(#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.

(#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.

(#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.

(#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.

(#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.

(#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.

(#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.

(#609) Idaho Vandals @ CS Bakersfield Roadrunners | UNDER | . 

Idaho is the slower playing of the two teams and is the slight road favorite on Tuesday. The Vandals do score quite a bit. However, they managed to score just 73 points in regulation against Cal Poly over the weekend and was a road favorite in that game as well. 

Don't get me wrong, Cal State Bakersfield plays pretty fast. However, the Road Runners simply don't make the most of it, shooting the ball at just 42% this season and averaging 73.5 PPG. The 3pt shooting has been even worse, hitting them at a 27.6% rate which is 8th worst in the country to go along with 4.6 makes from deep per game which is 2nd worst. I'll go with the "under" on Tuesday and expect Idaho to slow the game down and shut CSUB down completely. 

Burns' Prediction: 75-66 Idaho.

(#822) Saint Joseph's Hawks | ATS | . 

Coastal Carolina isn't very good and I'm expecting a struggle of it on Monday. The Chanticleers enter today's matchup playing with incredible inconsistencies at the moment. I mean, they haven't won consecutive games in over a month and they are also playing way too many games at this point in the season. This will be its 3rd road game in five days. 

On the other hand, Saint Joseph's are looking to keep rolling having won five of six and this is a fantastic matchup for it. The Hawks haven't been able to cover ATS as often as they would have liked. But, this line simply seems way too low considering the difference in level of each of this teams. Lay the points. 

Burns' Prediction: 85-66 Joe's .

(#753) Gonzaga Bulldogs @ (#754) Oregon Ducks | OVER | . 

This line seems incredibly low. Considering how Gonzaga plays and given that this game isn't exactly a road game with it being played at the Moda Center (Neutral,) I believe that the Zags are going to come out hunting for blood. Through 12 games this season, the Bulldogs have scored 90+ in eight of those games. This seems like another one of those games. 

Oregon's going to need to answer Gonzaga's pace if it stands a chance. Although the Ducks do play slightly slower, they are in the top half of the country in pace of play via. Kenpom's adjusted tempo rankings at #164. They've won consecutive games, putting up 198 points over those games. I've got the "over" on Sunday. 

Burns' Prediction: 99-76 Gonzaga.

(#753) Gonzaga Bulldogs | ATS | . 

While this game is played in the state of Oregon, it's going to be in Portland, not Eugene. That makes this a neutral court game and I believe that should favor the Bulldogs tremendously on Sunday. Even if this were a "road" game, I would not have been shocked if the Zags won this one by double digits. But now, I'm even more confident in Gonzaga, who's won every single game by double digits that it's won this year. 

Oregon's in a bit of shambles to begin the year. I know that it's early and lots can change. But, with a 6-5 record as we near Big Ten play, the season is nearly over for the Ducks unless they completely turn things around soon. They've already suffered double digit losses to Auburn, San Diego State, Creighton & UCLA this year. Give me Gonzaga by quite a bit. 

Burns' Prediction: 99-76 Gonzaga.

(#742) New Mexico State Aggies | ATS | . 

Sam Houston State has played an extra game which gives it the better record of these teams so far. However, I'm not concerned with records. The Bearkats have been playing lots of road games this season and even though they own a perfect 8-0 ATS record so far, I believe that their first loss is definitely incoming. They play fast, but have a losing road record, and that shouldn't faze NMSU. 

The Aggies will definitely need to bring their A-Game on Sunday. However, if they just stick to their game, I'm confident in the home court helping them out for this win. They've had more than a week to recover from this 3-game losing streak. That was definitely needed as this team is much better than it's played recently. 

New Mexico State has a superstar in the making in Jemel Jones as well. He most definitely should be the best player on the court which should help the Aggies. Let's not forget that NMSU dominated & held UC Irvine to just 45 points and beat New Mexico already this season. I think that the Aggies will respond with a massive bounce back win on Sunday to open CUSA play. This is my #1 CONF. GAME OF THE YEAR. 

Burns' Prediction: 83-70 NMSU.

(#660) Georgia Southern Eagles | ATS | . 

It could be a really long day for James Madison fans on Saturday with the football team playing as big underdogs as well. The Dukes (CBB version) have been decent through 12 games but it's been a real struggle for them when playing away from home. JMU is 1-5 on the road this season and just lost to a 4-8 ODU team by nine points in its most recent contest. 

Georgia Southern, on the other hand, brings in a 9-5 record and is scorching hot having won six consecutive contests. With a perfect 6-0 record on home court as well, GASO's going to be extremely confident for this basketball game on Saturday evening. This is also a revenge spot for the Eagles, who lost both games against James Madison last season. As a matter of fact, they've lost four straight against the Dukes over the past two seasons. This game is needed. I expect GASO to control the pace of play and cruise to a win at home on Saturday afternoon. 

Burns' Prediction: 89-76 Georgia Southern.

(#631) Denver Pioneers @ (#632) Northern Colorado Bears | OVER | . 

While neither of these two teams play at an extremely high tempo, I do believe that the high percentage looks that each team gets will be enough to send this game "over" the number on Saturday afternoon. Denver just dropped 129 on a Div 2. side. However, it allowed 93 points in that game which is a bit alarming. In the game prior to that, the Pioneers gave up 105 at home against Cal State Fullerton. They are the big underdogs this evening, but do average 83.9 PPG with some of the highest three point numbers that you'll see in the country. For UNCO, it's got even higher percentages. The Bears and Pioneers combine for 20.2 made threes per game and UNCO is averaging 50.9% from the field. That's remarkable. The Bears just scored 90 points on the road against Texas Tech and are one of the highest scoring teams in College Basketball. I'll play the "over" in this one. 

Burns' Prediction: 95-79 UNCO.

(#306536) North Carolina Central Eagles | ATS | . 

Even though Longwood may be the higher ranked team at the moment, being on the road will never help a team. The Lancers have lost consecutive games coming into today and are one of the worst teams at keeping the ball in the nation with a very high turnover rate. They are 1-4 in road games this season and despite keeping the Wake Forest game close on Wednesday, that's going to be a tough one to swallow as they let one get away in the final minutes. 

NC Central has been much, much better at home this season. The Eagles are not very high ranked in any rankings, and don't get much respect. That's understandable, but being underdogs at home against another team with a losing record gives them something to prove. They are led by a fantastic guard by the name of Gage Lattimore, who's more than capable of lighting up the scoreboard. Give me NCCU on Saturday as I believe home court will be the difference. 

Burns' Prediction: 83-70 NCCU.

(#306506) High Point Panthers | ATS | . 

Last weekend, I played against La Salle and won with the LIU Sharks. I'm playing against the Explorers again on Friday as I believe that this team isn't very good whatsoever. That game vs. LIU was their most recent game and they now sit at only 4-7 on the season w/ a very disappointing 0-3 record on the road. Today, it takes on an even better team with a contrast style of play, the High Point Panthers. 

Although it hasn't necessarily been pretty recently for the Panthers, they won on Tuesday which is great for a confidence boost. It was against a non D1 school. However, a 78 point win is a 78 point win. That being said, this Panthers team can score and score in bunches. I'll lay the points at home on Friday evening. 

Burns' Prediction: 91-64 High Point.

(#737) Davidson Wildcats | ATS | . 

Temple has won consecutive games and now owns a winning record on the campaign. However, the Owls have played only one game on the road this season through 11 games and got absolutely dominated by Villanova. Playing 91% of their games at home or neutral court isn't going to help them much when they've got to play other tough opponents on the road, especially early on in conference play. 

Davidson might not have the fire power as it did when Steph Curry was at the school. But, the Wildcats look strong so far and are coming off perhaps their best performance of the season beating Mercyhurst 80-47. I expect another comfortable home win for Davidson on Thursday evening. 

Burns' Prediction: 75-61 Davidson.

(#306614) Central Connecticut State Blue Devils | ATS | . 

In my opinion, Fairfield has been much better than it actually is so far this season. The Stags are 6-5 so far but haven't been scoring at an elite level whatsoever, leading to much lower scoring games. I do believe that the Stags are a much better home team, just like pretty much everyone in the country. Being on the road hasn't been to friendly for them and will continue to not be on Thursday. 

Central Connecticut beat Fairfield at Fairfield last season but by just one. Now, the Blue Devils get to play the Stags at home for the first time in its history and they've won nine consecutive home regular season games since last year. I've got CCSU dominating this basketball game with how many points it scores compared to Fairfield. Lay the points. 

Burns' Prediction: 77-63 CCSU.

(#710) San Francisco Dons | ATS | . 

Through the opening quarter of the season, Loyola Chicago has not been impressive. Losing Sister Jean was one thing and it's simply just been downhill from there. I don't believe that the Ramblers have much chance when A10 play commences and the out-of-conference schedule isn't any easier to finish either w/ SF & Santa Clara B2B on the road. 

Looking at San Francisco, it's much better than 6-5. Good for the Dons, they are 4-1 at home and have faced a ton of competition. I believe that they have a great chance at making some noise this season and competing with Saint Mary's + Gonzaga in the WCC. I'll lay the points in this one on Wednesday. 

Burns' Prediction: 84-60 SF.

(#626) Morehead State Eagles | ATS | . 

Both of these two sides have been solid over the past few seasons and it's shaping up to be a disappointing year each. I know it's very early and conference play will determine everything. However, the early season records do not look great for both Little Rock & Morehead State. 

The Trojans are 2-8 through 10 games and haven't shown life at all recently. As a matter of fact, they've lost six consecutive games and average 65.3 PPG at the moment. That's bottom 15 in the entire nation. For, the Eagles, they are 3-7 but have much more respectable numbers. Playing at home where they are 2-0 this season, I expect the Eagles to emerge victorious. 

Burns' Prediction: 79-70 Morehead St.

(#893) Wyoming Cowboys @ South Dakota State Jackrabbits | UNDER | . 

Even though Wyoming comes into this game with an 88.0 PPG average, I do believe that it's going to be forced to slow down a bit in this neutral court contest. The Cowboys have played great defense for the most part this season and have definitely played in some lower scoring games at times as well. They don't shoot free throws well and that's something that S Dak St might be able to capitalize on. 

The Jackrabbits play in much lower scoring games overall than the Cowboys. With a 7-5 record, averaging 74.3 PPG is definitely not what you'd expect. That being said, South Dakota State is going to need to keep this game at its own pace if it wants to win this game. It too doesn't shoot well at the line. Those free throw misses are going to help lead this one to staying below the number. 

Burns' Prediction: 75-66 Wyoming.

(#771) Saint Mary's Gaels | ATS | . 

Even with this game being in Idaho (where Boise State is also located) this is not a home game for any team. Saint Mary's has competed with Gonzaga over the past couple of seasons for the top side in the WCC. Although the Zags look to be the runaway favorite early on this year, I still believe that the Gaels are going to give them a run for their money once conference play begins.

Boise State suffered maybe the most embarrassing loss of the past decade in College Hoops to start the season. Yes, I know that the Broncos are much better than they showed in that game and have won 75% of their games since. However, they also haven't been lighting up the stat sheet at all. BSU will probably have more fans being closer to today's venue, but I expect the Gaels to roll in this neutral court game on Sunday. 

Burns' Prediction: 76-62 St. Mary's

(#724) CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners | ATS | . 

I'm not too impressed with Pepperdine and I haven't been since last season. The Waves simply look out of sorts, especially when playing on the road. As a matter of fact, they've lost all three road games by double digits and have lost five consecutive games home/away. 

Looking at CSU Bakersfield, it's not going to blow you away with talent either. However, the Roadrunners do have a 3-1 record on home court this season and play much quicker than Pepperdine. With good teams that's not always the best scenario. However, with poor teams, the slower side might be forced to speed up and that's going to favor CSUB on Saturday. This is essentially a PK and I'll go with the home team. 

Burns' Prediction: 82-68 CSUB.

(#717) SMU Mustangs @ (#718) LSU Tigers | OVER | . 

Southern Methodist played Texas A&M very tough in its last game and completely opened it up in the Overtime period winning 93-80. That makes SMU 9-1 this season and fully confident for this road game against another SEC opponent. The Mustangs are lighting up the scoreboard w/ 89.8 PPG so far and have five double digit scorers, including Boopie Miller who's averaging 20+. 

Yes, it was a poor performance from LSU against TTU in its most recent game. However, the Tigers are still averaging 88.4 PPG through nine games this season. I believe that the Tigers are going to have much more success against an opponent that plays at a similar tempo instead of a slow paced Texas Tech team. 

Talking about the tempo, both teams rank 91st or higher via. KenPom's adjusted tempo rankings. I wouldn't be shocked whatsoever if both teams eclipse the 80pt mark on Saturday evening and therefore, my CBB TOTAL OF THE MONTH is on the "over" in this matchup. 

Burns' Prediction: 91-77 SMU.

(#706) Kentucky Wildcats | ATS | . 

Indiana's been the much better side of these two so far given the record. However, we haven't even hit conference play yet for these teams and I believe that there's plenty of time for changes and movement in the AP Poll as the season progresses. The Hoosiers most definitely haven't played the same amount of competition so far and have actually been quite poor in December through three games. 

Kentucky's back at home where it's always a much better basketball team. After the loss against the Zags on this court, a big win over a weak school was needed and I expect that to give the Wildcats a boost. Oweh will take over and lead to a UK cover on Saturday evening. 

Burns' Prediction: 87-75 Kentucky.

(#306652) Long Island University Sharks | ATS | . 

The Explorers of La Salle don't score many points whatsoever. Averaging 68.0 PPG through 10 games, that's one of the worst in all of CBB and especially in a "better" conference like the A10. The Explorers have yet to win a game on the road in two tries so far and will be one of the worst teams in their conference throughout this season. I wouldn't be shocked if they end with less than seven wins (have four currently.)

Long Island, on the other hand, plays in a much smaller conference in the Northeast. Last year's NEC player of the year Malachi Davis returned to this year's squad at the Sharks are expecting a NEC Championship come the end of this season. I do believe that La Salle may have the recruiting edge out of these two sides. But, given what we've seen up until this point, I'm going with LIU on Saturday. 

Burns' Prediction: 79-70 LIU.

(#606) Wichita State Shockers | ATS | . 

Although DePaul is looking to be a lot better than years prior, I do still believe that it's in a growing stage. The Blue Demons have yet to play a single road game this season and this will be the game that shows what they are made of. Three losses through 10 games, against LSU, Northwestern & Buffalo. I'm not impressed with DePaul's rebounding and that's going to be a problem on Saturday. 

Wichita State hasn't been great so far, winning only six out of 10. However, the Shockers are perfect at home (5-0) and are coming off a fantastic overtime road win against UNI which should have the team full of confidence. Back at home, until after Christmas, Wichita State will be expecting more perfection. I'll lay the points. 

Burns' Prediction: 77-66 Wichita State.

(#609) South Dakota State Jackrabbits | ATS | .

Even though South Dakota State is on the road for this matchup, I believe that it's the much better side in this contest and home court won't matter as much as normally. The Jackrabbits have been underwhelming a tad given their KenPom ranking and I expect better in the coming games and into conference game. They are significantly better at rebounding and that's going to give them a massive edge in second chance points on Tuesday. 

Ball State simply isn't a good basketball team whatsoever. I mean, with a 3-6 record on the season and averaging only 65.1 PPG, I'm surprised that it's even won three games. The Cardinals don't have what it takes to keep this SDak St team at bay on Tuesday evening. Hammer the Jackrabbits. 

Burns' Prediction: 84-63 South Dak. St.

(#306512) UT Martin Skyhawks | ATS | . 

Alabama State should not be given this much credit. The Hornets are 3-5 on the campaign and have lost consecutive games making their road record 1-4. I mean, most teams don't play too well on the road and that's where they remain on Sunday. Alabama State did play UNM extremely tough in its last game, which respect to it. However, that game definitely took a lot out of the Hornets, scoring 87 and coming oh so close. 

UT-Martin has a fantastic 6-2 record through eight games and has yet to lose a game on home court (3-0.) The Skyhawks are completely shutting their opponents down, allowing just 106 total points over their past couple of games and 70 or less points in six out of their eight games on the season. I believe that this team is built to win this season and will keep doing so. Lay the points. 

Burns' Prediction: 85-69 UT-Martin

(#686) California Golden Bears | ATS | . 

Even though Pacific has been outstanding through nine games, winning seven including four consecutive, I do believe that there's still a big gap between it and the higher levelled schools from the better conferences. The Tigers have played maybe two tough games all season long. One was a loss against Nevada and the other was a blowout defeat vs. FAU. 

For California, it's led by a guy that should turn some heads this season by the name of Dai Dai Ames. He's an absolute beast to pair with Justin Pippen (son of Scottie.) That being said , this Golden Bears team is filthy and not getting the credit that they deserve quite yet at this point in the season. 

The Cal Bears have beaten UCLA & Utah in consecutive games, both by more than a few buckets. This is an easier matchup and I've got Cal winning this one by double digits on Saturday without much trouble. 

Burns' Prediction: 84-62 Cal.

(#621) Ohio State Buckeyes | ATS | . 

I know that Ohio State is on the road. However, I do believe that it's the better team by a significant margin in this matchup on Saturday afternoon. The Buckeyes, who are #36 in KenPom's efficiency rankings through seven games, just lost their first game of the season which was bound to happen eventually. However, the second half performance on the road really gave me the idea of what team this is. A team that will never give up and fight against any program in the country. Northwestern has not looked so good in consecutive games now, losing both of those contests. The Wildcats don't shoot enough threes to keep up with the Buckeyes in a game that should be controlled by OSU. I'll grab the point and a half. 

Burns' Prediction: 81-74 OSU.

(#886) Drake Bulldogs | ATS | . 

Although I have respect for this UAB team that's off to a pretty solid 6-3 start to the season, I do believe that it's at a slightly lower level that this Drake side. The Blazers suffered brutally as the road fav. in its last game, losing by 15 against MTSU. They shot just 35% from the field and scored 61 points. That's not going to cut it when playing on the road. 

Drake, on the other hand, is gaining more and more confidence. Beating Georgia Tech by double digits down in Florida was a massive boost from the Bulldogs and that propelled them to a 51 point win against Western Illinois on Tuesday. Now, they remain at home as extremely small favorites. I'll lay the point and a half. 

Burns' Prediction: 81-66 Drake.

(#686) Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers | ATS | . 

Despite being the favorite, I still don't have much belief in this Sacred Heart team. It's lost consecutive games and just got blown out on the road against Penn State. While obviously that was a mismatch, the Pioneers remain on the road where they are winless in five attempts this season. 

On the other hand, MSM is greatly excited to be playing at home again after beating Howard over the weekend. The Mountaineers are not going to blow you away with their stats are anything but given the fact that home court is such a big factor in this sport, I believe that these two sides are quite similar in level and therefore I'll grab the point and a half on the home dog. 

Burns' Prediction: 88-70 Mt. St. Mary's.

(#646) Oklahoma State Cowboys | ATS | . 

Sam Houston State has been excellent recently, winning four consecutive games. However, the Bearkats haven't done so well in road games so far this season losing both of those. According to KenPom, SHSU has the 222nd ranked defensive efficiency, which will more than likely cause struggles defending one of the most explosive offenses in the country. 

Oklahoma State wants to run and play very fast. Averaging 92.1 PPG through seven games, they are one of the highest scoring teams in the nation as well. While the Bearkats play fast, they don't play at nearly the same speed. I'll lay the points on the home favorite here. 

Burns' Prediction: 99-76 OKST.

(#871) Temple Owls @ (#872) Villanova Wildcats | UNDER | . 

Even though neither defense is playing amazingly this season, I believe that the pace of play in this game will ultimately keep this lower scoring that expected. Temple ranks 205th via. KenPom in adjusted tempo while Villanova ranks 330th in the country. 

Fast break points should be held to a premium too as both of these teams do a great job at not turning the ball over. That might lead you to thinking that there will be more points that way. However, if turnovers are limited, then pace will be even more of a factor. Give me the "under" on Monday in this one. 

Burns' Prediction: 78-60 Nova.

(#306537) Norfolk State Spartans @ (#306538) Arizona Wildcats | OVER | . 

Norfolk State is feeling excellent about itself after putting up 136 points in its last game. I know it was against a non division 1 program. But, anytime you can score that much provides an extreme boost to your program. The Spartans are averaging more than 80 PPG this season and even though I don't expect that many today, I do think that they can crack the 60 mark rather easily. 

Arizona, on the other hand, wants to play fast. The Wildcats haven't been able to blow too many teams out yet, but did so in their last game against Denver, winning 103-73. Now, the defense hasn't been insane against these "lesser" teams for ARI. So, I do believe that it'll allow a decent amount. But, in the end as a 30+ pt fav, I've got Arizona reaching close to 100 in this one if not exceeding that number. Hammer the "over." 

Burns' Prediction: 99-66 Arizona.

(#626) Idaho State Bengals | ATS | . 

For those who don't know, CS Northridge is one of the fastest playing teams in the country. That will help it against opponents that want to speed up the game too but aren't as fast. But, I don't think that it gives the Matadors an edge against slow teams like Idaho State. CSUN does have a road win under its belt this season, but that was against a really disappointing North Dakota team. After losing by double digits to Idaho on Wednesday, this is its second neutral court game. 

Although this is a neutral court contest, we will be closer to Idaho State's home as this game is being held in Boise which is a drive of a little over three hours opposed to 13 hours for CSUN. That being said, the Bengals should feel comfortable. While IDST lost as well, it was just by three points to a hot SHSU side. I expect the Bengals to slow the game down and play their game on Friday. 

Burns' Prediction: 84-71 Idaho St.

(#805) Maryland Terrapins vs. (#806) Alabama Crimson Tide | OVER | . 

Well, well, well. Maryland has some thinking to do having given up 100 points last night against Gonzaga. I know that the Terrapins are better than what they showed and will be able to rebound from that game in the near future. Plus, going up against one of the fastest playing teams of the past few years should help them get back on track offensively at the very least. 

Talking about the fast playing team, all the Tide do is run, run, run. It's a different core leading the way this season, but definitely a similar brand of basketball that's going down. Bama has cracked 90 in all four of its wins this season while allowing 85+ in four of its six games as well. I believe that this game could be a shootout as we end the Players-ERA tournament on Wednesday evening on the west coast. 

Burns' Prediction: 95-86 Alabama.

(#306600) UNC Wilmington Seahawks | ATS | . 

After finally winning its first game of the season, Southeastern Louisiana has a bit of confidence entering Wednesday's contest. However, back on the road, I don't think that it'll last too long. The Lions picked a very difficult opening schedule and although it might help them in the long run, it's not going to help playing continuous games on the road in non-conference play. It's simply just going to tire the team out. 

UNC Wilmington cannot be taken lightly either. The Seahawks were fantastic last season and expect more of the same in 2025-26. They are ranked among the top 100 most efficient offenses in the country via. KenPom and should have no problem running up the score in this game. Playing at home, I'll lay the points. 

Burns' Prediction: 85-59 UNCW.

(#786) Houston Cougars | ATS | . 

Notre Dame didn't find too much success in its opening game of the tournament against Kansas. I know that the Fighting Irish returned the favour and beat Rutgers yesterday afternoon. However, I believe that the Scarlett Knights are probably the worst team in the field of 18. Having said that, ND will be in for it on Wednesday against a hungry Houston team out of revenge. 

The Cougars lost last night and went ice cold for most of the 2nd half. I don't see that happening here this afternoon. The Cougars will play with way too much defensive intensity that ND won't know what hit it. Hammer Houston to bounce back from that loss. 

Burns' Prediction: 84-60 Houston.

(#759) Virginia Commonwealth | ATS | . 

I know that VCU already has suffered a pair of defeats this season. But, I'm still very high on this team's capabilities. Through five games, the Rams have five double digit scorers. That's huge for a team that plays so many guys. Not to mention that they've got one of the best defenses in the country, something USF cannot say whatsoever. 

Talking about the Bulls, they too have a couple of losses. However, unlike VCU, USF lost its last game and gave up more than 100 points in that game against Oklahoma State. Don't get me wrong, both of the losses for each of these teams have been on the road. But, given how many points USF has allowed to the better teams that it's played up until this point, I believe that VCU is going to be able to shut South Florida down in the clutch and emerge victorious. 

Burns' Prediction: 94-80 VCU.

(#669) Houston Cougars | ATS | . 

I wasn't too impressed with Houston's defense on Monday and I believe that it's going to need to be much better on Tuesday. As you all know, I wrote an article at the beginning of the season expecting the Cougars to win the title. Kelvin Sampson and the Cougs need a big win this evening to even be considered for the final of this tournament given the rules. I wouldn't be shocked if he has the guys up early and running already if he didn't already do so last night. 

Tennessee dominated Rutgers yesterday. But, the Volunteers could be caught napping with how easy that contest was. Rutgers is nothing compared to Houston and I expect this to be a completely different battle. Houston is much better on the glass and that will be the difference on Tuesday. 

Burns' Prediction: 76-65 Houston.

(#611) Utah Valley Wolverines | ATS | . 

Playing this game in Mexico on Tuesday evening, I believe that there's no significant edge in distance travelled for this competition. Utah Valley is coming off an excellent home win against UC Irvine in its last game and I believe that the Wolverines are going to be ready for this Cancun Challenge. 

On the other hand, South Dakota State has been very solid so far but I'm still not sold. I mean, the Jackrabbits lost Oscar Cluff from last years team who averaged more than 17 PPG. Now, it's down to more of a team style of basketball instead of a one man show. That's sometimes better. However, I don't believe that SDak St has played anyone great other than Oregon (who I think is overrated.) Give me the Wolveriens with more rest coming into it. 

Burns' Prediction: 84-72 UVU.

(#881) Florida Atlantic Owls | ATS | . 

Although this is a tournament game, Florida Atlantic definitely has the ball in its court for this matchup. The Owls are playing in their home state while their opponents are coming all the way from Los Angeles on the opposite coast. The Owls aren't expected to be as great as some of the past few seasons that we've seen this year. But, being in the AAC really elevates their play in my opinion and I expect them to be competitive in the conference as the season continues to move along. 

LMU has started out very strong with a 6-0 record. However, the Lions haven't really been tested whatsoever. UCSB was probably its toughest matchup in its last game and the Gauchos don't look as strong as they should be at the moment. Loyola Marymount is significantly worse from the line and that always matters in in-season tournament games as well as all games in College Hoops. I'll take FAU to break LMU's perfect run on Monday. 

Burns' Prediction: 82-74 FAU.

(#306516) Central Connecticut State Blue Devils | ATS | . 

Central Connecticut State was so good during the regular season last year. A 25-7 overall record to finish the year had the Blue Devils on top of the Northeast Conference come the end of it. However, a poor showing in the conference tournament put their tourney hopes aside for another season. That being said, I believe that they are back and ready to show the world that it wasn't just a one-season thing. This defense is one of the best in the country inside the paint and it's going to cause tremendous problems for Sacred Heart all evening. The Pioneers of Sacred Heart are projected to be solid within their conference this season. However, coming off a losing season, I still believe that there's work to be done before finally breaking through. Given how bad the Sacred Heart defense has been this season, CCSU should get plenty of chances to score. Give me the Blue Devils at home in this one. 

Burns' Prediction: 80-62 CCSU.

(#860) Iowa State Cyclones | ATS | . 

St. John's is always going to be really good under Rick Pitino as he gets plenty of talent from freshman to the portal. That being said, I do believe that this team is slightly worse than last seasons roster led by RJ Luis. We all saw the disappointment from the Johnnies in March last season and playing against out of conference teams that are as complete as ISU this early in the season might expose some flaws. The Red Storm have already lost at home in the Garden against Alabama this season. This one's a neutral court game. 

The Cyclones, on the other hand, have been electric and dominant so far. In its lone "competitive" game, Iowa State rolled past Mississippi in a 16pt blowout victory. I believe that the defense is much better than St. John's while the offense is just as good if not better as well. These starters have much more chemistry together as well. Lay the point and a half. 

Burns' Prediction: 83-75 Iowa State.

(#681) Akron Zips | ATS | . 

Through five games, I've really liked what I have seen by this Akron team so far. The four wins have all been by 14+ points and I believe that another one is coming on Sunday evening. The road test against Purdue should really help the Zips in the near future, especially in this tournament against opponents that have not battled against a team like that so far. 

Evansville comes into this game having just knocked off Oregon State on the road. Now, yes that seems like a big win but it was a single digit dog in that game. The Purple Aces have also played Purdue, but got annihilated in the first game of the season. I believe that this team is significantly worse and the change of speeds. 

Talking about the change in speeds, Akron is going to want to push, push & push and that's not going to suit Evansville's style of play whatsoever. The speed will be too much for the Purple Aces to handle and that will ultimately lead to what should be a beatdown. 

Burns' Prediction: 92-65 Akron.

(#306592) UT Martin Skyhawks | ATS | . 

Prairie View A&M, currently ranked 328th in the KenPom efficiency rankings, comes in more than a 100 spots below UTM. The Panthers have lost three consecutive games and all of those come by 18+ points. They remain away from home this weekend for this mini tournament and I believe that the struggles are going to continue. 

Despite the loss in their last game, the Skyhawks have been brilliant so far this season. That loss came on the road against a very tough Florida State side. UT Martin now heads to the Pensacola Invitational feeling extremely confident and I believe that this is a complete mismatch. The Skyhawks should cruise to a double digit win on Saturday early evening. 

Burns' Prediction: 87-70 UT Martin.

(#875) West Virginia Mountaineers | ATS | . 

In the Charleston Classic on Friday evening, this should be an electric matchup with two great defensive teams. The total isn't very high so it should be very highly contested. Looking at the matchup, WVU has really been able to slow the games down a ton, leading to its 5-0 record. Honor Huff has been a massive addition from Chattanooga, leading the team in points. I believe that this Mountaineers team is sneaky good and could very well knock off some great teams this season. 

For Clemson, it's played pretty well as well. However, the Tigers do have a loss to their name against Georgetown in its only road game. Now, this is a neutral court game in a tournament. However, the Tigers didn't show its best self in their only road game and that could be a problem here in Charleston. I'll grab the points and expect an upset. 

Burns' Prediction: 74-68 WVU.

(#808) Virginia Cavaliers | ATS | . 

While Northwestern has stayed perfect through four games, it barely survived on the road in its last game against DePaul. The Wildcats only managed to win that game by two points and DePaul isn't even ranked inside the top 100 via. KenPom's efficiency ratings. That being said, I believe that they are going to struggle in this game against one of the best teams in the ACC on Friday afternoon, even though this isn't a true road game. 

Playing in West Virginia on Friday, Virginia is still going to treat this as a home game considering that it's much, much closer. The Cavaliers are also a perfect 4-0 this season and have played extremely tough basketball offensively and defensively. With the 3's falling at an awesome rate, I don't see why the Cavs can't win this game by double digits. Lay the points. 

Burns' Prediction: 80-66 Virginia.

(#726) Miami Florida Hurricanes | ATS | . 

Elon comes into this game feeling pretty good about itself, winning three of out it's first four ball games. However, I don't believe that the Phoenix have played any sort of competition whatsoever. I mean, Marshall, it's toughest test, is much worse than this Miami team that they are about to play. Elon barely beat an 0-4 UNC Greensboro side and has really struggled on the defensive end, allowing 90+ in two and 80+ in three out of those four contests. 

The Hurricanes, on the other hand, will be searching to get back into the win column. I expect that to be rather simple on Thursday considering what Miami did to the two sides before playing Florida. Two wins of 40+ against Bethune Cookman & Stetson. This shouldn't be asking for too much considering how bad Elon's defense really is. Lay the points. 

Burns' Prediction: 96-63 Miami.

(#306621) Illinois Chicago Flames (#306622) High Point Panthers | OVER | . 

While Illinois Chicago isn't really known for playing too fast, it's going to have to on Thursday if it wants to have a chance in this Boardwalk Battle contest in Daytona. The Flames are a solid team this season and have looked sharp through four games. Averaging 82.3 PPG, that's very respectable so far. 

On the other hand, High Point loves to blow teams out of the water. With their insane scoring numbers, sitting at 95.2 PPG through five games, there's no doubt in my mind that this program is going to want to get it's in-season tournament started with a bang. The Panthers love running in transition and I expect them to do just that once again today. I expect both teams to reach at least 75 points and that should ultimately see this game finish "over" the number. 

Burns' Prediction: 89-78 High Point.

(#704) Weber State Wildcats | ATS | . 

Campbell has the respect of a lot of people for some reason. Don't get me wrong, the Camels are a team on the rise in the CAA conference. However, I don't believe that we're going to see the best version of them until we get into conference play. They have lost both of their road games up until this point and will be travelling from North Carolina all the way to Utah for this basketball game. That's a long ways. 

Weber State should be happy to be at home. Although the Wildcats lost all three games on the road trip, each one of them were very difficult opponents (Utah, Utah State & UC Irvine.) They actually did a very solid job, losing all of them by single digits. Weber State should be ready to go for this basketball game to get back on track on Wednesday in Ogden. 

Burns' Prediction: 89-74 Weber St.

(#618) Detroit Mercy Titans | ML | . 

Eastern Michigan hasn't been too impressive this season. As a matter of fact, it's had two games played at home out of the three and has lost two of three. The Eagles lost to IUPUI at home in their most recent game and did not played much defense at all in that game. From what I've seen so far, this team is going to be among the worst in the MAC. 

Don't get me wrong, Detroit Mercy hasn't been anything special either. However, the Titans have only had a single home game so far and they just played Toledo very tough on the road. Toledo has a top 90 offense in KenPom by the way. That being said, this should be a much easier game, and it's at home. Detroit is much better than years past and I believe it'll hold home court on Tuesday. 

Burns' Prediction: 85-76 Detroit.

(#810) North Dakota State Bison | ML | . 

Southern Illinois might be the higher rated program at the moment. But, that doesn't make road games any easier. The Salukis are 2-1 on the season and in a game where they were double digit dogs, they fought all the way to force OT against Nevada. Ultimately, Southern Illinois fell short and lost in that game. That's got to hurt considering it was so close. Now, the Salukis continue on the road in a spot where I don't think they should be favored. 

North Dakota State began the season on the road and almost knocked off Oregon State. Since those two loses, the Bison have returned home and looked extremely sharp against CS Northridge and St. Scholastica. Now, I know that's not much competition. But, being at home helps at an enormous rate in this sport. I believe that the momentum is going to propel NDSU to a big time home win on Monday. 

Burns' Prediction: 81-72 NSDU.