Sports Picks & Predictions

4 Unit Play. #725 Take NC State over Maryland (7 pm ESPN 2) We will bite on this since most of the public believes that NC State is due for a letdown after coming off a big win against Duke over the weekend. I do not believe that will be the case, as NC State is a veteran team that returns four starters off of their Sweet 16 performance last year. NC State can score points as will shooting over 50% as a team, but this may be their toughest task of the season, as Maryland can really defend. That being said, at some point NC State will go on a scoring run and I just do not believe that Maryland will be able to match it. NC State is 16-5 ATS in their last 21 road games.

4 Unit Play. #514 Take Over in Wake Forest @ Clemson (7 pm ESPN U) Both of these teams will be ready to light up the scoreboard after playing Virginia in recent games. The Cavaliers are one of the most mythical teams in the country and thus both of these teams scoring output has been affected. In fact only 1 time in the last ten meetings between these two teams has the final score not gone over tonight

4 Unit Play. #722 Take Western Carolina over Elon (7 pm) The Western Carolina Catamounts are 4-0 in a very competitive Southern Conference and expect them to notch win No. 5 tonight at the Ramsey Center. The Catamounts have won three of their last four games against the Phoenix and they have won four of their five games at home this season. Elon is just 3-8 ATS in their last 11 Southern Conference games. Western Carolina is 9-2 ATS in their last 11 Southern Conference games.
Best of Luck- Doc

4 Unit Play. #822 Take Ohio State over Michigan (1:30 pm CBS) The Buckeyes have not played that well to start the season but this is the game that they will put it all together. Michigan is undefeated but that have not faced a hostile environment like they will today. If the Buckeyes have any chance of winning the Big Ten, this is the game that they need and I expect them to play one of their best games of the season. Ohio State is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 home games.

4 Unit Play. #673 Take Air Force over UNLV (10 pm) The Rebels went ice cold down the stretch in their last game against New Mexico and now they must take on the Force tonight at the Thomas & Mack Center. Air Force is underrated yet again this season as they are 9-4 on the season. But this play is more about going against UNLV, as in recent years they have never blown out the Falcons. Plus they are coming off an emotional loss to New Mexico on Wednesday and thus they will likely just go through the motions since they feel that is all it will take to beat Air Force. Thus the scoring will be lower and we will collect with this hefty underdog. UNLV is just 6-14 ATS in their last 20 games against teams with a winning record. Air Force has covered 5 of their last 6 games played on Saturday.

4 Unit Play. #606 Take Arkansas Little Rock over Florida International (4:30 pm) The Sun Belt will be fairly competitive this season with as many as five teams vying for the top spot in the standing. The Trojans are coming off a nice victory over North Texas and we expect them to follow that up with another double digit home victory on Saturday against the Panthers. FIU had a much tougher game on Thursday against Arkansas State and I do not believe that they will have much left in the tank on Saturday. UALR has covered 5 straight home games. FIU is 4-9 ATS in their last 13 Sun Belt games. The Bobcats are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 home games. Arlington is 3-1 ATS (1 push) in their last 5 games against WAC teams.

4 Unit Play. #575 Take UT-Arlington over Texas State (3 pm) It is safe to assume that these new members of the WAC were not given access because of their dominating basketball teams. I have been a little late to the part on just how bad Texas State and UTSA are. UT-Arlington is a notch about both of those teams and thus expect them to complete sweep of them this Saturday. The Bobcats have won just one game since 11/25/12 and that came against Pan America. They have really not been competitive during this during this 8 game losing streak with their closest loss being 6 points to Northwestern. The remaining 7 losses during this losing streak have all come by double digits.

4 Unit Play. #564 Take Milwaukee over Valparaiso (2 pm) The Panthers are having a terrible year but they still have talent and getting around double digits with them at home is just too good to pass up. Valpo was predicted to be among the best teams in the Horizon League but they have not played that well recently losing to Loyola at home and struggling to put away a bad UIC team on Wednesday. Look for the Panthers to keep this game in the sixties giving them a good chance to cover this high number. Milwaukee is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 home games.

4 Unit Play. #826 Take Over in Wright State @ Loyola Chicago (9 pm ESPN U) I expect this to be a very competitive match-up for 40 minutes and expect some fouling to occur down the stretch to inflate this total over this low posted number. Both teams average 62 points per game and I am confident that one of these teams will reach 65 points putting us in good shape to collect with the over. The Raiders have been playing outstanding basketball of late, but this will be their first road game since December 22nd and thus their defense will not be as strong. Loyola has gone over the posted number in 5 straight home games. Wright State has gone over the posted total in 11 of their last 15 games played on Friday. Expect a close hard fought game with the over the strongest bet.

4 Unit Play. #550 Take Idaho over Denver (10 pm) We lost twice with the Vandals last week so if you cannot beat them, join them! Denver is always a different on the road than they are at home and that will again surface tonight at Cowan Spectrum. The Pioneers are just 1-5 in road games this season. Idaho is 5-0 ATS (1 push) in their last 6 games overall. Denver is 15-36 ATS in their last 51 road games.

4 Unit Play. #554 Take Loyola Marymount over Santa Clara (10 pm local) The Broncos have had a remarkable turnaround this season after going 0-16 last season. That being said, they are not good enough to be laying this many points on the road games middle of the pack teams in the WCC. These teams are a combined 1-3 in WCC play and the Lions won both meetings last season with the Broncos. Santa Clara is 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a losing record. LMU is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games against teams that have a winning road record.
Best of Luck

4 Unit Play. #541 Take UCLA over Utah (9:30 pm PAC-12 Network) The Bruins are starting to turn it on after yet another slow start and will enter this game having won 8 straight games. UCLA was not as strong last year and still beat the Utes by 27 points and I expect a double digit victory tonight at the Huntsman Center. The Utes are an improved team this season and they did take Arizona to the wire last week, but all that has done is keep this line much lower than it should be. UCLA is 6-1 ATS (1 push) in their last 8 PAC-12 games.

4 Unit Play. #808 Take Texas A & M over Arkansas (9 pm ESPN U) The SWC is reborn as the Aggies and Razorbacks meet for just the second time in the last 20 years. Arkansas has yet to record a victory away from Fayetteville this season and that trend will continue through this evening. Arkansas is 17-42 ATS in their last 59 road games. Enough said.

4 Unit Play. #793 Take Valparaiso over Illinois-Chicago (8 pm HLN) The Crusaders are expected to win the Horizon League after Butler bolted for the A-10, but they did not perform that well during the non-conference portion of the season. I expect them to turn it up during conference play and it will start tonight when they hand UIC their first home loss of the season. Valpo won both of the meetings last season with UIC and will enter this game having won the last six match-ups. UIC is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 conference games.

4 Unit Play. #754 Take Wright State over Cleveland State (7 pm) The Vikings are in complete rebuild mode and are without their leading scorer in Anton Grady. CSU is just 1-6 on the road this season and they have been blown out numerous times and tonight will add to that list. The Raiders are a perfect at home this season.

4 Unit Play. #730 Take Fordham over Duquesne (7 pm Yes Network) Both of these teams are bottom feeder teams in the A-10, but the Rams are starting to play better once Chris Gaston returned to the line-up. The Dukes are coming off two double digit losses to bad teams in Penn State and Louisiana and things will not get any easier tonight. Fordham has played a difficult non-conference schedule playing many BCS Conference teams and that has prepared them well for this match-up. Duquesne is 5-13 ATS in their last 18 games overall. Fordham is 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games following a loss in their previous game.

5 Unit Play. #526 Take Georgetown over Pittsburgh (9 pm ESPN U) Pittsburgh showed over the weekend that they are not ready to compete for the top spots in the Big East Conference. The Panthers are coming off a loss to Rutgers in a game that they trailed by 16 points and now are 0-2 on the season in Big East play. The Hoyas lost to Marquette over the weekend in a low scoring game and they have struggled to score points all season long. But playing at home will help them since they are undefeated at home and only one time during this home winning streak would they not have covered tonight

1-Unit Play. Take #721 Indiana over Penn State (7 p.m., Monday, Jan. 7)

It seems like a small thing, but this is one of those games that is going to give me a little insight into whether or not the Hoosiers are for real. The Big Ten is getting a ton of hype right now. But the truth is that the league is extremely top-heavy, and that the teams at the bottom are pretty terrible. Penn State is one such team. They were going to be bad with Tim Frazier in the mix. But without him they are a disaster. The Nittany Lions are going to try to do what all bad Big Ten teams that have no talent or skill do: make this game ugly. They will try to slow it down and try to feed off the crowd energy with their ideas of an upset. But I think Indiana, which survived a battle at Iowa last week, will come into this game with its eyes wide open. Jordan Hulls isn't going to go 0-for-10 again and I think Indiana will shoot better both from the floor and from deep. IU will have four of the five best players on the floor and I can see them making this a runaway in the second half. Let's see what IU is capable of.

4 Unit Play. #824 Take Yale over Florida (5:30 pm NBC Sports Network) I just do not see the bulldogs getting blown out at home. Yale is 5-10 on the season but only one of those losses would have come over today's posted number. I feel this deficit will be around 15 points and playing at home will keep the officials honest and the crowd into this game. Florida is only scoring 72 points per game and thus I expect it will be hard for them to cover this huge number.

10 Unit Play. #629 Take California +1 over USC (11 pm FSN) The Golden Bears have better talent than what they have showcased thus far and I think they put it together tonight against a team that has trouble scoring points. What this play comes down to is that I do not believe USC has enough offensive firepower to keep up with California by scoring in the high sixties. The Bears have the two best players on the court in Allen Crabbe and Justin Cobbs and USC does not have anybody on the floor that comes close to matching this output. Cal

4 Unit Play. #614 Take Utah State over Idaho (9 pm ESPN 3) The Aggies have been the cream of the crop in the WAC for years and they are an especially tough team to beat at home. They did not play well on Thursday against Seattle before pulling away late and expect a much better effort for 40 minutes on Saturday. Idaho is coming off an impressive victory against San Jose State, but that is a little bit of fool

4 Unit Play. #564 Take West Virginia over Oklahoma (4 pm ESPN 3) I must admit that I am not at all a fan of West Virginia but they are 5-0 at home and have enough strength to take down Oklahoma in this new match-up of Big 12 teams. The Sooners have played a home heavy weak schedule and have yet to beat a quality team this year. This is just their third road game of the season and they have already lost to Arkansas and barely beat UT-Arlington. Expect the Mountaineers to control the pace and pull away in the second half of this game. OU has not handled prosperity well going 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games following a victory in their previous game. West Virginia is 7-3 in their last 10 games against Big 12 teams.

4 Unit Play. #574 Take Clemson over Florida State (4 pm FSN) Two teams that will not be making the NCAA tournament from the ACC are set to do battle today in South Carolina. Florida State is coming off a loss to a bad Auburn team and things will not get any easier on the road for a second straight game. FSU lost most of their scoring punch from last season and now they are not very good on either side of the ball. Clemson is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games overall.

4 Unit Play. #536 Take Kansas State over Oklahoma State (1:45 pm ESPN 3) Two teams just inside the top-25 are set to do battle in the Little Apple today. We will side with the home team and lay the small wood, as the Wildcats have played well under new coach Bruce Weber. K-State has won four games in a row including an impressive performance against Florida in Kansas City. The Cowboys got a lot of early hype for beating NC State, but that victory now turns out to not be that impressive. Ok State is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 road games.

4 Unit Play. #834 Take St. Peter

3 Unit Play. #540 Take San Jose State over Idaho (10 pm) When these two teams meet, you can expect a close game, but the Spartans should be able to win and cover this game tonight at The Events Center. San Jose State still leads the all-time series between the teams by a count of 13-10. The Spartans also have the best player on the floor in James Kinney. SJSU is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 WAC games.
Best of Luck

4 Unit Play. #534 Take Utah State over Seattle (9 pm KMYU) The Aggies once again appear to be the cream of the crop in the WAC and look for their third straight conference victory tonight at the Smith Spectrum. Utah State will also have revenge on their minds, as the Redhawks beat them last season. The Redhawks are one of the worst shooting teams in the WAC this year at a mere 40.8 percent, leading to just 68.3 points per game. Utah State is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games against teams with a losing record. The Aggies win this game by close to 20 points allowing us to collect big in the process as well.

4-Unit Play. Take #777 Illinois (-2.5) over Purdue (8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 2)

I like the Fighting Illini tonight in this one. Purdue is really struggling right now as they rebuild. They have a very young team and I don't know if they are ready to take down a Top 20 team. Purdue does have a seven-game winning streak in this series. But this is a better Illinois team with a new coach and it is facing a worse Purdue team with a lot of new faces. Go with experience here and the Illini should roll.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

2 Unit Play. #729 Take Utah State over Texas State (5 pm) The WAC has a new look this season with some departures and additions of Texas football schools. UTSA and Texas State are not know for basketball and thus expect the Aggies to be a rude welcoming into the WAC. Utah State is always near the top in the WAC and this season should be no different. Texas State has won just one game since 11/25 and that came against Texas Pan America. The Aggies are not as strong on the road, but they have enough talent to win this game by 8-10 points giving us the victory.

Best of Luck

2 Unit Play. #822 Take USC over Dayton (7 pm) Granted it is always dangerous to take the Trojans but they have talent and will overcome their coaching deficiencies tonight against a mid-major program at the Galen Center. The Flyers had a long trip to LA with some weather issues and thus expect USC to jump on them early and maintain the lead for 40 minutes. Dayton is 6-19 ATS (1 push) in their last 27 games played on Sunday.

4 Unit Play. #580 Take Bradley over Drake (8 pm) The always competitive Missouri Valley Conference gets underway on Saturday night and we will side with the much improved Bradley Braves. Bradley has a bad taste in their mouth after losing a pair of close games in Las Vegas and expect them to take out their frustrations on Drake tonight. The Bulldogs do not have a quality win on the season and they have not even played an NCAA Tournament caliber team. Bradley is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games following an ATS loss in their previous game. Drake is 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games played on Saturday.

10 Unit Play. #542 Take Illinois over Auburn (2:15 pm Big 10 Network) Granted the Illini seem to play up or down to their competition on a game by game basis, but Auburn is terrible and will likely get run out of the United Center on Saturday in the Windy City. Auburn is just 5-6 on the season and they have not played a murder

4 Unit Play. #538 Take Purdue over William & Mary (2 pm) The Tribe actually have a better record than the Boilermakers but this is a game Purdue needs badly, as they do not want to enter Big Ten Play with a 5-7 record. Purdue is coming off a much needed home victory against Ball State by double digits and I see this game being a 15-point victory for the home team. Purdue still plays really hard in your face defense and that bodes well at home when playing weak mid-major competition. Bill & Mary is 4-11ATS (2 pushes) in their last 17 non-conference games. Purdue is 14-6 ATS in their last 20 games following an ATS loss in their previous game. Purdue needs this game and thus will not take this mid-major lightly.

4 Unit Play. #529 Take Tulsa over Florida State (2 pm FSN) Both teams are off to so-so starts but the Seminoles have trouble covering these big numbers since they do not score a lot of points. Some of their scoring is inflated since they played some bad teams over this non-conference period, but Tulsa is a decent mid-major program. They have a new coach in Danny Manning and they are coming off a nice win at Oral Roberts last Saturday. This game is in South Florida and thus much of the Seminoles home court is negated (if not all). This game is below double digits and that gives us a great chance for the cover.

4 Unit Play. #838 Take UT-Chattanooga over High Point (7 pm) The Dr. Pepper Classic features 4 teams you have likely never heard of, but we will side with the home team in game two tonight at McKenzie Arena. The Mocs have not played well this season but since this is their own tournament you know they scheduled the easiest game for them in the first round to allow them to advance to the finals. The Mocs are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 games played on Friday. Expect the home team to put forth one of their better efforts to get the job done tonight.

2 Unit Play. #512 Take Under in New Mexico @ Cincinnati (9 pm ESPN 2) This was expected to be a match-up of unbeaten teams, but the Lobos lost their last game to South Dakota State and thus this game has lost some of its luster. Both of these teams get it done on the defensive side of the floor allowing less than 63 points per game and thus we will not worry who wins this game and just collect with the under. Cincinnati lost their big man from last year but they still have some strong guards and play very physical. New Mexico is a similar team and thus expect scoring to be at a premium. New Mexico has gone under the posted total in their last 4 games against Big East teams. Cincinnati has gone under the posted total in 14 of their last 16 home games against teams with a winning road record. Both trends hold true tonight, as we collect big in the process.
Best of Luck

4 Unit Play. #825 Take Arizona over Miami (FL) (11:30 pm ESPN 2) Day two of this tournament takes place during the late night hours on Sunday and we will side with the better and more healthy team in Arizona. The Hurricanes will likely be without Reggie Johnson who missed the game on Saturday with a sprained thumb and that is a major void that I do not believe this team will be able to fill. Arizona had a tune-up game on Saturday against East Tennessee State and thus they did not have to exert much energy in that game whatsoever. Arizona is 2-0 in the all-time series against the 'Canes. Arizona is 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games following an ATS loss in their previous game. Lay the wood with the better team tonight in Honolulu.

4 Unit Play. #596 Take Portland over Colorado State (10:30 pm) This is a neutral site game and I truly believe that CSU is not good enough to be laying this much wood against anybody away from Fort Collins. The Rams have a new coach and they are off to a nice start at 8-2, but they do have a bad loss against UIC. These two teams have played the same two teams in their last two games (North Florida and UCSB) going a combined 4-0 in those game and thus I expect that the talent is equal and this will be a competitive game for 40 minutes. Portland has better talent than their 6-6 record would indicate.

4 Unit Play. #571 Take Florida over Kansas State (8 pm ESPN 2) I was going to be all over this line had it come in around three, but the line makers put it higher than that but I still do not believe that it is enough points since Florida is a much better team than Kansas State. One must remember that this game is in Kansas City and not Manhattan, KS and thus much of the home court advantage is negated. Florida is loaded at every position on the court and to make no bones about it, we had no business winning that game last Saturday with Arizona. I expect the Gators to jump out early on KSU and cruise to a much needed non-conference victory outside the state of Florida. The two good teams that the Wildcats this season (Michigan & Gonzaga) they got blown out. Florida is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games against teams with a winning record. KSU is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 neutral site games. If this game is close, the Gators likely lose it straight-up (since they choke ala Arizona, Louisville (2012), or Butler (2011), but I just do not see this game being under double digits.

10 Unit Play. #539 Take Arizona State over Texas Tech (2 pm FSN SW) I must admit that I am shocked that Coach Herb Sendek turned this program around thus far in 2012/2013 as he entered the season squared on the hot seat. But he hired a couple of NBA guys as assistant coaches and the team is off to an impressive 9-2 start although their schedule has not been that challenging. This will be their first true road game of the season; however, United Spirit Arena will likely be half empty and will not provide much of a home court edge for the home team. The Red Raiders have been in disarray with an interim coach and not much talent on the roster. They are 5-3 on the season but have yet to leave Lubbock and do not shoot it well at all from the field, especially the 3-point line (27%). They have lost three of their last 4 games with their only win during this span coming against Northern Kentucky (whoever that is). Granted, they did lose by just 4 points to Alabama this week, but that is misleading since they never led in that game and trailed by as much as twenty points. ASU has turned the corner and will only get better as the season goes and will pull away late to win this game with ease. Texas Tech is 5-16 ATS in their last 21 non-conference games.

4 Unit Play. #522 Take Georgia over USC (1:30 pm FSN) Both of these BCS Conference teams are bad; however, the Trojans hate their coach along with every other person in the industry and it is only a matter of time before he is given the boot. Kevin O

4 Unit Play. #840 Take Washington State over Buffalo (10:30 pm PAC-12 Network) We will ride old faithful once again on Friday night, as the Bulls make a ridiculously long flight to Pullman for one game. Wazzou has not left Pullman since November 21st and they have won all but one of their games since that time (This game is in Seattle). Their lone loss came at the buzzer against Gonzaga. The Cougars have the best player on the floor in Brock Motum and I do not feel that Buffalo has a guy that can guard him one on one. Wazzou has loads of experience and that will allow them to take down this weak mid-major on Friday night at Key Arena. Buffalo is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 neutral site games. Wazzou is 14-3 ATS in their last 17 non-conference games.

4 Unit Play. #509 ULM over UAB (8 pm) We used the Warhawks on Monday for an easy cash at Florida State and will ride them yet again tonight playing a so-so UAB team that has a new head coach this season. The Blazers are giving up over 75 points per game and have held just 2 teams under 70 points (Navy & Troy) meaning the offensively challenged Warhawks should get some good looks in this game. UAB will likely have to score in the nineties to cover this big number and I do not see that happening. ULM is 11-5 ATS in their last 16 road games. UAB is 5-16 ATS in their last 21 non-conference games. I see this being around a 15 point game, as ULM played well on Monday and will enter this game with confidence.

Best of Luck

3 Unit Play. #752 Take Seattle over Northern Illinois (10 pm) Two bad teams are set to do battle in Key Arena tonight in Seattle, WA. This play is more about going against the Huskies, as they are 0-5 on the road this season. Northern Illinois is scoring only 58 points per game and hitting on just 39.0 percent of its field goal attempts and that will not win many games. The Redhawks are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a loss in their previous game.

4 Unit Play. #779 Take Murray State over Arkansas State (8:30 pm ESPN 3) An exciting mid-major game takes place tonight at the ASU Convocation Center in Jonesboro, AR. Murray State holds a 20-10 edge in the all-time series after its 66-53 triumph a season ago. The Racers also have the best player on the floor in Isaiah Cannon, as he is averaging over 21 points per game. Murray State is 9-4 ATS (1 push) in their last 14 non-conference games. The Red Wolves are 1-5 ATS (1 push) in their last 7 non-conference games. Both trends hold true tonight, as the visitor gets it done in Arkansas.
Best of Luck

5 Unit Play. #540 Take Wyoming -8 over Denver (9 pm) The Cowboys continue to be undervalued by the odds makers and we will attack this short line playing a Denver team that has trouble scoring points. The Cowboys own a commanding 100-49 advantage in the all-time series between the two teams. The Pioneers are just 3-5 on the season and 0-3 in true road games. There three wins are against Texas A & M

3 Unit Play. #536 Take NC State -7.5 over Stanford (9 pm ESPN) The Wolfpack were highly ranked entering this season but they have not performed well against top teams but I fully expect that to change starting tonight. This team cannot afford to mess around anymore, as another loss will drop them out of the top-25. The Wolfpack will have revenge on their minds after losing by 4 points to the Cardinal last year in Palo Alto. NC State is 10-3 ATS in their last 13 non-conference games.

4 Unit Play. #717 Take ULM over Florida State (7 pm ESPN 3) We will bite on this big underdog tonight as I just do not believe that Florida State is that good of a team. The Warhawks score just over 53 points per game and for them to have any chance in this game, they will need to keep the scoring low and run time on each and every possession. The Seminoles have lost three of their last 4 games (all 4 were at home) and that includes two games were they were not that competitive against Minnesota & Florida. ULM is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games. The Warhawks will likely be down big early, but I expect them to make a late run and only lose this game by 18-20 points.
Best of Luck

2 Unit Play. #812 Take Villanova -7.5 over Delaware (4 pm ESPN U) The Wildcats have played better of late and should have no problem taking down the Blue Hens at The Pavilion in Villanova, PA. This will be the 11th time in history and fourth season in a row Villanova and Delaware square off on the hardwood. Villanova has won all of the previous encounters including 2011 by double digits. Delaware is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games against Big East teams. Villanova is 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games against teams with a losing record.

Best of Luck

10 Unit Play. #586 Take Arizona over Florida (10 pm ESPN) The Gators generally do not leave the state of Florida during their non-conference portion of the season and they will be in for a big shock tonight at the McKale Center in Tucson, AZ. Both teams are undefeated, but Arizona has played a more challenging schedule thus far with road games at Texas Tech and Clemson (won both of those by double digits). The Wildcats have great depth with nine players averaging 10 minutes or more and that will be a key in this game as they will wear down the Gators. Arizona nearly beat a much better Florida team last season in Gainesville but lost in overtime with some questionable calls. That will not happen tonight in Tucson, as the Wildcats should get the benefit of some close calls down the stretch. Florida lost two key players from last year

6 Unit Play. #576 Take Michigan over West Virginia (8 pm ESPN) Hate to lay this many points in a neutral site game; however, Michigan is head and shoulders above West Virginia in talent and they will be up big in this game it is just a matter of them not getting backdoored down the stretch. Michigan is 10-0 on the season and only three of those victories have come by under 10 points. NC State, Pittsburgh, and Bradley are all better teams than West Virginia. I stated earlier this week when we went against West Virginia against Duquesne that I am always amazed that West Virginia can score any points since they do not have any skill players on the court. They did not let me down scoring just 56 points. WVU is well coached but they have no talent and expect a blowout in this game similar to when they played Gonzaga. Michigan is 11-4 ATS in their last 15 games following an ATS loss in their previous game. West Virginia is 2-6 ATS (1 push) in their last 9 games overall.

4 Unit Play. #552 Take Notre Dame over Purdue (4:30 pm ESPN 2) Purdue is in a major rebuild and it as shown as they already have losses against Bucknell, Villanova, Oregon State, Xavier, and Eastern Michigan. They only impressive feat this season with a road win against Clemson where they shot it lights out from the 3 point line. They will need to do that today to have any chance against a solid Notre Dame team and I just do not see that happening. Notre Dame is 8-1 on the season with their lone loss coming in against a talented Saint Joes team. Purdue is 1-4 ATS in their last five games against teams with a winning record. Notre Dame is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games following an ATS victory in their previous game.

4 Unit Play. #544 Take Arizona State over Dartmouth (3 pm PAC-12 Network) I must admit that the Sun Devils are better than I thought they would be so far despite losing their best player from last year in Trent Lockett to Marquette. But ASU is 8-2 on the season and they will be eager to get back onto the court after being blown out by DePaul on Wednesday at home. The Blue Demons can score points and are a dangerous team if they get ahead of you and ASU suffered from that. But the Big Green do not have that type of firepower, as they score just 57 points per game and 4 of their 6 losses came by double-digits. ASU is 5-2 ATS (1 push) in their last 8 home games. Dartmouth is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall.

4 Unit Play. #532 Take Oklahoma over Texas A & M (2 pm ESPN U) This is a match-up of former conference opponents when the Aggies head to Oklahoma City to take on the Sooners. I have always been a big fan of Coach Lon Kruger and he has this team heading in the right direction after former Coach Jeff Capel drug in team down when Blake Griffin left. They are 6-2 on the season with their only losses coming against Gonzaga and Arkansas. The Aggies have played a very weak schedule thus far in 2012-2013 to amass 7 wins and not one of those 7 wins have come against a team that will make the NCAA Tournament come March. Texas A & M is 1-8 ATS in their last 9 neutral site games. Oklahoma is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games against SEC teams. Oklahoma returns all their starters from last season and that will allow them to pull away late and win this game comfortably.

1-Unit Play. Take #823 Central Florida over Old Dominion (7 p.m., Friday, Dec. 14) The Monarchs have taken a major noise dive this year and have won just 1 of their first 9 games this season. These two squads have split a pair of meetings in the past, and UCF won last season's affair with a 61-53 victory at home. The Knights have much more talent and will win this game by double digits tonight in Norfolk.

3 Unit Play Take #512 Belmont over Middle Tennessee State (7:00pm est): Head coach Rick Byrd's Belmont Bruins continue to be one of the most unheralded CBB programs in the country as once again they come into this season a legitimate squad. Keep in mind they were within a point of beating Duke in Duke last year and have a key win at Stanford back last month. They come into this season returning their top two players from last year's 27-8 team.

Middle Tennessee State is also a solid under the radar CBB program. They come into this game off a big win at home against a very strong Mississippi team on Saturday night. The Blue Raiders also went toe to toe with a strong Akron squad this year before losing in overtime.

These two teams have played some great games against each other the last few years including splitting a pair early on last season with each winning by three points. In fact two of their last three meetings have resulted in overtime games.

This is a big stage for Belmont here at home and who carries a solid home court advantage. Look for them to bring a little extra to this one against an MTSU who may not be able to match the same intensity levels as they are coming off easily their biggest win of the season in their last game. Take Belmont here in this one.

4 Unit Play. #735 Take Milwaukee over Fairfield (7 pm) The Panthers have too much talent to be playing this bad but that being said this is way too many points to be laying with comparable teams. The Stags have played just three home games this season and they have not been very impressive in those games, winning just two of them and getting blown out by Canisius. Fairfield is 1-5 ATS (1 push) in their last 7 non-conference games. Milwaukee is 14-4 ATS in their last 18 games when they are coming off a loss of 20 or more points in their previous game.

4 Unit Play. #514 Take Duquesne over West Virginia (7 pm) This play is more about going against West Virginia, as I am always amazed how this team can score any points. The Mountaineers work hard and are well coached; however, they do not have any scorers on their entire roster. They struggled against Virginia Tech over the weekend and this is way too many points to be laying on the road. The Dukes are 4-1 this season at home with their only loss coming against a much improved Pittsburgh team. I expect this game to be played in the high sixties and getting this many points is too good to pass up. West Virginia is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games against A-10 teams.
Best of Luck

3 Unit Play. #821 Take Fresno State over Washington State (3 pm PAC-12 Network) It does pain me to go against my Cougars, but this line is finally inflated were we can attack it with the underdog. Fresno State is just 5-3 on the season but they have not be blown out in any of their three losses. Neither team score many points and thus I fully expect a game that goes down to the wire especially since Wazzou does not shot free throws very well. Wazzou is coming off an emotional loss to Gonzaga this week and I do not believe they will have much left in the tank for this game on Sunday. Fresno State is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 road games.

Best of Luck

4 Unit Play. #589 Take Villanova over Pennsylvania (8 pm NBC Sports Network) This big 5 match-up features two so-so teams that have already been pounded numerous times on the season. That being said, Villanova is from the Big East and has better plays than Penn and that will be the difference in this affair. The Wildcats have won each of the last nine meetings the Quakers. Villanova topped Penn last year at the Pavilion, 73-65, to extend its lead in the all-time series to 41-18.

4 Unit Play. #642 Take San Jose State over Sacramento State (7:30 pm) SJSU holds a 19-2 all-time series lead after picking up a 79-67 victory in last year's meeting. Both teams can get up and down the floor and score points; however playing the Events Center will allow the Spartans to pull away late and win this game by double digits. SJSU is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games against Big Sky teams. Sacramento State is 1-6 ATS in their last 7 non-conference games.

10 Unit Play. #564 Take Marquette over Wisconsin (6 pm ESPN 2) The wrong team is favored in this game, as Wisconsin continues to get too much respect from the odds makers despite having weak guards and no prolific scorer. Local reports say that Mike Bruesewitz got injured in practice yesterday colliding heads with a teammate. He may play today but will not be 100%. Marquette has a major edge at the guard position and they do have big bodies that should be able to defend Wisconsin down in the paint. Both teams got blown out by Florida, but the Badgers have yet to record an impressive win on the season and over the years they have been a much different team on the road. Wisconsin lost to Marquette last year at the Kohl Center despite having better talent and this year Marquette has the edge in better players. Wisconsin is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games against teams with a winning record. Marquette is 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games following a loss in their previous game. The Golden Eagles have had over a week to focus solely on this game and expect a loud crowd ready to put down the Badgers. This rivalry means more to Marquette then it does Wisconsin and that will become evident today at the Bradley Center.

4 Unit Play. #550 Take Duke over Temple (3:15 pm ESPN) Never like laying this many points against Temple, but feel Duke is the superior team this year with the Owls rebuilding. Duke holds an 18-10 series advantage and has won 15 of the last 19 meetings. Temple is 2-6 ATS in their last 8 neutral site games. Duke is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games against A-10 teams. I am confident that Duke wins straight-up and fully expect them to cover this number as well.

2-Unit Play. Take #837 Canisius (ML) over Fairfield (7 p.m., Friday, Dec. 7)
Get used to seeing this name on the "Take" side. I'm sure you are used to seeing Fairfield on the "over" side. And that's the core of this play: there is one team that I really like this year and want to bet on repeatedly and they are facing a team that I know is bad and that I want to bet against repeatedly. We've already hit bets against Fairfield this year - including a Game of the Week in with Providence - and I just have very little respect for this team. Their best player is Derek Needham, who peaked as a freshman four years ago. His running mates in the backcourt are Desmond Wade and Colin Nickerson, who average all of six points per game over their four-year careers. This team was pretty much solely dependent on Rakim Sanders last year and now that he is gone they are rudderless. Canisius is a team I like for a lot of reasons. Their backcourt has two guys combining to average 35 points per game, including Virginia/Rhode Island transfer Billy Baron, the coach's sun. Besides an explosive and experienced backcourt - which also features former double-digit CUSA scorer Isaac Sosa - they also have a lot of size underneath. Twins Jordan and Josiah Heath are both 6-10, and the wild card of the team is Kansas State transfer (and former Sun Belt stud) Freddy Asprilla, who became eligible just two games ago. When this team gets used to playing together they are going to be a very tough out in the Metro. I think Canisius has better guards and I know that they have better forwards. So on the whole I think we have the better team catching points and that is where you want to be. Fairfield has played more games and they have faced stiffer competition. They are also at home, and those factors are why this play isn't rated a lot higher. But it's definitely a value spot and I think we can get an outright win here from the roadie.

4 Unit Play. #710 Take Xavier over Vanderbilt (7:30 pm ESPN U) This may seem like a lot of points for a mid-major to be laying against a BCS Conference team with a history of success, but Vanderbilt is in a complete rebuilding mode and is just 2-4 on the season. Furthermore, all four of their losses have come by double digits and tonight will be no different. Xavier has won all five meetings against Vanderbilt all-time, including an 82-70 overtime victory on the road last year. Vanderbilt is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games overall. Xavier is 5-1 ATS (1 push) in their last 7 games overall. Lay the wood with the mid-major tonight.

4 Unit Play. #570 Take Washington State over Gonzaga (11 pm ESPN U) We used the Cougars numerous times this season for top plays and will ride them again getting this many points at home. This is a rival since Gonzaga is less than a two hour drive away from Pullman and this is usually a completive game as both teams want to win. The Cougars play outstanding defense and are allowing teams to score just under 58 points per game. Getting double digits makes this selection too good to pass up since I expect the Cougars to be able to keep Gonzaga in the high sixties. The Cougars lead the all-time series with Gonzaga by a count of 98-48. Washington State is 6-0 ATS in their last 6 home games. Gonzaga is 1-8 ATS (1 push) in their last 10 road games. With Illinois on deck for the Bulldogs, expect Gonzaga to just go through the motions tonight and we will collect with the home underdog.
Best of Luck

5 Unit Play. #540 Take Milwaukee over Buffalo (8 pm) Neither team has an impressive record and will be making the NCAA Tournament but I truly believe Milwaukee has better talent and should be able to make short work of the Bulls tonight at the Klotsche Center. The Panthers are a perfect 2-0 at home this season and got Paris Gulley back on Saturday and he looked impressive scoring 24 points. Buffalo has just one win on the season against a division one team and if Milwaukee can beat Davidson at home they can certainly beat Buffalo. Milwaukee is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games played on Wednesday. Buffalo is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall.

5 Unit Play. #530 Take Memphis over Ohio (7 pm CBS Sports Network) Memphis is a perfect 3-0 at home this season and expect them to make short work of Ohio tonight at the FedEx Forum, a team that just lost to Robert Morris. Since 2004-05, Memphis has won 148 games at FedEx Forum, the most home wins in the country over that span of time. Memphis is 7-2 ATS in their last 9 home games. We will lay the short wood with Memphis tonight.

4 Unit Play. #768 Take Charleston over Louisville (9 pm ESPN) The Cardinals are not the fifth best team in the country and will struggle to win this game straight-up against a pesky Charleston team let away cover this big of a number. This is not the same team without star center Gorgui Dieng and that leaves a major void for them on defense. A small Duke team put them away and expect Charleston to play with them for 40 minutes at TD Arena. This was only a 7-point game when these teams met last season in Louisville. Charleston is 35-15 ATS (1 push) in their last 51 non-conference games. This game goes down to the wire and we collect with whoever comes out of top.
Best of Luck

4 Unit Play. #725 Take Wyoming over Illinois State (8 pm) These are two good teams for mid-majors and thus this line is way too high as I expect this game to go down to the wire. Wyoming is 8-0 on the season coming off an impressive victory over Colorado in their last outings and this team just does not give up many points. Riley Grabau is questionable for this game, but either way it will not matter as he did not play much for the Cowboys in the last two games and they still won. Wyoming is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall. Illinois State is 8-19 ATS in their last 27 home games against teams with a winning road record.

10 Unit Play. #758 Take Illinois over Western Carolina (8 pm BTN com) I have been a very big fan of this Illinois team thus far and it appears that the players are responding well to their new head coach. The Illini are 8-0 on the season and 6 of those victories have come by double digits. They have much better talent than Western Carolina, a team that has been blown out by so-so teams such as Western Kentucky and a rebuilding Wichita State. Illinois is scoring close to 80 points per game and that will allow them to cover this big number and allow us to collect in the process as well. Illinois has 4 players averaging over 11 points per game and that balance will be too much for the Catamounts to overcome. Illinois is 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games played on Tuesday. Western Carolina is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a loss in their previous game.

4 Unit Play. #720 Take Washington over Cal State Fullerton (7 pm PAC-12 Network) The Huskies always seem to struggle during the early portion of the season but they have righted the ship in a big way coming off a nice victory over Saint Louis this week and expect more of the same on Sunday against an inferior opponent. The Huskies push the ball up and down the court and that allows them to cover this big of a number against an inferior team. CS Fullerton is 5-11 ATS in their last 16 games following an ATS loss in their previous game. Washington is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 home games. Both trends hold true tonight, as we collect big in the process.

Best of Luck

10 Unit Play. #610 Take Washington State over Portland (10:30 pm PAC-12 Network) Top NCAA Hoops Play of the Day. The Cougars have been good to us over the last two years including this week and we will ride them again on Saturday night at home against an inferior opponent. Wazzou is 4-0 at Beasley Coliseum and Portland is 0-3 in road games. The Cougars have won 11 of the 13 meetings with the Pilots and the last 4 meetings have all been by double digits. Washington State did not shot that well against Idaho on Wednesday and still won by 9 points. Expect them to improve their 3-point shooting tonight and they have played rock solid defense all season long. Portland is 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games against PAC-12 teams. Washington State is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games against WCC teams.

4 Unit Play. #650 Take Eastern Kentucky -3 over Western Carolina (7:30 pm) This number is short since the Colonels are 6-0 on the season and the Catamounts are just 3-4. EKU has won 2 of the 3 meetings between these programs and expect more of the same tonight at McBrayer Arena. Western Carolina is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games. EKU is 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games following a victory of more than 20 points in their previous game.

Best of Luck

4 Unit Play. #556 Take Bradley over Michigan (4 pm ESPN U) Michigan is coming off an impressive win over NC State on Tuesday, but this is too many points to be laying on the road against a solid mid-major program. Bradley is 5-1 on the season and they have already won two road games this season. Michigan has yet to play a true road game this season and that will come today and expect the Braves to give them all that they can handle. Bradley has covered 7 of their last 10 home games. Michigan is 1-3 ATS (1 push) in their last 5 Saturday games.

4 Unit Play. #550 Take Creighton over St. Josephs (3 pm ESPN 3) This selection is more about Creighton, as they are too good of a team to lose two straight games at home. The Bluejays were beaten soundly by Boise State on Wednesday and expect a much more focused effort in practice and a much better showing this afternoon at CenturyLink Center Omaha. Doug McDermott is the best player on the floor and I do not expect the Hawks to have an answer for him down low. Since 1989, Creighton has lost just one December home game and that came on Wednesday. Expect a new streak to start-up and we will collect big in the process as well. Creighton is 4-1 ATS (1 push) in their last 5 home games.

4 Unit Play. #523 Take Pennsylvania over Penn State (2 pm ESPN 3) The oddsmakers have yet to catch-up to how bad this team is without all-everything player Tim Frazier. Penn leads the all-time series with PSU, 31-14. This game will be played in the sixties and I expect to winner to be 5 points or less giving us the cover with whoever comes out on top. Penn State 1-6 ATS in their last 7 non-conference games. Penn is 23-11 in their last 34 road games.

4 Unit Play. #736 Take Auburn over DePaul (9 pm ESPN U) These are two bad teams that will not be making an appearance in the NCAA Tournament; however, we will side with the home team tonight since they have played a much more difficult schedule thus far in 2012. The Blue Demons do not guard anybody and thus they have trouble scoring enough points to win basketball games. DePaul does have some players that score a ton of points, but that is more because they are volume shooting and not quality shots. Auburn leading scoring Frankie Sullivan has struggled this season but the Blue Demons are the perfect team to get him out of his slump. Auburn is 20-8 ATS in their last 28 games following a loss in their previous game. DePaul is 0-6 ATS in their last six road games. Both trends hold true tonight and we collect big in the process.

4 Unit Play. #520 Take Over 137 in Marquette @ Florida (9 pm ESPN 2) Would be all over Marquette if Vander Blue was 100% because they always seem to thrive in this role and I do not see them getting blown out by the Gators. Both teams are averaging over 72 points per game and that sets up a strong play on the over. Both teams like to push the ball up and down the court and I do expect some fouling to occur at the end of this game propelling the total score up. Marquette has gone over the posted total in 16 of their last 18 games when allowing less than 50 points in their previous game. Florida has gone over the posted total in 20 of their last 28 home games. Both trends hold true and we do not worry if Florida can cover this big number and just collect with the over.

10 Unit Play. #766 Take Washington State over Idaho (10 pm PAC-12 Network) We used the Cougars numerous times last year for 7-unit plays and will ride them yet again against an inferior opponent playing at Beasley Coliseum. Washington State also leads the all-time series 161-106, including wins in 15 of the last 17 meetings. Idaho's last win in the series came in 2002. I am a big fan of Brock Motum and he is clearly the best player on the floor this evening and expect him to go off for close to 20 points. Wazzou is getting it done on the defensive side of the floor allowing less than 60 points per game. The Cougars are 3-0 at home this season and all three games have been blowouts. Idaho played well for 20 minutes against New Mexico before falling apart in the second half and that is how we expect this game to go as well. The refs will not give Idaho many calls and thus you can expect a big discrepancy in free throws for the home team. Washington State returns three starters off of a squad that won 7 PAC-12 games last year. Washington State is 7-2 ATS in their last 9 non-conference games.
Best of Luck

10 Unit Play. #759 Take Boston College over Penn State (9:15 pm ESPN U) This play is more about going against Penn State, as I do not believe that they will win many games especially now since they lost their all everything player in Tim Frazier. He led the Lions in points, rebounds, assists, and steals last season and you just cannot replace that type of player and expect to have any success. The Lions did beat Bucknell last Friday night, but there stats were very telling, as they shot just 45% from the free throw line and just 5 for 31 from the field in the first half. Penn State is 1-4 in their last 5 games against ACC teams. The Lions are also 1-5 ATS in their last 6 non-conference games.
Not much good can be said about Boston College, since they are coming off a home loss to Bryant College on Saturday. But this team does have a couple of good players led by Ryan Anderson and he has too much talent to be playing this poorly. He is coming off an injury and I would expect his play to improve over the last couple of games. Boston College did beat Auburn and took Charleston (on the road) and Baylor to the wire. They have more talent than does Penn State and getting this many points is too good to pass up. Penn State folded in epic proportions when Frazier went down against Akron losing by 25 points despite having a 4 point lead in the second half. This will be a low scoring game that goes down to the wire and I can see the winning margin being less than 4 points. Getting this many points is too good to pass up, as the Eagles won it outright.

4 Unit Play. #742 Take Miami (FL) over Michigan State (7:30 pm) This is a play where Joe Public would be all over Michigan State laying the small wood, but a deeper look at the rosters will show you that Miami actually have more returning talent than do the Spartans. Michigan State has a couple of players banged up in Travis Trice and Gary Harris. These guys may play but I do not believe that they will be very effective and thus the Canes should be able to exploit them. Miami returns 4 starters off of a team that won 9 games last season in the ACC and I truly believe that Jim Larranaga is the right coach to get the most out of this team. Michigan State returns just two starters from last season and they lost their all everything player in Draymond Green. They still will work hard and battle teams; however, the pure talent has left the program. Michigan State is 6-6 in the ACC/Big 10 Challenge and is walking into a trap tonight against a team hungry for a win. The Spartans have not been playing well of late committing 67 turnovers over their last four games against bad teams at home (Lafayette, Oakland, Boise State, Texas Southern). Michigan State did beat Kansas; however, that is not that impressive of a victory since the Jayhawks lost their two top players from last season. Miami has a bad loss on the season against Florida Gulf Coast but that did come on the road against a fan base that really wanted that game and sold out the arena. Reggie Johnson has the body to match-up down low with Michigan State and I expect the Hurricanes to win this game straight-up. Getting points is just icing on the cake. Miami is 36-15 ATS (1 push) in their last 52 non-conference games. Michigan State is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 non-conference games.

5 Unit Play. #524 Take Southern Miss over Denver (8 pm) The Pioneers have been known as a strong team when they are playing at home, however, they have been a dreadful road team over the years and this line is way too low. Southern Miss is 5-0 on the season and that includes a victory over Georgia. Southern Miss has not played a game since Wednesday and this will be just their second home game of the season. Denver is just 10-30 ATS in their last 40 road games. Southern Miss is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games.

4 Unit Play. #517 Take NC State over Michigan (7:30 pm ESPN) The Wolfpack are a very similar team to Michigan and thus this is way too many points to be laying tonight at Crisler Arena. North Carolina State is 4-1 on the season with their lone loss coming against Oklahoma State via a blowout. Michigan struggled to put away a rebuilding Pittsburgh team last week and they are a much better team in the roll of an underdog compared to a big favorite. NC State has some diaper dandies that play significant minutes and this team will make a run in the NCAA Tournament. NC State is 39-18 ATS in their last 58 road games.

4 Unit Play. #514 Take Florida State over Minnesota (7:15 pm ESPN 2) Must admit that Minnesota has more talent than do the Seminoles, but playing at the Tucker Center is never an easy task. Minnesota also has to deal with the fact that they played 3 games in the Bahamas Thursday through Saturday and I do not believe that they will have their legs for this game. The Seminoles have not played a game since Wednesday and playing at home will allow them to emerge victorious. The Seminoles have won four straight games including quality wins against BYU and St. Joes. Minnesota is 4-10 ATS in their last 15 games against ACC teams. Florida State is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games.

1-Unit Play. Take #719 Towson (+12) over Loyola-Maryland (7:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 26)
Towson is a team that I have my eye on this season in the Colonial. They secured an influx of transfer talent from BCS conferences. And guys with that level of athleticism can step right into these second- and third-tier mid-major conference and have an immediate impact. I think that is exactly what can happen here with Towson and I think that this is a good role for them. I really wish I could've hit the open on this game at 16.0 but that number didn't hold up overnight. This is a mini-rivalry game between schools in the Baltimore area. That is going to add some emotional impact to this one and you always want to look at the big dogs in rivalry games. Also, Towson has some revenge after getting run out of the gym last season. I don't know how seriously Loyola is going to take this game but I think it means something to the Tigers. Loyola usually doesn't really blow teams out. They have won a few games by 16 points this year against some bottom feeders. But they don't shoot well from 3-point land and they haven't been very good from the free throw line. So it is tough to sustain those really big leads. Towson got hammered in its opener. But it had four new starters that had never played together before. And they have been shooting the ball well and defending much better over the last week so they are showing some signs of improvement. I think Towson will be close at the half. They will be down about four at halftime tonight. Then Loyola will get up 15 in the second half before Towson does enough to get in the back door and lose this game by nine, earning us the cash. I'll call it 68-59 and we get the money.

4 Unit Play. #539 Take Davison over Gonzaga (7 pm ESPN 2) The final of the Old Spice Classic features two mid-major programs that have made noise in the NCAA Tournament over the last decade. Gonzaga lost much of their size inside from last year and thus this is just too many points to be laying against a solid Davidson program that returns most of their talent from last season. Davidson has dropped a few games that they should have won and thus a victory over Gonzaga would get them back on the bubble for at

4 Unit Play. #744 Take San Francisco over Columbia (10 pm) The Dons have rebounded with consecutive victories over Cal State East Bay (73-58) and American, 67-53. Playing at War Memorial Gymnasium is always a tough task especially since the Lions are unfamiliar with the environment. The Dons won the only previous meeting between the teams by a count of 85-74 back in 1992. San Francisco is 9-1 ATS in their last 10 games following a victory in their previous game. Columbia is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a victory in their previous game. Both trends hold true tonight and we collect big in the process.

10 Unit Play. #752 Take Duke over Louisville (9:30 pm NBC Sports Network) This is the match-up that tournament officials were hoping for and everything came to fruition and this should be an exciting game from start to finish. That being said, I believe that the Blue Devils are firing on my cylinders at the moment and Duke has an outstanding record in non-conference holiday tournaments and expect that to continue on Saturday. Duke leads the all-time series over Louisville, 4-3. Both teams defend really well and a score in the high sixties may win this game. We have used Duke in the previous two games and fully expect to complete the Trifecta on Saturday night.
Best of Luck

4 Unit Play. #547 Take Oregon over UNLV (9 pm CBS Sports Network) The Rebels are always a tough team to beat at the Thomas & Mack Center but this is way too many points to be laying against a BCS Conference team. Both teams lost heavy to graduation and this I believe that the Rebels are a bit overrated to start the season. Oregon is 8-0 ATS in their last 8 road games. UNLV is 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games following a victory.

4 Unit Play. #554 Take Duke over VCU (7 pm NBC Sports Network) The Blue Devils are a great record in non-conference Holiday tournaments and we will continue to ride especially with these low numbers. Duke will not take this team lightly, since VCU beat Duke in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament back in 2007. Duke is connecting on nearly 50 percent of their field goal attempts en route to over 81 points per game. Duke advances to the finals of the Battle 4 Atlantis and we collect big in the process as well.

4 Unit Play. #561 Take Arkansas over Arizona State (7 pm ESPN 3) Year two of the Mike Anderson era should be much more pleasant than year one and expect Arkansas to move to 4-0 on the season beating a bad Arizona State team. The Sun Devils lost their best player in Trent Lockett, as he now plays for Marquette and expect them to struggle scoring points like they have for most of the Herb Sendek era. Arizona State is 6-22 ATS in their last 28 non-conference games.

4 Unit Play. #568 Take Michigan over Kansas State (4:50 pm ESPN) This game has Big Ten ties as former Illinois coach Bruce Weber is now at Kansas State. The Wolverines did not play well in the first half against Pittsburgh, a team that I believe is a better team than Kansas State and thus I expect a much better effort this afternoon at the Garden. The Wildcats have played a schedule full of cupcakes thus far in 2012 and are not prepared for the type of pressure that Michigan can provide. The guard position is a major edge for Michigan and that will be the difference down the stretch. Kansas State is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games against Big Ten teams. Michigan is 35-17 ATS (1 push) in their last 53 games.

4 Unit Play. #534 Take Davidson over West Virginia (12:30 pm ESPN) The Wildcats are many more playmakers than West Virginia does and if they can get up and down the floor they will play away in the second half and win this game comfortably. Both teams played bad teams in round one, but West Virginia getting blown out by Gonzaga leads me to believe that they do not belong in the finals of the Old Spice Classic. West Virginia is 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games overall.

3 Unit Play. #706 Take Oklahoma over UTEP (7 pm ESPN 2) The Sooners return all five starters from last season and have a great coach in Lon Kruger and will likely be knocking on the door of an NCAA Tournament bid come March. The Miners are coming off a similar season to the Sooners but the Big XII is much more difficult than Conference USA. UTEP was blown out by Arizona for their only loss this season and this will be a double digit game as well. Oklahoma leads the all-time series with UTEP, 3-1. UTEP is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games overall.

4 Unit Play. #711 Take Duke over Minnesota (3:30 pm AXS)

Best of Luck

4 Unit Play. #582 Take Michigan over Pittsburgh (9:30 pm ESPN 2) Pittsburgh had a very disappointing season last year not making the NCAA Tournament and I do believe they are improved, they are not yet ready to challenge the No. 4 team in the country at the neutral site. The Wolverines have great guard play and I expect switching defenses implied by Michigan will frustrate the Panthers. Pittsburgh is not a great shooting team from long range. Pittsburgh is just 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games against teams with a winning record. Michigan is 32-14 ATS (1 push) in their last 47 games overall.

4 Unit Play. #578 Take Utah over Idaho State (9:30 pm PAC-12 Network) The Utes were terrible last season but I do expect improve in year two of the Larry Krystkowiak era. Utah is hosting this tournament and thus I expected that they only invited teams that they can beat and Idaho State certainly fits that bill. Utah holds a 23-4 advantage in the all-time series over Idaho State, which includes a 9-1 mark at home. Utah pissed away their last game against Sacramento State, but they did lead by double digits in that game and expect a much better performance tonight. Idaho State is 3-8 ATS against PAC-12 teams. Utah is 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games overall.

4 Unit Play. #590 Take South Carolina over Elon (7 pm) The Gamecocks have a new coach in Frank Martin and they have opened the season with three straight home games against mid-major programs. They have won all three of those games by more than the posted number and expect that trend to continue on Wednesday against Elon. USC will also have revenge on their minds, as the Phoenix beat them last year by 5 points. Carolina is averaging close to 86 points per game and thus they will be able to cover this number tonight at Colonial Life Arena. Elon is 0-7 ATS in their last 7 road games. USC is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games.

4 Unit Play. #721 Take Green Bay over Idaho (10 pm) The Phoenix are too talented to lose three straight games to teams that will likely not be making the NCAA Tournament. Tonight they face a weak Idaho team that has already lost two home games against Montana and Wright State. The Raiders beat the Vandals by double digits and they are predicted to finish last in the Horizon League, the game conference that UWGB plays in. Green Bay is 8-3 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 13 road games. Green Bay has won both previous meetings with Idaho, the most recent of which occurred at home last season in a 63-61 final. Idaho is 3-9 ATS in their last 12 home games against teams with a losing road record.