Sports Picks & Predictions

4 Unit Play. #544 Take UNLV over Boise State (10 pm) The Broncos have righted the ship after struggling during conference play and will enter Sin City having won 4 straight games. But that is a little misleading since three of those four games came at home and three of those wins came against bad teams. They do have a quality victory against Colorado State; however, the Rams have been reeling at the moment having lost three of their last four games. UNLV has also been playing better basketball having won 4 straight games and they are led by an outstanding freshman in Anthony Bennett. The Rebels have not yet locked up their NCAA Tournament bid and they just cannot afford a loss at home against Boise State. I expect that they will jump on them early and win this game comfortably. Boise State is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games against teams with a winning record at home. Lay the wood with the better team tonight in Sin City.

4 Unit Play. #832 Take Stanford over Utah (5 pm PAC-12 Network) The Cardinal gave away a game this week to Colorado as they led by double digits in the second half only to lose at the buzzer when a dunk was waived off. Expect them to take out their frustrations on Utah this afternoon at Maples Pavilion. Stanford already beat Utah by 31 points in Salt Lake City back in January and they are just not a good match-up for the Utes. Stanford is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games following an ATS loss in their previous game.

4 Unit Play. #829 Take Virginia -4.5 over Boston College (4 pm ESPN 3)

4 Unit Play. #820 Take Michigan -4.5 over Michigan State (4 pm CBS)

4 Unit Play. #828 Take Washington -7 over Washington State (3:30 pm FSN)

4 Unit Play. #642 Take UT-Arlington over Utah State (8 pm) The Mavericks moved up in class this season joining the WAC and have done a decent job going 10-5 against much better competition. Since February 3rd they have only lost 1 game and they already won in Logan by 6 points in a game that was not as close as the final score would indicate. We all know that Utah State is banged up and without many of their key players and they were blown out on Thursday by Louisiana Tech. This will be another double digit setback on the road.

10 Unit Play. #660 Take Louisiana Tech over San Jose State (8 pm) This is truly a match-up of David vs. Goliath. Only this time David has not chance of keeping this score under 20 points. The Bulldogs are 15-0 in the WAC and coming off a dominating performance against Utah State on Thursday winning by 23 points. This same Aggies team beat the Spartans 27 points last month in Northern California holding them to just 36 points. Throw in the fact that SJSU is without their best player and leading scorer in James Kinney and this will be a 30-point victory for the home team. The Bulldogs already won by 22 points in San Jose State on 1/24 and they are an underrated team that is just starting to get noticed. They are 25-3 and 15-0 in the WAC and have great balance behind leading scorer Raheem Appleby. SJSU is 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games against teams with a winning record. La Tech has covered 12 of their last 16 home games. As another handicapper said, you, me and three guys from the Y can beat this San Jose State team and Louisiana Tech is a sleeping giant.

4 Unit Play. #623 Take Akron over Buffalo (6 pm ESPN 3) The Zips are a force and have a decent chance at receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament but only if they run the table in the MAC. Therefore they cannot afford to take any team lightly and Buffalo gave them a decent game already once this season. Akron has great balance with shooters and post players along with major size and thus they will be able to take out one of the weaker team in the MAC East. Buffalo has lost two straight games by a combined 3 points and that will take its toll on them. Akron is 31-12 in their last 43 MAC games. Buffalo is 3-8 ATS in their last 11 home games. Lay the touchdown with the better team.

4 Unit Play. #584 Take Texas Tech over TCU (4 pm ESPN 3) Both teams have crappy conference records, but Texas Tech has better talent than does TCU and playing at home will allow them to win this game by double digits. TCU has not been able to follow-up their shocking victory of Kansas and instead lost 6 straight games with the closet setback being 9 points. Texas Tech already won in Dallas this season and they will complete the trifecta on Saturday. TCU is 7-23 ATS in their last 30 games against Big 12 teams.

4 Unit Play. #572 Take USC over Arizona State (3 pm FSN) Both of these teams are hard to figure out; however, USC is at home and coming off a dominating victory against Arizona. Arizona State is coming off a heartbreaking loss to UCLA and that has hampered their at-large chances of making the NCAA Tournament. USC lost at ASU in overtime early this season and they will be ready for revenge on Saturday. USC is 4-1-2 ATS in their last 7 PAC-12 games. They have momentum and will jump out early on ASU.

4 Unit Play. #557 Take Detroit over Illinois Chicago (2 pm) This is a busy week for the Titans, as this will be their third game in five days but they just have better talent than does UIC. Detroit won the first meeting by 51 points and they go up and down the court and thus they can cover these big number on the road. Detroit has already won road games at Valpo, Wright State, Loyola, and Youngstown State. Detroit is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 road games against teams with a winning home record. UIC is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games overall.

4 Unit Play. #522 Take Georgia over Tennessee (1:45 pm ESPN 3) The Dawgs have played hard this season for the most part but they have been victims of some tough breaks and calls and thus their record is poor. Tennessee is coming off a big victory over Florida on Saturday and expect a letdown for this game in Athens. Georgia is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 home games against teams with a losing road record.

10 Unit Play. #539 Take Duke over Virginia (9 pm ESPN) Duke is overrated this year; however, Virginia is a good match-up for them since the Cavaliers do not have the athletes to exploit Duke

4 Unit Play. #802 Take Stanford over Colorado (11 pm ESPN 2) To be quite honest, the Cardinal have underachieved this season, as they have talent and should be much better than their 16-12 and 7-8 conference record would indicate. That being said, they have not thrown in the towel on the season and expect them to take out their frustrations on Colorado tonight at Maples. The Buffaloes are coming off a ho-hum victory against Utah on Thursday, as they did not play very well in that game and struggled to put away one of the worst teams in the PAC-12. The Cardinal will have revenge on their minds, as Colorado beat them soundly earlier this season in Boulder. Stanford is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games played on Wednesday. Revenge is best served on the court tonight, as we lay with wood with the better team playing at home.

4 Unit Play. #774 Take LSU -1.5 over Arkansas (8 pm ESPN 3) The Razorbacks are a completely different team on the road than they are when playing in Fayetteville. The aggressive style of defense is not as effective on the road, as the refs do not let them play as physical. Arkansas is 1-9 in road/neutral site games this season. LSU is 13-2 at home this season and expect another victory tonight at the Maravich Center. Arkansas is 20-46 ATS in their last 66 road games.

4 Unit Play. #734 Take Georgia State -3.5 over Northeastern (7 pm) The Huskies got off to a hot start in the CAA, but have not been playing as well down the stretch losing two of their last three games. They have struggled to put away weak competition as well and things will all come apart tonight in Atlanta. The Panthers have won three of their last 4 games including an impressive victory at George Mason. This is their final game of the season, as they cannot play in the conference tournament and expect them to go out with a double-digit dominating victory. Northeastern is 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games played on Wednesday. Georgia State has covered 4 of their last 5 games @ the GSU Sports Arena.

2 Unit Play. #527 Take Milwaukee over Green Bay (8 pm ESPN 3) This is a perfect spot to take the points, as the Phoenix will be looking ahead to their game against Valparaiso on Saturday. The Panthers have played better of late and getting this many points with two teams that do not score a ton is too good to pass up. Green Bay is averaging just 66 points per game and thus they have trouble covering double-digit spreads. UWGB has not played a home game since February 9th and expect them to just go through the motions tonight and win this game by around 10-12 points.

4-Unit Play. Take #713 Villanova (-4.5) over Seton Hall (9 p.m., Monday, Feb. 25)

I will go with the Wildcats here. This team has an NCAA Tournament resume. They are a good young team that is getting better each week. Seton Hall has a lot of banged up players. They are run down and they haven't been able to compete lately. The Pirates are just 3-6 ATS in their last nine games and they have lost nine straight. This team has not played well and is coming off two blowout losses to Louisville and Marquette. Villanova has won three straight and has won two of three on the road. This team has won five of six games overall and is 7-3 ATS in its last 10. I like them to keep it going.

4 Unit Play. #836 Take Purdue over Northwestern (6 pm BTN) Purdue sucks, but they are much more healthy than is Northwestern. Did you see the last two games that Northwestern played? The Wildcats were blown out at home by Illinois and Wisconsin and Purdue will do the same tonight in West Lafayette. Purdue also has revenge on their minds, as Northwestern blew the out in Chicago in one of the few good games they have played in recent memory. Purdue has done well at home going 8-2 ATS in their last 10 home games against teams with a losing road record.

Best of Luck

10 Unit Play. #615 Take Providence over Rutgers (9 pm ESPN U) The Friars struggled their last time out against Syracuse because they just could not make a shot from the field, but they should find scoring much easier tonight at the RAC. Providence has won 4 of their last 5 game including impressive victories against Notre Dame and Cincinnati. The Scarlet Knights have won just one game since January 18th and that includes three home losses including one against St. Johns. Take make matters worse, they will be without their leading scoring for the second consecutive game, as Eli Carter has a fractured right fibula. This is a loss that the Scarlet Knights will not be able to overcome and I do not expect them to win a game the rest of the season. The Big East plays an unbalanced schedule and Providence has had a gauntlet this far but the schedule lightens up now and they have 4 winnable games to close out the season. Providence has three players averaging over 13.5 points per game including Bryce Cotton, the best player on the floor tonight. Providence has covered 4 of their last 5 games. Rutgers is 1-10 ATS in their last 11 games following an ATS victory in their previous game. That games fits the top play blueprint that has given us success all season long. Go against a team that has a key injury and also has trouble scoring points. Providence can outscore their way to a victory this evening.

10 Unit Play. #542 Take Arizona over Washington State (3 pm FSN) The Cougars cannot wait for this season to end and they will be down big at some point in this game and I do not see them mustering enough energy to even get a back door cover. Washington State got beaten badly by ASU on Wednesday night trailing by 21 points in the second half and Arizona is a much better team than ASU. Wazzou is a much better team when playing in Pullman and Arizona already beat them by 14 points this season in the state of Washington. Washington State does not have any quickness to stay with the Cats especially without a healthy Mike Ladd, the team

4 Unit Play. #535 Take Oklahoma State over West Virginia (ESPN 2) I have stated this before that I am always amazed how West Virginia can score any points on offense this season. That is certainly not the case with the Cowboys, as they average over 72 points per game. The Pokes have already beaten West Virginia this season by double digits and playing in Morgantown will not provide that big of a boast for the Mountaineers. West Virginia has played a super easy conference schedule thus far and they may not win another game this season since they still have Kansas, Baylor, Oklahoma, and Iowa State on the schedule. The only concern that I have about OSU is their ability to bounce back after an emotion loss to Kansas this week. I expect that the two days off did this team good and they will enter this game fresh. Ok State is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following an ATS loss in their previous game. WVU is 2-7 ATS (1 push) in their last 10 home games. Lay the field goal with the better team on Saturday.

10 Unit Play. #838 Take Long Beach State over Stephen F Austin (9 pm ESPN U) Bracket Buster Weekend has arrived and tonight features one of the more intriguing match-ups of the weekend. The Lumberjacks are an outstanding 22-3 on the season, but they play in a one bid conference and they have lost two road games during Southland play with-in the last month. The Beach is 13-2 in the Big West Conference and this is a strong conference than the Southland. They are 11-2 at home this season and will enter this game with just one loss since January 4th. The 49ers have three players averaging over 11 points per game and I expect a strong output from them this evening @ Walter Pyramid. SFA is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 road games. The Beach is 18-5 ATS (3 pushes) in their last 26 home games against teams with a winning road record. The home teams generally do well in Bracket Buster games and tonight we will lay the wood with the better team.

4 Unit Play. #510 Take Over in Georgia @ Arkansas (7 pm ESPN 2) This will be a battle of wills, as the Bulldogs want to keep the scoring down and Arkansas wants to press and make this an up and down game. Since this game is being played in Fayetteville, expect the Hogs to be able to dictate the style of play for this game. In fact, Arkansas at home has been an automatic play on the over this season. The Hogs are 22nd in the nation in scoring and most of that damage has been done at home, as they have had numerous low scoring games on the road. Georgia has gone over the posted total in 5 of their last 7 road games (1 push). Arkansas has gone over the posted total in 10 of their last 13 home games. We will not worry if Arkansas can cover this inflated number and instead just collect with the over!

10 Unit Play. #786 Take Arizona State over Washington State (10 pm PAC-12 Network) Washington State is one of the most disappointing teams in the country this season. In past years they were always a tough team to beat at home but even that magic has fallen by the wayside, as they have lost 7 games in Pullman this season. That goes nicely with their 1-6 record in true road games compared to ASU

4 Unit Play. #552 Take San Diego State over Wyoming (10 pm TWCSN) Granted we do not have much luck picking San Diego State, but they are hitting a depleted team and they cannot afford to take this game lightly since they are just 6-5 in the MWC. The Cowboys are already without Luke Martinez, and Leonard Washington is doubtful, and Larry Nance is probable but likely will not be 100%. All three of these guys average in double figures for a team that has trouble scoring points. SDSU has a ton of talent, it is just of matter of them playing together as a team. We never have to worry about Coach Fisher over coaching them, so tonight I expect them to shine. Wyoming is 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games overall. SDSU is 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games played on Tuesday.

4 Unit Play. #540 Take BYU over Utah State (9 pm BYU.tv) The rivalry game is very important to BYU, as they need quality wins in order to improve their resume for an at-large selection to the 2013 NCAA Tournament. BYU has a dynamic offense led by Tyler Haws and Brandon Davies. This gives them a great inside-out combination that can light-up the scoreboard. BYU is averaging over 78 points per game and that allows them to cover big numbers. As for the Aggies, we all know by now that they are without their top three players who have been lost to injury. They have righted the ship in a very weak WAC Conference where Louisiana Tech is undefeated yet getting very little attention from the national media. The Aggies are well coached but just do not have the offensive firepower to stay in this game for 40 minutes. BYU will go on a run at some point and that will be the difference in this game. BYU got backedoored in a big way on Saturday but they bounce back well going 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games following an ATS loss in their previous game. Utah State is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games against teams with a winning home record. BYU will be up big at some point in this game, it is just a matter of them continuing to keep the foot on the pedal for 40 minutes. After their game on Saturday, I expect that they will do this.

4 Unit Play. #546 Take Over in Virginia @ Miami (9 pm ESPN U) The Hurricanes will be ready for an up-tempo game after playing Clemson on Sunday night. Virginia is known to be a deliberate team but that has not been the case of late, as they have scored 73 or more points in 4 straight games. This total is way too low and we expect both team to be in the sixties allowing us an easy cash with the over. Virginia has gone over the posted total in 5 straight games. We will not worry if Virginia can cover this spread and just collect with the over.

10 Unit Play. #636 Take Troy over North Texas (8:30 pm ESPN 3) The Trojans are coming off a victory on Thursday against FIU and expect them to complete this two game home stand with another victory on Saturday against North Texas. Both teams are below .500 in the Sun Belt but Troy plays in the eastern division that features the two top teams in the league. The Trojans will also have revenge on their minds since they lost to North Texas by 17 points earlier this season. The Mean Green have won just one game since January 20th and they have all but thrown in the towel on this season. Their last 4 losses have come by 9 points or more. Troy is 7-1 ATS in their last 8 Sun Belt Conference games. North Texas is 3-9 ATS (1 push) in their last 13 road games.

4 Unit Play. #682 Take Siena over Loyola Maryland (7 pm) The Saints have certainly not been the same team since Fran McCaffery bolted for Iowa, but getting this many points at home is just too good to pass up. These two teams met 8 days ago in Maryland and it was just a 12 point game and I expect this game to be close for 40 minutes and taken down to the wire. The Greyhounds have lost two of their last three road games and their only victory was in overtime by 2 points against Niagara. Loyola-Maryland has covered just 1 of their last 6 games. The Saints seem to bounce back will going 5-2 ATS when they lose by more than 20 points in their previous game.

4 Unit Play. #586 Take Massachusetts over Temple (6 pm CBS Sports Network) Temple has one great player in Khalif Wyatt, but if they cannot beat Duquesne in Philadelphia, I do not give them much of a chance to beat UMASS in Amherst. The Owls are just not as strong as they have been in past years and UMASS in getting better each year under Coach Derek Kellogg. The Minutemen are coming off two blowouts in their last two home games and also beat Duquesne by 13 points. Temple is 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games overall. UMASS is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games.

4 Unit Play. #584 Take Valparaiso over Detroit (6 pm ESPN 2) The Titans have talent and are a very strong team on offense; however, the Crusaders are the more complete team and they currently sit atop the standing in the Horizon League. Valpo mounted a huge comeback against the Titans to win the first meeting by 1 point and expect a 40 minute performance out of them tonight. The last time these two teams met in Indiana, the Titans won by 20 points to earn the automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. You can be sure that the Crusaders have not forgotten that feeling and will come out determined to make a statement on Saturday. Detroit is 4-16 ATS (1 push) in their last 21 games following a victory of more than 20 points in their previous game. Valpo has covered 4 of their last 5 home games.

4 Unit Play. #581 Take Duke over Maryland (6 pm ESPN) I am really not a big fan of this Blue Devil team but they have much more offensive firepower than does Maryland and thus I expect them to win this game. Therefore since we believe that they will win, we will take a shot that they will also cover this medium sized number. Maryland just does not have any firepower from long range. They do have a nice big man in Alex Len, but I expect Mason Plumlee to cancel him out and thus this game will come down to guard play and it is hard not to favor Duke in that category. Duke is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following an ATS loss in their previous game. Maryland is 2-7 ATS (1 push) in their last 20 games overall.

4 Unit Play. #813 Take Green Bay over Cleveland State (9 pm ESPN U) The Vikings are in a major rebuild mode and have struggled to compete in a very weak Horizon League this season. Green Bay won the first meeting by 27 points and we fully expect them to complete the quinella on Friday night in Cleveland. The Phoenix are coming off an impressive win over Detroit on Saturday and we fully expect them to follow that up with a strong performance tonight. Green Bay has a great mix of size and speed and they are a very difficult team to match-up with. Cleveland State is 4-11 ATS (1 push) in their last 16 games overall. Green Bay is 3-0 ATS (1 push) in their last 4 games played on Friday. Both trends hold true tonight, as we collect big in the process.

Best of Luck

8 Unit Play Take #816 Manhattan (ML) over Iona (7:00pm est):

One of the biggest mysteries early this season in all of CBB was what was wrong with the Manhattan Jaspers? Returning all five starters from last year's biggest surprise team in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, most predicted that this group would only improve in 2nd year head coach Steve Masiello's system. That wasn't the case early on this season as a few key injuries combined with a fairly tough schedule and overall poor play led to a slow start for this group. Things finally started to fall into place a few weeks back despite the fact they lost two very tough games on the road against two quality foes at Niagara and Canisius, losing both road games by just four points each. A road win at Rider and three straight victories, the last being the most impressive on the road versus Fairfield has the Jaspers playing as well as they have all season long right now. They rank first in the conference in two point defensive field goal percentage, a sure sign this team is playing much better than their 7-7 conference record. Now they come home here with ESPNU in town and what's expected to be a very enthusiastic crowd to face one of their top rivals here in this one.

Iona comes in losers of three of their last four games overall and also three of their last four on the road. Iona hasn't looked very good away from home in conference play most of this season with losses at St. Peter's, at Rider, at Niagara and at Canisius. Not an easy spot here as the Gaels also must go on the road this coming Monday and face off against one of the top conference teams at Fairfield in what should be another huge conference contest. This should be a battle of strength on strength here in this one as Iona is known as the top offensive school in league play but usually it's the defense that wins these kinds of battles.

Perfect spot for a Manhattan team here at home in what is a big Friday night home game and one that they know they must win. It's also "white out" night here in this one as everyone on campus knows just how big this game is overall. The betting market is grading this team more on their season long resume when the reality is this team is nothing like the team they were back a few months ago. If you throw those games out and focus just how this team has played the last six weeks or so you notice a much better team all around. Manhattan should be able to shut Iona down and get the win here in this one. Take Manhattan here in this game. Big weekend on tap as Saturday CBB is where I have made my mark here in 2013 with a record of 15-6 overall for this particular day. With so many games too choose from let me find the one's where the books are making their biggest mistakes. Lots of games going tomorrow that I like and should overall be another profitable day on the CBB hardwoods. Keep in mind that I have had four perfect Saturday's already so far this year and this is also with multiple plays of two or more on each card.

4 Unit Play. #594 Take North Dakota over Sacramento State (8 pm MidcoSN3) North Dakota has played much better basketball of late after a rough start to the season and we fully expect them to take care of business at home against a middle of the pack team in Sacramento State. The Sioux have the best player on the floor in Troy Huff, as he has scored at least 21 points in six of his last seven games. North Dakota is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 home games against teams with a losing road record. Sacramento State is 2-5 ATS (1 push) in their last 8 road games. Expect the Sioux to even up the series at one game apiece with an impressive victory tonight at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.
Best of Luck

4 Unit Play. #577 Take Davidson over Charleston (7:30 pm MyTV) Davidson is clearly the most experienced and most talented team in the Southern Conference and they are an impressive 12-1 during conference play. The Cats already beat the Cougars by 9 points this season and they have won 51 of the 64 career meetings between these two programs. Davidson has covered the spread in 4 of their last 5 games. Charleston is just 2-14 ATS in their last 16 games played on Thursdays. The Wildcats have not lost a game since January 15th and that winning streak will continue through this evening.

4 Unit Play. #505 Take Duquesne over Temple (7 pm) What this play comes down to is that I just do not believe that Temple is strong enough this season to be laying this much wood against conference opponents. The Dukes are in rebuilding mode with a new coach and they play a lot of freshman that should be more productive since they already have numerous games under their belt. Temple is just 5-4 in Atlantic-10 play and thus expect them to win tonight by not by 20 or more points. Temple is 2-8 ATS in their last 10 home games against teams with a losing road record.

4 Unit Play. #812 Take Washington State over Oregon State (10 pm PAC-12 Network) These are two bad PAC-12 teams, but Washington State has had Oregon State

4 Unit Play. #781 Take Arizona State over Utah (8 pm PAC-12 Network) Utah is not good enough to be beating the top teams in the PAC-12 and thus we will continue to fade them getting this short numbers in Salt Lake City. Utah had ASU on the ropes earlier this season and thus you can be sure that the Sun Devils will not be overlooking the Utes tonight. The bottom line is that ASU just has better players than does Utah and that will be the difference on Wednesday night. ASU has covered 7 of their last 10 PAC-12 games. The Utes can only be considered when they are a big underdog and that is certainly not the case tonight.

4 Unit Play. #771 Take Creighton over Northern Iowa (8 pm ESPN 3) The Blue Jays are in a free fall at the moment and for the first time all season they are not ranked in the Top 25. Creighton suffered back-to-back losses and this is a very important game for them to right the ship. Creighton holds a 30-16 advantage in the all-time series and already beat the Panthers this season by 11 points. Creighton is 14-5 ATS in their last 19 games following a loss in their previous game. Northern Iowa is 3-8 ATS (1 push) in their last 12 games played on Wednesday.

4 Unit Play. #746 Take Northeastern over Delaware (7 pm) We have rode the Huskies the last two games and fully expect to complete the trifecta on Wednesday since they return home to Boston. The Huskies already won in Delaware this season and they have taken six of the last seven match-ups in Matthews Arena. Northeastern is 12-1 in CAA play and we will ride them at home laying this short number. The Huskies are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games against teams with a winning record.

10 Unit Play. #729 Take La Salle over St. Bonaventure (7 pm) The Explorers are squarely on the NCAA Tournament Bubble and if they have visions of making the big dance, these are the type of games that they must win on the road games bad A-10 teams. La Salle can really get it done on the offensive end of the floor, as they are one of the top teams scoring wise in the Atlantic-10. They have won two straight against St. Bonaventure and expect them to complete the trifecta on Wednesday. St. Bonaventure is just 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games.

3 Unit Play. #527 Take Loyola Chicago over Milwaukee (8 pm Sports 32) You can pretty much fade Milwaukee in every game that they play since they have given up on the season and they will likely be making a coaching change come season

4 Unit Play. #519 Take Towson over James Madison (7 pm Comcast) The Tigers have had a remarkable turnaround after years of poor play and will enter this game having won four straight games. Towson pounded James Madison in the first meeting of the season by 26 points and getting points in this game is just too good to pass up. The Dukes are 8-5 in the CAA but they have lost two of their last three games with both losses coming by double digits. Towson is 8-1 ATS in their last 9 road games. James Madison is 6-13 ATS in their last 19 games following an ATS loss in their previous game. Expect this game to go down to the wire with the Tigers pulling out a hard fought victory.

4 Unit Play. #717 Take Northeastern over William & Mary (7 pm) We rode Northeastern on Saturday for an exciting overtime victory (a game we should not have won) and will take them again on Monday against another bottom feeder team in the CAA. The Huskies are clearly the best team in the league currently with a three game lead and they have lost just one game since 12/30. Northeastern is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 road games. William & Mary is 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games. The Huskies have a major edge in talent and we will lay the wood with them tonight. They will not take the Tribe lightly since they took them to double OT in Boston earlier this season.

10 Unit Play. #826 Take Maryland over Virginia (1 pm ESPN 3) Top College Hoops Play of the Weekend. The ACC is very weak this season and thus this is an important game for both teams who still have visions of being in the top three in the conference. We will side with the home team this afternoon, as both teams are very deliberate on offense, I just believe that Maryland has the edge on the board especially with some key injuries to the front line of Virginia. The Cavaliers have already lost some shaky road games to Wake Forest, Clemson, Georgia Tech, and a neutral site game to Old Dominion and Maryland is much better than all of those teams. Maryland is No. 1 in the nation in rebounding with over 42 per game and that will play a big role in this affair. Virginia is 2-9 ATS (1 push) in their last 12 road games. Maryland is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 home games against teams with a losing road record. Maryland gets the job done at home and we collect big in the process as well.

4 Unit Play. #672 Take Hawaii -3.5 over Cal Irvine (11:59 pm OC Sports) Two of the top teams in the Big West are set to meet tonight in Hawaii and we will side with the home team. The Warriors have been playing outstanding basketball of late winning four straight games with three of them coming on the road. This includes pounding league leading Long Beach State by 21 points on Thursday. UC-Irvine is 2-9 ATS in their last 11 road games when facing teams that have a winning record at home. Hawaii is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games.

Best of Luck

4 Unit Play. #638 Take UT-Arlington over UTSA (8 pm) UT-Arlington Mavericks were a solid team last year in the Southland Conference going 24-9 overall and they have been able to do some damage in a newly configured WAC this season. They pounded a better Texas State team on Thursday and they should have no problem pounding the worst team in the WAC Saturday night. The Mavericks already beat the Roadrunners by 8 points in San Antonio this season and expect a much bigger gap on Saturday. UTSA is 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games overall.

4 Unit Play. #607 Take Michigan State over Purdue (7 pm BTN) Purdue will be able to match-up well since both of physical teams, I just believe Michigan State will eventually wear them down and pull out a 5-7 point victory. Purdue has just beat the bottom teams in the Big Ten to earn 5 victories and in their five losses they have been blown out in all of them. Michigan State does not have a bad loss on the season and their experience will be the difference in this game. The Boilers also have two injuries to minor players and that will not help their cause. Purdue is 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games played on Saturday. Michigan State has covered 3 of the last 5 games (1 push).

4 Unit Play. #622 Arizona State over Stanford (7 pm ESPN U) The Cardinal play well against Arizona in the desert on Wednesday and thus this line is kept down where we can attack it with the home team. Arizona State is coming off a 4-point victory over Cal on Thursday in a game that ASU led throughout and was just not as close as the final score would indicate. ASU is on pace for a bid into the NCAA Tournament and they have more talent than do the Cardinal. ASU is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 PAC-12 games. Stanford is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 road games.

4 Unit Play. #575 Take Northeastern -4.5 over Old Dominion (4 pm) The Monarchs picked up their first conference win of the season on Thursday by beating Drexel. This came after firing long time coach Blaine Taylor and now everybody is ready to jump back on with them and state that they are back. I am not one of those people and feel their streak will stop at 1 after the league leaders put them back in their place. Beating Drexel is not the same as beating Northeastern. The Huskies are 11-0 ATS in their last 11 games following an ATS loss in their previous game. ODU is 1-11 ATS in their last 12 CAA games.

4 Unit Play. #515 Take Michigan over Wisconsin (12 pm ESPN 2) Wisconsin will battle for 40 minutes; however, they just do not have the talent to compete with Michigan for the entire game especially at the guard position. In fact, Michigan has a better player at 4 of the 5 positions on the court and expect them to get hot at some point and pull away for a comfortably victory. The Wolverines will not take this game lightly since they have had very little success in Madison in recent years. Michigan is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 road games. Wisconsin has covered just 1 of their last 6 games. Talent over effort wins out in this game.

4 Unit Play. #833 Take Utah State over San Jose State (10 pm) Both teams have been decimated by injuries or suspensions, but the Aggies have recovered much better and apparently they are a better team on the road than they are at home. The Spartans have fallen apart since the suspension of James Kinney and will enter this game having lost 7 straight games. Both teams played on the road last weekend against the same two teams, Idaho and Seattle. The Aggies won both of those games whereas the Spartans lost both of those games. The Aggies lead the all-time series by a 50-21 margin including the first game this season by six points in Logan. USU has now won 11 straight and 17 of the last 18 encounters with the Spartans dating back to 2006. SJSU is 0-5 ATS in their last five home games. Hate to lay this many points on the road; however, the Aggies have coop well without their star players and the Spartans have thrown in the towel on the season.

Best of Luck

4 Unit Play. #544 Take Arizona State over California (9:30 pm PAC-12 Network) The Sun Devils are quietly making their way up the standing in the PAC-12 and are on pace for a bid into the NCAA Tournament. This is an important series for them against the Bay Area teams and I expect them to make a statement on Thursday night. ASU is a much more rounded team than is California, as the Bears rely solely on the play of two players. Arizona State is 6-3 in the PAC-12 this season and Cal has already been blown out by Colorado, UCLA, Stanford, & Washington. California is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 road games. Arizona State is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 home games. Expect ASU to dominate this game for 40 minutes and cruise to a victory at Wells Fargo Arena.

4 Unit Play. #531 Take Washington over UCLA (9 pm ESPN) This is just too many points to be laying considering both of these teams have been up and down much of the season. Washington has won 4 of the last 5 meetings with UCLA and they have the size to match-up with the Bruins inside the paint. There will likely be big leads by both teams in this game, but Washington will go on a run at some point and allow them to take this game down to the wire. Washington is 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games against teams with a winning record. UCLA is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games. Expect a battle tonight at Pauley Pavilion.

4 Unit Play. #584 Take Furman over UNC Greensboro (7 pm) Both of these teams are terrible on the road going a combined 1-18 and thus we will side with the home Paladins since this game takes place at Timmons Arena. Furman holds a 9-1 series edge versus UNCG in Greenville. Don

4 Unit Play. #772 Take Tulsa over UAB (8 pm) The Blazers have lost 7 of their last 8 games and sit at the bottom of the standing in Conference USA. Tulsa has struggled recently as well but their back to back losses came against the two best teams in the league. UAB is just 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games. Tulsa has covered 5 of their last 6 games. Lay the small wood tonight with the better team playing at home.

10 Unit Play. #775 Take Marshall over Tulane (8 pm) This will be the third straight game we will go against Tulane as our top play and we expect a similar result tonight since they are a sinking ship at the moment. The Green Wave will win a game at some point this season but it will not be tonight, as Marshall has talent, they just have not played up to it this season. The Thundering Herd have won four straight games the Green Wave. Tulane win loss record is all about their non-conference cupcake schedule. They have been turning over the basketball at an alarming pace. Finally, Tulane is 4-23 ATS in their last 27 following a loss in their previous game.

4 Unit Play. #766 Take James Madison over William & Mary (7 pm) The Tribe have been a poor road team of late losing by double digits in 4 of their last 5 road games. The Dukes look to get back on track after losing to George Mason over the weekend at home. I expect a big bounce back performance tonight since they do not want to drop two straight games at home. Despite that loss, James Madison has won 4 of their last 5 games overall. William & Mary is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games overall. James Madison is 8-1 ATS in their last 9 home games.

4 Unit Play. #524 Take Over in Florida @ Arkansas (7 pm ESPN) Both teams average over 74 points per game and playing in Arkansas should allow this game to be more competitive. The Gators have played a very weak SEC schedule thus far hitting a couple of teams without their key players and I expect that this will get a stern test tonight against Arkansas since both teams are physical and like to press up and down the court. Arkansas has gone over the posted total in 9 of their last 11 home games.
Best of Luck

4 Unit Play. #732 Take Siena over Fairfield (7 pm) We will side with the home underdog tonight when these to MAAC teams do battle in Loudonville. The Saints have been playing much better basketball of late winning two straight games and they have covered 4 of their last 5 home games. Fairfield is just a middle of the pack team in the MAAC and thus they are not good enough to be laying this many points on the road. The Stags are just 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
Best of Luck

4 Unit Play. #819 Take Wisconsin over Illinois (3:30 pm Big Ten Network) The Badgers live and die by the three point shot and that bodes well against Illinois since they are not a lockdown team on defense. Illinois has lost three straight home games and all three of them have been double digit blowouts. Illinois is 7-19 ATS in their last 26 Big Ten Games. If this game goes down to the wire, I am confident that Illinois will find a way to lose it and thus we will side with the more stable Badgers.

Best of Luck

4 Unit Play. #670 Take BYU over Santa Clara (9 pm BYU TV) The Broncos are a much improved team this season but they have been fattening up on the weak WCC schools of late. BYU already pounded Santa Clara this season by 18 points and I expect even a bigger margin of victory this Saturday since this game is in Provo. The Cougars score over 77 points per game and thus they can cover medium sized numbers. Santa Clara is 8-17 ATS in their last 25 WCC games. BYU has covered 5 of their last 6 home games.

10 Unit Play. #674 Take UTEP over Tulane (9 pm) The Miners cannot wait to get back onto the court and get the overtime loss taste out of their mouths. UTEP already beat Tulane in New Orleans by 9 points and expect a double digit margin tonight in El Paso. We went against Tulane for our GOY on Wednesday and won relatively easily and expect another easy winner on Saturday night. The Green Wave

4 Unit Play. #610 Take St. Josephs over Temple (6 pm CBS Sports Network) This big-5 match-up features two teams that have underachieved thus far in the season and expect the Hawks to get things turned around on Saturday since they are the more talented team. Temple has a great scorer in Khalif Wyatt but I do not believe his supporting cast matches up well with the Hawks. Temple is 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games overall. St. Joes is 15-5 ATS in their last 20 games following an ATS loss in their previous game. Take the home team and lay the wood in this one.

4 Unit Play. #573 Take San Diego State over Air Force (3 pm) The Aztecs have righted the ship after falling outside the Top 25 and expect them to take care of business today against Air Force, a team that is not has good as their conference record would indicate. The Falcons are 4-2 in the league but they have yet to beat any of the multiple teams in this league that will make the NCAA Tournament. The schedule gets much tougher for them now whereas San Diego State should be able to make it three straight wins. San Diego lost to Air Force last year in Colorado but had won the previous 8 games in this series. SDSU is 36-16 ATS (1 push) in their last 53 road games. If Coach Fischer can keep the team united, SDSU wins this game by double digits.

4 Unit Play. #538 Take Texas Tech over West Virginia (1:45 pm ESPN 3) West Virginia should not be favored by anybody on the road during conference play and we will gladly take the points with the Red Raiders today in Lubbock. Texas Tech plays much better at home evident by the fact that they beat Iowa State their last time out. West Virginia did hang with Kansas on Monday but that games was not as close at it would have appeared. WVU has been blown out their last two times on the road. West Virginia is 0-5 ATS (1 push) in their last 6 games played on Saturday. This game will be close throughout and the Red Raiders pull it out in the end.

5 Unit Play. #548 Take Idaho over Utah State (10 pm ESPN 3) Revenge will be served on the court tonight, as the Vandals will pound a depleted Utah State team tonight in Moscow. As you already know, the Aggies have been hit hard with injuries and will enter this game having lost 4 straight contests. Utah State hung with two middle of the pack teams last week at home but those final scores were misleading, as they were down big in both of those games only to make a late rally to have the score look respectable. The Vandals are coming off a very surprising home stand in which they did not perform well against UTSA and Texas State, but I truly believe that was just a case of taking them lightly. That will not happen tonight and I look for a double digit victory by the home team. Utah State is 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games overall. Idaho is 23-9 ATS in their last 32 games against teams with a winning record. The WAC teams are ready to kick Utah State when they are down since they have dominated this league for most of the last decade. Tonight it is Idaho

10 Unit Play. #789 Take UCF over Tulane (8 pm) Conference Game of the Year. The Big Easy will be the site for all the action this week and thus nobody will be playing attention to this game and thus the visitors will make it and get a game on the road. The Green Wave, like a lot of teams in Conference USA really padded their record during the non-conference portion of the season and now they are in for a dose of reality. Tulane is just 2-3 in conference play and went 3-13 last year in Conference USA despite starting out the season with a 12-2 record. History appears to be repeating itself again this season.
Turning over to UCF, the Knights are 4-1 in conference play with their only loss coming in overtime to ECU. They have now won three straight games and they really do not have a bad loss on the season. Their two leading scorers both shot the ball over 50% and this team shots over 49% as a team. UCF has four people averaging at least 11 points per game and quite frankly they just have much more talent than does Tulane. The Green Wave shot it at just 41% from the field and that includes all the cupcakes that they played to open up the season. I have been waiting for an opportunity to fade Tulane while their win-loss record still looks good and this is the perfect situation for this. Tulane is 4-16 ATS (1 push) in their last 21 games played on Wednesday. UCF is 15-7 ATS (1 push) in their last 23 Conference USA games. The wrong team is favored in this game and we will exploit it in a big way.

4 Unit Play. #763 Take Valparaiso over Youngstown State (7 pm) The Crusaders have a knack to play up or down to their level of competition but in the end, they usually find a way to get the W. If they do that tonight you can also expect a cover and thus we will lay the wood tonight on the road in Ohio. Valpo is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 road games. Youngstown State is 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games played on Wednesday. The Crusaders just have better talent and cannot afford a hick-up in their quest to host the Horizon League tournament come March.

4 Unit Play. #526 Take Ole Miss over Kentucky (9 pm ESPN) This line is low because Kentucky is a national team, but this is certainly not the same group of Wildcats that everyone is accustomed too. The Rebels are 11-0 at home and they have already beaten better teams than what they will face tonight in Kentucky. Ole Miss scores over 80 points per game and should be able to light it up on Tuesday since Kentucky is not a lockdown defensive team. Kentucky is 1-8 ATS in their last 9 SEC games. Ole Miss is 9-3 ATS in their last 12 SEC games. Both trends hold true tonight, as we collect with the home team.

2 Unit Play. #722 Take West Virginia over Kansas (9 pm ESPN) We will take the points in this game, as I just do not believe that Kansas is an explosive offensive team that can blow out conference opponents on the road. Expect West Virginia to control the pace of this game and keep the scoring in the sixties giving them a great chance to cover this big number. West Virginia is 3-1 ATS (1 push) in their last 5 conference games. I just believe that they will put forth a solid effort on Monday and take this game down to the wire.
Best of Luck

4 Unit Play. #830 Take Purdue over Iowa (3:30 pm BTN) Iowa has played a brutal schedule to open up conference play but I do not believe that helps them when playing middle of the pack teams on the road. Actually I think all of this losing has taken its toll of this team and I expect them to come in flat against Purdue on Sunday. Purdue has played a much easier schedule but they have some talent that is just young, but improving on a daily basis. This is an important game for Purdue, as a win will get them over the .500 mark in Big Ten play. Purdue leads the all-time series with Iowa, 85-71, and it has been especially dominant in recent years with wins in 10 of the last 11 matchups. Iowa is 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games played on Sunday. Purdue is 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games following a loss in their previous game.

Best of Luck

4 Unit Play. #661 Take Louisiana Tech over Utah State (9 pm ESPN 3) Apparently the Bulldogs are the best team in the WAC and nobody knows much about them. Things will only get worse for the Aggies, as their two best players are out and there just are not many bodies left to even suit up for games. Utah State has lost three straight games and they did not play well at all in their last game against an average UT-Arlington team. No team can overcome this many injuries:
Danny Berger G 12/05/2012 will miss the remainder of the season Out heart
Riley Bradshaw G 11/01/2012 has left the team Out personal
Sean Harris F 11/06/2012 will miss the entire season Out knee
Preston Medlin G 01/20/2013 is expected to miss 6-8 weeks Out broken wrist
Kyisean Reed F 01/20/2013 will miss the remainder of the season Out knee surgery

10 Unit Play. #568 Take Nebraska over Northwestern (3 pm ESPN U) The Wildcats have been overachieving of late but that will end in a big way this afternoon in Lincoln. Nebraska has played a brutal schedule this far to open up Big Ten play but they did beat Penn State, a team very similar to Northwestern since both teams are without their best players. Brandon Ubel is back in the line-up and that gives the Cornhuskers an edge down low that Northwestern will not have an answer for. Northwestern has alternated wins and losses in the last six games and that will hold true again on Saturday. Nebraska is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games following an ATS loss in their previous game. No Drew Crawford finally catches up to the Cats.

4 Unit Play. #687 Take Davidson over Appalachian State (2 pm) The Wildcats have played better during Southern Conference play after a very disappointing effort in the non-conference portion of the season. The Mountaineers are banged up with Jay Canty and Michael Neal questionable for this game and that is a major part of their offensive firepower. Davidson has won three straight games and they currently sit atop the standing in the Southern League. Davidson pulls away late and we collect big in the process as well!

4 Unit Play. #537 Take Rhode Island over Fordham (1 pm Yes Network) This is a battle of Rams; however, these Rams are heading in opposite directions. Fordham has lost three straight games and will likely be without Chris Gaston for this game. Rhode Island has been very competitive in their games of late including beating St. Louis on the road. Rhode Island is 5-1 ATS (1 push) in their last 7 Atlantic-10 games. Fordham is 16-38 ATS (1 push) in their last 55 games following an ATS loss.

2 Unit Play. #821 Take Green Bay over Milwaukee (9 pm ESPN U) Would have really attacked this game had the line been lower but nonetheless, the Panthers are a lame duck team with a coach that will likely be replaced come season

4 Unit Play. #558 Take Arizona State over USC (19:30 pm PAC-12 Network) Granted it is not as much fun to fade USC without Kevin O

4 Unit Play. #536 Take Utah State over UT-Arlington (9 pm ESPN 3) The Aggies have not been blowing team out at home like they did in the past, but because of that this line is short and we can attack it against a newcomer to the WAC. Utah State is coming off a two game road trip in which they lost double-digit games to New Mexico State and Denver. The Mavericks were also blown out by two so-so teams at home and their only conference victories have come against UTSA and Texas State, two of the worst teams in the league. Arlington is scoring just 60 points per game and that will not get the job done against the Aggies especially at home. This would be a GOY play if the Aggies did not have some key people out; however, we still expect a rout by the home team.

4 Unit Play. #529 Take California over Utah (8:30 pm PAC-12 Network) The Golden Bears are a strange team to figure out, as they have two good players but a terrible supporting cast. This play is more about going against Utah, as they are a sinking ship having won just one conference game this season. They did put forth a great effort against Washington last weekend but I do not expect them to be able to handle prosperity. The Golden Bears have won three straight meetings with Utah, including a 60-56 triumph when they met as conference foes for the first time last season. I am a big fan of Allen Crabbe and he is by far and away the best player on the floor and he will lead the Bears to victory on Thursday.

4 Unit Play. #520 Take Florida State over Clemson (8 pm ESPN 3) The Seminoles have already won in Clemson and go for the season sweep tonight in Tallahassee. This number is short because FSU will be without Terrance Shannon but I do not expect that to be a major factor in this game. FSU is 3-2 in the ACC and Clemson has yet to beat any tournament teams this season. Florida State is coming off a terrible performance against Virginia and expect a much better effort tonight as this team is averaging over 70 points per game. Clemson is 1-10 ATS in their last 11 games played on Thursday. FSU is 7-2 ATS in their last 9 ACC games. Michael Snaer plays like he is an All-American candidate tonight and we collect big in the process.

4 Unit Play. #575 Take Western Illinois over IPFW (7 pm) One just needs to look at the conference standing in the Summit to know that these two teams are not on the same level. Earlier this season, the Leathernecks defeated IPFW at home, 62-50, to notch their third consecutive win in the rivalry. The Leathernecks have won 12 of their past 13 games and should have no problem winning this game on the road since they allow just over 52 points per game. Western Illinois is 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games against teams with a losing record. IPFW is 2-5 ATS in their last 5 conference games. That means every game they lost they have not covered and expect that trend to hold true again on Thursday.

4 Unit Play. #782 Take Valparaiso over Green Bay (8 pm ESPN3com) Granted I do not have much luck picking games in the Horizon League (think Detroit and an 18 point halftime lead), but getting Valpo at home under double digits is too good to pass up. The Crusaders have won five straight games and the last two coming against the two teams that were expected to challenge them for the top spot in the conference standings. Green Bay has lost to both Wright State and Detroit, the two teams Valpo just beat and they have won four straight games, but this has come against bottom feeder teams. UWGB is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 road games. Valparaiso is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.

4 Unit Play. #790 Take Houston over Tulsa (8 pm) This play is more about going against Tulsa, as they do not have much offensive scoring punch and that does not bode well when playing on the road. Houston played a terrible non-conference schedule and thus there record is not a good indication of our strong they are, but they are 9-2 at Hofheinz Pavilion. What this play comes down to is that I do not believe that Tulsa can keep pace with Houston and at some point in this game the Cougars will go on a double digit run and that will be enough to hold of the Golden Hurricanes. Houston is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 home games against teams with a losing road record.

4 Unit Play. #747 Take Duke over Miami (7 pm ESPN) Both teams have key people out for this game, but I believe Duke wants this game since the U beat them in Durham last year. Duke has won 15 of the 18 all-time meetings with Miami and is 8-2 in Coral Gables. This will be a great match-up of guards but I truly believe that Duke finds a way to win this game down the stretch. Duke is 9-2 ATS in their last 11 road games.

4 Unit Play. #528 Take Maryland over Boston College (9 pm ESPN U) The Terrapins have not performed well during ACC play with the exception of a win against NC State last week. But they still play rock solid defense and they should be able to score points against a bad Boston College team. The Eagles have had a pretty favorable schedule to open up conference play yet they are only 1-3 with their lone win coming against Virginia Tech. They are a tough out a home but playing on the road is a different story for them. Maryland will need to score seventy points to cover this number and I believe that they will. Boston College is 2-6 ATS (1 push) in their last 9 road games. Maryland is 9-4 ATS in their last 13 home games.
Best of Luck

4 Unit Play. #514 Take Providence (ML) over Pittsburgh (7 pm ESPN 2) Pittsburgh is just not that good to be laying this many points on the road against a decent Providence team. The Panthers do not have a dominant player on the floor and thus the Friars will be able to take this game down to the wire with a good chance to win it straight-up. Providence is 8-2 at home this season and fought Syracuse hard for 40 minutes losing by just 6 points. They have won two of their last three games and it would not surprise me if they win this game as well. Pittsburgh is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games played on Tuesday. Providence is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 Big East games.

4 Unit Play. #511 Take Michigan State (ML) over Wisconsin (7 pm ESPN) Neither team has many weapons on offense and Wisconsin is battling a ton of injuries so we will bite on this inviting line. If Wisconsin shoots it like they did against Illinois, we will lose this selection but that is the only way possible I can see Wisconsin winning this game via a blowout. All the other match-ups favor Michigan State and expect the Spartans to put forth a good effort on the road. Michigan State won at the Kohl Center last and should find the paint much easier to attack with George Marshall (illness) and Frank Kaminsky (eye) likely not to see action. Michigan State has won three straight over Wisconsin and six of the last eight meetings. Wisconsin is just 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games against teams with a winning record. Michigan State needs to whether the storm early and then they will have a good chance to win this game.

4 Unit Play. #728 Take Over in Georgetown @ Notre Dame (7:30 pm ESPN) The Hoyas have seemed to figure out their offensive issues scoring at least 61 points in three straight games. After getting blown out by Pittsburgh, the Hoyas have won two of their last three games and have just been playing better basketball on offense. The Irish have gone over today

2 Unit Play. #810 Take Northwestern +12 over Indiana (1 pm Big 10 Network) Everyone expect Indiana to bounce back in a big way after their loss to Wisconsin on Tuesday but I do not see that happening. Wisconsin gave Northwestern the blueprint for how to slow down this up tempo offense and expect the Wildcats to slow it do as well especially since they are without Drew Crawford. I just expect Northwestern to hit some threes and hang around in this game losing by just 8-10 points. Indiana is just 1-4 ATS in their last 5 Big Ten games.

Best of Luck

4 Unit Play. #637 Take San Diego State over Wyoming (7:30 pm) The Cowboys are a sinking ship at the moment and they have no answer for the loss of Luke Martinez. The Aztecs are coming off a hard fought loss to UNLV and I expect them to bounce back in a big way tonight in Laramie. San Diego State just have many more weapons than do the Cowboys and assuming Coach Fischer can devise a game plan, things should go the way of the Aztecs. SDSU is 35-15 ATS (1 push) in their last 51 road games.

4 Unit Play. #608 Take Michigan State over Ohio State (6 pm ESPN) The Big 10 seems to have a match-up of heavyweights each and every night that there is action and today that marquee game takes place in East Lansing. Michigan State is coming off a lackluster performance against Penn State, but one must remember that two starters were suspended for that game for the entire first half. I expect a much better effort out of Sparty tonight especially since they are playing at home. Ohio State jumped out on Michigan last Sunday and had to hang on for dear life in order to win that game. Ohio State just does not have many weapons on offense and expect Michigan State to key on DeShaun Thomas and make someone else beat them. Michigan State is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games played on Saturday. Ohio State is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games played on Saturday.

4 Unit Play. #546 Take Xavier over La Salle (2 pm) The Musketeers got off to a slow start during the non-conference portion of the season but have turned things on during A-10 play winning their first three conference games. They now take on an improved Explorer team but La Salle is just no ready to challenge for the top spots in the A-10. La Salle has been beaten handily in their last two road games. Xavier is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 A-10 conference games. La Salle is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall.

4 Unit Play. #532 Take South Carolina over Vanderbilt (1:30 pm ESPN 3) Vanderbilt has no talent and that is the crux of this selection. Granted they have been able to hang with a few overrated teams at home, but playing on the road has been a different story. They were blown out by a bad Arkansas team and expect more of the same today against USC. Carolina is coming off an impressive win against LSU and expect them to be confident entering this game today. Vanderbilt is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 non-conference games.

4 Unit Play. #512 Take Detroit over Valparaiso (7 pm ESPN U) This is likely a match-up of the two best teams in the Horizon League. Both have been streaky with some good wins and some head scratching losses, but what this comes down to is that I do not believe the Crusaders match up very well with the Titans. Detroit won the last meetings between these programs by 20 points and most of the participants in that game will be in this game as well. Detroit has won 17 straight games at home. Enough said!

4 Unit Play. #798 Take Washington State over Utah (9:30 pm PAC-12 Network) The Cougars have been a cash cow for us all season long and we will ride them yet again when playing in Pullman. Utah is coming off a disappointing loss to USC and they have yet to record a victory in the PAC-12 this season. Lay the wood with a team that is desperate for a win at home.

10 Unit Play. #793 Take Purdue over Nebraska (9 pm Big 10 Network) College Basketball Game of the Year. Both of these teams are defensive driven, but what this play really comes down to is that Purdue just have better talent than does Nebraska. The Cornhuskers lost four starters off of a team that finished in last place and their lone returning starter is Brandon Ubel, who is out for this game with a broken right elbow. Second chance points will be plentiful in this game since neither side shoots it very well from the field and it is hard not to favor Purdue in this department. Matt Painter team

5 Unit Play. #767 Take Southern Miss over SMU (8 pm) Boy many of the teams in Conference USA have inflated records because they did not challenge themselves during the non-conference portion of the season. Houston, SMU, Tulane, and UCF all have crap RPI rankings despite having impressive winning records. Southern Miss does not fall into that category, as they are 11-4 and have a strong RPI ranking of 58 as of Tuesday. There four losses have come against quality teams (NMSU, U of A, Wichita State, La Tech) and they were not blown out in any of those four games. The Golden Eagles have not lost a game since 12/22 and all five wins since this date have been major blowouts. Granted they have not been against impressive teams, but they did beat Houston their last time out by 19 points. The 19 points final score result does not do justice to how big of a blowout this actually was. It was not like Southern Miss played outstanding on offense either; they shot 33% from the 3-point line and less than 50% from the field and free throw line. The Eagles are getting the job done on the defensive side of the floor by leading Conference USA in steals per game and allowing opponents to make just 28.7% of their shots from long range.
Moving over to SMU, they did make a splash during the offseason by digging up Larry Brown to coach their team. The Mustangs got off to a 5-0 start but things have gotten much tougher after that. SMU has now lost two straight home games and six of their last nine games overall. They did rebound to beat Tulane in their last game, but I expect to hear Coach Larry Brown gripe about things shortly. SMU needs to keep this game in the low sixties for them to have a chance and I just do not see that happening. SMU played one of their better games of the season last year against Southern Miss making 11 three pointers and still never led in that game.
If this game were played in Hattiesburg, the Eagles would be a 15-point favorite. Playing in Dallas will help, but the Mustangs just do not have enough talent to hang with the Golden Eagles for 40 minutes. USM will go on a big run at some point in this game and that will be all she wrote. USM already has 5 true road victories on the season. SMU is 5-11 ATS in their last 16 conference games. USM is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 road games.