiver after missing the first 11 games. This is their biggest test and the inflated line is reflecting that. 10* (673) North Dakota Fighting Hawks

This is a play on the BELMONT BRUINS for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. After a 2-7 start to the season with the two wins coming against No. 310 Alcorn St. and No. 315 UT Rio Grande Valley, Arkansas St. pulled off a pair of underdog upsets against UAB and Louisville by double digits. The most recent win against the Cardinals came on the road which was the first road win after a 0-5 start and while three of those losses came against Wisconsin, Iowa and Alabama, the other two were against Bowling Green and Little Rock, both of which are ranked lower than Belmont. The Bruins are coming off a loss at Samford as the offense tied a season high with 93 points but the defense struggled, allowing 99 points which was 34 more points allowed than in their previous game at Middle Tennessee St. Belmont returns home where it is 4-0 for its final nonconference game of the season before MVC action starts up again. The Bruins have failed to cover their first three lined home games and this is the first home contest in two weeks. Belmont will keep the offense going, which has been good all season, against a bad defense as it comes in ranked No. 24 in the country in shooting. 10* (676) Belmont Bruins

This is a play on the UC DAVIS AGGIES for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. UC Davis snapped a four-game losing streak with a win at Pacific on Saturday to move to 4-5 which is a disappointing start with what the Aggies have. They have one of the top backcourts in the Big West Conference with Elijah Pepper and Ty Johnson who are averaging a combined 37.5 ppg after putting up a combined 37.0 ppg last season and both are legitimate First Team conference guards. They have a ton of depth and will be out to avenge a loss earlier this season at Montana by 13 points last month. They are 2-2 at home with both losses coming in the final minute and are getting a good price in a focused spot. Montana opened the season 2-4 but has won four straight games, a pair coming against two non-Division 1 teams and the other two coming against San Jose St. in a home-and-home set sandwiched around those. Overall, three of their six wins have come against non-Division 1 teams and Montana heads back on the road at 1-3 and while it has covered three of those, two games were as underdogs of more than 14 points and this is its second same season revenge game for the opposition. 10* (634) UC Davis Aggies

This is a play on the VANDERBILT COMMODORES for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Vanderbilt has dropped two straight games and five of its last six games but the schedule has a lot to do with that with four of those losses against major conference teams and the other against a very strong San Francisco team. The Commodores are back home following a loss at Texas Tech where they are just 4-3 and the number is manageable because of that. Vanderbilt is coming off its first 20-win season since 2014-15 as it made a big run late in the season with a change in culture being a big part of that. The Commodores now have their most talented roster under head coach Jerry Stackhouse who is in his fifth season. Western Carolina is off to a great 8-2 start as it opened 6-0 but has gone 2-2 in its last four games with the two losses coming on the road. The Catamounts are coming off a road win over USC Upstate but the Spartans are ranked No. 304 in adjusted efficiency margin at -11.17 and this is just their second game against a major conference team, the first coming against Notre Dame in their second game of the season. This is a big one for Vanderbilt to get right before going to Memphis in five days. 10* (624) Vanderbilt Commodores

This is a play on the VALPARAISO BEACONS for our CBB Afternoon Dominator. This is an ideal sell high, buy low spot going against Samford which is riding a nine-game winning streak and overvalued because of it. The Bulldogs nine-game winning streak is the longest since the 1998-99 season but all of those games have come on their home court and this marks their first road game since November 20 which puts them in a very tough spot. On top of the home court stretch, Samford has played no one as it has faced a schedule ranked No. 358 out of 362 teams in the country. The is a buy low on Valparaiso based on having lost five straight games including a tough one point loss against Chicago St. on Saturday. The Beacons are now 4-7 on the season with four of those losses coming on the road. While the losses have been piling up, Valparaiso has been covering the inflated numbers, going 6-3 ATS in its last nine games and it is catching a good number here. The Beacons are in a rebuilding year with a lot of young players and a new head coach but being a third into the season has found the team chemistry especially on the defensive end which has kept things respectable. 10* (604) Valparaiso Beacons

This is a play on the MURRAY ST. RACERS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Murray St. is riding a four-game winning streak and is 1-7 over its last eight games following a 2-0 start. The Racers have been close to reversing that 3-7 record or making it more respectable as six of those losses came down to the final minute with all six close defeats coming by six points or less. They are 0-3 in true road games with the three defeats all by four points and all against teams ranked higher than their opponent on Monday. Murray St. came into last season as a total rebuild yet put together an 11-9 record in their first season in the conference coming over from the OVC and the Racers are better equipped this year with a lot of experience and the best frontcourt in the Missouri Valley Conference. We won with Little Rock in its last game against a bad UTSA team which snapped a two-game losing streak and the Trojans are now one game under .500. They are still a very low rated team with a -5.68 adjusted efficiency margin and this against a pretty tame schedule ranked No. 320 in the country. Excellent bounce back spot for the Racers in their final nonconference road game. 10* (875) Murray St. Racers

This is a play on the SAN JOSE ST. SPARTANS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Following a three-game losing streak, Montana has reeled off three straight wins but the last two have come against non-Division 1 teams Montana St.-Northern Lights and Montana Tech. The Grizzlies started the winning streak with a 17-point win over San Jose St. at home to open December which puts the Spartans in a rare non-conference same season revenge spot. Three of their five wins have come against non-division 1 teams and Montana heads to San Jose winless on the road at 0-3 and while it has covered two of those, those games were as underdogs of more than 14 points. San Jose St. erased a three-game losing streak with a win over New Orleans last Saturday to get back over .500 at 6-5. The Spartans have failed to cover each of their last four games but three of those were on the road and they remain home where they are a perfect 4-0. The venue has been important thus far as the home team is 8-0 in the eight Spartans games played on campus floors. The Spartans look to keep the offense rolling as they are No. 88 in the country in shooting and will be out for a better effort than in the first meeting where they scored 58 points, their second lowest total of the season. 10* (746) San Jose St. Spartans

This is a play on the ARIZONA ST. SUN DEVILS for our CBB Late Powerhouse. We played against Arizona St. last Saturday against San Diego as there was the chance at a lookahead to this game and sure enough, the Sun Devils lost outright. It was also their first true road game of the season and while they are listed as the road team here, this is a neutral site game being played in Phoenix so they will have the crowd edge. Arizona St. lost to TCU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season on a last second shot so now it is payback time. TCU suffered its first loss of the season last week against Clemson. Prior to that, it beat a bad Georgetown team and they won it on a three-point bomb as time expired but it never should have been a win as the shooter stepped out of bounds. Out of 362 teams in Division 1, TCU has played the No. 362 ranked schedule and that includes that game against Clemson which shows it has basically played no one. The Horned Frogs were loaded last season but lost over 48 percent of their scoring from that team and facing quality opposition will prove to be a problem. 10* (707) Arizona St. Sun Devils

This is a play on the GREEN BAY PHOENIX for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. This game sets up similar to Georgia Southern playing Tennessee earlier this week as a massive underdog and covering against a Volunteers team just going through the motions. That is what we see with Oklahoma here as the Sooners are off to a 9-0 start and ranked No. 11 in the AP Poll after coming into the season unranked and not receiving a single vote. This is a huge jump for a team that was predicted to finish No. 12 in the 14-team Big 12 Conference and that very well could still happen. The Sooners have played a schedule ranked No. 304 and have failed to cover spreads of -27.5 and -26 in its last two games when favored by double digits and add to the fact Oklahoma has North Carolina on deck. Green Bay is by no means a very good team but it is on the move of improving as it is 5-6 which is already two more wins that all of last season and the same amount of victories from two seasons ago. The Phoenix are coming off a big upset win over Illinois-Chicago and they have covered six of their last seven games as underdogs. 10* (697) Green Bay Phoenix

This is a play on the WICHITA ST. SHOCKERS for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. Wichita St. got off to a 7-1 start with the lone loss coming against a very solid Liberty team on a neutral floor in South Carolina but the Shockers have lost two straight games including a rough 10-point loss against South Dakota St. a week ago and the other coming at Missouri prior to that. The loss last week against the Jackrabbits was in Wichita but not at their campus home at Charles Koch Arena where they are 5-0 with all five wins coming by double digits. Wichita St. has missed the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2011 and it is expected to contend in the American Athletic Conference with a chance to return. Southern Illinois is 6-3 with the first two losses coming against James Madison and Indiana St. which are a combined 18-1 so those were not bad defeats although the latter did come by 29 points which was the Salukis only true road game this season. However, they are coming off a bad loss on Tuesday at home against Austin Peay as 11.5-point favorites so their non-quality wins are looking worse at this point. 10* (678) Wichita St. Shockers

This is a play on the MEMPHIS TIGERS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Clemson improved to 9-0 with a win over TCU last Saturday in Toronto and the Tigers moved up an absurd 11 spots in the AP Poll because of it, from No. 24 to No. 13. This team is playing with a chip on its shoulder after getting snubbed for an NCAA Tournament spot last season but they might be feeling a little too god about things right now. Clemson does own a pair of good road wins at Alabama and Pittsburgh before the win over the Horned Frogs and a victory over rival South Carolina prior to that. The Tigers now have that bullseye on its back and hits the road again in what is a very difficult spot. Memphis is 7-2 to start the season and while it is not ranked, it is close as its votes equates to a No. 30 ranking. The Tigers have succeeded by playing a brutal schedule as they have played only two home games and those were against bad teams but they have faced a schedule ranked No. 9 as all seven opponents away from home are all quality teams. Memphis has not played a game at home in a month so this place will be highly energized. 10* (634) Memphis Tigers

This is a play on the SANTA CLARA BRONCOS for our CBB Underdog Game of the Month. Santa Clara came through on Wednesday against Utah St. although it still lost outright for its third straight loss. This is the first game of a quadruple-header in Phoenix so while listed as the road team, the Broncos are not. This is their fourth game this season against the Pac 12 and they have gone 2-1 with wins over Stanford and Oregon so there is no intimidation here. This is a great shooting and scoring team and certainly a live dog which was similar to that Utah St. game as this is a revenge game from last season as the Broncos lost by 13 points in Pullman in the opening round of the NIT. Washington St. is off to an 8-1 start which includes six straight wins, the last five coming at home where it was favored by at least 12.5 points in each game. The Cougars have split their two neutral site games, winning against Rhode Island and losing against Mississippi St. and are away from home for the first time in nearly one month. The 8-1 record is nice but it has come against a schedule ranked No. 342 and they are pegged to finish tenth in the Pac 12. 10* (613) Santa Clara Broncos

This is a play on the MICHIGAN ST. SPARTANS for our CBB False Favorite. If ever there was a get right game for Michigan St., this is the one. The Spartans came into the season ranked No. 4 in the AP Preseason Poll but are now not even receiving votes after starting 4-5 which includes a 0-2 start in the Big Ten Conference so there is a lot of work to be done. This is not a true home game but it is being played in Detroit so the crowd will be in their favor and while it is still relatively early, Michigan St. needs a quality win as it has played a schedule ranked No. 43 and sans of a big quality win. The Spartans defense has been excellent which will be a tough matchup for Baylor and while their offense has stumbled, they have a good matchup on this side here as well. Baylor has made a big move from the start of the season as it is up to No. 9 in the AP Poll after a 9-0 start. The Bears are 5-0-1 ATS over their last six games but the schedule has been far from grueling as it is ranked No. 254 and six of eight lines games have seen them laying double digits. While not a true road game, this is the closest they have come to one. 10* (626) Michigan St. Spartans

This is a play on the INDIANA HOOSIERS for our CBB Star Attraction. We played against Indiana last Saturday as it went to Atlanta and got housed by Auburn by 28 points which was its second blowout loss against a quality opponent, the first against Connecticut by 20 points. Both of those were on a neutral floor where the Hoosiers are now 2-2 and they return to Assembly Hall where they are 4-0 which includes a 12-point win over Maryland. Some can question which Indiana team shows up and there is every reason to believe it is the good one considering the opponent and venue. Last season, Indiana suffered two losses by 22 points and one of those was at Kansas nearly a year ago to the day and that is a game they certainly have not forgotten. Kansas is 9-1 with the lone loss coming against Marquette in Hawaii and while it has played basically the same ranked schedule as Indiana, the Jayhawks have proved to win the big game but it is hard to look past single digit wins at home against Eastern Illinois and Missouri. This is the first true road game for Kansas and comes in one of the toughest environments. 10* (610) Indiana Hoosiers

This is a play on the IUPUI JAGUARS for our CBB Afternoon Dominator. IUPUI opened the season 2-0 but has gone 1-8 since then with the lone win coming against non-Division 1 Cleary University and the Jaguars have gone 0-8 ATS in their eight lined games besides that one during this recent eight-game stretch. They are coming off a horrible 36-point loss at Minnesota as they allowed the Gophers to shoot 62 percent from the floor including 50 percent from long range but now they return home against an equally ranked opponent to kick off a four-game homestand and this is a great bounce back opportunity. Lindenwood snapped a three-game losing streak with a win over non-Division 1 Avila and it is back on the road for the first time in two weeks. The Lions are 0-4 on the road with three blowouts against Nebraska, Iowa St. and Air Force so while they have been tested, they were not even close to competitive which included a 55-point loss to the Cyclones. After opening 0-3 ATS, the Lions have covered four of their last five and we are getting value with that on top of the Jaguars winless run. 10* (606) IUPUI Jaguars

This is a play on the SAN DIEGO TERREROS for our CBB Late Powerhouse. San Diego opened the season 2-0 before a six-point loss at rival UC San Deigo. The Terreros then won three straight games including a 14-point win over Arkansas St. in the first game at the Acrisure Invitational in Palm Springs but then lost the next day against Hawaii, the start of a recent 1-3 skid. The other two losses were against Stanford and Utah St., both on the road, and San Diego returned home last Saturday and upset Arizona St. That was just as much of a play against the Sun Devils which were playing their first true road game and had a revenge game against TCU on deck. The Terreros are in another good spot staying at home where they are 6-0 and working with a good amount of rest. Portland St. is off to a surprising 8-2 start but three of those wins have been against non-Division 1 teams so the record is slightly inflated. What is not inflated is the fact the Vikings are a solid 3-1 on the road and that is actually helping us with this line as this is not sustainable. They are a perfect 4-0 ATS in those road games but were underdogs by at least five points in those games and while that might show this is an easier matchup since they are favored, they are falsely favored. 10* (892) San Diego Terreros

This is a play on the NEW MEXICO ST. AGGIES for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. This is second meeting this season between these two rivals and New Mexico St. will be out for some short-term revenge. New Mexico won the first meeting just under two weeks ago by 44 points as it shot 60 percent from the floor including 56 percent from long range while the Aggies managed just 40 percent shooting from the floor and 17 percent from behind the arc. The Lobos closed as 17.5-point favorites and are now nearly laying the same amount on the road and no one will be taking New Mexico St. here based on that first meeting. The Aggies are coming off a win against non-Division 1 Northern New Mexico which came 10 days after that and it was a needed confidence boost as they moved to 5-6 with playing the No. 21 ranked schedule in the country. All six losses have come away from home against some rugged opposition so there have been blowouts but the Aggies are 5-0 at home and will be amped up as will the crowd on a Friday night. New Mexico is a legit contender in the MWC as it is 9-1 while covering seven straight games which is another situational angle to play against them. 10* (888) New Mexico St. Aggies

This is a play on the JACKSONVILLE ST. GAMECOCKS for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. One look at the total of this game tells us where we need to go. It is set at 125 which forecasts this to be a game played at a snails pace and that typically favors the underdog let alone an underdog getting a number this big. Jacksonville St. is 3-6 and while that record is obviously not ideal, it has been a run of close losses with five of the six defeats coming by a combined 13 points and the other loss at West Virginia by 13 points. They play at a slow pace as they are No. 316 in scoring and No. 13 in points allowed so they will be going for another grind it out game. While the competition has not been on the same level as Wisconsin, the Badgers are not completely as slow but very similar as they are No. 224 in scoring and No. 80 in points allowed. Wisconsin is coming off a 25-point loss at Arizona so while it will be in bounce back mode, this is not a number it should be laying in this type of matchup. While the Badgers covered a big number of 27 against Western Illinois, the Leathernecks are No. 303 in adjusted efficiency margin. The other game where they were favored by at least 20 points was against Robert Morris and they won that by only 10 points with the Colonials No. 291 in adjusted efficiency margin. Jacksonville St. comes in at No. 215. 10* (877) Jacksonville St. Gamecocks

This is a play on the SANTA CLARA BRONCOS for our CBB Late Powerhouse. Santa Clara does not have the team to make a run at Gonzaga or St. Mary's in the West Coast Conference, no other teams rarely do, but another top four finish is expected. The Broncos are off to a 7-3 start but have lost two straight games so they will be ready to get past that. They own solid wins over Stanford and Oregon and bring in a perfect 5-0 record at home. This is a great shooting and scoring team and certainly a live dog while this is a revenge game from last season as the Broncos lost by 22 points, which was their first loss of the season and their biggest loss the entire season. Utah St. is 9-1 and has won eight straight games since suffering its only loss at Bradley. The Aggies have been winning in impressive fashion but have played only two true road games and besides the Bradley game, they played at St. Louis, which is ranked well behind Santa Clara, by just five points. They have covered five of their last six games which is also playing into the number and they are just an overvalued team at this point with their best win being Akron. 10* (642) Santa Clara Broncos

This is a play on the UNLV RUNNIN' REBELS for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. Creighton came into the season after making a run to the Elite Eight last season while coming off its eighth straight 20-win season. The Bluejays entered the season No. 8 in the AP Poll which is where they currently reside after starting 7-1 while going 6-2 against the number. They have not played a tough schedule and while the opposition tonight is certainly not great, it is a sneaky tough spot as they have Alabama on deck before opening Big East Conference action a week from tomorrow. This is too many points to be laying on the road. This is not a true road game for UNLV but it is being played in Henderson which will be its second straight game here so it is used to the surroundings. The Rebels are 3-4 overall and catching a huge number based on playing a top ten team and the fact they have gone winless against the number in their last four games. UNLV has shot the ball well which is good enough to keep it close and it has the athletes and the best newcomer in the conference in D.J. Thomas Jr. to put a scare into Creighton. 10* (640) UNLV Runnin' Rebels

This is a play on the LITTLE ROCK TROJANS for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. UTSA is off to a 5-4 start but do not let that winning record fool you. The Roadrunners have defeated no team of significance and their No. 352 ranked schedule backs that up so the fact they have gotten half way to their wins total from last season does not mean much. UTSA is -10.78 in adjusted efficiency margin which is No. 299 in the country. Their only road win came at Houston Christian which is No. 355 in adjusted efficiency margin and that was just by two points. It is no surprise that UTSA is picked to finish last in its first season in the AAC. Little Rock opened the season 1-4 before winning three straight games before losing its last two games including a 17-point loss at home against a good Winthrop team. The Trojans went 10-21 last season and finished second to last in the Ohio Valley Conference but are expected to make a move up with a very balanced team that has five double-digit scorers. This is a good get right spot at home where the Trojans are 4-2, the other loss coming against Northern Illinois, with a shorter than expected number based on the power numbers. 10* (630) Little Rock Trojans

This is a play on the IUPUI JAGUARS for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. Minnesota is coming off a pair of wins including a victory over Nebraska to even its record at 1-1 in the Big Ten Conference where it has been picked to finish dead last again. The Gophers are 7-3 in their 10 games on a schedule that is ranked No. 328 in the country so it has been favorable and they are getting another very winnable game here. Minnesota is 9-1 against the number which is the second best ATS record in the nation behind Arizona at 8-0 ATS and that is inflating the line here. IUPUI opened the season 2-0 but has gone 1-7 since then with the lone win coming against non-Division 1 Cleary University and the Jaguars have gone 0-7 ATS in their seven lined games besides that one during this recent eight-game stretch. That is also helping to inflate this number as is the fact all four road losses have been by at least 13 points. Minnesota has not been favored by 20 points since December 2020 which shows the unwarranted boost in this line. 10* (613) IUPUI Jaguars

This is a play on the GEORGIA SOUTHERN EAGLES for our CBB Letdown Dominator. We won with Tennessee on Saturday thanks to some late free throws which equated to a big win over Illinois and now it is in letdown mode and a game it could care less about. The Volunteers are now 6-3 which is a very solid 6-3 with the three losses coming against Purdue, Kansas and North Carolina and overall, they have played the No. 5 schedule in the country. There is no question they are the dominant team here but there is a ton of value with the likelihood of not getting close to this number by taking it off the gas with the normal rotation not playing as much and with a game against NC State on deck. Georgia Southern could not be off to a worst start as it is 0-9, one of only five winless teams in the country. Adding to the value here is the fact the Eagles have not covered a game this season, going 0-9 ATS, the only team in the nation not to have covered a single game. The schedule has been tough with only one home game and while they will not win, the first cover finally comes about. 10* (605) Georgia Southern Eagles

This is a play on the SETON HALL PIRATES for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. This is a great get right spot for Seton Hall. The Pirates opened the season 4-0 with a weak schedule but that ramped up and they have dropped four of their last five games. This includes two straight at home against Rutgers at home and on the road at Baylor and the other two losses during this stretch were on the road against USC and Iowa so it has not been easy. Seton Hall is 0-5 ATS in these recent five games which is adding some value to the number against a team they defeated by 27 points last season. Monmouth is also 5-4 to start the season but not a very impressive 5-4 considering it has a -4.65 adjusted efficiency margin which is No. 254 in the country. The Hawks are coming off a win over NJIT which followed a pair of losses and going back, they are 5-1 ATS in their last six games and 6-2-1 ATS on the season. While they have four starters returning, they are back from a 26-loss team and considering they are No. 35 in the country in Luck Rating, we need to see a lot more. 10* (602) Seton Hall Pirates

This is a play on the ROBERT MORRIS COLONIALS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Delaware remains on the road for its third straight game following a one point loss at Ohio and then pulling off the huge upset at Xavier by seven points as an 11.5-point underdog. The Blue Hens are now 6-3 on the season and are now 3-3 away from home overall and are in a tough spot coming off that Xavier win which has them feeling a little too good about themselves and it also has them overvalued. This is nothing more than a middle of the pack Coastal Athletic association team. Robert Morris has been slow out of the gate as it is now 2-7 which includes three straight losses, failing to cover any of those games. This includes a pair of conference losses against Northern Kentucky and Youngstown St. and then a loss at a very good Canisius team last time out. The Colonials return home where they are 2-2 and this feels like the get right game before the break for finals. This is a great situation where not only is the value coming from the opposition but also from their own recent play. 10* (884) Robert Morris Colonials

This is a play on the OKLAHOMA ST. COWBOYS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Oklahoma St. has gotten off to a rough start as it is 3-5 including losses in two straight games against Creighton and Southern Illinois. Two losses prior to that came against St. Bonaventure and Notre Dame by identical 66-64 scores in back-to-back games on a neutral floor at the Barclays Center. The Cowboys posses a strong backcourt and a balanced frontcourt after bringing in the No. 9 recruiting class in the country and those freshman are already getting valuable minutes. This is the get right game it needs coming off a five-day layoff and having a week off upcoming for finals. Tulsa is 5-2 following a home win over Loyola-Chicago and the Golden Hurricane improved to 5-0 at home. The two losses came in true road games and while this is a neutral court game, they have not been able to win away from home as they have lost 16 straight games away from Tulsa. They have played solid defense thus far but that comes with an asterisk as Tulsa has played a schedule ranked No. 356 out of 364 teams so the record and stats are skewed and this is easily its toughest opponent. 10* (862) Oklahoma St. Cowboys

This is a play on the COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON COUGARS for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. It has been a rugged start for Charleston as it is 4-4 which should be considered pretty solid considering the schedule it has played. The Cougars opened the season at TD Arena against Iona on November 6 and has not been home since, as they have traveled to Annapolis, Myrtle Beach, Conway, Kent and Boca Raton over a stretch of seven games and against quality opposition. The Cougars have faced the No. 45 ranked schedule in the country and will be jazzed to be back on their home floor for the start of a three-game homestand. Rhode Island has been inconsistent thus far as it opened the season with three wins and since then, it has alternated consecutive losses, consecutive wins and consecutive losses. The last two losses especially hurt as they came against Providence and Brown, their two local rivals so now hitting the road after those will make it difficult. At 5-4, the Rams are at least above .500 but it has come against a schedule ranked No. 227 as they were favored by at least 10 points in those first three wins and also playing a non-Division 1 team. 10* (838) College of Charleston Cougars

This is a play on the WASHINGTON HUSKIES for our CBB Star Attraction. Gonzaga is once again the favorite to win the West Coast Conference and it is off to a 7-1 start. The Bulldogs won two of three games at the Maui Invitational with the loss coming against Purdue and the one quality win coming against UCLA. This is not the same team we are used to as they lost three double-digit scorers from last season and while they are coming off three blowout wins, those were at home where they are 4-0 and this is the first true road game of the season for Gonzaga. Washington is off to a 5-3 start with the three losses coming against Nevada, San Diego St. and Colorado St., all of which were decided late and the last two coming on a neutral floor. The Huskies look to make a move up in the Pac 12 behind Keion Brooks, Jr. who is the best player on the floor tonight. Since this rivalry was renewed in 2015, Gonzaga has won all six meetings and this is the best opportunity for Washington to snatch a victory. 10* (744) Washington Huskies

This is a play on the SAN DIEGO TORREROS for our CBB Late Powerhouse. San Diego opened the season 2-0 before a six-point loss at rival UC San Deigo. The Terreros then won three straight games including a 14-point win over Arkansas St. in the first game at the Acrisure Invitational in Palm Springs but then lost the next day against Hawaii, the start of a recent 1-3 skid. The other two losses were against Stanford and Utah St., both on the road, and San Diego returns home where it is a perfect 5-0 and amped up for a major conference team coming in. The Terreros are on a 0-4 ATS run which is also adding value. Arizona St. has won four straight games to improve to 6-2 on the season. The two losses came on a neutral floor against Mississippi St. and BYU and it followed that defeat to the Cougars with a win over Vanderbilt in Las Vegas and the Sun Devils are now playing their first true road game. Making it worse, they have TCU on deck who knocked them out of the NCAA Tournament last season. 10* (740) San Diego Terreros

This is a play on the UTAH UTES for our CBB Upset Special. BYU is rolling big as it is off to an 8-0 start while covering all eight of those games. The Cougars have gone 5-0 at home while winning a pair of games in Las Vegas at the Vegas Showdown while also defeating Fresno St. at the Delta Center. They have an solid home win over San Diego St. but the Aztecs are not the same team as last season while wins over NC State and Arizona St. are not impressive. Overall, BYU has played a schedule ranked No. 295 out of 364 teams and now comes its first true road game in the Holy War no less. Utah is off to a 6-1 start with the only loss coming against No. 3 Houston in the Charleston Classic. The Utes are 3-0 on their home floor and while no one of note has come until now, this is one of the toughest venues for visitors and while coming off just a two-point win over Southern Utah, that was a clear lookahead. This is a triple revenge spot for Utah as well with all three losses coming by at least nine points. 10* (708) Utah Utes

This is a play on the SE MISSOURI ST. REDHAWKS for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. SE Missouri St. hits the road for the fifth time and as it has gone 0-4 thus far, the numbers are going to be going against them. The Redhawks are 3-6 to start the season after making the NCAA Tournament last season and are coming off a pair of confidence-building games against non-Division 1 opponents. They have played a tough schedule prior to the last two games and they come in with a 0-7 ATS record which is also adding to the value and face an opponent that might not be taking them too serious. Purdue-Fort Wayne is off to a terrific start at 9-1 which includes a 2-0 start in the Horizon League where it defeated Green Bay and Oakland. The Mastodons followed that up with a 13-point win against 2-8 Southern Indiana to make it four straight wins following their lone loss against San Francsico. The start is definitely a surprise after getting picked to finish No. 10 in the 11-team conference. Great spot here. 10* (713) SE Missouri St. Redhawks

This is a play on the XAVIER MUSKETEERS for our CBB Rivalry Rout. Cincinnati and Xavier square off in the latest edition of the Crosstown Shootout with the Musketeers looking to get things right. Xavier opened the season with a pair of blowout wins at home before going to Purdue and getting smacked. The Musketeers then headed to Las Vegas for the Continental Tire Main Event where it lost its opening game to Washington three points before blowing away St. Mary's. The Musketeers come into Saturday on a three-game losing streak, all at home, but all could have gone either way including a six-point loss to No. 3 Houston. Cincinnati comes in undefeated at 6-0 following a 37-point win over Florida Gulf Coast. Five of the six games have been at home with the only road game taking place at Howard and the Bearcats were lucky to escape with a five-point win in overtime. Cincinnati has lost four straight meetings in this series but Xavier is desperate and will set up yet again. 10* (700) Xavier Musketeers

This is a play on the CANISIUS GOLDEN GRIFFINS for our CBB Letdown Dominator. Pittsburgh had lost two straight games before heading to West Virginia for the Backyard Brawl on Wednesday and leaving with a resounding 17-point win over West Virgnia. That puts the Panthers in a massive letdown spot against a sneaky good team and they are now overvalued. Before the home losses against Missouri and Clemson, Pittsburgh won its first four home games against inferior opposition and it covered all of those as a double-digit favorite and while this could be considered another inferior opposition, it is not. Canisius opened the season with three straight road games where it went 1-2 with double-digit losses at Syracuse and Cleveland St. sandwiched around a solid win against a very experienced St. Bonaventure team. The Golden Griffins came home to defeat D'Youville and they then hit the road again to Quebec for the 2023 Northern Classic and pulled off a pair of upsets. They are 5-2 in their last seven games with the two losses coming by six points. 10* (693) Canisius Golden Griffins

This is a play on the CLEMSON TIGERS for our CBB Nonconference GOM. We played on Clemson on Wednesday and while it defeated rival South Carolina, it failed to cover with a five-point victory after overcoming an 11-point second half deficit. The Tigers improved to 8-0 on the season and they cracked into the top 25 following impressive road wins over Alabama and Pittsburgh to move into the rankings. While a win over the Gamecocks could provide a letdown, that is unlikely here against an undefeated opponent and because of that and the neutral court, there is line value. TCU opened the season with six straight home games against nobody as it was favored by at least 26.5 points in all of those games. The Horned Frogs finally headed on the road to face a bad Georgetown team and they won it on a three-point bomb as time expired but it never should have been a win as the shooter stepped out of bounds. Officials explained that they cannot review an out-of-bounds call that wasn't made live so they got away with it. 10* (664) Clemson Tigers

This is a play on the ST. LOUIS BILLIKENS for our CBB False Favorite. The Billikens opened the season 4-0 which includes a solid win against Wyoming in the opening round of the Myrtle Beach Invitational but things have gone south since then. They lost the next two games in South Carolina to Vermont and Wichita St. by double digits and they have gone 1-3 since then including three straight losses. The lone win came against Dartmouth at home by one point so that was far from a convincing victory. St. Louis is 3-1 at home overall with a five-point loss against a solid Utah St. team being the most recent. Hofstra opened the season with an expected blowout of St. Joseph's (LI) before losing its next two games against Princeton and George Washington by seven and 11 points respectively. The Pride have gone 5-0 since then and have missed out on a 5-0 ATS run by just a half-point. The recent run could turn into some lethargic play but the big thing is that Hofstra is at Duke on Tuesday which is a no doubt lookahead. 10* (656) St. Louis Billikens

This is a play on the AUBURN TIGERS for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. We played against Indiana last time out and it ended up going into Michigan and winning by three points to open 2-0 in the Big Ten Conference. The Hoosiers are 7-1 overall including a 3-0 ATS run with the loss coming against Connecticut by 20 points and only other road game resulted in an eight-point win at a very bad Louisville team. While this is a neutral site game, it is in Atlanta so while the Hoosier fans travel well, this will be a partisan Auburn crowd for sure. The Hoosiers have Kansas on deck. Auburn opened the season with a loss against Baylor that took place in Sioux Falls before running off five straight wins, three coming at home including a rout of Virginia Tech. The Tigers followed that game up with a trip to Appalachian St. last Sunday that resulted in a last minute loss. It can be chalked up to a bad shooting day as Auburn went 3-28 (11 percent) from behind the arc. They get it back here. 10* (638) Auburn Tigers

This is a play on the LSU TIGERS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Kansas St. did it again as it hit a three-pointer with 3.9 seconds left in overtime to beat Villanova by one point. That was the third straight win in overtime for the Wildcats which are now 4-0 on the season in overtime and 9-0 in their last nine overtime games going back to last season. Kansas St. is 7-2 overall with the two losses coming against Miami in the Bahamas and against USC in Las Vegas so this is their first true road game of the season. LSU is off to a lethargic 4-3 start that includes a neutral site loss to Wake Forest and a road blowout loss to Syracuse. The Tigers are 3-1 at home with the lone defeat being a horrible one to Nicholls St. as a 19-point favorite. LSU brings in 0-3 and 1-5 ATS runs which is giving it value along with the skewed Kansas St. start that could be reversed. This is a revenge game for LSU which lost to Kansas St. in the Cayman Islands Classic Championship in the final seconds. 10* (624) LSU Tigers

This is a play on the WESTERN MICHIGAN BRONCOS for our CBB Afternoon Dominator. After opening the season 0-2, Youngstown St. has gone 6-1 over its last seven games with includes a pair of wins over Cleveland St. and Robert Morris to open 2-0 in the Horizon League and then backed that up with a six-point win at Ohio as an 8.5-point underdog. The only loss over this stretch was at Dayton where the Penguins kept it somewhat close and they now come in on a 5-0 ATS run which has them overvalued in a game they could easily look past. Western Michigan opened the season 0-4 starting with two tough home losses by a combined 11 points and then a pair of road Big Ten losses where it covered both. The Broncos then won a pair of neutral site games in Florida to capture the Emerald Coast Classic before a bad loss to St. Thomas at home but that can be chalked up to a lookahead to Notre Dame three days later which they got blasted. Now they are back home with value to break their 0-3 home mark. 10* (618) Western Michigan Broncos

This is a play on the TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS for our CBB Early Blowout. After suffering a loss at home to Marquette, Illinois has won five straight games including a win at Rutgers to open Big Ten Conference action and then a nine-point win over Florida Atlantic at MSG in its two most recent games. While the opponent here is another strong one, those games could provide some letdown. After opening the season 0-4 ATS, the Illini have covered four straight, adding value to the other side. Tennessee is off to a disappointing 5-3 start but one look at the schedule shows why. The Volunteers played in the Maui Invitational and after defeating Syracuse in the first round, they drew Purdue and Kansas in the next two rounds and while losing both, they were within reach late in the second half. Tennessee then had to travel to North Carolina which resulted in another late loss where it came back from a huge deficit. They own a quality win over Wisconsin and this would add another one. 10* (610) Tennessee Volunteers

This is a play on the JACKSONVILLE ST. GAMECOCKS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Jacksonville St. is entering its first season in Conference USA following playing the Atlantic Sun. The Gamecocks are pegged for a last place finish in the conference but a lot of that is based on the unknown as this is a talented team that should hold its own. They are off to a 4-5 start but four of those losses have come by a combined seven points including two at home by two points each. Jacksonville St. is coming off one of those losses against East Tennessee St. in its last game so it wants to get that back before heading to Wisconsin in its next game next week. This is a revenge game for Jacksonville St. which lost by seven points at Illinois-Chicago. The Flames are 5-3 and have lost two straight games including a home loss against Illinois St. by five points as a 5.5-point favorite. Illinois-Chicago opened the season 6-0 ATS prior to that last defeat so it will again be a popular play based on that. The Flames are coming off a miserable season last year where they went 12-20 including a 4-16 record in the Missouri Valley Conference and they are expected another bottom half finish, losing their top two scorers. 10* (888) Jacksonville St. Gamecocks

This is a play on the NORTH DAKOTA ST. BISON for our CBB Signature Enforcer. North Dakota St. is looking to break out this season as it is the most experienced team in the Summit League and it has come so close to NCAA Tournament success as it made it in 2018-19 but even though it made it to the conference tournament championship game the last four years, it came up short all four times. The Bison have four starters back and seven of its top eight scorers from last season and while it is off to a 5-4 start, all four losses were away from home with three coming against really good teams. They are back home where they are 3-0 this season, have won eight straight and are 11-2 in their last 13 home games. Portland is also 5-4 to start the season and comes in a short dog despite a 0-2 start on the road. The Pilots are rebuilding a new team behind the top player from last season Tyler Robertson, one of only five returning players so the road struggles are anticipated. The offense has been solid as a whole but the defense is one of the worst as they are No. 319 in points allowed and No. 341 in opponents shooting percentage from behind the arc. That is a big issue in this matchup with the Bison No. 44 in the country in three-point shooting. 10* (878) North Dakota St. Bison.

This is a play on the VANDERBILT COMMODORES for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Vanderbilt is coming off its first 20-win season since 2014-15 as it made a big run late in the season with a change in culture being a big part of that. The Commodores now have their most talented roster under head coach Jerry Stackhouse who is in his fifth season. They are 4-4 to start the season including a 4-1 record in their last five home games including a blowout win over Alabama A&M in its last game which snapped an overall three-game losing streak. San Francisco has built a very solid program with six 20-win seasons over the last seven with the COVID season being the lone exception. The Dons could reach that win total again but it will not be easy as their top three scorers from last season departed. They are off to a 5-3 start but has defeated no one of significance with a victory over Minnesota being the best of the bunch. They are 3-0 at home but just 2-3 away from home and head to a tough environment. Here, we play against road teams where the line is +3 to -3 after two or more consecutive unders with a +8 ppg or better scoring differential going up against teams with a +/- 3.5 ppg scoring differential. This situation is 150-88 ATS (63 percent) since 1997. 10* (710) Vanderbilt Commodores

This is a play on the CLEMSON TIGERS for our CBB Star Attraction. Clemson has cracked the top 25 after a 7-0 start and this is a team that will be contenders for a top four spot in the ACC. The Tigers are coming off impressive road wins over Alabama and Pittsburgh to move into the rankings and they are back home where they are 3-0 for their big rival. This is a revenge spot following a two-point loss at South Carolina last season. The offense is rolling as Clemson is No. 80 in scoring while shooting 48.2 percent which is No. 49 including 40.7 percent from range, good for No. 10. South Carolina is also 7-0 to start the season but it has been a much easier path as it has a pair of decent wins against Virginia Tech and Grand Canyon on a neutral floor. This is the Gamecocks first true road game of the season putting them in a very tough spot. They have played a schedule ranked No. 125, compared to Clemson which has played a slate ranked No. 19, so their numbers are skewed. Here, we play on home teams as a favorite or pickem after scoring 75 points or more in three straight games going up against an opponent after scoring 85 points or more. This situation is 128-74 ATS (63.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (718) Clemson Tigers

This is a play on the NORTHERN IOWA PANTHERS for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. It has been a disappointing start for Northern Iowa which is off to a 2-6 start that includes losses in five of its last six games. The Panthers had a tough season last year where they finished with losses in eight of their last nine regular season games which dropped them to 9-11 in the Missouri Valley Conference and then came a quick exit in the conference tournament. They are pegged to win the conference this season with four returning starters even though it is off to a 0-2 start and this is a big game to get things back on track. This is a revenge game for Northern Iowa which lost at Richmond last season by 13 points so this is a great spot for a get right game. Richmond took out William & Mary at home last time out to move to 5-3 on the season. The Spiders are now 4-0 at home but hits the road where they are 2-0 in true road games at Boston College and Wichita St. It was a rough season last year for them as well and it will be a lot tougher to bounce back with only one starter back and the Spiders are picked for a bottom half finish in the weak Atlantic Ten Conference. 10* (730) Northern Iowa Panthers

This is a play on the TOWSON TIGERS for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. Towson is coming off two straight 20-win seasons and is pegged for another top finish in the Coastal Athletic Association. The Tigers are off to a 3-5 start but the schedule has been a tough one as they opened the season with a pair of road games and have played four neutral games while hosting just two games. This is their only home game until December 22 so it has turned into a big one. The offense has left a lot to be desired but the defense has made up for it. Massachusetts is off to a 4-1 start so it has played a limited schedule thus far and this is the first time this season it has left campus and still laying points. The Minutemen had another rough season, its fifth straight of 15 wins or fewer and the prognosis does not look good for this season. They have just one starter back from last year and only three players who were in the rotation. Here, we play against road teams where the line is +3 to -3 allowing 40 percent shooting and after a game allowing 33 percent shooting or lower going up against teams allowing between 42.5 and 45 percent shooting. This situation is 31-8 ATS (79.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (680) Towson Tigers

This is a play on the MICHIGAN WOLVERINES for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. Indiana is off to a 6-1 start but is in a very tough spot here. The Hoosiers are coming off a win over Maryland in their Big Ten Conference opener which was their third straight victory which followed a 20-point loss against Connecticut, their only game against a real quality opponent away from home. While they have played three games away from home, this is their first true road game of the season and come in a banged up bunch as their backcourt is in shambles with four guards on the injury report. Michigan opens conference action following a pair of losses to Texas Tech and Oregon. The wolverines have lost four of their last five games and are back home for the first time since November 17 where they lost to Long Beach St. by eight points as a 15-point favorite. This is the get right game and catch the Hoosiers in a vulnerable spot with matchup advantages on the home side. Michigan will be out for revenge against their rival, losing both meetings last season by a combined three points. 10* (648) Michigan Wolverines

This is a play on the EVANSVILLE PURPLE ACES for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. BYU is coming off a 19-15 season including a 7-9 record in their final year in the WCC and now it enters the Big 12 are have been projected to be a middle of the pack team. The Cougars have four starters back and got an early jump on the season with an overseas trip to Italy and Croatia so their 7-0 start should not be overly shocking. This is a bad spot however and the markets have to catch up by laying a massive number based on their 7-0 record against the number. BYU has a big rivalry on deck as it heads to Utah on Saturday. Evansville got off to a 6-0 start before losing its Missouri Valley Conference opener at Missouri St. by 12 points but bounced back with a home win over Northern Iowa on Saturday. The Purple Aces have already surpassed their win total from all of last season and tied the win total from two seasons ago. They are expected to be a much improved team and the record already shows that as they have four starters back that includes two fifth year players and a senior along with a junior so they are experienced and this road environment will not affect them. 10* (655) Evansville Purple Aces

This is a play on the NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Indiana St. is coming off a pair of big Missouri Conference Valley wins to make it six straight victories and now hits the road again in a big letdown spot. The Sycamores have covered five of the six games and now laying points on the road coming off the big upset at Bradley. They are coming off a 23-win season and the start thus far is surprising after losing their top three scorers from last year. While their offense has been one of the best in the nation, the defense still has a lot to be desired and faces a sneaky good offense. Northern Illinois is off to a 5-2 start but coming off a 22-point loss at Northwestern last time out. However, that was 10 days ago and the Huskies have been fuming since then. This is a team that had a .500 season in the MAC last year and s projected for a top five finish with plenty of experience. They are still without Keshawn Williams whose return is expected soon but this has been a balanced team with four double-digit scorers that has been very efficient. Northern Illinois is No. 31 in the country in scoring and No. 37 in shooting. 10* (626) Northern Illinois Huskies

This is a play on the TOLEDO ROCKETS for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. George Mason is off to a 6-1 start including a 5-0 record at home with the split coming on a neutral floor against Charlotte and South Dakota St., the loss coming against the former. This is the Patriots first true road game for the Patriots which are coming off a 20-win season but are starting over with a new head coach and a roster that brings back only one starter. They have been favored in all seven games which shows how mediocre the competition has been and now they get a test. Toledo is coming off a great season where it just fell short of an NCAA Tournament berth as it went 27-8 including 16-2 in the MAC and while it has to replace a lot of parts, it will still be in contention. The Rockets opened the season 3-0 but dropped three games at the Ball Dawgs Classic in Nevada, all of which were competitive and could have gone either way and all against quality teams. Toledo is back home where it has won 10 straight games and is 40-4 in its last 44 home games and now laying a short price. 10* (680) Toledo Rockets

This is a play on the GEORGETOWN HOYAS for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. TCU is coming off a good season where it started strong but struggled down the stretch and could not make it out of the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Horned Frogs bring back two starters from last season and lost close to 50 percent of their scoring and their early 6-0 start this year is very deceiving. They have played one of the easiest schedules in the country as they have been favored by at least 27 points in all six games with all of those games taking place at home. Now, TCU is overvalued on the road based on what it has accomplished. Georgetown is certainly not a big threat to anyone as it is coming off two horrible seasons which led to the firing of head coach Patrick Ewing after 13 wins over the past two years. Ed Cooley brings in a new perspective and a winning pedigree and there is an upswing. The Hoyas are 5-2 with some unimpressive close wins but a winning attitude is what was needed and they are catching an overpriced number with a lot of that based on the past and the fact they are 3-0 against number in their last three games. 10* (668) Georgetown Hoyas

This is a play on the RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS for our Big 10 Game of the Month. Rutgers opened the season with a loss against Princeton but has won five straight games since then and host its Big Ten Conference opener before hitting the road for a pair of out of conference road games. The Scarlet Knights went 10-10 in the rugged conference last season and were snubbed by the NCAA selection committee and certainly have chip on the shoulder so this is a big one. This is one of the best home environments as the Scarlet Knights are 19-6 at home over the past two seasons. Illinois is ranked at 5-1 with the lone loss coming against an excellent Marquette team. The other five games have been against no one as the Illini were favored by 24 or more points in all of those games and they were all on their home floor. They hit the road for the first time this season as they are the only team in the conference not to have even played a neutral court game. They have a great offense but will be facing the best defense that have seen all season. 10* (650) Rutgers Scarlet Knights

This is a play on the FURMAN PALADINS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. We have gone against Princeton a few times earlier this season and it did not work out as the Tigers are off to a 7-0 start, feeding off their NCAA Tournament run from last season. The markets are catching up as they were laying their biggest number of the season last time out against Bucknell and while winning big, they still failed to cover. Now they are laying a big number against the best team they have seen with Duquesne being in the conversation and that was their closest game with just a three-point win. Furman shared the Southern Conference title last season with Samford and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and is loaded for another run. The Paladins lost two players to NBA futures but of the overall conference teams that lost 53 players to the transfer portal, they lost one. They have two preseason First Team players and the fact they have gone 0-5 against the number in their last five games is playing into this number as well the undefeated Princeton record. 10* (629) Furman Paladins

This is a play on the BRADLEY BRAVES for our MVC Game of the Month. We played against Bradley on Wednesday as it lost its first game of the season after a 6-0 start and the Braves return home following their second true road game of the season. Bradley is coming off a massive season a year ago where it went 25-10 including a 16-4 record in the Missouri Valley Conference to win the regular season title but lost in the tournament championship game which denied the Braves a trip to the NCAA Tournament. The last game was a spot play against the Braves and this is the recovery game. Indiana St. opened the season with a win over St. Mary's of the Woods (?) before losing to Alabama in its first road game and it has won five straight games since then. This includes a 29-point win on Wednesday over Southern Illinois at home in its Missouri Valley Conference opener and now comes the letdown from that. The Sycamores were right in the mix in the conference last season with a fifth place finish but have just two starters back that averaged only 17.7 ppg so a road opener in the Valley is a new experience for many of these players and a tough one against a prime contender. 10* (612) Bradley Braves

This is a play on the ROBERT MORRIS COLONIALS for our CBB Afternoon Dominator. Youngstown St. opened Horizon League play with a 25-point win over Cleveland St., a preseason contender to win the conference, and the Penguins are starting right where they left off. They won the regular season title last year at 15-5 but failed to get out of the conference tournament and now it is another rebuild. They came in inexperienced last season and made it work but now they have just one starter back and lost 11 players from last season. The Penguins are 0-3 on the road and the first conference road game is always a challenge, especially one being favored. Robert Morris has only one win over a Division 1 team this season but the schedule has been a challenge. The Colonials have played four road games, the first three coming against solid opponents where they were able to cover all of those and the last one at league contender Northern Kentucky where they were not competitive in an 18-point loss which sets up a great rebound spot. Robert Morris is experienced and has four double-digit scorers and is better than its 2-5 record indicates and that is the main reason it comes in as a dog. 10* (616) Robert Morris Colonials

This is a play on the KANSAS JAYHAWKS for our CBB Star Attraction. We played against Kansas on Tuesday as a small comp play knowing this game was coming up. The Jayhawks went through the motions as they won by only eight points as a 38.5-point favorite against Eastern Illinois and many will be fading them here based on that game. While Kansas lost badly against Marquette in its only defeat, it owns two very quality wins against Kentucky and Tennessee sandwiched around that and both of those were away from home. The Jayhawks are 3-0 here and while this is their toughest opponent by far, it is hard to ignore the fact they are 149-6 in nonconference games at Allen Fieldhouse under Bill Self. The reigning National Champions are off to a 7-0 start including impressive wins over Indiana and Texas but those were on a neutral floor and this is their first true road game of the season. The talent is here for another run but the Huskies lost so much from that team last season that will be hard to replace, especially in an environment like this. The big thing for Connecticut last season was that it lost only one nonconference game, going 18-1 in its 19 games outside the Big East Conference, but only one of those games was a true road game and that was at Florida which does not compare to this environment. 10* (878) Kansas Jayhawks

This is a play on the NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS for our CBB Elite Powerhouse. Northwestern is coming off one of its best seasons in program history as it went 12-8 in the Big Ten and its No. 2 finish was its highest in over 60 years and the rise has been impressive, going from 8 to 9 to 15 to 22 wins the last four seasons. The Wildcats are off to a 5-1 start and while this is the biggest test so far, the spot could not be better playing its conference opener at home on a Friday night so this environment will be electric. They are led by guard Boo Buie who is on the preseason All-Big Ten team and averaging 18.5 ppg, which is part of the third best backcourt in the conference, ahead of Purdue and that can make the difference again after Northwestern won here last season by six points. We have seen this script before for Purdue will all sorts of early season hype and while this season could be different, this is a tough spot. The Boilermakers won the Maui Invitational with three impressive wins over Marquette, Tennessee and Gonzaga but it was far from a tough environment and this is their first true road game of the season which is always a good fade when laying a big number. Purdue wants to get out with a win and it will be tougher than expected. 10* (876) Northwestern Wildcats

This is a play on the XAVIER MUSKETEERS for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. Xavier is in a similar position to where it was last season as it opened 4-3, where it is now, and then found its groove and won 13 of 14 games enroute to a 27-10 season and a Sweet 16 appearance. The Musketeers lost three starters from last season but have an excellent roster that will contend in the Big East Conference once again. Xavier lost a pair of games away from home against Purdue and Washington and it is coming off a bad loss against Oakland on Monday as a 15-point favorite and it certainly can be guilty of a lookahead to this one. Houston is off to a 7-0 start as it came into the season with high expectations following a 33-win season a year ago but also ended in a Sweet 16 loss. The Cougars, like Xavier, lost some key personnel including three double-digit scorers from the starting lineup including AAC Player of the Year Marcus Sasser. Houston has won every game by double digits but it has been favored in all but one game by double digits so basically has not played anyone of significance and this marks its first true road game of the season. The hype is there once again as the Cougars are ranked No. 6 but these are two similar rosters in transition and we will take the abundance of home points. 10* (846) Xavier Musketeers

This is a play on the COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON COUGARS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Liberty tipped off on Thursday against Florida Atlantic on the Owls home floor and we were hoping for the Flames to win to make this situation even better. This is a four-team event held in Boca Raton, part of the Field of 68 Tip-Off, and Liberty having to play the second of a back-to-back and laying a big number after being a big underdog on Thursday. The Flames opened 6-0 and 5-0 against the number in their first six games which included good wins against Furman and Wichita St. which were back-to-back but facing a team not on a back to back is a different scenario. Charleston opened the season 1-3 which is only one loss less than all of last season but the Cougars bounced back with a pair of wins in true road game against Coastal Carolina and Kent St., the latter coming by six points as a five-point underdog and they are back on track. They lost three starters from that team but are loaded with talent both up top and down low. They push the ball and rely on the three-point ball but bang the boards as the Cougars have been in the top 20 in offensive rebounding percentage the last four seasons and while not there yet, they are in the top 50 so far this year. 10* (844) College of Charleston Cougars

This is a play on the SE MISSOURI ST. REDHAWKS for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. SE Missouri St. hits the road for the fourth time and while it is catching its biggest underdog number, it is still ridiculously high. The Redhawks are 1-5 to start the season including a 0-6 ATS mark after making the NCAA Tournament last season. They have played a tough schedule but catch a low rated opponent here and one that might not be taking them too serious. They lost some great guards from that team and have two starters back which means it may take time but this is the first of five straight winnable games to turn their season around. UMKC is off to a 2-5 start but have lost five straight games as the two wins to open the season came against non-Division 1 teams which have been their only two home games in what of the worst home environments in the country based on location. The Kangaroos are coming off an 11-21 season and while three starters are back, they lost their two top scorers and are having trouble defending with scoring not making up for that. UMKC is home for just one game as it has a game at Kansas on deck so the focus here could be lacking with their biggest game of the season upcoming. 10* (753) SE Missouri St. Redhawks

This is a play on the HOFSTRA PRIDE for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Hofstra is coming off a tournament championship at the Gulf Coast Showcase winning three games in the three days to move the Pride to 4-2, losses coming against Princeton and on the road at George Washington. They return home for just their third home game and it is a big one with a three-game road trip upcoming including games at St. Louis and Duke. Hofstra shared the CAA regular season title with a 16-2 record and made it to the NIT second round and the Pride will be contenders again. The lost two-time CAA Player of the Year Aaron Estrada but bring back three starters led by Tyler Thomas who is averaging 25 ppg. South Florida is 2-2 to start the season with all four games being played at home and now hit the road for the first time up north. Two losses came as favorites so the Bulls have underachieved early on following a 14-18 season including a 7-11 record in the AAC. It is a rebuild in South Florida as the Bulls have a new head coach with Amir Abdur-Ramin and have just one starter back and only three players from the roster from last season. The talent looks to be there but chemistry is an early issue and now the first road game will be a test. 10* (742) Hofstra Pride

This is a play on the BUTLER BULLDOGS for our CBB Star Attraction. Texas Tech is off to a 5-1 start following a 2-1 record in the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament as it lost to Villanova by 16 points in the opener before beating Northern Iowa, which is the top team in the Missouri Valley Conference, and Michigan. The Red Raiders were a fringe NCAA Tournament team last season before losing their final three regular season games and dropping the opener in the Big 12 Tournament and now it is a fresh start with a new head coach in Grant McCasland, who won the NIT with North Texas. This is their first true road game of the season. Butler is 5-2 to start the season with losses to likely NCAA Tournament teams Michigan St. and Florida Atlantic, both away from home. The Bulldogs followed that up with impressive wins over Penn St. and Boise St. and they are back home where they are 3-0. Last season was a tough one as injuries killed them from the start and they never found continuity resulting in a 14-18 season including 6-14 in the Big East Conference. Head coach Thad Matta cleaned house with just one starter back but in his second season, this is now his team with his players and are in a good spot for another quality win. 10* (740) Butler Bulldogs

This is a play on the MONTANA GRIZZLIES for our CBB Late Powerhouse. Montana has opened the season 2-3 following a 35-point loss at Houston and is catching a big number tonight in a great spot. For comparison, the Grizzlies were getting 15 points at Oregon in their first road game and stayed within the number. They bring back a great roster and have been pegged to finish third in the Big Sky Conference with the best backcourt in the conference led by seventh-year guard Aanen Moody, a preseason player of the year candidate. Nevada is 4-0 with covers in all four games that included an impressive win at Washington but is still one of the worst teams in the Pac 12. The Wolf Pack made the NCAA Tournament as a First Four team but lost and they bring back three starters but are still a middle of the pack team in the Mountain West Conference. The Wolf Pack has a revenge game on deck at Loyola Marymount following a 12-point loss last season which was their fourth biggest defeat. Here, we play on road teams after a blowout loss by 20 points or more going up against an opponent after scoring 75 points or more in three straight games. This situation is 102-54 ATS (65.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (721) Montana Grizzlies

This is a play on the ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS for our CBB Star Attraction. Duke is one of the top teams in the country as it used a huge run late last season with a 10-game winning streak on its way to an ACC Tournament Championship before eventually falling in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils have been tested with games against Arizona and Michigan St. which resulted in a split and they come in riding a four-game winning streak. However, this is their first true road game of the season and not an easy place to go to. Arkansas is just 4-3 to start the season and it is coming off a 1-2 tournament record at the Battle 4 Atlantis with the losses coming against Memphis and North Carolina. The Razorbacks came into the season ranked No. 14 in the AP Poll but have fallen out and could use a big quality win. They opened the season with a blowout win over Alcorn St. and have gone 0-6 ATS since then which brings in great value. Arkansas is 38-7 in its last 45 home games since the COVID year and it will be lit tonight. Here, we play on road teams as an favorite or pickem with a winning percentage of .800 or better off a home no-cover where the team won straight up as a favorite, playing a team with a winning percentage between .501 and .600. This situation is 141-85 ATS (62.4 percent since 1997. 10* (718) Arkansas Razorbacks

This is a play on the MURRAY ST. RACERS for our CBB Conference Game of the Month. Bradley is coming off a massive season a year ago where it went 25-10 including a 16-4 record in the Missouri Valley Conference to win the regular season title but lost in the tournament championship game which denied the Braves a trip to the NCAA Tournament. They are 6-0 to start the season but it has been a very tame schedule with only one true road game to open the season. Bradley is 5-0-1 ATS which is playing into this number and open MVC action as a significant road favorite. Murray St. came into last season as a total rebuild yet put together an 11-9 record in their first season in the conference coming over from the OVC and the Racers are better equipped this year with a lot of experience and the best frontcourt in the Missouri Valley Conference. They opened the season 2-0 but have lost three straight games with two of those losses by a combined seven points and the other against a very strong Appalachian St. team. This is a huge game to turn it around before a three-game upcoming road trip. Here, we play against road favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points with a winning percentage of .800 or better playing a team with a winning percentage between .400 and .499. This situation is 59-23 ATS (72 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (698) Murray St. Racers

This is a play on the DETROIT TITANS for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. Oakland opened the season 1-3 with all three losses being as an underdog but has since won three straight games including a massive upset last time out at Xavier as a 15-point underdog. Now the Golden Grizzlies open conference play as an overvalued team based on that win and the fact they are 7-0 ATS which makes them a big public side tonight. They had a decent season in the Horizon League last year going 11-9 for a middle of the pack finish and bowed out in the tournament quarterfinals. Oakland is picked to finish middle of the pack again after losing some key contributors from last season. Detroit has started the season 0-6 with the schedule playing a big role in that. Five of its first six games have been on the road and most against some elite teams as the Titans were underdogs by 15.5, 24, 23 and 16.5 points in their first four games. One of those losses was a very strong effort in a one point defeat at Mississippi and their one home game resulted in a four-point loss to Eastern Michigan. They are now catching a big number at home and their own ATS record is playing into that as the Titans are 1-5 against the number. Great to keep this within reach. 10* (672) Detroit Titans

This is a play on the DUQUESNE DUKES for our CBB Signature Enforcer. UC Irvine lost its season opener at San Jose St. but has won six straight games including impressive wins over USC and Toledo. The victory over the Rockets was part of the Ball Dawgs Classic in Henderson, NV which it won five days ago and now finds itself in a horrible spot as it leaves the west coast for the first time this season and heads east for a stand alone travel spot. The Gauchos have Utah St. and San Diego St. on deck so the focus here will be tough to keep. Duquesne opened the season 3-0 before losing to a very solid Princeton team and is coming off a loss at Nebraska a week ago in its most recent game which was its first true road game of the season. The Dukes are coming off its second 20-win season in the last four years which was sandwiched around two seasons where they won a combined 15 games and they are sleeper team in the Atlantic Ten Conference this season. They have one of the best players in the conference with guard Dae Dae Grant who has the most returning points of any player in the A-10 and is averaging 20.2 ppg. He is part of a starting backcourt averaging a combined 48.8 ppg. Lay the short price here. 10* (660) Duquesne Dukes

This is a play on the MISSOURI TIGERS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Missouri also made it to the NCAA Tournament last year and was bounced by Princeton in the second round so it was a very successful season kind of out of nowhere. The Tigers bring back two starters and brought in the No. 27 ranked recruiting class so there is plenty of talent. They are aggressive on defense and can cause a Pittsburgh team to struggle, one that can score but is not a good shooting team. The Tigers are 5-2 and did win their only true road game at Minnesota but most importantly, they are 0-7 against the number which is inflating this number and they are a live dog here. The Panthers are 5-1 to start the season with a split against Florida and Oregon St. in the NIT Season Tip-Off. Pittsburgh is back home where it has played no one as it was favored by double digits in all four games so this is the biggest test. While it is part of the inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge, this is not the best of spots coming off the trip to NYC and with its ACC opener on deck against Clemson and then the Backyard Brawl against West Virginia. 10* (617) Missouri Tigers

This is a play on the GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. Georgia Tech is in its first season with Damon Stoudamire as head coach following a 15-18 season and the last five years under Josh Pastner were just not good enough. The Yellow Jackets brought back four starters from last season, although one of those is on the shelf until December, so there is plenty of experience and they have five starters that are averaging double digits. They are led by Miles Kelly who is averaging 21 ppg and is in the running for a First Team All ACC player. Georgia Tech is 2-2 with a loss last time out against Cincinnati on the road. Mississippi St. is off to a 6-0 start including three decent wins against Arizona St., Washington St. and Northwestern. The Bulldogs moved up to No. 21 in the latest AP Poll following a less than impressive win over Nichols St. and this is their first true road game of the season. They were the worst three-point shooting team in the country last season and are not much better this year so far and overall, they are No. 226 in shooting and No. 256 from behind the arc. Too many points to be laying away from home. 10* (608) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

This is a play on the EASTERN WASHINGTON EAGLES for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. Eastern Washington put together an incredible season although it did not end the way it wanted. The Eagles put together an 18-game winning streak that included wins in their first 16 Big sky Conference games but then they dropped their final two regular season games, which were meaningless as they already clinched the regular season championship. They lost two starters but still have a veteran group led by all-conference forward Etan Price and they bring in the newcomer of the year in transfer Jake Kyman. The early schedule has been brutal with four road losses against major conference teams and catching a similar number to all of those and this is the worst of the bunch. Washington St. is 4-1 including a 40-point win over Utah Tech but the Trailblazers are pegged to finish dead last in the WAC so that was a deceiving win. The Cougars made it to the NIT last season following an 11-9 record in the Pac 12 but they are expected a regression and while they have won all four games when laying points, they are playing their most experienced team in this role. Washington St. lost four starters and its top four scorers from last season and while it is 4-1, the overall schedule has been fairly tame in addition to that Utah Tech game. This is a revenge game for the Cougars from the NIT last season but it is too many points here. 10* (865) Eastern Washington Eagles

This is a play on the UC-SANTA BARBARA GAUCHOS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Fresno St. is 3-2 following a split in Cancun where it narrowly defeated New Mexico St. and got rolled by James Madison by 31 points. The Bulldogs other two wins came against Fresno Pacific and Morgan St. and now catch another tough opponent in what should not be in a favorite role. They finished 11-20 last season and lost four of their top seven scorers and have been picked to finish deal last in the 11-team Mountain West Conference. UC-Santa Barbara opened the season with a pair of losses against Portland St. and UTEP and both of those games should have been won. The Gauchos recovered to get wins over LeMoyne and Westmont which are far from quality wins but has them trending the right way. They are the preseason pick to win the Big West Conference after finishing tied for the regular season title last year. They have a great backcourt led by Big West Preseason Player of the Year Ajay Mitchell who missed those first two games but has averaged 18 ppg in the two games since. Here, we play on road teams where the line is +3 to -3 shooting 36.5 percent or better from long range and after a game where it made 60 percent of their shots or better going up against teams allowing 36.5 percent or higher from long range. This situation is 34-5 ATS (87.2 percent) since 1997. 10* (863) UC-Santa Barbara Gauchos

This is a play on the LONG BEACH ST. 49ERS for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. Montana St. has been one of the most successful programs in the Big Sky Conference the last couple years but this is a new era with not a lot to build on. The Bobcats won 52 games the last two seasons and made it to the NCAA Tournament but retained only four scholarship players from last season while bringing in a new head coach. They are off to a 3-2 start including an upset win at California but the Golden Bears are arguably the worst team in the Pac 12 and they remain home following a one point win over UC-Riverside and face a better Big West Conference team today. Long Beach St. had a middle of the pack season last year with a 17-16 record as a very inexperienced team but this is now a veteran group with five starters returning and 10 players overall. It has been a tough early season schedule as the 49ers are playing their eighth straight game away from home. They are coming off a 1-2 tournament in Florida which followed an eight-point win at Michigan. This is a great bounce back spot with the much better roster laying a short price. 10* (725) Long Beach St. 49ers

This is a play on the OLD DOMINION MONARCHS for our CBB Afternoon Dominator. Old Dominion is off to a 1-3 start with three straight losses coming into today, two on the road at Ball St. and Arkansas and then a home loss against Princeton. The Monarchs are coming off a solid 19-12 season despite going through numerous uphill battles mostly due to injury and so far, they remain healthy. They have the best player on the floor in Chaunce Jenkins, a junior point guard who led the team in scoring, assists and three-point shooting last year and he is averaging 17.3 ppg so far and he is in the running for SBC Player of the Year. Drexel is 3-2 and coming off a pair of double-digit wins and this is the start of a four-game roadtrip following a three-game homestand. The Dragons are coming off a 17-15 season and are looking to make a move up in the Coastal Athletic Association but winning on the road has been a challenge. They went 4-10 away from home last season and while their defense has been lethal during their three-game homestand by allowing 32 percent shooting, taking that on the road will be a challenge. 10* (714) Old Dominion Monarchs

This is a play on the CHARLOTTE 49ERS for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. Charlotte is a much more experienced team as it has three starters back from a team that went deep into the postseason by winning the CBI Tournament. The 49ers also have a new head coach but they promoted a top assistant and he was able to retain they key players that were expected to transfer out and he brought in a great recruiting class. Charlotte is coming off a loss to UCF by three points on a neutral floor and the other loss came against Liberty, a team that is favored to win Conference USA and the 49ers are back home where they are 2-0. Georgia St. is coming off a pair of wins over Little Rock to improve to 3-2. The Panthers are 2-1 on the road with both wins coming as the favorite and while they did cover their only game as an underdog, it was the opening game of the season against a rebuilding Belmont team where they still did end up losing. Georgia St. finished 10-21 last season that included only three SBC wins and it is projected to finish near the bottom again. The Panthers are more experienced but still very hard to be trusted on the road especially in this spot with the biggest number it has seen and that is telling. 10* (628) Charlotte 49ers

This is a play on the LITTLE ROCK TROJANS for our CBB False Favorite. Tulsa is off to a 4-0 start which is already just one win away from its win total from last season where it went 5-25 including a 1-17 record in the AAC. The Golden Hurricane had nowhere to go but up based on the disaster from last season but are still predicted to finish No. 12 in the 14-team conference and this is the first test. Tulsa lost all five starters and nine of its top ten scorers from last season which may not be a bad thing and the main goal was to shore up a horrible defense which it has done thus far. However, They have played no one with all four games at home and they were favored by double digits in all four games. Little Rock has seen opposite results as it is 1-4 to open the season which includes four straight losses and four straight non-covers. Three of those defeats were away from home with the last one coming in overtime in Little Rock and all of these followed a season opening win at home against Texas St. The Trojans are expected to make a move up in the OVC after a 10-21 season that was filled with brutal losses as 12 times it was a one-point game either way at the last media timeout and they lost all of them. False favorite. 10* (616) Little Rock Trojans

This is a play on the SE MISSOURI ST. REDHAWKS for our CBB Afternoon Dominator. Evansville is off to a 5-0 start and those five wins have already matched the win total all of last season. The Purple Aces are coming off an overtime win over UT-Chattanooga as 8.5-point underdogs yesterday so they are in a tough spot playing back-to-back days off an overtime game. Evansville clearly has improved from last season which was expected with four returning starters but it is still picked to finish 11th in the 12-team Missouri Valley Conference. SE Missouri St. will also be playing back-to-back games in this format in Chattanooga but this is the first game with the second taking place on Sunday. The Redhawks are 1-3 to start the season including a 0-4 ATS mark after making the NCAA Tournament last season. They lost some great guards from that team and have two starters back which means it may take time but coming off their first win and now in a great spot put them in a great position. This is an rare early nonconference revenge spot as SE Missouri St. already lost to Evansville by 19 points at home no less which was just 10 days ago and we are seeing a massive nine-point line swing. 10* (602) SE Missouri St. Redhawks

This is a play on the TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Texas Tech is off to a 4-1 start following a 1-1 split to open the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament as it lost to Villanova by 16 points in the opener before beating Northern Iowa, which is the top team in the Missouri Valley Conference, yesterday. The Red Raiders were a fringe NCAA Tournament team last season before losing their final three regular season games and dropping the opener in the Big 12 Tournament and now it is a fresh start with a new head coach in Grant McCasland, who won the NIT with North Texas and brings in a tenacious defense. Michigan lost to Memphis in the opener before beating Stanford by five points yesterday. The Wolverines opened the season 3-0 with three blowout wins but then lost against Long Beach St., falling by eight points as a 16-point favorite. That defeat was probably a more telling sign of this team that did not bring much back and is picked to finish 12th in the big 10. 10* (853) Texas Tech Red Raiders

This is a play on the USC TROJANS for our CBB Star Attraction. USC opened the season with a big win against Kansas St. as it came into the season ranked No. 21 in the preseason AP Poll and then rolled UC Santa Barbara before losing to UC Irvine but the Trojans were without two of their best players as Boogie Ellis and Kobe Johnson were out. They are back and USC is totally healthy now and that duo scored a combined 35 points yesterday in their eight-point win over Seton Hall and they are in good shape to take the tournament. Oklahoma opened the season 4-0 with four blowout wins at home over some bad competition and it opened the tournament with a nice win over Iowa, which looks to be in another down season. The Sooners are coming off a rough season a year ago as they finished with just 15 wins including a 5-13 record in the Big 12 and not much more is expected this season. The early 4-0 start has this team overvalued. 10* (861) USC Trojans

This is a play on the TOLEDO ROCKETS for our CBB Afternoon Dominator. The final round of the Ball Dawgs Classic from Henderson, NV takes place Friday with the first tip between Toledo and Indiana St. The Rockets are 0-2 through the first two games and the Sycamores are 2-0 but the teams had completely different draws. Toledo had to face New Mexico and UC Irvine, two teams that are expected to contend in the Mountain West Conference and Big West Conference respectively so the Rockets take a step down. Conversely, Indiana St. faces Rice and Pepperdine, two teams that are predicted to finish near the bottom of the AAC and WCC respectively so the Sycamores take a step up. Indiana St. came to Nevada 2-1 with both wins at home against garbage teams while toledo came in 3-0 that included a very impressive win on the road at Wright St. Wrong team favored. 10* (801) Toledo Rockets

This is a play on the BOISE ST. BRONCOS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Boise St. has made the NCAA Tournament each of the last two seasons and will be going for a third consecutive trip which should not be an issue. The Broncos are one of the most experienced teams in the country coming off 51 wins the last two seasons and they have three potential All-MWC Players with the best frontcourt in the conference. Boise St. is off to a 2-1 start with the most recent game resulting in a 17-point loss at Clemson and we can chalk that up to an aberration as the Broncos could not buy a bucket in the second half while Clemson ended up making 51 percent of its shots and now it gets a second chance against another ACC school, one that is not close to that of the Tigers. Virginia Tech is 3-1 to start the season with wins over teams where it was favored by at least 18 points with its one loss coming against South Carolina, a team pegged to finish last in the SEC. The Hokies have three starters back but this team is nothing special as they are picked as a bottom half ACC team. Basically, they should not be favored here. 10* (775) Boise St. Broncos

This is a play on the TEXAS A&M AGGIES for our CBB Afternoon Dominator. Penn St. had a magical run last season as it nearly won the Big 10 Tournament, losing by a bucket to Purdue, then defeated Texas A&M in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Texas by five points. The Nittany Lions are now starting over as they brought back only four players while losing 95 percent of their scoring to go along with a new head coach. They are 4-0 but have played no one as they were favored by at least 13 points in all of those games. Texas A&M is also 4-0 with impressive wins at Ohio St. and SMU and the Aggies are primed for another run after winning 25 games last season. They have four starters back and are currently ranked No. 12 and certainly in the mix in the SEC. They have had this game circled and get their revenge today. Here, we play on favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .800 from last season, with three or more starters returning from last year than opponent. This situation is 36-12 ATS (75 percent) since 1997. 10* (770) Texas A&M Aggies

This is a play on the SMU MUSTANGS for our CBB Star Attraction. SMU is undervalued here with a lot of that based on what transpired last season but the 10-22 record does not tell the whole story. The Mustangs lost seven games by one possession and of those 22 losses, 15 were by five points or less so things could have been a lot better. They were coming off a 24-win season in the previous year but lost a ton of talent including point guard Kendrick Davis who transferred to Memphis and averaged 22.1 ppg. SMU was forced to plug the point but are much better off this season with plenty of backcourt experience. The Mustangs are already 4-1 including a big win at West Virginia last time out. Wisconsin opened the season 1-2 with two double-digit losses against Tennessee and Providence but has since won two straight games including a home upset over Virginia in its last game by 24 points and that is also affecting this line. This is a very experienced team that is expected to make a move up in the Big Ten after going 20-15 including 9-11 in the conference. That being said, this is a slow down team as usual making points a premium and SMU can score and has its own solid defense as well. 10* (747) SMU Mustangs

This is a play on the GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. Cincinnati is off to a 4-0 start with the four wins all coming against mid-majors and now have its biggest test of the season Wednesday. The Bearcats had a great season in their last in the AAC as they went 23-13 and made a run in the NIT. They lost a lot from that team as four of the top five scorers departed as did five of the last seven players in minutes played. They were hoping to have a pair of big time transfers get onto the court right away but 7’0 Aziz Bandaogo and 6’10 Jamille Reynolds were not granted waivers and have to sit out the season. Georgia Tech is in its first season with Damon Stoudamire as head coach following a 15-18 season and the last five years under Josh Pastner were just not good enough. The Yellow Jackets brought back four starters from last season, although one of those is on the shelf until December, so there is plenty of experience and they have five starters that are averaging double digits. They are led by Miles Kelly who is averaging 21 ppg and is in the running for a First Team All ACC player. Georgia Tech is 2-1 with a loss last time out against a very good UMass-Lowell team and are in bounce back mode but more of our concern, it is getting a big number. 10* (687) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

This is a play on the OLD DOMINION MONARCHS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Princeton was one of many Cinderella stories last season as it made it to the Sweet 16 as a No. 15 seed after defeating Arizona and Missouri before eventually losing to Creighton. The Tigers are expected to be a top half team in the Ivy League again but they lost a ton as they have to replace three key seniors in Tosan Evbuomwan, Ryan Langborg and Keeyshawn Kellman which contributed a combined 36 ppg last season. They are off to a 4-0 start, both straight up and against the number and that is affecting this number. There has been a lot of travel with this being the fifth destination in five games with their first home game of the season coming up. Old Dominion is off to a 1-2 start with two straight losses coming into today, both on the road at Ball St. and Arkansas. The Monarchs are coming off a solid 19-12 season despite going through numerous uphill battles mostly due to injury and so far, they remain healthy. They have the best player on the floor in Chaunce Jenkins, a junior point guard who led the team in scoring, assists and three-point shooting last year and he is averaging 19 ppg so far and he is in the running for SBC Player of the Year. 10* (680) Old Dominion Monarchs

This is a play on the MURRAY ST. RACERS for our CBB Afternoon Dominator. This is a great early spot play for Murray St. Appalachian St. played yesterday and rolled over UNC Wilmington by 30 points but it was in the good spot there as the Seahawks were coming off win the previous day in overtime against the Racers in the first game of the Fort Myers Tip-Off. Now it is the Mountaineers playing in a back-to-back spot and playing early in the afternoon no less. That win snapped a two-game losing streak where they lost at Illinois St. and Oregon St. by double digits, two teams to finish in the bottom half of their respective conferences. Murray St. let that game against UNC Wilmington get away as it has a 10-point lead in the second half and led by seven points with 2:06 remaining but lost the lead and the game was sent into overtime on a controversial foul with 1.6 seconds left. That bad taste in their mouths will provide plenty of motivation for the Racers whose defense will improve. Here, we play on teams shooting 36.5 percent or better from three going up against a team shooting 32 percent or worse from three, after 3 straight games - allowing a shooting percentage of 47 percent or higher. This situation is 39-12 ATS (76.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (672) Murray St. Racers

This is a play on the SOUTHERN ILLINOIS SALUKIS for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. Southern Illinois is off to a 3-0 start with wins against Kentucky St., Queens, and Chicago St. and while this is obviously their toughest opponent, the Salukis are a live dog here. While they lost their top two scorers from last season, thee starters are back from a team that went 23-10 and finished tied for third in Missouri Valley Conference. James Madison is off to a 4-0 start and has moved up to No. 22 in the AP Poll. The Dukes opened the season with the big upset over Michigan St. and most recently snuck by Radford at home by three points. This is a buy low, sell high spot and have a tough matchup here against a long and athletic team. The offense has been potent but the defense has been an issues as they are No. 349 in points allowed while their 43.4 percent shooting percentage allowed in No. 229. Here, we play against neutral court teams that has a winning percentage between .600 and .800 last season off a home win by three points or less, playing a team that had a winning record. This situation is 28-7 ATS (80 percent) since 1997. 10* (660) Southern Illinois Salukis

This is a play on the AKRON ZIPS for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. Akron is off to a 4-0 start following a win over Florida International last night and is in another good spot here. Akron is the preseason pick to win the MAC and for good reason. The Zips finished 13-5 in the conference last season behind Toledo and Kent St. and have arguably the two best players in the MAC. Center Enrique Freeman is the Preseason Player of the Year after two straight seasons averaging a double-double and the Zips leading scorer from two years ago, Ali Ali, is back after going to Butler for a season. Overall, the Zips have six players that are playing in their fifth year so this is one of the most experienced teams in the country. Utah St. rolled over Marshall by 23 points yesterday which was a big win after an uneven start to the season. The Aggies are one of the most inexperienced teams in the country as it lost 100 percent of its scoring from last season so facing an experienced team here is not ideal. The Aggies are picked No. 7 in the MWC after a tie for second last season and not in the spot here. 10* (841) Akron Zips

This is a play on the ST. MARY'S GAELS for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. Xavier made a run to the Sweet 16 last season and ended up finishing the season 27-10 and led the Big East in every offensive category but the Musketeers lost the majority of that production with three departed starters that averaged a combined 45.6 ppg. Only four players from last season are on the roster and making matters worse, the two returning starters who were going to lead the offense are out for the season as Jerome Hunter and Zach Freemantle are done. Xavier has to rely on a brand new roster and the offense is hurting as it is ranked No. 206 in scoring and No. 170 in shooting and even more concerning is its free throw shooting that comes in No. 256. St. Mary's is also coming off a great season where it went 27-8 but it is in much better shape as three starters are back. The Gaels opened the season 2-0 but have dropped their last two games with total meltdowns in the second half. They lost to Weber St. after blowing a 16-point lead and in their last game against San Diego St., they trailed by just one point at halftime before getting outscored 45-21 in the second half. This is the get right game they need before heading back home. 10* (735) St. Mary's Gaels