20* Big East GAME OF THE WEEK on Seton Hall -5.5 

The Seton Hall Pirates are one of the best teams in the country and still undervalued.  They are 11-4 on the season with five straight wins and covers including home wins over Maryland and Georgetown as well as road wins over Xavier and DePaul.   

The Pirates have held all 15 opponents this season below their season average, which is a big reason they rank 11th in adjusted defensive efficiency.  In 6 of their 11 wins have had held their opponents to 10 or more points below their season averages. 

Marquette is 1-2 in true road games with their lone win at Kansas State.  They were blasted by 16 at Wisconsin and by 17 at Creighton and Seton Hall is better than both of those teams.  The Golden Eagles were just upset at home by Providence as well. 

The Pirates are 8-0 ATS vs. teams who average 40 or more rebounds per game over the last two seasons.  The Pirates are 7-1 ATS at home this season.  The Golden Eagles are 2-7 ATS in their last nine games as road underdogs.  Bet Seton Hall Saturday. 

15* Big Ten PLAY OF THE DAY on Penn State -3 

The Penn State Nittany Lions are one of the most improved teams in the country this season.  They are off to a 12-3 start with all three of their losses coming on the road. 

The Nittany Lions are undervalued after their upset loss at Rutgers, which is also one of the most improved teams in the land.  But now Penn State is back home where it is 9-0 this season and winning by 20.6 points per game. 

Wisconsin was also upset by Illinois last time out, but that was at home.  The Badgers are 2-5 in all games played away from home with neutral court losses to the likes of St. Mary’s, Richmond and New Mexico, as well as true game road losses to NC State by 15 and Rutgers by 7. 

The Badgers are 2-7 ATS in their last nine games off a loss.  The Nittany Lions are 5-0-1 ATS in their last six games off a loss.  Penn State is 10-4-1 ATS in its last 15 home games.  Roll with Penn State Saturday. 

15* CBB Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Indiana State -6.5 

The Indiana State Sycamores are clearly one of the best teams in the Missouri Valley this season.  They had won eight straight prior to two tough road losses to Drake by 4 and Northern Iowa by 8, which are also among the best teams in the MVC. 

Now the Sycamores are back home where they were last seen beating Southern Illinois by 12.  Indiana State is 5-0 at home this season.  Now they take on a down Illinois State team that returned just one starter this year and is off to a 6-9 start. 

Illinois State is 0-7 in all games played away from home this season.  They lost by 12 at Southern Illinois, the same team that Indiana State beat by 12. The home team is 6-0 SU & 4-2 ATS in the last six meetings.  Indiana State won by 23 and by 30 in its last two home meetings with Illinois State. 

The Redbirds are 2-7 ATS in their last nine road games.  The home team is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.  Take Indiana State Saturday. 

15* CBB Friday PLAY OF THE DAY on Providence +2 

The Providence Friars have turned the corner and are playing their best basketball of the season right now.  They are 4-0 SU & 4-0 ATS in their last four games overall.  They blasted Texas by 22 and Georgetown by 16 at home, while also pulling road upset wins over DePaul and Marquette. 

Now the Friars are playing with a ton of confidence and will welcome the opportunity to face a Top 10 team in Butler in what should be a great home atmosphere for them.  It’s what I believe to be a fraudulent 14-1 Butler team that is nowhere near as good as their record. 

Providence is 11-3 SU & 11-3 ATS in its last 14 meetings with Butler, including 5-1 SU & 5-1 ATS in its last six home meetings.  Butler has played three true road games this season losing to Baylor and winning narrowly at St. John’s by 2 and by 9 over Ole Miss.  This is their toughest test since that loss to Baylor. 

Butler is 5-16 ATS in road games against conference opponents over the last three seasons.  Providence is 7-1 SU at home this season.  The home team is 8-1 ATS in the last nine meetings.  Roll with Providence Friday. 

15* BYU/St. Mary’s ESPN 2 Late-Night BAILOUT on St. Mary’s -3 

The St. Mary’s Gaels are coming off a bad upset road loss to Pacific 99-107 as 8.5-point favorites on January 4th.  I think that loss is providing us with some value to pull the trigger on the Gaels as only 3-point home favorites over BYU tonight. 

The Gaels are still one of the best teams in all of college basketball.  They are 13-3 on the season and 7-1 at home.  They have wins over Wisconsin, Utah State, Arizona State and Nevada this season. 

BYU is 12-4 and getting too much respect for a six-game winning streak coming into this game.  They have played three true road games this year, losing at Utah and at Boise State while winning at Houston by 1 point.  St. Mary’s is better than all three of those teams. 

St. Mary’s is 8-1 SU & 7-2 ATS in its last nine home meetings with BYU.  They beat the Cougars by 22 points at home last year.  BYU is 51-107-4 ATS in its last 162 games as an underdog and 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games as a road dog.  The home team is 9-3 ATS in the last 12 meetings.  The favorite is 10-2 ATS in the last 12 meetings.  The Gaels are 21-5 ATS in their last 26 games after scoring more than 90 points in their previous game.  Roll with St. Mary’s Thursday. 

20* Pac-12 GAME OF THE MONTH on Oregon -3.5 

The Oregon Ducks are one of the best teams in the country.  They have gone 12-3 SU & 11-4 ATS this season and I think they aren’t getting the respect they deserve as only 3.5-point home favorites over the Arizona Wildcats tonight. 

Oregon has played the 33rd-toughest schedule in the country while ranking 7th in offensive efficiency and 66th in defensive efficiency.  They have wins ov er Memphis, Houston, Seton Hall, Michigan and Utah.  Their three losses have come to Gonzaga, UNC and Colorado. 

Arizona has taken advantage of a much easier schedule.  They have played just one true road game all season, which resulted in a loss to Baylor.  They also lost to St. John’s and Gonzaga on a neutral.  They lack impressive wins as their best wins have come against Illinois and Arizona State and both were at home. 

Oregon is 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS in its last three meetings with Arizona.  The Wildcats are 1-11 ATS vs. good defensive teams that allow 42% shooting or less after 15-plus games over the last three seasons.  Arizona is 1-8 ATS in its last nine road games.  The Wildcats are 0-5 ATS in their last five games following a win.  The Ducks are 22-4 ATS in their last 28 games overall.  Oregon is 25-10 ATS in its last 35 home games.  Bet Oregon Thursday. 

15* CBB Wednesday Undervalued Underdog on Tulane +11.5 

Ron Hunter has won everywhere he has gone.  He had very successful stints at IUPUI and Georgia State and now he has already turned around this Tulane program in his first season on the job thanks to recruiting some great transfers. 

The Green Wave are 9-5 SU & 9-5 ATS this season and continue to be one of the most underrated teams in the country.  They showed that here recently giving Memphis a run on the road as 15-point dogs and upsetting Cincinnati at home as 8-point dogs in their first two AAC games. 

Now the Green Wave are catching a whopping 11.5 points from Connecticut tonight, which is simply too much.  UConn has opened 0-2 in AAC play losing by 16 at Cincinnati and by 15 at South Florida.  They may come back and win their first conference game tonight, but asking them to cover 11.5 points is asking too much. 

Tulane is 12-2 ATS when playing against a good team that wins 60% to 80% of their games over the last two seasons.  The Green Wave are 7-1 ATS in their last eight road games.  Tulane is 14-5 ATS in its last 19 games overall.  The Huskies are 1-4-1 ATS in their last six games overall.  Roll with Tulane Wednesday. 

15* Big 12 PLAY OF THE DAY on Iowa State +5.5 

This is the ultimate ‘buy low’ opportunity on the Iowa State Cyclones.  They lost to Florida A&M as a 25-point favorite two games back.  But they didn’t have their best player in Tyrese Haliburton. 

Haliburton returned for their Big 12 opener against TCU and promptly posted a triple-double with 22 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.  He means everything to this team.  But they lost 79-81 (OT) at TCU as 4-point dogs only after a banked 3 at the buzzer by the Horned Frogs. 

Now the Cyclones return home highly motivated for a win.  And no team has played Kansas tougher than Iowa State in Big 12 play in recent years.  The Cyclones are 7-6 SU & 11-2 ATS in their last 11 meetings with Kansas.  Hilton Coliseum is one of the toughest places to play in the country and Kansas has had a hard time getting any kind of margin on the road in this series. 

Iowa State is much better than its 7-6 record as the Cyclones are 348th out of 353 teams in KenPom’s luck factor, which indicates how lucky a team is to have the record that they have.  They are one of the most underrated teams in the country right now as a result. 

Iowa State is 19-6 ATS in its last 25 home games off a close loss by 3 points or less.  Kansas is 3-10 ATS in its last 13 road games.  Steve Prohm is 15-6 ATS off two or more consecutive losses as the coach of Iowa State.  Take Iowa State Wednesday. 

20* ACC GAME OF THE WEEK on Wake Forest +7 

Danny Manning has these Wake Forest Demon Deacons playing some great basketball right now.  They have won three straight which includes an upset home win over Xavier as 6-point dogs and an upset road win over Pitt as 6.5-point dogs. 

Florida State is also playing great right now with six consecutive wins.  But this is obviously a letdown spot for the Seminoles after pulling the upset at Louisville as 6-point dogs last time out.  I think they fall flat here against Wake Forest and will have a hard time winning this game, let alone covering the 7-point spread. 

Wake has covered its last two home games against Florida State, both as underdogs.  The Demon Deacons have only played five of their 13 games at home this season.  They are 4-1 at home with their only loss to NC State.  They have played the 43rd-toughest schedule in the country so they are battle-tested. 

Florida State is 29-58 ATS in its last 87 games after having won eight or more of its last 10 games coming in.  The Demon Deacons are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games vs. a team with a. Winning record.  Wake Forest is 5-2 ATS in its last seven games as an underdog.  The home team is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.  Bet Wake Forest Wednesday. 

20* Big 12 GAME OF THE WEEK on Kansas State -1 

The Kansas State Wildcats return home highly motivated for a win tonight.  They have lost three of their last four coming in all by 6 points or fewer.  Two were on neutral courts to solid Mississippi State and Saint Louis teams as well as a 5-point loss at Oklahoma as 7-point dogs. 

Now the Wildcats are back home where they are 6-1 this season and winning by 14.2 points per game.  They host a TCU team that has played a ridiculously easy schedule.  In fact, it will be the first true road game for TCU this season.  They’ve only played two games away from home which were both on neutrals with a loss to Clemson and a win against Wyoming. 

Kansas State is 4-0 SU & 3-1 ATS in its last four meetings with TCU.  The Hornets Frogs are 6-16 ATS in their last 22 Big 12 games, while the Wildcats are 15-6 ATS in their last 21 Big 12 games.  TCU is 1-7 ATS in its last eight games off a win.  The home team is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.  Bet Kansas State Tuesday. 

15* Baylor/Texas Tech ESPN 2 No-Brainer on Texas Tech -3 

The Texas Tech Red Raiders have looked the part of a national championship contender once again this season when healthy.  They have won five straight coming in, which includes their 70-57 win as 7.5-point dogs of then-No. 1 Louisville on a neutral and their 85-50 trouncing of Oklahoma State in their Big 12 opener. 

Baylor is ranked 4th in the country, but it's a fraudulent ranking.  They have feasted on an easy schedule with all of their tough games at home or on a neutral.  They have played two true road games, losing to Washington and only beating Coastal Carolina by 12.  This is by far their toughest test of the season Tuesday night. 

Texas Tech is 8-0 at home this season and winning by 21.4 points per game.  The Red Raiders are 14-2 ATS in their last 16 home games after playing three consecutive games as a home favorite.  The home team has won six straight in this series and is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings.  Take Texas Tech Tuesday. 

15* Villanova/Creighton Big East ANNIHILATOR on Creighton -1.5 

This is the best Creighton team that Greg McDermott has had in recent memory.  The Bluejays are off to a 12-3 start this season and have one of the best home-court advantages in all of college basketball. 

Indeed, the Bluejays have won 15 straight home games dating back to last season and are 11-0 at home this season while winning by 17.6 points per game.  They beat Marquette by 17 in their last home games, the same Marquette team that Villanova just lost to by 11 on the road. 

Villanova is a very young team that is starting two freshmen for the first time since 2002.  The Wildcats are just 4-3 SU & 1-6 ATS in their seven games played away from home this year.  They are 1-2 SU & 0-3 ATS in true road games with a 25-point loss at Ohio, a failure to cover at St. Joe’s and that 11-point loss at Marquette. 

Villanova is 0-6 ATS vs. teams who force 14 or fewer turnovers per game this season.  The Wildcats are 0-6 ATS after having won three of their last four games this season.  Creighton is 11-1 ATS in home games after playing a game as a road underdog over the last three years.  They are winning by 20.5 points per game in this spot.  The Wildcats are 1-9-1 ATS in their last 11 road games.  Take Creighton Tuesday. 

20* MVC GAME OF THE WEEK on Drake -1 

The Drake Bulldogs are one of the best teams in the Missouri Valley Conference this year.  They are off to an 11-4 start including a perfect 8-0 record at home where they are winning by 17.5 points per game.  They should be a bigger home favorite against Loyola-Chicago here. 

Loyola-Chicago is 2-1 in true road games with a blowout loss to Furman by 24 and a narrow win over Valparaiso by 3 as 3-point favorites.  They also won at Ball State.  This will be Loyola-Chicago’s toughest road test of the season thus far. 

Drake is 30-12-2 ATS in its last 44 games overall.  The Bulldogs are 36-15-2 ATS in their last 53 home games.  The Ramblers are 2-6-1 ATS in their last nine road games.  Loyola-Chicago is 0-4-1 ATS in its last five road games vs. a team with a winning home record.  Bet Drake Tuesday. 

20* Big Ten GAME OF THE MONTH on Illinois -1 

The Illinois Fighting Illini are one of the most improved teams in the country this season.  It’s Year 3 of this rebuilding project for head coach Brad Underwood and the payoffs are starting to show with this veteran group that returned four starters this year. 

The Fighting Illini are off to a 9-5 start against a very tough schedule.  They have gone 8-1 at home this season while outscoring opponents by 22.5 points per game, and I think it will be a raucous atmosphere at Illinois tonight.  They beat Michigan 71-62 in their lone home game against a Big Ten opponent this season. 

Purdue lost a lot from the team that made a deep run in the NCAA Tournament last year.  The Boilermakers are also 9-5, but they have some really bad losses.  They lost by 14 to Nebraska, by 9 to Butler, by 10 to Marquette and at home to Texas.  They also lost to Florida State on a neutral. 

Purdue usually has a rebounding edge against everyone they play, but they won’t against Illinois.  The Fighting Illini are averaging 12 more boards than their opponents this season as one of the best rebounding teams in the nation.  And after shooting just 29.3% in a loss at Michigan State last time out, the Fighting Illini can’t possibly shoot as poorly at home this time around. 

Purdue is 4-15 ATS in road games off a conference win over the last three seasons.  The Boilermakers are 3-10 ATS in their last 13 Sunday games.  The home team is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings.  The Fighting Illini are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six home games.  Illinois is 5-1 ATS in its last six games off an ATS loss.  Bet Illinois Sunday. 

15* CBB Sunday Early ANNIHILATOR on Rhode Island -2 

The Rhode Island Rams are coming off a bad upset road loss to Brown as 7.5-point favorites.  It was by far their worse performance of the season.  Their other three losses came to LSU, West Virginia and Maryland all on the road. 

Now the Rams are back home and highly motivated for a victory.  This is a veteran Rams team that I’ve been backing a lot because they returned all five starters.  And Rhode Island is 6-0 at home this season. 

Richmond is 11-3, and while that record looks nice, it has come against the 219th-ranked schedule in the country.  Rhode Island has played the 72nd-toughest schedule, a difference of nearly 150 spots in strength of schedule.  I believe playing the tougher schedule will benefit the Rams heading into conference play today. 

Rhode Island is 8-1 ATS in home games off two consecutive overs over the last three seasons.  The Spiders are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games as road underdogs.  The Rams are 4-1 ATS in their last five games off an ATS loss.  Rhode Island has won its last two meetings with Richmond by 18 points at home and by 11 points on the road.  Roll with Rhode Island Sunday. 

15* AAC PLAY OF THE DAY on Tulane +8 

Ron Hunter is quickly turning around this Tulane program just as he did at Georgia State and IUPUI before.  It’s a Green Wave team that got some great transfers and is one of the most improved teams in the country under Hunter. 

Tulane is 8-5 this season and highly motivated for a win off three straight losses by 1 to Akron, by 4 to Towson and by 11 to Memphis.  If they lose today to Cincinnati, it will certainly go down to the wire. 

Cincinnati lost head coach Mick Cronin and has struggled this season to an 8-5 start.  They lost to Iowa, Colgate, Xavier, Bowling Green and Ohio State.  They also nearly lost to Illinois State (won by 1), Valpo (won by 4) and UNLV (won by 7).  It’s not a team that can be trusted to go on the road and win by 8-plus points against a quality opponent in Tulane here. 

Cincinnati only has two days to get ready for Tulane after last playing on January 1st, while Tulane has four days to prepare for Cincinnati after last playing on December 30th.   

Cincinnati is 1-8 ATS in road games vs. teams who are called for 17 or fewer fouls per game over the last two seasons.  Tulane is 11-2 ATS when playing against a good team (60% to 80%) over the last two years.  The Bearcats are 0-7 ATS in their last seven games off an ATS win.  Cincinnati is 4-14 ATS in its last 18 games as a favorite.  Roll with Tulane Saturday. 

15* CBB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on West Virginia +10.5 

It’s time to ’sell high’ on the Kansas Jayhawks, who have covered six of their last seven games coming in.  Now they are laying double-digits to a West Virginia team that can muck it up and keep this game close with their style of play. 

West Virginia is one of the most improved teams in the country.  The Mountaineers are 11-1 this season with their only loss coming by two points 68-70 at St. John’s.  They have impressive wins over Wichita State, Northern Iowa, Pitt and Ohio State this season.  Take West Virginia Saturday. 

15* Big Ten PLAY OF THE DAY on Penn State -2.5 

Penn State has the best team they’ve had in years.  They are off to an 11-2 start this season with one of their losses coming on the road at Ohio State.  They other was a 2-point loss to Ole Miss on a neutral after they blew a 20-plus point lead. 

The wins have been impressive.  The Nittany Lions have beaten Maryland, Alabama, Wake Forest and Yale at home as well as a a road win at Georgetown and a neutral win over Syracuse.  They’ve played a brutal schedule and have proven themselves against it. 

Now they take on Iowa in what is technically a neutral site game but the Nittany Lions will have home-court advantage due to being played in Philadelphia.  It’s an Iowa team that has also been impressive, but they have lost when they have stepped up in class.  They lost by 15 at home to DePaul, by 10 at San Diego State and by 12 at Michigan. 

Iowa is 1-8 ATS off four or more consecutive wins over the last two seasons.  Penn State is 9-1 ATS after scoring 80 points or more over the last two years.  The Hawkeyes are 1-7 ATS in their last eight games off a win by more than 20 points.  The Nittany Loins are 16-6-2 ATS in their last 24 games overall.  Roll with Penn State Saturday. 

15* CBB Saturday No-Doubt Rout on DePaul -2.5 

It’s a good time to ‘buy low’ on the DePaul Blue Demons.  They got off to a hot start this season but have cooled off since, going 0-3 ATS in their last three games.  They are coming off a loss to Seton Hall, which is one of the best teams in the country. 

Now the Blue Demons are back home against a Providence team they should handle.  Providence is 1-5 SU & 0-6 ATS in all games played away from home this year.  That includes neutral site losses to Long Beach State, College of Charleston and Florida as well as road losses to Northwestern and Rhode Island.  They were favored in four of those five losses and lost by 32 to Florida. 

The Friars are 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games off an ATS win.  Providence is 0-7 ATS in its last seven road games.  DePaul is 4-1 ATS in its last five games as a home favorite.  The Blue Demons are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games overall.  Bet DePaul Saturday. 

20* Big East GAME OF THE WEEK on Marquette PK 

I like backing Marquette at home today where they just have to win this game to cover against Villanova.  The Golden Eagles are 7-0 at home this season and winning by 22.1 points per game. 

Villanova is just 1-5 ATS in all games played away from home this year.  In their two true road games, they failed to cover as 15-point favorites at St. Joe’s and lost 51-76 at Ohio State. 

Marquette is 6-0 ATS in home games off two or more consecutive overs.  The Wildcats are 1-8-1 ATS in their last 10 road games.  The Golden Eagles are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games as a favorite.  Take Marquette Saturday. 

15* Big 12 PLAY OF THE DAY on Oklahoma -7 

The Oklahoma Sooners get Kristian Doolittle back from suspension today for their Big 12 opener against Kansas State.  I expect them to roll at home today, where they are 5-0 on the season. 

Kansas State is way down from last year with all they lost.  They are just 7-5 SU & 4-8 ATS in all games, including 1-4 SU & 1-4 ATS in road games.  It will be just their second true road game of the season.  They lost on a neutral to Pitt, Bradley, Mississippi State and Saint Louis, four teams that aren’t as good as Oklahoma. 

The home team is 8-1 SU in the last nine meetings.  The home team is 5-1-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.  The Wildcats are 1-8 ATS in their last nine games overall.  Kansas State is 0-6 ATS in its last six vs. a team with a winning record.  The Sooners are 8-1 ATS in their last nine games as a home favorite of 6.5 to 12 points.  Take Oklahoma Saturday. 

15* Wisconsin/Ohio State FS1 ANNIHILATOR on Ohio State -7 

The Ohio State Buckeyes are coming off a loss to West Virginia.  Now they return home highly motivated for a win against the Wisconsin Badgers in Big Ten play Friday night.  Look for them to make easy work of the Badgers. 

The Buckeyes are legitimately one of the best teams in the country.  They are 9-0 SU & 8-1 ATS in their nine home games this season while outscoring opponents by 27.0 points per game.  They beat Penn State by 32 in their lone conference home game. 

Wisconsin is starting to get some respect for its three-game winning streak.  But the Badgers are just 1-5 SU & 2-4 ATS in all games played away from home this year.  They are scoring just 58.7 points per game on the highway.  They lost to New Mexico, Richmond and St. Mary’s on a neutral and lost by 15 at NC State and by 7 at Rutgers. 

Ohio State is 8-0 ATS when playing just its 2nd game in a week this season.  The Badgers are 1-5 ATS in their last six road games.  The Buckeyes are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games overall.  The favorite is 12-4 ATS in the last 16 meetings.  Take Ohio State Friday. 

20* Oregon/Colorado ESPN 2 No-Brainer on Colorado +1.5 

The Colorado Buffaloes have one of the best home-court advantages in the Pac-12 and in all of college basketball for that matter.  They returned all five starters this year are are off to an 11-2 start, including a 6-1 record at home.  They will be highly motivated for a win tonight with 4th-ranked Oregon coming to town. 

The Oregon Ducks are certainly one of the better teams in the country as well at 11-2 SU & 10-3 ATS on the season.  I just think this is a great spot to fade them, especially when you consider Colorado is 6-0 SU & 5-1 ATS in their last six home meetings with Oregon.  They beat Oregon 73-51 as nearly identical 1-point home dogs last season. 

Colorado is 21-8 ATS in its last 29 home games lined +3 to PK.  The Buffaloes are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games vs. a team with a winning road record.  Colorado is 12-5-1 ATS in its last 18 home games overall.  The home team is 10-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings.  Bet Colorado Thursday. 

15* CBB Thursday Undervalued Underdog on La Salle +11 

The No. 20 Dayton Flyers are starting to get too much respect from oddsmakers for their Top 25 ranking.  They have opened 11-2 but have now failed to cover three of their last four.  I think it’s time to continue ’selling high’ on the Flyers tonight. 

They should not be laying double-digits on the road against a solid La Salle team in this conference rivalry.  It’s a La Salle team that has been one of the most underrated in the country and continues to fly under the radar.  The Explorers are 9-3 SU & 10-2 ATS this season. 

La Salle only lost by 5 to Temple as 6-point dogs and by 11 on the road to Villanova as 18-point dogs to show that they can play with good teams.  They will prove it again tonight as they give Dayton a run for its money at home.  And they have the rest and preparation advantage.  The Explorers come in on four days’ rest, while the Flyers come in on only two days’ rest. 

La Salle is 7-0 ATS in its last seven games after allowing 60 points or less in three straight games coming in.  Dayton is 9-22 ATS off a home win over the last three seasons.  The Explorers are 6-0 ATS vs. a team with a winning record this season.  La Salle is 5-0 ATS in its last five games as a home underdog.  The Explorers are 8-1 ATS in their last nine home games.  Take La Salle Thursday. 

15* CBB Thursday No-Doubt Rout on Rhode Island -7.5 

The Rhode Island Rams are one of the most underrated teams in the country.  They returned all five starters this season and are off to an 8-3 start.  Their only three losses all came on the road against Maryland, West Virginia & LSU.  They beat Alabama by 14 and Providence by 14 as well. 

Rhode Island should handle this Brown team that is just 5-6 on the season.  All six losses for Brown have come by 11 points or more.  They lost by 21 to Sacred Heart, by 12 to UMass-Lowell, by 20 to Navy, by 16 to Stony Brook, by 11 to St. John’s and by 25 to Duke.  Those results alone show they can’t hang with Rhode Island.  But their five wins have come against Bryant (by 2), Canisius (by 7), Quinnipiac (by 2), New Jersey Tech and Merrimack. 

Plays against home underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points (Brown) - after scoring 50 points or less against an opponent that scored 80 points or more in two straight games are 54-24 (69.2%) ATS since 1997.   

The Rams are 6-0 ATS in their last six games vs. a team with a losing record.  The Bears are 0-5 ATS in their last five games off an ATS win.  Roll with Rhode Island Thursday. 

15* CBB Wednesday PLAY OF THE DAY on Fresno State +13 

The San Diego State Aztecs head into the new year overvalued due to their 13-0 SU & 8-3 ATS records.  Now they’re laying 13 points here to Fresno State, which is simply too much. 

Fresno State heads into 2020 undervalued at 4-9 SU & 4-6 ATS.  But the Bulldogs have been a lot more competitive than their record would indicate.  Indeed, seven of their nine losses came by 7 points or less.  The only exceptions were a 10-point loss to St. Mary’s on a neutral and a 14-point loss at Oregon. 

Fresno State hasn’t lost by more than 12 points in any of its last 12 meetings with San Diego State.  That makes for a perfect 12-0 system backing the Bulldogs pertaining to this 13-point spread.  The Bulldogs are 6-0 ATS in road games off a loss by 6 points or less over the last two seasons.  Roll with Fresno State Wednesday. 

15* CBB Tuesday PLAY OF THE DAY on Providence +1.5 

The Georgetown Hoyas are starting to get too much respect from oddsmakers now after going 6-0 SU & 6-0 ATS in their last six games overall.  It’s time to ‘sell high’ on them and fade them here as road favorites at Providence. 

The Providence Friars got off to a slow start this season, but they rebounded with a 70-48 home win over Texas as 1-point favorites last time out.  And now they’ve had nine days to get ready for Georgetown after last playing on December 21st.  Meanwhile, Georgetown only has two days to get ready for Providence after facing American on December 28th. 

Providence wants revenge on Georgetown after losing both meetings to them last year.  The underdog is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  Second-leading scorer Mac McClung (15.5 PPG) is questionable to play for the Hoyas tonight. 

Plays on home teams where the line is +3 to -3 (Providence) - after beating the spread by more than 18 points in their previous game, a marginal winning team (51% to 60%) playing a winning team are 48-20 (70.6%) ATS since 1997.  Take Providence Tuesday. 

15* Seton Hall/DePaul FS1 ANNIHILATOR on DePaul -1 

The DePaul Blue Demons are one of the most improved teams in the country this season.  They are off to a 12-1 start and still aren’t getting the respect they deserve as only 1-point home favorites here against the Seton Hall Pirates. 

DePaul already has impressive road wins over the likes of Iowa as 9.5-point dogs, Boston College as PK and Minnesota as 4-point dogs.  They also beat Texas Tech at home with their only loss coming to a solid Buffalo team. 

Seton Hall has played just three true road games this season and lost two of them to Rutgers and Iowa State.  And the Pirates could be without their best player again tonight in Myles Powell (21.2 PPG), who is questionable with a concussion.  They’ll be without 3rd-leading scorer Sando Mamukelashvilli (10.9 PPG) as well. 

Seton Hall is 0-6 ATS when the line is +3 to -3 over the last two seasons.  DePaul is 2-1 SU & 3-0 ATS in its last three meetings with Seton Hall.  They won both meetings outright as underdogs last year.  Roll with DePaul Monday. 

15* Kansas/Stanford ABC ANNIHILATOR on Stanford +6.5 

The Stanford Cardinal are one of the best teams in the country that nobody knows about.  They are 11-1 this season with their only loss coming to Butler by a single point 67-68 on a neutral. 

The Cardinal have obviously been flying under the radar when you consider they are 9-3 ATS this season.  And now they are catching 6.5 points to what I believe is an overrated Kansas team that does not shoot the 3 ball very well.  They are loaded inside, but they don’t have many shooters. 

Kansas is 5-16 ATS in its last 21 road games, including 2-11 ATS in road games over the last two seasons.  The Jayhawks are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games as road favorites.  The Cardinal are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games as home underdogs.  Stanford is 22-7-1 ATS in its last 30 games vs. a team that wins more than 60% of their games.  The Cardinal are 25-8 ATS in their last 33 home games.  Bet Stanford Sunday. 

20* CBB GAME OF THE WEEK on Florida International +14 

Florida International is one of the most underrated teams in the country.  They are off to a 9-3 SU & 6-3 ATS start this season.  They returned four starters from last year and are certainly a contender to win Conference USA this year. 

Florida International’s three losses this season all came by 9 points or less.  And two of those were on the road against Power 5 teams.  They only lost 69-77 as 16.5-point dogs at Mississippi State and 77-86 as 17.5-point dogs at NC State. 

Now, the Golden Panthers are catching 14 points here against a down Minnesota team that is just 6-5 on the season.  The Golden Gophers are coming off back-to-back upset wins over Ohio State and Oklahoma State, and they have Purdue on deck.  That makes this a huge sandwich spot for them today, and I don’t expect them to show up at all. 

Florida International is 25-12-1 ATS in its last 38 games as an underdog.  Minnesota is 10-21 ATS in its last 31 games following an ATS win.  The Golden Gophers are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 Saturday games.  Bet Florida International Saturday. 

15* CBB Sunday Undervalued Underdog on Portland +18 

The Houston Cougars returned just one starter from a great team last year.  They have been overvalued all season.  They have upset losses to BYU and Oklahoma State at home, and they have struggled to put teams away. 

Portland can hang with Houston.  The Pilots are 8-4 SU & 6-4 ATS this season with their largest loss coming by 11 points.  Terry Porter is doing a good job with this program.  The Pilots only lost by 11 at USC as 23-point favorites, and they pulled the upset at Portland State as 6.5-point dogs. 

The Cougars are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games following a win.  Pilots are 4-0 ATS in their last four games as an underdog.  Portland is 4-0 ATS in its last four games vs. a team with a winning percentage above 60%.  Take Portland Sunday. 

15* CBB Saturday UPSET SHOCKER on Evansville +3 

Evansville is off a bad loss at Jacksonville State and will return home highly motivated for a win when they host Murray State today.  This is an Evansville team that upset Kentucky on the road as 24.5-point dogs earlier this season to flash their potential. 

Murray State is just 6-4 this season.  They lost to Drake by 10 and La Salle by 11 on a neutral.  They also lost by 19 at Tennessee and lost at Missouri State.  While Murray State has been great at home, they are just 1-4 SU & 1-4 ATS in all games played on the highway. 

Evansville is 9-2 ATS after allowing 80 points or more over the last two seasons.  Roll with Evansville Saturday. 

15* CBB Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Dayton -5 

The Dayton Flyers are clearly one of the best teams in the country.  They are 9-1 SU & 7-3 ATS with their only loss coming to Kansas, the No. 1 ranked team in the nation.  I expect Dayton to make easy work of Colorado. 

This Colorado team has been disappointing.  They returned all five starters so expectations were high.  And while they are 9-2 SU, they are just 3-7 ATS.  They lost by 14 to Kansas while Dayton only lost by 6 to Kansas.  Colorado was also upset by Northern Iowa at home, and they really don’t have many good wins. 

I like the rest advantage for Dayton in this one.  They have three days’ rest to get ready for Colorado after last playing on Tuesday.  Colorado just played Prairie View A&M at home on Thursday, so they have only had one day to get ready for Dayton.  That’s not enough prep time to get ready to face at team of Dayton’s caliber. 

Colorado is 1-14 ATS in road games off a home win over the last three seasons.  The Buffaloes are 1-12 ATS in road games vs. teams who attempt 21 or more 3-point shots per game over the last two years.  Take Dayton Saturday. 

20* CBB GAME OF THE WEEK on Oklahoma State -3 

This game is technically on a neutral court, but it will definitely feel like a home court for Oklahoma City behind played in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  I think we are getting the Cowboys at a discount today as only 3-point favorites over Minnesota. 

The Gophers are definitely in a letdown spot off their shocking upset home win over Ohio State as 7.5-point dogs.  This is a team that just lost by 20 in their previous game at Iowa, so it came out of nowhere.  They also already have losses to Oklahoma, Butler, Utah and DePaul with five losses on the season.  They aren’t nearly as good as they showed against Ohio State. 

Oklahoma State is 8-2 this season and every bit as good as its record.  The Cowboys beat Syracuse by 14 on a neutral and Ole Miss by 41 on a neutral.  They also upset Houston on the road as 7-point dogs.  They’ve had five days off since that win over Houston and will be ready to go tonight. 

The Golden Gophers are 3-11 ATS in their last 14 games as an underdog.  Minnesota is 1-5 ATS in its last six games off a win.  The Golden Gophers are 4-18 ATS in their last 22 vs. Big 12 opponents.  Minnesota is 4-14 ATS in its last 18 games off an upset win over a conference opponent as a dog of 6 points or more.  The Cowboys are 4-1 ATS in their last five neutral site games.  Bet Oklahoma State Saturday. 

15* CBB Friday Early Afternoon ANNIHILATOR on Akron -4.5 

John Groce has the Akron Zips playing some great basketball this season.  The Zips are off to an 8-2 start this year with their only losses coming by 10 as 12-point dogs at West Virginia and by 6 as 18-point dogs at Louisville.  If they can hang with both those teams, they can hang with anyone. 

Ron Hunter is also doing a great job in his first season at Tulane.  The Green Wave are off to an 8-2 start as well, but their results aren’t nearly as impressive.  They lost by 14 to Mississippi State on a neutral as 10-pint dogs and were blown out by 24 by Saint Louis on a neutral as 4.5-point dogs. 

Tulane is 0-6 ATS vs. good defensive teams that allow 64 or fewer points per game over the last two seasons.  The Zips are 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall.  Akron is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games vs. a team with a winning record.  The Green Wave are 8-20-1 ATS in their last 29 neutral site games as an underdog.  Roll with Akron Friday. 

15* CBB Thursday Undervalued Underdog on UTEP +12.5 

I’ve made some good money fading Houston this season and I’ll continue to do so for many of the same reasons tonight.  The Cougars are getting treated like the team they were last year, and not the team that returned just one starter this year and is inexperienced. 

Indeed, Houston is 2-6 ATS in its last eight games overall.  That includes an upset loss as an 11.5-point home favorite to BYU, a 12-point loss at Oregon as 7-point dogs, and a 6-point upset home loss to Oklahoma State as 7-point favorites.  The Cougars also failed to cover in an 8-point home win over Texas-Arlington as 14-point favorites, needed a late comeback to beat Rice by 8 as 13-point road favorites, and failed to cover in an 8-point home win over Texas State as 12.5-point favorites. 

The Cougars couldn’t get margin against all of those teams, and they certainly won’t get margin against one of the most underrated teams in the country in UTEP tonight.  UTEP returned four starters this season, and head coach Rodney Terry is doing a great job.  The Miners are off to an 8-1 start this season with their only loss coming by 3 at New Mexico State as 5.5-point dogs.  They also beat NMSU, New Mexico and UC-Irvine at home, three quality teams. 

The Miners are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games overall.  UTEP is 6-0 ATS vs. good offensive teams scoring 77-plus points per game over the last two seasons.  The Miners are 11-2 ATS in non-conference games over the last two seasons.  The Cougars are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games vs. a team with a winning record.  Take UTEP Thursday. 

15* CBB Wednesday UPSET SHOCKER on Arizona State +1.5 

Bobby Hurley is doing a great job at Arizona State.  He has the Sun Devils off to an 8-2 start this season with their only losses coming to Colorado and Virginia (by 3).  They just beat Georgia by 20 and now I expect them to take down Saint Mary’s tonight. 

The Gaels came into the season overvalued due to returning all five starters.  They have gone 9-2 SU but lost to Winthrop at home and Dayton (by 10).  They are just 4-7 ATS and have had some ugly performances.  They only beat Lehigh by 11 as 20.5-point favorites, Nebraska-Omaha by 9 as 15.5-point favorites and Northern Illinois by 12 as 14-point favorites. 

This will essentially be a home game for Arizona State despite technically being on a neutral.  It’s being played at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix.   

The Sun Devils are 10-1 ATS off a blowout win by 20 points or more over the last three seasons.  Arizona State is 11-1 ATS when playing against a team with a winning percentage of greater than 80% over the last three years.  Roll with Arizona State Wednesday. 

15* Tennessee/Cincinnati ESPN 2 ANNIHILATOR on Cincinnati +1.5 

The Cincinnati Bearcats are coming off a shocking loss to Colgate at home.  It was a clearly letdown spot for them after facing rival Xavier in their previous game and losing a heartbreaker.  Now I fully expect the Bearcats to bring their best effort of the season tonight hosting the 21st-ranked Tennessee Vols. 

Tennessee is being priced like it is the team that made a deep run in the NCAA Tournament last year.  But the Vols only returned one starter from that squad.  The Vols are 1-4 ATS in their last five games overall and were just upset at home by rival Memphis as 6-point favorites.  Now the Vols are in a similar flat spot that Cincinnati was just in after facing an in-state rival. 

Plays on any team (Cincinnati) - after being beaten by the spread by 42 or more points in their last seven games against an opponent that went under the total by 42 or more points in their last seven games are 94-51 (64.8%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Take Cincinnati Wednesday. 

15* Miami/Temple ESPNU ANNIHILATOR on Temple -2 

The Temple Owls are one of the most underrated teams in the country.  They are off to a 7-2 start this season with their only losses coming to Maryland by 7 on a neutral as 9-point dogs and to Missouri at home.  They have impressive road wins over LaSalle, USC and Texas A&M as well as a dominant neutral site win over Davidson. 

I like how Temple bounced back from that poor loss to Missouri with a 108-61 throttling of rival St. Joe’s as an 11.5-point favorite.  And now the Owls have had a full week to get ready for Miami after last playing on December 10th, giving them six days in between games to prepare. 

Miami only gets two days to get ready for Temple after playing on Saturday in an 88-74 win over Alabama A&M as 26.5-point favorites.  The Gators have some really poor losses this season as they were beaten by 20 by Florida on a neutral and lost by 25 to UConn on a neutral.  They really don’t have a good win on their schedule outside perhaps Illinois. 

Temple is 10-1 ATS in road games after a combined score of 155 points or more over the last three seasons.  Miami is 1-10 ATS vs. good defensive teams that allow 64 or fewer points per game over the last three years. The Hurricanes are 6-20-1 ATS in their last 27 neutral site games, including 0-7 ATS in their last seven neutral site games as an underdog.  The Owls are 17-7 ATS in their last 24 neutral site games.  Roll with Temple Tuesday. 

15* CBB Tuesday No-Doubt Rout on Florida -4.5 

The Florida Gators started slow this season.  But they’ve turned the corner in going 4-1 SU in their last five games overall with a 20-point win over Miami and a 5-point win over Xavier on a neutral.  Their only loss came on the road at Butler during this stretch. 

Now the Gators have had nine days off since that loss to Butler to get ready for Providence.  They are champing at the bit to hit the court tonight at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.  Meanwhile, Providence only has two days to get ready for Florida after playing Stony Brook on Saturday. 

This is a very poor Providence team.  The Friars are just 6-5 SU & 2-8 ATS this season.  Their six wins have come against Sacred Heart, New Jersey Tech, St. Peters, Merrimack, Pepperdine (by 3) and Stony Brook (by 4).  They lost to Northwestern by 9 as 9-point favorites, lost to Penn by 6 as 15-point favorites, lost outright to Long Beach State as 16-point favorites, lost outright to College of Charleston as 9-point favorites, and weren’t competitive in their 14-point loss at Rhode Island. 

The Gators are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 neutral site games, including 6-1 ATS in their last seven neutral site games as a favorite.  The Friars are 0-6 ATS in their last six games overall.  Take Florida Tuesday. 

15* CBB Sunday PLAY OF THE DAY on Oklahoma State +7 

The Houston Cougars lost a ton of talent from last year.  I’ve been fading them with success as they returned just one starter, but are being priced like the team they were last season.  The Cougars are 7-2 but just 3-5 ATS in their lined games. 

Oklahoma State is one of the most improved teams in the country.  They are also 7-2 and returned all five starters from last year.  I think it’s a good time to ‘buy low’ on this team off back-to-back upset losses to Georgetown and Wichita State. 

Those losses followed up impressive showings in an 86-72 upset win over Syracuse on a neutral and a dominant 78-37 win over Ole Miss on a neutral as well.  I have no doubt the Cowboys will be highly motivated to bounce back today, and they will be fresh and ready to go as they last played a week ago today. 

The Cowboys are 5-0 ATS in their last five road games.  Oklahoma State is 6-0 ATS in its last six games as an underdog.  The Cowboys are 15-6 ATS in their last 21 Sunday games.  The Cougars are 1-5 ATS in their last six games following a win.  Houston is 1-5 ATS in its last six games vs. a team with a winning record.  Bet Oklahoma State Sunday. 

15* Gonzaga/Arizona ESPN 2 Late-Night BAILOUT on Arizona -2 

I’ll side with the home team laying the short number in this Top 25 matchup.  The Arizona Wildcats are 10-1 this season, including 8-0 SU & 6-2 ATS at home.  They are outscoring opponents by a whopping 30.2 points per game at home this season. 

Gonzaga has only played two true road games this season.  They did win both, but those were against Washington and Texas A&M.  They lost by 18 to Michigan on a neutral and only beat Oregon by 1.  I think this is the toughest test for the Bulldogs yet as it’s the only game they haven’t been favored in.  Arizona is favored for good reason here. 

The Wildcats are 9-3-2 ATS in their last 14 home games vs. a team with a road winning percentage of greater than 60%.  Arizona is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games off a win by more than 20 points.  Roll with Arizona Saturday. 

20* Memphis/Tennessee ESPN ANNIHILATOR on Memphis +7 

This number is simply too high for a rivalry game between Tennessee and Memphis.  I think Memphis is legitimately one of the best teams in the country with what Penny Hardaway has done in recruiting.  And that will show on the court tonight. 

I’m not sold on this Tennessee team because they only returned one starter from last year and aren’t nearly as good as the team that made a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.  The Vols are 7-1, but they have yet to play a true road game, and they lost to the best team they have faced in Florida State.  They only other two decently hard games were wins over Washington and VCU on a neutral. 

The Tigers are 4-1 ATS in their last five games as road underdogs.  Memphis is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games vs. a team that wins more than 60% of their games.  The Vols are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 home games.  The underdog is 9-3 ATS in the last 12 meetings.  Take Memphis Saturday. 

20* Iowa/Iowa State ESPN 2 No-Brainer on Iowa State -4 

The Iowa State Cyclones should be bigger favorites here against the Iowa Hawkeyes.  Hilton Magic is for real, and the Cyclones are 5-0 SU & 4-1 ATS inside Hilton Coliseum this season, winning by 22.0 points per game on average.  They just beat a ranked Seton Hall team 76-66 at home, and now they’ll make easy work of this unranked Hawkeyes squad. 

I’ve just seen too many poor performances from the Hawkeyes this season to trust them on the road here.  Iowa lost by 15 at home to DePaul as 9.5-point favorites.  They were beaten by 10 by San Diego State on a neutral in Las Vegas.  And they gave up 103 points to Michigan two games ago, which was the most points scored by the Wolverines in a Big Ten game since 1998. 

Hilton Coliseum has been a house of horrors for the Hawkeyes.  Indeed, Iowa hasn’t won at Hilton Coliseum since 2003.  The Cyclones have won eight straight home meetings with the Hawkeyes.  They want revenge from a bad road loss to Iowa last year, and they should get that revenge with a win and cover at home tonight. 

The Hawkeyes are 16-34-1 ATS in their last 51 road games.  Iowa is 3-9 ATS in its last 12 games following a win.  Iowa State is 5-1 ATS in its last six games as a home favorite.  The Cyclones are 8-1 ATS in their last nine home games after going under the total in their previous game.  Steve Prohm is 9-2 ATS as a home favorite of 6 points or less or PK as the coach of Iowa State, and 14-3 ATS as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points in all games he has coached.  Take Iowa State Thursday. 

20* Big Ten GAME OF THE WEEK on Illinois -1 

The Illinois Fighting Illini are highly motivated for a win tonight.  They are coming off back-to-back losses to Miami and Maryland by a combined 3 points to fall to 6-3 on the season.  Their other loss this year came on the road at Arizona. 

The loss to Maryland was extra painful.  They led most the way then gave up a 3-pointer to tie in the closing seconds and fouled Maryland with only a couple seconds left and lost on a free throw.  They fell 58-59 as 10-point road dogs.  Maryland is the No. 4 ranked team in the country, so it showed what Illinois is capable of. 

Now the Fighting Illini get to host No. 5 Michigan.  This is a Wolverines team that has done most of its damage at home or on a neutral.  In their only true road game this season, the Wolverines lost 43-58 at Louisville as 6-point dogs.  Now they have to go on the highway for only the second time this season and face an Illinois team that is 5-1 at home and winning by 24.6 points per game. 

Illinois is 7-0 ATS vs. good passing teams that average 16 or more assets per game over the last two seasons.  Plays on home teams (Illinois) off two straight close losses by 3 points or less against an opponent that scored 85 points or more last game are 23-4 (85.2%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Bet Illinois Wednesday. 

15* CBB Wednesday No-Doubt Rout on Rutgers -1 

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are highly motivated for a victory tonight off two straight road losses to Pittsburgh and Michigan State.  They were competitive in both games and the Spartans had to pull away late to win 77-65 as 14-point favorites. 

There’s no question this Rutgers program is headed in the right direction under Steve Pikiell.  All three of their losses have come on the road this season.  The Scarlet Knights are 6-0 at home and winning by nearly 20 points per game. 

Wisconsin is 0-4 in all neutral and road games this season.  The Badgers lost to St. Mary’s, Richmond (by 10), New Mexico (by 9) and NC State (by 15) in their four games played away from home.  And coming off a big home win over Indiana, I look at this as a letdown spot for the Badgers. 

The home team is 5-1 SU & 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings between these teams with the only exception being Wisconsin’s overtime win at Rutgers as 16-point favorites in 2017.  Rutgers won 64-60 at home against Wisconsin in 2018 and pulled the upset as 15-point home dogs in 2015. 

Rutgers is 15-6 ATS vs. teams who average 6 or fewer steals per game over the last three seasons.  The Badgers are 0-4 ATS in their last four road games.  The Scarlet Knights are 5-2-1 ATS in their last eight games following a loss.  Roll with Rutgers Wednesday. 

20* CBB DOG OF THE WEEK on Northern Iowa +9.5 

The Northern Iowa Panthers continue to lack the respect they deserve from oddsmakers here as 9.5-point road dogs to the Colorado Buffaloes.  This is a loaded UNI team that finished strong in the second half of the season last year and should have won the MVC Tournament.  They returned four starters from that squad. 

The Panthers have opened 8-1 SU & 6-1 ATS this season.  Their only loss came on the road at West Virginia 55-60 as 6.5-point underdogs.  They had a double-digit lead in that game as well before giving up the lead in the final seconds. 

I think Colorado is overvalued due to being ranked No. 24 in the country.  That has certainly shown here of late as the Buffaloes are 0-5 ATS in their last five games overall.  And they are coming off a 14-point loss at Kansas on Saturday, so they have just two days to get ready for Northern Iowa.  It’s a hangover spot because they won’t be nearly as motivated to face UNI as they were Kansas. 

Northern Iowa comes in on seven days’ rest last playing on December 2nd.  It’s safe to say head coach Ben Jacobson will have his team ready for Colorado tonight.  The Buffaloes will be in for a bigger fight than they bargained for against this gritty Panthers team.  Take Northern Iowa Tuesday. 

20* Seton Hall/Iowa State ESPN 2 No-Brainer on Iowa State -2.5 

I love the spot for the Iowa State Cyclones tonight.  They are out for revenge from a 76-84 loss to Seton Hall in the Bahamas.  Now they get the Pirates at home this time around inside Hilton Coliseum, which is one of the toughest places to play in the entire country. 

The Cyclones are 4-0 SU & 3-1 ATS at home this season and outscoring opponents by 25.0 points per game.  Their only non-cover was by 0.5 points.  It will be just the second true road game of the season for the Pirates tonight. 

Iowa State is 28-4 ATS in its last 32 games as a home favorite of 3 points or less or PK.  Roll with Iowa State Sunday. 

15* CBB Sunday Undervalued Underdog on Rutgers +14.5 

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are one of the most improved teams in the country this season.  They are off to a 6-2 start with their only losses coming by 6 to St. Bonaventure on a neutral and by 11 at Pittsburgh.  They can stay within 14.5 points of the Michigan State Spartans tonight. 

The Spartans are one of the most overrated teams in the country.  They are 5-3 SU & 2-6 ATS and came into the season as the No. 1 ranked team.  They are far from it.  They were upset by Kentucky, Virginia Tech and Duke and failed to put away teams like Seton Hall, Georgia and UCLA.  They only have two wins all season by more than 13 points. 

Making matters worse for the Spartans are the injuries.  They are without both Joshua Langford and Rocket Watts, who were expected to be two of their best players coming into the season.  Joey Hauser being ruled ineligible also hurt them. 

The Scarlet Knights are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 games as a road underdog.  The Spartans are 0-6 ATS in their last six games vs. a team with a winning record.  Rutgers has lost by 11 points or fewer in each of their last four meetings with the Spartans while going 3-1 ATS.  Bet Rutgers Sunday. 

20* CBB Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Temple -3 

The Temple Owls are one of the most underrated teams in the country.  It’s almost criminal that they aren’t ranked yet.  They are 6-1 this season with their only loss coming on a neutral to Maryland by 7 as 9-point dogs.  That’s a Maryland team that is ranked No. 3 in the country. 

Temple also has some impressive wins.  They went on the road and beat USC 70-61 as 9-point dogs.  They went on the road and beat Texas A&M 65-42 as 5-point favorites.  And they crushed Davidson 66-53 on a neutral as only 2-point favorites.  They should be more than 3-point favorites here Saturday against Missouri. 

The Tigers are just 4-4 this season and come in off a string of very disappointing showings.  They lost 52-63 to Butler on a neutral as 2-point favorites.  They were also upset as 1.5-point favorites against Oklahoma 66-77 on a neutral.  And they were just upset at home by Charleston Southern 60-68 as 23.5-point favorites.  This team is clearly overrated. 

Temple is 8-1 ATS as a home favorite of 6 points or less or PK over the last three seasons.  They are winning by 11.0 points per game on average in this spot.  The Tigers are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.  Bet Temple Saturday. 

15* CBB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Illinois +11 

The Illinois Fighting Illini are one of the most improved teams in the country this year.  It’s Year 3 under Brad Underwood, and this is where good head coaches make their mark.  Underwood is certainly impressing thus far in Year 3. 

The Fighting Illini returned four starters from last year and added in a great recruiting class.  They are off to a 6-2 start this season with their only two losses coming on the road to Arizona and at home to Miami.  They’ll be highly motivated for their Big Ten opener against No. 3 Maryland tonight. 

The Terrapins are starting to get too much respect from oddsmakers here as double-digit favorites over this solid Illinois squad.  They have narrow wins over Temple and Harvard by 7 points apiece, and I think they are in for a fight tonight.  Especially since Maryland only has two days to get ready for Illinois after playing Notre Dame on Wednesday, while Illinois has four days to get ready while being off since Monday. 

Illinois pulled the 78-67 upset over Maryland as 8.5-point dogs last year.  Maryland hasn’t beaten Illinois by more than 6 since 2016.  The Terrapins are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games off a win by more than 20 points. Take Illinois Saturday. 

20* Providence/Rhode Island ESPN 2 ANNIHILATOR on Rhode Island +2 

Rhode Island returned all five starters this season and will be one of the most improved teams in the country.  The Rams have played a brutal schedule and have managed to go 5-3 this season.  Their only losses all came on the road against Maryland, West Virginia and LSU.  They also beat Alabama outright by 14 as home underdogs and topped a good North Texas team by 13 as 6-point favorites on a neutral. 

Providence is 5-4 SU & 2-6 ATS this season.  The Friars have been a huge disappointment against a much easier schedule than Rhode Island has faced.  They lost by 9 at Northwestern as 9-point favorites.  They lost at home to Pennsylvania outright as 15-point favorites.  And they also lost on a neutral to Long Beach State as 16-point favorites, lost to College of Charleston on a neutral as 9-point favorites, and barely beat Pepperdine by 3 on a neutral as 7-point favorites. 

Providence is 14-27 ATS as a favorite over the last three seasons.  The Friars are 0-6 ATS in their last six road games.  The home team is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.  Take Rhode Island Friday. 

15* CBB Thursday No-Doubt Rout on Mississippi State -7.5 

The Mississippi State Bulldogs are loaded this season and a legit NCAA Tournament team.  They are off to a 6-1 start this season with their only loss coming to Villanova.  They are 5-0 ATS in their last five games overall coming in, so they have been flying under the radar. 

Louisiana Tech has already been tested on the road against teams that are a similar caliber to Mississippi State. The Bulldogs lost by 10 at Creighton and by 13 at Indiana.  I expect them to lose by double-digits tonight as well. 

The Bulldogs have been off since November 24th, so they’ll be ready to go tonight and completely focused.  Mississippi State is 8-0 ATS in its last eight home games vs. a team with a losing road record. 

Plays on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points (Mississippi State) - in a game involving two good teams outscoring opponents by 8-plus points per game, after leading int heir previous game by 15 or more points at halftime are 73-32 (69.5%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Roll with Mississippi State Thursday. 

15* CBB Wednesday No-Doubt Rout on New Mexico -3 

The New Mexico Lobos have NBA talent this season and should challenge for a Mountain West title.  They are off to a 7-2 start this season with their only two losses coming on the road to UTEP and on a neutral to Auburn.  They also have a road win at New Mexico State and an upset win over Wisconsin on a neutral as 6.5-point dogs.  They have been battle-tested. 

Boise State has been far from impressive this season at 4-2.  Their only good win came at home against BYU.  They lost at Oregon by 31 as 10.5-point dogs.  They were upset at home by UC-Irvine by 9 as 4.5-point favorites.  And now they won’t be competitive with New Mexico, either. 

The Lobos have one of the best home-court advantages in the country year in and year out in The Pit.  The Lobos are 5-0 at home this season and winning by 16.4 points per game.  The Broncos are 10-21-1 ATS in their last 32 games vs. a team with a winning record.  Bet New Mexico Wednesday. 

15* CBB Wednesday UPSET SHOCKER on DePaul +2 

The DePaul Blue Demons are one of the most underrated teams in the country.  They are off to an 8-0 start this season with three impressive road wins over Iowa, Boston College and Minnesota all as underdogs.  And now they are getting zero respect as home dogs to Texas Tech. 

The Red Raiders were exposed in Las Vegas when they lost to Iowa 61-72 as 7-point favorites and were upset by Creighton as well 76-83 as 6-point favorites.  Leading scorer Jahmi’us Ramsey (17.3 PPG) missed the Creighton game and is questionable to play tonight as well. 

Texas Tech is 1-11 ATS in its last 12 vs. Big East opponents.  The Red Raiders are 1-8 ATS off an upset loss as a favorite over the last three seasons.  The Blue Demons are 5-0 at home this season and winning by 18.4 points per game.  Take DePaul Wednesday. 

15* CBB Wednesday Non-Conference KNOCKOUT on Tulane -1.5 

Ron Hunter did big things at IUPUI and Georgia State before coming to Tulane.  Now he is already turning around this Tulane program in his first season.  The Green Wave are 6-1 SU & 5-2 ATS this season and should be laying more than 1.5 points on the road over Southern Miss tonight. 

Tulane’s only loss this season came to Mississippi State as 10-point underdogs.  The Green Wave upset Utah as 8-point dogs on a neutral and their other five wins have all come by 9 points or more.  There is nothing fluky about their 6-1 start. 

Now Tulane takes on a rebuilding Southern Miss team that is 2-6 SU & 2-3-1 ATS this season.  The Golden Eagles’ only two wins have come at home against Delta State and William Carey.  Four of their six losses have come by 15 points or more with the only exceptions being their losses to South Alabama and North Florida. 

Southern Miss is 0-6 ATS off a loss by 10 points or more over the last two seasons.  The Green Wave are 5-0 ATS int heir last five road games.  Tulane is 10-2 ATS in its last 12 games overall.  Roll with Tulane Wednesday. 

20* FSU/Indiana ESPN 2 No-Brainer on Indiana -1 

Archie Miller finally has his best team at Indiana since he took over.  The Hoosiers are 7-0 SU & 5-2 ATS this season with all seven wins coming by 11 points or more and by an average of 22.8 points per game.  They are scoring 86.4 points per game on 51.4% shooting this season. 

The Hoosiers are also greatly improved defensively.  They are giving up 63.6 points per game on 38.3% shooting.  They are holding opponents to 11.2 points per game below their season averages.  They are also scoring 13.5 points per game more than their opponents average allowing on the season. 

I think this is a bad spot for Florida State.  They are coming off two straight nailbiting wins over Tennessee and Purdue on a neutral court by 3 points each.  Those two teams are both way down from where they were last year.  Now the Seminoles will be playing their 3rd game in 5 days, while the Hoosiers will only be playing their 2nd game in 8 days. 

Indiana is 6-0 ATS in home games after allowing 55 points or less over the last three seasons.  Florida State is 4-15 ATS in its last 19 games off two straight wins by 6 points or less.  The Seminoles are 5-11-1 ATS in their last 17 vs. Big Ten opponents.  Roll with Indiana Tuesday. 

15* CBB Tuesday No-Doubt Rout on Ole Miss -1 

The Butler Bulldogs will be playing their first true road game of the season tonight.  They are 7-0 and ranked 24th in the country, but their unbeaten season comes to an end at Ole Miss here.  The unranked Rebels are favored and for good reason. 

Ole Miss has a one-point loss at Memphis and an upset win over Penn State on a neutral.  The Rebels will be highly motivated for a win following a blowout loss to a very good Oklahoma State team.  This is a Rebels team that won 20 games last year that earned Kermit Davis SEC Coach of the Year honors.  A lot of talent returned from that team. 

Breiin Tyree (15.1 PPG) is an SEC Player of the Year candidate and returning starter.  Blake Hinson (12.3 PPG) is also a returning starter who missed the first four games of the season.  Now that he’s back, the Rebels should take off.  KJ Buffen (12.4 PPG) is shooting 54% from the floor and 50% from 3-point range.  This is a great 3-point shooting team with four of the top five scorers all shooting at least 37.5% from distance.  Tyree won’t continue to shoot as poorly from 3 as he has thus far. 

The Rebels are 28-13 ATS in their last 41 games overall.  Ole Miss is 12-3 ATS in its last 15 games off a loss by 20 points or more.  Butler is 6-15 ATS in true road games over the last three seasons.  Bet Ole Miss Tuesday. 

15* CBB Sunday PLAY OF THE DAY on Temple -2 

The Davidson Wildcats are one of the most overrated teams in the country because they returned all five starters this year.  But those starters are clearly mediocre as the Wildcats are 3-4 SU & 2-5 ATS in their seven games this season. 

Davidson has had some ugly performances to say the least.  They were upset as 10-point favorites in a 13-point loss at Charlotte.  They were upset by Wake Forest as 9-point favorites in a 12-point loss on a neutral.  And they lost by 10 to Marquette as 2.5-point dogs. 

Temple is 5-1 this season and has some impressive wins.  They went on the road and beat both La Salle and USC, topping the Trojans as 9-point dogs.  Temple’s only loss this season came against one of the best teams in the country in Maryland as 9-point dogs in a 7-point loss on a neutral.  The Owls are coming off a 65-42 blowout win over Texas A&M on the road as well. 

Davidson is 2-9 ATS in non-conference road games over the last two seasons.  The Owls are 5-0 ATS in their last five games after allowing less than 50 points in their previous game.  Temple is 16-7 ATS in its last 23 neutral site games.  Davidson is 0-5 ATS in its last five neutral site games.  The Wildcats are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 non-conference games.  Bet Temple Sunday. 

15* Florida State/Purdue CBB No-Brainer on Florida State +1 

The Florida State Seminoles have the home-court advantage in this neutral site affair with the Purdue since it is played in Niceville, Florida.  The Seminoles are 6-1 this season with their only loss coming at Pitt by a final of 61-63.  They went on to beat Florida 63-51 as 6-point road dogs.  And yesterday they topped No. 17 Tennessee 60-57. 

The Purdue Boilermakers lost a lot of talent from the team that made the Elite 8 last year.  Carsen Edwards single-handedly got them to the Elite 8, but he’s now gone.  The Boilermakers were upset at home by Texas 66-70 as 6.5-point favorites and they lost by 10 at Marquette in a pick ‘em role.  They were fortunate to escape with a 59-56 win over VCU last night. 

I like the fact that FSU played the early game yesterday and got to watch the Purdue/VCU game for scouting reasons.  It also makes the Seminoles the more fresh team, though it’s never a problem with them because they are always so deep, and they once again have some great depth this year. 

FSU is 21-5 ATS in its last 26 games as a neutral court dog of 6 points or less.  The Seminoles are 10-4-2 ATS in their last 16 neutral site games overall.  Wrong team favored here.  Roll with Florida State Saturday. 

15* Texas Tech/Creighton CBB Late-Night BAILOUT on Texas Tech -6 

The Texas Tech Red Raiders blitzed out to a 5-0 start this season with all five wins coming by 15 points or more.  But then they were upset by Iowa as 7-point favorites yesterday, and I think they are undervalued now today against Creighton as a result. 

There’s no question Texas Tech is the better team.  Creighton is 4-2 SU but 1-5 ATS this season.  They lost by 10 at Michigan and were embarrassed by 31 by San Diego State yesterday.  They also struggled to put away Cal Poly in a 16-point home win as 24.5-point favorites.  And they only beat North Florida by 9 as 17-point home favorites.  They aren’t even in the same class at Texas Tech, and it will show on the scoreboard. 

Creighton is 8-18 ATS as an underdog over the last three seasons.  Texas Tech is 17-5 ATS in its last 22 games overall.  The Red Raiders are 12-3 ATS in their last 15 games vs. a team with a winning record.  Texas Tech is 5-0 ATS in its last five games off an ATS loss.  The Bluejays are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games overall.  Creighton is 0-4 ATS in its last four vs. Big 12 opponents.  Roll with Texas Tech Friday. 

20* CBB Friday No-Doubt Rout on San Diego State -3 

The San Diego State Aztecs are one of the best teams in the country that nobody knows about.  They are off to a 7-0 SU & 5-2 ATS start this season with six wins by 13 points or more.  They also pulled the upset 76-71 at BYU as 4-point dogs. 

Yesterday, San Diego State blasted Creighton 83-52 as 2.5-point favorites.  That blowout afforded the Aztecs the ability to rest their starters late so they’ll still be fresh for Iowa today.  I think that’s a huge advantage and one that will help them cover this 3-point spread. 

Iowa pulled off a shocking 72-61 upset win as 7-point dogs over Texas Tech yesterday.  They had to play their starters all the way until the final buzzer because Texas Tech kept making runs at them.  And after beating the Red Raiders, the Hawkeyes are clearly getting more respect than they deserve.  Remember, Iowa lost 78-93 at home to DePaul as 9.5-point favorites. 

The Aztecs are 19-9 ATS in their last 28 vs. a team with a winning record.  San Diego State is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 neutral site games.  Roll with San Diego State Friday. 

15* Tennessee/FSU CBB No-Brainer on Florida State -1 

For starters, Florida State will have the home-court advantage with this neutral site game being played in Niceville, FL.  And I simply believe the Seminoles are the better team and are favored for good reason despite being unranked and facing No. 17 Tennessee. 

The Vols are getting too much respect for what they did last year.  But they only brought back one starter from that team.  They are 5-0 this season, but it has come against an easy schedule with the five wins coming against UNC-Asheville, Murray State, Washington, Alabama State and UT-Chattanooga. 

Florida State is 5-1 this season with its only loss coming by two points at Pitt, 61-63.  The Seminoles went on to blow out Florida 63-51 as 6-point road dogs to show what they are capable of.  They also played UT-Chattanooga, beating them 89-53 at home while Tennessee only beat Chattanooga 58-46 at home.  That gives them a common opponent and shows that FSU is clearly the better team. 

Plays against neutral court underdogs (Tennessee) - after three straight wins by 10 points or more against an opponent that’s off a blowout win by 20 points or more are 32-14 (69.6%) ATS over the last five seasons.  The Seminoles are 9-1-1 ATS in their last 11 vs. SEC opponents.  The Vols are 1-4 ATS in their last five neutral site games.  Bet Florida State Friday. 

15* Iowa State/Seton Hall ESPNU ANNIHILATOR on Seton Hall -2.5 

Iowa State used a lot of energy in their 104-89 shootout win against a bad Alabama team yesterday.  Now the Cyclones will be playing their 3rd game in 3 days and don’t have much of a bench.  They will be the more tired team in this matchup. 

That’s because Seton Hall made easy work of Southern Miss 81-56 yesterday and was allowed to rest its starters down the stretch.  This is clearly a very good Seton Hall team, taking both Michigan State (73-76) and Oregon (69-71) to the wire.  Oregon and Michigan State are two of the best teams in the country. 

Seton Hall is 8-1 ATS when playing with one or fewer days’ rest over the last three seasons.  The Pirates are 16-4-1 ATS in their last 21 neutral site games.  Take Seton Hall Friday. 

15* CBB Thursday No-Doubt Rout on Texas Tech -6.5 

The Texas Tech Red Raiders are back at it this season in being among the best teams in the country after finishing as runners-up to Virginia last year for the national title.  They have come back hungry this season to prove that the runs to the Elite 8 and the National Championship Game the past two years were no fluke. 

Indeed, the Red Raiders are 5-0 SU & 4-1 ATS this season with all five wins coming by 15 points or more and by an average of 26.8 points per game.  They are once again elite defensively, holding opponents to 60.2 points per game and nearly 15 points per game less than their season averages.  Offensively, they are scoring 87.0 points per game and averaging 11.3 points per game more than their opponents normally allow. 

Iowa is 4-1 SU & 3-2 ATS this season.  The Hawkeyes have played all five games at home thus far against some suspect competition.  Their four wins have come against SIU Edwardsville, Oral Roberts, North Florida and Cal Poly.  And they were upset in a 78-93 home loss to DePaul as 9.5-point favorites.  The Hawkeyes are giving up 70.8 points per game this season, only holding opponents to 1.4 points per game less than their season averages.  They are once again a soft defensive team this year. 

Iowa is 0-7 ATS in its last seven games off a win by more than 20 points.  The Hawkeyes are 5-16 ATS in their last 21 road games off three straight wins by 10 points or more.  The Red Raiders are 17-4 ATS in their last 21 games overall.  Texas Tech is 11-2 ATS in its last 13 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  The Red Raiders are 6-0 ATS in their last six vs. Big Ten opponents.  Bet Texas Tech Thursday. 

20* Seton Hall/Oregon ESPN 2 No-Brainer on Oregon -1 

The Oregon Ducks are 5-0 SU & 4-1 ATS this season and ranked No. 11 in the country for good reason.  They have won all five games by 8 points or more and their schedule has not been easy as they’ve played Fresno State (won by 14), Boise State (won by 31), Memphis (won by 8) and Houston (won by 12). 

Seton Hall is also off to a good start this season at 4-1 SU & 4-1 ATS.  Their narrow home loss to Michigan State doesn’t look so good now after Michigan State was just upset as 13.5-point favorites against Virginia Tech and barely beat Georgia.  Seton Hall is mostly a one-man show with Myles Powell and the Ducks’ elite defense will be prepared to stop him. 

Oregon is giving up 63.8 points per game and 36.1% shooting.  That’s impressive when you consider they have faced some great offensive teams that average 80.1 points per game on the season.  They are holding their opponents to 16.3 points per game less than their season averages. 

Oregon is 9-0 ATS in its last nine neutral site games.  The Ducks are 11-0 ATS in their last 11 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  Seton Hall is 0-4 ATS in its last four games off a win by more than 20 points.  Bet Oregon Wednesday. 

15* CBB Wednesday No-Doubt Rout on Wichita State +1 

The Wichita State Shockers are off to an impressive 6-0 start this season.  They returned three starters for head coach Gregg Marshall this season and should be able to make a run at the NCAA Tournament after settling for the NIT last year.  They won nine of their final 11 AAC games last year and made a run to the NIT semifinals, which greatly benefited them this season. 

Wichita State crushed South Carolina 70-47 yesterday behind another dominant defensive performance.  They held the Gamecocks to 32.1% shooting and have now held all six of their opponents to 39.3% or less.  They are giving up just 56.2 points per game and 35.9% shooting on the season, holding opponents to 15.1 points per game less than their season averages. 

West Virginia is 5-0 but just 2-3 ATS.  They only beat Northern Colorado by 8 and Akron by 10 at home.  They were fortunate to make this title game because they had a 15-point comeback win over Northern Iowa yesterday and took the lead in the final seconds on an And-1 following a bogus flagrant foul.  They scored 5 points with the clock stopped, and it was the difference in the game.  They won’t be so fortunate against Wichita State today. 

The Shockers are 15-3 ATS in their last 18 road games after three straight games allowing a shooting percentage of 37% or less.  Wichita State is 9-2 ATS in all tournament games over the last two seasons.  The Shockers are 8-1-1 ATS in their last 10 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  The Mountaineers are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 neutral site games.  West Virginia is 7-18-1 ATS in its last 26 non-conference games.  Roll with Wichita State Wednesday. 

15* CBB Wednesday UPSET SHOCKER on Northern Iowa +1 

The Northern Iowa Panthers are 6-1 this season and have their best team in years.  They closed last season very strong and have welcomed back four starters this season and a ton of talent.  If not for a blown 15-point lead against West Virginia yesterday and a bogus flagrant foul call late, they’d be 7-0. 

Look for the Panthers to come back today and beat a very bad South Carolina team.  South Carolina is coming off a 16-16 season last year and two of their top three scores from that team in Chris Silva (15.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG last year) and Hassani Gravett (11.4 PPG). 

South Carolina is 4-2 this season, but they were upset 70-78 at home by Boston U as 15.5-point favorites.  And they barely beat Gardner Webb by 5 as 15-point favorites before getting crushed 47-70 by Wichita State yesterday.  I was on Wichita State yesterday, and I’ll fade the Gamecocks again today. 

Northern Iowa is 34-11 ATS in its last 45 neutral court games with a total of 129.5 or less.  The Panthers are 5-0 ATS in their last five vs. SEC opponents.  The Gamecocks are 7-18-1 ATS in their last 26 non-conference games.  South Carolina is 1-5-1 ATS in its last seven neutral site games.  Take Northern Iowa Wednesday. 

20* CBB Tuesday No-Doubt Rout on Wichita State -3 

The Wichita State Shockers are off to an impressive 5-0 start this season.  They returned three starters for head coach Gregg Marshall this season and should be able to make a run at the NCAA Tournament after settling for the NIT last year.  They won nine of their final 11 AAC games last year and made a run to the NIT semifinals, which greatly benefited them this season. 

South Carolina is coming off a 16-16 season last year and two of their top three scores from that team in Chris Silva (15.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG last year) and Hassani Gravett (11.4 PPG).  The Gamecocks are off to a 4-1 start this season against. Very soft schedule with five home against against suspect competition.   

The Gamecocks lost to Boston U 70-78 at home as 15.5-point favorites and didn’t respond well in their next game, only beating Gardner Webb 74-69 as 15-point favorites.  That gives Wichita State a common opponent as they also played Gardner Webb, crushing them 74-52 as 15.5-point home favorites. 

The Shockers are 7-1-1 ATS in their last nine games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  Wichita State is 8-3-1 ATS in its last 12 games overall.  South Carolina is 5-15 ATS in its last 20 non-conference games.  The Gamecocks are 1-4-1 ATS in their last six neutral site games.  Bet Wichita State Tuesday. 

15* Stanford/Oklahoma ESPN 2 Late-Night BAILOUT on Stanford +5 

Head coach Jarod Haase clearly has the best team he has had at Stanford as he enters his fourth year with the program.  The Cardinal returned three starters this year and came away with a tremendous recruiting class.  Things are looking up for Stanford. 

Indeed, the Cardinal are 6-0 SU & 5-1 ATS this season with all six wins coming by 11 points or more.  They have two common opponents with Oklahoma this season, which would lead me to believe that Stanford is the better team and shouldn’t be catching points here. 

Oklahoma is also 5-0, but failed to cover the spread against the same two teams that Stanford played.  They beat William & Mary 75-70, while Stanford beat W&M 81-50.  They beat Maryland East Shore by 27, and Stanford beat Maryland East Shore by 21.  So Stanford has outscored those two teams by an average of 26.0 points per game, while Oklahoma has only outscored them by 16.0 points per game. 

Stanford is shooting 43% from 3-point range this season, while Oklahoma is only shooting 30.2%.  The Cardinal are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 road games after two straight games making 50% of their 3-point shots or better.  Take Stanford Monday. 

20* CBB Monday No-Doubt Rout on Missouri -1 

The Missouri Tigers are one of the most improved teams in the country this season.  They are off to a 4-1 SU & 4-1 ATS start this year with their only loss coming on the road at Xavier in overtime.  Their four wins have all come by 15 points or more. 

The Tigers returned three starters this season and added in some great recruits.  Their three returning starters are all having solid seasons in Mark Smith (13.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG this year), Jeremiah Tilmon (11.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG) and Javon Pickett (5.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG).  Dru Smith (11.6 PPG, 4.8 APG) is a transfer from Evansville, and Xavier Pinson (9.2 PPG, 3.8 APG) has taken his game to the next level after coming off the bench last year. 

Butler is coming off a 16-17 season and it’s clear head coach LaVall Jordan is falling short of expectations.  The Bulldogs only returned two starters this year and one is Aaron Thompson (6.3 PPG, 4.3 APG last year).  The Bulldogs are 5-0 but it has come against an easy schedule with five home games. 

This is technically a neutral site game, but it won’t be neutral at all.  It will be played at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, MO and the Tigers will have a huge home-court edge.  Butler is 3-16 ATS in road games off a home game over the last three seasons.  The Bulldogs are 1-9 ATS in road games off two or more straight wins over the last three years.  Butler is 1-9 ATS in road games vs. top teams that outscore their opponents by 12-plus points per game over the last three seasons.  Bet Missouri Monday.

15* CBB Sunday PLAY OF THE DAY on Rhode Island +6.5 

The Rhode Island Rams were in a rebuilding year last season and went just 18-15 (9-9 A-10) in David Cox’s first season on the job.  But now Cox returns all five starters and a ton of experience, which makes the Rams a dark horse contender to compete for the A-10 title. 

The five returning starters are Fatts Russell (14.2 PPG last year), Cyril Langevine (14.7 PPG, 9.9 RPG), Jeff Dowtin (15.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG), Tyrese Martin (8.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG) and Jermaine Harris (4.4 PPG).  That’s a ton of returning production.  The Rams are off to a 4-1 start this season with a win over Alabama and their only loss coming to a Top 10 Maryland team on the road. 

LSU lost a couple players to the NBA and isn’t nearly as good as it was last year.  The Tigers are 3-2 this season with losses to the two best teams they’ve faced in VCU and Utah State.  LSU struggled to put away Bowling Green by 9 at home as 13-point favorites and Nicholls State by 10 at home as 21-point favorites.  They should not be favored by 6.5 on a neutral over Rhode Island today. 

The Tigers are 7-18-2 ATS in their last 27 neutral site games.  LSU is 2-7 ATS in its last nine games overall.  Rhode Island is 3-0-1 ATS in its last four vs. SEC opponents.  Roll with Rhode Island Sunday. 

20* CBB Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Florida International -8 

Jeremy Ballard turned around the FIU program in his first season last year.  He guided the Panthers to their first 20-win season since the program joined Division 1, and only their second winning record since 2001.  The former VCU assistant won’t be at FIU for long. 

Ballard implemented an up-tempo offense that averaged 77 possessions, which was more than any other team in the nation with the average offensive trip lasting 14.1 seconds, also the fastest in the land.  Their full-court pressure forced turnovers on 23.4 percent (7th) of opponent’s possessions, and they converted those into 23 points per game in transition (4th). 

The Panthers returned four starters this season in Devon Andrews (15.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG last year), Osasumwen Osaghae (8.3 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 3.1 BPG), Trefjon Jacob (10.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG) and Antonio Daye Jr. (8.3 PPG).  I think we are getting this team cheap todayt because they are just 2-2, but they covered the spread in both of their road losses to Mississippi State (69-77) as 16.5-point dogs and NC State (77-86) as 17.5-point dogs.  Then they went on to blow out Cleveland State 107-61 as 7.5-point road favorites.  And yesterday they beat Eastern Kentucky 89-70 as 7.5-point favorites.  This team is a sleeping giant folks. 

UNC-Wilmington has some very concerning results this year.  They are 3-3 and lost by 38 at Davidson as 15.5-point favorites.  Perhaps the more concerning result is their 46-47 loss to Cleveland State as 5.5-point favorites last week.  That’s the same Cleveland State team FIU beat 107-61 on the road, giving these teams a common opponent.  This game has blowout written all over it, and I’m shocked FIU isn’t a double-digit favorite.  Bet Florida International Saturday. 

15* CBB Friday No-Doubt Rout on Oregon -6.5 

The Oregon Ducks are one of the best teams in the country this season.  They are proving it quickly with a 4-0 SU & 3-1 ATS start this season.  They beat Fresno by 14, Boise by 31, Memphis by 8 and UT-Arlington by 20. And now they will get another double-digit win over Houston tonight. 

The Houston Cougars are still being priced like the team that went 33-4 last season.  But the Cougars are far from that team as they lost four starters from that squad in Corey Davis (17.0 PPG), Armani Brooks (13.4 PPG, 6.3 RPG), Galen Robinson Jr. (8.0 PPG, 4.9 APG) and Braeon Brady (6.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG). 

Houston has opened 4-0 SU & 1-2 ATS.  They were upset at home by BYU 71-72 as 11.5-point favorites.  And they trailed Rice by 9 in the final five minutes before going on a big run to pull out the 97-89 win as 13-point favorites.  Now they will face their toughest test yet by far tonight. 

Oregon is 14-2 ATS vs. teams who average 6 or fewer steals per game over the last two seasons.  The Ducks are 14-2 ATS in their last 16 games overall.  Oregon is 10-1 ATS in its last 11 vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  The Cougars are 1-5 ATS in their last six games vs. a team with a winning % above .600. 

Plays on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points (Oregon) - a top team outscoring their opponents by 12-plus points per game, after allowing 50 points or less last game are 41-14 (74.5%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Roll with Oregon Friday. 

15* CBB Friday Early Afternoon ANNIHILATOR on Florida International -7.5 

Jeremy Ballard turned around the FIU program in his first season last year.  He guided the Panthers to their first 20-win season since the program joined Division 1, and only their second winning record since 2001.  The former VCU assistant won’t be at FIU for long. 

Ballard implemented an up-tempo offense that averaged 77 possessions, which was more than any other team in the nation with the average offensive trip lasting 14.1 seconds, also the fastest in the land.  Their full-court pressure forced turnovers on 23.4 percent (7th) of opponent’s possessions, and they converted those into 23 points per game in transition (4th). 

The Panthers returned four starters this season in Devon Andrews (15.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG last year), Osasumwen Osaghae (8.3 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 3.1 BPG), Trefjon Jacob (10.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG) and Antonio Daye Jr. (8.3 PPG).  I think we are getting this team cheap todayt because they are just 2-2, but they covered the spread in both of their road losses to Mississippi State (69-77) as 16.5-point dogs and NC State (77-86) as 17.5-point dogs.  Then they went on to blow out Cleveland State 107-61 as identical 7.5-point road favorites.  This team is a sleeping giant folks. 

Eastern Kentucky is picked to finish near the bottom of the Ohio Valley Conference this season and for good reason.  They went just 13-18 last year and lost two double-digit scorers in Nick Mayo (23.7 PPG, 8.7 RPG) and Dujuanta Weaver (10.2 PPG).  That’s a lot of production lost.  The Colonels are 3-2, but their three wins have all come at home against Chattanooga, Chillicothe and Alice Lloyd.  They lost by 42 at Kentucky and by 8 at home to Western Kentucky. 

Eastern Kentucky is 1-9 ATS off a home win by 10 points or more over the last three seasons.  The Colonels are 0-7 ATS in road games off a win by 10 points or more over the last three years.  The Golden Panthers are 9-2-1 ATS in their last 12 games off a win by more than 20 points.  FIU is 5-1 ATS in its last six non-conference games.  Take Florida International Friday. 

20* CBB Thursday No-Doubt Rout on UConn -3.5 

The UConn Huskies are in Year 2 under Dan Hurley.  I expect them to be one of the most improved teams in the country.  They are off to a 2-1 start this season with an impressive upset win over Florida.  They returned four key players who all averaged at least 8.4 points per game last year. 

Christian Vital (19.3 PPG, 9.0 RPG) is a senior guard who is among the AAC’s best players.  Josh Carlton (13.3 PPG, 8.3 RPG) was the AAC’s most improved player last year and is taking that next step.  Alterique Gilbert (12.7 PPG) is finally healthy after battling shoulder injuries his entire career.  Tyler Polley (12.7 PPG) is a sweet stroke and is shooting 47.1% from 3-point range after making 38% last year. 

Buffalo is a team I’m looking to fade in the early going.  They are coming off their most wins in program history, and as a result they lost head coach Nate Oats to Alabama.  Jim Whitesell is in his first season and the Bulls have to replace five crucial seniors, including CJ Massinburg (18.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG last year) and Jeremy Harris (14.0 PPG, 6.2 RPG).  They don’t return a single double-digit scorer from last year’s team. 

We saw a sign of things to come in Buffalo’s opener when it was upset 63-68 at home by Dartmouth as an 11.5-point favorite.  And their two wins came against Nazareth and Harvard, so this will be a big step up in class facing UConn tonight. 

UConn is 17-5 ATS when playing only its 2nd game in a week over the last two seasons.  The Huskies are 35-17 ATS in their last 52 games off a close win by 3 points or less.  The Huskies will have gained a ton of confidence with that upset win over Florida, and it will carry over to this matchup with Buffalo tonight.  Bet UConn Thursday. 

15* CBB Thursday Undervalued Underdog on Toledo +8 

The Toledo Rockets are among the favorites to win the MAC this season and for good reason.  Toledo head coach Td Kowalcyk enters his 10th season with the program, and the Rockets are a perennial contender.  They are coming off a 25-8 season and a first-place finish in the MAC West. 

Now the Rockets return three starters in Marreon Jackson (11.7 PPG, 4.2 APG last year), Luke Knapke (10.5 PPG, 6.6 RPG) and William Jackson (8.5 PPG, 8.8 RPG).  The Rockets are off to a 3-1 start this season with their only loss coming on the road to Valparaiso in their opener by 2 points.  They have blowout wins over Marshall (by 26), Robert Morris (by 14) and Howard (by 44). 

Notre Dame is coming off a disastrous 14-19 season.  The Fighting Irish returned five starters this year, but they don’t have much talent.  That’s clear when you consider despite being 4-1 SU they are just 1-4 ATS this season.  They only beat Marshall by 10 as 19-point home favorites and Presbyterian by 10 as 26.5-point home favorites in their last two games coming in.  Toledo won at Marshall by 26 to give them a common opponent and a big reason they can stay within 8 points here. 

Notre Dame is 0-7 ATS off two consecutive home wins by 10 points or more over the last three seasons.  The Fighting Irish are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 vs. MAC opponents.  The Rockets are 11-3 ATS in road games off an ATS win over the last three seasons.  Take Toledo Thursday. 

15* CBB Wednesday Undervalued Underdog on Portland +6.5 

I like the Portland Pilots catching points in this in-state rivalry with Portland State.  The Pilots clearly came into this season undervalued after going 7-25 last year and 0-16 in WCC play.  I think they’ll continue to be a money maker moving forward. 

Indeed, Portland is off to a 3-1 SU & 3-0 ATS start this season.  After beating Williamette by 50 in their opener, they gave USC a battle in a 65-76 road loss as 23-point dogs.  Then they upset San Jose State 72-57 as 3-point road dogs before covering against Maine in a 71-62 victory as 7.5-point home favorites.  They have covered the spread by a combined 31.5 points in their three lined games. 

Portland State is picked to finish near the bottom of the Big Sky this year and deservedly so.  They lost three starters and only brought back two players who averaged more than 4.3 points per game from last season.  They are 1-2 this season with their only win coming at home over Puget Sound by a final of 94-69.  They lost at Indiana and Hawaii and are coming off a trip to the Island. 

Portland State is 10-23 ATS in its last 33 vs. good defensive teams that allow 64 or fewer points per game.  The Vikings are 0-9 ATS when playing only their 2nd game in 8 days over the last two seasons.  The Pilots are 7-1 ATS in their last eight road games.  The road team is 8-3 ATS in the last 11 meetings.  The Pilots are 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings at Portland State.  Roll with Portland Wednesday. 

20* CBB Wednesday No-Doubt Rout on UNLV -4 

The UNLV Rebels made a great hire in the offseason by nabbing T.J. Otzelberger from South Dakota State.  He went 70-33 in his three seasons there while guiding the Jack Rabbits to two NCAA Tournaments and an NIT.  While several players transferred or graduated, Otzelberger was able to keep two starters in Amauri Hardy (13.1 PPG, 3.5 APG last year) and Cheikh Mbacke Diong (6.9 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 40 blocks). 

The Rebels have won and covered their two home games against IUPU-Fort Wayne and Abilene Christian.  And they are certainly battle-tested in the early going with losses to Kansas State (by 4), Cal (by 4) and UCLA (by 17).  This tough early schedule will have the Rebels undervalued moving forward after a 2-3 start.  Hardy (19.0 PPG) is carrying the team, while transfers Elijah Mitrou-Long (12.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG) from Texas and Donnie Tillman (12.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG) from Utah have both proven to be huge gets for Otzelberger. 

Texas State also returns just two starters from last year and comes in overvalued after a 24-10 season.  The Bobcats are 3-2 with their three wins all coming at home against cupcakes in Texas Lutheran, Prairie View A&M and Jackson State.  They lost their two road games to Air Force and Baylor.  And now they will be playing their 2nd game in 3 days after beating Jackson State at home on Monday while having to travel to UNLV.  The Bobcats won’t be prepared for this game at all. 

Danny Kaspar is 10-20 ATS as a road underdog of 6 points or less or PK as the coach of Texas State.  The Bobcats are 1-4 ATS in their last five road games.  Otzelberger is 23-10 ATS vs. good offensive teams that score 77 or more points per game in all games as a head coach.  Bet UNLV Wednesday. 

15* CBB Tuesday PLAY OF THE DAY on Florida International -7 

Jeremy Ballard turned around the FIU program in his first season last year.  He guided the Panthers to their first 20-win season since the program joined Division 1, and only their second winning record since 2001.  The former VCU assistant won’t be at FIU for long. 

Ballard implemented an up-tempo offense that averaged 77 possessions, which was more than any other team in the nation with the average offensive trip lasting 14.1 seconds, also the fastest in the land.  Their full-court pressure forced turnovers on 23.4 percent (7th) of opponent’s possessions, and they converted those into 23 points per game in transition (4th). 

The Panthers returned four starters this season in Devon Andrews (15.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG), Osasumwen Osaghae (8.3 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 3.1 BPG), Trefjon Jacob (10.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG) and Antonio Daye Jr. (8.3 PPG).  I think we are getting this team cheap tonight because they are just 1-2, but they covered the spread in both of their road losses to Mississippi State (69-77) as 16.5-point dogs and NC State (77-86) as 17.5-point dogs. 

Cleveland State is picked to finish last in the Horizon this season, and I fully agree with it.  The Vikings went 10-21 last season and brought in a new head coach in Dennis Gates.  They lost all five starters from last year and only brought back one key reserve.  The Vikings are 1-3 this season with a 35-point loss to Minnesota, a 20-point loss to Missouri State and a 27-point loss to South Carolina.  They are clearly a team in rebuilding mode.  Take Florida International Tuesday. 

15* CBB Monday No-Doubt Rout on Kentucky -25 

The Kentucky Wildcats are going to be playing with a chip on their shoulder tonight.  They were just upset by Evansville as 24.5-point favorites last time out on Tuesday.  They’ve had nearly a full week to stew over that loss and will now be looking to take out their frustration on Utah Valley State tonight. 

Utah Valley State is 3-1 this season but has played a pretty easy schedule.  It’s a Utah Valley team that lost four starters who all averaged at least 8.5 points per game last year.  Their lone returning starter is Isaiah White, who averaged 8.5 points and 4.4 rebounds last year.   

It will be the 3rd game in 7 days for Utah Valley, which hasn’t had much time to prepare for Kentucky.  The Wolverines are 1-5 ATS in their last six games overall.  The Wildcats are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 non-conference games.  Roll with Kentucky Monday. 

15* CBB Saturday PLAY OF THE DAY on Northern Iowa -9 

The Northern Iowa Panthers nearly made the NCAA Tournament last year.  They caught fire in the second half of the season and led Bradley in the MVC title game 35-17 before falling apart.  It was clear after that run that they’d be a force in 2019-20 with all they had returning. 

Indeed, the Panthers returned six of their top seven scorers from last year.  They have six seniors and three juniors and are actually led by a sophomore in A.J. Green, who averaged 15.0 PPG last year.  Green is their highest rated recruit in program history and likely a future NBA talent. 

I like the fact that Northern Iowa took a trip to Italy in August to bond.  It has paid dividends in the early going as the Panthers are 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS with two wins by double-digits.  Now they are laying less than doubles against a Northern Colorado team I expect them to handle at home today. 

Northern Colorado is returning four starters this year, but they play in a much weaker conference in the Big Sky. And their opening 45-69 loss at Texas as 16.5-point dogs says everything that needs to be said about this team.  Texas isn’t expected to be very good this season, and I believe Northern Iowa would give the Longhorns a run for their money. 

The Bears are 1-5 ATS in their last six non-conference games.  The Panthers are 5-0 ATS in their last five home games.  Expect Northern Iowa to continue its solid play in the early going this season and win this game by double-digits.  Take Northern Iowa Saturday. 

15* CBB Friday PLAY OF THE DAY on Rhode Island +2 

The Rhode Island Rams were in a rebuilding year last season and went just 18-15 (9-9 A-10) in David Cox’s first season on the job.  But now Cox returns all five starters and a ton of experience, which makes the Rams a dark horse contender to compete for the A-10 title. 

The five returning starters are Fatts Russell (14.2 PPG last year), Cyril Langevine (14.7 PPG, 9.9 RPG), Jeff Dowtin (15.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG), Tyrese Martin (8.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG) and Jermaine Harris (4.4 PPG).  That’s a ton of returning production, and I think the fact that they are coming off a road loss to Maryland has the Rams undervalued coming into this home game against Alabama tonight. 

Alabama is in rebuilding mode under first-year head coach Nate Oats.  They returned three starters but lost three key players in Tevin Mack, Donta Hall and Dazon Ingram.  Top-100 recruit Juwan Gary is out for the season with a knee injury, stud JC transfer James Rojas is also out for the season with a knee injury, and Villanova transfer Jahvon Quinerly is out for the season due to being ineligible.  Returning starter Herbert Jones is questionable to play tonight with an elbow injury. 

This is an Alabama team that was upset at home by Pennsylvania in their opener.  I don’t think they should be favored on the road here against this veteran Rhode Island team when they can’t even beat Penn at home.  The Crimson Tide will be playing their first road game of the season here.  They have only three days to get ready for Rhode Island, while the Rams have had five days off since the loss to Maryland to prepare.   

Alabama is 0-7-1 ATS in its last eight vs. Atlantic 10 opponents.  The Crimson Tide are 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games overall.  Roll with Rhode Island Friday. 

15* Purdue/Marquette FS1 ANNIHILATOR on Marquette -1 

The Marquette Golden Eagles return three starters from a team that went 24-10 last season.  That includes National Playoer of the Year candidate Marcus Howard, who averaged 25.0 points per game last year.  They also return Sacar Animalities (8.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG) and Theo John (5.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG) and a couple key reserves. 

The Golden Eagles are off to a flying start this season with an 88-53 home win over Loyola-MD as an 18.5-point favorites.  Howard had 38 points, Anim had 11 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists,  and John had 7 points and 8 rebounds.  Utah State transfer Koby McEwen added 11 points and 7 boards.  Now they’ve had eight days to get ready for Purdue after playing that game on November 5th. 

Purdue loses a ton of talent from a team that made the Elite 8 last year and took eventual national champion Virginia to the wire.  Carsen Edwards (24.3 PPG, 135 3-pointers) is gone after single-handedly carrying the Boilermakers on their NCAA Tournament run.  Also gone is second-leading scorer Ryan Cline (12.0 PPG, 111 3-pointers).  Replacing those two is impossible. 

Purdue is off to a shaky start failing to cover as a 23-point home favorite against Wisconsin-Green Bay and losing outright as 6.5-point home favorites against Texas, 66-70.  The Boilermakers shot just 41% from the field against the Longhorns and allowed 53.3% shooting to a team that is notoriously a poor shooting team year in and year out. 

Purdue is 23-44 ATS in its last 67 road games after playing two consecutive games as a home favorite.  Marquette is 5-1 ATS in its last six non-conference games.  The Boilermakers are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 vs. Big East opponents.  The Golden Eagles are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games following a win.  Take Marquette Wednesday. 

20* LSU/VCU ESPN 2 No-Brainer on VCU -2.5 

The VCU Rams want some revenge on LSU head coach Will Wade, who succeeded former head coach Shaka Smart in Richmond.  As part of an agreement to allow the third-year LSU coach to escape his contract with VCU to take his current job, these two programs agreed to play a home-and-home in 2019 and 2020. 

“I do think most of the fans were not real please with me,” Wade told the Advocate of his departure from the Rams in 2017. “They’re not real happy about the move, and I’m sure they’ll let their feelings be known when we show up there.” 

Current VCU head coach Mike Rhoades led the Rams to a 25-8 record last season and first-place finish in the Atlantic 10 with a 16-2 record.  Now Rhoads has almost everyone back with four double-digit scorers returning in Marcus Evans (13.6 PPG), De’Riante Jenkins (11.3 PPG), Issac Vann (10.8 PPG) and Marcus Santos-Silva (10.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG).  The Rams ranked top 10 in the nation in defense last season. 

LSU only returns two starters in Skylar Mays (13.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG) and Marion Taylor (6.7 PPG, 3.6 RPG).  They lose their top two scorers in Tremont Waters (15.3 PPG, 5.8 APG) and Naz Reid (13.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG) to the NBA.  They also lose key big man Kavell Bigby-Williams (7.9 PPG, 6.7 RPG).  They got off to a shaky start with an 88-79 home win over Bowling Green as a 13-point favorite.  They committed 16 turnovers and will struggle to take care of the ball against this lockdown VCU defense. 

VCU is 12-0 ATS after allowing 30 points or less in the first half of two straight games over the last two seasons.  The Rams are 9-0 ATS after failing to cove the spread in two or more consecutive games over the last three years.  Bet VCU Wednesday. 

15* Creighton/Michigan FS1 ANNIHILATOR on Creighton +5.5 

The Creighton Bluejays are going to challenge for a Big East title this year.  They returned four starters in Davion Mintz (9.7 PPG, 3.0 APG), Ty-Shon Alexander (15.7 PPG, 97 3-pointers), Marcus Zegarowski (10.4 PPG, 3.4 APG) and Mictch Ballock (11.1 PPG, 95 3-pointers).  They are one of the most veteran teams in the conference. 

The Michigan Wolverines are in a bit of a rebuild now that John Beilein moved on to coach in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers.  Former Wolverine Juwan Howard got the job and will have his hands full matching Beilein’s success early in his career. 

Howard only inherits two returning starters in Xavier Simpson (7.9 PPG, 3.9 RPG) and Jon Teske (9.5 PPG, 7.0 RPG).  The Wolverines must replace their top three scorers from last year in Ignas Brazdeikis (14.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG), Jordan Poole (12.8 PPG) and Charles Matthews (12.2 PPG, 5.0 RPG). 

Michigan got off to a rough start in their opener, only beating Appalachian State 79-71 as 17-point favorites.  Creighton made easy work of Kennesaw State 81-55 and covered as 25.5-point favorites.  Look for the Bluejays to give the Wolverines a run for their money tonight and likely win this game outright. 

The Bluejays are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games vs. a team with a winning record.  Creighton is 11-5 ATS in its last 16 vs. Big Ten opponents.  The Wolverines are 2-6 ATS in their last eight non-conference games.  Take Creighton Tuesday. 

15* CBB Monday PLAY OF THE DAY on Drake +12.5 

The Drake Bulldogs were one of the most underrated teams in the country last season.  They went 24-10 (12-6 MVC) and tied for first in the conference.  They were covering machines and I expect them to continue beating the closing number at a great rate this season. 

The Bulldogs returned three starters and three key reserves this season and are among the favorites to win the MVC again.  They’re off to a good start with an 86-55 win over Kennesaw State as 15-point favorites.  They shot 57.6% as a team and had five players score in double figures, including a couple newcomers in Jonah Jackson (15 points) and Roman Penn (10 points). 

Cincinnati lost head coach Mick Cronin to UCLA and will take a step back this year.  They opened the season with a 56-64 loss at in-state rival Ohio State as 5.5-point dogs.  They will have a hard time getting up for Drake after facing a ranked Ohio State team. 

Drake is 24-8 ATS in all games over the last two seasons, and 36-16-2 ATS in its last 54 games overall.  The Bulldogs are 11-1 ATS in their last 12 non-conference games.  Cincinnati is 2-11 ATS in its last 13 games overall.  The Bearcats are 1-7 ATS in their last eight home games.  Take Drake Monday. 

15* CBB Sunday PLAY OF THE DAY on Florida -5.5 

The Florida Gators are the No. 6 team in the country for good reason.  They returned three starters and added in Virginia Tech transfer Kerry Blackshear Jr. who is a clear NBA talent. 

I faded Florida State against Pitt in their opener and won and I’m fading the Seminoles again today.  They lost six of their top eight scorers from last year and simply aren’t nearly as good as they are getting credit for after going 29-8 last season. 

Florida will come into this game highly motivated for a win after losing five straight to Florida State, including blowout losses each of the last two seasons.  This is their year to get payback because they finally have the better team, and it’s not even close.  Take Florida Sunday. 

15* CBB Saturday PLAY OF THE DAY on Northern Iowa +1.5 

The Northern Iowa Panthers nearly made the NCAA Tournament last year.  They caught fire around Valentine’s Day and led Bradley in the MVC title game 35-17 before falling apart. 

Now, Northern Iowa returns six of its top seven scorers and is a clear contender in the MVC this season.  They have six seniors and three juniors and are actually led by sophomore A.J. Green (15.0 PPG, 71 3-pointers), who is their highest rated recruit in program history.  They took a trip to Italy in August to bond even further. 

The Panthers are coming off a very good 58-53 win over Old Dominion as 4.5-point favorites despite shooting just 34.5% from the field.  They held the Monarchs to just 35.6% shooting, and their suffocating defense has been a staple in the Ben Jacobson era.  I like the fact that they have a game under their belts already while this will be the first game of the season for Northern Illinois. 

Northern Illinois loses two of its top three scorers in Levi Bradley (14.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG) and Dante Thorp (13.8 PPG).  That’s a lot of production needing replace from a middling Huskies team that went just 17-17 last year and 8-10 in MAC play.  Roll with Northern Iowa Saturday. 

20* CBB GAME OF THE WEEK on Weber State +17 

Weber State has the Big Sky’s best player in Jerrick Harding (21.4 PPG).  The Wildcats also return second-leading scorer Cody John (14.8 PPG) and Israel Barnes (6.5 PPG).  They have a tremendous backcourt and return some key reserves in Michal Kozak (4.8 PPG, 4.1 RPG) and Caleb Nero (6.5 PPG). 

Head coach Randy Rahe has been at Weber State for 13 years, and and last year their 18-15 record resulted in the second-most losses since he has been there.  The Wildcats are a perennial contender in the Big Sky and are primed for a bounce-back season.  I think they open 2019-20 undervalued off last year’s results. 

Utah State is ranked 17th in the country and overvalued.  That was evident in the Aggies’ opener as they actually trailed Montana State by a bucket as 21.5-point favorites with just six minutes remaining.  The close on a 17-7 run to secure a shaky 81-73 victory, which is not good for a veteran team like the Aggies that returned four starters.  They will get everyone’s best shot because of their national ranking, including Weber State tonight. 

These teams play every season and almost every game goes right down to the wire.  In fact, each of the last 11 meetings have been decided by 12 points or less.  That makes for an 11-0 system backing Weber State pertaining to this 17-point spread.  Bet Weber State Friday. 

15* CBB Friday No-Doubt Rout on Ole Miss -21.5 

The Ole Miss Rebels are coming off a very successful season in head coach Kermit Davis’ first year on the job in 2018-10.  He guided the Rebels to a 20-13 record and a No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament, making the big dance for the first time since 2015 and earning Davis SEC Coach of the Year honors. 

Now, Ole Miss returns three starters and a tremendous backcourt.  Back is potential SEC Player of the Year candidate Breein Tyree (17.9 PPG) to run the offense at point guard.  Also back is G Devontae Shuler (10.3 PPG) who shot 51.1% on 2-pointers and 40.2% from 3-point range.  G/F Blake Hinson (8.3 PPG) is back after scoring in double figures 10 times as a freshman.  The Rebels also nabbed four-star prospect Austin Crowley, who stayed at home.  Bryce Williams is a big-time athlete who scored 15.3 PPG and shot 44% on 3-pointers at a community college. 

Arkansas State is picked to finish in the bottom 3rd of the Sun Belt this season.  It’s easy to see why as Mike Balado returns just one starter in Marquis Eaton (11.2 PPG).  The Red Wolves lose leading scorer Ty Cockfield (22.4 PPG) and third-leading scorer Grantham Gillard (10.1 PPG, 5.8 RPG).  They are coming off a 13-19 season and back-to-back disappointing campaigns under Balado. 

I would have to say it’s going to be another disappointing season after seeing Arkansas State struggled to put away Arkansas-Monticello 65-49 in a game where there wasn’t even a point spread.  They only led 28-22 before pulling away in the second half. 

Arkansas State is 1-8 ATS in November games over the last three seasons.  The Red Wolves are 1-9 ATS when the total is 140 to 149.5 over the last two seasons.  Ole Miss is 24-10 ATS in its last 34 games overall.  The Rebels are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 non-conference games.  Roll with Ole Miss Friday. 

15* ACC PLAY OF THE DAY on Pittsburgh +4.5 

Jeff Capel did a great job in his first season at Pitt.  He took a team that went winless in the ACC and with eight wins overall under Kevin Stallings and got them to 14-19 on the season.  Now, in his second season with the team, Capel and the Panthers should make a big leap forward. 

The Panthers return four starters led by guards Xavier Johnson (15.5 PPG) and Trey McGowens (11.6 PPG).  JC transfer G Ryan Murphy should contribute right away.  They also return Au’Diese Toney (7.5 PPG, 5.6 RPG) and Terrell Brown (5.7 PPG, 4.5 RPG) down low and add in UNC Greensboro transfer Eric Hamilton.  Freshman Justin Champagnie is a swingman who is strong off the dribble and can rebound.  He should bring some much-needed scoring pop to the frontcourt. 

The Florida State Seminoles are coming off an awesome 29-win season.  However, they lost six of their top eight scorers from that team and won’t be starting fast this season.  They don’t return a single double-digit scorer as their top two returnees are Trent Forest (9.3 PPG) and M.J. Walker (7.5 PPG).  It’s going to take some time for the Seminoles to gel with all they lost. 

Plays on home teams (Pittsburgh) - first five games of the season, after closing out last season with eight or more losses in their final 10 games, a team that had a losing record last season are 121-71 (63%) ATS over the last five seasons.   

Pittsburgh beat a very good FSU team 75-62 as identical 4.5-point home underdogs last season.  The Panthers are now 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.  The Seminoles are 1-4 ATS in their last five trips to Pittsburgh.  Roll with Pittsburgh Wednesday. 

15* Michigan State/Kentucky ESPN No-Brainer on Michigan State -2.5 

The Michigan State Spartans went 32-7 last year and made the Final Four.  I completely agree with them being the No. 1 ranked team in the country this season with all that they return.  They are clearly the best team in college basketball to start the season. 

Head coach Tom Izzo welcomes back Big Ten Player of the Year Cassius Winston at point guard.  He averaged 18.8 points and 7.5 assists per game last year and is the heart and soul of this team.  Also back are key contributors in G Kyle Ahrens (4.7 PPG, 2.5 RPG),  F Aaron Henry (6.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG) and F Xavier Tillman (10.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG).  And the Spartans expect key contributions from freshmen G Mark “Rocket” Watts and F Malik Hall. 

I like fading teams like Duke and Kentucky early in the season because they are filled with one and done players and usually start slow.  That will be the case for Kentucky, which loses four double-digit scorers from last season in P.J. Washington (15.2 PPG, 7.5 RPG), Tyler Herro (14.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG), Keldon Johnson (13.5 PPG, 5.9 RPG) and Reid Travis (11.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG).  Their only returning starter is PG Ashton Hagans (7.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG). 

Michigan State is 26-10 ATS in its last 36 games overall.  Kentucky is 1-3-1 ATS in its last five vs. Big Ten opponents.  The Spartans have won four of their last six meetings with the Wildcats.  Roll with Michigan State Tuesday. 

20* Texas Tech/Virginia Championship No-Brainer on Texas Tech +1.5 

Wrong team favored here.  The Virginia Cavaliers are lucky to be here.  They needed four comeback wins in their five tournament games, including their opener against Gardner Webb. 

They only beat Oregon by 4 as 8.5-point favorites, needed a buzzer-beater to send the Purdue game to OT, where they eventually won by 5.  And they trailed by 4 with under 10 seconds to play against Auburn, yet somehow won that game after a Kyle Guy 3-pointer and another Guy 3 free throws with 0.6 seconds remaining to win by 1.   

Their miracle run comes to an end tonight against a Texas Tech team that had been hands down the most dominant team in the tournament and deserves to be here.  The Red Raiders are 5-0 SU & 5-0 ATS in their five tournament games, winning four by double-digits with the only exception being their 6-point win over No. 1 seed Gonzaga. 

While Virginia gets credit for its defense more than anyone, it’s actually Texas Tech that leads the country in defensive efficiency.  They held Buffalo (58), Michigan (44) and Michigan State (51) to season lows in points in the tournament thus far.  Virginia’s great defensive numbers are aided by the fact that they play at the slowest pace in the entire country. 

This is a complete Red Raiders team with a star in Culver, four players in Moretti, Mooney, Edwards and Corprew who all shoot 38.8% or better from 3-point range, and three dogs on the inside in Owens, Francis and Odiase who handle all the dirty work and are the main reasons this team is so good on defense along with Culver. 

Texas Tech is 14-1 SU & 13-2 ATS in its last 15 games overall.  Chris Beard told his team that they were good enough to play on the final Monday of the season before the season started.  They bought in, and he’s arguably the best coach in the country with what’s he’s done with this team in his three years here.  Look for his players to deliver him a much-deserved title tonight.  Bet Texas Tech Monday. 

25* NCAA Tournament GAME OF THE YEAR on Texas Tech +2.5 

Texas Tech’s last three wins have been mighty impressive.  They held a high-powered Buffalo offense to just 58 points in a 20-point wins, then they held Michigan to just 44 points in a 19-point win, and they pulled away late to beat Gonzaga 75-69. 

That win over Michigan can tell us a lot about how this game is going to play out as well.  Keep in mind Michigan State needed three second-half comebacks to beat Michigan all three times they played this year.  They were fortunate to win those three games, so that gives them a common opponent, and the Red Raiders blasted Michigan by 19. 

In fact, Texas Tech and Michigan State have seven common opponents this season.  Texas Tech is outscoring those teams by 9.1 points per game, while Michigan State is only outscoring them by 6.4 points per game.  It’s a great way to compare teams. 

Texas Tech just doesn’t have any weaknesses.  They are arguably the best defensive team in the country, they have a star in Jarrett Culver who averages 18.9 points per game, they have four 3-point specialists who all shoot 38% or better.  And they have unsung heroes inside in Tariq Owens and Norense Odiase who can bang with anyone. 

Texas Tech is 13-1 SU & 12-2 ATS in its last 14 games overall.  The Red Raiders are 6-0 in their last six Saturday games.  Texas Tech is 11-1 ATS in its last 12 vs. a team with a winning record.  Bet Texas Tech Saturday. 

15* South Florida/DePaul CBI No-Brainer on South Florida +1.5 

The DePaul Blue Demons have been hit hard by injuries here down the stretch in this CBI Tournament Championship series with South Florida.  They will be without both Eli Cain (13.1 PPG, 119 assists) and Devin Gage (8.8 PPG, 129 assists), their top two assist men.  And they could be without Jaylen Butz (7.1 PPG, 5.9 RPG), who is questionable. 

South Florida was already the better team coming into this championship series.  But now they are far and away the best team considering the Blue Demons have lost both Cain and Gage to injury.  Look for the Bulls to win Game 3 tonight and take down the title. 

DePaul is 1-8 ATS after having won three of its last four games this season.  South Florida is 12-3 ATS in its last 15 road games.  The Bulls are 7-1 ATS as a road underdog or PK this season.  South Florida is 8-1 ATS vs. good offensive teams that score 77-plus points per game this season.  The Blue Demons are 0-7 ATS in their last seven home games vs. a team with a road winning % of less than .400.  Roll with South Florida Friday. 

25* NIT GAME OF THE YEAR on Texas -1.5 

The Texas Longhorns have saved their best basketball of the season for the NIT.  They have won four straight to get here, and their last two wins were really impressive.  They beat Colorado by 13 as 5-point home favorites and then got revenge on TCU with a 14-point win as 1-point favorites. 

Lipscomb is very fortunate to make it this far.  They beat NC State on a buzzer-beater in the quarterfinals, then erased an 11-point deficit against Wichita State in the final seven minutes and won 71-64, closing that game on a 21-3 run.  Give them credit for getting here, but their run stops here against a superior Texas team. 

Texas is 7-0 ATS after playing three consecutive games as a favorite this season.  Bet Texas Thursday. 

15* Wichita State/Lipscomb NIT ANNIHILATOR on Wichita State PK 

Nobody has faced a tougher path to get to the NIT semifinals than Wichita State.  They’ve gone on the road and pulled off three outright upsets over Furman 76-70 as 4-point dogs, Clemson 63-55 as 7-point dogs and Indiana 73-63 as 3.5-point dogs. 

Certainly Lipscomb’s run to the semifinals has been impressive as well, winning at Davidson, at UNC-Greensboro and at NC State.  But their run stops here against the better team and the better coach in Wichita’s Greg Marshall. 

Wichita State is 8-1 ATS in all tournament games this season.  The Shockers are 13-3-1 ATS in their last 17 games overall.  Wichita State is 6-0-1 ATS in its last seven games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  Take Wichita State Tuesday. 

20* DePaul/South Florida CBI No-Brainer on South Florida -1.5 

The South Florida Bulls have reached the Championship Round of the CBI Tournament to take on the DePaul Blue Demons in a Best of 3 series.  This is a critical Game 1 for the Bulls, who know that their next two games will be at DePaul.  They need to protect their home court. 

The Bulls have done a very good job of protecting their home court all season.  They are 17-5 at home, while Deal is just 3-8 in true road games.  They have won their first three games of this CBI Tournament all at home over Stony Brook, Utah Valley State and Loyola-Marymount.  They won by 9 each of the last two games. 

DePaul hasn’t exactly been that impressive and the competition has been pretty weak in their three CBI games thus far.  They beat Central Michigan by 14 in their opener, but only beat Longwood by 8 as 14.5-point favorites and Coastal Carolina by 5 as 8-point favorites. 

The Blue Demons are 11-28-3 ATS in their last 42 games following a win.  DePaul is 3-14-1 ATS in its last 18 Monday games.  The Blue Demons are 0-4 ATS in their last four road games.  The Bulls are 17-6 ATS in their last 23 games following a win.  The Bulls are 8-0 ATS in their last eight meetings with DePaul.  Roll with South Florida Monday.