At 7:10pm ET, my Road Warrior selection is on Minnesota. The Timberwolves are a much better team with matchup advantages all over the floor. They are off a loss on Saturday and will provide a maximum effort tonight. The Wizards are a bad team and they're in a difficult spot. They played last night and are now playing their 5th game in the past 7 days. They don't have the depth or the talent to overcome that type of schedule. The Timberwolves won by 11 here last season. At the time, Washington was playing with 2 days rest. With no rest at all, this will be an even bigger blowout. Lay the points.

At 6:30pm ET, my Slam Dunk selection is on Rutgers. Many bettors are going to see the big bad Bruins laying a short number and they'll jump all over them. Fine by me! I've got the Scarlet Knights winning this game outright. UCLA is 1-2 on the road. Rutgers has had issues on the road, too. The Scarlet Knights are 0-3 in their road games. Even off a couple loss, they're still 7-2 at Jersey Mike's Arena though. They badly need to salvage something from their 3-game homestand and will be giving everything they've got to get this victory. The Bruins understandably have more important things on their mind. They've lost 3 straight and 4 of 5. I'll take the points.

At 8:10pm Et, my Slam Dunk Club selection is on the Brooklyn Nets. Utah favored? Say it ain't so! If it seems unfamiliar to see the Jazz favored, its because it hasn't happened since last March. The Jazz haven't been favored a single time all season. That's largely because they're terrible at home. They have a 2-14 record here. The Nets are a far more competitive 8-13 on the road. The Nets have had this game circled since the Jazz defeated them at Brooklyn just before Christmas. The last time that the Jazz were favored was last March and they lost outright. They are 3-5 versus the spread their last 8, as a favorite. After the December loss, the Nets have still won 4 of the last 6 h2h meetings. This is their chance at a victory with another potentially winnable game on deck. They will get it done. Grab the points.

At 12pm ET, my Early Riser is on Chattanooga. The Mocs have defeated the Keydets 5 straight times. The last time the Mocs hosted the Keydets, they won 109-61, a 48-point obliteration. This season, the Keydets are 1-7 on the road. This is their 4th road game in their last 5 games. They just lost by 13 at Samford. This will be an even tougher place to play for the Keydets. Off an upset loss in its last game, Chattanooga will show the Keydets no mercy. Three of the Mocs' past 4 wins in the series have been by 20 or more points. This will be another wipeout. Lay the points.

At 9:00pm ET, my WCC Game Of the Month is on Gonzaga. If you're looking for a blowout on Saturday night, this should fit the bill. The Bulldogs have won 4 straight overall and they're 8-0 at home. The Cougars are off a gut-wrenching 1-point OT loss to Pacific. They were favored by 15.5 points! If they can't beat the Tigers at home, they surely can't beat the Bulldogs on the road. Each of the Cougars' 3 previous losses was by double-digits and they haven't played a team this good. The Bulldogs are going to run them out of the building. Lay the points.

At 4:00pm ET, my MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) Game Of The Year is on Howard. The Bison are one of the best teams in the MEAC. The Bears are projected to finish near the bottom of the conference. The most recent meeting came in last season's MEAC Tournament and Howard won by 13. Both teams have been having trouble away from home. The Bison are 1-6 on the road and the Bears are 0-8! Morgan State is very familiar and comfortable with getting blown out. The Bears' last 5 losses came by 14, 22, 27, 61 and 21 points. The Bison have the best backcourt in the conference and they also have the edge in the frontcourt. They will win this by 10+. Lay the points.

At 7:40pm ET, my Revenge Game Of the Month is on New York. The Knicks recently lost by 10 points at Oklahoma City. Tonight, the teams will square off at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks want to show that they can hang with the top teams and this is their chance to do so. The Knicks are stronger at home than they are on the road. The Thunder are tough no matter where they play but they aren't quite as good on the road. Four of their 6 loses have been away from home and one of those came at Cleveland in their last game. At the same time that the Thunder were losing to the Cavaliers, the Knicks were regaining their swagger by trouncing the Raptors. Revenge will be theirs. Play on New York.

At 8:00pm ET, my WAC Game Of the Year is on Grand Canyon. These teams are currently tied atop the WAC standings. The Wolverines are playing at home where they are 5-0. The Antelopes lost their only road game but they're still favored here. What gives? The reason is that Grand Canyon is a much better team than Utah Valley. The low spread is providing outstanding line value. The Antelopes have the best backcourt in the WAC and they have the best front court. They were 17-3 in conference play last season and that including 2 double-digit wins against the Wolverines. The Antelopes won the game at Utah Valley by 19 points, an 86-67 thrashing. They are 5-1 the past 6 meetings (2-0 at Utah Valley) and all 5 wins came by 10 or more. They will remind the Wolverines about how things are in the WAC tonight. Lay the points.

At 5:00pm ET, my selection is on Chattanooga. Playing this afternoon's game at McKenzie Arena will favor the Mocs. This is the Mocs' first home game of 2025 and they will be ready to resume their strong play here. Chattanooga is 6-1 at home but 3-5 on the road. The Spartans are 6-0 at home but 2-4 on the road. These teams had equal 12-6 records in the Southern Conference last season but Chattanooga should finish ahead of UNC Greensboro this season. The Spartans are expected to take a step back. The Mocs are off a 13 point win at The Citadel and they will ride the momentum into today's game. Lay the points.

At 7:00pm ET, my SEC Game Of The Month is on Arkansas. This game will be played at Bud Walton Arena. Advantage Razorbacks. Both these teams are a perfect 8-0 on their home floor. Each has tasted defeat on the road. Ole Miss won at home last January but Arkansas had won the previous 5 meetings. Last game here at Bud Walton Arena was a 69-57 win for the Hogs. Ole Miss had the better record last season but Arkansas, a preseason top 25 team, is the more takented team this year. You'll see that on display tonight. Lay the points.

At 9:00pm ET, my MWC Game Of the Month is on Colorado State. We won with the Rams when they went on the road and took down Nevada. Now they're at home against an inferior Fresno State squad. All signs point to a lopsided contest. The Bulldogs have lost 4 straight and 9 of 10. The Bulldogs returned 0 starters from last year and it's showing. They are 1-6 on the road, a narrow 3-point win at Long Beach State. They've lost at places like UC Santa Barbara, California Baptist and Cal State Bakersfield. Eight of Fresno's 11 losses were by double-digits. The Rams are 10-0 the last 10 meetings. Last season's only game was at Fresno and CSU won by 12. Playing at home, this will be an even bigger blowout. Lay the points.

At 9:00pm ET, my Big Ten Game Of The Week is on Minnesota. Things didn't go very well for the Golden Gophers against Purdue. A game against the Ohio State Buckeyes will work out better for them. The Buckeyes have some talented players but they're still all learning to play together and have yet to win a true road game. The Buckeyes lost at home to Michigan State in their last game. The Buckeyes are also 0-2 on the road. The Golden Gophers are now 8-3 at home. Last season's games were both won by the home team. The Golden Gophers defeated the Buckeyes by 9 at Williams Arena. This is likely going to be a very close game and I'm grabbing the points. Play on Minnesota.

At 7:40pm ET, my Road Warrior is on Milwaukee. The Bucks got a little fat and happy over Christmas and New Year's. They are just 1-4 their last 5 games. The losses have really been inexcusable and they will correct that tonight. Getting on the road will be a good thing after consecutive stinkers at home. The Bucks beat the Pacers by 8 last time they played a road game. Reality has set in for Toronto fans that their team is in for a very long season. The Raptors are 1-9 their last 10 and 8-27 on the year. The Bucks beat the Raptors by 14 earlier this season. The Bucks also beat the Raptors by 16 the last time they visited Toronto. They will get back on track with another big win on Monday. Lay the points with Milwaukee.

At 8:10pm Et, my Slam Dunk Club selection is on Milwaukee. The Trail Blazers are visiting Milwaukee at the wrong time. The Bucks are off an upset loss to the Nets and have dropped 3 of their past 4. They can't afford to lose another home game to another weak team. They've got 3 of their next 4 on the road and need to win at home. The Trail Blazers have a 3-14 record on the road, so that shouldn't be a problem. Three of Portland's last 4 losses have been my more than 20 points. This will be another blowout. Lay the points.

At 5:30pm ET, my SWAC Game Of The Year is on Grambling State. With a low line, I will step in and support the better team in Saturday's game at the William J. Nicks Building. Forget the Tigers winless road record and poor overall record from this season. They've been playing road games at places like Cincinnati, Florida, Ole Miss, New Mexico and USC. Instead, remember that the Tigers won a First Four game last season after advancing to the NCAA Tournament. Everything starts today for the Tigers and they are ready to remind everyone that they are still the best in the SWAC. The Panthers gave up 90 points to "College of Biblical Studies" in winning their first game. Since then, they've lost 12 in a row. The Tigers won both meetings last season. Lay the points.

At 12:00pm Et, my CBB Early Riser is on Wake Forest. Homecourt has meant everything to these teams. The Wolfpack are 8-1 at home but 0-2 on the road, 0-4 if counting neutral site games. The Demon Deacons are 1-3 on the road and 7-1 at home. After a poor start at the betting window, they've covered the spread in 2 of their last 3. The home team won both games last season. The line is low. Lay the points.

At 9:00pm ET, my Big East Game Of The Week is on Creighton. The Golden Eagles sure looked impressive in their big win at Providence. The Bluejays didn't look as good in their win versus St. John's. Those results will stick in everyone's memories. But if we only got back one game further, the Bluejays beat Villanova more convincingly than the Golden Eagles beat Xavier. They're both really good teams! The Bluejays won big last March but the previous 2 games were both very close. The Golden Eagles won by 5 when they last played here. This is going to be another close one and I will gladly grab all the points being offered!

At 8:00pm ET, my Big 10 Game Of The Month is on Minnesota. The Golden Gophers visited Purdue last year as 16.5 point underdogs. Even on the road and with Zach Edey delivering 24 points and 15 rebounds, Minnesota lost by only 8 points. Tonight the Golden Gophers face the Boilermakers at Williams Arena and with Edey no longer part of the picture. They are 8-2 at home. The Boilermakers are 0-2 on the road and they are 2-4 in road/neutral site games with one of those victories coming by only 2 points. Off consecutive victories and knowing they gave Purdue all it could handle last season, the Gophers and coming in confident and thinking upset. Grab the points.

At 2:00pm ET, my Early Riser selection is on Austin Peay. The Governors could easily win this game outright. At the very least, it's going to be very close. Three of the past 4 meetings went to Overtime and the other was a 2-point game: 101-98 (OT), 95-91 (OT), 73-71 and 90-85 (OT). The Ospreys were last in action on 12/21 and they lost 99-45. The Governors just won 93-46 on 12/29. Grab the points with the team which has played recently and which is coming off a huge win, against a team hasn't played in nearly 2 weeks and which hasn't won in nearly 3. Play on Austin Peay.

At 10:10pm ET, my January NBA Game Of the Month is on Sacramento. The coaching change was just what Sacramento needed. This is what I stated prior to Sacramento's win over Dallas: "The Kings have lost a lot of close games and have been a disappointment so far overall. They were a playoff team last year though and have a talented roster. They finally fired coach Mike Brown and are going to extremely determined to snap their losing streak and get new interim coach Doug Christie a victory. It will help that the Mavericks are short-handed. Most importantly, Doncic is out. Also, Naji Marshall is out and Lively is questionable. The Kings will take advantage and close out their final game of 2024 with a big win." The Kings did close out 2024 with that big win and now its all systems go to start 2025. The Kings beat the 76ers by 12 points the last meeting and that snapped a lengthy losing streak in the series. Fox had 23 points and Sabonis had a triple-double. The 76ers have had 3 straight big games (37, 32, 27 points) from Embiid and they won all 3 games but he's been listed as out for tonight's game. Lay the points.

At 12:00pm ET, my Early Riser is on East Tennessee State. ETSU is 1-5 on the road but 6-1 at home. VMI was 1-17 in Southern Conference action last year. They may be moving in the right direction but this is still going to be another difficult season for the Keydets. They're 1-5 on the road so far this season. The Buccaneers have beaten the Keydets five straight times and they’re 9-1 the past 10 meetings. The last time the teams met, East Tennessee State won by 32. This will be another wipeout. Lay the points.

At 10:00pm Et, my final play of 2024 is on Nevada. Utah State is off back-to-back impressive road wins over strong opponents. The Aggies beat both San Diego State and Saint Mary's. Winning a 3rd straight road game against another strong opponent is going to be very difficult. Off 2 straight close losses, Nevada will be bringing maximum energy to the Lawlor Events Center. The WolfPack smashed the Aggies at Utah State last season and they also defeated them the last meeting at Nevada. They won by 14 the last time that that they were off 2 straight losses. Lay the points.

At 4:00pm ET, my AAC Game Of The Year is on UAB. You've heard me say it plenty of times over the years but it bears repeating. I always love getting a handful of points when I expect my team to win outright! The Blazers won here in Overtime last year. They also defeated North Texas, at UAB. That Blazer team went to the NCAA Tournament. With 4 returning starters, this year's team is even stronger. They're ready to make an even deeper run into the NCAA Tournament. For their part, the Mean Green returned only 1 starter from a team which lost in the 2nd round of the NIT last year. The Blazers have scored more than 90 points in each of their past 2 games and they've scored 89 or more in 4 straight and 5 of 6. North Texas hasn't scored more than 83 all season. Grab the points.

At 3:10pm ET, my Afternoon Annihilator is on the Boston Celtics. The Celtics took the Raptors lightly the last time the teams played here. Boston won but needed Overtime to do so. The Celtics will have. learned their lesson from that near upset. Coming off a loss to the Pacers, Boston is going to be ready to run the Raptors right out of TD Garden. The Celtics last 4 victories have come by 37, 25, 14 and 24 points. The Raptors have lost 10 straight and their last 2 losses each came by 29 points. This game won't be close. Lay the points.

At 10:10pm ET, my Slam Dunk Club selection is on Sacramento. The Kings have lost a lot of close games and have been a disappointment so far overall. They were a playoff team last year though and have a talented roster. They finally fired coach Mike Brown and are going to extremely determined to snap their losing streak and get new interim coach Doug Christie a victory. It will help that the Mavericks are short-handed. Most importantly, Doncic is out. Also, Naji Marshall is out and Lively is questionable. The Kings will take advantage and close out their final game of 2024 with a big win. Lay the points.

At 7:00pm ET, my Big 12 Game Of the Month is on Kansas State. The arrival of Big 12 play comes at the right time for the Wildcats. This Kansas State team has a lot of new faces from last season and used the non-conference schedule to come together and get ready for Big 12 play. The big day is here and they'll be ready to go! My expectation is that Kansas State wins outright. Cincinnati lost by 8 last time it was on the road. Points could come in handy though as this game could easily be decided at the final buzzer. Both teams have had some close ones in recent weeks. The Bearcats beat Xavier by 3 and the Wildcats lost to Drake by 3. Last year's game was played at Cincinnati and it resulted in a 2-point win by the Bearcats. It was close the entire way. K-State wins a close one this time. Grab the points.

At 8:10pm ET, my Show-Time selection is on the Minnesota Timberwolves. These teams have split a pair of meetings this season. In both cases, the winning team won by at least 10 points. Both those games were at San Antonio. The Spurs are a solid 11-7 in their home games. They are just 5-8 on the road though. They've lost each of their last 3 visits to Minnesota by at least 8 points. The Timberwolves have won 2 in a row and are off a momentum-building comeback win at Houston. They outscored the Rockets 23-8 to close the game and will carry the momentum into tonight's game. Lay the points.

At 8:00pm Et, my WCC Game Of The Year is on Saint Mary's. The Gaels have beaten the Tigers 5 straight times and 9 of the past 10. Last season's 2 games were both absolute blowouts, Saint Mary's winning both games by more than 40. The Gaels won 76-28 at home and 84-43 on the road. With the Gaels off a loss to Utah State, Pacific is going to have their full attention. The Tigers have lost 5 straight games and their last loss was by 23 at home, versus Idaho. They were favored for that game and got destroyed. That doesn't bode well for the Tigers for Saturday night. They know they're in line for another beating and will already be looking ahead to Monday's more winnable game at San Diego. Lay the points.

At 9:10 PM ET, my Non-Conference Game Of the Month is on Denver. Getting points is a bonus as I expect the Nuggets to win this game outright. The Cavaliers are really strong at home this season but they can be beaten on the road. They've lost at Miami, Boston and Atlanta and they haven't played many Western Conference road games yet. As a matter of fact, Cleveland's only road game against a Western Conference team was at New Orleans. The Pelicans are 5-26 this season, worst in the West. Now they play on the road in altitude against one of the best in the west. The Nuggets play with revenge from a loss at Cleveland. They also lost at Cleveland last season and they responded by blowing the Cavaliers out in the 2nd game. Grab the points.

At 2:40pm ET, my NBA Game Of The Week is on Minnesota. This game means a lot to the Timberwolves. They've lost 3 straight games and they were defeated by Dallas, at home, earlier this season. Perhaps even more importantly, the Wolves were knocked out of the playoffs by the Mavericks last season. For all these reasons, we're going to see a very motivated Minnesota team on Wednesday afternoon. The last game between these teams here was decided by only 5, a Minnesota win last May. Since the Wolves blew out the Mavericks on January 31, 2024, 6 of the 7 meetings have been decided by single digits. This will be another close one and the Wolves have a strong chance at the outright win. Grab the points.

At 7:40pm ET, my NBA Eastern Conference Game Of the Month is on Miami. Both these teams are currently struggling. For the Nets, that was expected. They're 11-17 record may actually be better than many would have thought. The Heat are in a different situation. They're 13-13 record is well short of where they would have liked to have been. They squandered their last game which prompted coach Spoelstra to say: "These are tough ass lessons to complete a game. This is the modern NBA right now. A 20-point lead is not what it was a decade ago and you have to finish all the way through." The Heat are going to want to snap their 3-game losing streak before Christmas and a game against Brooklyn is the perfect remedy for what ails them. The Heat score more points than the Nets and they also allow fewer points. Spoelstra will make sure they keep their foot on the gas. Lay the points.

At 5:00 pm ET, my Mountain West Conference Game Of the Month is on Colorado State. The Rams lost quite a lot from last year's team which went to the NCAA Tournament and defeated Virginia in the First Four. The cupboard is far from bare though. Off a 10 point win, they bring some momentum into conference play. They used the non-conference slate to gel with the new lineup. A neutral site win against TCU shows they can win away from home. Nevada is a good team but the Wolfpack were also good last year. The Rams beat them in the MWC Tournament. The previous meeting was a 3-point Nevada win. The Wolfpack's loss to Loyola Marymount shows that they can be beaten. Both teams have played several close games and this likely to be another one. Grab the points.

At 12:00pm Et, my Early Riser is on Vermont. Beating Dartmouth is an annual tradition for Vermont. A look at the past 10 years shows that Vermont is 10-0 against the Big Green. Last year's win was by 11 points. The last 7 Vermont wins over Dartmouth were all by at least 9 points. Off a loss to the "Le Moyne Dolphins," Dartmouth won't be ready for the Catamounts. Vermont snapped a 3-game losing streak last game with an 8-point win. The Catamounts will ride the momentum into the weekend and continue their dominance of Dartmouth. Lay the points.

At 8:00pm ET, my Big East Game Of the Month is on Providence. The Friars followed up a 7-point win with a 4-point loss. In all likelihood, this is going to be another close game. Talent-wise, these teams are quite evenly matched. Even when they're not, the games between them always seem to come down to the wire. The past 5 meetings had scores of 75-72, 75-73, 73-68, 83-80 and 86-82. This is the first true road game which St. Jonn's has played all season. The Friars are 6-0 at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Grab the points.

At 10:10pm ET, my Pacific Division Game Of The Month is on Sacramento. I won with the Lakers last game when they upset the Grizzlies. Here's what I said: "We can't rely on Lebron as it seems he's likely to miss tonight again. Even if that is the case, we can rely on the Lakers to "get physical" and up their game. Two meetings this season and both have gone the way of the home team. When they're playing at Memphis, the Grizzlies are very difficult to beat. They're not the same team on the road as they're only 6-5. There's a lot of negativity surrounding the Lakers but they are still 8-3 at home. They've only played 1 home game in December and they won it. The value is with the home underdog." The Lakers rewarded us that game improving to 9-3. The problem for them is that they're now on the road. Their road record is just 5-9. The Kings lost their last game by 1 to Denver but they had won their previous 3. The Nugget game didn't go their way but they've been playing better recently. The Kings lost at LA in October but they are 8-2 their last 10 against the Lakers and 2-0 the past 2 meetings at Golden 1 Center. Teams meet again Saturday. Kings will take this one. Lay the points.

At 8:30pm ET, my Ohio Valley Conference Game Of the Year is on Tennessee State. Depending on their specific situation, different coaches handle the non-conference schedule differently. Some teams from bigger conferences go all out to win every game, as those early wins may be the difference between getting a tournament invite or not. Teams from lesser conferences aren't going to get "at large bids" the same way. If getting to the NCAA Tournament is their ultimate goal, they need to win their conference tournament. So, their non-conference games aren't necessarily as important. Where I'm going with this is that I'm not overly concerned with Tennessee State's 3-7 non-conference record. The Tigers have an entirely new starting five and they used the non-conference schedule to come together to get ready for Ohio Valley play. Though its a new roster, its a talented one. They flip the switch and start getting serious now. Southern Indiana was only 8-24 last year, 5-13 in conference play. Still transitioning to the league, the Screaming Eagles aren't yet eligible for the NCAA or NIT Tournaments. In my opinion, they shouldn't be favored by this much against what I believe to be a more talented opponent. I'm jumping in and grabbing the points.

At 8:00pm ET, my Sun Belt Conference Game Of The Year is on Ul Lafayette. The Rajin' Cajuns are arguably the better team in this matchup. They're playing at home (Cajundome) and they're even getting a couple of points. Appalachian State is coming off a fantastic season (a year where they returned all 5 starters) but they lost every starter from that team. As a matter of fact, 7 members of last year's team entered the transfer portal. This year's Mountaineers have yet to show that they can win on the road. A 31-point loss at Wisconsin was excusable but the Mountaineers also lost by 15 at UNC Wilmington. The start of Sun Belt play offers the Cajuns a chance at a fresh start after a tough offseason (lost star center) and start to the season. Beating last year's best (Sun Belt) team is a great place to begin. The Cajuns have taken 7 of the past 10 meetings. Grab the points.

At 11:00am ET, my Early Riser selection is on Albany. These teams faced each other 1 year ago, on December 19th, 2023. That game was at the Broadview Center in Albany while this one is at William H. Pitt Center in Fairfield. Playing at home, the Great Danes won by 14. Though they are now on the road, this is another game which the Great Danes can win. Albany plays at a fast pace which will again give Sacred Heart fits. This year's team has taken a little bit to gel and to adapt to a change in defense. Road games at venues like Syracuse and Georgetown will serve them well. They're improved talent-wise from last season and we will begin to see that now. The Pioneers are off a 10-point loss. Grab the points.

At 8:30pm ET, my NBA Game Of The Week is on Milwaukee. The Thunder have been playing great all season. The Bucks took some time to get going but they are also now playing great basketball. They're every bit as talented and capable as the Thunder. They've won 3 straight and 8 of 10. We're getting a good handful of points though as the markets still haven't caught up with the fact that the Bucks are back. This tournament has brought out the best in them and now they're ready to go out and win it. Grab the points.

At 8:30 PM ET, my selection is on Ul Monroe. The Sun Belt Conference. is quite a lot stronger than the Southland Conference. Depending on the criteria one uses, the Sun Belt ranks around 17th and the Southland ranks around 27th. The Huskies are one of the weakest teams in the Southland. They returned 0 starters from last season and they have a first year coach. The Warhawks pounded Arkansas Pine Bluff by 16 in their last home game. Houston Christian is 0-3 on the road and 1-5 its past 6 overall. Homecourt and superior overall talent will lead to a big win for the Warhawks. Lay the points.

At 8:00pm ET, my #1 Underdog Game Of The Month is on Montana. The Panthers are off 3 straight impressive victories. Those big wins have helped in giving us a lot of points to work with. The Panthers are going to find things a lot more challenging against this really good Montana team. I've got the Grizzlies as the most talented team in the Big Sky Conference this season. The Grizzlies have 4 losses but they've played away from home against teams like Tennessee, Oregon and Utah State. Those teams are a combined 30-1! A visit to Northern Iowa isn't nearly as daunting. The Panthers also have 4 losses but they haven't faced teams like the 3 that I just mentioned Montana had to contend with. That experience against top level competition will benefit the Grizzlies tonight. Grab the points.

At 9:40 PM ET, my NBA Show-time selection is on the LA Lakers. We can't rely on Lebron as it seems he's likely to miss tonight again. Even if that is the case, we can rely on the Lakers to "get physical" and up their game. Two meetings this season and both have gone the way of the home team. When they're playing at Memphis, the Grizzlies are very difficult to beat. They're not the same team on the road as they're only 6-5. There's a lot of negativity surrounding the Lakers but they are still 8-3 at home. They've only played 1 home game in December and they won it. The value is with the home underdog. Grab the points.

At 12:00pm Et, my Early Riser is on Virginia Tech. The Hokies hammered North Carolina AT&T last game. They'd been on a losing streak so that 95-67 dismantling was just what the doctor ordered. Navy is on a losing streak of its own. The Midshipmen have dropped 3 straight. Those losses came against teams from the America East and Coastal Athletic Conferences. Now they're up against a team from the ACC. Last meeting was at Navy and VT won by 20. Yesterday was a big win for the Navy football program but today will be a big loss for the basketball team. Lay the points.

At 10:30pm ET, my December Game Of the Month is on UNLV. The Runnin' Rebels have dropped 3 games in a row. Those losses are excusable though. The first game against a tough SEC (Mississippi State) opponent. The Rebels would have preferred a better result but there was no shame in losing that one. The next loss was the very next day agains a Big Ten (Northwestern) team. It was close but playing 2 difficult games in 2 days was too much and the Rebels lost by 5. The last loss was on the road against Creighton, one of the better teams in the entire country. Those 3 teams are 8-1, 7-3 and 7-3. Losing all 3 wasn't the end of the world. It does mean that the Rebels will be feeling some urgency tonight though. Pacific isn't anywhere close to what the Rebels have been dealing with. The Tigers are already 0-5 on the road and those losses came by an average of 16.8 points. This will mark their 3rd straight road game and that is starting to take a toll. The Rebels have another relatively difficult game (road game at Dayton) on deck and will absolutely make sure that they win convincingly tonight. Lay the points.

At 11:00 AM ET my Early Riser is on Memphis. This battle of Tigers is important for both Memphis and Clemson. Each wants that victory on its resume. They faced each other at Memphis one year ago and Memphis won by 2 points. This is going to be another close game and that makes getting all those points a great option. Clemson is a good team and is playing well. But Clemson was also strong last season (went to Elite 8) and Memphis won. This year, Clemson doesn't have PJ Hall. He led Clemson with 21 points (and 3 blocks) in last year's game. Memphis was upset last game but it responded to its only previous loss by bouncing right back. This year's Memphis teams is perhaps stronger than last year's and has NCAA Tournament aspirations. The (Memphis) Tigers already defeated Michigan State and UConn, as well as other solid teams like UNLV, Missouri and SF. Memphis has seen 4 of 6 decided by 10 or less and Clemson has seen 3 of its last 4 decided by 10 or less. Clemson's last game here was decided by only 4. Grab the points.

At 9:10 ET, my Revenge Game Of the Week is on Denver. The Nuggets lost twice to the Clippers, once on October 26th and then again on December 1st. It's not happening a 3rd time! The Nuggets won their last game by 30 points. Nikola Jokic scored 48 points with 14 rebounds and eight assists. When he's playing like that, the Nuggets are close to unstoppable. The Clippers lost their last 2 games by 39 combined points, each loss coming by double-figures. They may have upset the Nuggets here once but they are still only 5-5 on the road. Looking to win back-to-back games for the first time in nearly a month, Jokic and the Nuggets will have their revenge. Lay the points.

At 8:10 ET, my NBA Underdog Game Of the Month is on Charlotte. The Hornets snapped a lengthy losing streak in their last game. The win over Indiana, which proved the Hornets can win without LaMelo Ball, combined with some extra rest to recover has them feeling good coming into Friday's action. They'll still be without Ball but at least for tonight's game but now they have the confidence to know they don't always need him. After losing to Charlotte, Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said: "I think the Hornets were trying harder." The Bulls are dealing with injury issues of their own and they're off consecutive losses. With stars Zach LaVine, Lonzo Ball and Nikola Vučević all candidates to get moved before the February 6th trade deadline, the Bulls hunger may not fully be there. They know changes are likely coming. One one league figure with knowledge of the Bulls' thinking recently said: "The fact they were willing to move DeMar and Caruso this past offseason, they're willing to move anybody now." The Hornets are coming to play! Grab the points.

At 8:10 PM ET, my Western Conference Game Of the Month is on the New Orleans Pelicans. Both teams have had the time off but the Kings were hot and would have preferred to keep playing. The break came at a better time for New Orleans. Just as the Pelicans were starting to get healthy, they've endured some more injuries. This is a team which is used to that though. They've still got outstanding guards and they're going to be coming to play tonight. They always get up for the Kings. Coach Willie Green has had the Pelicans really working during the off time for due to the NBA Cup. Green said this: "It's almost like a training camp for us. It's great for us in the sense that we got a day off to fill our cup, rest, recover. We had two high-level, detailed practices. It allows you to take a step back and look at some of our concepts that we're doing well and areas that we can improve in and try to pick some of those to go work on the floor and work on." New Orleans has beaten Sacramento 6 straight times. Grab the points.

At 7:00pm ET, my Wednesday Wipeout is on Duquesne. Its been awhile since these teams faced each other. Duquesne won the last meeting 72-46. Different faces for this game but the result will be another wipeout in favor of the Dukes. Duquesne put it all together last game, a blowout of the Delaware Blue Hens. It was a quality team victory which the Dukes will build from. The Black Bears are off a 15-point loss at Fordham and are now 1-5 on the road. Another road game, this time against a solid A-10 team, will be too tall a task. The point spread is reasonable and could be larger. Lay the points.

At 9:00pm ET, my CBB Slam Dunk Club is on Arkansas. Michigan is hot and has cracked the top 25. This is also a really strong Razorbacks squad. Calipari's first Arkansas team has won its past two games and will take down the Wolverines at MSG on Tuesday. The Razorbacks 2 losses came against Illinois and Baylor, both really good teams. They beat Miami 2 games ago and blew out UTSA last game. Playing their best basketball of the young season, they get a chance for that elusive "big win." Michigan's last 2 wins were both decided by 3 or less. They will get all they handle once again. Play on Arkansas.

At 7:40pm ET, my Atlantic Division Game Of The Month is on the NY Knicks. New York was 4-0 against the Raptors last season and the Knicks will be too much for their hosts again tonight. The Knicks are off a loss last game and they are 5-0 straight up after their last 5 defeats. They won those 5 games by an average of more than 13 points each. Three of last season's 4 wins (against the Raptors) by the Knicks were by double-digits. That includes both the games at Toronto. The Knicks won their last visit here by 44 points, outscoring the Raptors by 9 or more in every single quarter! This will be another blowout. Lay the points.

At 7:10pm ET, my Revenge Game Of The Month is on New Orleans. OKC pounded the Pelicans 106-88 a few weeks back. At the time, New Orleans was very short-handed. As a matter of fact, they were missing 4 starters and another 2 rotation players. The Pelicans are healthier now and they're looking for some payback. Guards CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray missed the first game but both are now back. New Orleans received a big boost Thursday when leading scorer Brandon Ingram returned from a five-game absence. He was joined by Herbert Jones, the team's best perimeter defender, who returned from an 18-game absence. With those important players back, the Pelicans are a different team. They snapped their losing streak last game and that gives them some important positive momentum. Grab the points.

At 7:00pm ET, my Atlantic-10 Conference Game Of The Year is on St. Josephs. The Hawks are off their 3rd loss of the season. They've responded brilliantly to each of the first 2 losses. They upset Villanova off their first loss and destroyed Coppin State 83-54 off their 2nd loss. The Explorers are well-coached and they typically fight hard. The roster just isn't there to seriously contend in the A-10 though. They were 6-12 in Conference play last season and are very likely going to finish near the bottom of the A-10 again this season. The Hawks bring back 3 starters (including the top returning scorer in the conference and the last year's rookie of the year) from the team which had a strong run through the A-10 Tournament last year; they're confident and expecting a big season. The Hawks were 2-0 straight up and against the spread against La Salle last season. They won the game at Wells Fargo Center by 20. We can expect another big win today. Lay the points.

At 12:00pm ET, my Early Riser is on Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons are poised to blow out the Eagles at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Saturday afternoon. They're 0-2 as the road team but 5-0 as the home team. Wake Forest is one of the stronger teams in the ACC this season. Boston College is one of the very weakest teams. Last season's only meeting was at Boston College and the Deacons won by 6. The talent gap is wider this season and now the Deacons play at home. Prior to the Deacons 6-pt win at BC last season, WF's previous 2 wins over the Eagles came by 22 and 30 points. Boston College is off consecutive losses and was routed 73-51 by South Carolina last game. Playing their first road game, this will be another tough afternoon for the Eagles. Lay the points. 

At 10:10 PM ET, my NBA Ground and Pound selection is on Minnesota. The Warriors are off a hard-fought win over Houston last night. The Rockets make you work. Curry and Green had the night off and are probably going to play tonight. Neither is 100% perfect though, nor is Wiggins. The rest of the Warriors who played last night will be in a 3 games in 4 days situation. Kerr said this about Wiggins (who is dealing with a sore ankle) after last night's game: "I don't even know if he should have played. But he knew Steph and Draymond were out and he knew how important this game was and he gutted it out. Ironman. He's been that ever since he's been here." Even when healthy, GSW doesn't match up well against Minnesota. The Timberwolves swept the Warriors last season and have defeated them 5 of the past 6. Minnesota is starting to play well and comes in rested. They will beat the Warriors for a 5th straight time.

At 8:30pm ET, my Non-Conference Game Of The Week is on Seton Hall. The Highlanders will encounter a hostile band of Pirates at the Prudential Center this evening. Seton Hall is angry after getting upset by Monmouth. That was another NJ-based school which they were supposed to blow out. They will make absolute certain that it doesn't happen again. NJIT is at the end of a lengthy road trip. They (1-8) won 7 games last season and wins are going to be hard to come by for the Highlanders again this year. A perfect 6-0 the past 6 meetings, the Pirates crushed the Highlanders by 29 the last time these teams faced each other. This will be another one-sided blowout. Lay the points.

At 10:30pm ET, my Big Ten Game Of the Month is on UCLA. The Bruins are going to be much better this season as they are now playing in the Big Ten. Thankfully, for UCLA fans, they are. The Bruins returned 4 starters from last year and they landed 6 significant transfers. They've been playing well to start the season and are going to want to make a splash with a big win in their first ever Big Ten game. Playing at home against a lesser opponent, one they are very familiar with, is a bonus. With all the travel that's going to come from the new schedule, it's imperative to make the most of winnable home games. They beat the Huskies by 12 here last season and the gap is much wider this year. With no returning starters, Washington essentially has an entirely new coaching staff and team. They're not yet ready for what's in store for them at Pauley Pavilion tonight. Lay the points.

At 7:30pm ET, my selection is on UL Monroe. Games between the Mavericks and the Warhawks are close. That past 5 meetings, dating back to January 2021, were all decided by 7 or fewer points. The last one was a 3-point game and the one before that went to Overtime. The Mavericks have a solid squad but they're also 0-2 in true road games. Now they are being asked to go on the road and win by quite a few points. They've had a few days off now but the Mavericks are still fresh off 3 games in 3 days. The Warhawks are coming in fresh and thinking upset. Playing at Fant-Ewing Coliseum will provide them with the edge that they need. Grab the points.

At 12:00pm ET, my Early Riser is on Massachusetts. Bigtime gap between these 2 programs. The Minutemen won 20 games last year and this year's team is better. Coach Frank Martin said before the season: "If I was in the Big 12 or the SEC, I'd be happy with the team I put together here." NJIT (1-7) won 7 games last season and wins are going to be hard to come by for the Highlanders again this year. After a tough early season schedule and now facing a much weaker team, the Minutemen will be more than happy to run up the score on Sunday afternoon. Lay the points.

At 2:00pm ET, my CBB Ground and Pound selection is on Ohio. Robert Morris has gotten off to a solid start but the wheels will come off at the Convocation Center this afternoon. The Colonials did manage a win at Cornell but have otherwise played a soft schedule. They're 5-0 at home but 1-2 on the road. They were blown out 87-59 by the only really good team which they encountered. Don't worry too much about the Bobcats record. They have played 7 games and only 1 was at home. They won that one. Now the work they put in on the road will pay off. This is a strong Ohio team, projected by many to win the MAC. They believe they can make the NCAA Tournament. Look for the Bobcats to reward the home faithful with a big win, letting them know that everything's going to be "just fine" this season.

At 12:00pm Et, my NCAAB Early Riser is on Colgate. The Raiders always have a quality program. They won 25 games last season and this year's team has excellent depth. Appalachian State is coming off a huge season. But the Mountaineers are rebuilding. They have 0 starters from last year, only 3 returning players overall. This game will be played at Raiford G. Trask Coliseum in Wilmington, North Carolina. The Raiders, who knocked off UNC Wilmington here on Wednesday, have already gotten used to playing on the road and have faced a tough early schedule. The Mountaineers did manage a close win here over Sam Houston Wednesday but that was only their second road or neutral game this season and they lost the other one by more than 30. They're not ready for the Raiders. Play on Colgate.

At 9:00pm ET, my Game Of the Week is on St. Mary's. St. The Gaels allow only 64.8 points per game, which is significantly less han the 70.5 points per game that USC's defense gives up. All of the Trojans wins have come against fairly weak teams. They lost to Cal. St. Mary's win neutral site win over Nebraska was more impressive than anything USC has accomplished. The Gaels play a controlled, slower-paced game that wears down opponents. They're excellent at dictating the tempo and reducing the number of possessions. That's going to prove effective against a USC team which has shown inconsistency on both sides of the ball. Those early season inconsistencies are expected from the Trojans as returned 0 starters from last year's team and have a new coach. They aren't ready for what St. Mary's will bring to the table. Lay the points.

At 12:00pm ET, my Early Riser is on Minnesota. The Gophers have been winning their games without covering the spread. Now for this afternoon's game they are underdogs. So, a win will also result in an ATS victory. The Shockers can really score but the Gophers are great defensively. They're the best defensive team which Wichita State has seen. Minnesota's Dawson Garcia, averaging 22.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, will pose a matchup problem for the Shockers. A very experienced team, the Gophers have shown an ability to win close games. They'll hand the Shockers their first loss this afternoon.

At 9:10pm ET, my NBA Game Of the Week is on Denver. Nuggets coach Mike Malone wasn't happy with his team's effort in Monday's bad home loss to New York. Malone said this: "I need Nikola Jokic. I need Jamal Murray. I need guys that have been here, in that starting lineup, to be vocal. Regardless of who's in who's out, who do we want to be as a team? So yeah, leadership would be great, toughness would be great, physicality would be great, playing like you actually care would be great." The Nuggets will be much better tonight and they will take it out on their hosts. The Jazz would already be over-matched but things are even worse due to them coming off a hard-fought in-season tournament game to the Spurs last night. They lost by 11 and 17 points in the 2 instances when they played 2 games in 2 days so far this season. The Nuggets are 3-0 their last 3 versus Utah and those wins came by 26, 16 and 21 points. Utah fans are in for another long night. Lay the points.

At 9:00pm my Slam Dunk Club selection is on Montana. The Grizzlies won 24 games last season. This year, they were the preseason favorites to win the Big Sky Conference. Cs Northridge won 19 games last season (9-11 in Big West) but a high amount of roster turnover had them projected to finish in the bottom half of the Big West, entering this season. The Grizzlies have a very real advantage of playing this game at Dahlberg Arena. They are 0-3 on the road but 4-0 at home. Those road games were at Oregon, Tennessee and Utah State. Playing those difficult opponents will help the Grizzlies tonight. These teams faced each other in early December 7 years ago and the Grizzlies clobbered the Matadors. They'll be the better team again Wednesday night.

At 10:10pm ET, my Pacific Division Game Of The Month is on Phoenix. The Suns really rely on their "Big 3." When all 3 of their stars are playing, or even when 2 of them are, they're one of the best teams in the NBA. But when 2 or more of them are hurt, they struggle. Recently both Beal and Durant have been out. The Suns are 1-6 in the games without Durant and they're 0-5 since Beal went down. Thankfully for Suns fans, they are both expected back tonight! They've had a nice break between games which allowed them to practice and get ready. Beal said this at yesterday's practice: "I definitely feel a lot better. I'm thankful we had the schedule we had so we had some rest days, Kev and I." Off b2b losses, the Lakers are now 7-2 at home. They're only 3-4 on the road. The home teams is already 2-0 in the season series. Lay the points with the Suns at Footprint Center.

At 12:00pm ET, my Early Riser is on Tulsa. We will see a big difference between these clubs at the "The Reef" at the Florida State College Jacksonville South Campus this afternoon. Detroit is 3-3. All 3 losses came by 10 or more. Tulsa is 3-3. All 3 victories came by 9 or more. Tulsa took a big step forward last season and wants to continue that progression this season. Detroit is a team which went 1-31 last season! Their only victory was at home against IU Indy. The good news for Detroit fans is that their team has a new coach and has already surpassed last year's number of victories. The bad news is that they are still a very weak team which is going to take time to grow. They're improved but they aren't ready for a team like Tulsa. Off 3 straight losses, the Golden Hurricane need to get things turned around today. They will get the job done and they will do so by a wide margin. Lay the points and enjoy the blowout.

At 8:30pm ET, my Cake-Walk selection is on Xavier. This game will be played at Suncoast Credit Union Arena, in Fort Meyers Florida. Everything went right for the Gamecocks last season. They're still pretty good but they're going to take a step back from last season. The Gamecocks lost outright to North Florida and they were crushed by Indiana. Not so for Xavier. Unlike South Carolina, the Musketeers had everything go wrong for them last year. They're going to be much better this season and are already off to a 5-0 start. All 5 wins came by 9 or more. The opponents were pretty weak but the list did include a respectable Wake Forest team and the Musketeers beat them by 15. Beating an SEC team which is coming off a big season is important to Coach Miller. He's got a deep and talented team and they will improve to 6-0 with an impressive victory on Monday night.

At 4:00pm ET, my Slam Dunk Club is on Wake Forest. The difference in class between these programs will be on clear display this afternoon. The Demon Deacons won 21 games last season and this year's team is better. In my opinion, they are one of the top 5 teams in the ACC and they will be going to the NCAA Tournament. Detroit is a team which went 1-31 last season! Their only victory was at home against IU Indy. The good news for Detroit fans is that their team has a new coach and has already surpassed last year's number of victories. The bad news is that they are still a very weak team which is going to take time to grow. They're improved but they aren't ready for a team like Wake Forest. Lay the points and enjoy the blowout.

At 7:40pm ET, my NBA GROUND AND POUND BLOWOUT is on the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks are playing much better basketball now than they were earlier in the season. Off a 16-point victory on Wednesday, they are 4-1 their last 5 games. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 41 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in Wednesday's victory. The Pacers are going the other way. Off a 17-point loss on Wednesday, they are now 1-4 their last 5 games. Milwaukee's Brook Lopez said: "We know the team that we are. We've known the team that we are all season long, we just had to prove it by winning games. It's gotten better and better. Obviously, the last few, we're happy with winning, they were close ones but we put in a lot of work, we're doing great." Compare that to Indiana's Rick Carlisle: "We're not playing well. That's obvious. Our connectedness is not where it needs to be. Our collective spirit is not where it needs to be." The Bucks still aren't happy with their record and won't be complacent. Lay the points.

At 8:00pm ET, my CBB Slam Dunk Club is on Kansas State. George Washington has amassed a 4-0 record by playing 4 creampuffs. The Revolutionaries, formerly known as the Colonials, were favored by at least 13.5 points in every game. Now they are fairly big underdogs which shows what a jump in class they are taking. GW was a 15-17 team last season (also against a soft non-conf schedule - they were 4-14 in conf play) and brought back only 2 starters. Built to compete in the Big 12, the Wildcats are solid from top to bottom. They tip off their Paradise Jam Tournament with a big first round win. Lay the points.

At 7:40pm ET, my Slam Dunk selection is on Minnesota. The Timberwolves are a much stronger team than Toronto. They are hopeful of contending for the title and the Raptors are hopeful of contending for a lottery pick. Even if they were healthy, the Raptors would be severely outgunned by Minnesota. They are far from having good health though. They managed a win last game but that was their only victory in weeks. The Wolves have won 2 straight. They rallied from a 16 point deficit last game and will ride the momentum all way to Canada. Minnesota's last 2 wins in the series came by 11 and 48 points. Tonight's margin of victory should fall in between those numbers. Lay the points.

At 7:00pm ET, my CBB Ground and Pound selection is on Clemson. Off a loss to Boise, the Tigers will show their teeth tonight. When these teams met last December, the Tigers were favored by 15.5 points. The won by 35 points! It was 49-23 by halftime and 93-58 by the end of the game. The gap between the teams is perhaps even larger this season. The Tigers are an experienced team with three older returning starters complemented by the addition of three veteran transfer players. Radford didn't bring back a single returning starter. The Highlanders have only played one good team (Pittsburgh) and they lost by 40. This will be another blowout. Lay the points.

At 10:00pm ET, my CBB Ground and Pound selection is on Santa Clara. The Leavey Center will be rocking as Santa Clara returns home ready for ande in need of a big win. The Broncos are 2-1 all-time against the Highlanders, the home team winning all 3 games. Both Santa Clara wins came at Leavey Center. The Highlanders have a respectable team this season but not quite on the level of Santa Clara. The Broncos have had a challenging opening schedule. They just got blown out at Nevada which was their 3rd straight loss. Before that they were beaten by North Dakota State and Arizona State. They beat St. Louis. With games versus Stanford and TCU coming up after this, the Broncos really need to make sure they win tonight's game. Though they have had a difficult time lately, this is a Santa Clara team projected to finish near the top of the West Coast Conference. They didn't lose a single player to the transfer window, something very uncommon these days. They had 20 wins last season and this year's team is more talented. . Facing their first instate foe, the Broncos will remind everyone of that with a big win and cover on Tuesday night.

At 8:10 ET, my Slam Dunk selection is on Denver. The Nuggets have been without Jokic the past couple of games as he's out for personal reasons. He's questionable for tonight. Even if Jokic cannot go again, the Nuggets are going to play their best tonight. The Grizzlies just beat them badly a couple of days ago and coach Mike Malone will make sure his team gives a much better effort. Malone said: "We were able to cut that 24-point lead to 11 when we became more aggressive, when we became more physical, and that allowed us to kind of get back in the game. We need to not wait until the fourth quarter and a 24-point deficit to do that. That's got to be our M.O. from the beginning of the game." The Grizzlies have injury issues of their own. The Nuggets started the season with 2 straight losses and then won on the road in their next game. Off 2 straight losses, they will upset the Grizzlies in their own building tonight. Grab the points.

At 9:30pm ET, my CBB Ground and Pound selection is on Washington State. The Cougars will be too much for the Panthers tonight. The Cougars are an entirely different team from the one which won 25 games last season. New players, new conference and a new coach. The new coach David Riley brought his own staff and players with him. You may remember him as the 2-time Big Sky Coach of the Year for Eastern Washington. Riley's teams dominated lesser opponents and were 4-0 SU and 3-1 versus the spread in 4 games against Northern Colorado the past 2 seasons. His new team will pick up where his old one left off. Lay the points.

AT 9:10pm ET, my NBA Game Of The Week is on the LA Clippers. The Clippers have had some hard road games lately. Getting home to face Utah is just what they need. The Clippers have won their last 3 games here. They had yesterday off. The Jazz are off a difficult game at Sacramento last night. That's going to take a lot out of them tonight. Unequipped to effectively handle a back-to-back situation, they lost by 17 when playing 2 games in 2 days earlier. The Clippers have taken 2 of the past 3 meetings and both wins came by 14 or more. This will be another blowout. Lay the points.

At 7:00pm ET, my November CBB Game Of The Month is on Creighton. Things will get easier for the Roos after this game. For now, they're forced to take a 2nd straight beating at the hands of a superior opponent. Off a 26-point road loss at Iowa State, they face an equally dangerous Creighton team. Tuesday's game against the Calvary Warriors can't here fast enough! The Bluejays have been getting better each time out. They won their first game by 13 points. They doubled that margin with a 26-point victory in their 2nd game. In their 3rd game, the Bluejays won by 35. It's been awhile since these teams faced each. The last time was 2018. Creighton was favored by 18.5 and won by 36. I've got the Bluejays winning by 25+ once again.! Lay the points.

At 3:30pm ET, my Slam Dunk Club selection is on Tennessee Tech. VMI's perfect start to the season will come to an end at Colonial Hall this afternoon. The Golden Eagles are more talented than they were last season and this is a great opportunity to prove that to themselves. They're 2-1 and the only loss was by 5 points at Georgia when they were 24 point underdogs. VMI was a 4-28 team last season and the Keydets didn't bring back a single returning starter. They've still got a long way to go and that will be evident against a solid Tennessee Tech team. Lay the points with the more experienced Golden Eagles.

At 7:30pm ET, my CBB Cake-Walk is on Wichita State. The Panthers are always solid but the Shockers are going to be too much for them today. Improved from last year, the Shockers are playing with purpose and hunger. They handled WKU on the road by 7 and then blew out Montana State by 20 at home. Off a 20-point loss to UC Irvine, the Panthers aren't yet ready for primetime.

At 8:00pm ET, my CBB Cake-Walk is on Seton Hall. Snubbed by the selection committee, the Pirates narrowly missed out on the NCAA Tournament last season. Having gone 13-7 in the highly competitive Big East, they certainly had a case for making it. The Pirates are anxious to make things right and get to the tournament this year. They learned the importance attached to every single game. Off a loss to Fordham, a team St. John's (another Big East team snubbed by the committee last year) already beat 92-60, the Pirates will be fired up to get back in the win column. With only 1 returning starter, Hofstra lost a lot from last year. This is nearly an entirely new team. The Pride will take some time to get going and won't yet be ready to take on an angry Big East foe. Lay the the points.

At 10:00pm ET, my Cake-Walk is on St. Mary's. The Gaels won 26 games last year. They are going to be very good again, one of the best in the WCC. They have won their first 2 games this season but narrowly missed out on the cover in each of them. Tonight, they will reward their backers by winning by enough to also ensure the cover. Akron lost its only game. The Zips lost 4 of their 5 starters (and 8 scholarship players) from last year including the MAC Player Of The Year, a 2nd Rd NBA pick. This early in the season, they will not be ready for a late game at University Credit Union Pavilion, some 2500 miles from home. The Gaels flex their muscles with their biggest win of the season to date. Lay the points.

At 8:10 ET, my NBA Eastern Conference Game Of The Month is on Milwaukee. Both teams are really struggling. The Raptors don't really care. The Bucks absolutely want to get things turned around. Check out the difference in what the 2 coaches are saying. Milwaukee's Doc Rivers: "We gotta get out of this hole that we created. We created it. All of us, me, them, together. I have no doubt that we will. We have to play ourselves out of this hole." Compare that to Toronto's Darko Rajakovic: "It's hard to make any conclusions after 10-11 games. We still have guys dealing with injuries. We are really investing in developing the young players that we have." The Bucks are a much better team and you can tell by the coach's comments that they want this game a lot more. The Bucks have been playing some good teams. They will take this opportunity of facing a bad team and make the most of it. Lay the points.

At 7:00pm ET, my CBB Cakewalk is on Butler. The Bulldogs were upset by Austin Peay last game. That doesn't sit well with coach Thad Matta. He will demand more and his Bulldogs will rid the bad taste in their mouths by beating up on the Broncos today. Matta: "We've got to get better at taking a punch and fighting back." Though the result against the Governors wasn't what they wanted, the Broncos are getting balanced scoring with 4 players in double-figures. Western Michigan hasn't had a winning season since 2017-18. With 1 returning starter, the Broncos are going to be one of the weaker teams in the MAC. They're walking into a bad situation. The Bulldogs will show their teeth in this one. Lay the points.

At 9:40pm ET, my NBA Non-Conf. Game Of the Month is on the LA Lakers. The Raptors fought really hard here last night against the Clippers. They ended up losing 105-103. That difficult defeat will set them up to get blown out by the Lakers tonight. They are missing important players and their absences will be noticed more than ever. LA had yesterday off. The Lakers are off a double-figure win over Philadelphia. Including a 6-point win at Toronto to start this month, they have beaten the Raptors 4x in a row. The Raptors are going to be gassed and the Lakers 5th straight win in the series won't even be close. Lay the points.

At 7:40pm ET, my NBA Game Of the Month is on the Dallas Mavericks. Off 6 straight wins, the Suns are hot. That streak started with a win over the Mavericks. A slightly deeper dive into the Suns hot streak reveals that 5 of those 6 games, including the one against Dallas, were at home. Their only road game in the winning streak was at LA, versus the Clippers. That lone road game was a favorable setup for the Suns, as they had the previous 2 nights off and they were catching the Clippers playing the second game of a back-to-back. The Suns have also been barely beating teams on their win streak. The last 5 wins all came by 6 or less. The Mavericks may have been a little inconsistent but they are off a big win, their 4th in 6 games, and they are one of the best teams in the NBA. Unlike the Clippers, the last team Phoenix faced on the road, the Mavericks are rested. The Mavericks play with revenge. They won by 10 the last time they hosted the Suns and they will put an end to their winning streak tonight. Play on Dallas.

At 7:00pm ET, my CBB Cakewalk is on Kansas. This classic matchup will go the way of the favorite. North Carolina is really good but Kansas is even better! Bill Self has a 299-17 record at Allen Fieldhouse. Off a 30-point win in their opener, Self said this of his Jayhawks: "I thought we looked fast. We looked athletic. We pitched (the ball) ahead, and we ran a transition better than what we had been," Self said. "And I thought defensively, we really pressured them and did some good things." UNC failed to cover its first game. The Tar Heels even briefly trailed Elon with less than 7 minutes to go. The losses of Armando Bacot and Harrison Ingram will be felt for some time. They might fare better if these teams meet in March but the Tar Heels aren't yet ready for what they'll have to contend with tonight. Lay the points.

At 8:10pm ET, my Super Slam Dunk is on Milwaukee. The Bucks will take this opportunity to get right against one of the worst teams in the league. Giannis is questionable but the Bucks have had some time off and he should be fine. Milwaukee continues to miss Middleton. Utah has its own injury problems and lacks the depth to deal with them. With an 0-2 home record, the Bucks are going to be 100% serious about getting that first win at the Fiserv Forum. Milwaukee plays on the road against New York after this and then has to face Boston. This is a game they can't afford to take for granted. Utah's last 3 losses came by 26, 18 and 17 points. Bucks will win big.

At 6:30pm Et, my Cake-Walk selection is on Robert Morris. This is too many points for a bad team like Delaware to be laying. The Blue Hens were favored for their first game and they lost outright by 12! The Colonials played at West Virginia in their first game. So, this will seem like a much easier place to play and a far less intimidating opponent. The last 2 meetings were each very close, both decided by 4 or less. Delaware won 73-69 at Robert Morris last December. The Colonials are more athletic this season and should be an improved team. This will be another very competitive game. Grab the points.

At 9:10pm ET, my NBA Northwest Div. Game Of the Week is on the Denver Nuggets. With an undefeated record, OKC is off to a great start. The Thunder thrashed the Nuggets 102-87 a couple of weeks back. The Nuggets hadn't really gotten their game going yet as that was their first game of the season. They lost their next one to the Clippers. Since then, Denver is playing much better. The Nuggets haven't been blowing teams away but they have been winning. They're 4-1 since that loss to the Clippers and the only loss was by 3 points, on the road, against a good Minnesota team. The Thunder caught the Nuggets flat-footed the first time but since then they've been rather fortunate with their schedule. As a matter of fact, with the exception of Denver, none of OKC's other opponents currently have a winning record. They're all either 3-5 or 3-4. They'll find a much better Denver team waiting for them and will suffer their first loss on Wednesday.

AT 9:00pm ET, my NBA Non-Conference Game Of the Week is on Minnesota. The Timberwolves are going to be too difficult a matchup for Charlotte tonight. One of the top teams in the Western Conference, the Timberwolves will be in a bad mood from having lost to San Antonio. With the possible exception of Gobert, the Timberwolves are mostly healthy. Though this will be their 3rd game in 4 days, they didn't play Sunday and they will have Tuesday and Wednesday off. There will be no looking past the Hornets. Charlotte, which also plays its 3rd game in 4 days, is dealing with some injuries. The Hornets will have a chance for a win Wednesday, when they host Detroit but tonight will result in a 3rd straight double-digit defeat. Lay the points.

At 4:00pm ET, my Game Of The Week is on Stanford. The Cardinal were 10-6 at home last season and they will start this season and the Kyle Smith era with a big win for the home fans at Maples Pavilion. The Cardinal brought back last year's leading scorer Maxime Raynaud. The 7-foot-1 center averaged 15.5 points at 9.6 rebounds per game last season. Denver has been getting better the past few years but is still not capable of competing with a team like Stanford. The Cardinal are 7-0 SU in 7 all-time head-to-head meetings. Also, the Pioneers lost their top three scorers, including Tommy Bruner who averaged 24 points, from last season and are going to take some time to find their way. Coach Smith stated: "We need winning seasons here." Raynaud won't be3 stopped and this will be a great spot to start. Lay the points.

At 7:40pm ET, my NBA selection is on the Dallas Mavericks. The Magic aren't the same team without All-Star forward Paolo Banchero. He averages 29 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists. They lost by 11 their first game without Banchero and they will struggle again tonight. Coach Mosley: "It sucks. there's no other way to put it. It sucks for him considering the way in which he started this year, the way in which he was playing, and carrying us in so many ways." The Mavericks have won 8 of the past 10 meetings. Off their first home loss of the season, they will respond with a big win and cover over the short-handed Magic tonight. Lay the points.

At 10:40pm ET, my Slam Dunk Club play is on the LA Clippers. The Thunder have a 5-0 record, the only remaining undefeated team in the Western Conference. This is not an easy scheduling situation for them though as they will be playing their 2nd road game in 2 nights. The Clippers have gotten into the habit of playing close games. All 5 of their games were decided by 8 point or less. Their 3 losses came by a combined 10 points, an average of just over 3 per game. They were right in all of those and could have won any/each of them. They are rested and playing on their home floor. The Clippers are 9-1 their last 10 as a host of the Thunder and the only loss came by only 1. Grab the points.

At 9:40pm ET, my NBA Northwest Div. Game Of The Year is on Minnesota. This is a playoff rematch. In a back and forth series, the Timberwolves rallied from a 20-point deficit to win Game 7 98-90. The Nuggets may want some payback for that but the Wolves are going to want it every bit as much. They just lost to Dallas, also a playoff rematch, and can't afford to drop 2 straight at home. Even though they lost to the Mavericks, Minnesota has been better than Denver this season, the way that I see it. The Nuggets got crushed by OKC when they faced them to start the season. They then lost a home game against the short-handed Clippers. They have since responded to win consecutive games. But those wins were both against rebuilding teams from the Eastern Conference and the Nuggets needed to go to Overtime in both. The Wolves handled one of those teams, Toronto, with relative ease and have a road win against a good Sacramento team. The Nuggets get another couple of easier games after this but they will struggle against a really good Minnesota team tonight. Lay the points.

At 7:10pm ET, my Revenge Game Of The Month is on Atlanta. The Hawks are already dealing with injuries to some players. Such has been life in Atlanta. They've still got enough to beat the Wizards though. Washington is rebuilding this season but the Wizards just beat the Hawks, at Atlanta. Out for revenge, this is a game that the Hawks need. Trae Young only made 2 of 15 field goals and shot 2 of 10 from 3-point range in Monday's game. The Hawks still only lost by 2. You know that Young will be much better tonight. Jalen Johnson was super on Monday for Atlanta and he can build off his big game. The Hawks can overcome the absence of players like Bogdanovic and Hunter but the Wizards will have more trouble playing without Kuzma. They wouldn't have won Monday's game without him and they won't have him tonight. Atlanta gets its revenge. Lay the points.

At 7:10 ET, my NBA Non-Conf. GOM is on Atlanta. This is too many points for the Thunder to be laying in this spot. OKC played yesterday and Atlanta comes in fresh. The Hawks might not have covered but they've won each of their first 2 games. Over the last 2 seasons, these teams have faced each other 4 times. All 4 of those games were decided by single-digits, each team winning twice. The Hawks have taken 5 of the last 7 meetings. With OKC playing 2 games in 2 days, this will be another tightly contested fight. Grab the points.

At 7:40pm ET, my Slam Dunk Club is on the New York Knicks. Forget what you saw on opening night, the Knicks are going to be really good this year. That opening night embarrassment against the Celtics will light a fire under them for Friday's game. The Pacers had a much easier opening game and were a bit fortunate to come away with the cover. Of course, this is also a playoff rematch which saw Indiana take down the Knicks in 7 games. New York was injured for that Game 7 and Indiana played a great game. That's still fresh in the memories of the Knicks and their fans and they will get some payback on Friday night, at MSG. Lay the points.

At 7:40pm ET, my Eastern Conf. GOW is on Atlanta. The Nets may have fleeced the Knicks by trading Mikal Bridges for five first-round picks (time will tell) but its not going to make them any better right now. Bridges had 38 points in the last meeting between the Nets and Hawks and he had 32 points the last game at Atlanta. That can't be replaced. They are a very young team. They lack talent and are going to have a really bad record this season. Even last year, they were 12-29 on the road and this team isn't as good. The Hawks are going to be better in Quin Snyder's second season and they know it needs to start with a big win over the Nets tonight. Lay the points.

The Celtics won the 2 games here at Boston by an average of 12.5 points. They have beaten Dallas 4x in a row here. All 4 victories came by 7 or more and they came by an average of more than 16. The Celtics responded to each previous playoff loss with a blowout victory in their next game. They are 16-4 the last 20 times that they were off a loss and the wins have come by an average of 12.7 points. This will be another big victory. Play on Boston.