Kansas.

NATIONAL TITLE GAME WINNER.

Game 722.

6:20 pm pst.

Without question, both combatants deserve to be here in the National Title Game. However, I really do feel the line is way off. Kansas should be several points higher as a favorite. North Carolina is well coached and has played extremely strong to close out the regular season and during this postseason. However, the Jayhawks are one the toughest teams in the nation, defensively. Look at their two recent games played against other defensive powerhouses, the Cavaliers and the Hokies. They did beat Virginia 63-43 But, the Tar Heels offense sputtered. Then they lost to Virginia Tech 72-59, another poor offensive output. UNC lives and dies by the “3“. Well, that doesn’t bode too well as the Jayhawks own a top-20 three-point defense. Offensively, Kansas matches up quite well with the lax, North Carolina defense. They have both, big men and athletic guards. Not only that but they can go to the well and rotate in fresh legs throughout the contest as they are significantly deeper. The Jayhawks are 7-2 against the spread the last nine games played as a favorite, 6–2 against spread the last eight games played on neutral sites, and 7-2 against the spread of the last nine games played following a straight up win. Take Kansas. Thank you.

Duke.

Game 704.

5:45 pm pst

Sports fans, the drama surrounding this Final Four matchup is unrivaled. North Carolina and Duke have been going out each other for as far back as I can remember. Obviously, there’s the story surrounding Coach Mike Krzyzewski retiring after this Tournament. And obviously, the team wants to win for him. There’s also all the brouhaha surrounding the fact that Duke took the first meeting this season back in February by 20-points and then in Coach K’s final game at Cameron Indoor Stadium North Carolina shredded them by 13-points. Hubert Davis is a good coach. He’s done a lot with his Tar Heels team this season. But he is certainly outmanned and outclassed here. It goes without saying he doesn’t have anywhere near the coaching experience as his counterpart. Nor does he have his big game intelligence or savvy. The Blue Devils score more offensively and allow less defensively. They’re also one the most accurate teams in the country both from beyond the arc and overall, from the floor. Let’s not forget the fact that they are one of the best in the nation on the offensive boards. North Carolina can score and is accurate from downtown as well. And also grab a lot of offensive rebounds. But the mismatch you’re going to see is between the Duke offense and the North Carolina defense. There is a huge disparity in ability, talent, and statistics. The Blue Devils can go to the well for fresh legs throughout the game as they are a little bit deeper and have that monster frontcourt with four big men in the starting lineup. The Tar Heels are 8-18-1 against spread the last 27 neutral side games played as underdog and 2-6 against spread eight NCAA Tournament games played as an underdog. Take Duke. Thank you.

Kansas.

Game 701.

3:05 pm pst.

Both teams deserve to be here. Please take note that Kansas had no problems dispatching of two Big East representatives in this Tournament in Creighton and Providence. And so, this tells you all the hoopla about facing a physical, Big East team is all smoke and mirrors. Upfront, the Jayhawks are just as big and just as strong. And in the back court, just as explosive. Please remember that the Wildcats number two scorer during both the regular and postseason, Justin Moore is out for this matchup. Unfortunately, the guard tore his Achilles in the last game. Replacing him with someone with less experience and less ability is going to be fatal for the team in this matchup. KU is just too deep both inside and out for their adversary here. And don’t forget that they are excellent on the offensive boards, which allows them to get a ton of second chance shots. The Jayhawks are 9-3 against the spread the last 12 games played following a straight up win, 5-2 against the spread the last seven games played versus teams with the winning percentage above. 600, and 6-2 against the spread the last eight games played overall. Take Kansas. Thank you.

Coastal Carolina.

TBC TGW.

Game 894.

3:00 pm pst.

Well sports fans, two teams that certainly deserve to be in the TBC Title game are matching up today. Fresno State, which owns one of the nastiest and stingiest defenses in all of college basketball, travels nearly 2700 miles to Conway, South Carolina to face a striding Coastal Carolina team. There is no doubt that on a regular basis the Bulldogs face a little tougher level of competition then does the Chanticleers. However, looking at both schedules, Fresno State had some issues earlier in the season with Cal, San Francisco, and Utah, and in their own conference against the top-tier teams. On the other hand, Coastal Carolina stepped up in class and took down Valparaiso and South Carolina earlier on his campaign and did well against the best teams in their league. Another major difference is the fact that the Bulldogs are just 1-4 against the spread this postseason while the Chanticleers are 3-1 against the spread in the playoffs. As a matter of fact, Coastal Carolina is 6-1 ATS the last seven games overall. I know how good the Fresno State defense is however, their offense just can’t compensate in this matchup. If you look at their last few games, they allowed Eastern Washington to post 74 points and Youngstown State to put up 71 points. These are not offensive powerhouses, folks. Not only can Coastal Carolina score points and drain “3’s”, but they are monsters on the offensive boards as well. They too have a decent defense ranking among the best in the nation defending the perimeter and only allowing 65.1 points per game on the season. Orlando Robinson is a monster. No doubt about that. However, Essam Mostafa can outmuscle the big man. And at the very least give him a hard time and slow him down a bit. The Chanticleers backcourt of Cole, Williams, and Dibba are a little more athletic than their counterparts and will control the tempo here. The Bulldogs are 1-4 against the spread the last five games played as a favorite. The Chanticleers are 4-0 against the spread the last four games played versus teams with a winning percentage above .600. Take Coastal Carolina. Thank you.

TBC GOM.

Game 887.

5:00 pm pst.

You know sometimes when March rolls around it is difficult to try to gauge some of these matchups as they do not play each other during the regular season. However, today’s TBC matchup between Coastal Carolina South Alabama is not one of those times. These two teams both hail from the Sun Belt Conference. And let’s be honest, normally the top-four teams in every conference separate themselves from the rest. And these two representatives are right in the middle sporting 8-8 and 9-7 conference marks this season. They only met once this year as the Jaguars took a three-point win and cover over the Chanticleers. That contest took place about seven weeks ago. USA stole the victory with a three-point shot in the last minute. One thing you should take note of is that CC won the battle of the boards. They are one of the best offensive rebounds in squads in the nation and they’re pretty darn good on the defense of glass as well. They will take from the loss, come back here and avenge it. They possess one of the nastiest defenses in the country allowing just 65.1 points per game on 38.4% shooting. They have won and covered five of the last six games coming into today’s match up, both straight up and against the spread. On the other hand, the Jaguars have lost three of the last five both straight up and against the spread. This includes three consecutive no covers. The Chanticleers have too much muscle in the paint with center, Essam Mostafa. South Alabama is just 1-4 against spread the last five games played as a home favorite, 2-5 against the spread the last seven games played following an ATS loss, and 1-5 against the spread the last six games played overall. Coastal Carolina is 4-1 against the spread the last five games played as a road underdog, 4-1 against the spread their last five road games played versus teams with a winning home record, and 5-1 against the spread their last six games played overall. Take the Chanticleers. Thank you.

Miami Florida.

Game 645.

11:20 am pst.

Miami has played outstanding basketball over the last few weeks. They enter today’s Elite Eight contest covering all three Big Dance matchups. On the other hand, Kansas had their hands full in the last two rounds with Creighton and Providence, failing to cover both. The Hurricanes match up well with the Jayhawks. Offensively, look for Miami’s backcourt to control the tempo. Meanwhile defensively putting the same pressure on Kansas as they did the last several opponents. The Jayhawks were lucky to pull out the win against the Friars on Friday. The front court is struggling. And things will get worse here against the well-coached, aggressive ‘Canes defense. Miami is 19-6-1 against the spread the last 26 teams played as an underdog and 15-5-1 against the spread the last 21 games played overall. Kansas is 3-7 against the spread the last 10 games played followed an ATS loss and 1-5 against the spread the last six NCAA Tournament games. Take the Hurricanes. Thank you.

Providence.

Game 635.

4:25 pm pst.

Providence enters today’s Sweet 16 contest knowing they totally dismantled each of their previous NCAA Tournament opponents. They devoured both South Dakota State and Richmond offensively while defensively holding both teams to an average of 54.0 points per game. Ed Cooley‘s boys are comprised of a slew of fourth-and-fifth-year college players. They have a ton of experience overall. Particularly in big game situations. And they are well-coached and disciplined. The Friars have accumulated a 27-5 record this season going 19-13 against the spread. They dominated the Big East conference, which happens to be one of the most physical leagues in college basketball. This will be an issue for the Jayhawks. Yes, Kansas has some big strong players. And yes, they can score points. But Providence counters that offense with a big, strong front court and a very talented back court. As I mentioned, the Jayhawks have had issues once again this season when facing opponents that play aggressive and physical basketball. This match up certainly favors the Friars. They are 19-7 against the spread the last 26 games played as an underdog, 19-7 against the spread the last 26 games played versus teams with a winning record, and 5-2 against the spread the last seven games played overall. Take Providence. Thank you

Houston.

Game 623.

6:59 pm pst.

In any sport, postseason experience plays a significant factor. Having said that, this is the third straight season that Houston has advanced to the Sweet 16. Meanwhile, Arizona is making its first Sweet 16 appearance in six years. Basketball particularly at the collegiate level is about matchups. With all respect to the Wildcats and their high-powered offense, the Cougars defense own the best defense they’ve seen in quite a while. Houston enters this contest winning and covering all five of their postseason games and going back a little bit, is on a 9-1 run both straight up and against the spread. I mentioned matchups earlier. The Cougars have the size and the speed to slow down the Wildcats offense and they certainly will dominate on the glass here. Aside from their size upfront, their backcourt is just as fast, just as talented, and just as savvy. Houston is 12-3 against the spread the last 15 games played as an underdog and 25-9 against the spread the last 34 games played on neutral sites. Arizona is 0-4 against the spread the last four NCAA tournament games played as a favorite, and 4-11 against the spread the last 15 games played on neutral sites. Take the Cougars. Thank you.

Villanova.

Game 626.

4:29 pm pst.

Michigan making it this far has certainly been a nice story. But stories are made for you to read to your children at bedtime. And it’s time for the Wolverines to be put to sleep. One thing for sure, this is a team that was inconsistent all season long. Case in point, they have won two games in a row in this Tournament, but they have not won three consecutive games this entire campaign. Villanova has been the epitome of the word “consistent.” They played strong basketball throughout the entire regular season and swept through the postseason winning all five outings. Center, Hunter Dickinson is going to give any opponent problems. However, his supporting cast isn’t as deep or as strong as their adversary’s is here today. The Wildcats have the muscle and the big men to rotate on the 7’1” standout. Two more major factors benefit the Wildcats. The first is being that they have a nasty, swarming defense that will frustrate the Wolverines offense for sure. The second thing is that this is going to be a very physical game. And when it comes down to free throws, they also possess the number one ranked free-throw shooting team in the nation. A place where Michigan has had problems the entire year. The Wildcats are 17-4 against the spread the last 21 NCAA Tournament games played as a favorite. The Wolverines are 1-7 against this spread the last eight games played following an ATS win. Take Villanova. Thank you.

Arkansas.

Game 627.

4:09 pm pst.

Sports fans, I am not looking to take away anything from Gonzaga. The Bulldogs certainly deserve all the praise and accolades in the world. They’re a very good basketball team. But I think we can all agree that their level of competition overall, might not be a strong as their adversary here today faces. They only lost three games this season. They lost at the end of November to a mediocre, Duke team. They lost in the beginning of December to a mediocre Alabama team. And I will give them a mulligan on the final game of the regular season losing by 10 to Saint Mary’s. It’s true, overall, the Razorbacks numbers on both ends of the court aren’t as impressive. But they also play much tougher competition. And they enter today’s match up on a 17-3 straight up run. When Jaylin Williams is your number four scorer in the postseason, your offense is clicking on all cylinders. Gonzaga certainly has an advantage upfront between Drew Timme and Andrew Nembhard. But Eric Musselman utilizes his bench as good as any coach in the game. This is way too many points to give an Arkansas team that is 4-0 against the spread the last four games played as an underdog, 10-4 against the spread the last 13 games played following a straight up win, and 15-5 against the spread the last 20 games played overall. By the way, Gonzaga is point spread poison, going 0-4-1 against the spread the last five games played versus teams with a winning percentage above .600, 0-4 against the spread the last four NCAA Tournament games played as a favorite, and 1-3-1 against the spread the last five games played following an ATS loss. Take Arkansas. Thank you.

Joe's NIT QF WASHINGTON STATE/BYU WINNER

Washington State.

NIT QF WINNER.

Game 619.

6:00 pm pst.

BYU is certainly a good team and there’s no questioning some of the West Coast conferences representatives are very good. But for the most part, they do not play as competitive a level of opponent on a regular basis as does Washington State does in the Pac-12. In this tournament alone, Washington State has played a better level of opponent than BYU. But we will get to that in a moment. Both teams are loaded with talented athletes. Both have athletic back courts. And both have strong men upfront. But I do believe BYU will come in here a little overconfident having beaten Long Beach State by 21 and Northern Iowa by 19. Guys, they were supposed to beat them both by a ton of points. They will have a false sense of confidence for sure. Washington State played two solid adversaries in Santa Clara, which they beat by 13 and SMU, which they beat by 12. Stronger efforts against better teams for sure. This is a very good team with a talented squad and is very well coached. Not to mention that BYU is 3-7 against the spread the last 10 games played following a straight up win. Take Washington State. Thank you.

Wake Forest.

NIT QF WINNER.

Game 617.

4:00 pm pst.

To be honest with you Texas A&M has done better in Tournament play this March than most of the other SEC representatives. But the time has come for them to pack their bags and go back home. Wake Forest is a monster team, with a monster offense, and comes into this matchup rolling. I give a lot of credit to this Aggies team, which has now won nine of the last 10 straight up, going 8-2 against the spread. However, the Demon Deacons have played consistent basketball since opening day back in November. Behind one of the best players in the nation, Alondes Williams, they possess one of the most explosive offenses in college basketball. Believe it or not, the star guard is currently the third highest leading scorer this postseason for the team. Upfront, Jake LaRavia and Dallas Walton are absolutely dominating in the paint, combining for 29.3 points per game and 12.7 rebounds per game this postseason. Texas A&M just doesn’t have the personnel to compete down low here. The Aggie’s are 0-4 against the spread the last four games played at home versus teams with a winning road record. The Demon Deacons are 6-1 against the spread the last seven games played as a road underdog. Take a Wake Forest. Thank you.

UNCW.

CBI CHAMP GAME WINNER.

Game 621.,

2:00 pm pst.

Well sports fans, both teams finished atop their conferences and both ran through this tournament pretty easily. However, I do feel the Seahawks have faced and played a higher level of competition this season overall. The Blue Raiders own a bit better numbers. But I do believe those statistics are a little bit skewed as I feel their level of competition just isn’t as strong as their opponents is here. Both teams have excellent back courts and a strong big man upfront. But NC Wilmington has been absolute money this season covering 21 of their last 26 outings. As a matter of fact, they are 13-3 against the spread the last 16 games played aa an underdog, 14-3 against the spread the last 17 games played versus teams with a winning record, and 5-1 against the spread the last six games played on neutral sites. Can’t go against those ATS trends. Take the Seahawks. Thank you.

Purdue is certainly a good team. However, being a good team and covering games are two entirely different things. The Boilermakers have covered just eight times since December. I and if you’re keeping track that is 8-20 against the spread their last 28 contests. And their offense, which ranks seventh in the nation averaging over 80.7 points per game, has not hit the 80-point mark in the last 10 outings. Now they have to face the ninth ranked swarming defense of the Longhorns. Take Texas. Thank you.

Sports fans, Texas Tech is a very good team. However, I believe they’re going to come in here a little overconfident following the 35-point demolishing over Montana State just two days ago. That marked only their second cover since the end of February as they are on a 2-5 against the spread run. To say the ACC has done well this postseason is an understatement. And in comes a Notre Dame team which came into this tournament a bit angry having to play in the first-four and beat Rutgers. Then, in round 1 they decimated Alabama. Giving this team this many points is a huge mistake made by the odds makers. While on paper the Red Raiders are a bit more impressive. Basketball is not played on paper. It’s played on the hardwood and Notre Dame certainly is hungrier and comes in here with less pressure. They are also 5-1 against the spread the last six games played as underdog, 10-3 against spread the less 13 games played versus team to the winning record, and 12-5 against the spread the last 17 games played following a straight up win. Take the Fighting Irish. Thank you

Wisconsin comes in here possessing the better starting-five, is much deeper on the bench, and has Johnny Davis. The guard is the best player on the floor by far. The fact that the Cyclones run a four-guard set puts them in a little bit of trouble here. The Badgers are a little stronger, excuse me, a lot stronger upfront as well and they will win the battle of the boards here. By the way, this is basically a home game for Wiscy too. Take Wisconsin. Thank you.

North Texas owns some very impressive statistics. However, those stats were earned in Conference USA play. Now they’re playing a talented ACC representative. And the Mean Green weren’t so mean when they had a step up and out of their conference. They took beatings from the likes of the Jayhawks, the Hurricanes, and even the Blazers. Virginia is going to play with extra motivation as they felt they should’ve made the Big Dance. This is a team that can also play defense. As a matter of fact, they allow just 60.4 points per game. They unlike their opponent here today are accustomed to playing some very big named teams. North Texas doesn’t have the strength or the muscle to compete in this one and making them a favorite is a big mistake. They are 1-8 against the spread the last nine home games played versus teams with the winning road record. Virginia is 4-1 against the spread the last five games played versus teams with a winning percentage over 600. Take the Cavaliers. Thank you.

These two teams know each other very, very well. Duke always plays good basketball this time of year. Especially with it being the final season for Coach Mike Krzyzewski. However, they are once again this year being overvalued as they have not covered a single game since March 1. The Blue Devils are riding and 0-5 against the spread run. Meanwhile, the Spartans come in here covering their last five games as they are being undervalued. They’re playing very good basketball right. By the way, the underdog in this rivalry is 5-0 against the spread the last five meetings in the series. And Duke is 0-7 again spread the last seven NCAA tournament games. Take Michigan State. Thank you.

Wildcats, head coach, Jay Wright and his boys have won two of the last five tournaments. They come in here rolling today, winning six in a row. Villanova also has National Player of the Year candidate, Collin Gillespie. If this team was going to have a letdown, it would’ve happened after they won the Big East tournament. But it did not as they shellacked Delaware, 80-60 in the first round. They are no strangers to Ohio State. These two met up in November, 2019 when the Buckeyes crushed the Wildcats, 76-51. Gillespie was on that team and remembers that embarrassing loss quite well. Look for him to come out and lead the more talented bunch, get their vengeance, and move onto the Sweet 16. Ohio State is 2-10 against the spread the last 12 NCAA Tournament games. Villanova is 17-5 against the spread the last 22 NCAA Tournament games. Take the Wildcats. Thank you.

Guys, Illinois is a good team. However, they might come in this match up a little tired after having battled with Chattanooga two days ago. That game marked their fourth consecutive no cover and their 12th against the spread loss over the last 16 games. They are enormously overvalued by odds makers. Well Houston is not getting to much respect as they come from a lesser conference. However, this team has been a money machine winning and covering all four of their postseason games and covering eight of the last nine overall coming into today’s matchup. The Fighting Illini has had issues this season with aggressive defenses. Well, this is the most aggressive defense they have had to face in quite a while as the Cougars only allow 58.9 points per game and rank number one in college basketball in field-goal percentage allowing just 37.2% from the floor. Meanwhile the Illinois defense isn’t as good and will have problems on the boards here as well as trying to slow down the very talented starting-five of Houston. The Cougars are 4-0 against the spread the last four games played as a favorite, 6-1 against the spread the last seven games played following an ATS win, and 7-1 against the spread the eight games played versus teams with a winning record. Take Houston. Thank you.

Tennessee.

BOOKIE BUSTER.

Game 788.

2:15 pm pst.   

Getting to the NCAA Tournament is a big deal. Advancing from the first round is obviously important. However, the second round is usually where we see a lot of teams which are lucky to be here, get sent home. And make no mistake of it, Michigan is lucky to be here. But now it’s time for them to go back home. Not only does Tennessee possess a better squad on both ends of the court on the boards, but they also own one of the most frustrating defenses in all of college basketball. They allow just 63.3 points per game on 40.5% shooting. Yes, they swept through the SEC conference tournament and shredded Longwood in Round 1 of the Big Dance, winning and covering all four of their postseason games. But even during the regular season, this team didn’t have a bad string of games at all the entire campaign. The Wolverines were erratic the entire year and to say that they’ve been inconsistent would be an understatement. Youth and an experience are also an issue for this team. And that doesn’t bode well come Tournament time. They are 0-5 against the spread their last five games played following a straight up win, 5-16 against the spread their last 21 games played following an ATS win, and 1-4-1 against the spread their last six NCAA Tournament games played as an underdog. The Volunteers are 4-0 against the spread their last four games played on neutral sites, 6-2 against the spread their last eight games played as a favorite, and 4-0 against the spread their last four games played overall. Take Tennessee. Thank you.

Kansas.

ANNIHILATOR.

Game 794.

11:40 am pst.

Sports fans, it’s no secret that offensively, defensively, and on the boards, Kansas is a far better team than is Creighton. They play better competition, they are more experienced, and they have a better coaching staff. The Blue Jays took a hit earlier this season when they lost guard, Ryan Nembhard back in February. This team has covered four straight games against teams that on paper are better than them. However, yesterday they lost 7’1”, 256 lbs. center, Ryan Kalkbrenner. During the regular season he was one of their two biggest scorers and rebounders. But during the postseason, thus far he is their biggest scorer and rebounder. And he went down and will not be playing here today. That is going to be huge as Creighton faces a Kansas team chock-full of big strong forwards. Look for the Jayhawks to dominate in the paint and on the glass here. Let’s be honest even if the Blue Jays were at full strength, this would still be a tough matchup for them. But being that they are without one of the biggest inside presences, this game is going to get ugly. Kansas is 5-0 against the spread their last five games played as a favorite, 4-0 against the spread their last four games played on neutral sites, and 5-0 against the spread their last five games played overall. Take the Jayhawks. Thank you.

Houston.

LVSM.

Game 768.

6:20 pm pst.

Houston cut through the American Athletic Conference and the AAC Tournament like a hot knife through butter. They can score points, they can rebound, and boy oh boy do they have one hell of a nasty defense. Even when they step out of their conference they seem to win and win big. If you recall throughout the season, they took down Virginia, Oregon, Alabama, and even Oklahoma State. UAB won the Conference USA Tournament but if you recall was not the top team in their division. North Texas was. They also had problems with representatives from other conferences during the campaign, losing to South Carolina, San Francisco, and West Virginia. Jordan Walker is an incredible ball player. But he and the other Blazers guards are going to have a tough time trying to drive in the paint against the Cougars big, strong, stout front court. Houston is 23-9 against the spread their last 32 games played on neutral sites, 7-1 against the spread their last eight games played as a favorite, and 7-1 against the spread their last eight games played overall. Take the Cougars. Thank you.

Virginia Tech.

HIGH ROLLER.

Game 763.

1:30 pm pst.

Texas is in way over their heads here. Not only do they enter the Tournament dropping three in a row straight up, they are crushing anyone who bets on them failing to cover their last six in a row and seven of their last eight. On the other hand, Virginia Tech is rolling. They enter today’s matchup after sweeping through the ACC tournament winning all four games and covering the last three. But prior to that they finished out the regular season on a 9-2 straight up run in which they covered seven of those 10 last outings. Neither team is known for their offense. However, the Hokies own the sixth ranked three-point shooting squad in college basketball and that will be the difference here. The Longhorns are 0-8 against the spread their last eight NCAA Tournament games played as a favorite, 0-5 against the spread their last five games played versus teams with a winning record, 4-11-1 against the spread their last 16 games played following a straight up loss, and 6-18 against the spread their last 24 overall NCAA Tournament games. Take Virginia Tech. Thank you.

Notre Dame.

Bookie Buster.

Game 775.

1:15 pm pst.

I really wasn’t very impressed with Alabama’s play this season. It seems that many of their wins, particularly in the latter half of the campaign were against lower-tier conference opponents. On the other hand, Notre Dame played some pretty darn good basketball to finish out the season. As a matter of fact, from around Christmas right through their regular season finale they ran off 17-wins over their last 21 regular season outings. And how they finished off Rutgers a few days ago really impressed me. Look for the Fighting Irish defense to frustrate the Crimson Tide offense here. Alabama is 7-19 against the spread their last 26 teams played as a favorite and 4-10-1 against the spread their last 15 games played versus teams are the winning percentage above .600. Notre Dame is 4-1 against the spread their last five games played is as an underdog and 15-6 against the spread their last 21 games played overall. Take the Fighting Irish. Thank you.

Villanova.

ANNIHILATOR PLAY.

Game 774.

11:45 am pst.

After watching several top teams not just fail to cover yesterday, but lose out right, Villanova will take no chances here. This is a team looking for their fourth National Championship. They are a number two seed facing a number 15 seed. The Wildcats have no problem beating opponents by 20+ points. And knowing they are going to face some better opposition over the next several rounds they’re going to want to get in sync here and send a message to any future opponents. Look for Villanova to dominate in the paint, own the boards, and also shoot the lights out from downtown with their very accurate three-point shooting squad against one of the worst three-point defenses in the nation. The Wildcats ARE 14-3 against the spread their last 17 NCAA Tournament games as a favorite. Take Villanova. Thank you.

Auburn.

EARLY WINNER.

Game 758.

9:40 am pst.

We saw several top teams go down yesterday in Tournament play. So did Auburn. Sweeping through the SEC this season, The Tigers really played well since Day 1. However, losing to Texas A&M in the Conference Tournament will further motivate them here not to take this game lightly. Please understand that they know a lot of the players and the way Jacksonville State Gamecocks play their game. These two schools are only 100+ miles away from each other. On both ends of the court they outclass their opponent here. J State did not fare well against Wichita State, VCU, or Alabama in the first few months of the regular season. Those are the only three times the Gamecocks faced any known out-of-opponents. Auburn has no problem running up scores against lesser adversaries. And as I mentioned earlier after yesterday’s odd opening day in which quite a few unknowns beat top teams outright, the Tigers won’t take any chances here. They are 4-0 against the spread their last four NCAA Tournament games, 11-5 against the spread their last 16 games played on neutral sites, and 5-1 against the spread their last six games played following a straight up loss. Take Auburn. Thank you.

San Francisco.

LATE BAILOUT PLAY.

Game 731.

6:40 pm pst/9:40 pm est.

Perhaps Murray State comes in here a little distracted due to the fact that they are switching conferences beginning next season and should also be concerned with rumors that their head coach, Matt McMahon is being courted by more popular schools. We all know that this team was perfect in conference play this season and overall won 30 games including their last 20 in a row. They stepped out of their comfort zone only a few times this season. They they did beat Memphis on the road in early-December However the Tigers were still trying to find their footing at that point. Their next out of conference opponent was Auburn, also away from home, in which they took a bad 71-58 defeat, failing to cover as a 12-point underdog. San Francisco, on the other hand is a very good team. They are loaded with talent, both up front and in their back court. Without question one of the best tandem of guards in the country in Bouyea and Shabazz. They will also see the return of their biggest inside threat in forward, Massalski. After competing with the likes of Gonzaga, BYU, St. Mary’s, and Santa Clara, look for San Francisco to represent the West Coast Conference here and go onto the next round. The Racers are 1-4 against the spread their last five games played as a favorite. The Dons are 5-1 against the spread their last six games played following a straight up loss. Take San Francisco. Thank you.

Arkansas.

BEST BET PLAY.

Game 722.

6:20 pm pst/9:20 pm est.

My friends, every March we hear sports commentators chatting about Cinderella teams that have a shot go far in the Tournament. This year we’re hearing that static about Vermont. However, the Catamounts are going to be a one-and-done memory as they have a snowballs chance in hell at surviving today’s match up with the Razorbacks. Yes, I know they went through the American East Conference like a tornado. But the AEC is no way near to the SEC. Remember that Arkansas went 13-5 in conference play this season and have taken down some big-name teams like LSU three times, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Auburn, Missouri, Florida, and Kentucky. Vermont stepped up out of their class dropping games, losing and not even covering against the likes of Maryland and Providence. As a matter fact those two matchups got pretty darn ugly falling in both by double-digits. They also don’t have a big man that can even slow down forward, Jaylin Williams. The Catamounts are 1-4 against the spread their last five games played as an underdog and 0-4 against the spread their last four games played on neutral sites. The Razorbacks are 8-2-1 against the spread their last 11 games played as a favorite and 14-3-1 against the spread their last 14 games played overall. Take Arkansas. Thank you.

Creighton.

HIGH ROLLER PLAY.

Game 8737.

4:27 pm pst/7:27 pm est.

Neither combatant here are known for their offensive prowess. Both Creighton and San Diego State possess low-scoring offenses while both sporting some of the stingiest defenses in college basketball. However, there is no denying the fact that the Blue Jays regularly go up against a stronger level of opponents than does the Aztecs. San Diego State has stepped up quite a few times this season outside of their conference and have not fared well at all. On the other hand, Creighton seems to play better when facing a higher level of opposition. They also enter this matchup covering all three of their postseason outings and are riding and overall, 9-2 against the spread run. They did lose to Villanova in the Big East title game but have been money overall on the season in this situation going 4-0 against the spread their last four games played as an underdog, 4-0 against the spread their last four games played on neutral sites, and 7-2 against the spread their last nine games played following a straight up loss. Take the Blue Jays. Thank you.

Boise State.

LVSM PLAY.

Game 746.

10:45 am pst/1:45 pm est.

The Broncos enter the Tournament confident as they finished out their regular season winning 21 of 24 outings and swept through the postseason winning all three matchups against the Wolfpack, the Cowboys, and the Aztecs. They know if they win this contest that they will most likely face Gonzaga in the next round. Boise State is a well-coached team and they know they must get a big win here to go into the next matchup believing that they can win there. The Tigers have had a lot of problems turning the ball over this season. As a matter fact they turn it over a whopping 25% of their possessions. This does not bode well in this matchup because Boise State ranked 15th defensively, allowing to 60.8 points per game, are monsters on the defensive boards (17th in the nation), and snag as many turnovers as anybody in their conference. They have faced and taken down some very good nonconference opponents this season and are not afraid to face and take down Memphis here. They are also 4-0 against the spread of their last four games played versus teams with the winning percentage above. 600, 7-1 against this spread their last eight games played as an underdog, and 4-1 against the spread their last five games played on neutral sites. Take the Broncos. Thank you.

South Dakota State.

VEGAS INSIDER MOVE.

Game 741.

9:40 am pst/12:40 pm est.

You may look at this matchup and ask yourself why Providence is only a small two-point favorite. Well, in all honesty, South Dakota State should actually be a several baskets favorite in this matchup. Maybe you’re not familiar with the Jackrabbits, but they are the number two scoring team in the nation, ranking number one in field-goal percentage at 52.7%, and number one in three-point percentage at 45.1%. In early nonconference matchups they took down Bradley, Nevada, George Mason, and Washington State. They also hung tough with Washington and Alabama. Please take notice of the fact that the Friars allowed over 31% shooting from beyond the arc this season and come in here only covering three of their last eight outings. They are also 0-5 against the spread their last five NCAA Tournament games and 3-7 against the spread their last 10 games played as a favorite. The Jackrabbits are 21-7-2 against the spread their last 30 games played versus teams with a winning percentage above .600 and 7-2-1 against the spread their last 10 games played as an underdog. Takes South Dakota State. Thank you.

Notre Dame.

HIGH ROLLER.

Game 695.

6:10 pm pst/9:10 pm est.

Notre Dame is very confident they will advance to the 64. And why not? They placed second in the ACC with a 15-5 conference record, donning a 22-10 overall mark. Rutgers was a respectful 12-8 in Big Ten play with an overall record of 18-13. However, over the last month they have dropped four of their last six straight up and five of their last six against the spread. They will have problems on the boards in this matchup and are really in trouble trying to defend the 18th ranked three-point shooting offense in the nation with their 214th ranked three-point shooting defense. The Scarlet Knights got blown out more than a few times when stepping up in class this season and even dropped a few games to some “less than stellar“ opponents. The Fighting Irish, when facing top-tier adversaries, have come up big with outright victories over such notables as the Wildcats, the Tar Heels, the Cardinals, the Wolfpack, the Tigers, and the Demon Deacons.  Notre Dame is also money against the spread going 6-0 against the spread their last six games played following and ATS loss, 8-3 against the spread their last 11 games played versus teams with a winning record, and 14-6 against the spread the last 20 games played overall. Take the Fighting Irish. Thank you.

NIT FIRST ROUND GAME OF THE YEAR.

Colorado Buffaloes.

Game 684.

Tuesday, March 15, 2022.

8:00 pm pst/11:00 pm est.

These two teams enter the first round of the NIT tournament with very different mindsets. St. Bonaventure finished their regular season very strong winning eight of their final nine outings. However, on Friday in the Atlantic 10 quarterfinals, Kyle Lofton missed two free throws in the final seconds to give the team a heartbreaking, 57-56 loss to Saint Louis. Most teams will have a hard time bouncing back from a defeat like that. And this team has showed that they aren’t one of them. Colorado won seven of their last eight regular season contests, then dominated Oregon in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament, only to lose a tough contest to top-seeded Arizona. They do have the talent and the coaching to bounce back and use that loss to further motivate them here. The Bonnies have faced and beaten a few solid squads. However, this team seems to stumble when they step up in class in their own conference. And when stepping up outside the conference, well they got shredded in both situations this season against the Huskies (10-point loss) and the Hokies (37-point loss). With a frontcourt of three strong big men led by forward, Jabari Walker, who happens to be the best player on the floor, Colorado will dominate both inside and on the boards here. St. Bonnie is 1-8 against spread their last nine road games played versus teams with a winning home record, 1-5 against the spread their last six games played as an underdog, and 4-10 against the spread their last 14 games played following an ATS loss. Take Colorado. Thank you.

Santa Clara.

LATE BAILOUT PLAY.

Game 677.

8:00 pm pst/11:00 pm est.

Santa Clara feels that they fell a little short of expectations not making the Big Dance. They are no stranger to winning secondary tournament titles. And entering this tourney, they have got as good a shot as any team. The Broncos finished the regular season winning nine of their last 12 outings and went into the postseason to beat the Pilots easily, only to fall short with a three-point heartbreaking loss to the Gaels. Washington State is making their first postseason appearance in about a decade since the days of Klay Thompson. As a matter fact, these two teams match up pretty darn well as Santa Clara is a little more explosive offensively and Washington State a bit stronger defensively. But the Broncos have taken the last two and three of the last four meetings in this series, covering all four. As a matter fact they are a covering machine, getting us bettors paid in five straight and 11 of their last 13 overall. They’ve got the scorers and the rebounders to give the Cougars a very hard time here. Santa Clara is 5-1 against the spread their last six games played as underdog, 5-1 against the spread their last six games play on the road, and 4-0 against the spread their last four games played versus teams with a winning record. Washington State is 1-7 against the spread their last eight games played as a favorite, 1-5 against the spread their last six games played at home, and 1-4 against the spread their last five games played following an ATS loss. Take the Broncos. Thank you.

Utah State.

BOOKIE BUSTER PLAY.

Game 674.

6:00 pm pst/9:00 pm est.

Many thought, including Oregon themselves that they were a shoo-in for the Big Dance. But then in mid-February they stumbled and kept stumbling, dropping five of their last six straight up to end the regular season. Then they did beat Oregon State in the first game of the conference tournament. But was knocked out by Colorado, taking an 11-point embarrassing loss. Strangely enough this coincided with an injury to their top-scorer and floor leader, Will Richardson. The guard is listed as questionable here. But in all honesty, he hasn’t been the same since sustaining the head injury. Even if he does play, he will not be 100%. Utah State had their issues at the end of the regular season as well. But you can’t blame them as they took five losses in the closing weeks to the conference’s top four teams. Keep in mind that this is a team this season that did best the likes of Richmond, New Mexico State, and Oklahoma. Forwards, Bean in Horvath (31.4 PPG & 16.2 RPG combined in the regular season and 33.0 PPG & 18.5 RPG combined this postseason) will take this game on their shoulders. Oregon is 1-5 against the spread you’re their last six games played on the road, 2-5 against the spread their last seven games played versus teams with a winning record, and 1-4 against the spread their last five games played overall. Take Utah State. Thank you.

Iowa.

BIG TEN TITLE GAME WINNER.

Game 651.

12:30 pm pst/3:30 pm est.

Sports fans, sportsbetting is not about who wins, it’s about who covers. While Purdue is a good team, they have been absolute pointspread poison this season. Believe it or not, they haven’t covered a single contest since early-February, failing to cover nine straight outings. On the other hand, Iowa has been money, covering five of their last six and seven of their last nine games. The Boilermakers did take both meetings this season straight up. But Iowa has covered two of the last three going back to a season ago. Just since the beginning of the month, Iowa has covered against such notables as Michigan and Illinois. Their defense has been stellar while their offense continues to explode, averaging over 83.3 points per game this season. Keegan Murray (23.3 PPG and 8.6 RPG) is the best player on the floor. He is joined upfront by some very talented big men. They are by far the best front court Purdue has faced in a bit. The Boilermakers are 0-4-1 against the spread their last five games played versus teams were the winning percentage above .600, 0-4-2 against the spread their last six games played following a straight up win, and 1-8-2 against the spread their last 11 games played as a favorite.  The Hawkeyes are 5-1 against the spread their last six games played versus teams with a winning straight up record, 16-7-2 against the spread their last 25 games played on neutral sites, and 5-2 against the spread their last seven games played as an underdog. Take Iowa. Thank you.

Davidson.

A 10 TITLE GAME WINNER.

Game 646.

10:00 am pst/1:00 pm est.

While Richmond has come up big the last few games beating Virginia Commonwealth and Dayton, Davidson has been coming up big all season long. They finished the regular season the top team in the American Athletic Conference with the record of 15-3 in league play and an overall mark of 25-5. They enter today’s championship game winning seven of the last eight straight up and six of their last seven against the spread. Their play has been significantly more consistent than their adversary here today. The Spiders have failed to cover seven of their last 11 coming into the title game. Davidson will have no problem dominating the glass once again as they did in the earlier meeting back in mid-January when they won and covered 87-84 on the road and outrebounded Richmond, 38-19. They are better on both ends of the boards. And will dissect the Spiders 276th ranked three-point shooting defense with the nation’s ninth ranked three-point shooting offense.  The Spiders are 2-5 against the spread their last seven games played following a straight up win and 2-6 against the spread their last eight games played versus teams with a winning straight up record. The Wildcats are 6-0 against the spread the last six games played as a favorite and 5-0 against the spread their last five games played on neutral sites. Take Davidson. Thank you.

UAB.

LATE BAILOUT.

Game 636.

5:30 pm pst/8:30 pm est.

The tide has certainly turned in this rivalry this season. For several years Louisiana Tech had their way in the series. However, UAB one and covered both matchups this season on the road and at home outrebounding their adversary in each. On both sides of the court, the Blazers are far superior. They rank 14th in the nation in scoring, averaging over 80 points per game. They also rank 30th in three-point shooting and are monsters on both the offensive defensive boards. Speaking of defense, UAB frustrated Louisiana Tech in both meetings with their stifling and swarming defense getting a ton of defensive rebounds. The Bulldogs have surprised a few teams over recent days. But surprising a better team and playing good against a far better team are two entirely different things. The favorite in the series is 10-1 against the spread the last 11 meetings. The Blazers are 11-3 against the spread the last 14 games played on neutral sites and 9-4 against the spread the last 13 games played versus teams are the winning percentage above .600. Take UAB. Thank you.

Saint Louis.

BOOKIE BUSTER.

Game 605.

10:00 am pst/1:00 pm est.

Sports fans, Saint Louis has been playing some great basketball. They have won four in a row and five of their last six straight up and all six against the spread. Yes, I know they lost their only meeting with Davidson this season, a February 79-58 beating. But they have played very well since. Looking at the Wildcats, they are playing some good basketball too. However, might come in here a tad overconfident as they haven’t played too many top teams lately and their recent win streak is skewed because of it. Far better on both sides of the court on the boards and a huge mismatch between their excellent three-point shooting squad and Davidsons horrible three-point defense will keep this game competitive and give Saint Louis at least a cover and possibly the outright win. The Billikens are 10-4 against the spread their last 14 games played on neutral sites, 14-6 against the spread their last 20 games played as an underdog, and 9-4 against spread their last 13 games played versus teams with a winning percentage above. 600. Take Saint Louis. Thank you.

Texas A&M.

SEC SMASH YOUR BOOK PLAY.

Game 609.

10:00 am pst/1:00 pm est.

My friends, normally I would love to fade a team following a big outright victory like Texas A&M had over Auburn yesterday. However, the Aggies are playing some great basketball, winning and covering six in a row and seven of their last eight. They match up very well with the Razorbacks here. These two teams split two meetings this season as Texas A&M took their home match up at the beginning of January and Arkansas took their home match up at the end of January. However, the Aggies covered both to give them six consecutive covers in this series. Please take note that during their current win streak, Texas A&M took down Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Auburn outright as underdogs in each. This is way too many points for Arkansas to give this scrappy team. The underdog is 7-0 against the spread the last seven meetings in a series. The Aggies are 4-1 against the spread their last five games played on neutral sites, 4-0 against the spread their last four games played versus teams with a winning percentage above .600, and 4-0 against the spread their last four games played as an underdog.  Take the Aggies. Thank you.

Kent State.

BOOKIE BUSTER.

Game 854.

4:30 pm pst/7:30 pm est.

Kent State finished the regular season winning 12 consecutive games in which they went 10-2 against the spread. Well, they started the postseason just where they left off in the regular season, winning and covering yesterday over Miami-Ohio. They took the most recent meeting with Ohio just three weeks ago at home, 75-52. The Bobcats enter this matchup losing four their last six both straight up and against the spread and just can’t seem to compete in the front court on the boards with the Golden Flashes big men. Kent state will once again counter Ohio’s offense with one of the nastiest and stingiest defenses in the conference, let alone in the country. We talked about how good their front court is, but their back court is also loaded with talent and they can rotate fresh legs on Ohio’s guards. The favorite in the series is 5-1 against the spread the last six meetings. The Bobcats are 0-4 their last four games played versus teams with a winning percentage above .600 and 2-5 against the spread their last seven games played following a straight up win. The Golden flashes are 5-0 against the spread their last five games played versus teams for the winning percentage above .600 and 10-2 against the spread their last 12 games played following straight up win. Take Kent State. Thank you.

Texas A&M.

Early SEC WINNER.

GME 831.

9:00 AM PST/12:00 PM PST.

With all respect to the Auburn Tigers, they just shouldn’t be laying this much wood. Yes, they do deserve their number four ranking in the national polls. However, they are being significantly overvalued by the odds makers. The Tigers are just 2-5 against the spread their last seven games laying nine or more points. They also come in here a little stale having not played since March 5. On the other hand, The Texas A&M Aggies are running red-hot winning five in a row and six of the last seven both straight up and against the spread. This is the team that matches up very well with their opponent here. Mind you during their current five-game win streak, three of those games have been won outright as an underdog against Mississippi, Alabama, and yesterday’s win over Florida. Auburn is 1-4 against the spread their last five games played as a favorite, 0-6 against the spread their last six games played following a straight up win, and 1-4 and spread their last five games played versus teams of the winning percentage above .600. Texas A&M is 4-1against the spread their last five games played as an underdog, 4-0 against the spread their last four games played following a straight up win, and 9-3 against the spread their last 12 games played versus teams are the winning percentage above .600. Take the Aggie’s. Thank you.

South Carolina.

SEC SD.

Game 750.

3:00 pm pst/6:00 pm est.

My friends, ending the regular season with momentum certainly plays a part and what a team does during the conference tournaments. Let me put it this way; South Carolina is hot and Mississippi State is not. The Gamecocks come in here winning five of their last seven straight up and six of their last eight against the spread. The Bulldogs are on a 4-9 straight up run and are just 4-8 Ats their last 12. This does include five consecutive no-covers. South Carolina took the most recent meeting, a 10-point win and cover approximately two weeks ago at home. This is a team that is at full strength being 100% healthy. This will play a factor here as they are significantly deeper than the depleted Mississippi State team, which are playing without a few key cogs in the wheel. After they’re starting-five, their bench is an all that great. The Bulldogs are 0-4 against the spread their last four games played versus teams with the winning straight up record. The Gamecocks are 5-1 against the spread their last six games played as an underdog. By the way, the underdog in the series is 14-6 against the spread the last 20 meetings. Take the South Carolina. Thank you.

Colorado.

CQF GOY.

Game 778.

2:30 pm pst/5:30 pm est.

Colorado enters the Pac-12 tournament red-hot, winning seven of their last eight straight up covering six of those eight contests. Oregon, on the other hand, took a real nosedive in the second-half of February, closing out the regular season dropping six of eight straight up and eight of 10 against the spread. They played yesterday and trounced the conferences cellar-dwelling, last place Oregon State team, 86-72. They might come in here a little overconfident as they face a Buffaloes team which is a little more well rested and certainly owns a significant edge on defense and on both ends of the court on the boards. And that is where this game will be won…on the boards. The Beavers starting-five plays most of their minutes and will come in here a little tired following yesterday’s contest. Their bench isn’t all that talented, guys. There is a big difference here as the Buffaloes rotate seven to eight players regularly and that extra rest of having a few more days off will certainly help here particularly come the second half. The Ducks are 1-7 against the spread their last eight games played as a favorite, 0-5 against the spread their last five games played following a straight up win, and 1-5 against the spread their last six games played on neutral sites. Take Colorado. Thank you.

Iowa.

Big ten BB.

Game 716.

11:00 am pst/2:00 pm est.

Iowa, which has played consistent basketball all season long, comes in here angry. The Hawkeyes had the opportunity to have earned a double bye in this tournament. However, they blew a 15-point first half lead and took a heartbreaking 74-72 loss on Sunday to the Fighting Illini. They come in here looking for some vengeance and looking to make a statement to the rest of the conference. They certainly will have the confidence of knowing that they have taken seven consecutive games in this series straight up going 6-1 against the spread. This includes their last four in a row both straight up and against the spread and the only meeting this season in late-February, an 82-61 shellacking. Prior to Sunday’s defeat, this team was on runs of 8-2 straight up and 7-2 against the spread. Whether or not Patrick McCaffrey plays here, I wouldn’t be too concerned as this team is loaded with depth. Remember, they come in a little better rested as Northwestern played just last night to a tough matchup with Nebraska. Keegan Murray is by far the best player on the floor (23.3 PPG and 8.6 RPG). He will take this game on his shoulders and lead this team to a big win and cover as they redeem themselves from Sundays embarrassing defeat. By the way although the defeat was embarrassing, they still covered it to give them three consecutive ATS covers. Not to mention they are 19-9 against the spread the last 28 games played following a straight up loss. The Wildcats are 3-7 against the spread their last 10 games played following a straight up win and 1-5 against the spread their last six neutral site games as an underdog. By the way the favorite in this matchup is 4-0 against the spread the last four meetings. Take Iowa. Thank you.

Virginia.

ACC BEST BET.

Game 650.

6:30 pm pst/9:30 pm est.

Hey guys the odds makers are looking to trap you here as the line in this matchup should definitely be higher than what it is. Looking at Louisville, they have only had three straight up victories since the beginning of January. And those were against Boston College, Clemson, and Georgia Tech which all happen to be in the bottom six teams in the conference. These squads just met four days ago when the Cardinals took a 10-point loss and no cover at home. That marked the fourth consecutive loss and no cover in this series. The Cavaliers have been money to those of us who bet on them covering seven of their last 10 games and enter this matchup better rested, having not played last night like the Cardinals have. It is their defense which ranks 12th in the nation which earns them their success and which will once again stifle the Cardinal lackluster offense. Yes, it’s true the Virginia offense leaves a lot to be desired. However, they still possess three double-digit scores and three big men upfront that will dominate in the paint and on the boards. The favorite is 5-0 against the spread the last five meetings in the series. The Cavaliers are 5-1 against the spread the last six games played versus teams with a losing straight up record. The Cardinals are 7-18-2 against the spread the last 27 games played following a straight up win. Take Virginia. Thank you.

ASU.

PAC-12 EARLY WINNER.

Game 662.

12:00 pm pst/3:00 pm est.

Momentum at the end of the regular season is a big part of winning come the conference tournaments. Well, Arizona State has won four in a row and seven of the last eight both straight up against the spread. While these two conference rivals did split out their two matchups this season, the Sun Devils have covered five straight in the series taking four of those five straight up. The Cardinal is sliding something badly, losing five in a row and seven of their last eight straight up and seven of their last 10 against the spread. While both offenses leave a lot to be desired, ASU does have five starters all averaging double-digits and a much better core of rebounders. They are also 10-2 against the spread the last 12 games played following a straight up win and is 4-1 against the spread the last five games played as a favorite. Take the Sun Devils. Thank you.

UNCW.

CAA CGW.

Game 616.

4:00 pm pst.

In the Colonial Conference Championship game, we see a matchup between the Delaware Blue Hens and the NC Wilmington Seahawks. There is no questioning the fact that the Seahawks have been more consistent throughout the season sporting both a better conference record and a better overall mark. They took both meetings in this series this season straight up and against spread, winning by two at home in late-December and by seven on the road in late-February. They enter today’s matchup riding a five-game straight up win streak, covering their last four, including three as another dog. The Blue Hens beat a mediocre Dragons team and did come up big yesterday against the conference’s co-top team, the Tigers. They will be in big letdown mode here for sure. Both teams have scorers, however, in the two matchups this season NC Wilmington‘s top producers and rebounders have outplayed their counterparts. The Blue Hens are 4-10 against the spread the last 14 games played versus teams with the winning percentage above .600, 3-8 against the spread last 11 games played following an ATS win, and 2-8 against the spread the last 10 games played following straight up win. The Seahawks are 12-1 against the spread the last 13 games played as an underdog, 8-1 against the spread the last nine games played versus teams with a winning percentage above .600, and 18-4 against the spread the last 22 games played overall. Take NC Wilmington. Thank you.

UNCW.

MMM.

Game 874.

5:30 pm pst/8:30 pm est.

My friends, the Seahawks have gotten significantly stronger as the season has progressed. They enter this matchup tied for the CAA’s top-spot with Towson at 15-3 in conference play. Overall, on the season, they possess a 22-8 record. They have won four in a row and seven of the last nine straight up and three and a row and six of the last nine against the spread. They have won and covered the last four meetings with the Cougars including both matchups this season, winning by eight on the road and six at home. The number is off here. The oddsmakers have made Charleston a small favorite (as a post), because they have covered their last six outings. But offensively NC Wilmington is just too strong with the 30th ranked scoring unit accounting for over 78.4 PPG. They are also monsters on the offensive boards ranking 16th nationally. This means they will get a ton of second-chance shots. The Cougars are 3-8 against the spread the last 11 games played followed a straight up win and 1-3-1 against the spread the last five neutral site games played as a favorite. The Seahawks are 15-3 against the spread the last 18 games played following a straight up win and 11-1 against the spread last 12 games played as an underdog. By the way, the dog is 4-1-1 against the spread the last six meetings in the series take UNCW. Thank you.

Iowa.

Game 817.

4:30 pm pst/7:30 pm est.

Iowa needs a win here to secure a top-four seed come the Big Ten Tournament next week. Now Illinois may or may not need this win today. What I mean by that is Wisconsin, which is in first-place in the conference at the moment one game ahead of Illinois, plays earlier in the day against Nebraska. If they win that game, and they should win that game, Illinois cannot share the conference title. But either way Iowa has been playing great basketball entering this matchup winning five in a row and eight of the last nine straight up and six of the last eight against the spread. Over the last month the Fighting Illini have not been so “fighting“, going 4-3 straight up their last seven and 4-9 against the spread your last 13. They’ve been inconsistent to say the least. It’s true that Illinois has taken the last four meetings in this series straight up covering the last three. However, in the only meeting this season the game went down to the wire with the Fighting Illini winning 87-83 at the Hawkeyes. Revenge will play a big factor here and the fact that Iowa can play spoiler and ruin Illinois’ chances to share the conference crown. You cannot argue with the fact that the Hawkeyes have one of the most explosive offenses in all of the nation averaging over 83.6 points per game. The Fighting Illini just won’t be able to keep pace offensively in this matchup. Iowa can just look at what Penn State did to Illinois just three days ago holding Illinois top-producer, Kofi Cockburn to just 11 points. The Hawkeyes are 4-1 against the spread the last five games played as a road on the dog. Take Iowa. Thank you.

UNCW.

CAA GOW.

Game 826.

3:00 pm pst.6:00 pm est.

This is a very big game for UNC Wilmington. They are currently tied with Towson at 15-3 in conference play for the Colonial Athletic Association crown. Now Towson plays early this morning against the leagues poorest team, Northeastern. When they win, and they should win, it puts UNC Wilmington in a position of a must-win situation here. Their opponent, Elon is only 7-11 in league play and enters this matchup dropping 13 of the last 19 outings. Look for the Seahawks to exact a little revenge here as well as they dropped the first meeting about a month ago to the Phoenix on the road, 78-65. But since then, they stepped that up quite a bit going 6-2 straight up and 5-3 against the spread. This is a team that’s healthy and possesses three double-digit scoring guards and a slew of phenomenal rebounders. Elon is 1-4 against the spread the last five games played versus teams with a winning record and 0-4 against the spread the last four games played on neutral sights. UNCW is 14-3 against the spread the last 17 games played following a straight up win and 16-5 against the spread the last 21 games played overall. Take the Seahawks. Thank you.

Tulane.

BB play.

Game 813.

12:00 pm pst/3:00 pm est.

Despite being listed as questionable, the prognosis on Jalen Cook is optimistic that he will play today. Even if the star guard sits here, please take into consideration that this team just beat Central Florida without him. They are deep at the guard position and they are a covering machine. Tulane is on an 8-3 against the spread run entering today’s match up. They have done quite well in this series covering six of the last eight meetings going back to 2017. Yes, I know SMU is 15-0 at home. However, the odds makers know this too and are begging you to follow them here because of it. But don’t because it is a trap. These two teams are practically mirror images of one another statistically both on offense and on defense. The Mustangs are a bit better on the boards however, they have dropped their last two against the spread and seem to have problems at home with teams that do not win on the road as they are 1-6 against the spread their last seven home games versus teams with the losing road record. By the way the underdog in the series of 6-2-1 against the spread the last nine meetings. The Green Wave need this win today to secure a top-four seed come the AAC conference tournament next week. Take Tulane. Thank you.

Colorado.

PAC-12 GOM.

Game 737.

6:30 pm pst/9:30 pm est.

Colorado is one of the hottest teams in the nation let alone the conference, winning six of their last seven straight up and five of those seven against this spread. With a win here the Buffaloes can clinch the number four seed and a first-round bye in the upcoming tournament. They took the first meeting approximately three weeks ago at home 81-76. Meanwhile Utah has dropped 14 of their last 17 straight up which includes their last two. They have been absolute point spread poison, dropping their last three and overall, 15 of the last 24. Outside of the Beavers, the Utes are the worst team in the conference and aren’t playing for anything here. If they had any pride or fight in them, they would’ve at least shown up over the month which they have not. Look for the trio of forwards, Walker, Battey, and DaSilva (35.5 PPG & 17.3 RPG combined) to once again dominant in the paint as they did in the first meeting. Utah is 1-4 against the spread the last five games played as a favorite. Take Colorado. Thank you.

ECU.

AAC GOW.

Game 659.

12:00 pm pst/3:00 pm est.

Normally I wouldn’t release a game that teams aren’t fighting for top-four seeding on the last day of the regular season. However, my friends, for the life of me I can’t figure out why the odds makers have made Wichita State a double-digit favorite over east Carolina. They both score about the same, they both allow about the same, and they both are similar on the offensive and defensive boards. Yes, it’s true that the last five meetings the Shockers have won straight up over the Pirates. But ECU comes in here a little bit hotter winning four of their last six both straight up and against the spread while Wichita State is just 2-4 straight up and against the spread their last six. ECU has a better coaching staff and the best player on the floor in guard, Tristen Newton (17.4 PPG & 4.4 RPG). The Shockers are 6-14 against the spread the last 20 games played as a home favorite and 1-7 against the spread their last eight games following a straight up win. Take the Pirates. Thank you.

Miami-Fl.

ACC GOW.

Game 615.

10:00 am pst/1:00 pm est.

My friends making Miami an underdog here is a huge mistake. Syracuse, to talk turkey, just isn’t the same team that we have seen over the years. There once swarming defense is a far cry from what it was just a few seasons ago. And their offense, lives and dies by the “3“. The Orange are currently on a three-game straight up losing streak and have failed to cover their last four. They lost the first meeting back at the beginning of January on the road 88-87. The Hurricanes have showed an enormous amount of consistency and are excellent on the road winning seven and covering eight of their last nine on the ACC trail. A win here with lock up the number four seed in the conference and we all know how important that is. Overall, they sport a 9-2 record on the road this season which is one of the best in college basketball. And by the way, they are 6-1 against this spread the last seven games coming into this matchup. Making the Hurricanes a ‘dog is a huge mistake as 1 Stated earlier as they are 20-8-1 ATS their last 29 games played as an underdog. Take Miami. Thank you.

Portland.

WCC TW.

Game 866.

8:30 pm pst.

Guys, I get to see the West Coast conference in action firsthand as I am right next-door, one state over. I get to further see these games up close and personal a few times a year as they visit Las Vegas as in the case today. These two conference rivals split out there two matchups this season straight up. However, Portland has covered both including the most-recent approximately two weeks ago at home winning 92-60. The Toreros just cannot compete offensively with the Pilots four double-digits scoring starters. Neither can they compete on the boards with the core of Portland’s outstanding rebounders. San Diego is 0-6 against the spread of their last six games played as an underdog and 1-6-1 against the spread the last eight games played overall. Portland is 7-1 against the spread their last eight games played following a straight up loss and 12-4 against the spread their last 16 games played overall. Remember, San Diego will come in here with tired legs having played yesterday while Portland has had a few extra days off to rest, heal, and prepare. Take the Pilots. Thank you.

NIU.

MMM.

Game 844.

5:00 pm pst/8:00 pm est.

Sports fans, no one wants to finish last in their conference. With their final game of the season being played today, Northern Illinois is one-game ahead of Western Michigan for the conferences cellar-dwelling spot. No, it’s true they’re not a very good team in the win/loss column. However, they have been very good to us bettors, covering seven in a row an eight of their last nine. This season they have covered the only matchup with Ohio and over the last several seasons are 5-1 ATS the last six meetings in this rivalry. The Bobcats are a good team. There is no doubting that. But they come off two consecutive losses and three of the last four both straight up and against the spread. They are absolutely horrible on the road going 1-4 against the spread the last five away from home. The Huskies are in a great situation here as they are 4-1 against the spread the last five games played at home, 7-0 against the spread the last seven games played as underdog, and 4-0 against the spread for the last four games played versus teams were the winning percentage above .600. Take Northern Illinois. Thank you.

WCU.SCW.

Game 849.

4:30 pm pst.

The general public will be all over Mercer today folks. And guess what? They will be wrong. Western Carolina has covered five in a row in this series including the most-recent meeting approximately two weeks ago. They enter today’s match up on a three-game cover streak. On the other hand, the Bears are on a three-game slide, dropping seven of their last 10 overall straight up. They have split out their last six games against the number. They really don’t have the offensive prowess here to be laying this many points. Remember, this game is not a home game for them. It’s being played a neutral site in Asheville, North Carolina. So, no home-court advantage. The underdog is 4-0 against the spread the last four meetings in the series. The Catamounts are 4-0 against the spread the last four games versus teams with a straight up a losing record and 4-1 against spread the last five games played as an underdog. Take Western Carolina. Thank you.