Sports Picks & Predictions

This is a play on the MISSISSIPPI ST. BULLDOGS as part of our CBB Tuesday Three Pack. After opening the season 11-0, Mississippi St. has dropped its last two games including a loss to Alabama last week in its conference opener. The Bulldogs hit the road where they are 1-0 and are catching a massive number which is significant here based on this matchup. These are two of the best defenses in the country squaring off and this game has the lowest total of any game on the Tuesday schedule so a low scoring game greatly gives the big underdog an advantage. Mississippi St. is 6-0 ATS in its last six games after two or more consecutive losses. Tennessee opened SEC action with a four-point win at Mississippi last week to make it two straight wins to improve to 11-2 on the season. The Volunteers are 6-0 at home and have completely dominated here by outscoring opponents by 37.4 ppg but have not even been close to tested by a quality opponent. They have the best shooting defense in the country and by an even bigger margin in those home games and while the Bulldogs are no offensive juggernaut, this is the best they have seen. Here, we play on road underdogs of 10 to 19.5 points after being beaten by the spread by 30 or more points total in their last three games going up against an opponent after going under the total by 48 or more points total in their last seven games. This situation is 39-12 ATS (76.5 percent) since 1997. 10* (617) Mississippi St. Bulldogs

This is a play on the WASHINGTON ST. COUGARS for our CBB Sunday Enforcer. Last week, Washington St. won its opening game at the Diamond Head Classic but followed that up with a pair of losses against Hawaii and Utah St. before returning home to resume Pac 12 play where it lost to UCLA by one point on Friday. The Cougars are now 0-3 in the conference with one of the other losses coming at home against Utah by just two points so they are a couple possessions away from having a winning record and now are now laying a short number at home with the public all over the road team. One major factor the public is against the Cougars is that they are 0-12 against the Trojans since January of 2016 but the last two meetings in Pullman were decided by just one bucket. USC is coming off a win at Washington on Friday and has opened Pac 12 play 3-0 for the second consecutive season and for only the second time since the 2002 season, when it began 5-0. USC has won seven consecutive games for the first time since beginning last season 13-0 but are in a tough spot with its second road game in three days and having a game against rival UCLA on deck. Like the Cougars, the Trojans possess a solid defense but one advantage the Cougars will possess on offense is its three-point shooting. Washington St. is 40-23 ATS in its last 63 home games after a loss by six points or less. 10* (810) Washington St. Cougars

This is a play on the KANSAS ST. WILDCATS as part of our CBB Saturday Three Pack. Kansas St. has won five straight games to improve to 11-1 on the season and opens Big 12 action at home where it is 7-0 and outscoring opponents by over 21 ppg. The Wildcats failed to make the postseason a year ago after it was eliminated in the first round of the big 12 Tournament with a loss against West Virginia which sets up a revenge spot on Saturday. West Virginia has won four straight games, all at home, and hit the road for just the third time this season after splitting its first two true road games. The Mountaineers rolled over Pittsburgh as a road favorite but then lost at Xavier by 10 points as a small underdog and this is only the fourth time is has gotten points all season, going 1-2 in those games and heads to its toughest environment yet. Here, we play against road teams as an underdog or pickem averaging 76 or more ppg going up against teams allowing 63 or fewer ppg, after three straight wins by 10 points or more. This situation is 130-78 ATS (62.5 percent) since 1997. 10* (770) Kansas St. Wildcats

This is a play on the LONG BEACH ST. 49ERS as part of our CBB Saturday Three Pack. Long Beach St. dropped its Big West Conference opener against UC San Diego in overtime on Thursday which snapped a two-game winning streak and sent the 49ers back under .500 for the season. They are now 3-2 at home and are 0-3 ATS in the three lined games at The Walter Pyramid and now they go from a nine-point favorite to a chalk by just a bucket in a great bounce back spot. UC Riverside easily defeated CSU Bakersfield in its conference opener at home and has now won two straight games and hits the road for the first time in two weeks. The Highlanders are 2-4 on the road compared to 6-1 at home and in neutral court games and this presents a letdown spot following a pair of double-digit victories. Here, we play against underdogs in a game involving two teams allowing between 67 and 74 ppg, after two straight wins by 10 points or more. This situation is 124-80 ATS (60.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (762) Long Beach St. 49ers

This is a play on the PACIFIC TIGERS as part of our CBB Saturday Three Pack. Loyola-Marymount has been one of the surprise teams in the West Coast Conference as it is off to an 11-4 start following a 20-point conference opening won at Portland on Thursday. The Lions have won and covered three straight games and are now favorites on the road as they come in with a 2-2 record on the highway. Pacific has struggled at home this season, going just 3-7 in its 10 home games following a 20-point loss to BYU last time out. The Tigers have failed to cover each of their last three games and are now getting value as they are getting just a bucket less than they were against the Cougars. Here, we play on underdogs in a game involving two teams allowing between 67 and 74 ppg, after scoring 50 points or less. This situation is 135-77 ATS (63.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (754) Pacific Tigers

This is a play on the NORTH TEXAS MEAN GREEN as part of our CBB Thursday Three Pack. Two of the top teams in C-USA square off in an early conference battle. North Texas has won five straight games including the last four coming away from home and it returns to UNT Coliseum where it is 4-0 and while this is the biggest home test so far this season, the Mean Green easily passed the first one against Fresno St. They pride themselves with their defense as they are ranked No. 2 in the country in scoring, allowing more than 60 points only once, and No. 16 in shooting defense and can shut down this potent offense tonight. North Texas is 15-4 ATS in its last 19 games against teams shooting 45 percent or better from the floor. Florida Atlantic has won 10 straight games since suffering its only loss at Mississippi and while this includes a big win at Florida, the Gators are not the team we expected them to be. The last nine wins have come against no one as the Owls have either faced non-Division I teams or been favored in every game by at least six points. Despite playing a pair of SEC teams, the Owls have played a schedule ranked No. 277 which shows how bad the rest of the schedule has been. Here, we play against road teams as an underdog or pickem averaging 76 or more ppg and after three straight wins by 10 points or more going up against teams allowing 63 or fewer ppg. This situation is 130-77 ATS (62.9 percent) since 1997. 10* (720) North Texas Mean Green

This is a play on the WESTERN KENTUCKY HILLTOPPERS as part of our CBB Thursday Three Pack. Western Kentucky is coming off a pair of losses against two major conference teams on the road at Louisville and South Carolina and the Hilltoppers were favored in both so it is bounce back time in their conference opener. They have gone 0-4 ATS over their last four games which is keeping a leash on this number and they are back home where they are 4-0 and this has been one of the best home environments in the country as Western Kentucky is 75-18 (.806) at Diddle Arena under head coach Rick Stansbury. This is a very experienced team with plenty of scoring options as there are six Hilltoppers with significant Division I experience that now total 4,610 Division I points. Rice is off to a surprising 9-3 start but eight of those wins have come at home against absolutely no one with the best victory being Western Michigan with Georgia Southern being a close second. The Owls have played a schedule ranked No. 307 and it is only that high because of one game at Texas and while that was considered a quality loss in overtime as 24-point underdogs, that was the first game for the Longhorns following the suspension of head coach Chris Beard. Rice is 1-3 on the road overall with the other two losses coming at Pepperdine and Middle Tennessee St. by 39 and 35 points respectively. Another horrible road spot for Rice tonight. 10* (680) Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

This is a play on the BUTLER BULLDOGS as part of our CBB Thursday Three Pack. Butler got off to an 8-3 start but has lost two straight games to open conference play and they were not close as they lost by 22 points against Connecticut and 22 points against Creighton and now with a week off, it is time to get back on track. There has been a common theme with those five losses as the Bulldogs were underdogs in all five of those games and the wins also have a theme where they were favored in all eight victories, going 7-1 against the number. Butler is 6-1 at home with the lone loss coming against the No. 2 Huskies and it is in a good spot as it has gone 16-4 ATS in its last 20 games after two or more consecutive losses. This is a very balanced team as the Bulldogs five starters are each averaging double figures in scoring and they now have more depth with Jalen Thomas and Ali Ali back in the rotation after each missing the first 11 games. Providence has opened 2-0 in the Big East Conference following a four-point win at Seton Hall and a five-point home win against Marquette in overtime. The Friars have won five straight games while covering all five of those and are now catching another short price on the road. They have been solid on offense but the defense has kept games closer than they probably should have been and will be facing one of the best shooting teams in the conference. 10* (670) Butler Bulldogs

This is a play on the ILLINOIS-CHICAGO FLAMES as part of our CBB Wednesday Three Pack. Illinois-Chicago is 8-5 which included wins in three straight games while covering four in a row before heading to Northwestern prior to the holiday break and the Flames were destroyed by 38 points to the surprising Wildcats so the time off came at a perfect time. The Flames have a very strong defense which was not on display in that last game as they allowed Northwestern to shoot 51.4 percent from the floor which was only the fourth time all season they have allowed an opponent to shoot higher than 47 percent from the floor and they have a good matchup here against a poor offensive team. The Flames are 4-2 at home which is not great but both losses came when they were underdogs and Illinois-Chicago is 6-0 ATS as a favorite this season. After a 2-6 start to the season, the Redbirds have turned things around to win four of their last five games as they head back into MVC play where they are 1-1. Illinois St. won all four of those games at home but going back, it has lost five straight games away from home and comes into a tough spot playing a team back home coming off a 38-point road loss that has been stewing for a while. The Redbirds are ranked No. 193 or worse in all six shooting and scoring categories on both sides of the ball. Illinois St. is 0-6 ATS in road games after a game where they made 78 percent of their free throws or better this season. 10* (634) Illinois-Chicago Flames

This is a play on the NORTHERN IOWA PANTHERS as part of our CBB Wednesday Three Pack. Missouri St. is off to a 5-7 start including 1-1 in the MVC and a slow start was expected with so many key pieces lost from last season. The Bears snapped a four-game losing streak with a blowout win over Central Michigan before the holiday break and now they hit the road where they are just 1-3, the lone victory coming as their only game as a road favorite. Their strength is defense but likely does not have enough offense to keep up here as they are ranked No. 324 in scoring and No. 245 in shooting. Additionally, Missouri St. is ranked No. 361 in free throw shooting at 58.7 percent and that dips even lower to 56.1 percent away from home. It has also been a slow start for Northern Iowa as it is also off to a 5-7 and 1-1 start but it is coming off consecutive wins for the first time this season and both were impressive double-digit victories over Towson and St. Bonaventure. The Panthers are just 4-3 at home but two of those losses came by three points and the other one as a significant home underdog against projected MAC champion Toledo. While Missouri St. possesses a solid defense, Northern Iowa is not far behind and it faces one of the worst offenses in the country. Sophomore guard Bowen Born has stepped up in a big way for the Panthers following the AJ Green departure as he leads conference in scoring at 19.3 ppg. 10* (636) Northern Iowa Panthers

This is a play on the VILLANOVA WILDCATS as part of our CBB Wednesday Three Pack. When Villanova lost to Temple in its second game of the season, you knew something was not right. Flash forward to a 2-5 start and things definitely were not right but the Wildcats have righted the ship as they have won five straight games including a victory to open Big East play following an impressive 15-point win over a solid St. Johns team. This has no doubt coincided with five-star freshman and top-five projected NBA Draft Pick Cam Whitmore making his debut. One hidden edge is that Villanova is No. 1 in the country in free throw percentage. Connecticut is off to a 13-0 start and has shown to be an early season National Championship frontrunner. This team is athletic, deep and loaded at every position and it is the cohesiveness that is most impressive. The Huskies are going to find their share of roadblocks along the way and this could definitely be one of those but more than nothing else, a closer than expected game is what we are looking for. This line is completely inflated with Connecticut off to an 11-1-1 ATS start to the season as not many will want to step in front of this train but at this price, we gladly will. Here, we play against home favorites of 10 to 19.5 points with a winning percentage of .800 or higher having covered six or seven of their last eight games against the spread. This situation is 68-38 ATS (64.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (611) Villanova Wildcats

This is a play on the SETON HALL PIRATES for our CBB Tuesday Star Attraction. This is an important stretch for Seton Hall. Including the game at Xavier a week ago prior to the holiday break, the Pirates are in a stretch where five of seven games are on the road and after a 0-2 start in the Big East, this game alone is huge. Prior to the rest, Seton Hall lost to Providence and Xavier by four and three points respectively and going back, three of its last four losses have come by five points or less. The Pirates are still a game over .500 and the strength they bring is their defense as they are ranked No. 35 in defensive efficiency and have one of the best perimeter defenses around, ranking No. 15 in three-point shooting defense. In the last game at Xavier, Seton Hall held the Musketeers, one of the top offensive teams in the country, to their lowest three-point shooting percentage this season at 25 percent and their second-lowest point total of the season with 73 points. Marquette has opened 1-1 in the conference and in eight games against teams from major conferences, the line the Golden Eagles are laying here is tied for the highest with the other being against Georgia Tech and Seton Hall is rated much higher than the Yellow Jackets. Marquette is 7-1 at home including 2-1 against those major conference teams and while that includes a win over Creighton, the Bluejays have been in a major slump. The Golden Eagles have a very solid offense and will be facing a test here and we can see this game playing out just like the game against Xavier for Seton Hall as the game is shortened which significantly favors the sizeable underdog. 10* (601) Seton Hall Pirates

This is a play on the IONA GAELS for our CBB Friday Supreme Annihilator. Iona is coming off a bad loss in the first round of the Diamond Head Classic as it fell to SMU by four points as a 9.5-point favorite and the Gaels are now laying fewer points today against a worst team. This was the second straight loss for Iona as it lost at New Mexico by eight points before heading to Hawaii but that was not a shocker as the Lobos are off to a 12-0 start to the season. The Gaels opened 7-2 with solid wins over St. Louis, St. Bonaventure and Princeton and they will be out for a big bounce back here and want to close the tournament strong before heading into MAAC play where they are the heavy favorite to win the conference. Seattle is also coming off a loss as it fell to Utah St. 84-56 and is not in a good spot in the second game of the tournament. The Redhawks are off to an 8-3 start which looks good on paper but underneath that record tells a different story. Seattle has won only one game season when not favored and that was a win at Portland as a 3.5-point underdog. In the other three games as underdogs, which were all losses, the Redhawks were not competitive as they lost by 11, 15 and 28 points. They are 5-0 at home against cupcakes which has inflated the record and overall, the Redhawks have played the No. 285 ranked schedule in the country. Here, we play on neutral court teams averaging between 74 and 78 ppg going up against teams allowing between 67 and 74, after playing a game where both teams score 80 points or more. This situation is 31-6 ATS (83.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (879) Iona Gaels

This is a play on the UNLV RUNNIN' REBELS for our CBB Thursday Supreme Annihilator. Southern Mississippi is off to a very surprising 11-1 start but a win at Vanderbilt is its only notable win and the last three victories have come as favorites of 13.5 points or more and now they go into a place at the wrong time. Three of those victories have come against non-Division I teams while four others have comes against teams ranked in the 300 range as the overall schedule is ranked No. 323 in the nation so this is easily its first real test of the season. The Golden Eagles overall numbers are excellent but it is due to the schedule they have played and every strength they have goes up against every strength UNLV has on the other side. UNLV opened the season 10-0 but lost last time out against a very good San Francisco team by a bucket as a six-point chalk and are only laying a couple points more against a team not nearly as strong as the Dons. The Rebels have not played the toughest of schedules either but it is ranked 100 spots higher and this is a get right game before MWC season gets underway. They are now 5-1 at home and outscoring opponents by over 20 ppg and bring in a top 50 defense in both scoring and shooting and can lock this Golden Eagles offense down. One key stat not to overlook is the fact that Southern Mississippi in ranked No. 303 in free throw shooting. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points averaging 76 or more ppg and after three straight wins by 10 points or more going up against teams allowing 63 or fewer ppg. This situation is 68-31 ATS (68.7 percent) since 1997. 10* (858) UNLV Runnin' Rebels

This is a play on the WRIGHT ST. RAIDERS for our CBB Thursday Enforcer. Wright St. is coming off a 52-point win over Northwestern Ohio but that cupcake victory was needed for the Raiders after having lost four straight games coming into that. A favorite in the Horizon League, they started 0-2 and then had another pair of losses in nonconference play against Western Kentucky and Akron, two very good teams and both on the road, and while they now hit the road again, they have a great matchup here to keep the momentum going before getting back into conference action next week. This is one of the best shooting offenses at No. 15 in the country going up against one of the worst defenses in the nation as the Raiders look to finally get back to over .500. Miami Ohio is coming off an upset win over an excellent Bellarmine team on the road as a 7.5-point underdog and it has now won four of its last six games. Two of the others came against two awful teams and the other against a non-Division I team. Two of the RedHawks five wins have come against said non-Division I teams so that Bellarmine win was a shock and now they come back down to earth. They are ranked No. 328 in scoring defense and No. 345 in shooting defense and while the offense is better, it is not nearly good enough to keep up. Here, we play on road teams as a favorite or pickem with a +3.5 to +8 ppg scoring differential and after scoring 95 points or more going up against teams with a +/- 3.5 ppg scoring differential. This situation is 63-25 ATS (71.6 percent) since 1997. 10* (821) Wright St. Raiders

This is a play on the OREGON ST. BEAVERS for our CBB Wednesday Supreme Annihilator. Oregon St. has won two straight games following a 1-6 run to get it back to .500 on the season and it closes out its three-game homestand in solid spot to get back over .500 after starting the season 3-0. The Beavers have already doubled their win total from all of last season so the improvements are already showing and there will be no lack of motivation here as they will want to roll into Pac 12 action on a inning streak with three straight conference road games on deck. Oregon St. is 12-3 ATS in its last 15 games after having won two of their last three games. Denver is off to a solid 9-4 start but it has beaten no one as its best win is a victory at Idaho St. by a point as a 3.5-point underdog. Overall, the Pioneers have played a schedule ranked No. 360 out of 363 division I teams and have played just one team from a major conference which resulted in a 23-point loss at UCLA and while Oregon St. is not on the same level as the Bruins, we are not asking them to win by 23 points so this is still la big step up in class for Denver. The Pioneers lost at Nebraska-Omaha by 17 points as a slight favorite on Monday and is in a tough travel spot. Here, we play against underdogs averaging 53 or less shots per game on the season, after two straight games making 50 percent of their shots or better. This situation is 48-23 ATS (67.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (748) Oregon St. Beavers

This is a play on the CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS for our CBB Wednesday Enforcer. California is the only team remaining in all of Division I that has yet to win a game and it comes into Wednesday as the favorite which is putting the public on the Mavericks. The Golden Bears are 0-12 and having no wins is clearly not a good thing but they have played a very tough schedule and they are in a great scheduling situation here. They are coming off a road loss at Santa Clara on Sunday and return home where they are 0-7 which includes four losses as slight favorites and here they are again in their final nonconference game before Pac Ten action resumes next week. California is 15-6 ATS in its last 21 games after scoring 30 points or less in the first half in two straight games. We played on UT-Arlington as our free play for Monday as it went into San Francisco and defeated the Dons by five points as a 15-point underdog which snapped a three-game losing streak. That could provide momentum heading into tonight or it could bring a letdown and we are banking on the latter. The Mavericks have covered three of their last four games and it was their defense that got the job done the other night and they now face one of the worst offenses in the country so it looks inevitable that they are going to smother another opponent but the short travel turnaround could pose an issue after having nine days off prior to the last game. 10* (700) California Golden Bears

This is a play on the FRESNO ST. BULLDOGS as part of our CBB Tuesday Three-Pack. Fresno St. opened the season 1-5 before a pair of much needed wins but it has lost two straight coming into this game, both as favorites, and this is the final tune-up before Mountain West Conference opens up at the end of the month. Those early five losses came against some very good teams where they were underdogs in all of those with the exception of one-game where it was favored by a point against San Francisco. Fresno St. has been really close to a much better record as every loss have come by single digits as the defense has been really good as the Bulldogs are No. 54 in points allowed and has a great matchup here facing one of the worst offenses in the country. CSU Bakersfield is just 4-6 with two of those wins coming against non-Division I teams but what really stands out has been the losses. The Roadrunners have lost three straight which came against Dartmouth, San Jose St. and Abilene Christian. The schedule has been a challenge based on playing a lot away from home but in three home games, they are 2-1 with the two wins coming against those aforementioned non-Division I teams. This is a bad spot with a team with no proven win and with low expectations coming into the season that has been pegged near the bottom of the Big West Conference. Here, we play against home teams as an underdog or pickem after scoring 60 points or less in three straight games, with just one or fewer starters returning from last season. This situation is 100-59 ATS (62.9 percent) since 1997. 10* (643) Fresno St. Bulldogs

This is a play on the ILLINOIS-CHICAGO FLAMES as part of our CBB Tuesday Three-Pack. Northwestern is off to a surprising 8-2 start considering the Wildcats have been picked to finish No. 13 in the 14-team Big Ten Conference. They do have a quality win at Michigan St. but nothing else except for that as the rest of the schedule has been soft. Northwestern has relied on a very strong defense that is No. 7 in points allowed and No. 3 in opponent shooting but the issue in games like this is the fact the offense is putrid as the Wildcats are No. 313 in scoring and No. 355 in shooting. Trying to cover a number this high against a very good team makes it difficult because of that as the Wildcats have laid double-digits four times, going 1-3 ATS with the only cover coming against Chicago St. which is ranked No. 327 in the country. Illinois-Chicago is 8-4 which includes wins in three straight games while covering four in a row. The Flames also have a very strong defense which means this looks like a low scoring game which is evidenced by the fact this is the sixth lowest total on the entire card tomorrow of 42 games in total. The schedule has not been great but in 11 lined games, the Flames have been underdogs in five of those and have covered both when getting double digits. Here, we play against favorites of 10 to 19.5 points shooting 73 percent or better from the free throw line and allowing a shooting percentage of 33 percent or less going up against teams shooting between 65 and 69 percent from the free throw line. This situation is 26-5 ATS (83.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (631) Illinois-Chicago Flames

This is a play on the NORTHERN COLORADO BEARS as part of our CBB Tuesday Three-Pack. Northern Colorado comes in two and a half games worse than Air Force as it is just 5-6 including a 1-2 record at home and the line flipped early going to the Bears being the favorite and it makes sense and we are on it. The Bears were on a 4-1 run before going to Colorado on Saturday and losing by 11 points but covered the 15.5 points and that game ended a stretch of six straight games away from home. This is their first home game in 29 days and Northern Colorado wants to get some retribution on its home floor after losing to non-Division I Colorado Christian by a point. The defense has been awful of late but that was all on the road and now face a team not accustomed yet to feel it on the road. Air Force is 8-4 thanks to possessing one of the softest home schedules in the country where the Falcons are 8-2 that includes five straight covers and six straight overall and that is bringing the public into play. They have shot great over this stretch but all of the good ones were at home and in the two games they have been on the road, where they are 0-2, they have shot just 40 percent. The shooting defense has been solid as well but all at home again and while they have allowed only 50 percent shooting once, that was in one of the road games. Here, we play against road teams after beating the spread by more than six points in three consecutive games going up against an opponent after beating the spread by 24 or more points total in their last three games. This situation is 56-24 ATS (70 percent) since 1997. 10* (618) Northern Colorado Bears

This is a play on the ST. THOMAS TOMMIES for our CBB Monday Supreme Annihilator. North Dakota is coming off a non-Division I victory over North Central-MN which snapped a four-game losing streak that included three road losses all of which were by double-digits. Those defeats dropped the Fighting Hawks to 2-4 on the road and they hit the highway for their conference opener Tuesday. They will be in for a struggle this season as two of their six wins came against non-Division I teams and they have been underdogs in 10 of their 11 lined games. This is a game St. Thomas has had circled since last season as it went 4-14 in the Summit League which was its first season at this college level and now coming off a disaster of that that, it knows it is better and wants to get out strong. The Tommies were picked No. 8 in the preseason poll but there was not much separation between them and the No. 4 spot so this team could surprise as they are already just one win shy of their total from all of last season. Head coach Johnny Tauer has two of his three double-digits scorers back from year one in Riley Miller and Parker Bjorklund and both are in double-digits again joined by freshman guard Andrew Rohde to head an offense that is No. 93 in total offense and No. 59 in shooting offense. Additionally, St. Thomas is one of the best free throw shooting teams in the country (No. 12) against one of the worst (No. 322). Here, we play against road teams as an underdog or pickem in a game involving two teams shooting 36.5 percent or better from long range, after a game where they made 50 percent of their three-point shots or better. This situation is 62-32 ATS (66 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (816) St. Thomas Tommies

This is a play on the UTSA ROADRUNNERS for our CBB Tuesday Ultimate Underdog. UTSA comes into Tuesday after falling to undefeated New Mexico on the road this past Saturday to fall to 5-4 on the season and while facing its biggest test of the season, it is also getting the most points it has seen. The Roadrunners got off to a slow start against the Lobos but hung in and kept it very respectable in a very tough environment and we expect the same here against an opponent in a tough spot. The offense had had their struggles this season and will be facing a tough defense but the Roadrunners do have some edges on the other side as they have a very strong perimeter defense that can combat the outside shooting of the Utes. The Roadrunners are 5-0 ATS in their last five games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. Utah comes into the game riding a four-game winning streak that has been highlighted by an 81-66 win of then-number-four Arizona at the Huntsman Center. The Utes are now 8-2 and while one of the losses was a quality one against Mississippi St. by just three points on a neutral floor, the other came against San Houston St. by 10 points at home so focus could be an issue again. A big reason for that is the fact Utah travels to rival BYU in its next game and will be out for revenge following an 11-point loss to the Cougars at home so they have had that game circled. The Utes have covered five straight games so this line is inflated due to that as we have this line well below that based on the most recent power ratings. A low scoring game is expected which favors the underdog especially one that is this big. 10* (619) UTSA Roadrunners

This is a play on the CREIGHTON BLUEJAYS for our CBB Monday Enforcer. After a 6-0 start to the season, the Bluejays have lost four straight games and have fallen outside the top 25. The four losses were not bad ones as they were against Arizona, Texas, Nebraska and BYU, all of which have winning records so no real harm there especially when three of those were by five points or less and all away from home. Creighton is still ranked No. 27 in the latest ratings as the schedule has been a difficult one which is ranked No. 52 in the country and it was shorthanded last game with Ryan Kalkbrenner sitting out which was confirmed just one hour before the game so they had to change on the fly and it clearly did not work out and he should be good to go Monday. Arizona St. is 9-1 to open the season which does include a win over Michigan but there has not been much besides that with a schedule that is ranked No. 185. The Sun Devils are a quality team with a defense that has led the way, allowing 34.4 percent shooting from the floor which is No. 4 in the country, including 25.8 percent shooting allowed from long range which is No. 8. This is a good thing because the offense has struggled despite the soft schedule as Arizona St. is bottom third in the nation in overall shooting and shooting from behind the arc. Creighton finally gets that bounce back win after three straight failed efforts. 10* (811) Creighton Bluejays

This is a play on the MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS for our CBB Sunday Enforcer. Minnesota is coming off a home loss against Michigan and while it was by 15 points, we have to look at the value here as the Golden Gophers are now getting double that amount tonight which seems way off considering Michigan and Mississippi St. are separated by just a half-point in the power rankings. Minnesota is now 4-5 on the season following four straight losses and bettors are steering clear of the Gophers so the linesmakers hands are tied when setting this number and despite the inflated line, Minnesota is a go against for the majority. Mississippi St. is off to an 8-0 start but it is in a very tricky spot here as the Bulldogs are plying their first true road game of the season and over its last two games on a neutral floor, it resulted in a pair of wins by just three points against Marquette and Utah. Overall, the Bulldogs have played the No. 346 schedule in the country out of 363 teams so while they possess the No. 1 ranked scoring defense in the nation, that is totally skewed and despite the strength of schedule, the offense has been below average in all major statistical categories so if we are expecting a low scoring game, the total is the lowest on the entire Sunday board, that favors the underdog and especially a big one at home. Here, we play against road teams with a winning percentage of .800 or better after going under the total by 42 or more points total in their last seven games, playing a team with a losing record. This situation is 28-3 ATS (90.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (788) Minnesota Golden Gophers

This is a play on the ST. LOUIS BILLIKENS for our CBB Saturday Enforcer. St. Louis is coming off a bad loss and looks to regroup as it heads back home where it is 5-0 on the season and is in a great situation for a big bounce back. After losing by 22 points at Iona, Boise St. and Drake offer two of their few remaining chances at wins that will display in the NET rankings, which came out this week. That loss to the Gaels dropped the Billikens way down the power rankings to No. 81 so these are the types of games they can ill afford to give up before conference play gets going. The Billikens have been at their best in this spot as they are among the better offensive teams in the country at home. They face a strong defense but one that has yet to see an environment like this. The Billikens have had injury issues early this season but are expected to be fully healthy as they begin their three-game homestand. Boise St. has won six straight games following a 1-2 start and it hits the highway for its first true road game of the season. It has already notched three wins against Power Five opponents, which is the most ever for the Broncos in a single season so that is a concern but they will be facing their first team going through some adversity. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points averaging between 67 and 74 ppg and after two straight wins by 10 points or more going up against teams allowing between 67 and 74 ppg. This situation is 39-14 ATS (73.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (716) St. Louis Billikens

This is a play on the ARIZONA WILDCATS for our CBB Saturday Star Attraction. Two of the best shooting teams in the country square off in Las Vegas. The Wildcats have size, play an up tempo style and are battle-tested this season with wins over Cincinnati, San Diego St. and Creighton all of which came on a neutral floor at the Maui Invitational. Arizona enters the game with the second-best offense and the best effective field goal percentage in the country and the Indiana defense, which has been extremely solid, has not been tested like this. The Wildcats are balanced inside and out and having the fastest paced team in the country is even more potent as their bigs run the floor better than any team in the nation. The Hoosiers are playing away from home for the just the second time in close to three weeks and that one trek resulted in a 15-point loss at Rutgers. Indiana does have the better overall numbers on the defensive side as it has only allowed one opponent to score more than a point per possession in a game this season which was against Xavier as the Hoosiers escaped that with a two-point win. The only other solid win was a 12-point win over North Carolina but the Tar Heels have gone from No. 1 to unranked so that victory has lost a lot of its luster. Here, we play against underdogs shooting 52 percent or better on the season. This situation is 83-48 ATS (63.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (711) Arizona Wildcats

This is a play on the SAN DIEGO ST. AZTECS for our CBB Saturday Supreme Annihilator. Following a pair of losses against Arizona and Arkansas, San Diego St. has rebounded with three straight wins but you have to go all the way back to November 21 to find the last time the Aztecs have covered a game, a span of five straight contests. They are laying a short number here and while they are the designated road team, this is on a neutral court in Phoenix with this being another opportunity for a quality win similar to the last time they covered against Ohio St. which was also on a neutral floor. St. Mary's snapped a three-game losing streak with a win over Missouri St. by 20 points so that bounce back is out of the way and that was arguably their best win of the season as the Gaels have lost to all three opponents that are ranked within the top 100. They have relied on a strong defense but have a test here against a San Diego St. team that is coming off an awful performance against Troy were it won but managed a season low 60 points. Offensively, they have struggled throughout the season as they have shot over 50 percent only once and faces a defense that has allowed 50 percent or higher shooting only once. Here, we play on neutral court teams as a favorite or pickem coming off a home no-cover where the team won straight up as a favorite, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .800. This situation is 73-36 ATS (67 percent) since 1997. 10* (637) San Diego St. Aztecs

This is a play on the AIR FORCE FALCONS for our CBB Friday Enforcer. After a 1-3 start that included a pair of four-point losses including one in overtime at home against Texas A&M-Commerce, Air Force has won five of its last six games including five straight victories at home where the home court advantage is typically pretty sizable. This is a very young teams with 17 of the 20 players on the roster being underclassmen which led to the rough start but now they are coming together especially on the defensive end. Air Force is ranked No. 5 in the nation in three-point shooting defense at 24.0 percent and No. 36 in scoring defense at 61.2 ppg. This is the last game for the Falcons for nine days because of finals which puts some extra importance on this game as well as the fact they will be out for revenge following a 21-point loss at Arkansas St. last season. Arkansas St. stays on the road following a loss at Central Arkansas on Tuesday to fall to 0-3 on the highway and 5-4 overall with that overall record being skewed. Three of those wins came against non-Division I teams Bethel, Lyon and Harding by 25, 24 and 31 points respectively so those have skewed their overall numbers and even the other victories have been suspect. The Red Wolves also have defeated Mississippi Valley St. which is the lowest ranked team in the country at No. 363 and Tennessee Martin which checks in at No. 307 and their own ranking of No. 266 seems inflated with a schedule played ranked No. 350 in the nation. 10* (888) Air Force Falcons

This is a play on the IOWA HAWKEYES for our CBB Nonconference Game of the Month. The Cyclones lost a ton from last season, most notably their two best backcourt players and leading scorers Izaiah Brockington and Tyrese Hunter who averaged a combined 28.3 ppg, 10.6 rpg and 6.6 apg. Iowa St. has been picked to finish No. 8 in the 10-team Big 12 but has gotten off to a 7-1 start that includes big wins over Villanova and North Carolina. But those were big at the time as Villanova is down under new head coach Kyle Neptune and North Carolina is currently on a four-game winning streak. The Cyclones followed that up by getting hammered against Connecticut and now hit the road for their first true road game. Iowa opened the season 5-0 before a loss against a very good and underrated TCU team and then after a blowout win over Georgia Tech, the Hawkeyes lost by 12 points against Duke, a team that is starting to come around after a pair of early loses, at MSG on Tuesday. The Hawkeyes return home in this rivalry where they are 4-0 and will be out for some big time revenge following a 20-point loss in Ames last season almost to the day. This is a very efficient team that does not give the opponent easy opportunities as Iowa is No. 1 in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.93) and second in fewest turnovers per game. They have one of the top scoring offenses in the country at No. 21 and they have four players that are hitting 50 percent or better from the floor. 10* (876) Iowa Hawkeyes

This is a play on the FLORIDA GATORS for our CBB Wednesday Signature Enforcer. Florida had a rough go of it at the Phil Knight Legacy Tournament in Portland as it lost two of three games against Xavier and West Virginia but came home and throttled Florida A&M and Stetson by 40 and 38 points respectively and while we normally take cupcake games like that with a grain of salt, these were big for the Gators and they needed some confidence and momentum back before a brutal stretch coming up starting on Wednesday. They are 4-1 at home and while the one loss was a bad one against Florida Atlantic, the Owls have turned out to be a solid team at 7-1. They match up well here against a team that has been a mismatch for most opponents. Connecticut is 9-0 and has turned into a sleeper national title team at +1800, tied for fifth with Purdue and it comes in ranked in the same position at No. 5 after entering the season unranked. The Huskies do have a good win over Alabama on a neutral floor which has been the only game they have been an underdog in all season which is telling but they do have others on that same floor against Oregon and Iowa St. They have played the No. 140 schedule in the country which is not horrible but they have yet to face a true road game until tonight and it comes against an opponent in need of a quality win over a quality opponent. A big public team should go down here. 10* (706) Florida Gators

This is a play on the EASTERN MICHIGAN EAGLES for our CBB Wednesday Ultimate Underdog. Eastern Michigan opened the season with a win over Wayne St. and then went on to lose six straight games but those were against some strong competition as the Eagles were underdogs in five of those games with the exception being a three-point loss against San Diego as a small favorite. They came back with a win against Florida International for their first true road win of the season but gave it back with a 28-point loss last weekend at home against Florida Atlantic. We talk about get right spots and this team is in need of one in a good matchup getting an abundance of points against a team that is struggling just as much. The defense has been a real problem but that will be a no issue here against a team that has scored more than 69 points only once. Illinois St. was riding a five-game losing streak before pulling off a 10-point win over Belmont on Sunday to move to 3-6 overall which is just one game better than Eastern Michigan and the Redbirds are in no position to be laying this number which is the third most they have put down this season. Illinois is just 1-2 at home which included two losses to open the season where it also went 0-6 ATS through its first six games before covering the last two games as underdogs. The Redbirds have one of the worst offenses in the nation as they are ranked No. 329 in scoring and this is against a schedule that is ranked No. 247 in the country. 10* (685) Eastern Michigan Eagles

This is a play on the RHODE ISLAND RAMS for our CBB Wednesday Supreme Annihilator. We played against Rhode Island in its last game against rival Providence and it lost by 14 points as the Rams were abused on the boards which led to not many second chance points and now they have another rival coming into the Ryan Center and this is a perfect get right game. Rhode Island has lost four of its last five games but it has been underdogs in those four losses so they were not too surprising and two of those could have gone the other way. This started as basically a brand new roster and they are still coming together and this starts a very favorable stretch to get a run going before conference season starts. This offense has been putrid from a pace and shooting standpoint but have a good matchup here. Brown is off to a 5-4 start which is about was is expected as the Bears do not have a lot to offer this season as they have been picked to finished No. 6 in the eight-team Ivy League. They do come in on a roll as they have won and covered four straight games after some really bad losses to start the season. The overall issue is the schedule they have played no one as their best opponent has been Massachusetts which was an 11-point home loss and Brown has played the No. 341 ranked schedule in the country out of 363 teams so it has hardly been tested. Despite that, Brown is ranked No. 313 in the nation in scoring and No. 303 in opponent field goal percentage allowed. 10* (678) Rhode Island Rams

This is a play on the TOLEDO ROCKETS as part of our CBB Tuesday Three Pack. The Rockets are coming off a road loss at George Mason on Saturday which snapped a two-game winning streak and dropped them to 5-3 on the season and 0-1 on the road. Toledo is coming off back-to-back conference titles and consecutive NIT berths the last two seasons and has been picked to finish second in the MAC this season so it know how to win games like this that can go a long way as while it really will not be a quality win, it would be more of a detrimental loss. They do own a solid neutral court win over UAB early in the season which set the tone for a 3-0 start before suffering a pair of poor losses as favorites. The offense remains one of the best in the country and they have a good matchup here. Northern Iowa opened MVC play last week and split its games, losing big at Bradley which was expected and it then rebounded with a 17-point win over Evansville. The Panthers are used to being at the top of the conference but not much is expected this season and they are off to a 3-4 start with the three victories coming against one non-Division I Wartburg and the other two coming as double-digit favorites. Those all came at home and are the only three home games this season so Northern Iowa has yet to be tested here. The Panthers were underdogs in all four losses as they were getting six points or less in each and lost those by an average of nine ppg. 10* (639) Toledo Rockets

This is a play on the ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI as part of our CBB Tuesday Three Pack. We played against Illinois on Friday as it dropped its Big Ten opener on the road to No. 22 Maryland, which was its second loss of the season, both coming against undefeated teams, the other being against 7-0 Virginia. This game will be the fourth against a ranked opponent in nine games with the third one coming against UCLA in a nine-point win on a neutral floor so it has certainly been tested and Illinois has 10 wins over top 10 teams since 2019-20, second-most in the NCAA behind Baylor which has 12. This is a raw team that did not bring much back from last season but give head coach Brad Underwood credit for bringing in the transfers that can work together which they have accomplished. Texas has moved up to No. 2 in the country after a 6-0 start and this is not only its toughest test of the season, but it is its longest trip as well. The Longhorns do have one neutral court win but that was against Northern Arizona which took place in nearby Edinburg, Texas so it was hardly a demanding trip. They are coming off a five-point win over Creighton after blowing a double-digit second half lead and that was a game they had a great matchup in with the Bluejays being one of the worst perimeter defenses in the country but now faces a very strong perimeter defense. Texas is 4-14 ATS in its last 18 games against teams averaging 77 or more ppg. 10* (607) Illinois Fighting Illini

This is a play on the GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS as part of our CBB Tuesday Three Pack. Georgia Tech moved to 5-3 on the season with a 81-63 victory over Northeastern on Friday. Two of its losses were on a neutral floor to teams that earned top 10 wins last week with Utah defeating Arizona and Marquette defeating Baylor. The other loss came on the road at Iowa which just missed out on the top 25 this week. The Yellow Jackets are 4-0 at home and while this will be the biggest home test, they have already built a solid overall schedule and Georgia is certainly no powerhouse. Georgia Tech is 15-5 ATS in its last 20 games after five straight games committing 14 or less turnovers. Georgia has won three straight games, all at home where it is 6-0 but all of those games came as a favorite of at least nine points. The Bulldogs lost their only true road game at Wake Forest by 10 points and overall, they are 7-0 this season when favored and 0-2 when getting points. To their credit, the Bulldogs have already surpassed their win total from all of last season so things are moving in the right direction in Athens but the schedule has helped. Georgia is the fourth lowest ranked team with seven or more wins in all of Division I, ahead of only Fordham, Towson and Duquesne as it has played a slate ranked No. 353 out of 363 teams at this level. Georgia is 7-18 ATS in its last 25 road games after allowing 60 points or less in two straight games. 10* (614) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

This is a play on the WASHINGTON ST. COUGARS for our CBB Sunday Supreme Annihilator. This is a tough scheduling spot for Utah as in most Pac 12 weekends, teams host two games one weekend and go on the road for two games the next but in this case, the Utes got a home game against Arizona Thursday and rolled and now have to hit the road for their second conference game which puts them in a bad spot. Utah has played the second easiest schedule in the Pac 12 behind Washington as prior to Arizona, it was favored by double-digits in all four of its home games and it actually lost one of those against Sam Houston St., and it has split its two neutral court games making this its first true road game of the season. The same scheduling situation goes for Washington St. as it played at Oregon and got smacked by the Ducks but now the Cougars return home to make up for that and catch a Utah team at the right time. Washington St. is 3-3 on the season which includes a 2-0 record at home with blowout wins over Texas St. and Detroit and this is a test they will be fired up for. Utah has one of the best defenses in the country, including its perimeter defense but the Cougars counter with the No. 7 ranked three-point shooting team in the nation as they are hitting 42.1 percent from long range. Great spot and great value. 10* (772) Washington St. Cougars

This is a play on the WRIGHT ST. RAIDERS for our CBB Sunday Enforcer. Wright St. is coming off a humbling loss against Robert Norris in its conference opener and it was not just a loss but the Raiders lost by 21 points as a 12.5-point favorite. We played against the Colonials on Saturday which did not pan out as they did not cover but we expect the Raiders to win this in a blowout. They opened the season with an overtime loss against Davidson but won four straight before a loss against UC-Riverside on a neutral floor and as one of the favorites to win the Horizon League, this has turned into a must win even though it is early in the season. Youngstown St. is coming off that tough loss against Northern Kentucky in overtime and has to hit the road again against a team that is ready for a full effort. The Penguins have no quality wins as four of the victories they were favored in and the other same against a non-Division I team. Thus is the fifth straight game away from home for Youngstown St. over the last two weeks and it’s a trying trek for a team especially coming off that overtime loss that they could have captured in what is a great letdown go against spot. 10* (736) Wright St. Raiders

This is a play on the FAIRFIELD STAGS as part of our CBB Saturday Three-Pack. Fairfield is another team that has waited for nearly a month to play its first home game of the season. The Stags are just 2-6 to open the season which includes five true road game losses following a defeat at Manhattan in the MAAC opener on Thursday. That followed a 2-1 showing in Savannah, Georgia at the Hostilo Hoops Community Classic that included a win over a very solid Towson team and a victory against Evansville with the one loss coming against Mercer by a bucket. Fairfield was picked to finish No. 5 in the MAAC preseason poll so this is a team to watch out for and the Red Sea will be energized tonight, part of a sold out arena. St. Peter's was the story of the NCAA Tournament last season as it ran through the field to make it to the Elite Eight following wins over Kentucky, Murray St. and Purdue before losing to North Carolina. It is far from the same team with a brand new head coach and a revamped roster that is not expected to do a whole lot this season. The Peacocks are off to a 4-3 start but the wins have come against no one of significance and they opened conference action against Mount St. Mary's on Thursday which resulted in a 15-point loss against the team picked to finish No 10 in the 11-team MAAC. 10* (696) Fairfield Stags

This is a play on the NORTHERN KENTUCKY NORSE for our Horizon Game of the Year. Northern Kentucky opened the season by getting throttled at home against Kent St. but has won four straight home games since then including an upset win over Cincinnati and then opened Horizon League action with an overtime win over Youngstown St. on Thursday. The Norse have yet to play on the road but Northern Kentucky did travel to the Gulf Coast Showcase in Florida and lost all three games against Florida Gulf Coast, UT-Arlington and Toledo prior to the two recent home games. Northern Kentucky was picked to finish in a first place tie with Purdue Fort Wayne in the preseason Horizon League poll. Life in the Horizon League did not start very good for Robert Morris as it went 8-28 in its first two seasons but opened 2022-23 with a bang as it went to Wright St., picked to finish third in the Horizon, and won by 21 points as a 12.5-point underdog so this is a big letdown spot and Northern Kentucky certainly took note of that. It was a surprising win for the Colonials that came in on a four-game losing streak and its only two wins of the season were against non-Division I teams Pittsburgh-Greensburg and West Virginia Wesleyan. That victory is giving the Norse excellent value and should turn into a rout. 10* (688) Northern Kentucky Norse

This is a play on the EASTERN WASHINGTON EAGLES as part of our CBB Saturday Three-Pack. It has taken about a month but Eastern Washington finally gets to play its first home game of the season after enjoying the first nearly month of the season on the highway. The Eagles are 2-5 with two wins against Mississippi Valley St. and Stony Brook which is not saying a lot but for a team to have to wait to take its home floor for this long will get the juices flowing. The losses have been bad but expected as all five came as underdogs against some notables in Santa Clara, Yale and Washington St. as well as a vacation in Hawaii against the host Warriors and Mississippi Valley St. North Dakota St. has had a very similar schedule as it has been able to sneak in two home games, a loss against Pacific as a favorite and a win over Non-Division I Crown College. The Bison are 0-6 away from home and it has been ugly. To their credit, the first two games were at Arkansas and Kansas and they did cover both but were still blown out in both. The concern is the other five losses as they failed to cover any of those and four results in double-digit defeats. This team should be fine once Summit League play starts but they are going to the wrong place at the wrong time. 10* (676) Eastern Washington Eagles

This is a play on the PROVIDENCE FRIARS as part of our CBB Saturday Three-Pack. We played against Providence in its last game as it hit the road for the first time and got smacked by a very dangerous TCU team by 13 points to fall to 2-3 after a 3-0 start. The two wins over that stretch were anything but solid as the Friars played Merrimack and Columbia and they basically went through the motions as 20-point favorites in both and still won by double-digits in each of those. They did fail to cover those big lines and they head to rival Rhode Island on a 0-5 ATS run with a bitter taste stemming from that TCU beatdown but it is a good spot with that one game on the road under their belt. Rhode Island is a mess. The Rams have only five players returning on the roster with just a combined 37 starts last season between Abdou Samb, Sebastian Thomas, Jalen Carey, Ishmael Leggett and Malik Martin with Leggett accounting for 30 of those so there is very little experience and it has shown in its 2-5 start to the season which includes losses as favorites against Quinnipiac and Texas St. and a non-cover as an 11.5-point favorite against a horrible Stony Brook team that is ranked No. 329 in the country. The best team the Rams have faced is Kansas St., the lowest ranked team in the Big 12, and lost by 20. 10* (677) Providence Friars

This is a play on the TULSA GOLDEN HURRICANE for our CBB Saturday Signature Enforcer. It has been a slow start for Tulsa as it is 2-4 which does include a solid win against Loyola-Chicago by 19 points as a 7.5-point underdog over in South Carolina. Three of those losses came against Oregon St., Murray St. and Oklahoma St. so nothing horrible there and now the Golden Hurricane return home for the first time in three weeks where they are 1-0 and will be not only looking to snap their 0-3 straight up and ATS run but to provide a better performance at home after a satisfactory first game in a six-point win over Jackson St. as a pretty big favorite. Time to break out for a quality win. Oral Roberts is the top ranked team in the Summit League but we are still not sure about this team quite yet as the Golden Eagles are 5-3 but four of those wins came against non-Division I teams and two of those against Oklahoma Baptist and Rogers St. were far from impressive as they won by just 10 and 11 points respectively. Oral Roberts is 1-3 on the road but to its credit, the three losses were against some good teams in St. Mary's, Houston (elite) and Utah St. but none were close. This cupcake schedule is too good to pass up to go against until we see something good come about. 10* (638) Tulsa Golden Hurricane

This is a play on the TULANE GREEN WAVE for our Saturday Supreme Annihilator. We are getting some excellent value on Tulane as it is 5-2 to open the season but has not been able to cover as it has gone 0-6 ATS over its last six games and both of its outright losses came on a neutral floor against Nevada and Western Kentucky in the Cayman Islands. The Green Wave head home where they are 4-0 but just 1-3 against the number as they have not been tested by laying spreads of 16 or more points in all four games but have still won those all by at least 15 points. They are laying a much smaller number here because of the inability to cover as well as the opponent winning streak coming in. This is a solid team picked No. 4 in the preseason rankings. Fordham opened the season with a win over Dartmouth and then got lambasted at Arkansas but the Rams have responded with six consecutive victories yet they should not get too excited. The Rams finished .500 or better for just the second time since 2007 last season but lost coach Kyle Neptune in the offseason to Villanova and expectations are not high as Fordham is picked to finish No. 13 in the 15-team Atlantic Ten. The six consecutive victories are something to build on but going on the road for the first time in three weeks is not ideal especially when the best win of the bunch is Harvard. 10* (612) Tulane Green Wave

This is a play on the COLORADO BUFFALOES for our CBB Thursday Supreme Annihilator. Pac 12 action opens this week with Arizona St. heading to Colorado for the opener for both. Colorado is 4-3 to start the season as it has been very uneven as focus and motivation seem to be the biggest issues. After opening the season with a blowout against UC-Riverside, the Buffaloes lost at Grambling by nine points as a 14-point favorite but came back two days later and defeated Tennessee by 12 points as a 15-point underdog. And it goes on. Colorado snuck by Yale in its last game at home by just three points but it was guilty of having a week off after playing a destination tournament in Myrtle Beach and it possesses a great home court edge at altitude where Colorado is 166-34 under head coach Tad Boyle. Arizona St. is off to a 6-1 start that includes big wins over VCU and Michigan on a neutral floor and the Sun Devils hit the road for the second time this season with the first resulting in a one-point loss against Texas Southern as an 11-point favorite. Obviously, this will be a bigger road test and the line giving Arizona St. a lot of credit based on its overall record and pair of quality wins. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points that are averaging between 67 and 74 ppg and after two straight wins by 10 points or more going up against teams allowing between 67 and 74 ppg. This situation is 37-12 ATS (75.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (768) Colorado Buffaloes

This is a play on the ILLINOIS ST. REDBIRDS for our CBB Thursday Signature Enforcer. Missouri Valley Conference action is tipping off this week and one game is taking place at Murray St. as the Racers are hosting their first MVC game after coming over from the Ohio Valley Conference. It will certainly be a fantastic atmosphere for their conference home opener but laying this number is very aggressive. The Racers rolled through the OVC last season as they went 18-0 and won their first round NCAA Tournament game but now it is a different story. Not only is it an upgrade in conference but the team is brand new with a new head coach and a roster that returned only two players from last season and are picked to finish No. 8. Murray St. is relying on transfers and freshmen and it has been an uneven start as they are 3-3. Illinois St. is pegged two spots lower and while it also has a big roster turnover, their transfer acquisitions are much better and this is a more veteran team. The Redbirds have dropped four straight games after a two-game winning streak and a big reason this line is so large is that they are 0-7 ATS to start the season so a big adjustment needed to be made and it is way to big. Here, we play against home teams as a favorite or pickem averaging between 74 and 78 ppg and after a loss by 6 points or less going up against teams allowing between 63 and 67 ppg. This situation is 57-22 ATS (72.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (759) Illinois St. Redbirds

This is a play on the TEXAS LONGHORNS for our Thursday Star Attraction. Texas has rolled through its early schedule as it is 5-0 which includes a 19-point win over Gonzaga. The Longhorns come into the week ranked No. 2 in the country and this will be their biggest test of the season and what Creighton normally has advantages in, Texas counters that unlike many other teams can. The big edge is in the backcourt that is led by Tyrese Hunter who was the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and is currently the big playmaker up top who leads the team in three-point shooting and faces and awful three-point shooting defense that is going to give Texas plenty of open looks. Creighton comes into this game at 6-1 following a two-point loss against No. 14 Arizona on to close out the Maui Invitational. The Bluejays did enjoy a pair of top 25 wins and come in as the No. 7 team in the nation so this is no easy out for the Longhorns but it is a tough spot for Creighton as this is its first true road game of the season. The one aspect that Creighton has dominated in is rebounding as it is top 15 in rebounding and No. 10 in offensive rebounds per game allowed but face their toughest test here with Texas led by Dillon Mitchell who is top 10 in the country in offensive rebounding percentage. Here, we play on home teams - after a cover as a double digit favorite, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages of .800 or better. This situation is 47-20 ATS (70.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (752) Texas Longhorns

This is a play on the TCU HORNED FROGS for our CBB Wednesday Supreme Annihilator. TCU is off to a 5-1 start with the one loss coming against Northwestern St. by a point as a 22.5-point favorite at home so we can toss that hiccup away as the Horned Frogs clearly did not come to play. They did come to play after that as the Horned Frogs rolled over California and Iowa to capture the Emerald Coast Classic in Florida and that is more like what we should expect from TCU as it has been tabbed to finish No. 4 in the Big 12 Conference as Jamie Dixon has this team poised to make a run at the conference championship. TCU has four starters back from the team that nearly made it to the Sweet 16 but an overtime loss against No. 1 seed Arizona ended their season and they bring back the most minutes of any team in the conference. The Horned Frogs are 9-2-1 ATS in their last 12 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. Providence has won five of its seven games to open the campaign and it has gone as what has been put in front of them. The five wins all came at home against a bunch of patsies where the Friars were favored by double-digits in all five games and they lost their two games against Miami and St. Louis where they were underdogs on a neutral floor. This is the first true road game for Providence and it is not the easiest of trips and with a rivalry game looming at Rhode Island, the focus might not be full here. The Friars have failed to cover each of their last four games. 10* (690) TCU Horned Frogs

This is a play on the DUKE BLUE DEVILS for our CBB Game of the Month. Duke opened the season 6-1 that included a pair of wins out west in the PK Legacy before losing to Purdue in the finals and it was not even close as the Blue Devils lost by 19 points against one of the most underrated rosters in the country. Duke shot 36.2 percent from the floor including going just 2-19 from long range against the Boilermakers and now it heads home to face its second straight Big Ten opponent. The Blue Devils are 4-0 at home and have yet to be tested here but the home floor edge is huge for this team in a great bounce back spot. Ohio St. had a successful run at the Maui Invitational as after getting beat handily by San Diego St., the Buckeyes went on to defeat Cincinnati and Texas Tech in the final two rounds to improve to 5-1 on the season. Ohio St. now hits the road for its first true road game of the season and it comes at the wrong time and wrong place. The run in Hawaii gave us some better perspective after opening the season with three straight cupcake wins and the last two games is adding value into this number as people do not seem to be sold on Duke just yet. Here, we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points after being beaten by the spread by 24 or more points total in their last three games going up against an opponent after going over the total by 42 or more points total in their last five games. This situation is 46-18 ATS (71.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (676) Duke Blue Devils

This is a play on the MIAMI HURRICANES for our CBB Wednesday Signature Enforcer. Miami has gotten off to a 6-1 start with the lone loss coming against undefeated and No. 23 Maryland in Connecticut and the Hurricanes have won their two games since then including an impressive two-point win at Central Florida on Sunday. They are back home where they are 4-0 with all four being blowout wins by an average of 19 ppg. This will be the biggest home test to date but it not an overly difficult matchup and Miami is catching a great line based on the opponent results. The Hurricanes have been average on both ends and while facing a stout defense, that is skewed based on schedule. The Hurricanes are 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. Rutgers has started 5-1 with the lone loss coming against Temple on a neutral floor which has been its only test of the season. The Scarlet Knights other five games have all been at home and they were favored by at least 13.5 points in all of those games while covering four of those. Of the 363 Division I teams, the Rutgers schedule checks in at No. 356 and while this is considered a possible sleeper team in the Big Ten, we have yet to see what they can do after losing Ron Harper, Jr. and Geo Baker. The Scarlet Knights are 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (674) Miami Hurricanes

This is a play on the EASTERN MICHIGAN EAGLES for our CBB Wednesday Ultimate Underdog. Eastern Michigan has been a brutal disappointment this season as after a win over Wayne St. in its opener, the Eagles have lost six straight games but four of those were competitive games decided by seven points or less including games against Michigan and Oakland. What makes this start more disappointing is the fact Eastern Michigan has one of the best young players in the country in Emoni Bates, a future lottery pick, as he is averaging 19.5 ppg and 6.3 rpg on a team that can put up points but needs to get better on the defensive end. Florida International is expected to be one of the worst trams in C-USA as it is picked to finish No. 10 in the 11-team conference. The Panthers are coming off a couple big wins over Stony Brook and Eastern Washington and now the line is inflated because of those recent double-digit wins along with the struggles of Eastern Michigan. The offense has been good but like the Eagles, the defense is an issue as they have allowed 74 or more points in four of their last five games including point totals of 91 and 107 points. Here, we play against favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points allowing between 74 and 78 ppg and after two straight wins by 10 points or more going up against teams allowing 78 or more ppg. This situation is 22-3 ATS (88 percent) since 1997. 10* (653) Eastern Michigan Eagles

This is a play on the WICHITA ST. SHOCKERS as part of our CBB Tuesday Three-Pack. Missouri is coming off a 12-21 season and head coach Cuonzo Martin was shown the door in what was expected an overhaul but not to that extent. Dennis Gates was hired was hired as the new head coach, coming over from Cleveland St. where he turned around a program going nowhere leading the Vikings Horizon League regular-season and tournament titles, and earned an NCAA tournament bid. Now things get tough as he got a team that lost 69 percent of its minutes and 67 percent of its scoring. Off to a 7-0 start, the Tigers look to be already exceeding expectations but it is not as strong of a start as it looks. All seven games have come at home with the best team they have played is probably Pennsylvania and in those games, they have been favored by at least 12 points. Out of 363 Division I teams, Missouri has played the No. 363 ranked schedule in the country so now comes the first real test and outside of Columbia. Wichita St. is 4-2 which includes a solid road win at Richmond and a close neutral court loss against a very good San Francisco team. Seven players transferred out in what was a mass exodus after the first sub-.500 conference finish in over a decade for the program but the chemistry has been there early on the defensive side of things where it is ranked No. 30 in scoring defense and No. 13 in shooting percentage defense. The offense is led by a strong backcourt duo of Craig Porter, Jr. and Jaykwon Walton who are averaging 27.0 ppg, 5.1 apg and 12.7 rpg. This is a tough place to play to begin with let alone the first time out for Missouri. 10* (624) Wichita St. Shockers

This is a play on the LOUISVILLE CARDINALS as part of our CBB Tuesday Three-Pack. Maryland and Louisville meet in one of the six ACC/Big Ten Challenge games on Tuesday and it matches two teams that have gotten off to completely opposite starts. The Louisville start has been well documented as it is 0-6 under new head coach Kenny Payne and it heads back home following a 0-3 showing in the Maui Invitational where it lost those games by a combined 77 points. Prior to the trip out to Hawaii, Louisville became the first team since 1980-81 to lose their first three games of the season by one point and the Cardinals 0-3 start at home was the first time since 1940-41 that have accomplished this dubious feat of opening the season with three consecutive home losses. We are backing the Cardinals here as they are better than this and are getting value based on not just the straight up mark but the fact they are 0-6 against the number as well. The Terrapins are off to a 6-0 start and jumped into the AP Poll at No. 23 this week and while they have a good pair of wins over St. Louis and Miami on a neutral floor, they have played no one else as they were favored by 17 or more points in those other four games. This is the first true road game for Maryland which is another reason for going against them and despite laying double digits on the road, the public will be all over a 6-0 team facing a 0-6 team. The Terrapins were not on the radar coming into the season as they were picked to finish No. 10 in the 14-team Big Ten so while the 6-0 start is nice, it is against a schedule ranked No. 298 so we are far from sold on this team just yet. 10* (604) Louisville Cardinals

This is a play on the SOUTH FLORIDA BULLS as part of our CBB Tuesday Three-Pack. South Florida opened the season 0-5 but if there ever is a positive start with five losses, this was it. Three of those losses were by six combined points and another came at No. 15 Auburn by just eight points. The Bulls have responded with two straight wins and can carry that into this second game of a three-game homestand. With three impact transfers in Tyler Harris (Memphis) Keyshawn Bryant (South Carolina) Selton Miguel (Kansas State), early chemistry would be an issue and that was the case with the rough start but it takes time to gel and the feeling is that they are almost there. After laboring through an 8-23 season that featured 25.2 percent shooting from three-point range, worst in the country and 57.5 ppg, there has been an uptick on offense. Massachusetts is 4-1 to start the season including a solid run in winning the Myrtle Beach Invitational with victories over Colorado, Murray St. and Charlotte all by six points or less. The coaching of Frank Martin who is in his first season already looks to be paying off in crunch time but now the Minutemen hit the highway for their first true road game of the season. They have had eight days off since their last game which can hurt the momentum from their winning streak and we figure they are the false favorite. Here, we play against teams where the line is +3 to -3 after two straight wins by six points or less going up against an opponent after scoring 75 points or more in two straight games. This situation is 44-17 ATS (72.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (612) South Florida Bulls

This is a play on the SEATTLE REDHAWKS as part of our CBB Monday Three-Pack. Seattle is off to a 5-0 start which comes as no surprise as the Redhawks returned four starters after going 23-8 last season including a 14-4 WAC record and shared the regular season conference title. Granted, the schedule has been far from daunting but this team is loaded once again. Seattle returns four starters including First-Team All-WAC guard and Player of the Year candidate Cam Tyson who leads the team with 28.3 ppg on 50 percent shooting and that scoring average would easily lead the nation but he has not qualified because he has not played in 75 percent of the games as he sat out both games against non-Division I teams. This is little brother vs. big brother and Seattle has the punch to snap its 16-game losing streak in this crosstown series. Washington is off to a 5-1 start with the loss coming against California Baptist and the Huskies have escaped with some poor efforts against lesser teams in North Florida and Utah Tech as big favorites. They are coming off a pair of wins against Fresno St. and St. Mary's in Anaheim so they do come in with some confidence. Washington has been pegged a bottom half team in the Pac 12 after losing their only two double-digit scorers including conference scoring leader Terrell Brown. This is a team of unknowns still and playing a deep and veteran team that is hungry for that signature victory will be a challenge. 10* (815) Seattle Redhawks

This is a play on the SAM HOUSTON ST. BEARKATS as part of our CBB Monday Three-Pack. Sam Houston St. is off to a 6-0 start and it is not because of playing a home heavy cupcake schedule as it has won four games away from home that includes wins at Oklahoma and Utah with the other two coming against Northern Illinois and South Dakota by 34 and 31 points respectively. The loss of Savion Flagg was supposed to be devastating for the Bearkats who led the team with 18.7 ppg and 8.1 rpg and while his absence is certainly a big one, they have adjusted just fine. This is one of the deepest teams in the country as they have 11 players that average double-digits in minutes led by Wichita St. transfer guard Qua Grant who leads the team in scoring and is a floor leader and is one of seven guards that can handle the ball. The depth is key for a team that presses constantly. Nevada is 6-1 to open the campaign with the only loss coming against Kansas St. in overtime by nine points which is its only blemish against the number. This start is surprising as the Wolf Pack are basically starting from scratch after going 12-17 including 6-12 in the MWC. They have been picked to finish No. 8 in the conference with just one reliable scorer returning and some of the big transfer help has fizzled thus far with Tyler Powell from Seton Hall averaging less than a bucket per game and Hunter McIntosh from Elon having yet to take the floor. Wrong team favored. 10* (817) Sam Houston St. Bearkats

This is a play on the UTSA ROADRUNNERS as part of our CBB Monday Three-Pack. Game three of the 210 San Antonio shootout takes place Monday night with Incarnate Word and UTSA having different results in the first two games. The Roadrunners lost to Grambling in the opener by 20 points before falling in overtime last night so it is time to get back on track. UTSA is not expected to do much in the loaded C-USA but playing for pride tonight on its home floor is paramount before a pair of tough road games at New Mexico and Utah. UTSA has a strong backcourt led on offense by newcomer guards Japhet Medor and John Buggs III but All-Conference selection center Jacob Germany has led the way with 12.7 ppg and 7.4 rpg after a huge night on Sunday. Incarnate Word has done the complete opposite as it has won its first two games, defeating Grambling and Dartmouth by a combined seven points. The Cardinals have overachieved thus far at 4-3 and they have been picked to finish dead last in the Southland Conference and we are getting value on the home team based on the Incarnate Word 4-0 run against the number. They have struggled on both ends of the floor as they are No. 311 in offensive effective field goal percentage and No. 210 in defensive effective field goal percentage. While recent results favor the Cardinals here, they will have too much to overcome with a ton of motivation on the opposite bench. 10* (306616) UTSA Roadrunners

This is a play on the OREGON ST. BEAVERS as part of our CBB Sunday Three-Pack. Big time revenge is in play in the seventh-place game at the Chiles Center pitting Oregon St. and Portland St. this is the second meeting this season between the Beavers and Vikings after Portland St. won in Corvallis 79-66 on November 19th which marked the Vikings first win in the intrastate series as the Beavers claimed the first 16 games dating back to 1974. Oregon St. has some confidence as it lost to Duke by just three points, holding the Blue Devils to 26.7 percent shooting but was unable to shake that off as it fell to Florida by 13 points the following night. The Beavers have already matched their win total from all of last season so the improvements are already showing and there will be no lack of motivation here. The Vikings lost to sixth-ranked Gonzaga in their opener, then West Virginia on Friday night as they committed 24 turnovers, twice their season average, and in the two games, they allowed a combined 60.5 percent shooting from the floor. The win over Oregon St. was impressive but it was a little skewed as the Beavers attempted only 46 field goal attempts. This is not expected to be a good team as the Vikings are picked No. 8 in the preseason Big Sky poll. 10* (789) Oregon St. Beavers

This is a play on the PORTLAND PILOTS as part of our CBB Sunday Three-Pack. Michigan St. is the biggest favorite in the final round of the PK Invitational and will still be a very publicly backed team here based on name and its early season results have far exceeded expectations. The Spartans are 3-2 with wins over Kentucky, Villanova and Oregon with the latter two coming by a combined six points and the victory over the Wildcats coming in overtime. The schedule has been brutal for this young team but they have clearly held their own but after five straight games against teams that can make legitimate NCAA Tournament runs, this presents a letdown spot and laying a large number on an away court. Portland is a team not to sleep on this season as the Pilots have been picked No. 5 in the top heavy WCC after going 19-15 last season including 7-7 in the conference after a 1-42 run in the WCC the previous three seasons. They have been dealing with an injured backcourt but have held their own with a bear miss against North Carolina and then bouncing back with a win over Villanova which prevented a Michigan St./Villanova rematch. Playing a third straight power five team with rich history is not going to faze Portland that will have the home floor edge. 10* (779) Portland Pilots

This is a play on the OREGON DUCKS as part of our CBB Sunday Three-Pack. Villanova has lost three straight games and while the loss against Iowa St. in overtime is looking a lot better after the Cyclones defeated North Carolina as is the loss against Michigan St. prior to that but getting defeated by Portland by 12 points raises questions. The transition from Jay Wright to Kyle Neptune was supposed to be seamless but it has been a struggle as there is also a loss against Temple mixed in there with the two wins coming against LaSalle and Delaware St. by a combined 22 points where they were favored by a combined 50 points. Villanova has been without Big East Preseason Freshman of the Year Cam Whitmore and second team Preseason All-Big East guard Justin Moore. Oregon has also dropped three straight games but has had a tougher stretch as those three losses have come to teams ranked in the Top 20. While not a true home game, the Ducks have the advantage of their campus being nearby so they will have the crowd edge and they have the better roster to bounce back at this point. Oregon could be without N'Faly Dante but the Ducks to have two other big bodies down low as Kel'el Ware and Nate Bittle combine for 40-plus minutes per game and offer size that Villanova cannot counter. 10* (776) Oregon Ducks

This is a play on the BOISE ST. BRONCOS for our CBB Saturday Supreme Annihilator. Boise St. opens a two-game homestand on Saturday as the schedule takes a break after a lot of travel the last couple weeks. Boise St. owns a pair of quality wins over Pac 12 teams as it defeated Washington St. and Colorado by double-digits on neutral floors and the Broncos are back home for the first time since their season opener on November 9th which resulted in a two-point loss against South Dakota St. The Broncos have a lock down defense as they come in ranked No. 21 in defensive efficiency while allowing only 57.2 ppg which is No. 24 in the nation. This has led to some easy opportunities going the other way as the Broncos have led or finished tied with all five opponents in fastbreak points this season. Utah Valley is off to a 3-3 start, going undefeated at home but coming in 0-2 on the road and while one of those was an overtime loss at Wake Forest, the other came by 17 points at Utah St., another MWC team. The Wolverines have been average on both sides of the ball and have been a poor shooting team, hitting only 42 percent from the floor including 25.5 percent from long range which is No. 352 in the nation out of 363 Division I teams. Here, we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points that are allowing 63 or fewer ppg and after allowing 65 points or less in three straight games going up against teams allowing between 67 and 74. This situation is 45-15 ATS (75 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (634) Boise St. Broncos

This is a play on the NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH for our CBB Friday Enforcer. Notre Dame is off to a 5-0 start and after missing the cover in its first four games, the Irish covered against Bowling Green last time out and now head out of South Bend for the first time this season. Notre Dame had an unexpectedly great season a year ago and this is a dynamic offense with a starting lineup that features a shooting big man in Nate Laszewski, who is averaging a team high 19.6 ppg and 8.8 rpg surrounded by four perimeter scorers and playmakers as the Irish possess one of the best backcourts in the ACC with J.J. Starling, Cormac Ryan, Dane Goodwin and Trey Wertz which have averaged a combined 52.8 ppg. They are No. 8 in the country in offensive efficiency. The Bonnies check in at 3-2 and have covered three straight games and are 4-1 ATS on the season but face their toughest opponent of the season. This is a surprise but have been coached up by Mark Schmidt once again despite a myriad of losses as they lost over 99 percent of their scoring and like a lot of teams, they are relying on transfer help but their situation is a lot different as the top three newcomers are all from lower level programs and do not have the roster to keep up here. St. Bonaventure is No. 137 in the nation in offensive efficiency and will have to go well above that to compete today. Here, we play against neutral court teams as an underdog in a game involving two teams allowing between 67 and 74 ppg, after two straight wins by 10 points or more. This situation is 23-4 ATS (85.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (843) Notre Dame Fighting Irish

This is a play on the VILLANOVA WILDCATS for our CBB Thursday Enforcer. Iowa St. went 2-22 in 2021 in one of the worst regressions in the country but the Cyclones did a 180 and finished 22-13 last season with one of the best turnarounds as they made it back to the Big Dance and won two games against LSU and Wisconsin before losing to Miami in the Sweet 16. Now it is an unknown group as the Cyclones lost a ton from last season, most notably their two best backcourt players and leading scorers Izaiah Brockington and Tyrese Hunter who averaged a combined 28.3 ppg, 10.6 rpg and 6.6 apg. Iowa St. has been picked to finish No. 8 in the 10-team Big 12 and while it is off to a 3-0 start, it has played no one. The Cyclones have three home blowout victories but they were not tested as their schedule comes into Thursday ranked No. 362 out of 363 teams. Now comes a real test. Villanova is expected to take a small step back but this is still a loaded team that took Michigan St. to the very end, a Spartans team that lost to Gonzaga and defeated Kentucky so this team has been tested. The loss to Michigan St. was disheartening as it really could have put that loss to Temple behind them but the Wildcats will build off that in a big game to get it back before facing some much bigger competition in this loaded tournament. The numbers have not been overly impressive but being tested in big this early in the season especially the comeback that almost happened against the Spartans. 10* (806) Villanova Wildcats

This is a play on the BUTLER BULLDOGS for our CBB Wednesday Enforcer. The Battle 4 Atlantis tips off on Wednesday with a great group of teams all ranked within the top 71 (Sagarin) and the final game of the day pits No. 23 Tennessee against No. 31 Butler and we are grabbing the Bulldogs in a very inflated line. Butler is off to a 3-1 start with the lone loss coming against Penn St. and the gameplan in that game was executed perfectly to slow it down against the up tempo and solid shooting Nittany Lions but the Bulldogs had a horrible shooting night as they hit only 34 percent from the floor including 22 percent from long range. It will be a similar gameplan here for Butler which is loaded with talent with an experienced backcourt and help down low via the transfer portal. Guards Chuck Harris, Jayden Taylor, and Simas Lukosius have combined for 44.9 ppg and 8.6 apg while NC State transfer center Manny Bates is averaging 13.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg and 3.5 bpg. Tennessee rolled in its two wins over Tennessee Tech and Florida Gulf Coast as 36 and 21-point favorites respectively but were blown out against Colorado by 12 points as a 15-point favorite in its only game away from home. Out of 363 Division I teams, the Volunteers are No. 356 in shooting at 37.3 percent and they have put up a decent scoring average because of pace which Butler plans on limiting. Based on the power rankings, this is roughly a one-point line so there is a ton of value on the Bulldogs in a very winnable game. 10* (746) Butler Bulldogs

This is a play on the MARQUETTE GOLDEN EAGLES for our CBB Wednesday Supreme Annihilator. Georgia Tech and Marquette square off in the consolation game of the Fort Myers Tipoff as both are coming off close losses to open the tournament. The Golden Eagles fell to 3-2 following a three-point loss against Mississippi St. which is ranked slightly ahead of them (No. 29 vs. No. 26) with their first loss coming against Purdue on the road by five points as an eight-point underdog and has rolled in its three wins are favorites, all by double-digits. This is a big game for Marquette in building a resume that lacks major conference teams on its remaining schedule and even though this is one of the worst ACC teams, it is still an ACC team. The Golden Eagles could be undefeated if they could have closed out the game in those two losses and should not have an issue in doing so here. Georgia Tech is coming off a disappointing 12-20 season last year including a 5-15 record in the ACC and not much returned with its leading scorer coming back with just 7.6 ppg. This is a bad shooting team as the Yellow Jackets are currently No. 344 in the country in effective field goal percentage, as they are hitting just 26.5 percent of their three-pointers and only 41.6 percent of their two-point attempts. Offensive rebounding will be key for Marquette as Georgia Tech is one of the 20 worst defensive rebounding teams in the country and the worst of any major conference team. These are all fair comparisons as they have played a very similar strength of schedule (No. 177 vs. No. 175). 10* (736) Marquette Golden Eagles

This is a play on the BRADLEY BRAVES for our CBB Tuesday Enforcer. It was an incredible season for Auburn last year, at least through the regular season, as it went 27-4 including a 15-3 SEC record and a regular season conference championship, but the Tigers were ousted in their first SEC Tournament game and then after a win over Jacksonville St. in the opening round of the Big Dance, they fell to Miami, Fla. in the second round. Their two best players from that team, top three NBA draft pick Jabari Smith and the top block leader in the country Walker Kessler, are gone which present two big gaps. The Tigers were top 25 in scoring but inefficient on offense and that has carried over into this season as they are shooting only 41.3 percent, No. 290 in the nation, including 25 percent from long range despite playing an easy schedule with all four games taking place at home. Bradley missed the postseason last year but it had a solid season at 17-14 including 11-7 in the MVC and the Braves are picked to finish second in the conference this season. They are off to a 3-1 start despite some early injuries and they are getting excellent value here as a huge underdog with a defense that can keep this lower scoring. Five of the Braves six players averaging double-digits in scoring will be making the trip to the Cancun Challenge so their depth is also an asset. After struggling at Utah St., they have looked more efficient the last two games as the chemistry is coming together. Here, we play against teams that averaged 62 or more shots per game last season, after three straight games allowing 37 percent shooting or less. This situation is 24-6 ATS (80 percent) since 1997. 10* (665) Bradley Braves

This is a play on the LOUISVILLE CARDINALS for our CBB Tuesday Afternoon Dominator. Texas Tech is coming off a season where it reached the NCAA Sweet 16 for the sixth time in program history and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight time. The Red Raiders are tabbed for a fourth place finish in the Big 12 and they entered the week ranked No. 20 in the country but that will be short lived after losing to Creighton on Monday where the defense allowed the Bluejays to shoot 55 percent from the floor and they were not aggressive on offense as Texas Tech went to the free throw line only seven times. They come in as big favorites Tuesday because of the struggles of their opposition and they are definitely overvalued on a neutral floor going from an underdog yesterday to a double-digit favorite today but will be a publicly backed team here. Louisville fell to 0-4 on the season as it got run out of the gym in the second half against Arkansas. After trailing by eight points at halftime, the Cardinals pulled within five points at 43-38 with 14:26 left to play but the Razorbacks used a 17-0 run to pull away for the 26-point victory. They shot just 36 percent from the floor including a 4-12 effort from long range while committing 22 turnovers against the pressing defense of Arkansas. Prior to the trip out to Hawaii, Louisville became the first team since 1980-81 to lose their first three games of the season by one point and the Cardinals 0-3 start at home was the first time since 1940-41 that have accomplished this dubious feat of opening the season with three consecutive home losses. 10* (654) Louisville Cardinals

This is a play on the SAN DIEGO ST. AZTECS for our CBB Monday Supreme Annihilator. The Aztecs, the preseason favorite in the Mountain West Conference, have opened the season 3-0 and it has been good and bad for the No. 17 team in the nation. The good is that they are averaging 78.7 ppg through the first three games after putting up just 65.4 ppg last season and in this case, the bad will eventually turn into a good. The best offensive threat on the team, senior guard Matt Bradley, is averaging 7.0 ppg on 8-33 shooting 5-23 (24.2 percent) with all of his buckets but one being from around the rim. Once he gets going, this team will be a force on offense. On the other side, San Diego St. combines size and physicality with an outstanding defensive scheme and one of the most best defenders in the country in Nathan Mensah. Ohio St. is also 3-0 but has played no one as the Buckeyes have been favored by at least 21 points in all three games, going 1-2 against the number. Ohio St. went 20-12 last season and was ousted by Villanova in the second round of the NCAA Tournament and this season, they have only one starter back and could struggle early against quality teams and this is certainly one of those. The Buckeyes are picked to finish No. 6 in the Big Ten Conference and while they possess a solid backcourt, they will be at a huge disadvantage down low. Here, we play on favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points in a game involving two teams that had a winning percentage between .600 and .800 from last season, with three or more starters returning from last year than opponent. This situation is 30-9 ATS (76.9 percent) since 1997. 10* (796) San Diego St. Aztecs

This is a play on the AKRON ZIPS for our CBB Monday Afternoon Dominator. Akron is off to a 2-1 start to the season that included an overtime win over South Dakota St. with the one loss coming against Mississippi St. in Philadelphia and we are catching value here based on the Zips 0-3 record against the number. Enrique Freeman and Xavier Castaneda led Akron to the 2022 MAC Tournament Championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament a year ago and they have been selected to the All-Mac First and Second Team respectively. The Zips went 24-10 overall and 14-6 in the MAC and have been tabbed to finish No. 3 in the conference this season. Western Kentucky is 3-0 following a pair of non-Division I wins in its last two games and the numbers are inflated with a 127-point performance against Kentucky St. and this can be argued the Hilltoppers are a false favorite in this matchup and this should be closer to a pickem. This is a solid team as well that has four starters back including three players added to the All-C-USA First and Second Teams but the Hilltoppers will be facing their toughest test of the young season. The big, skewed stat is that they are holding their opponents to 29.8 percent shooting, which is No. 4 in the country but against a schedule that has been watered down. Here, we play against neutral court teams as a favorite or pickem averaging 78 or more ppg and after allowing 55 points or less going up against teams averaging between 63 and 67 ppg. This situation is 35-11 ATS (76.1 percent) since 1997. 10* (773) Akron Zips

This is a play on the TEXAS A&M AGGIES for our CBB Sunday Enforcer. The athletic program at Texas A&M is in a sad state right now with the football team playing out the season after national championship aspirations and now the basketball program which came into the season ranked in the top 25 has lost the first two games of the Myrtle Beach Invitational and both were ugly. The Aggies lost to Murray St. by nine points as a 13.5-point favorite and then dropped the last game against Colorado by 28 points as a 6.5-point favorite and most troubling was the 103 points allowed for a team known for its stifling defense. This is inexcusable for a loaded team that only lost one key player from last season and after a day off, this team will be laser focused. Texas A&M is 7-0 ATS in its last seven games when playing their 3rd game in seven days. Loyola-Chicago has been much worse even though the record is a similar 2-2 on the season. The Ramblers opened the season with an overtime win over Fairleigh Dickinson as a 25.5-point favorite and then escaped at rival Illinois-Chicago by seven points as a 10.5-point favorite. The first two games of this tournament resulted in losses by losses by 19 and 22 points, both with the Ramblers being favored, and this is a team going in reverse. Loyola-Chicago was picked fourth in its first season in the Atlantic 10 and should be okay once conference season starts and the chemistry is not there yet after losing six scholarship players from the 25-win team from last season. The Ramblers are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 games away from home off an upset loss by 10 points or more as a favorite. 10* (707) Texas A&M Aggies

This is a play on the NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS for our CBB Sunday Supreme Annihilator. Even though North Carolina is off to a 3-0 start, it has not been pretty as the Tar Heels have been unable to put away teams like a like a No. 1 team in the country should. They are 0-3 against the number and while the first two wins were by double-digits, there were moments that they could have ran away with the game but let UNC-Wilmington and Charleston hang around for a while and then there was a six point win over Gardner Webb as a 22.5-point favorite last time out. It is time to buckle down and now they face a worthy opponent that they need to lock down from the start. We are getting some great value here based on the winless cover record and the struggles in that last game and with the Phil Knight Invitational on deck, this is a pretty important game. James Madison has gotten off to a 4-0 start and has absolutely obliterated every team faced. The Dukes opened with a non-lined win over Valley Forge and then rolled over Hampton, Buffalo and Howard, the latter two on the road, and they covered those games by a combined 77 points. Impressive indeed but the schedule has been a cakewalk as it is ranked No. 314 out of 363 Division I teams and now they finally get tested and it could not be a worse spot facing a team that desperate to get its expected A game going. James Madison has been picked to finish No. 4 in its first year in the Sun Belt Conference so this is no doubt a very good team but not on the North Carolina level. 10* (668) North Carolina Tar Heels

This is a play on the SOUTH DAKOTA ST. JACKRABBITS as part of our CBB Saturday Three Pack. This is an interesting scheduling spot for both teams. South Dakota St. is playing its first true home game of the season after a 2-2 split on the highway. The Jackrabbits split at Akron and Boise St. then defeated St. Bonaventure on a neutral floor and in a tough spot, they had to travel to Arkansas the next night and were trounced against the Razorbacks by 15 points in a game that really was not that close. South Dakota St. is once again going to be a tough out in the Summit League after being the first team ever in the conference to go undefeated in the regular season and has been picked to finish No. 2 behind Oral Roberts. The Jackrabbits are the only team with a pair of players named to the All-Summit First Team in forward Luke Appel and guard Zeke Mayo. Stephen F. Austin went 14-4 in the WAC last season and 22-8 overall and will be another top team in the conference this season but will try to succeed without First Team All-WAC big man Gavin Kensmil, and Second Team All-WAC guard David Kachelries while losing four other players in the transfer portal. The Lumberjacks did receive transfer help to replenish the roster but will take some time to get the correct rotations and that was evident in their last game which resulted in a nine-point loss against Alcorn St. as 11-point favorites. This typically brings in a good bounce back spot but this is the first road game of the season and not an easy one. 10* (640) South Dakota Jackrabbits

This is a play on the NORTH TEXAS MEAN GREEN as part of our CBB Saturday Three Pack. We will preface with the fact North Texas finished with 16-2 record in C-USA last season and made a trip to the NIT. The Mean Green rode its stout defensive play to a program-record 25 wins and finished with the No. 1 ranked scoring defense in the country at 55.7 ppg. They opened the season with an uninspiring win over Southern Nazarene by six points and used that defense when it travelled to St. Mary's and allowed 63 points but the offense stayed on the bus as they scored 33 points but the roster was hit by the flu bug. That should produce an inspiring bounce back effort from a team picked to finish No. 2 or No. 3 in the conference. Fresno St. finished 18-12 last season which was middle of the pack in the MWC and not much is expected this season as the Bulldogs have been tabbed to finish in the bottom third of the conference this season. That mediocrity was on display in the last two games against Santa Barbara on a neutral floor and at home against San Francisco where they lost the covers by a combined 13 points. The loss of center Orlando Robinson is evident after being the best player on both ends of the floor last season, averaging 19.2 ppg 8.2 rpg and 1.3 bpg. They were expecting the backcourt to carry the team this season, notably Isaiah Hill and Jemarl Baker but they have underwhelmed with those two averaging 12.3 ppg and having 13 turnovers to just 10 assists combined. 10* (626) North Texas Mean Green

This is a play on the DETROIT TITANS as part of our CBB Saturday Three Pack. Florida Atlantic has gotten off to a 3-1 start that included a huge upset win at Florida by a bucket as a 12.5-point underdog and avoided a letdown with a win over Bryant but the defensive end was once again vulnerable as the Owls allowed 74 points and on the season they 76 ppg in their three games against non-Division 1 teams and that side could be a problem all season which brings a lot of teams into play, especially when laying numbers this big. Florida Atlantic has preseason All C-USA First Team guard Alijah Martin in its backcourt after leading the Owls with 13.9 ppg on 45.8 percent shooting to go with 5.3 rpg to lead the Owls. He has regressed somewhat so far and is in a tough matchup here. Detroit is 2-1 to start the season and should be 3-0 at it had Boston College on the ropes on the road but ended up losing by four points as an 8.5-point underdog. The Titans followed that up with a solid 14-point win over Ohio as a slight home underdog. While the Owls have an All-Conference player in the backcourt, Detroit possesses the best backcourt player on the floor Antoine Davis, a fifth year senior, has averaged at least 23 points in each of his first four seasons and has averaged 24.8 ppg overall after putting up 23.7 ppg through three games this season even though his percentages have been down. Detroit is picked to finish No. 6 in the Horizon League which is not lofty but this is a team that will make noise. 10* (629) Detroit Titans

This is a play on the FLORIDA ST. SEMINOLES for our CBB Friday Star Attraction. With its loss to Troy, Florida St. has lost its first three games of the season for the first time since the 2001-02 season and for the first time under head coach Leonard Hamilton. It was an ugly game that the Seminoles should have controlled from the start but instead, they took their first and only lead of the second half at 50-48 with just over 14 minutes left but Troy responded with a 12-2 run to pull away. Florida St. committed 19 turnovers and because of the short bench, it was forced to play more zone defense which was not a good matchup against Troy and that perimeter defense has to shore up against the Gators. Florida is off to a 2-1 start following a loss against Florida Atlantic on Monday and it now hits the road for the first time in what is a tough spot and laying a ton of points on top of it. This is obviously due to the early struggles of the Seminoles which have been favored in all three of those losses. Florida forward Colin Castleton is the best player on the floor after coming off consecutive 30-point efforts so this is where the Seminoles have to step up defensively but after Castleton, there are a lot of unknowns. This is a transition year for Florida as it is picked to finish between No. 6 and No. 8 in most preseason publications and the Gators have a new head coach in Todd Golden and will be relying on transfers and freshmen and that certainly showed in the last game against the Owls. Here, we play against road favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points team that had a winning record last season, with just two starters returning from last year in the first 10 games of the season. This situation is 27-8 ATS (77.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (830) Florida St. Seminoles

This is a play on the SAN DIEGO TOREROS as part of our CBB Thursday Three Pack. Utah St. is off to a 3-0 start with wins over Utah Valley, Bradley and Santa Clara while covering all three as favorites between seven and nine points but all of those games were at home. The Aggies hit the road for the first time and are still favored in that price range and they are getting too much respect here based on their early success at home. Utah St. lost nine games by seven points or fewer while 15 of its 18 wins came by double digits which gave the Aggies the designation of the unlikeliest team in the country according to KenPom. The Aggies are picked No. 7 in the Mountain West Conference and while they have won each game going away, we will see how they perform on the road with their best player Justin Bean gone from last season. San Diego is also off to a 3-0 start and while the Toreros have not dominated as big as Utah St. has, they have played a stronger slate and they do possess one quality win already. They defeated Florida Gulf Coast which had already defeated USC by 13 points on the road and while that could be considered a letdown for the Eagles, it was impressive, nonetheless. San Diego is a bottom half team in the West Coast Conference but that is the case every year in the top heavy league. The Toreros have four players averaging double figures, and they are all guards and they are led by Weber St. transfer guard Sigu Sisoho Jawara who missed the last game because of an illness, but is expected to play and he has averaged 19.5 ppg and 5.0 apg. 10* (758) San Diego Toreros

This is a play on the TEXAS ST. BOBCATS as part of our CBB Thursday Three Pack. Two teams with completely opposite expectations heading into the season square off with identical 2-1 records. UTSA has two wins on its home floor but both were against non-Division I teams Trinity and St. Mary's-Texas and were throttled at Texas A&M-CC by 20 points as a seven-point underdog. This is not a good team and have been picked to finish dead last in what is a very weak bottom half C-USA so the fact it is tabbed No. 11 is telling. The Roadrunners have had a lot of new faces leading the way, having lost four of its top five scorers from last season with the lone holdover being center Jacob Germany who is averaging 12.7 ppg and 4.0 rpg and he is the only double-digit scorer despite the easy schedule they have faced. Overall, the Roadrunners are shooting a mere 40.1 percent as a team from the floor while averaging just 65 ppg. Texas St. opened the season with a loss at Washington St. but has rebounded with a pair of wins including a road victory at Rhode Island as a 7.5-point underdog. The Bobcats are picked anywhere from first to third in the Sun Belt Conference and they are led by guard Mason Harrell who is a first team All-Sun Belt Conference player and will compete for Player of the Year honors. This team is obviously road tested and this is their shortest trip of the season in the I-35 rivalry and they should have no problem here as the talent level alone is worst a boatload of points and even though it is on the road, the rivalry is important. 10* (733) Texas St. Bobcats

This is a play on the RICHMOND SPIDERS as part of our CBB Thursday Three Pack. We played against Richmond in its last game as it travelled to Charleston and blew a massive lead and fell in overtime but we will be backing the Spiders in their return back home. The Spiders struggled to put away VMI early but did eventually pull away for a season-opening victory and then defeated Northern Iowa by 13 points and while the Panthers won the MVC regular season championship last season, they are not good this season. Now they face another program with a rich recent history but is in a down year and the Spiders should be ready to bounce back here. They play a Princeton style offense which is tough to prepare for and Richmond will pick apart defenders with back-cuts all game long. Wichita St. opened the season with an easy victory against Central Arkansas but followed that up with a horrible nine-point loss to Alcorn St. as a 16-point favorite and that really come as no surprise. Seven players transferred out in what was a mass exodus in Wichita as head coach Isaac Brown is already feeling the heat after losing his four best players, including AAC Defensive Player of the Year Dexter Dennis. To their credit, the Shockers brought in some solid transfers to try and turn thigs around but they have yet to gel and that could take a while and now the group hits the road for the first time. The offense is still a work in progress, which has shot just 22.2 percent from long range and currently ranks No. 232 nationally in effective field goal percentage. 10* (724) Richmond Spiders

This is a play on the NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH as part of our CBB Wednesday Three Pack. One look at the early season results seems to favor Southern Indiana here but we are going totally against that here in a great spot for Notre Dame. We won with the Screaming Eagles on Sunday in a big upset against Southern Illinois as a 10-point home underdog which was an ideal spot as this is the first season at the Division I level and that game was there first ever home game and it was an electric environment and this presents a big letdown spot even though this is a big name program they will be facing. A new look team coming over from the Great Lake Valley Conference where they finished 18-8 including 12-6 in the conference has relied on transfers and so far so good which included an eight-point loss at Missouri where that line was 19 points and are now getting fewer points against a team ranked higher than the Tigers. A typical fear in a game like this is looking past an inferior opponent but that will not be the case for Notre Dame which has not looked good in its first two games of the season. The Irish snuck past Radford by three points in their season opener as 18-point favorites and then were pushed again by Youngstown St. before eventually pulling away by seven points. Notre Dame had an unexpectedly great season a year ago and this is a dynamic offense with a starting lineup that features a shooting big man in Nate Laszewski surrounded by four perimeter scores and playmakers. They possess one of the best backcourts in the ACC with Cormac Ryan, Dane Goodwin and Trey Wertz which have averaged a combined 42 ppg. 10* (694) Notre Dame Fighting Irish

This is a play on the SETON HALL PIRATES as part of our CBB Wednesday Three Pack. Iowa is coming off another solid season where it went 22-9 overall including a 12-8 record in the Big Ten and won the Big Ten Tournament Championship but are expected to take a step backward this season as it is picked No. 7 in the preseason poll. The Hawkeyes opened the season by blasting a pair of cupcakes and now hits the road for the first time and against a quality opponent. The loss of Keegan Murray is a big one to overcome and the backcourt will be tested with on-ball pressure which they have not seen yet and turnover will be a big key in this game which is basically a pickem. According to KenPom, Iowa has an adjusted offensive efficiency rating of 114.2, which is the fifth-highest rating in the nation but have not faced a team that can stop anyone. Seton Hall is also coming off a pair of cupcake wins Monmouth and St. Peter's and it remains home looking for a quality resume-building victory. The Pirates worked the transfer portal well and nabbed a pair of power five players with Clemson transfer Al-Amir Dawes and Louisville transfer Dre Davis and both have already made their presence felt. It is a short sample size but through two games, new head coach Shaheen Holloway has shown his defensive coaching ability that he instilled while at St. Peter's which were a top 25 defense as St. Peter's as the Pirates are ranked No. 23 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, No. 3 in defensive shooting at 31.7 percent from the field and also have a defensive turnover rate of 29.9 which is No. 9 nationally. 10* (686) Seton Hall Pirates

This is a play on the OAKLAND GOLDEN GRIZZLIES as part of our CBB Wednesday Three Pack. Oakland is off to a disappointing 1-2 start as it opened by rolling of Defiance but then lost at home as a favorite against Bowling Green and remained home where it was blasted by Oklahoma St. by 29 points in a horrible spot as it welcomed the Cowboys that were coming off a one-point home upset loss to Southern Illinois. The Golden Grizzlies are much better than that and this line is telling us that Oklahoma St. and Toledo would be favored the same on a neutral floor and that is not the case. Oakland was picked a close fourth in the Horizon League preseason poll as it received a pair of first place votes after a fifth place finish last season where it went 19-11. The Golden Grizzlies return Preseason All-League First Team selection Jalen Moore who finished second in the country in assists last season with 7.8 per game after leading the country the prior season with 8.4 per game and he is 6.5 through the first three games this season. Toledo is coming off a pair of wins to open the season defeating Valparaiso at home 85-70 as a 13-point favorite and then taking out UAB by eight points on a neutral floor last Friday. The Rockets are a very solid team that are coming off a MAC Regular Season Championship last season and have been tabbed to finish second this season mostly due to the loss of guard Ryan Rollins. The offense has hummed through two games but the defense has struggled which makes this big underdog line, that has gone up since the opening, even more appealing. 10* (681) Oakland Golden Grizzlies

This is a play on the SAN DIEGO ST. AZTECS as part of our CBB Tuesday Three Pack. The Aztecs, the preseason favorite in the Mountain West Conference, have opened the season 2-0 and it has been good and bad for the No. 17 team in the nation. The good is that they are averaging 81 ppg through the first two games after putting up just 65.4 ppg last season and in this case, the bad will eventually turn into a good. The best offensive threat on the team, senior guard Matt Bradley, is averaging 7.0 ppg on shooting 5-23 (21.7 percent) with all of his buckets made being from around the rim. Once he gets going, which should happen tonight, this team will be a force on offense. On the other side, San Diego St. combines size and physicality with an outstanding defensive scheme and one of the most best defenders in the country in Nathan Mensah. Stanford is coming off an opening win against Pacific by just 10 points and then travelled to Milwaukee where it lost by 10 points against Wisconsin so the Cardinal are in the midst of a tough travel situation. There remain questions for the Cardinal on offense following a 36 percent shooting performance against the Badgers that included a 1-16 effort from long range. The one player that Stanford needs to get heavily involved in the offense is Harrison Ingram who was the Pac 12 Rookie of the Year but was very inconsistent and is off to a rough start this year, averaging just 6.5 ppg on a dismal 28.6 percent shooting from the floor. Do not expect anything of a rebound here against a stifling defense. 10* (645) San Diego St. Aztecs

This is a play on the NEW MEXICO LOBOS as part of our CBB Tuesday Three Pack. New Mexico is coming off a pair of home wins to open the season and while this is the first road game for the Lobos, it is not a far journey out of Albuquerque. The first two games finished close to right on the number against Southern Utah and South Alabama but they were two big wins for a team that went 13-19 last season and has been picked fourth in the MWC. New Mexico, like so many other non-power five teams, have benefitted from the transfer portal and it shored up the interior with the additions of Morris Udeze and Josiah Allick and they have already made their presence felt. The return of playmakers Jaelen House and Jamal Mashburn, Jr., both Preseason MWC All-Conference nominees, thrived in the up-and-down offense and New Mexico has a solid roster to become a sleeper in the conference. It was not too long ago that SMU was a national player but times have changed as the Mustangs have a new head coach in Rob Lanier and he inherits a roster that had heavy turnover and unlike their counterpart tonight, they have a lack of shot creators. SMU defeated Texas A&M-Commerce in its opener but failed against Dayton in its last game as it was that lack of offense that did the Mustangs in as they shot just 34 percent from the floor including 26 percent from long range. This is a rebuild in progress and SMU is at a big disadvantage in roster talent here. 10* (637) New Mexico Lobos

This is a play on the EASTERN MICHIGAN EAGLES as part of our CBB Tuesday Three Pack. Eastern Michigan opened the season with a non-inspiring win over Wayne St. but came back and gave Michigan all it could handle in a five-point loss on Friday as its roster got to full strength. The Eagles have one of the best prospects in the country in Emoni Bates who committed to Michigan St. when he was 16, transferred to Memphis where he played 16 games last season and is now at Eastern Michigan for one season before he heads to the NBA. He missed the opener because of a stemming felony charge but it was dropped and he was in the lineup against the Wolverines where he dropped 30 points on 12-19 shooting and should have another field day on Tuesday. Bradley cruised to a season opening win over Wisconsin Parkside but got blown out at Utah St. on Friday by 22 points in what was supposed to be a much closer game. The Braves are expected to be one of the top teams in the MVC this season as they have been picked as high as No. 2 in some preseason polls but that was prior to big loss. First Team All-MVC center Rienk Mast suffered a knee injury that could keep him out 4-8 weeks and his absence was on full display against the Aggies as the Braves were outrebounded 44-28. Bradley should be back to full strength once conference play starts barring any setback for Mast but right now, this is a team in transition and is laying too big of a number here. 10* (639) Eastern Michigan Eagles

This is a play on the BUTLER BULLDOGS as part of our CBB Monday Three Pack. Butler opened the season with a 36-point win over New Orleans under new head coach Thad Matta who is in his second stint with the Bulldogs. They had a rough season a year ago as they dealt with numerous injuries on their way to a 14-19 record including 6-14 record in the Big East Conference and they are pegged for a lower-tiered finish this upcoming season but this is a team loaded with talent with an experienced backcourt and help down low via the transfer portal. Guards Chuck Harris, Jayden Taylor, and Simas Lukosius combined for 40 points in the opener but it was NC State transfer center Manny Bates that led the way with 25 points and 11 boards. Penn St. is off to 2-0 start with a pair of 25-point blowout wins over Winthrop and Loyola-Maryland and now it takes a step up in competition on Monday. Penn St. has lived off the three-point shot in the first two games as it shot 53 percent from long range against the Greyhounds with 16 makes which came after the Nittany Lions made 18 from deep in the opener and are shooting 50 percent on the season from behind the arc which is unsustainable. After finishing 7-13 in the Big Ten and 14-17 overall, Penn St. has been picked to finish No. 11 in the conference this season behind a good backcourt but very little down low so the small lineup will have trouble getting second chance points. 10* (877) Butler Bulldogs

This is a play on the FLORIDA ST. SEMINOLES as part of our CBB Monday Three Pack. It is only the third game in but this calls for desperate times in Tallahassee as the Seminoles have opened the season 0-2 with a home loss against Stetson by nine points and then travelled to Central Florida and lost by 14 points against a very good Knights team. The Florida St. home loss against the Hatters was shocking as a 17-point favorite and added to the fact was that it came in riding an 88-8 record at home going back to 2015. The Seminoles trailed by only three points with 4:40 remaining, but Stetson outscored Florida St. 15-9 to close the game and they will be out to get back on track here. This is a roster that has only five players back from last season but should start to gel after playing two games and this is a tall and athletic team with no scholarship player under 6'5". Troy is coming off a pair of wins to open the season by 20 and 54 points but both of those were non-lined game against non-D1 teams so those can be excluded in showing what the Trojans are made of. This is a roster short of experience so playing a pair of cupcakes was definitely good to get some sort of semblance of what they have as they bring back just one starter from the 20-win team from a season ago. This would have been a tough spot for Troy under normal circumstances but facing a red-faced Seminoles team that is not going to let up makes it that much worse. 10* (852) Florida St. Seminoles

This is a play on the COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON COUGARS as part of our CBB Monday Three Pack. Charleston coming off a game against North Carolina in which they led the Tar Heels in the second half before North Carolina pulled away for the 16-point win. The Cougars opened the season with a home win against UT-Chattanooga and are back home catching points which should not be the case. The Cougars are picked to finish fourth in the CAA and received one first place vote and this is a deep and experienced team that plays at a rapid pace with a 10-player rotation, nine of which have logged at least 15 minutes per game. Richmond has opened the season with a pair of wins at home and hits the road for the first time. The Spiders struggled to put away VMI early but did eventually pull away for a season-opening victory and while a 13-point win against Northern Iowa which won the MVC regular season championship last season to follow that up may look impressive, the Panthers are not the same team from last year. Richmond has top scorer Tyler Burton back from last season but the other top four scorers for the Spiders are gone and they have been tabbed to finish No. 7 in the Atlantic Ten Conference. Richmond won the A-10 Conference Tournament last season and then defeated Iowa in the first round of the Big Dance and that showing is sticking with them which is a big reason they come in as the favored team tonight. 10* (862) College of Charleston Cougars

This is a play on the SOUTHERN INDIANA SCREAMING EAGLES for our CBB Sunday Enforcer. This is a sneaky good spot for Southern Indiana which enters its first season at the D-1 level and after travelling to Missouri in their first ever game at this level and losing by just eight points as a 19-point underdog, the Screaming Eagles are home for their first ever D-1 game. Coming over from the Great Lake Valley Conference where they finished 18-8 including 12-6 in the conference, they have enter the Ohio Valley Conference and have been pegged to finish seventh in the 10-team conference. This is not a D-2 roster as Southern Indiana added some key transfers that can help right way in Jeremiah Hernandez (Kent State), Nick Hittle (Indiana State), Trevor Lakes (Nebraska), Sam Mevis (Indiana State) and Peter Nwoke (Michigan State) with the first three combining for 34 points in the opener and it was Jelani Simmons, an All-GLVC Second Team selection last season, who poured in a team high 23 points. Southern Illinois opened the season by annihilating Arkansas-Little Rock by 31 points and then went to Oklahoma St. and defeated the Cowboys by a bucket and an eight-point underdog. The Cowboys did not hit a field goal in the last 4:10 of the game which was the obvious difference and the Salukis are going to be a problem for other MVC teams this season as they are picked to finish third in the conference and we just saw what they can do. This is a horrible letdown spot though and being favored by this many points in what is going to be a raucous environment is way too much. 10* (822) Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles

This is a play on the WISCONSIN BADGERS for our CBB Friday Enforcer. College hoops writeups limited due to time constraints. Stanford heads east to take part in the Brew City Battle and while this is a neutral site game, it is in Milwaukee and the Badgers will have the crowd on their side. The Cardinal defeated Pacific by only 10 points despite shooting 60 percent from the floor as it dominated down low but will not have that same luxury here. Forward Spencer Jones who averaged 11 ppg and 4.3 rpg missed the last game and is questionable and his defense will be missed if he cannot go. Wisconsin is coming off a 26-point win over South Dakota at home and while not playing at home, this is an easier trip. Combatting the Stanford size is forward Tyler Wahl who scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and he is ready for a breakout season. This is a completely different environment for both teams playing on a baseball field and the Badgers should be better prepared as they embarked on a summer tour into France so not only do they have more experience playing together as a team in actual games, but they also have the edge of playing in non-typical arenas which should help with the shooting eyes. 10* (678) Wisconsin Badgers

This is a play on the GONZAGA BULLDOGS as part of our CBB Friday Early Three Pack. College hoops writeups limited due to time constraints. This might be perceived as a sucker line by some as it is rare to see a Michigan St. team getting this many points but it is more a reason. Gonzaga rolled to a 41-point win over North Florida in its opening game as All-American Drew Timme led the way with 22 points on 10-19 shooting and behind him, this team is loaded with athleticism and depth in the backcourt with Rasir Bolton, Nolan Hickman, Malachi Smith and Hunter Sallis. Overall, this team is deep with an eight-man rotation that can rival any team in the nation and the relentless pace will be too much. The Spartans are sill very good but not on pace with some of the more recent editions and it may take a while to get the chemistry right. Michigan St. is coming off a relatively easy win over Northern Arizona by 18 points in its season opener and this is the beginning of a brutal seven-game stretch that will likely give the Spartans the No. 1 toughest ranked schedule in the country when all said and done. Gonzaga is too deep and talented for the Spartans this early in the season. 10* (640) Gonzaga Bulldogs

This is a play on the UAB BLAZERS as part of our CBB Friday Early Three Pack. College hoops writeups limited due to time constraints. This is a neutral site game in Philadelphia, part of the Barstool Invitational, and the Blazers are between a four and five-point favorite which does not seem close to enough. This is arguably one of the best UAB rosters in a very long time and it showed why it comes into the season as one of the top mid-major teams in the country as the Blazers hung 111 points on Alabama St. in their 44-point, season opening victory. UAB pushes the ball relentlessly and has one of the top backcourts in the country in Jelly Walker and Eric Gaines which we already knew would be a lethal combo but now they add in SE Missouri and ETSU transfer wing Ledarrius Brewer who put in 14 points in the opener after averaging just over that in his first four seasons. Toledo will be a top team in the MAC and also likes to run but there are some questions following the loss of Ryan Rollins. The frontcourt is solid but the Rockets will be tested much more than they were against Valparaiso in their opener. 10* (634) UAB Blazers

This is a play on the DETROIT TITANS as part of our CBB Friday Early Three Pack. College hoops writeups limited due to time constraints. Both Detroit and Boston College are coming off wins in their season openers although the Titans are coming off the must easier route. They defeated Rochester College by 28 points and while they take a step up in competition, they are the better team here getting points with one of the top scorers in the country. Antoine Davis, a fifth year senior, has averaged at least 23 points in each of his first four seasons and has averaged 25.8 ppg overall. Detroit is picked to finish No. 6 in the Horizon League which is not lofty but this is a team that will make noise. Boston College won its opener on a buzzer beater against Cornell and this is a very raw team and could be without two key pieces again on Friday as forward Quinten Post, 8.9 ppg and 5.4 rpg last season and guard Demarr Langford, Jr., 11.1 ppg and 4.7 rpg, are both questionable which made the rotations hard to figure out against Cornell and will likely be the case again. 10* (631) Detroit Titans

This is a play on the UC RIVERSIDE HIGHLANDERS for our CBB Thursday Enforcer. UC Riverside is coming off a loss against Colorado on Monday by 16 points but after a very slow start, the Highlanders outscored the Buffaloes by a bucket in the second half in a very tough environment. The home team had several advantages coming into that game and it showed as Colorado went to the free throw line 26 times compared to only 10 times for Riverside and the Highlanders could not buy a long range bucket as they went 4-21 from behind the arc and had only seven assists. They take a big step down in competition here and while the line is certainly much lower, it can be argued the wrong team is favored here. UC Riverside has never made the NCAA Tournament and this could be a team to watch out for coming out of the Big West Conference as it is picked in the top half and is the third ranked team in the country to make the Big Dance among teams that never have. Loyola-Marymount opened the season with a 50-point win over Life Pacific but that was no indication of how this Lions team is and they are not expected to be very good. They have been tabbed to finish ninth in the 10-team West Coast Conference following a 10-18 season including a 3-12 conference record. This is not a very deep team with no true player that can take a game over as the Lions top returners are seniors Dameane Douglas (10.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg in 13 games) and Keli Leaupepe (9.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg) and will be relying on a lot of transfers and while that did not affect the play on the court against the Warriors, that glorified exhibition win is driving this line with the public backing Loyola-Marymount which has steamed the number even more and again, this line does not seem right. 10* (621) UC Riverside Highlanders

This is a play on the DAVIDSON WILDCATS for our CBB Wednesday Supreme Annihilator. This will be the second game for Davidson after defeating Guilford College by 23 points on Monday which was not a spectacular win considering the Quakers are from Division III but for a team that lost some talent from last season, that first game is always big no matter the opponent. There is a new coach in place as longtime leader Bob McKillop retired and his son takes over who has been the lead assistant for a while and in the program for 14 years so there is no drop off. The Wildcats lost three starters but two great ones are back in guard Foster Loyer who is a preseason A-10 First Team selection and is coming off a 30-pojnt game in the opener and forward Sam Mennenga is a force down low. There is depth and transfer help and they are in much better shape than their Wednesday counterpart. Wright St. head coach Scott Nagy is in his 28th season as the head coach and he is entering a season of unknowns and he has rightly admitted it. "We're starting Wednesday against a good team. I don't know what that'll look like. There's still a lot of stuff for us to work on." Going into the season opener, the starting five is not set as the frontcourt is a big shortcoming while depth is an issue as the Raiders took a hit with the transfers of stars Tanner Holden and Grant Basile. They have been pegged to finish fourth in the Horizon League which is not saying much and they are underdogs here for a reason as there is potential but it will be a rough start especially with the early nonconference schedule that is a difficult one. Chemistry is always tough early in the season in college hoops with all of the turnover and that will be very evident here, especially playing against a team with a game under their belt. 10* (763) Davidson Wildcats

This is a play on the MERCER BEARS for our CBB Tuesday Supreme Annihilator. East Carolina checks in as a home underdog for its season opener so it will likely be a popular play here based on playing in a better conference with what should be better players but this is depleted. The Pirates lost their top seven players that returned last season to either graduation or transfers so this is going to be a complete rebuild for new head coach Mike Schwartz who has a good pedigree and is coming off six years as an assistant at Tennessee so he has solid experience from a top level program but it is not going to happen overnight. He has a pair of transfers from Tennessee and Iowa St. that are expected to contribute right away but this is all about chemistry early on in the season which there will be a lack of. They return center Ludgy Debaut, guards Javon Small and RJ Felton, and forward Brandon Johnson which combined for 14.2 ppg with Felton leading the way with 5.1 ppg. Not ideal. Mercer presents a fairly significant challenge right out of the gate as it is coming off a 16-17 season including an 8-10 record in the SoCon. Head coach Greg Gary has compiled a 51-43 record during his tenure with the Bears and they bring back a good amount of experience which helps on the offensive end and defensively, they will be strong again and will utilize pressure against a team lacking in experience everywhere. The Bears were picked No. 6 in the preseason SoCon poll and actually received one first place vote so are a top half team in the conference that can start the season off with a solid win against a team from a better conference even though one of the worst as the Pirates were tabbed to finish No. 11 in the 11-team ACC. 10* (757) Mercer Bears

This is a play on the QUINNIPIAC BOBCATS for our CBB Opening Night Enforcer. The Rams open the season in rebuilding mode as they have a new head coach in Archie Miller who replaces Jamion Christian after he was fired following finishes of No. 10 and No. 11 in the Atlantic Ten Conference the last two seasons and the cupboard is pretty bare. The Rams have only five players returning on the roster with just a combined 37 starts last season between Abdou Samb, Sebastian Thomas, Jalen Carey, Ishmael Leggett and Malik Martin with Leggett accounting for 30 of those so there is very little experience to work with. Rhode Island was pegged No. 9 in the preseason conference poll so clearly there are not many expectations heading into the new season. Quinnipiac is coming off a 12-16 season including a 7-13 record in the MAAC during the regular season but made a solid run in the conference tournament and things are looking up this year thanks to a combination of experienced veterans and newcomers to the program. The frontcourt does have some question marks but that is usually not a big issue early in the season, especially in this matchup, a they have a clear advantage up top. With the frontcourt consisting of mostly transfers and newcomers, the backcourt is the opposite as the Bobcats return six guards from last season, all of which have the ability to contribute. Five of the six returning guards averaged at least eight points per game last season and are led by senior Matt Balanc who was named to the Preseason All-MAAC First Team. While this line will seem low to many, it is low for a reason and has actually gone up based mostly on name and not rosters. 10* (635) Quinnipiac Bobcats

This is a play on KANSAS JAYHAWKS for our NCAA National Championship Winner. The Jayhawks rolled over Villanova and they have won 10 straight games, nine of which have come by more than what they are favored by here. Kansas caught a break against Villanova as the Wildcats were without guard Justin Moore and it catches another break here with the ankle injury suffered by Armando Bacot. While he is expected to play, he will not be 100 percent and the Jayhawks will have a big edge down low. The Jayhawks are ranked No. 29 in scoring offense and No. 23 in shooting offense and on the other side, they finished No. 17 in adjusted defensive efficiency. The Jayhawks are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games following a straight up win. North Carolina won an epic semifinal game over Duke to advance to the championship game in its first season under head coach Hubert Davis. The Tar Heels possess a solid offense but defense is their liability as they are ranked No. 279 in points allowed and No. 200 in defensive shooting. They like to run but could be limited here and the 17 offensive rebounds registered against Duke will not be matched here. North Carolina is 2-10 ATS in its last nine games away from home against teams averaging 77 or more ppg. Here, we play against underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after four or more consecutive wins going up against an opponent after six or more consecutive wins. This situation is 78-42 ATS (65 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (722) Kansas Jayhawks

This is a play on the KANSAS JAYHAWKS for our CBB Final Four Enforcer. Kansas has won nine straight games including a comfortable 16-point win over Miami in the Elite Eight. The Jayhawks offense has remained potent and is ranked No. 29 in scoring offense and No. 23 in shooting offense. They are easily the deepest of the two teams and they have five players averaging double-digits in scoring. While the Wildcats have a strong defense, the depth issue will be a liability for them on that side of the floor. Kansas is 19-6 ATS in its last 25 games after two or more consecutive unders. Villanova has also won nine straight games including an upset win over Houston by six points to get to the Final Four. It was costly for the Wildcats however as they lost guard Justin Moore who is averaging 15.3 ppg. Villanova is ranked No. 115 in scoring offense and No. 167 in shooting offense and those will take a hit with Moore on the sidelines. The Wildcats will face an improved Kansas defense that has allowed just 61.3 ppg in seven post season games. Here, we play against teams in the second half of the season allowing 63 ppg or less going up against teams allowing between 67 and 74 ppg, after scoring 55 points or less. This situation is 73-31 ATS (70.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (702) Kansas Jayhawks

This is a play on the COASTAL CAROLINA CHANTICLEERS for our CBB Friday Enforcer. The Chantileers rolled through their first two games with wins over Maryland-Eastern Shore and Florida Gulf Coast by 24 and 16 points respectively before sneaking past South Alabama on Monday. They are ranked No. 8 in shooting defense in the country and face a below average offense. The Chanticleers are 4-0 ATS in their last four games against teams with a winning straight up record. Fresno St. has rolled through its first three games but all of those came at home where they are 14-4 and they hit the road for the first time in the tournament where they are 5-8 this season. The Bulldogs have one of the worst scoring offenses in the country as they are ranked No. 314 in scoring offense. They do have a great defense but are facing an above average offense and are in a tough spot on the road after having travel issues as this game has to be rescheduled from Thursday The Bulldogs are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games against teams with a winning straight up record. Here, we play on teams where the line is +3 to -3 averaging between 45 and 47.5 percent shooting going up against teams allowing between 40 and 42.5 percent shooting, in a game involving two teams with a +3 to +6 rebounding differential. This situation is 70-37 ATS (65.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (894) Coastal Carolina Chanticleers