(#306599) Jackson State Tigers | ATS | . 

Despite being on the road, I do believe that Jackson State should be very confident as we enter this matchup. The Tigers are coming off a very bad performance last time out. But, they've been great inside the conference and I believe that they are much, much stronger than their record suggests. Florida A&M has also been excellent in SWAC play so far and also has a poor record. While I do believe that the Rattlers have been fantastic over this five game win streak, they haven't played much competition. Now, record wise this wouldn't be a big improvement from the past couple of games. But, I expected Jackson State to be among the best in the conference prior to the season and I wouldn't be shocked at all if the Tigers pulled off this upset on Monday evening. Grab as many points as you can get though. 

Burns' Prediction: 81-73 Jackson State.

(#306616) South Carolina State Bulldogs | ATS | . 

With both of these teams being quite poor to begin this season, I believe that there's plenty of value on the home team in this one. Delaware State hasn't been good on the road, winning only one game in 10 contests. The Hornets have now lost five consecutive games with three of those games being at home. 

South Carolina State, on the other hand, just had an out of conference game against a non-D1 team to gain some confidence again. No, it wasn't a convincing win at all. But, I expect that momentum to carry on to today. Give me the Bulldogs at home in this one. 

Burns' Prediction: 71-60 SCST.

(#511) Miami Heat @ (#512) Phoenix Suns | OVER | . 

Miami is coming off one of its best offensive performances of the season. As a matter of fact, the Heat dropped 147 points while drilling 19 threes. That's pretty dominant if you'd ask me. I believe that the excellent offensive form will continue on Sunday with another hot team this season in Phoenix. 

Although the Suns don't play as fast, definitely. I do believe that Phoenix will somewhat have to match the speed of Miami this game. They matched up already, earlier this month and combined for 248 points. I don't believe that we're going to see quite as many points on Sunday. But, don't be shocked if we see at least one of these teams be able to crack 120 easily today. Hammer the "over." 

Burns' Prediction: 121-114 Heat.

(#569) Boston Celtics | ATS | . 

I know that the Boston Celtics just played a hard fought double overtime game against Brooklyn on Friday. But, I'm not letting that worry me about this game on Saturday. The Celtics should get Derrick White back tonight after he sat out for rest last night. And, let's not forget that the C's have won four of their past five games that were the second of a B2B. 

I'm not big on this Chicago team even with Josh Giddey back from his injury. The Bulls have won three consecutive games. But, they always seem to struggle against Boston. They have lost by 14 against the C's already this season and have three times in a row ATS. I've got Boston in another big time showing from JB. 

Burns' Prediction: 116-107 Celtics.

(#813) Nebraska Omaha Mavericks | ATS | . 

While Omaha did not perform well in its last game, I have been very successful this season when playing on it. The Mavericks were one of the best "mid-major" programs last year, beating up trash cans. I believe that this team is still among the best in the Summit League and the comeback for the season is on now. 

UMKC is simply not great. At 4-16, the Roos own the worst overall record in the conference and the second worst conference record. The Roos are winless over their past four games and I don't see them having much of a chance this evening. Lay the hammer down, this one could get ugly. 

Burns' Prediction: 84-70 Omaha.

(#764) Baylor Bears | ATS | . 

Coming into this game, TCU hasn't impressed me one bit. 1-4 over its past four games, opponents inside the Big 12 are loving to match up with the Horned Frogs so far. They are quite average across all stats this season and nothing stands out anywhere. Playing on the road has also not been kind to them, as they are winless in three games. 

Baylor hasn't been as strong as expected either. But, the Bears haven't had luck with matchups either. Their most recent game was a home game against TTU. Now, the Bears have had some time to prepare for this game and I'm expecting a massive performance. Scott Drew will have this team ready. 

Don't get me wrong, I don't like what I've seen from either team in conference play. But, the Bears average 86.3 PPG and shoot much better from the field. Rebounding is also a huge advantage for Baylor. I'll lay the points on Saturday evening. 

Burns' Prediction: 83-72 Baylor.

(#306550) Incarnate Word Cardinals | ATS | . 

Texas A&M Corpus Christi had a run in the Southland and made the big dance a couple of seasons ago. But, it's left that team in the past and I don't believe that this years Islanders team is very capable of a repeat. They just got smacked at home by 16 against McNeese State. Now, they go on the road for another tough matchup. 

Incarnate Word might not own the greatest of numbers. However, the Cardinals are an excellent three point shooting team and will be able to use their fantastic home record and crowd on Saturday for this matchup. They are dogs and I don't believe that they should be. I'll grab the points. 

Burns' Prediction: 72-61 Incarnate Word.

(#715) Missouri State Bears @ (#716) UTEP Miners | UNDER | . 

It's been a few high scoring games in a row for Missouri State, who actually plays quite slow. The Bears love to play the same brand of basketball as their opponents. That's good for today's game as UTEP also plays extremely slow. Missouri State is the #317 ranked team in KenPom's adjusted tempo rankings while UTEP is at #322 in the country. 

Both teams rank below #200th in field goal percentage as well as three point percentage. I believe that this one has all the means of a low scoring affair on Saturday afternoon. Expect not very many points to be scored. 

Burns' Prediction: 69-61 UTEP.

(#748) SIU Edwardsville Cougars | ATS | . 

Tennessee Tech doesn't have much to show for this year. With seven wins in 20 games, the Golden Eagles are only 1-7 over their most recent eight games. TNTC turns the ball over a ton and that's not going to help against a side that loves causing havoc on the defensive end of things. 

For SIUE, it's not got the best of numbers this season. But, the Cougars are off consecutive wins and will be able to use their much better three point percentage to hurt the Golden Eagles on Saturday. I expect a double digit win in a lower scoring contest here on Saturday afternoon. 

Burns' Prediction: 74-57 SIUE.

(#623) Georgia Bulldogs | ATS | . 

Maybe known more for the speed that it plays at, Georgia doesn't get the respect that it deserves in my eyes. The Bulldogs are not just a football school and are playing like one of the best teams in the SEC this season. With a 16-3 record, UGA is just one game back in the conference standings and I expect them to continue the success on Saturday. 

Texas is going the other direction at the moment in College Hoops. The Longhorns had been quite successful over the past few years and now have fallen off the map. They have lost consecutive games and have been overwhelmed by the SEC teams so far. I know that the Longhorns managed to knock off another fast team in Alabama already this year. But, they lack on the defensive side of the ball at times and I could see UGA running them out of the building. 

On the road, it's crucial to stay aggressive and that's what Georgia's done all season with a 3-1 road record. I believe that the time is now for the Bulldogs to start becoming a team that more people talk about and perhaps get into the top 20 after the weekend. Give me the dogs in this one. 

Burns' Prediction: 92-85 Georgia.

(#722) College Of Charleston Cougars | ATS | . 

With the same record this season through 20 games, I believe that we're getting pretty good odds here with the Cougars. Charleston didn't have the best of starts this season but has really picked it up in the second third of the year. COC is on an excellent run of results at home and I see it dominating this basketball game. 

Elon's shown inconsistencies in conference play so far. The Phoenix have already lost to the Cougars by four and that game was played in North Carolina (Elon's home.) Expect Charleston to win this game by 4+ once again with the home crowd behind it. 

Burns' Prediction: 88-72 Charleston.

(#617) Mercer Bears @ (#618) Wofford Terriers | OVER | . 

Although it's sometimes worrying playing on an "over" in the first game of the season, I believe that this is an excellent opportunity to hammer a high scoring game. While the opening line had this game at 167.5, this line has came down tremendously and I believe it's now way too low. 

Mercer has been a very fast playing team this season with a fantastic offense and not-so-good defense. That's exactly what you look for when playing on an "over." Wofford, on the other hand, has a defense that's even worse and gives up a bunch of points. The Terriers allowed 109 the last time these teams matched up and was able to score 97 themselves. Give me the "over" on Saturday. 

Burns' Prediction: 89-84 Wofford.

(#306608) Gardner Webb Runnin' Bulldogs | ATS | . 

USC Upstate has definitely been the "stronger" team through two thirds of the season. But, I don't believe that the Spartans are going to be capable of a big win like this one Friday evening. SCUS does not provide much of a threat of winning, yet alone winning on the road. I know that Gardner Webb hasn't been good whatsoever. But, this line is huge. USC Upstate has won nine games. None of those nine games come by more than nine points. Let's also not forget that the Spartans have won only one games inside the Big South Conference so far and that was an overtime game with a bit of luck. 

The Runnin' Bulldogs have simply been horrible this year and even though it's hard to play on a team that doesn't have a single division one win on the season, I do believe that this could be the spot to get that win. Gardner Webb has beaten SCUS five consecutive times and have won ATS in four straight. I'll grab the points in this one. 

Burns' Prediction: 76-73 Gardner Webb.

(#863) East Carolina Pirates @ (#864) North Texas Mean Green | UNDER | . 

I know that East Carolina has been able to put up some points against some of the other teams in the AAC so far. But, this is going to be its toughest test offensively by far. The Pirates already don't have a very efficient offense and now up against UNT on the road, I simply don't see them being able to crack the 60 mark this afternoon. 

North Texas has been great in consecutive games allowing 62 & 63 points in those games. They were against Tulane and UTSA. Now, I know that the Mean Green are able to put up some points themselves in these games. But, this doesn't seem like a great spot for them offensively either. ECU's defense is actually slightly above average and much better than you'd expect. This line is too high. Play the "under." 

Burns' Prediction: 68-55 UNT.

(#536) Dallas Mavericks | ATS | . 

A rematch from Christmas Day will go down on Thursday evening as the Golden State Warriors head to Texas to take on the Dallas Mavericks. Golden State might have gotten the best of Dallas back at home in December. But, without Jimmy Butler for the rest of the season with a torn ACL, the Warriors are probably going to have to make some moves prior to the trade deadline to remain in contention. 

On the other hand, Dallas might be a team that could also make some moves. That being said, as it stands, the Mavericks are slowly, but surely, starting to heat up again. Klay Thompson is on a heater and the rest of the squad is playing much better than it was at the beginning of the year. Cooper Flagg has turned into a star in this league I expect him to be great again on Thursday. 

With revenge on its mind from Xmas Day, I believe that this is an excellent spot for the Mavs as the more well rested side. Dallas is in better "form" and I'll grab the points with the home side on Thursday as my #1 WEST CONF. 'DOG GAME OF THE YEAR. 

Burns' Prediction: 121-109 Mavs. 

(#791) UNC Wilmington Seahawks | ATS | . 

Unlike most teams, UNC Wilmington doesn't care if it has to play on the road or away. Taking care of business is the only thing on its mind. Through 19 games, the Seahawks have lost just twice. No, they aren't going to blow you away with stats or anything. But, they are going to get the job done and that's what matters most. 

William & Mary is definitely a bit overhyped in my eyes. The Tribe definitely like to push the ball which can cause problems to some teams. But, even in high scoring games, it's about being disciplined and ending up victorious. I'm going with the "better team" in this one. 

Burns' Prediction: 82-74 UNCW.

(#801) Arkansas State Red Wolves | ATS | . 

I know that this is a road game for Arkansas State & I know that GASO owns a slightly better overall record. But, I believe that the Red Wolves are favored for good reason on Thursday evening. They might have lost consecutive games. But, the Red Wolves remain one of the best rebounding teams in the nation. That's going to help them tremendously in this contest against a team that is rather average in that category. 

Georgia Southern loves to run the ball up and down the court and although it's been successful for a lot of this season, I do believe that it's got some liabilities. The Eagles have lost three straight games ATS and their last one SU against CCU at home. They just aren't as good as their record suggests having played easier opponents in non-conference play. 

I've been pretty successful when playing on games that included the GASO University. As a matter of fact, in both CBB & CFB, I am 6-0 combined in Georgia Southern games. I expect the Eagles to struggle on Thursday just like they did two weeks ago when I had USA against them. Lay the point and a half. 

Burns' Prediction: 97-79 Arkansas State.

(#744) New Mexico Lobos | ATS | . 

Fresno State has done a great job in being able to win consecutive games against opponents inside the MWC. That should be an accomplishment in its own right. That being said, I expect the Bulldogs to get a bit of a reality check on Wednesday. They simply aren't a great basketball team and are 1-3 on the road this season. In their most recent road contest, San Diego State won by 20+. 

New Mexico returns home after a single road game against that same Aztecs team. Although the Lobos lost, they still played quite well. At home, they are a perfect 10-0 and have dominated teams. As a matter of fact, they pummelled GCU by a score of 87-64 last time on this court. I expect a big time beatdown on Wednesday evening. 

Burns' Prediction: 84-61 UNM.

(#521) Detroit Pistons | ATS | . 

I know that Detroit hasn't been at its best recently, failing to cover ATS in a few games that it should be. But, the Pistons are bound to respond with a big time performance on Wednesday against one of the worst sides in the NBA this season. This will mark the first meeting of this season out of two and Detroit took both games last year. The game in New Orleans was an absolute destruction with the Pistons winning that contest 127-81. 

While New Orleans did cover ATS in the meeting back in Detroit, I don't believe that it'll have much success this season. Considering the record again this year, the Pelicans will be forced to play out the rest of the season and try and give themselves the best shot at a top pick in the upcoming draft. I do believe that the Pels have great young talent. But, it's not been able to show itself throughout this year with the absentees and lack of chemistry between players. 

That being said, Detroit leads the Eastern Conference and is showing no signs of slowing down given the recent struggles of other teams. This line is quite generous if you'd ask me, even on the road. In an expected higher scoring game, I'm hammering Detroit minus the points on Wednesday evening. This is my #1 NBA GAME OF THE MONTH. 

Burns' Prediction: 125-103 Pistons.

(#715) Kennesaw State Owls @ (#716) Sam Houston State Bearkats | OVER | . 

This line has come down since opening and I believe that it's gone down too much. Kennesaw State ranks in the top 10 in adjusted tempo via. KenPom and loves to push the ball. Not only that, but the Owls average 88.5 PPG which is among the top 20 in the country. They've scored 80+ points in four consecutive contests and was even able to put up 87 against USF as well as 81 on the road against Alabama this season. They are more than capable of producing 90+ games and even 100+ when the timing is right. SHSU also loves to play fast, with the #34 ranking in adjusted tempo. With neither defense being ranked inside the top 100 in efficiency , I expect points to come rather easily on Wednesday evening. Hammer the "over." 

Burns' Prediction: 89-84 SHSU.

(#707) Western Carolina Catamounts @ (#708) Mercer Bears | OVER | . 

Although Western Carolina hasn't been great so far this season, I believe that it's going to be able to score on Mercer this evening. The Catamounts have been very poor on the defensive side of the ball this year. As a matter of fact, they are allowing 80+ PPG this season which has them in the bottom 30 of the country. 

Mercer loves to play fast. Good thing for the Bears, KenPom ranks their offensive efficiency in the top 100 of the country while being 70th in adjusted tempo. I believe that this is an excellent matchup for Mercer, at home against a poor defensive side. The Bears have already put up 100+ points in six games this year including three of its past four contests. Hammer the "over." 

Burns' Prediction: 91-80 Mercer.

(#306556) Presbyterian Blue Hose | ATS | . 

Charleston Southern doesn't have much going for it at the moment. Obviously the oddsmakers believe that the Buccaneers are the slightly stronger team given that they are the favorites on the road in this match. But, I simply don't think so. CHSO has lost three consecutive games now including an OT loss at home in its most recent games last week. That definitely took some steam out of this side. 

On the other hand, Presbyterian remains confidence despite the sub par start. With a 7-1 home record, the Blue Hose and feeling very good about where they are at right now. Having beaten UNCA last week and Gardner-Webb on the road by 37 over the weekend, they should be ready for this home game on Wednesday. It's never easy for a smaller school to travel during the week. Give me the Blue Hose as a dog at home. 

Burns' Prediction: 82-73 Presbyterian.

(#714) Oakland Golden Grizzlies | ATS | . 

Even though IU Indy has been able to hang around in quite a few games this season, it's hard not to acknowledge its record. The 5-16 Jaguars are 1-10 on the road in 11 contests and I believe that it's about time for an ultimate beatdown. They are quite miserable on the defensive side of the basketball and that's why the total is so high this evening. Oakland's going to feed off of that. 

Talking about the Golden Grizzlies, they actually have one of the best offensive among mid-major programs in the country. This is a team that shoots the ball at a very high percentage and also shorts the free throw rather well. IUPUI plays very fast and we all know that. But, Oakland also does and will be able to match. It just plays at a much higher level. Give me the Golden Grizzlies in a blowout. 

Burns' Prediction: 95-72 Oakland.

(#504) Houston Rockets | ATS | . 

San Antonio has been the better of the two teams this season and has already beaten Houston once. But, I don't believe that the Spurs will be exactly ready for this contest on Tuesday. San Antonio had lost consecutive road games going into Monday's game vs. Utah. That being said, it had to play last night as well. This will be the Spurs' fourth time in 2026 playing a B2B already and they are only 1-2 in the second game of those situations. 

Houston's been at home for a week now and are beginning to string together much better results having won consecutive games. The Rockets are a team that should be among the best in the Western Conference when everything is clicking. I expect KD to respond from a sub-par performance against New Orleans in the Rockets' last game. 

With these teams bound to meet two more times after this game as divisional opponents, I believe that we shall see some great basketball. Houston's won and covered ATS in five straight contests vs. SAS at home. I expect another one of those results on Tuesday evening on NBC & Peacock. 

Burns' Prediction: 120-106 Rockets.

(#627) Ball State Cardinals @ (#628) Central Michigan Chippewas | UNDER | . 

#12 & #13 in the MAC standings right now (second last & last,) Ball State and CMU have a lot to play for on Tuesday evening. Having said that, both of these sides like to play at their own pace and that is quite slow compared to most teams. Ball State, the slower of the two teams, is averaging 68.4 PPG this season. That number decreases to 60.0 PPG in away games (eight games played.) 

Central Michigan is much better at home. But, the Chippewas have still been held to under 75 points in six of the past seven games while staying below 70 in four of those contests. Neither team shoots the three ball well whatsoever and offensive rebounds should come at a premium. I've got the "under" in this one. 

Burns' Prediction: 68-63 CMU.

(#306541) Texas Southern Tigers @ (#306542) Jackson State Tigers | OVER | . 

While neither of these teams have been great this season, both sitting below .500 by a pretty big margin, I do believe that we're going to see the best out of these teams offensively when they come together on Monday. Texas Southern has finally started to look like itself, winning consecutive games and slowly making its way up the SWAC rankings. 

On the other hand, Jackson State has actually averaged 84.25 PPG over its four conference games so far. This total is quite high for a reason as both teams enjoy playing quickly. I expect tons of points on Monday evening. 

Burns' Prediction: 91-83 Jackson State.

(#883) Montana Grizzlies | ATS | . 

I know that Montana is on the road this evening. But, I simply believe that the Grizzlies are the much, much stronger team and that should prove to be true on Monday evening. The Grizzlies are coming off a pair of losses, which might be why this line is lower than I expected. But, they are still playing strong basketball, covering ATS in four of their most recent five games. 

NAU simply just isn't very talented. The Lumberjacks are 6-13 this season and actually have lost every single one of it;s six games played against Big Sky opponents so far. Don't expect much of a competition on Monday in this one. 

Burns' Prediction: 75-61 Montana.

(#306513) Long Island Sharks | ATS | . 

I know that Long Island is coming into this game as the slight favorite. But, C'mon. This spread isn't respectful at all towards the Sharks. Since conference play started, all LIU has done is win. As a matter of fact, it's 5-0 and that includes two road wins. This one's on the road as well against a team that's hardly had the chance to play at home this season. 

This is Le Moyne's sixth home game and although it's got a winning record on this court (like it should,) 3-2 isn't exactly anything to be excited about. LIU has double the amount of road wins as Le Moyne does at home. In the Dolphins most recent home game, CCSU dominated and won by double digits. I expect Long Island to completely pick a part Le Moyne on Monday afternoon. Lay the point and a half. 

Burns' Prediction: 85-68 LIU.

#561) Milwaukee Bucks @ (#562) Atlanta Hawks | OVER | . 

Despite the Milwaukee Bucks not finding as much success as they have in recent years in this campaign, they most definitely still have the talent to do damage in the below par Eastern Conference. The Bucks have not had a strong run of games recently. It feels as though there's a needed change within this organization and I believe that one will be coming shortly. But, for now, they will have to deal with it. Giannis still leads the charge and he's definitely going to do whatever he can to get the ship back on course. Atlanta, as we all know, loves to play fast. Averaging the 3rd most possessions per game this year, the Hawks most definitely want to light up the scoreboard. The last time these teams met, they combined for 269. I'll play the "over" on Monday. 

Burns' Prediction: 124-118 Hawks.

(#834) East Carolina Pirates | ATS | . 

Charlotte's been the stronger team as we're into the second half of the season. But, the 49ers are coming off a rough loss to Tulsa and a losing streak could very well be looming after today's contest. They don't blow you away with numbers and the pace is extremely slow. I don't believe that Charlotte's going to be able to go on the road and win off the poor home game. 

East Carolina is much better than it's showed so far this year. I mean, the Pirates have been quite unlucky with their home games inside the conference so far and this is a great chance for them to finally get back on track. ECU has a slight advantage in rebounding and the home crowd will definitely play a part. As an underdog, give me the Pirates. 

Burns' Prediction: 76-67 ECU.

(#793) Nebraska Omaha Mavericks | ATS | . 

Just like in my Chattanooga analysis for today, I mentioned that I keep playing on these teams and they keep getting disrespected with lines. I mean, this is going to be my third time playing on Omaha this season and I've won both of my bets so far on the side. The Mavericks are much better than their record suggests and should be favored in this spot in my opinion. 

Oral Roberts has been ice cold and quite horrible to be frank all season long. The Golden Eagles have lost seven consecutive games and that includes B2B games played on home court. Omaha won both games easily vs. ORU last season. Expect another win for Nebraska Omaha on Saturday. 

Burns' Prediction: 84-72 Omaha.

(#536) New York Knicks | ATS | . 

While the Suns just beat me on Thursday, I do believe that it was a bit of misfortune as the Pistons had many chances to pull away at the end of the game & cover but happened to miss many free throw attempts that kept Phoenix in the game. But, onto this game and I believe that it's another good chance to fade the Suns who are not at full strength. Booker is back, but he's not 100% still. Green remains out. 

For the Knicks, despite the B2B losses, they are still one of the best teams in the East regardless. Being at home will most definitely help NYK at MSG and I believe that they could open things up as the game moves along. Phoenix isn't going to have liked losing to Detroit considering those missed FT's at the end. I expect a big time win for the Knicks here today. 

Burns' Prediction: 119-107 Knicks.

(#306608) High Point Panthers | ATS | . 

Even though it doesn't have the worst record by any means, I do believe that USC Upstate is one of the worst teams in the Big South Conference. The Spartans are 1-3 inside the conference so far and even off the win on Wednesday, they've got nothing really going for them. This is a horrible matchup to get after that win as well. 

High Point is mad after losing that game to Winthrop by that much. I mean, the Panthers don't lose consecutive games too often, especially against conference level opponents. High Point is going to want to come out with a message to prove on Saturday and I expect at least a 20 point victory. This could get ugly. Lay the points. 

Burns' Prediction: 93-62 High Point.

(#782) UNC Wilmington Seahawks | ATS | . 

Nothing against Campbell, I just think that this is a bad spot for the road team in this one. The Fighting Camels have actually looked fairly sharp this season, even more so recently. But, they are coming off a loss against Elon on the road which took a lot out of them, losing that game by just one point. That being said, I believe that this is going to be even tougher of a contest. 

UNC Wilmington quietly but surely is doing damage once again. I mean, with one of the best records in the country, the Seahawks should be talked about more than they have been. No, it hasn't been pretty for UNCW if you go by ATS. But, I believe that the oddsmakers are slightly underestimating the Seahawks now because of that. I'll lay the points on Saturday in this one. 

Burns' Prediction: 88-65 UNCW.

(#765) Duke Blue Devils | ATS | . 

Duke's been very fortunate with its scheduling this year in my eyes. It's navigated its way through pretty well and will bring its perfect ACC record into Saturday's contest against Stanford. I know that the Blue Devils haven't been blowing out teams left and right like some are used to. But, they finally started getting things going in that sort of direction @Cal and I expect that to continue this weekend against the Cardinal. 

Stanford just shocked #14 UNC with an upset win here in this arena over the week. That being said, I do not expect Okorie to drop 36 points again and I do not expect the Cardinal to have the same success. They shoot the ball way too poorly to be beating too many good teams and despite the high confidence right now, any of that will just be shut down today. I'd be shocked if this wasn't a double digit Duke win. 

Burns' Prediction: 92-66 Duke.

(#763) Pacific Tigers @ (#764) Oregon State Beavers | UNDER | . 

I absolutely love the "under" in this matchup on Saturday. Even though both teams have seen some higher scoring games recently, with the two matched up against each other I believe that we're bound to see an all out defensive war this evening. 

According to KenPom's adjusted tempo rankings, Pacific is 302nd with Oregon State sitting at 297th. Both of these teams rank in the bottom 200 in the country in scoring averages (PPG) and neither team has fallen in love with the 3 ball early on this year. Expect a hard fought game with not much scoring in this one. 

Burns' Prediction: 70-61 Oregon State.

(#740) Troy Trojans | ATS | . 

This is a battle of the powerhouses in the Sun Belt Conference. Given that these teams have met already this year just over a week ago, I'm very interested to see how this game plays out. Arkansas State was the much better team in that game. But, the Red Wolves don't blow me away at all with their numbers. ARST does shoot much better from the FT line. But, it's also going to struggle to keep up with Troy's three ball which falls at a much higher rate at home. Let's also not forget that the Red Wolves are coming off a heartbreaking OT loss on the road against South Alabama last time out. I'll lay the points with Troy in this revenge spot. 

Burns' Prediction: 81-72 Troy.

(#649) Florida Gators @ (#650) Vanderbilt Commodores | OVER | . 

Both teams are excellent defensively, don't get me wrong. But, I expect this game to see a ton of points on Saturday as both teams expects a big time win inside conference play. Florida began the year quite poorly if we go by expectations. The Gators, however, have won three consecutive games and just knocked off the Sooners on the road by 17 points. Florida's getting the guard play that it expected finally and that's what has created a ton of more scoring opportunities. 

Vanderbilt, on the other hand, just got demolished for the first time this season (80-64 @Texas.) Back at home, the Commodores should simply get back to what they were doing so well to begin the season and use their fantastic FG % & 3pt % to their advantage. Both teams play fast and both can put up a bundle of points. Hammer the "over." 

Burns' Prediction: 91-86 Florida.

(#306555) Navy Midshipmen | ATS | . 

Despite being on the road, Navy is the much better team in this matchup. The Midshipmen lost their last game but had won eight consecutive games before hand. They are one of the best teams in the Patriot League and there's no doubt about it this season. Definitely a chance to be tournament bound if they keep this up. 

Lehigh, on the other hand, hasn't bee too strong this season. It's won three consecutive games but has been lucky in a couple of those matches. I believe that a losing streak could be right around the corner for the Mountain Hawks who are barely above .500 at home. I'll lay the points with the road Midshipmen on Saturday. 

Burns' Prediction: 74-59 Navy.

(#638) Brown Bears | ATS | . 

Despite Columbia being the better team through 15-16 games this season, I do believe that this is a bad matchup for the road Lions this afternoon. Columbia got absolutely walloped by Harvard last weekend and has been thinking about that game all week. Not only that, but everyone knows how good Yale is and the Lions have a date @Yale coming up on Monday. Columbia could definitely be caught looking ahead to that contest. 

Brown, on the other hand, has shown signs of great basketball this season regardless of its record. I mean, the Bears lost by just seven points on the road against Providence earlier last month and also have been solid ATS recently. The first home game in Ivy League play wasn't so great as Brown lost badly to Yale. But, that was as expected. This should be a much more competitive game. I actually believe that Brown was the stronger team overall coming into the season and I expect a big performance from the Bears on Saturday. Grab the points. 

Burns' Prediction: 77-68 Brown.

(#629) Chattanooga Mocs | ATS | . 

I know that it's been a rough start for Chattanooga this season. But, the Mocs continue to get disrespected with this lines and I don't see why. The Mocs have won consecutive games now and picked a part Western Carolina in both meetings a year ago. CHAT shoots a ton of threes and ultimately that's going to be the difference on Saturday with the Mocs being able to rack up the larger number of points.

Western Carolina has been even worse than Chattanooga this year so far and even though it beat ETSU in its last game, I'm still not sold on it as a team. The Catamounts lost to Wofford at home this year already while Chattanooga just beat it on the road. I'll grab the points in this one. 

Burns' Prediction: 85-75 Chattanooga.

(#854) Portland State Vikings | ATS | . 

As the line has moved slightly from the opening line, I believe that this is excellent value that we're getting on a home side that's been brilliant ATS all season long. The Vikings are 10-1 ATS in 11 contests w/ lines this season. That's simply dominant. I know that they don't have as strong of a record YTD than UNCO. However, the Vikings are on fire having won three consecutive including two road games at the moment. 

Northern Colorado just lost to Weber State at home. I don't believe that the Bears are as strong as their record suggests thus far and they might start to fall in the rankings of a lot of people as conference play moves along. Given how they played last time out, I do not see UNCO hanging around in this game against Portland State. 

Burns' Prediction: 83-72 Portland St.

(#835) Lindenwood Lions @ (#836) Southeast Missouri State Redhawks | OVER | . 

Lindenwood probably won't win this game given that it's on the road as sizeable underdogs. However, the Lions will most definitely try. So far this season, they have put up great numbers. As a matter of fact, they are averaging 80+ PPG which is strong for any team. The Lions feed off of fast break points and quite a ton of turnovers which can be a recipe for success in this game. 

SEMO, on the other hand, doesn't score as much. But, the Redhawks do play fast as well. Both teams are in the top 80 in KenPom's adjusted tempo rankings (Lindenwood at #33 & Southeast Missouri State at #78.) I believe that we're going to see a ton of possessions in this game and that will ultimately lead to lots of scoring. 

I know that neither team is great at shooting the basketball from deep. But, both teams know of that weakness and neither team spends time out on the three point shot too much, as both are in the top 35 in two-point shots attempted per game. Expect this one to see 160+ points on Thursday evening. 

Burns' Prediction: 88-79 SEMO.

(#504) Detroit Pistons | ATS | . 

Considering the Jalen Green injury and all that's happened, I'm quite in awe of what Phoenix has been able to do sans Kevin Durant this season. I mean the Suns were significantly worse last year with KD. Now, with a 24-16 record, the Suns are just a half game outside of a guaranteed playoff spot in the highly competitive Western Conference. That's extremely good. 

That being said, Detroit was expected to be great and has been great this season. Leading the Eastern Conference with a 28-10 record at the moment, the Pistons are at home this evening. They are 14-4 in 18 home games and must respond after losing to LAC in their last game. Having not played since the weekend, Detroit is well rested compared to Phoenix who just played down in Miami on Tuesday. Lay the points on Thursday evening. 

Burns' Prediction: 118-103 Pistons.

(#789) Robert Morris Colonials | ATS | . 

After last week's win w/ Milwaukee against IUPUI, you can probably figure out that I'm not the biggest fan of it. The Jaguars are 4-15 YTD and are still getting some respect for some reason that I'm not too sure why. They've lost six consecutive games and own a losing record at home this season. You can't get much worse..

For Robert Morris, it's also lost consecutive games which could be a factor in the line here. I expect a much better game from the Colonials on Thursday who've got four road wins already this season. RMU absolutely dominated both matchups last year and I believe that another blowout could be on the cards in this one. Lay the points. 

Burns' Prediction: 95-71 RMU.

(#697) Furman Paladins @ (#698) Samford Bulldogs | UNDER | . 

Even though I do believe that both teams are capable of scoring and putting up points, I expect this one to be highly contested and much more defensive minded on Wednesday evening. Furman brings in a 12-5 record and has been shutting down opponents completely as of late. I mean, allowing 48 against VMI and under 70 against Chattanooga. That's simply brilliant. 

On the other hand, Samford's 9-8 and has been more "over friendly" recently. However, the Bulldogs also know how to lock in defensively when it's necessary. Over the past couple of year's the total in this matchup has been significantly higher than this. That's gotta mean something. The last time it was in the 140-150 range, was back in 2022 when the teams combined for 139 en route to an "under." Expect a lower scoring contest on Wednesday evening. 

Burns' Prediction: 72-66 Samford.

(#682) Xavier Musketeers | ML | .

I know that this is a revenge factor spot for the Butler Bulldogs who lost both meetings against Xavier last season. But, in all honesty, I'm not too sure why Butler is slightly favored in this game. The Bulldogs are 0-3 on the road this season and have been miserable vs. the spread since December. As a matter of fact, they've lost seven of their past nine games ATS. 

For Xavier, it's coming off a massive win against Providence to lift the spirits/confidence of the whole squad. I know that this is a massive game for both sides as each have struggled to begin Big East play and every win matters. But, the Musketeers should be the team that hits more threes in this game and limit turnovers. That's going to be what wins them the game this evening as well as being at home. I'll play the ML and expect a Xavier win outright. 

Burns' Prediction: 88-75 Xavier.

(#306504) Boston University Terriers | ATS | . 

Lehigh has won consecutive games entering today, including a win @Colgate in its most recent game. That's the Mountain Hawks first road win in eight games this season. I won against Lehigh against Bucknell earlier this season and I'm going against it again today.

I also won with Boston University over the weekend when it took down Army on home court. Now, the Terriers stay at home and should be even bigger favorites again. They are one of the top teams in the conference in my eyes and should continue to play well against these conference opponents. I'll lay the points again on Wednesday. 

Burns' Prediction: 80-68 Boston.

(#657) Alabama Crimson Tide @ (#658) Mississippi State Bulldogs | OVER | . 

Despite not being able to crack the 90 mark last game, Alabama continues to play in high scoring games. The Crimson Tide love to run and there's no debate about it. The only question really is how much are they going to score? Well, as the favorites this evening, I'm expecting the Tide to have a great game offensively against the Bulldogs, and perhaps even reach the century mark in this one. 

Mississippi State doesn't play slow either. No, the Bulldogs are definitely not as fast as say Bama or Georgia. But, they can run too if need be. I'm expecting a back and forth game and close until the very end. This one being @MSST should definitely help for the "over." Each of the past four matchups in this series have finished "over" and I see a fifth consecutive happening on Tuesday. Hammer the "over." 

Burns' Prediction: 97-85 Alabama.

(#635) Connecticut Huskies | ATS | . 

Well, well well. Connecticut probably came into the season expecting this game to be a breeze, given how bad the Pirates were last season. I mean, they finished the campaign with a 2-18 record within the Big East Conference. This year, Seton Hall's already got four conference wins and three of them being on the road. 

With Seton Hall at home this evening, you'd expect it to play better. But, Villanova's the only team in the conference to defeat the Pirates and that game was at this stadium in Newark, New Jersey. UCONN's not had the most success on the road in the past against Seton Hall, but it's perfect through four games this year. The Huskies have definitely been as advertised, with a 16-1 record through 17. 

I believe that Connecticut is going to be ready for this contest given that this is now a big game inside the Big East. Seton Hall doesn't score much, but has been able to use defense to win ball games. That's tough because UCONN's just as strong, if not better at defense. The Huskies are much better offensively. Even on the road, hammer the Huskies to win this one by 10+. 

Burns' Prediction: 73-60 UCONN.

(#306668) Northwestern State Demons | ATS | . 

UT Rio Grande Valley might own the slightly better record through 16 games. But, this spread is definitely disrespectful to the home Demons of Northwestern State. The Vaqueros simply aren't that good of a basketball team other than their three point shooting ability. Don't get me wrong, the stats may tell a different story at the moment. But, we're only halfway into the season and this is a road conference game which is always going to be difficult. 

Northwestern State barely hung on to beat TAMUCC on Saturday. That game was needed for a confidence boost and for the Demons to now own a winning home record. These teams met last year in a dominant win for the Demons by 16. Give me NWST this evening in an expected big upset win. 

Burns' Prediction: 79-72 NWST.

(#306658) Lamar Cardinals | ATS | . 

Houston Christian enters Monday's contest on a very disappointing seven game losing streak. The Huskies have failed to cover ATS in five of those contests including in three straight. I believe that the Huskies don't stand a chance on the road against a much better team that they are this year. 

Lamar's fresh off a double digit home victory against Incarnate Word. After a very poor start to the season ATS, the Cardinals are starting to heat up when playing against the number this year. This one's a friendly spread. I'll lay the points. 

Burns' Prediction: 69-55 Lamar.

(#306659) Alcorn State Braves @ (#306660) Alabama State Hornets | OVER | . 

Despite the records of both of these teams, I do believe that this is going to be a high scoring affair. Both teams like to push the pace a fair amount and both are pretty poor defensively. That's going to lead to plenty of opportunities for both teams on Monday evening in Montgomery. 

Alcorn State did play a low scoring contest over the weekend. But, prior to that, it had put up 86 points against a very solid Jackson State team on the road. The Braves have given up an average of 89.0 PPG this year which is third worst in the country. For the Hornets, they aren't quite as bad but still allow an average of 82.6 PPG. Expect a high scoring contest on Monday. 

Burns' Prediction: 87-74 Alabama State.

(#854) Wisconsin Milwaukee Panthers | ATS | . 

Simply put, I don't believe that IUPUI is going to be able to match Wisconsin Milwaukee in this contest. Even though the Jaguars love to push the pace and might actually be the fastest playing team in the entire country, the defense is simply non existent for them this season. I mean, they are allowing an average of 90.1 PPG which is currently tied for the most in Division 1. 

Looking at Milwaukee, it hasn't had the start that it was hoping for through 17 games. However, there's still tons of season and a big win on Sunday could definitely propel this side into the right direction. The Panthers have an excellent back court duo and that's going to help them dominate this basketball game on Sunday afternoon. Lay the points in what should be a double digit win. 

Burns' Prediction: 93-71 Milwaukee.

(#816) San Diego State Aztecs | 1H ATS | . 

Fresno State simply isn't a very good basketball team. I know that the Bulldogs still keep battling and actually just knocked off San Jose State in their most recent game. But, this is a completely different style of matchup and I don't believe that it's going to be able to hang with the Aztecs. 

San Diego State has shown some signs of slowing down in the 2nd half against better teams this year. But, the first halves have been fantastic most of the time. I expect the Aztecs to get off to a fast start on Saturday and cruise to a win. But, I'll lay the 1H spread with this selection just to be safe. 

1H Burns' Prediction: 42-20 SDST.

***1H SELECTION IF CAN PLAY.. IF NOT JUST PLAY FULL GAME. 

(#813) BYU Cougars | ATS | . 

While I do love watching this BYU team, this will mark the first time that I've played on it this season. The Cougars are definitely one of the best teams in the country and they should prove to be difficult to beat, even in this very tough conference. But, these games are going to need to "easy wins" for style points come the end of the season for the committee (could be the difference between a seed.) 

Talking about "easy wins," this Utah team simply isn't that good. I believe that the Utes should just be trying to improve their personal skills by player this season instead of trying to compete and win games. Why? because it's not going to be pretty whatsoever if they do the latter. Utah might've beaten BYU last year when it was at home. But, this is a completely revamped Cougars side with only blood on their minds. Give me BYU on Saturday in what I expect to be a monstrous blowout. 

Burns' Prediction: 99-69 BYU.

(#783) San Jose State Spartans @ (#784) Grand Canyon Antelopes | UNDER | . 

I don't expect San Jose State to score much in this basketball game. Firstly, the Spartans are averaging 70.4 PPG on the road this season which isn't horrific, but it's also not going to cut it. Up against one of the best defenses in the country on Saturday, this is going to be a very difficult task. San Jose State was only able to put up 55 points at home against a bad Fresno State team. Don't expect much more than that if even in this one. 

Grand Canyon is starting to play much better now that the season is getting older. Holding Boise State to only 58 points in its last game was simply massive (while playing on the road.) Now, the Lopes go back home and have an excellent home court advantage. If GCU doesn't cover this game, it'll probably be due to the pace of play, as both teams play slower. Give me the "under" on Saturday evening as my MWC. TOTAL OF THE YEAR in '25-'26. 

Burns' Prediction: 72-57 GCU.

(#503) Miami Heat @ (#504) Indiana Pacers | OVER | . 

The last time that these sides collided, they combined for 258 points. Normally, I wouldn't love a game between sides that have gone "over" in nine consecutive games that they've played vs. another. But, in this spot, I believe that there's definitely some value on playing on the "over" once again. 

Miami remains the league's fastest playing team while Indiana's beginning to pick up the pace a bit more as well. Both teams are searching for wins at the moment, especially Indiana. The Pacers have got Nesmith back to 100% and that's helped them stay in ball games as well as win their most recent contest. I expect lots of points in this game in a close encounter. 

Burns' Prediction: 129-124 Heat.

(#726) Chattanooga Mocs | ATS | . 

This should be a fantastic battle in the Southern Conference as these have been two of the top teams in the Conference for a while now. Samford's been the superior side so far this season. But, the Bulldogs haven't been anything too special and have already lost their first road game within the Southern. 

Chattanooga, at 0-3 in the conference already, knows it must wake up. It simply hasn't been good enough this season. Entering the season, I had extremely high expectations for the Mocs. They still can right the ship. But, it's starts with this game. Considering how many three balls have gone in so far for Chattanooga, I'm surprised that it hasn't won more. But, expect a win here nonetheless. 

Burns' Prediction: 81-72 Chattanooga.

(#306597) South Carolina State Bulldogs | ML | . 

Don't get me wrong, these are probably not the two teams that you want to be watching on Saturday in College Basketball, both ranked in the bottom 10 of KenPom's efficiency rankings at the moment. However, I believe that this is definitely a game to take advantage of an oddsmakers mistake. SCST was one of the best teams in the MAEC last season and returned a couple of starters. I do believe that it's going to finally wake up now that conference play has started and the big win against Howard should really help. Morgan State has the "home court advantage" on Saturday but I wouldn't really call it that. The Bears own a losing record this season on this court and the gym is practically like a big high school gym. I've got SCST coming out on top in this one rather easily and love the ML value. 

Burns' Prediction: 76-63 SCST.

(#306577) Queen NC University Royals | ATS | . 

Even on the road, I believe that this is a fantastic game for Queens to completely dominate once again. The Royals, in my opinion, are the best teams in the conference. I know that an 8-8 start isn't exactly what you want to see from them. But, the 26pt road win against Jacksonville in the last game is exactly what you want to see going into this road game. 

North Florida is quite horrible. Playing extremely fast might just be the only thing that the Ospreys are good at. According to KenPom, they own the second worst adjusted defense rating in the entire country at the moment. I've got Queens putting up a ton of points en route to another double digit win. 

Burns' Prediction: 104-79 Queens.

(#748) South Alabama Jaguars | ATS | . 

Georgia Southern comes into this game having won nine consecutive games. Well, why don't I like the Eagles then? Because I don't believe that they are capable of winning five straight road games. It's not always common that we see two teams that have been so good on the road against each other so early in the season like this. But, in a massive conference game, I do believe that home court still provides a huge boost. 

South Alabama. I haven't taken this team all year as I've been waiting for this very moment. One of the best scorers on the Jags, Adam Olsen, is actually someone that I played high school basketball with myself. Harris & Olsen lead the way and if the three ball is falling, look out, this team can cause havoc. I'll lay the couple of points in this one. 

Burns' Prediction: 77-69 USA.

(#656) Nebraska Omaha Mavericks | ATS | . 

North Dakota State most definitely has been the better team this season and that's why it's the road favorite on Saturday. That being said, I'm still not sold on the Bison. Don't get me wrong, they'll probably still be in contention by the end of the season in the Summit League Conference Tournament. But, this is a harder matchup that the oddsmakers are making it out to be. 

I won with Nebraska Omaha on Thursday and I've got it again today, this time as a much bigger play. The Mavericks looked fantastic offensively and of course, play much, much, better at home. They were one of the top mid-major programs in the country last year and I'm expecting them to get back on track now that 2026 is here with the group that they've got. 

Last season, Omaha won both matchups and covered ATS in both. The Mavericks have actually won ATS in all four matchups over the past two campaigns. I've got Omaha winning outright here as my SUMMIT LEAGUE. DOG OF THE YEAR. 

Burns' Prediction: 80-72 Omaha.

(#306577) Central Connecticut State Blue Devils | ML | . 

I don't care that this is a road game. Central Connecticut State should be going toe-to-toe with LIU in the Northeast conference this season and a win here is necessary if it wants to do so. I know that the Blue Devils lost every starter from last year's team. But, this side is well coached and are starting to play much, much better this season off consecutive wins. 

Le Moyne just isn't a competitive side in the NEC. I'm shocked that it's the slight favorite in this matchup actually. The Dolphins don't rebound the ball too well and turn the ball over a bunch. Give me CCSU in this one. 

Burns' Prediction: 82-70 CCSU.

(#306562) Boston University Terriers | ATS | . 

Despite winning some games to finish off 2025 and come into the new calendar year feeling strong, Army just isn't that strong of a basketball team this season. The Black Knights try and play the same style of basketball as Boston U, but just do it at a worse rate. They might have similar numbers up to this point in the year. But, don't expect that to translate into today's game. 

Boston finally started to find its rhythm on Wednesday. The Terriers now return back home where they will be extremely excited to play two very winnable games against Army & Lehigh. But, first things first. This is a must win and I expect a double digit win from Boston. It's simply the much better side. 

Burns' Prediction: 84-63 Boston.

(#609) NC State Wolfpack @ (#610) Florida State Seminoles | OVER | . 

Although NC State isn't the fastest playing team in the country by any means, the Wolfpack definitely can push the pace if needed. They will be on the road for this game against FSU and I expect points galore on Saturday. NC State has been waiting for a matchup like this to finally get Darrion Williams going again. He was pretty good in the win @BC in the most recent game with 22 points. Expect even more damage today. 

If you didn't know already, Florida State likes to run. Averaging 83.9 PPG with a losing record definitely says something. The Seminoles aren't supposed to be a top team in the ACC but sometimes cause havoc with the pace that they play at. I believe that both teams are going to score quite a bit on Saturday at noon. Hammer the "over." 

Burns' Prediction: 90-83 NC State.

(#870) Sacred Heart Pioneers | ATS | . 

Marist might own the stronger record this season and come in feeling good about itself. But, the Red Foxes, just like most other teams, haven't necessarily been great on the road this season. They've lost three consecutive away games and despite returning most of their starters, I believe that they will struggle at Sacred Heart this Friday. 

The Pioneers have won the only meeting. They haven't had a great start to the campaign. But, there's still a long ways to go. As sizeable underdogs on Friday evening, this is a great spot to play with no pressure. Just go out there and play Sacred Heart basketball. The Pioneers recruited a ton in the offseason and I expect them to come storming into the MAAC conversation as the season gets older. Grab the points. 

Burns' Prediction: 70-66 Sacred Heart.

(#825) Long Beach State Beach @ (#826) UC Irvine Anteaters | UNDER | . 

I don't believe that Long Beach State stands much of a chance in this game. Well then, why aren't I taking UC Irvine? As much as I like the Anteaters to win by more than 10, I like the "under" a whole lot more. So far this season LBSU has been limited to shooting only 31.3% from deep which is definitely not great. The Beach don't shoot the 2 ball particularly well either, leading to small final scores at times as well. 

UC Irvine might look at this game and hope to score a whole lot of points, being at home and everything. But, the Beach have been solid defensively at times and UCI hasn't been at its best. One thing that I know is that the Anteaters defense should swallow up anything that the Beach throws at them. Don't expect a fast start from either team as this game could very well end up in the 120's for combined points. 

Burns' Prediction: 76-57 UCI.

(#814) UC Santa Barbara Gauchos | ML | . 

UC Davis has dominated this series over the past two seasons. As a matter of fact, the Aggies have won and covered ATS in all four of those contests. But, prior to those season, it was all UCSB. The Gauchos had won seven consecutive w/ a 6-1 ATS record in those games. UCD has been decent this year, but also has some pretty abysmal outings on the road. The Aggies just lost as nearly double digit favorites at home and will now play B2B road games. 

UC Santa Barbara is simply the stronger team in my eyes. It hasn't been a the best of starts to conference play for the Gauchos, losing consecutive games on the road. However, they won both of their home conference games prior to that and are back in Santa Barbara this evening and this is where the Gauchos play their best basketball. I like both ATS & ML in this spot so either works. Either way, expect a big time UCSB win on Thursday. 

Burns' Prediction: 82-70 UCSB.

(#556) Minnesota Timberwolves | ATS | . 

Cleveland played its most recent game without Donavan Mitchell, who needed a game of rest. With the Cavs winning that game on the road, I'm not sure that Mitchell was needed to much. Him coming back to the lineup should help on paper, but it might also take away from what was working in that basketball game. The Cavaliers haven't been as dominant as some people expected this year with all of the injuries around the Eastern Conference. Still on the road today, this is going to be a very tough matchup. Minnesota's been absolutely dialled in since the start of 2026. Winners of all three games, the Timberwolves are averaging 129.33 PPG over those games. I expect Anthony Edwards to stay hot and lead his team to victory on Thursday evening in Minny. 

Burns' Prediction:

(#782) Nebraska Omaha Mavericks | ATS | . 

Despite winning both of its Summit League Conference games so far, North Dakota isn't a very strong basketball team. The Fighting Hawks don't do well against strong opponents whatsoever and I believe that they are going to struggle dearly both offensively and defensively on Thursday. 

Even though the Summit League representatives in March Madness last season haven't gotten off to a hot start in '25-'26, the Mavericks still have lots to play for. Teams in this conference don't get at-large bids unless it's practically undefeated and even then it's hard. But, the quest starts now for Omaha to get back to the top of the league. This is a game that it must have I believe that it'll show up. Lay the points. 

Burns' Prediction: 88-70 Omaha.

(#769) Elon Phoenix @ (#770) North Carolina A&T Aggies | OVER | . 

Coming off the loss against Charleston, Elon's going to want a very big performance to rebound on Thursday. The Phoenix have been scoring points at a pretty insane rate as of late. As a matter of fact, they have scored at average of 90.5 PPG over their most recent four games, and that's while losing twice. I expect Elon to explode on Thursday and another monster night considering how fast its opponent likes to play. 

North Carolina A&T plays extremely fast and doesn't play much defense whatsoever. The defense of the Aggies is probably what hurts them the most as the offense can be respectable at times. Even on this three game losing streak since Christmas, NC A&T has put up at average of 77.33 PPG in those games. 

Don't get me wrong, there hasn't been many games that have finished "over" when these sides have met up in the past (five straight have gone "under.") But, these are new teams in 25-26 and I expect this one to have a bunch of points. Get on it before the line moves up. 

Burns' Prediction: 95-83 Elon.

(#306526) Bryant Bulldogs | ML | . 

Despite its win in the America East opener, UMASS Lowell has not been too strong this year. It's lost nine of ten road games so far and has been one of the worst teams in the country from the free throw line. As a matter of fact, the River Hawks are bottom 25 in the country from the line. That's not going to help in another road contest on Thursday. 

Bryant might not have the greatest scoring ability so far this year. But, the Bulldogs have looked much better since Christmas and I'm expecting them to carry the winning into the weekend. The defense of Bryant will be leave UMASS Lowell shooters confused and that will lead to a Bryant win on Thursday. Take the ML to be safe. 

Burns' Prediction: 76-65 Bryant.

(#743) Kansas State Wildcats @ (#744) Arizona Wildcats | OVER | . 

Although definitely not as strong, Kansas State plays at a similar pace as Arizona so I'm not expecting a complete beatdown out of the gates. K-State loves high scoring games and have scored 80+ points in nine of its 14 games played this season. If it's able to reach that milestone on Wednesday, the "over" should hit rather easily. 

Arizona might be the best team in the country as we near the halfway point in the year. The home Wildcats are perfect through 14 games and play extremely fast as well. They've scored 90+ in 10 of their 14 games this year (incl. three straight) & are averaging more than 90 as well this season. Give me the "over" on Wednesday evening. 

Burns' Prediction: 104-84 Arizona.

(#728) North Texas Mean Green | ATS | . 

South Florida might own the stronger overall lineup. It might be ranked higher in different ranking forums. But, I'm here to say that the Bulls simply aren't performing up to standards and that's going to continue on Wednesday. USF just lost a heartbreaking overtime game at home against UAB and that loss has it feeling uncomfortable within the AAC. The Bulls have Tulsa on deck, who might just be the best team in the conference the at the moment. 

North Texas, on the other hand, is one of the best defensive teams in the nation. The Mean Green preach defense and might just be off their best performance of the year, allowing 67 against Tulsa en route to a win. UNT's covered ATS in four consecutive contests and has won all eight of its contests at home this year. I believe that this line is disrespectful and that UNT will make the books pay once again on Wednesday evening at home. 

Burns' Prediction: 68-59 UNT.

(#539) Denver Nuggets | ATS | . 

Denver is obviously still without Nikola Jokic which is a massive deal. But, the Nuggets will get back Jamal Murray this evening who also was out for a contest to begin this week. I believe that he's going to help will the Nuggets to a close game and a potential upset this evening. 

Even though the Boston Celtics are playing very well this year without Jayson Tatum, I still don't think that they are as good as this. The Celtics love chucking up three's and that's not always going to work, especially against a great team against 3-point shots. The Nuggets may not be first, but they are top 10 in the NBA opposing 3pt %. I'll grab the points. 

Burns' Prediction: 114-112 Celtics .

(#676) St. Joseph's Hawks | ATS | . 

Duquesne is the slight fav. today and will probably remain as it until tip off. That being said, I'm not too sure that it should be. The Dukes have suffered defeat six times this year including in 75% of their road games. I know that they've beaten Davidson away from home already this year, which is a huge win. But, don't expect the Dukes to win consecutive road games over their opening two road A10 contests.

St. Joseph's needs this win more than anything. Having lost both of their conference games so far, the Hawks are definitely in need of a bounce back win. These teams normally play close and tight games. But, over the past two seasons, the JOES have won both of their home games against Duquesne. I'll grab the points and expect another outright win. 

Burns' Prediction: 79-73 SJU.

(#523) Miami Heat @ (#524) Minnesota Timberwolves | OVER | . 

It's no secret that both of these teams love putting up points and we've definitely seen that in recent contest of both of these two teams. Miami currently ranks #1 as the team that averages the most possessions per game this season at 108.0. That's significantly higher than any team in the NBA, leading them the Heat averaging 120.8 PPG this year. 

Looking at Minnesota, it's not far behind at 119.6 PPG after its 141 point performance on the road against the Wizards on Sunday. I believe that both sides will be hungry to put up points in an expected high scoring affair on Tuesday evening. Hammer the "over" in this one. 

Burns' Prediction: 132-121 Timberwolves.

(#615) Duke Blue Devils | ATS | . 

I know that Duke's struggled a bit in these two conference games so far and definitely ATS so far this season. But, this is the Duke Blue Devils that we're talking about. As an underdog? I'll take that any day of the week in a conference game road or at home. Duke went 19-1 against the ACC a season ago and should have similar success on Tuesday. 

Louisville might just be the second best team in the conference behind Duke. But, second best isn't best. The Cardinals have impressed me in some of their games this season, but that definitely wasn't the case in their 80-76 loss against Stanford on Friday. I get that it was a road conference game. But, that's a game that Louisville should be winning as a 8.5 point fav. 

With the Cardinals coming off that depressing performance, I don't see how they are going to just forget about that game for this one. They've got a pair of home games incoming after this one and those could be good bounce back spots for them. Duke's had its tests. I believe that this game shouldn't be a problem for the Blue Devils and they'll win another close game if needed. 

Burns' Prediction: 87-79 Duke.

(#612) Kent State Golden Flashes | ATS | . 

Even though Bowling Green has been fairly successful so far this season, the level of competition that it's played has not been very high whatsoever. The Falcons lost their first conference game at home against Miami Ohio and followed it up with a one point road win against UMASS over the weekend. That was an extremely high scoring game that went to OT and should take some energy out of this season. 

Kent State, on the other hand, has played some great teams including Purdue. Even though the Golden Flashes, lost that game by lots, they have the experience of playing the tougher opponents. They recovered and beat NIU in their most recent game. I believe that they are significantly stronger than BGSU and that the home court should help. Lay the point and a half. 

Burns' Prediction: 89-74 Kent State.

(#510) Oklahoma City Thunder | ATS | . 

With the day off yesterday's Charlotte's getting a much more respectable line that it probably would have otherwise. Don't get me wrong, -15.0 is still quite juicy. However, the Hornets are still a couple of players away for being a team that has a chance at the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. 

Oklahoma City played against Phoenix on Sunday and will now return home for this game on Monday evening. The Thunder are 17-1 at home this season and were 35-6 at home last weekend. With the differences in talent, I believe that OKC is going to dominate this game even in the second day of a B2B. Lay the points. 

Burns' Prediction: 129-103 Thunder.

(#872) Cornell Big Red | ML | . 

Columbia might own the better record entering this matchup. But, in my opinion, the Lions are not the better team. They are much weaker offensively and will struggle to keep up with the pace of the Big Red on Monday afternoon. After going 11-2 last season out of conference, the Lions followed it up with a 1-13 conference record. 

For Cornell, it's got an outstanding backcourt and should challenge for a spot in the final four of the Ivy League standings to make the conference tournament this season. I believe that being at home is a huge deal and that the Big Red will play too fast, leading to a win. Lay the points on Monday. 

Burns' Prediction: 95-78 Cornell.

(#829) Southern Illinois Salukis @ (#830) Belmont Bruins | OVER | . 

The Salukis most definitely haven't quite lived up to standards quite yet this season. With a losing record, there's definitely some questions being asked at the moment. That being said, I still believe that Southern Illinois will be able to stay competitive in most games in the MVC this season including this one. Why is that important? Well, close games tend to have fouling near the end, helping games end with a flurry of points. It also helps that the Salukis are ranked #44 in the country in KenPom's adjusted tempo ratings at the moment. 

On the other hand, Belmont also likes to play very fast. The Bruins, who are 13-2, are the #66 fastest playing team currently and are an outstanding offensive team, averaging 85.2 PPG. They've scored 80+ points in six consecutive games and I expect another strong performance from the Bruins on Sunday, perhaps, into the 90's. I love the "over" in this one. 

Burns' Prediction: 89-80 Belmont.

(#564) Los Angeles Clippers | ATS | . 

While Boston has definitely been the better team over the course of the season, I expect this to be a very tough contest for it on Saturday evening. The Celtics are simply just doing whatever they can to get themselves in a good spot for when Tatum comes back and that could be before the playoffs or during. They've done an excellent job so far. 

Los Angeles is on the rise back up after the horrendous start. The Clippers have now won six consecutive games and are getting closer and closer to than oh-so-important 10th spot in the West. Why do I like LAC tonight? Kawhi Leonard is on a mission at the moment and has scored 133 points over the past three games. The Clips also get back Zubac tonight. Expect the run to continue. 

Burns' Prediction: 120-109 Clippers.

(#772) San Diego State Aztecs | ATS | . 

Boise State has sure picked it up after losing that first game in shocking fashion to begin the season. I mean that loss might've been the biggest upset in College Basketball history. That being said, I still don't believe that the Broncos are that good of a basketball team. In my opinion, some of the analytical rankings that people use including KenPom overrates them (#52 right now.) Boise hasn't covered din either of its conference games yet losing it's road game vs. Nevada by 15 points. While the Aztecs haven't performed as well as I would have thought either, they've definitely showed promise of playing great basketball. Even thought the Arizona game ended in defeat, the Aztecs definitely matched the Wildcats stride for stride in the first half. They are capable and have been fantastic at home so far this year. I expect a big win to gain even more confidence for SDST on Saturday. 

Burns' Prediction: 74-63 Aztecs.

(#758) Wisconsin Badgers | ATS | . 

Going into the season, a lot of people believed that Purdue was maybe the best team in the country. With all of the returning starters from last year' s team and a huge addition in Oscar Cluff, I believe that the Boilermakers were going to be very strong as well, which they've been. That being said, as we head into Big Ten Conference play, I believe that Purdue's going to be in for a challenge on Saturday. 

Wisconsin's an excellent home team. As a matter of fact, the Badgers are 8-0 this season on their home court and went 7-2 at home vs. the Big Ten last year. That included wins against Indiana, Illinois, Ohio State and Iowa. While Purdue is a different animal than those teams, the Badgers have won every game at home this year by double digits & to be honest, I simply don't see them losing this game by more than six points. I'll grab the points on Saturday evening and I wouldn't be shocked whatsoever if WISC pulls off this upset. 

Burns' Prediction: 83-78 Wisconsin.

(#306588) Bucknell Bison | ATS | . 

I know that this matchup is probably one of the least talented contests on the Saturday CBB slate. However, I believe that there is definitely fantastic value on playing on games like these. 

Lehigh comes into this game with a very weak 4-10 record. Even though it's slightly better than Bucknell's that's not a record to be excited about. The Mountain Hawks are a winless 0-6 in away games so far and I don't expect that percentage to change today considering they just lost their first conference game at home. 

Bucknell is going to be very excited to return to a home game for the first time in nearly a month. Yes, the Bisons only have three wins this season and one at home. Nonetheless, this is a great matchup to finally start clicking. They completely dominated last year's home matchup by 17 points and allowed just 116 points over those two games. Lay the points on the Bison this afternoon. 

Burns' Prediction: 73-61 Bucknell .

(#726) UNLV Rebels | ATS | . 

Air Force simply isn't on the same level as some of the top teams in the Mountain West Conference this season. Don't get me wrong, the Falcons aren't the worst team in the nation by any means. But, it hasn't been competitive in both of its conference games so far and this one won't be a contest either. Over those two games, they've been outscored by 35 points (17.5 average per game.) 

On the other hand, I'm not going to sit here and say that the Rebels are the best team in the conference because that statement wouldn't be true. However, UNLV is much, much better than its record suggests and my win on it against Fresno State a couple of weeks ago (MWC GOY) showed that it can looked dominant at times. 

The Rebels are going to want to play fast and that's going to help their cause on Saturday. Air Force doesn't play at the same tempo and if it tries to, it's going to get run out of the building. I expect a beatdown in this one. 

Burns' Prediction: 99-63 UNLV.

(#683) Rhode Island Rams @ (#684) George Mason Patriots | UNDER | . 

While I'm taking both the "under" and George Mason in this contest, I do believe that the Patriots have one of the most underrated defenses in the entire country. Don't get me wrong, allowed 75 against La Salle wasn't amazing. But, they swarm defensively and don't allow good shots to be taken. That's allowed GMU to hold its opponents to less than 70 points in eight contests this season. 

Rhode Island is significantly better on the defensive end than offensively. The Rams just combined for 118 points with Loyola Chicago and have allowed only 249 points over the past four contests. That's an average of 62.25 per game and that's while losing two of those games. Hammer the "under."

Burns' Prediction: 78-64 GMU.

(#684) George Mason Patriots | ATS | . 

Rhode Island began this season quite well but hasn't done great against top quality opponents and was not at it's best whatsoever during this weeks game at home. I mean, the Rams lost to Loyola Chicago who might just be the most disappointing team in the country this season at 5-9 considering it was supposed to be a strong team. URI now heads on the road where it's played only two games this season and lost the most recent one by 19 against Providence. 

George Mason flies under the radar a bit with George Washington being ranked higher. That being said, the Patriots are also a top tier side that's won 13 of their first 14 games this season. They are flawless at home with 10 wins and just knocked off La Salle on the road in the A10 opener. Lay the points on Saturday. 

Burns' Prediction: 78-64 GMU.

(#875) Pepperdine Waves @ (#876) Santa Clara Broncos | UNDER | . 

While this game is expected to be a bit of a blowout in favor of Santa Clara, I do believe that it's going to be very low scoring. Santa Clara plays at an extremely slow pace while Pepperdine also plays pretty slow. As a matter of fact, both of these teams are in the bottom 100 in the country in pace of play via. KenPom's adjusted tempo ratings. Pepperdine just lost 72-45 at Saint Mary's and this should be another low scoring affair. Give me the "under" on Friday evening. 

Burns' Prediction: 83-59 Santa Clara .

(#850) Iona Gaels | ATS | . 

Even though Siena may be rated slightly higher on KenPom at the moment, it's hardly a gap between these sides and I believe that it's not going to matter. The Saints are coming into conference play off consecutive road losses by double digits. I know they were against difficult opponents. But, that's not how they wanted to go into the break. 

Iona lost as well in its last game but returns home on Friday where it's 4-1 this season. The Gaels are 5-0 over the most recent five contests against another while covering ATS in three of those games. I've got Iona in another big home win this evening to get back to even in MAAC play. Lay the point and a half. 

Burns' Prediction: 78-68 Iona.

(#768) Montana Grizzlies | ATS | . 

Northern Arizona has posted the exact same record as Montana so far this season but it hasn't looked pretty on the road for NAU. The lumberjacks have lost all four games on the road in 2025-26 and failed to cover in the most recent two of those. They are the much weaker rebounding team and are also much worse offensively. 

Montana is ready to come back from the break with a bang. It wasn't a pretty way to end 2025 with a 40pt road loss against Louisville. However, being at home should help the Grizzlies massively. They've had a very tough schedule up until now and that will definitely help them as we head into conference play. 

When these teams have met in past years, it's been all Montana. As a matter of fact, the Grizzlies have won all five matchups over the past two seasons, covering ATS in four of them. I'll lay the points at home on New Year's Day. 

Burns' Prediction: 87-73 Montana.

(#507) Phoenix Suns @ (#508) Cleveland Cavaliers | OVER | . 

Even without Jalen Green for most of the season, Phoenix has been able to stay in games and play well against other teams in the NBA this season. Devin Booker has missed more than a week as well with injuries. Now, the PPG average isn't as high as some of the higher scoring teams in the league. But, the Suns are more than capable of exploding for lots, averaging 120.2 PPG over the past five games. 

Cleveland plays very fast and averages the seventh most possessions per game in the NBA this season. The Cavs shoot a ton of three point shots and when they fall, points are scored in bunches. I'm expecting a big game from Evan Mobley on Wednesday to help lead this game "over" the total. 

In the end, I expect both teams to eclipse the 110 point rather easily and I wouldn't be shocked if both reach the 120's. Both teams will be expecting a win given the stature of this contest. I've got the "over" in a game that could see a ton of points. 

Burns' Prediction: 126-119 Cavs.

(#670) Florida Atlantic Owls | ATS | . 

UTSA is simply quite bad. Having lost five consecutive games, including twice at home, the Roadrunners are also 1-4 ATS over those games. They are now 4-8 this season with a 1-4 road record SU & ATS. KenPom ranks UTSA's offensive efficiency as the #323 team in the country which is definitely one of the worst. 

On the other hand, Florida Atlantic continues to get talent after its Final Four run a few seasons ago with Dusty May. The Owls probably think that their record should be stronger given that it's 8-5. However, they've played a very difficult schedule and being back home after Christmas will definitely make them feel more comfortable.

FAU averages 11+ more PPG than UTSA and does nearly everything better. Both teams have played at a very similar pace this season so I expect the Owls to control the game from the opening tip. Lay the points. 

Burns' Prediction: 93-65 FAU.

(#643) Santa Clara Broncos @ (#644) Portland Pilots | OVER | . 

Coming off a fantastic game against Oregon State on the road, dropping 102 points, Santa Clara has a tremendous amount of confidence for tonight's basketball game against Portland. The Broncos don't average the most amount of points, but do play at a decent pace. Playing against another fast paced team should give them the freedom to explode with points once again. 

Portland ranks 68th in adjusted tempo via. KenPom this season. With a 7-7 record, the Pilots average over 80 PPG as well. The field goal percentage is extremely high and both of these teams are some of the most unselfish in the entire country with loads of assists. 

I believe that this game has the means of a shootout. Portland's much better than last season and will not be held to just 50 points like the most recent matchup of these sides. This line has come down way too low from the open. Give me the "over." 

Burns' Prediction: 89-79 Santa Clara .

(#610) Marquette Golden Eagles | ATS | . 

Even though Marquette has not performed well this season and most definitely won't be making the tournament if a ridiculous change doesn't happen right now, I do believe that it's much better than it's played so far this year. Having not played since December 20th, the Golden Eagles have had plenty of time to get their "shit" together and try and start something. 

Seton Hall is quite overrated in my opinion. Other than conference play beginning prior to Christmas, the Pirates definitely hadn't played much competition at all compared to a lot of the strongest teams. They've played only twice on the road all season so far and this is going to be a challenge after the Pirates lost by eight at home in their latest game. I'll grab the points at home with Marquette. 

Burns' Prediction: 77-68 Marquette.

(#306604) Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders | ATS | . 

Nicholls State is slightly overrated in my opinion given its overall ranking in KenPom's efficiency ratings at the moment. The Colonels are 3-8 and have lost every single one of their games played on the road. I know that a lot of their games were tough before the home games started rolling in. But, it doesn't look too good for the Colonels and this is another difficult matchup against a great defensive team. 

Corpus Christi hasn't been amazing either, but home court is always a massive boost. The Islanders are perfect in four home games and will absolutely dominate the glass in this matchup, averaging just over eight more rebounds per game than the Colonels. Lay the points with TAMUCC at home. 

Burns' Prediction: 78-63 TAMUCC.

(#565) Indiana Pacers @ (#566) Houston Rockets | OVER | . 

As I've mentioned in other analysis' Indiana's playing a much slower this season. I know that's not exactly the best thing to hear considering I'm selecting the "over" in this matchup. But, it's most definitely true from recent years. That being said, the oddsmakers have addressed this and that's why the total is less than a lot of the other games on the schedule this evening. 

Taking a look at recent results though, the Pacers have been abysmal defensively, allowing 140+ points in consecutive games since Xmas. In those games, they were able to reach 116+ themselves which is still very good considering the o/u line today. For the Rockets, they are averaging 120.3 PPG this season which is top five in the NBA. I've got the "over" on Monday. 

Burns' Prediction: 123-107 Rockets.

(#726) SMU Mustangs | ATS | . 

Cal State Fullerton's got one win in six games on the road so far and own a losing record on the season. In its only other game against an opponent the caliber of SMU has been Cal. The Titans lost that game by 28' points. I believe that another rough showing is on the cards for this evenings contest. 

Southern Methodist has been one of the best teams in College Hoops this season with a dominant 10-2 record. The Mustangs play at a pretty fast pace but not as fast as some of the insanely fast teams. They average 89.5 PPG and have excellent free throw shooting which I absolutely love. Five double digit scorers are fantastic as well. Give me SMU. 

Burns' Prediction: 108-71 SMU.