This is a 10* on OVER

Toronto took a 101-99 loss to Portland last night, keeping them in 4th place in the Eastern Conference. That was at home, now they head out on the road to face Charlotte. It's been a struggle for the Raptors of late with them dropping five of the last eight games. In each of the last three, they've failed to score 100 points. But look for them to rediscover their "lost" shooting touch tonight against a Hornets team that's permitting 111 points/game. The last three Charlotte games have all gone Over as have six of the last seven Toronto-Charlotte matchups. Earlier this year, the Raptors hung 132 on the Hornets in a blowout up in Canada. They probably won't score that many tonight, but they'll definitely score enough to help send the game Over the total. The total for that first matchup was several points higher than it is here. The only other time this season Toronto has had to go home --> away with no rest in between, they gave up 120 points. Charlotte has gotten 29 points/game from guard Terry Rozier the last three games. Play OVER Toronto-Charlotte

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This is an 8* on INDIANA

Indiana is coming off back to back losses, the latest being to #12 Maryland (no shame there) on what was a cold-shooting night for the Hoosiers. The other loss saw IU blow an 11-point second half lead to Arkansas, at home. Prior to those losses, Indiana was 11-1 and certainly worthy of Top 25 consideration. Tonight seems like an excellent chance to get back on track as they'll take on Northwestern at Assembly Hall in Bloomington. Northwestern is not one of the Big 10's stronger teams. In fact, they've lost four in a row and six out of the last eight. Sunday saw the Wildcats travel to Minnesota and take a 77-68 loss, leaving them as the only Big 10 team without a conference win. Only seven scholarship players suited up on Sunday because of injuries and that situation is no better for tonight. A lack of guards is a real issue for Northwestern right now. They are the lowest scoring team in the Big 10 and didn't even attempt a three-pointer until nearly midway through the second half vs. Minnesota. Indiana is 9-1 and averaging 84.5 points/game at home. Northwestern is just 7-18-1 ATS its last 26 games overall. Play on INDIANA

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This is a 10* on the LAKERS

The Lakers have won five in a row overall, the last four of which have been at home. On paper, this homestand seemed to set up very favorably for them with mostly games against teams with losing records. But while they've been winning, they have not been covering in the New Year. After jumping out to a 36-point lead against Phoenix, they won by only 10 as an 11-point favorite. It was a similar deal two nights later vs. New Orleans as they led by 20+ in the third quarter, but won by only 10 as 10.5-point favorites. Sunday vs. Detroit was a much different deal as they actually trailed going into the fourth quarter, which was good for us as we had the Pistons +14.5 (final score was 106-99). Tonight is a very similar matchup as the Lakers host the Knicks. But this is where we see LA covering the spread. The Knicks may be 4-1 ATS L5, but they are still a really bad team. We can easily establish that they'll lose here being that the last two years they are 1-16 straight up as a road underdog of at least 12.5 points. Only two of those games were this year. But they were just 4-11 ATS in the role the last two years. Lakers are 9-2-1 ATS vs. teams with a sub-.400 win percentage. Play on LA LAKERS

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This is a 10* on the ISLANDERS

The Islanders season got off to an excellent start with a 16-3-1 record through the first 20 games. But they are just 10-9-2 since and that's including last night's 1-0 win at home against Colorado. That's a good win considering the Avalanche had been shut out only one time previously and also much needed as the Islanders had lost their last two games. Now, without rest, they head to New Jersey. This should be an easy two points. The Devils are in last place and have been outscored by 38 goals this season. They just lost to Colorado, 5-2, on Saturday. The Islanders shutting out Colorado was even more impressive when you consider the Avs are the highest scoring team in the league. New Jersey has scored the second fewest goals. The Islanders have given up the second fewest. They've been in a scoring drought themselves, but only two teams have allowed more goals than New Jersey. The Devils have some key injuries too. NY is actually 14-3 the last 17 times its taken the ice without rest. New Jersey has lost 17 of the last 21 times it has played with 2 days rest. Play on NY ISLANDERS

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This is a 10* on RUTGERS

The Big 10 could very well put a record number of teams in the NCAA Tournament this year. It will be interesting to see how some of the teams hold up against what is going to be a brutal conference schedule. These are two teams I'm interested in. Penn State and Rutgers each come into Tuesday riding 5-game win streaks. Penn State has already beaten Maryland and Iowa. But those games were both played in Pennsylvania. So far the Nittany Lions have played just two actual road games. One saw them get destroyed by Ohio State, 106-74. Their only other defeat was by two against Ole Miss, in Brooklyn. But here they face a Rutgers team that is 10-0 at home including a win over Seton Hall. The Scarlet Knights allow less than 60 points/game and have won the rebounding battle in 13 of their 14 games played. Penn State has three wins this year by three points or less, so that record could easily be a little bit worse. Even with the injury to G Geo Baker, we don't agree with how the early line movement for this one. Play on RUTGERS

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This is a 10* on TROY

Troy (5-10) seemingly doesn't have much going for itself right now but this is a lot of points to be getting from a Texas State team that isn't exactly making a lot of noise. Texas State has been especially poor as a favorite this year, going 1-7 ATS. If that's not bad enough, the Bobcats haven't covered any of their last five lined games. Troy is 0-3 ATS its last three, but never were they getting close to double digits. There have only been two times the Trojans have been double digit dogs. Both were vs. power conference teams. They covered the last one, at Texas A&M, losing by just four. Texas State is 0 for 3 at the window when it has had to lay double digits. Most of their wins have been against either non Division I teams or bottom of the barrel D-I teams. It was just a three-point win over Arkansas State Saturday. Play on TROY

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This is an 8* on MIAMI

Its seems as if no one is really giving Miami much of a chance in Monday's Lending Tree Bowl. But the RedHawks should be pretty used to that by now. They were underdogs in the MAC Championship Game and won that outright, beating Central Michigan 26-21. Even getting to play for the MAC Championship seemed like a pipe dream when Miami was 1-3, but looking back, those losses were to Iowa, Cincinnati and Ohio State (all 10+ win teams). One of the two conference losses was the final regular season game where the RedHawks had nothing to play for and sat starters. In something that is truly stunning, Miami has been a favorite in only two games all year! Those were against Akron and Bowling Green. As an underdog, they are 7-4 ATS, winning outright six times. So while Louisiana finished the regular season with one of the best overall ATS marks (9-4), it's a lot of points to lay to a team well-versed in the underdog role. Two of the Ragin Cajuns three losses were to Appalachian State, the other to Mississippi State. Certainly, we can see them winning this game, but the margin that the oddsmakers are calling for here is too high. Miami has a good defense that makes plenty of tackles for loss. Play MIAMI OH

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This is an 8* on MONTREAL

Montreal has slipped down the Atlantic Division standings, the reason being they've lost five straight games. But their 43 points still has the Canadiens very viable to make a run to the playoffs. But they can't afford too many more slip-ups and tonight almost feels like one of those "must-wins" as they host Winnipeg. The Jets have lost two in a row themselves, not to mention seven of the last nine games as well. So one team's misery is going to continue after tonight. We believe it will be the Jets. They've allowed at least four goals in seven of the last nine games. At the same time, they failed to notch even one goal at even strength in Saturday's 3-2 overtime loss at Minnesota. Montreal is also off an overtime loss and four of their last five losses have been by one goal and they've been facing some pretty strong competition lately. The Jets have won just 4 of their last 17 visits to Quebec and the Canadiens are 14-5 the last 19 times they've been off a game where they scored two or less goals. Play on MONTREAL

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This is a 10* on BROOKLYN

Brooklyn got Caris LeVert back in the lineup Saturday, but that failed to turn the tide as for a fifth consecutive game they came out on the losing end. This time it was at home to Toronto, who is a good team but also came in short-handed. The Nets got spanked 121-102 in a very disappointing result for them as they were actually favored.  But with LeVert back, this is going to be a better team and we see this line for Monday's game at Orlando getting a bit out of hand. These teams seem pretty even and the case could be made Brooklyn is better. Orlando lost its last game, at home, by 13. The Magic don't score enough (103.3 points/game) to give us any confidence in them laying points here. They've lost 9 of 14 themselves. Should be a close game where taking points is a must. Play on BROOKLYN

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This is a 10* on DETROIT

The Lakers have a bad habit of letting their opponents sneak through the back door in the 4th quarter. So as long as they're laying these high numbers, we're likely to be considering the other side. On New Year's Day, LA ended up not covering against Phoenix despite taking an early 30+ point lead. They led by 20+ going into the fourth quarter of Friday's game vs. New Orleans and didn't cover there either. It's just a 2-8 ATS record the last 10 games for the Purple & Gold and they are laying a big number here against Detroit as the Pistons played last night at Golden State. Even thought its back to back, we look for the Pistons to cover. They did win last night, 111-104, and while it's big jump in class going from facing the Warriors to the Lakers, it's a lot of points too. Detroit has had its share of ATS woes, covering just 2 of its last 10 games. But they are the ones getting double digits tonight, which makes it easier even though they are probably going to be without Blake Griffin. The Pistons are only being outscored by 2.8 points/game this year. Play on DETROIT

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This is a 10* on the UNDER

Chicago is coming off a three-game road trip, which ended with a 7-5 loss in Vancouver. They'd won the first two games of the trip as well as six of their previous eight. Meanwhile, Detroit continues to be terrible as they lost 4-1 in Dallas on Friday night. We had the Under in that one, our top NHL total bet for the week. The Red Wings were coming off a rare win heading into that game - 2-0 against San Jose - but had lost six in a row before that. They've got the least points in the league right now (23) and it's not even close. Consider Chicago is also a last place team, but they have 42 points. The team with the next fewest points is New Jersey with 36. While the Red Wings have given up the most goals (161), they've also scored the fewest. While its somewhat concerning to see that the Blackhawks have given up 7 goals in their last two defeats, they're probably not losing here. They've held the opponent to three goals or less in each of the last six wins. The Under is 5-1 Detroit's past six road games and 3-0 the last three games overall. Play UNDER Detroit-Chicago

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This is a 10* on PHILADELPHIA

Due to injuries and an inferior record, the Eagles seem to be getting written off here. That's a mistake. They still have the home field advantage and that's big. Seattle did well for itself on the road this year, but has not done well in the playoffs when having to leave the Pacific Northwest. Eight of the franchise's last 10 playoff road games have ended in defeat and one of those wins was the infamous game in Minnesota where Vikings kicker Blair Walsh missed a chip shot field goal. Home underdogs are pretty rare in the NFL Playoffs and we haven't seen one in the Wild Card Round since 2015. But the Eagles are 5-0 STRAIGHT UP all-time in the postseason as a home dog and four of those wins have been by at least 13 points. Under Doug Pederson, they are 8-4 ATS getting points (regular season or playoffs) including 5-0 in the playoffs where they've won four of the five on the field. Since 1990, there have been eight instances of a team with a 9-7 or worse record hosting a team with at least 11 wins. The home team has gone 6-2 SU and 6-1-1 against the spread in those games. Play on PHILADELPHIA

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This is a 10* on DAVIDSON

Duquesne started the season 10-0, which was definitely a surprise. But the key is they really haven't played anybody. After suffering two straight defeats, the Dukes won their conference opener by beating a poor St. Louis team 73-59. They hope that stems the tide, but we don't see them beating Davidson, who will be playing its first A-10 game on Sunday. The Wildcats had won three in a row by virtue of some solid defense, but then ran into Vanderbilt right before the New Year and lost 76-71 in Nashville as a 1-point underdog. That leaves them at 6-6 SU overall with all but three of the games played away from home. While the overall record isn't as good as they'd hoped for, Davidson is definitely battle-tested going into conference play. They've gone 7-0 SU vs. Duquesne and 6-1 ATS, the lone non-cover coming last year. But a big key coming into today is that Davidson has been the dog in only one of those prior seven meetings. We believe the better team is getting points Sunday. The Wildcats have gone 31-10 SU and 26-15 ATS vs. the rest of the Atlantic 10 the past two seasons. Play on DAVIDSON

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This is a 10* on the UNDER

The 13-3 Saints host the 10-6 Vikings on Wild Card Weekend. Because of Drew Brees, New Orleans will always be known for their offense. But it has been a much improved defense that has helped guide them to back to back 13-win seasons. The Saints gave up an average of just 21.3 points/game this season. They'll need that defense to show up on Sunday because the Vikings actually allowed a fewer number of points per contest, coming in at 18.9. There are some incredible trends supporting the Under in this one. For starters, Minnesota has gone Under in its last five Wild Card games. They've also gone Under 15 of the past 22 times they've been an underdog. But the most eye-opening trend of all is that the last seven NFL Wild Card games with a spread of seven points or more have all stayed Under! We certainly don't expect Vikings QB Kirk Cousins to play well in this spot. So don't go expecting many points from the underdog. At the same time, Minnesota's defense can keep them in the game. Look for the defenses to rule the day and this one to go Under. Play UNDER Minnesota-New Orleans

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This is a 10* on OVER

Milwaukee leads the league in scoring at 119.4 points/game, so we need not be concerned about them scoring tonight. Especially since San Antonio is no longer the same defensive "stalwart" we've been accustomed to seeing under Greg Popovich. This edition of the Spurs might be the worst Pop has had, at least defensively, as they are giving up 114.8 points/game. They've been at or below that average the last five games, but most of those were against not great offensive teams (they played Dallas without Doncic). Obviously, none of those teams score as much as the Bucks do. It was an "off-shooting night" for Milwaukee in its last game, a 106-104 win at Minnesota. Despite Giannis Antetokounmpo scoring 32 points, the team shot just 42.6% and missed 27 of its 36 three-point attempts. That's bad news for San Antonio because you have to think the Bucks will be a lot sharper at home. The Spurs are 9-2 Over this season in non-conference games. Play OVER San Antonio-Milwaukee

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This is a 10* on NEW ENGLAND

New England comes into these playoffs with the longest Super Bowl odds (20/1) that they've ever had during the Belichick/Brady regime. While it's true that the offense has not flashed the form we're accustomed to seeing, it's hard to pass up the opportunity to lay such a small number with the Patriots in Foxboro against Ryan Tannehill. The Pats still have the best defense in football even after laying an egg against Miami in Week 17. They gave up only 14.1 points/game and 275.7 yards/game. Both were league bests. They are also "money" as a home favorite of this season. The last three seasons have seen NE go 10-1 SU and 7-3-1 ATS when laying anywhere from -3.5 to -7 in Foxboro. If you go all the way back to 2001, Brady's first year as a starting QB, the team is 72-17 straight up and 61-24-4 ATS (71.8%!) laying seven points or less at home. We know Ryan Tannehill had a career year and made the Titans offense better. But he's still Ryan Tannehill and we're not about to bet that he can beat Tom Brady in the playoffs. Lay it! Play on NEW ENGLAND

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This is a 10* on TEXAS

Baylor is a Top 10 team in the country right now (#6) with a 10-1 straight up record. This is the Big 10 opener as they face Texas, who is a solid 10-2 SU, but unranked. This is actually the best start to a season that the Longhorns have had under Shaka Smart. They are coming off their most dominant performance yet, registering season-highs in points, field goals made, field goal percentage, blocked shots and margin of victory in a 89-58 demolition of High Point. It's no debate that tonight's game is going to be much tougher as Baylor has won nine in a row, including three wins over ranked teams. The Bears last game was pretty similar to Texas' as they won 83-57 against Jackson State. But they're 1-5 ATS this season after allowing 60 points or less the previous game. Texas is 12-4 ATS in the month of January the last two years. The last four head to head meetings have seen the 'Horns either win or lose by single digits. Two of the losses were by just one point. Texas allows a pretty similar number of points per game compared to Baylor. Take the points. Play on TEXAS

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This is an 8* on HOUSTON

This was probably the best possible Wild Card matchup for the Texans. They are facing an inexperienced QB and an offense that averaged just 19.6 points/game in the regular season. While Houston's defense nosedived in the second half of the season, that was directly tied to the loss of superstar JJ Watt. Watt is now back on the active roster and will play Saturday. So will QB DeShaun Watson after he sat out a meaningless final regular season game. Houston is simply more talented than Buffalo and is laying a short number at home. The Bills defensive numbers may look great, but realize they beat only one playoff team and that with the Titans before they made the QB switch from Marcus Mariota to Ryan Tannehill. That was also Week 5! The Bills offense has not scored more than 17 points in any of its last four games. They were held under 20 points in more than half their games. That simply won't get it done this time of year. Five starts against playoff teams this year yielded only a 51.6% completion percentage and 5.5 yards per attempt for Buffalo QB Josh Allen. The Bills averaged just 14 points in those games. Play on HOUSTON

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This is a 9* on VEGAS

Each of Vegas last three games were played at home. They've won all of them. St. Louis last two games were both on the road. They lost twice. While an eight-game win streak preceded that for the Blues, unfortunately tonight they are back on the road. Sin City is a place that has been unwelcome to visiting teams ever since the Golden Knights came into existence. This year has been no different as the Golden Knights have gone 13-7-3 at T-Mobile Arena. Making the Knights tough to beat is the fact that they've scored at least three times in each of their last 10 games. They've scored 14 goals during this three-game home win streak, finding the back of the net at least four times in every game. The Blues just gave up seven goals at Colorado on Thursday, a result that we were on the right side of as it was our 10* Game of the Week. We feel just as strong about fading the Blues Saturday afternoon as Vegas is 6-1 its last seven home games. The Knights record since Thanksgiving is 11-4-2 SU. Play on VEGAS

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This is an 8* on SOUTHERN MISS

Southern Miss is an underdog here against Tulane, but given the way the Green Wave played down the stretch, this sure looks like too many points for them to lay here. Losers of five of the past six games, including the last three, Tulane didn’t beat many good teams. Their one victory over a bowl team was the season opener vs. FIU. Since then, they’ve gone 0-6 and covered the spread just twice. Obviously both covers came as underdogs. Southern Miss saw its regular season end with two straight losses. They turned the ball over eight times in those two losses, which cost them a chance to win the Conference USA West Division. We expect the Golden Eagles to be slightly more motivated as they were not picked for a bowl last season despite winning six games. They easily could win here, so why not take the points? These schools used to be regular rivals, but have met only twice since 2006. Southern Miss not only won both of those, they’ve beaten Tulane six times in a row. Play on SOUTHERN MISS

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This is a 10* on the UNDER

Nevada got hit with multiple suspensions for the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl against Ohio, most of them on the defensive side of the ball. Four are defensive starters and three players will miss the entire game while LB Sewell must sit for the first half. These suspensions came about due to a fight with UNLV in the last regular season game. It's not just different players that coach Jay Norvell is being forced to turn to on that side of the ball. Essentially, it's an entirely new staff on the defensive side of the ball coaching this game. Virtually all were let go after losing to UNLV.  But throughout this bowl season, we've seen replacements "step up" when needed. This total has gotten too high not to go Under. Some of that has to do with what Ohio did in its last two regular season games when they dropped a total of 118 points on Bowling Green and Akron. But those are two of the worst teams in the country. Nevada's offense only averages 21.3 points/game, which could be a bigger problem than the defense. They averaged just 18.0 points/game outside of Reno. The Under is 6-1 in the Wolf Pack's previous seven bowl appearances. Play UNDER Ohio-Nevada

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This is an 8* on CAL

A little over a month ago, California's football team snapped its 10-year losing streak to rival Stanford, winning "The Big Game" 24-20. Now let's see what Bears basketball can do. They're going to Palo Alto in the midst of a severe ATS drought. They've covered only once in the last 10 games. But they've faced a number of good teams during that stretch. Stanford is 11-2 and probably feeling pretty good about itself, but that makes them ripe for the picking in our eyes. Their last game, played Sunday, was a home loss to Kansas. No shame there, but losing by 16 was a real "downer" and could effect them moving forward. We think that the Cardinal pretty clearly overachieved in its non-conference portion of the schedule. They were picked to finish 10th in the Pac 12 this year. It's not often they have to lay double digits. Cal has actually won its last two games here at Maples Pavilion. Play on CALIFORNIA

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This is a 10* on COLORADO

Very big game for the Avalanche, which is why we're playing them. A series of poor defensive efforts have led to a three-game losing streak. In their last game, they gave up seven goals. They've now lost four in a row at home and surrendered 21 goals during that slide. In comes first place St. Louis, which looks like it could be trouble, as they've beaten the Avs six straight times. But don't be afraid to buck these trends tonight as we're banking on Colorado playing its most inspired game of the year. Both losses to the Blues this year were in St. Louis. Of the four losses to them last season, three came in either overtime or a shootout. Colorado has scored 16 more goals than St. Louis this year despite playing one less game. The Blues had an eight-game win streak snapped on New Year's Eve. As good as they've looked, we don't think they can match Colorado's scoring capabilities. Play on COLORADO

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This is a 10* on OVER

The Hornets did not mind bidding farewell to 2019 as they come into the New Year on a six-game losing streak. The Cavs are actually 4-2 straight up and against the spread their last six games, making this one of their most productive stretches of the season. But when looking over the recent results for these two squads, there is one thing that they have in common - some real low scoring efforts. Charlotte has not scored more than 107 in any of those six losses and three times has been held below 100. Cleveland is coming off two straight sub-100 point efforts (one was a win). You don't really see that very much in today's NBA and considering neither team is very good defensively, we're expecting some fireworks tonight. The Cavs are second to last in the league in defensive efficiency. The Hornets are fourth worst. This is a good chance to start over for Charlotte while Cleveland should get back to scoring more now that they're back home. Those two straight low-scoring efforts both were on the road. Play OVER Charlotte-Cleveland

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This is a 10* on INDIANA

Indiana is looking for its first bowl win since 1991. That's easily the longest drought among Power 5 teams. We had to look it up, but the Hoosiers are the ONLY P5 team not to have won a bowl this century. Only two other P5 teams have failed to win a bowl going back to 2008 (Kansas, Colorado). So if you don't think this game means a lot to IU, then you're kidding yourself. It's just the fifth bowl appearance since that last win in 1991. Tennessee is back in a bowl after a two year hiatus. Prior to the hiatus, they'd won three straight bowl games. Neither team had many good wins during the regular season. Generally speaking, they'd win the games they were "supposed to" and lost when they were an underdog. For us, it boils down to Indiana's high level of motivation and the fact they are now an underdog after opening as the favorite. The Hoosiers can score more than the Volunteers (32.6 vs. 24.3 points/game). Tennessee has failed to cover 10 of the last 13 times it has been a favorite. Play on INDIANA

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This is an 8* on BOSTON COLLEGE

Throughout this bowl season, we've seen bettors make the mistake of overreacting to players sitting out. Look at what happened last night with Georgia. Boston College is the next team dealing with a key absence as their star running back A.J. Dillon is getting ready for the NFL Draft. The Eagles also fired their coach at the end of the regular season and will play for an interim today. But don't be surprised when they show up ready to play in Birmingham. By upsetting Pittsburgh in the final game of the regular season, the BC players showed that playing in a bowl is important to them. We had the Eagles in that spot. We'll take the points with them again here as Cincinnati could very well be disinterested in this game after losing its Conference Championship, which cost them the chance to play in the Cotton Bowl. While they had a good season (10 wins), there have been only two times in the last six games where the Bearcats won by more than a touchdown. A dangerous number to lay with a potentially disinterested team and Boston College has covered nine in a row when getting between 3.5 and 10 points (5-0 ATS this year). Play on BOSTON COLLEGE

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This is an 8* on San Jose State

San Jose State upset New Mexico last year here at home, winning 89-82 as a 10.5-point underdog. Seeing as New Mexico just got hit with a couple suspensions, we think the Spartans are capable of pulling another upset this year. Both suspended Lobos were starters - forward Carlton Bragg and point guard JJ Caldwell. Obviously, those are big losses for a team that is 12-2 and undefeated at home. Bragg was a team captain and Caldwell was leading the Mountain West Conference in assists. The Lobos have played two games without the pair and are 0-2 ATS. Defensively, they struggled against Houston Baptist and then it was just a five-point win over UC Davis. This is the first road game since the suspensions were handed down. Two of three road games New Mexico has played this year were decided by a combined four points. SJSU had lost eight in a row before playing Pepperdine on Saturday, but won that game outright as a 10-point home underdog, 83-68. Play on SAN JOSE STATE

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This is a 10* on the OVER

This total is too low. Even though we are still believers in Georgia's defense, it was shredded by LSU in the SEC Championship Game and that memory is difficult to shake. Baylor put up 35 points per game this year and was 10-0 against everyone but Oklahoma. QB Charlie Brewer, who exited the Big 12 Championship Game with a concussion, has been cleared to play to in the Sugar Bowl. We obviously need not worry about whether or not the Bears will be motivated. This is their first Sugar Bowl since 1957 and what a transformation it has been in just two seasons under coach Matt Rhule, who is sticking around in Waco despite all the NFL speculation. Georgia may have some key players sitting this one out, but last year's Sugar Bowl loss to Texas still lingers and that will have them motivated this year as well. The Over is 4-1 in Baylor's past five bowl games. Play OVER Baylor-Georgia

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This is a 10* on PORTLAND

After making it all the way to the Western Conference Finals last season, Portland has greatly underachieved so far in the 2019-20 season. They are currently in ninth place and six games below .500 after ending 2019 on a four-game losing streak. They haven't covered the spread in any of the four games either. The most recent loss was at home to Phoenix, 122-116 as a four-point favorite. That game saw the Blazers blow a 19-point lead. So you know they're looking to come out and start the New Year strong. It's an ideal opponent to get on track as they face the Knicks. While NY has played better since the coaching change, winning its last two games and five of its last nine, they still are just 9-24 SU. The only team that scores less points per game is Orlando. The Knicks don't play much defense either as they are 27th in efficiency. One Blazer that will be very motivated to play well this evening is Carmelo Anthony, making his return to MSG. Play on PORTLAND 

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This is a 10* on the UNDER

The Winter Classic moves down to Dallas for the very first time as the Stars host the Preds at the Cotton Bowl. The unique environment of being outdoors always makes this game difficult to handicap. But with the Stars already such an "Under team," that's the way we're going to play this one. Dallas has given up the fewest goals in the Western Conference and second fewest overall in the league. They had a bit of a rough stretch prior to Christmas, but have since gotten back on track with back to backs over Dallas and Arizona. They allows just four goals total in the two wins. The Under is 25-14-1 in all Stars games this season, including 16-5 when they are the home team. Nashville has been quite the opposite and was just torched for 11 goals in losing both games of a home and home against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Last time they met Dallas though, it was a 4-1 final (lost). The Predators will struggle to score again here and we don't see the Stars scoring too many goals either. Play UNDER Nashville-Dallas

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This is an 8* on ALABAMA

The fact that Alabama is laying only a touchdown here kinda "stinks" but we feel they shouldn't have much trouble with Michigan. This is a spot the Wolverines consistently come up short in every time. Under Jim Harbaugh, they have been terrible as underdogs going 0-6 the last three years while covering just twice. Three of those losses came this year including losses by 21 to Wisconsin and 29 to Ohio State. The Wolverines prospects look even bleaker when you consider that the Big 10 is just 3-9 SU and 2-10 ATS vs. the SEC in bowls since 2015. Even with backup QB Mac Jones starting in place of the injured Tua, Bama will move the ball and score plenty in the Citrus Bowl. Against Auburn, Jones threw for 335 yards and four touchdowns by completing 26 of his 39 pass attempts. The Tide's offensive line should push around an undersized Michigan defensive front. Both teams have to get over the disappointment of not being in the Playoff, but Michigan has never shown that it can beat a team of Alabama's caliber. It could get ugly in a hurry in Orlando. Play ALABAMA

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This is an 8* on the UNDER 

Minnesota was one of the biggest surprise teams in the country, starting 9-0 before losing two of its final three regular season games. But Auburn may be the best team they will have faced all season. The Gophers certainly haven't gone up against a better defense. Yes, Auburn gave up lots of yards and points in the Iron Bowl. But Minnesota doesn't have the same kind of offensive talent Alabama does. Before facing Bama, the Tigers hadn't allowed more than 24 points in a game all year. Minnesota did not finish with more than 19 points in either of its two losses. A lot of the Gophers success on offense this year came about because of its ability to convert on third down, which we feel they'll struggle to do in this game. So as long as Auburn's offense doesn't explode, we're looking at an easy Under in the Outback Bowl. That shouldn't happen as the Tigers don't average a ton of points outside of Jordan-Hare. Play UNDER in Minnesota-AUBURN

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This is a 10* on the UNDER

At this time last year, the Blues were languishing near the bottom of the standings. We know how things turned out - with them hoisting the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. This year, they've started much better as their 58 points leads the Central Division and they're on an eight-game win streak entering this game at Arizona. The Coyotes are not enjoying a great finish to the calendar year as they've lost three in row. But they're still tied for second place in what is shaping up to be a wide open Pacific Division. We like this game to stay Under. In the Western Conference, these teams are #2 and #3 in fewest goals allowed, behind only Dallas. The Blues have revenge for a 3-2 loss they suffered at home back in November. That situation (revenge for a loss at home) has produced a 3-0 Under mark for them this season. The Blues are allowing an average of 1.8 goals over the last five games. Arizona had a stunning third period vs. the Stars in their last game, giving up all four goals in the third period. They allowed only 25 shots in the game. Play UNDER St. Louis-Arizona

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This is a 10* on WISCONSIN

Maybe it's risky to be betting on the Badgers on New Year's Eve after they pulled a big upset at Tennessee over the weekend. They didn't just upset the Vols either. It was a total blowout with the Badgers winning 68-48 as four-point pups. Congrats to them. They've got a big game upcoming against Ohio State (Friday) as well. But on New Year's Eve, they'll host Rider in the final non-conference game of the season. The Broncs had a five-game win streak snapped at Temple 10 days ago and haven't played since. But they've overmatched here, no matter which way you look at it. Their last three road games have all ended up as double digit losses. That's what we're expecting here. The Badgers haven't lost in Madison and are scoring 80 points/game at the Kohl Center. Play on WISCONSIN

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This is a 10* on INDIANA

Two of the top six teams in the Eastern Conference meet in Indiana to close out 2019. The Pacers host the Sixers in a battle of teams looking to rebound from back to back losses. Philadelphia's two losses both came on the road and were both one-point decisions. They lost 98-97 to Orlando and 117-116 to Miami. That drops their road record to 7-10 SU, a far cry from a 16-2 SU record in home games. Both Indiana losses were also on the road. They also lost by one down in Miami (113-112) but then got humiliated by New Orleans, 120-98, on Saturday. Good for the Pacers that they're at home tonight. If there's one commonality among these top Eastern Conference teams, it's that they're all really good at home, but so-so on the road. They're a collective 87-15 SU in home games with five of the losses belonging to Toronto. Indiana's record at home is 14-3 SU.  We view these teams as being pretty even. Therefore, the Pacers are a great value getting points at home. Play on INDIANA

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This is an 8* on FLORIDA STATE

Herm Edwards has proven to be a good hire for Arizona State. But his teams have tended to perform better when in the underdog role. The Sun Devils are 0-6 ATS as favorites this year and lost half of those games straight up. Its five wins over Power 5 opponents have been by an average of just 5.4 points/game. So we clearly don't like them in this spot as they're laying points to what should be a motivated Florida State team in the Sun Bowl. The Seminoles can only hope Mike Norvell, who moves over from Memphis, can be the kind of coach Edwards has been for ASU. But for this game they'll be playing for an interim, Odell Haggins, who at least gets to stay on Norvell's staff. Both teams are going to be without their starting running backs here as Cam Akers and Eno Benjamin have elected to get ready for the NFL Draft instead of play this game and risk injury. There are going to be other key absences for the Sun Devils. WR/KR Brandon Aiyuk is also going pro. Their defensive coordinator also left to be the head coach at New Mexico. Grab the points in this one. Play on FLORIDA STATE

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This is a 10* on KENTUCKY

Unless folks are feeling extra sentimental over the swan song of long time Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster, we don't understand this line move at all. Obviously, Foster's defense is going to want to send him out a winner. But you can look for the Hokies to struggle to contain UK quarterback Lynn Bowden, whose college career is also coming to an end in this game (going pro). Since Bowden became the starter, this Wildcats offense has been much better. They've averaged an amazing 352 rush yards/game. While the vast majority of the talk about defense will center around Va Tech and Foster leaving, the irony is that Kentucky has the better stop unit. They allow 18.4 points/game (Virginia Tech allowing 23.7), which is 12th best in the country. SEC team averaged only 330 yards/game vs. Kentucky. The Wildcats were something of a pointspread juggernaut this year going 9-3 against the spread. Virginia Tech is 1-6 straight up and against the spread its last seven games with a spread of three points or less. Play on KENTUCKY

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This is a 10* on DETROIT

Without question, the last couple weeks have gone very differently for these two. Detroit is 1-6 SU and ATS its last seven games, the only win coming against a bad Washington team. Two nights ago in San Antonio they suffered another embarrassing setback, falling by 27 (136-109). Utah has won seven of eight (4-2-2 ATS) and is off an impressive win over the Clippers where they held Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to a combined 12 of 44 shooting. But coming off a win where they were seven-point underdogs, we don't like the idea of the Jazz laying this big number even if they are facing a struggling opponent. They're 0-5 ATS this year after a double digit win. (Final score vs. Clippers was 120-107). They've not been especially great as a large favorite either. They're just 2-6 ATS when laying eight points or more. Detroit has only been outscored by 2.1 points/game this year. They should be motivated here. Play on DETROIT

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This is an 8* on MEMPHIS

Despite getting only three games from James Wiseman, Memphis has looked great this year in rising to #9 in the polls. The Tigers have won nine in a row since their only loss (Oregon) and are coming off two straight blowouts of overmatched teams. Saturday saw them win 97-55 against New Orleans despite committing 27 turnovers. Defense though bailed them out. Tigers opponents are making just 38.8% of two-point attempts, which is the second lowest percentage in the country. From three, opponents are making just 26.5%, which is inside the top 10. Memphis does a great job at turning opponents over as well while playing at a fast tempo. Here they take on a Tulane team that is coming off two straight losses that were by a combined five points. Those losses occurred in D.C. as part of a Holiday Tournament. Not even an eight-day break will be enough to save the Green Wave though. We think this should be an easy 20+ point win for Memphis, who has covered six of the last seven times as a home favorite of at least 12.5 points. Play on MEMPHIS

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This is a 10* on NORTHERN KENTUCKY

The Horizon League has fallen substantially since the days when Butler proudly carried its banner. As conference play begins, you should consider Wright State and Northern Kentucky to be the two favorites. We like one of those two night as Northern Kentucky hosts Green Bay. The Norse are 9-4 and coming off a 10-pt win over Milwaukee in the conference opener. That was Saturday at home. Holding their opponents to 2 of 17 shooting from three-point range was big as was the 31 points from Tyler Sharpe. With the exception of its loss at UNC Greensboro (a good team) right before Christmas, the Northern Kentucky offense has been very consistent. Look for a big offensive night this evening as Green Bay is giving up over 86 points/game on the road. This will be the third straight roadie for the Phoenix, who have lost five of seven overall. After the New Year, they'll be happy to play five straight games at home. But for now, this is the end of a very brutal stretch that saw them open on the road against the HL's two best teams (lost by 6 at Wright St Saturday) and out of nine total games played in the last month, this will be the 7th away from home. Play on NORTHERN KENTUCKY

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This is a 10* on Illinois

Illinois is in a bowl for the first time under Lovie Smith, snapping what was a five-year drought. They last won a bowl game back in 2011. So what this team may lack in talent, it makes up for in motivation. During the regular season, the Illini went 6-1 ATS when they were underdogs and they won three of those games outright, all at +9.5 or higher. On the other side, there were only three times in the regular season where California was listed higher than -2 when facing a FBS team. They went 0-3 ATS in them and lost outright twice. So we're not sure why the Bears are laying so many here. Injuries were a big story for both teams this year and continue to be heading into the bowl game. Cal will be without three starters, the most important being safety Ashtyn Davis, who also doubled as a kick returned. For Illinois, both WR Josh Imatorbhebhe and LB Jake Hansen are gametime decisions. However, the Illini got great news with QB Peters being cleared to play. Disregard the way each team's regular season ended. This is a far more even matchup than the oddsmakers are letting on. Play on ILLINOIS

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This is a 10* on SAN FRANCISCO

The final Sunday night game of the NFL's regular season will decide who wins the NFC West and who will have home field advantage for the playoffs on the NFC side. If you ask us, San Francisco deserves both accolades. They have not only a much better point differential than Seattle; they have been the best team in the NFC all year. The 12-3 49ers have outscored opponents by 164 points. The 11-4 Seahawks have outscored their opponent by only 12 points. The key to Seattle's season has been a 10-1 record in games decided by eight points or fewer. The most critical of those wins came Week 10 in San Francisco, 27-24 in overtime. That has them in position to win the division because of head to head tiebreaker. But they have to win this game. We don't see that happening. The Seahawks have lost two of their last three games. Both losses were bad and against NFC West teams. They lost by two touchdowns last week to Arizona at home. Injuries have hit both of these teams hard late in the season, but Seattle's RB group is so decimated that they were forced to sign Marshawn Lynch! Niners TE George Kittle did not play the first time these teams met. Seattle's defense actually gives up 29.0 points/game at home. Play on SAN FRANCISCO 

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This is an 8* on COLUMBUS

Columbus had a five-game win streak stopped on Friday, but they still earned a point by taking Washington to overtime. There's no shame in losing to the Capitals on the road, especially when it takes extra time. Tonight the Blue Jackets face a far less complete team as Chicago makes its yearly visit to Ohio. The Blackhawks injury situation is as dire as any team in the league right now. Defensemen Brent Seabrook and Calvin de Haan were both recently placed on IR. While the team was able to win its first game without them, 5-2 over the Islanders, they actually were lucky to as they gave up 40 shots. Three forwards, one of them Brandon Saad, are also out with injuries. Columbus has earned a point in nine straight games, going 6-0-3, and they are allowing less than 2.0 goals/game during the streak. Their penalty kill is at 85.7% as well. The last three home games have seen the Blue Jackets win by a combined score of 11-3. Play on COLUMBUS

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This is a 10* on the OVER

You probably don't need us to tell you that the Over is almost always a more popular bet than the Under. This goes for any sport, but especially football. Every week, in virtually every NFL game, there are more bettors taking the Over as opposed to the Under. But this Pittsburgh-Baltimore game is an extreme example of the opposite taking place. We're not sure if we've ever seen a game where the public was so excited to play the Under. Baltimore, who will be the #1 seed in the AFC and has nothing to play for, is resting its starters. Robert Griffin III will start at quarterback in place of Lamar Jackson. Pittsburgh's last seven games have all gone Under, none of them seeing more than 40 points scored. Five have seen less than 30. But if you're not expecting effort in this game, well you're wrong. The Steelers have a chance to make the playoffs and John Harbaugh's approach to preseason games tells us he'll be coaching to win here as well. Play OVER Pittsburgh-Baltimore

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This is a 10* on NORTHERN ARIZONA

Northern Arizona has been a bit of a hidden gem this College Basketball season. The Lumberjacks are 4-0 ATS their last four games, winning three of them outright and only losing by two in the other. They were underdogs in all four games, just as they are tonight for the Big Sky Conference opener against Montana. NAU has actually been favored in only one game all season and ironically they lost it, 85-66 to UC Davis. The last loss was to Pepperdine, but that was by just two points. The only other loss was to Arizona in the very first game of the season. This will be NAU's fourth straight time playing on the road, but having had a week in between games, that's not a huge deal. Montana isn't exactly in peak form right now as they've lost two straight and three of four. All losses were on the road, but we still don't think the Grizzlies should be laying so many points against a dangerous dog in the first conference game. Northern Arizona has covered its last two trips to Missoula. Play on NORTHERN ARIZONA

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This is a 10* on the UNDER

We've got the two longest winning streaks in all of the FBS on the line here as Clemson has won 28 straight games and Ohio State has won 19 in a row. But we also have two teams with top five scoring defenses. Clemson gives up just 10.6 points/game while again OSU isn't too far behind, allowing just 12.5. There is a pretty clear cut case to be made that neither defense has faced an offense as good as the one they'll be up against in this year's Fiesta Bowl. But this total still seems high to us. The Tigers haven't allowed more than 20 points in any game all season. Remember that they shut Ohio State out, 34-0, in the Playoff three years ago. That semifinal was played on this very field. The Buckeyes aren't going down that easy again and could very well win thanks to their defense which is considerably better than anything Clemson saw in the weak ACC. The Under is 4-0 in the Tigers' four previous semifinal appearances. The Under is also 4-1 in Ohio State's last five bowl games. Play UNDER Clemson-Ohio State

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This is a 10* on DALLAS

Colorado is in a tough spot here as they just played a hard-fought game last night and lost 6-4 at home to Minnesota. Now they head out to Dallas to face a Stars team that has been off for almost a full week. The last time the Stars played a game was Sunday when they were beaten 5-1 Calgary, also a home game. They've actually lost two in a row and four of six, so you know they've been "chomping at the bit" to get back on the ice. Dallas remains one of the league's stingier team as they give up only 2.1 goals/game at home. So don't read too much into the last two games. Colorado has also lost four of its last six games and has given up a lot of goals along the way. This is a tremendous situation for the home team, that's too good to pass up. One final note - the Stars are 2-0 vs. the Avalanche this year and they've outscored them 6-2. Play on DALLAS

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This is a 10* on MEMPHIS

We played against Christmas night and they lost outright to what most feel is a pretty bad New Orleans team. That was at home and they lost by 12 as a nine-point favorite. It's a pretty similar matchup for the Nuggets today vs. Memphis and we don't like them to cover this one either. The Grizzlies come in having just upset Oklahoma City. That was the day after Christmas and they won 110-97 as a six-point underdog. While Denver had won seven straight before losing to the Pelicans, that win streak required some come from behind efforts against less than stellar teams. Five of those wins came by a margin less less than this pointspread here. Despite being 13-4 SU at home, the Nuggets are just 6-9-2 ATS. Memphis actually doesn't have much dropoff on the road compared to their numbers at home. They've won six of the last 10 games overall straight up. Other than a dismal showing at home vs. San Antonio last week, they've been in every one of those games. Play on MEMPHIS

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This is a 10* on OKLAHOMA

We've watched as this line has gone up ... and up. After thinking some, it's just too high. Oklahoma isn't a team you'll find too often in the underdog role, let alone getting this many points. Ironically, it has happened each of the last two years in the Playoff. Last year they lost to Alabama 45-33 but covered a spread that was pretty similar to this one. The year before they did not cover but were a small underdog to Georgia and that game went to double overtime. The Sooners only loss this year was by seven points (at Kansas State). QB Jalen Hurts has previous Playoff experience with Alabama. LSU's Heisman winner Joe Burrow is making his first Playoff appearance. Not going to sit here and tell you that LSU has any glaring weaknesses (because they don't). But this is too many points to lay to an Oklahoma team that averages 43.2 points/game, a comparable number to LSU's more ballyhooed offense. Look for this game to be decided by single digits. An injury at RB definitely won't help the favored Tigers. Oklahoma's defense is much improved from a season ago. Play on OKLAHOMA

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This is an 8* on KENTUCKY

Kentucky comes in having lost its last two games. Those losses were to Utah and Ohio State, both out in Las Vegas. Both were also decided by six points or less. Before that, UK had lost only once all year. It was here at Rupp Arena (to Evansville!), but again it was a close game. So we're dealing with a team whose three losses have been by a total of 12 points. Now they return home to face rival Louisville. This will be the first true road game for the Cardinals, whose only loss was to Texas Tech, 70-57 at Madison Square Garden. So UK's three losses have come by a smaller margin than Louisville's one. While Louisville did beat Michigan, their list of opponents has not been as strong as Kentucky's. UK beat Michigan State in the season opener. This rivalry has belonged to the boys in blue over the last decade as the Wildcats are 9-1 ATS the last 10 meetings. They won by 13 last year and by 29 here in Lexington the year before that. Home court matters for a desperate Coach John Calipari. Play on KENTUCKY

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This is a 10* on OVER 

Christmas Day seemed to be full of surprising results, none more so than Golden State's upset of Houston. The Warriors were double digit dogs in earning their third straight win and cover. Winning streaks of that nature were commonplace for this team that last several years, but that upset of the Rockets was just the eighth win for this edition of Golden State basketball. Injuries have wiped out what was once the premier team in the league. But they're obviously still fighting. Not sure if you can say the same for the Suns though and that's too bad. Phoenix spent the last several years occupying the space Golden State is currently inhabiting. A 7-4 start to this season seemed to show there was some promise on the horizon, but since then the Suns record is a lousy 4-15 and they've lost a season-high seven straight. Coming off the big win on Christmas, we don't want to touch the Warriors here. Nor do we want any part of the Suns. But with the teams allowing 115.5 and 113.0 points per game, we do like the Over. Phoenix is 8-5 Over as a favorite. Golden State allows more than 120 points per game against division opponents. Play OVER Phoenix-Golden State

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This is a 10* on the UNDER

The respective offenses in this game couldn't be more different. Washington State loves to pass. Air Force loves to run. Neither defense has seen an offense like the one they will see Friday night in the Cheez-It Bowl and this has created the expectation for a shootout. But we believe this total to be too high. Air Force has a pretty good defense and it's not like it doesn't face a lot of pass-happy offenses in the Mountain West. The Falcons give up 19.8 points/game and held Hawaii to 26 in Honolulu. No one scored more than 30 against them in the regular season. Now will Washington State's defense be sound enough for this game to stay Under? Most are going to say "no," but it will help if Air Force RB Timothy Jackson misses the game. Washington State could also be without one of its leading receivers. It would be crazy to think that this will be a low scoring game, but with a number this high, there is room for an Under. Washington State has not scored more than 28 points in any of its last four bowl games. Play UNDER Washington State-Air Force

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This is an 8* on BOSTON

Boston still has a substantial lead in the Atlantic Division, but it's not like they've been playing all that well lately. They've lost 8 of their last 10 games, four of those defeats coming after regulation. The Bruins have nine overtime or shootout losses this year (0-5 in shootouts). No other team has more than six. Many times, such a lack of fortune can sink a team's season. But not this team. Back on Monday, they showed what they are capable of by delivering a 7-3 win over Washington. Look for more of that in the immediate future. Tonight they're in Buffalo to take on a Sabres team that's lost four of its last five. Boston is 2-0 playing with three or more days rest this season, Buffalo is 0-3. While the Sabres can be a high scoring team, the Bruins have proven they can score in all settings. Any fears over the Bruins recent losing skid were put to rest Monday with the win over the Capitals. If Buffalo elects to go with Carter Hutton in goal, that would be an unwise decision as he's winless his last 10 starts with a 4.19 GAA. Play on BOSTON

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This is a 10* on TEXAS A&M 

A lot of bettors might feel that a spread approaching a touchdown seems like a lot for what looks a matchup of two "evenly matched teams" in the Texas Bowl. But all five of Texas A&M's losses this year were to Top 10 teams (LSU, Georgia, Clemson, Alabama & Auburn) and three of the five teams were ranked #1 at the time the Aggies played them!  Safe to say, you won't find a team that took on a more challenging schedule. Some of those lsses were "stinkers," the LSU game especially, but Oklahoma State is not in the same class as those aforementioned opponents. The Cowboys faced only four ranked foes this year and lost to three of them. Much is made that they have the nation's leading rusher in Chuba Hubbard (1936 yards), but Texas A&M's Isaiah Spiller softens the blow of teammate Cordarrian Richardson missing this game. Speaking of absences, OK State won't have leading receiver Tylan Wallace. QB Spencer Sanders will play, but he missed the last two regular season games after undergoing thumb surgery. Mike Gundy has been excellent in bowl games, winning seven of the last nine and three in a row. But so has Jimbo Fisher, who is 6-2 SU with a 52-13 win last year. Play on TEXAS A&M.

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This is an 8* on EASTERN MICHIGAN

It seems as if the narrative surrounding this bowl game is that it's "Pitt's to lose." They are obviously the more talented team and are led by a defense that has 49 sacks and 98 tackles for loss. But will the Panthers be motivated? They did not have a good finish to the regular season, losing to Virginia Tech and Boston College by a combined score of 54-19 in the final two games. That dropped them down the ACC pecking order and gave them this less than desirable bowl locale. But Eastern Michigan isn't complaining as Detroit is just 36 miles from their campus in Ypsilanti. So it's a home game of sorts for them. It's also another chance to notch their first bowl win since 1987 (California Raisin). That's the program's one and only bowl win. They've had two chances in the last three years, but came up just short both times. They lost last year's Camellia Bowl by two points to Georgia Southern and 2016's Bahamas Bowl by four points to Old Dominion. But they did cover both of those games. This is the just fourth bowl ever for the Eagles and the first time they've ever been bowling in consecutive years. So motivation will not be an issue for them. We're not even sure Pitt has an offense capable of covering a double digit spread. They only average 20.1 points/game. The Eastern Michigan offense is led by QB Mike Glass, who completed over 67% of his pass attempts and seven different receivers had more than 20 catches. Play on EASTERN MICHIGAN

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This is a 10* on the OVER

Neither of these teams were about to get featured on Christmas, but they get to face off the day after. The Knicks are clearly one of the worst teams in the NBA as they are just 7-24 and getting outscored by more than nine points per game. They are tied with Orlando for the lowest scoring average at 103.5 points/game. Brooklyn is simply mediocre as they are seventh in the East with a 16-13 record. It's been pretty impressive how the Nets have managed to stay afloat despite a myriad of injuries. Kyrie Irving, Caris LeVert and Kevin Durant all remain out indefinitely. We like this game to go Over as there won't be much defense played. The Knicks have given up at least 120 points in four straight games. Seven of their last eight opponents have topped their season scoring averages. Brooklyn comes in averaging 111.7 points/game. They just scored 122 in their last game, which was all the way back on Saturday against the Hawks. Spencer Dinwiddie has been on fire for this team. Play OVER New York-Brooklyn

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This is an 8* on NEW ORLEANS

It's been a pretty ugly first two months of the season for New Orleans. Top draft choice Zion Williamson hasn't played a game and his teammates have managed to win only eight of 31 games. But there's been a glimmer of hope recently in that the Pelicans have won two of their last three games and the only loss was by four points. They've suffered just two double digit losses in the last seven games and one was to Milwaukee. So even though they are a decided underdog tonight in Denver, don't be scared to take the points. The Pelicans beat the Nuggets in the first game of the season, 122-107 as a four-point home dog. While Denver storms into Christmas on a seven-game win streak, they are just 3-3-1 ATS in those games and none of the spreads that they covered were as large as this one. When off three or more straight wins, the Nuggets are just 3-7 ATS this season. Play on NEW ORLEANS

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This is a 10* on the UNDER

The NBA's marquee showdown on Christmas Day takes place in LA with the Clippers taking on the Lakers. Both teams are expected to be at full strength, which hasn't always been the case this year. But despite the Lakers recent slide and Kawhi Leonard's "load management" for the Clippers, these remain two of the best of the West. The Lakers had won 24 of their first 27 games before losing the last three. The Clippers have a near .800 win percentage when Leonard and George both play. We are expecting this game to be a little more "defensive-minded." The Under is 10-3 in Clippers games when they are facing a team with a winning record. The Lakers, playing without LeBron James, allowed a season high 128 points last game. The good news is that after the three games where they allowed 115 or more points this season, the next game has gone Under every time. Play UNDER Clippers-Lakers

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This is a 10* on TORONTO

Boston and Toronto come into Christmas vying for that #2 spot in the Eastern Conference pecking order (behind Milwaukee of course). Right now, it belongs to Boston, who has won three in a row and seven of nine this month. Most of these wins have come at home, however. Toronto has been a difficult place to play for the Celtics as they are 0-4 SU and ATS here the last two seasons. Overall, it's been eight straight defeats in Canada. The Raptors are without Pascal Siakam right now, but they've been playing undermanned and thus undervalued much of the year. This is a team that's gone 13-3 at home. They haven't lost a game in regulation in two weeks, so we can't pass up the opportunity to take points with them. Play on TORONTO

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This is an 8* play on BYU

Obviously, this is a home game for Hawaii. But that doesn't necessarily guarantee victory on its own. The Warriors last four bowl appearances have all come in the Hawaii Bowl and three of them have resulted in losses. The most recent was last year to Louisiana Tech, 31-14. We think BYU is disciplined enough to avoid the distractions of going out to Honolulu for Christmas Ever and come away with a victory here. The Cougars are 7-5 with wins over Tennessee, USC and Boise State. Hawaii has the edge on offense with QB McDonald, but BYU is better defensively by a wider margin. In the last three games, BYU allowed just 277 yards/game. They have not allowed more than 24 points in any game since October. The Hawaii defense gives up 6.9 yards per play. While BYU scored only three points against San Diego State in the regular season finale, that was against one of the top defenses in the country and they actually rolled up over 400 yards (couldn't finish drives). One final thing to consider is that Hawaii turned the ball over 30 times in 14 games. Their turnover margin for the year was worse than all but three teams in the entire FBS. Play on BYU

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This is a 10* on MINNESOTA

Barring the Packers losing both this week and next week, the Vikings are going to be a Wild Card team in the NFC. Seeing as Green Bay plays at Detroit next week (Lions have lost eight in a row), it's highly unlikely that they lose out. But Minnesota can accomplish half the task at hand simply by winning tonight as they host the Packers. Green Bay hasn't won in this stadium since it opened and despite their 11-3 record this season, there's a lot of reason to be suspicious of this team. Only four of their 11 wins have been by more than one score. Statistically, they rank in the bottom half of the league in rushing offense, passing offense, rushing defense and passing defense. The Vikings are 6-0 at home, winning those games by an average of nearly two touchdowns per game. It's not just Minnesota where GB has struggled either. They are 0-5 SU and ATS their last five dome games. The Vikings offense is averaging 29.4 points its last 10 games despite receiver Adam Thielen missing much of that time. So don't expect them to skip a beat with RB Cook sitting this week. The Vikings did lose at Lambeau Field back in Week 2, 21-16, but actually dominated that game statistically. This is their chance at revenge. Play on MINNESOTA

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This is an 8* play on NASHVILLE

We like the spot here for Nashville and on the flip side, it's a tough one for Arizona. The Coyotes played Sunday and while they won 5-2, it was against Detroit, who is the worst team in the league. Two games ago, they lost goalie Darcy Keumper to injury, meaning that Antti Raanta is likely to be called into duty for consecutive nights. Despite getting the win yesterday, Raanta has been far from lights out this season. Following a 3-0-1 road trip, Nashville had Sunday off. Look for the Predators to take full advantage of Keumper's absence here as they are second in the Western Conference in goals scored. While Arizona is in first place of its division and Nashville is fifth in theirs, there isn't a huge difference in points. Play on NASHVILLE

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This is a 10* on NEW YORK

The Knicks being favored AND getting a ringing endorsement like this from us is a pretty rare occurrence. But the Wizards are in pretty rough shape here as they have numerous players injured and have lost 12 of their last 15 games. Defensively, Washington is as bad as they come. They've allowed 122.8 points/game those last 15 games as opponents are shooting better than 50% overall and 38% from three-point range. Yes, the Knicks have been blown out two straight games, but those were against Miami and Milwaukee. The Wizards are a team they should beat at home. NY has won its last three games vs. teams that are below .500 including a 143-120 triumph over Atlanta here at Madison Square Garden last week. They'd actually covered four straight games before running into the Heat and Bucks. The Wizards are 4-13 on the road. Play on NEW YORK

AAA

This is a 10* on the OVER

We know that Kansas City is capable of putting up a lot of points. Chicago not as much, but the Bears offense has at least been better of late. They still put up over 400 yards in a 21-13 loss to Green Bay Sunday. Mitchell Trubisky threw for over 300 yards for the second time in three games. The offense is now averaging nearly six yards per play those last three weeks. It's not like the Chiefs defense is very good. Disregard last week's performance as it was in the snow against a rookie quarterback. The Chiefs still give up 357.8 yards per game and 5.7 yards per play for the season. Recently, they have faced some struggling offenses. Patrick Mahomes had no issues with the snow last week. He threw for 340 yards. There were a lot of long drives that ended with field goals in that Denver-KC game. The road still sees KC averaging over 30 points/game. This number is just too low not to try the Over. Four straight KC games have gone Under, which is rare. Play OVER Kansas City-Chicago

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This is a 10* on BOSTON

Often you'll find that in the NBA, oddsmakers fail to properly account for the massive discrepancy between the league's best and worst teams. Such is the case in this one. You may be hesitant to call Charlotte one of the league's worst, but the Hornets certainly have "the point differential to prove it" as they're getting outscored by an even six points per contest. That's sixth worst in the entire NBA. The Hornets lost by seven last night at home to Utah. Being in a back to back isn't ideal when traveling to Boston to face the Celtics, who are near the top of the league in point differential. The Celtics are 11-1 at home and did cover the only other time they were asked to lay this many points. That was against Cleveland two weeks ago. It was yet another blowout win at home Friday when the Celtics beat the Pistons 114-93 as a nine-point favorite. That was despite Kemba Walker scoring only two points on 0 of 6 shooting. Expect Walker to shoot a lot better against his former team on Sunday and this should be a blowout for one of the deepest teams in the NBA. Play on BOSTON

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This is an 8* on DETROIT

Detroit has definitely fallen on hard times. Seven straight losses (NFL's longest losing streak) amidst a myriad of injuries is tough. The team has actually lost 10 of its last 11 games since a 2-0-1 start. While we would be slightly surprised if the Lions were to win this week, we're also not about to lay a touchdown with a Denver team starting a rookie QB that is 5-9 and just lost 23-3. While the Broncos did win Drew Lock's first two starts, they did not look good last week. Yes, that was against the Chiefs. But here's the issue. This team is not accustomed to laying points. They've been an underdog eight straight weeks. They've been favored in only three games all year. Two of those three times resulted in losses. Not just ATS losses, but SU losses. Half of the Broncos games this year have been decided by seven points or fewer. Five of the seven that weren't were losses. So that's just two wins by more than a touchdown all year. We realize Detroit is struggling. But they can stay close here as they're facing a team that doesn't often blow teams out. The Broncos are 5-13 ATS the last 18 times they've been favored. Play on DETROIT

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This is a 10* on DAVIDSON

Most are quite familiar with these two mid-major programs. Davidson's most famous alum is former NBA MVP Steph Curry, who led the school on a magical run to the Elite Eight his senior year here. Loyola Chicago, backed by #1 fan Sister Jean, made it one step further - all the way to the Final Four - a few years ago. This year's editions aren't as good as those past teams, but they meet Sunday in Chicago. We feel Davidson is the better team. Yes, the Wildcats have lost five times, but most of those came to really good opponents. Loyola has won five in a row, but their "best" win was either Old Dominion or Ball State. Also, Davidson has been off for exams since December 10th, so they'll come in well rested. Loyola has played twice in the last week, including a neutral site win over Vanderbilt. This is the Ramblers longest win streak since the Final Four team. Davidson won 88-52 in its last game, so they can score. Play on DAVIDSON

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This is a 10* on CLEVELAND

Even for Baltimore, this is too many points to lay to a Cleveland team that has been favored each of its last seven games. Now the Browns haven't done all that well as chalk - at least when they were the road team. Last week they lost at Arizona, their fifth straight road loss. But they've won four straight games here at home. They've also already beaten Baltimore this year - on the road. That was the Ravens last loss - it was all the way back in Week 4 - and probably the Browns best played game of the year. It was 40-25 game where the Browns were a seven-point road dogs. Now they are 10-point home dogs. Not saying there shouldn't be some shifting by the oddsmakers for this rematch. After all, the Ravens are playing for homefield advantage in the playoffs while the Browns postseason hopes are on life support. But unless Cleveland is prepared to quit on coach Freddie Kitchens - and we don't think that's the case - this is too many points for the Browns to be getting at home. Play on CLEVELAND

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This is a 10* on the OVER

A big difference for the Clippers when they're on the road is how many more points they allow. At home, they are giving up just 104.4 PPG, a very solid average. But on the road, the number of points per game allowed rises to 112.6. It's pretty common for a team, even a good one like the Clippers, to allow more points on the road. But the difference here is pretty noteworthy. It's one of the main reasons the team is 7-7 on the road and 14-2 at home. Tonight LA is in San Antonio to face the Spurs, who are looking to win for a sixth time in nine games. This isn't the "same old Spurs" defensively though. They give up 115 points/game, the highest average ever under Greg Popovich. This will be the third meeting of the year between the Clippers and Spurs. The first two were both pretty low-scoring, but we get the feeling that this one is going to see lots more offense. The Clippers just gave up 122 points in their last game (to Houston), which was at home. Play OVER LA Clippers-San Antonio

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This is a 10* on LA RAMS

You have to feel a bit for the Rams. They've got the same exact point differential as Seattle (+26) yet are three games back in the NFC West, even though they split two games with the Seahawks. Things appeared to be trending up in LA after they beat Seattle 28-12 two weeks ago, on a Sunday night. But then came last week's result. In what was our 10* NFL Game of the Year, Dallas destroyed the Rams 44-21, all but ending the Rams hopes of making the playoffs. In taking the Cowboys, even we did not think it would be that easy as it would end up being. Two of the Rams touchdowns came in the final three minutes when the game was out of reach. But San Francisco lost last week too and that was far more surprising. The 49ers were at home and double digit favorites against a bad Atlanta team. This was the Niners third loss in the last six weeks after an 8-0 start. Seven starters missed last week's game due to injuries. CB's Sherman and Williams are both set to return this week, but we don't like the Niners laying this many points to a desperate Rams team. This is the first time since Week 4 of the 2017 season that a Rams team not resting starters has gotten at least six points. They won that last time outright. Play on LA RAMS

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This is an 8* on WASHINGTON

The only Saturday bowl game with any sort of "national appeal" goes down in Las Vegas with Washington taking on #19 Boise State. There is a tremendous storyline for this game as Chris Petersen, who built the Boise State program to national prominance, will be coaching his final game at Washington. While Boise is the ranked team, we agree with the oddsmakers that Washington is better. Yes, it was a disappointing 7-5 season for Petersen in Seattle. But four of those five losses came by six points or less and two of them were blown leads against Oregon and Utah. As a favorite, the Huskies are 7-3 straight up and against the spread. Boise State has the better record (12-1) but that was against a much weaker schedule than what Washington faced. The Mountain West was pretty down this year. The Broncos may be a little disappointed from getting left out of a "New Year's Six" bowl. We also question how much they'll want to beat their former coach in his final game! Washington has lost its last three bowls, so their motivation will be through the roof in Petersen's final game. The defensive numbers of these two teams are pretty similar, but remember Washington faced a much tougher slate of offenses. Play on WASHINGTON

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This is a 10* on UNC Greensboro

As a five-point underdog, UNC Greensboro just recorded a nice 55-54 win up in Vermont. As you can tell from that score, the Spartans did an excellent job defensively, holding the Catamounts to 21.4% from three-point land. It wasn't exactly a banner shooting night for UNC Greensboro themselves, but they'll take the quality road win. Tonight the return home to face a Northern Kentucky team that comes in on a bit of a roll. The Norse have won three in a row and covered four straight. They have some road wins to their credit, but they haven't scored much in those games and the defensive effort we saw from UNC Greensboro against Vermont was definitely not a "one-time thing." They are allowing just 56.8 points per game for the season. That's top 10 in the country. The Spartans have also won 37 of their last 42 home games. Play on UNC Greensboro

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This is a 10* on LIBERTY

The Cure Bowl in Orlando pits 7-5 Liberty against 7-5 Georgia Southern. Liberty is an independent (no conference affiliation) and it's pretty impressive they got to a bowl in just their second season at the FBS level. The Flames don't exactly have the most impressive resume as they were just 1-4 against bowl teams, but we like Hugh Freeze's team getting points here. Georgia Southern also got here by mostly beating up the weaklings on their schedule. They were 5-3 in the Sun Belt. Without question, their most impressive win came on a Thursday night at Appalachian State. The Eagles were the only team to beat the Mountaineers in the regular season. Outside of that signature win though, there doesn't seem to be much difference between GSU and Liberty. The Eagles do have the nation's eighth ranked rushing offense and are 2-0 all-time in bowls. But they are averaging only 23.3 points/game on the road, making them a shaky favorite. Look for Liberty to stay inside the number. Play on LIBERTY

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This is a 7* on WASHINGTON

Should be an easy two points for the Capitals this evening. They are playing the Devils, who just traded Taylor Hall and are at the opposite end of the division. Washington leads the Metro with 53 points. New Jersey is last with 27. Keep in mind we've only played 30-something games. By the end of the season, the points gap between these teams should be among the largest in the league. Washington isn't going to fool around tonight either. They've had three days off since being blanked by Columbus, 3-0. That was just the second loss in the last 10 games. Both were against the Blue Jackets. New Jersey, which has won back to back games for just the fourth time all season, hasn't won three in a row in almost a full calendar year. The Capitals are 26-10 SU the last three years after getting held to one or zero goals in their last game. Play on WASHINGTON

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This is a 10* on FORDHAM

Fordham is currently on a streak the likes of which you rarely see. The Rams have lost their last three games, all at home and all as favorites. Those losses were to Manhattan, Bryant and Tennessee State. The good news, if there is one, is that every game was close. All three losses were by eight points or less and by a total of 14 points. One was an overtime game. Two saw them blow halftime leads. So it's not as if the Rams are being blown out. Tonight they try again as home favorites, this time against James Madison. The Dukes won big on Monday, beating Charleston Southern by 21. But that was at home. Three of their four road games have resulted in double digit losses while the one win (over Old Dominion) was by two points as an 11-point underdog. Can't see Fordham losing a fourth straight game as a home favorite and with the number being so small, we'll lay it. Play on Fordham

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This is a 10* on BUFFALO

Two schools that have never even won a bowl game kick off the 2019-20 bowl season as Buffalo takes on Charlotte in the Bahamas Bowl. This is Charlotte's first ever bowl game. The 49ers have only been playing football since 2013 and got to the FBS level in 2015. This, their fifth season in Conference USA, proved to be their first winning campaign as they finished a surprising 7-5 overall and 5-3 in conference play. They are one of seven Conference USA teams in a bowl. Buffalo also brings a 7-5 record to the Bahamas. They were 5-3 in the MAC and one of seven teams from that conference to get into a bowl game. The Bulls are 0-3 SU all-time in bowls, the most recent loss coming last year in the Dollar General Bowl, 42-32, as a one-point favorite to Troy. We'll lean on UB's previous bowl experience as a motivating factor plus they have the better defense. The Bulls allow less than 300 yds/game and set a school record with 38 sacks. Charlotte's defense allows significantly more points and yards and is going to have to figure out a way to stop a Buffalo offense that reached 40 points in each of its last four wins. Play on BUFFALO

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This is a 10* on CALGARY

Calgary has lost two in a row at the Saddledome and we're willing to bank that streak won't reach three. While the Flames were outscored 8-1 by the Hurricanes and Penguins, let's not lose sight of the fact that they'd won seven in a row before suffering those back to back home losses. Montreal comes in with a solid road record, but you also can't forget that they recently lost at home to Detroit, the worst team in the entire NHL. The level of goaltending the Canadiens are getting from Carey Price lately is pretty remarkable, but the chances of Price keeping it up are small. He's got a .952 save percentage his last five starts, an unsustainable number. The Flames have had lots of scoring chances the last two games, but just haven't been able to cash in. Our guess is they're going to find the back of the net more times than you think tonight. Montreal gives up a lot of shots when they're on the road. Play on CALGARY

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This is a 10* on BROOKLYN

Brooklyn somehow escaped New Orleans with a win on Tuesday. By their own admission, they were "pretty bad offensively" against the Pelicans, but a strong defensive effort led them to a 108-101 win in overtime. Now beating a team that hadn't won a game in almost a month is no cause for celebration. But remember the Nets are shorthanded. Kyrie Irving and Caris LeVert remain out with injuries and Kevin Durant is unlikely to play this year. Thankfully Spencer Dinwiddie has stepped up, averaging 24.3 points/game in Irving's absence. The Nets are 11-5 SU so far without Kyrie and are a solid seventh in the Eastern Conference. They are also playing great defense, holding the last five opponents to an 103-point average on 39% shooting.  Despite the injuries, we still see them as the better team compared to San Antonio, who has been a disaster at the betting window all season with a league-worst 6-18 ATS record. After playing a league-record four consecutive overtime games, the Spurs blew a 25-point lead on Tuesday and lost in Houston. This is a team running on fumes and we'll take the points here. Play on BROOKLYN

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This is an 8* on HOUSTON

Houston comes into this all-Texas matchup way undervalued as we had the spread several points higher. Some have already caught onto this as the Cougars have been bet up a bit this morning. But it's still not enough for UTEP to finish in the money Thursday. UTEP may be 8-1 straight up, but they haven't really played anybody (that's good) and they've left El Paso just one time. That one time just so happened to result in the Miners only defeat, which came at the hands of New Mexico State. It's a big step up in class tonight facing Houston, who is in an angry mood after losing to Oklahoma State on Sunday. The Cougars were seven-point favorites, but they went down 61-55 on a poor shooting night (31.1 FG%). Prior to that, their only two losses were to Oregon (top 10 team) and by 1 to BYU. We view this team as being a bit of a "sleeping giant" right now and UTEP is coming to town at the wrong time. At home, Houston is holding opponents to a 35.0 field goal percentage. Play on HOUSTON

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This is a 10* on UNDER 

Dallas is tied for third place in the Central Division, but you get the feeling they should be doing better than that. They rank second in the entire league in goals allowed (82) and have played three more games than the Islanders (who have given up only 80), so the Stars goals against average is actually the lowest in the league. The problem then obviously resides at the other end of the ice. Among Western Conference teams, only Anaheim has scored fewer goals. Sure enough, the last five Dallas games have all stayed Under the total. Tonight is a matchup with another underachieving team, Tampa Bay, who has gone from a record setting regular season last year to mediocrity this year. Right now, the Lightning wouldn't even be a playoff team, even though they have a goal differential that says they should be one. They still score lots of goals at home (3.9 per game) but they actually needed overtime to get by Ottawa. Look for this game to be played on "Dallas terms," meaning it'll be low-scoring. Play UNDER Dallas-Tampa Bay

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This is a 10* on the UNDER

Marshall hosts Eastern Kentucky Thursday night in a battle of teams on five-game streaks. Marshall has gone Over five straight times while Eastern Kentucky is 0-5 ATS its last five games. Let's concentrate on the former streak tonight. This is now the largest total for any Marshall game this season. Interestingly enough, only two of their 10 games played so far would have gone Over tonight's total. The Thundering Herd can probably count on their opponent not scoring much tonight. Eastern Kentucky has lost all six of its road games while averaging just over 60 points. This is the fourth straight road game for the Colonels. But at least this one isn't against Louisville, who dropped 99 points on them Saturday. Eastern Kentucky doesn't shoot the ball well at all as their FG% is below 40% for the season. It's at 31.9% on the road. Marshall is a poor three-point shooting team at 27.4%.  Add it all up and you shouldn't see that much scoring tonight. Play UNDER Eastern Kentucky-Marshall

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This is a 10* on MIAMI

Philadelphia is getting a lot of respect here because they are undefeated at home. Their perfect 14-0 record at the Wells Fargo Center certainly should carry some weight as no other team in the NBA can claim to still be perfect at home. But Miami is a worth adversary and certainly capable of winning this game. It just so happens the 76ers are off their worst loss of the year. A severely depleted Brooklyn team beat them by 20 on Sunday. Now the Sixers didn't have Embiid, who should be returning tonight. But the Heat are a lot tougher than the Nets, even though they (Miami) just lost at Memphis two nights ago. Prior to that, the Heat hadn't lost to a team with a losing record all year. So they're in bounce back mode just like Philly is and taking the points seems to be the best option in this battle of top five Eastern Conference teams. The Heat are 3-1 ATS this year after giving up 115+ points in their last game. The Sixers didn't do well the only other time they were off a double digit loss, losing to Oklahoma City the next time out. Play on MIAMI

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This is a 10* on ILLINOIS STATE

Each team is coming off a double-digit loss. UIC got beat by 21 at DePaul, snapping what had been a three-game ATS win streak. The Flames are now 4-7 and find themselves playing back to back true road games for the first time. It's not a long trip to face Illinois State, who is 4-6 after taking a 15-point loss down at Northern Kentucky on Sunday. What we are leaning on for this one is the home team's defense. The Redbirds give up only 63.2 points/game at home. UIC is giving up 79.4 points/game on the road. With this game taking place in Normal, we don't think Illinois State is favored by nearly enough. Certainly, they remember getting blown out by UIC 94-75 last season. Before that, it had been Illinois State winning the last seven matchups. This spread just seems too low for a game the home team should win pretty comfortably. Play on ILLINOIS STATE

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This is an 8* on EAST TENNESSEE STATE

East Tennessee State has lost just two times this year. One was to Kansas where they stayed inside 15-point spread. The other was an upset loss at North Dakota State 11 days ago. Having already successfully bounced back from that second defeat (easily beat Milligan College 97-41), the Buccaneers now set their sights on LSU, their first Power 5 opponent since the Kansas game. LSU has also lost just twice and both were by just two points. The Tigers have been rolling of late, winning and covering four straight. During that win streak, they've shot the ball ridiculously well as in over 54%! Don't look for that percentage to hold up tonight against the toughest team they've faced in awhile. East Tennessee State is a legit team and getting points for only the second time all year. They are 19-8 ATS in non-conference games while LSU is 10-25 ATS the last 35 times it has been a home favorite of 9.5 to 12 points. Play on EAST TENNESSEE STATE

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This is an 8* on TEMPLE

This game is part of the Hall of Fame Invitational at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Miami enters on a two-game win streak, but there are some real underlying defensive issues with this Hurricanes team as it has given up an average of 76.2 points in last five games with the last four opponents combining to shoot better than 52% overall. That's bad news when getting set to face a Temple team that just hung 108 points on St. Joe's a week ago. The Owls are well rested as that St. Joe's game took place seven days ago. Miami played Saturday. While it was only a home game vs. Alabama A&M, they still gave up 74 points on 51.7% shooting. The Canes last two neutral site games both resulted in blowout losses, by a combined 45 points, to Florida and UConn. Temple's two losses this year were each a result of poor shooting nights, but that's not going to be the case here. They shot 62.7% against St. Joe's. Miami is 3-11 ATS its last 14 neutral site games. Play on TEMPLE

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This is a 10* on the UNDER

Winnipeg busted loose for seven goals on Sunday as they easily beat Philadelphia here at Bell MTS Place. Tonight they can expect a stiffer test from Carolina, who is off a shutout and won four of its last five. Like the Jets, the Hurricanes are definitely capable of a big offensive game. It was a 4-0 shutout of Calgary on Saturday and before that they had two games where they found the back of the net six times. But this will be their fourth straight road game, all of them in Western Canada. On the flip side, the Canes are allowing an average of just 1.6 goals during the 4-0-1 stretch. The one loss was 1-0 OT game at Vancouver. Winnipeg is a strong home team, so it won't be easy to score tonight. Only three teams have allowed less goals that Carolina this year. All are division leaders. Winnipeg isn't too far behind, ranking 7th in goals allowed. Play UNDER Carolina-Winnipeg

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This is a 10* on the OVER

Two of the NBA's worst teams meet Tuesday night in the Big Apple and that means plenty of points. Bad teams don't play good defense and both the Hawks and Knicks resemble that remark. Atlanta is allowing 117.8 points/game, second most in the Eastern Conference. On the road, they are allowing 124.1! In three of their last four road games, they've given up 136, 135 and 158 points! The Knicks join the Hawks in the bottom five teams in defensive efficiency as they let opponents shoot 38.5% from three-point land. New York had actually won two in a row before losing 111-105 to Denver Sunday. Atlanta's game vs. the Lakers on Sunday was far lower scoring than expected. But with two bad teams facing off, expect a wide open pace of play and little defense. The Over is 10-4 in Hawks road games. Play OVER Atlanta-New York

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This is a 10* on CHARLOTTE

Sacramento rolled to a 100-79 victory over Golden State in its last game. Because it was such an easy win (we had the Under), the Kings now find themselves favored by more than they should be tonight in Charlotte. While its true the Kings have now won four of five, three of those wins were by a total of six points. This is actually their fourth straight game being favored, but before blowing out the Warriors, they'd failed the previous two times and were 0-3 ATS L3 as chalk. The Kings were seven-point favorites over the Hornets at home back on October 30th and lost that game straight up, 118-111. Surprisingly, the Kings are 3-0 ATS as road favorites this year, but this should be closer to a pick 'em as we're getting value on Charlotte due them suffering a blowout loss at Indiana on Sunday. Play on CHARLOTTE

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This is an 8* on LOYOLA MARYMOUNT

Loyola Marymount is looking to win for a third straight time tonight. To do so, they'll have to make the short trip over to UC Davis. The home team has covered five in a row, but all of those ATS wins came as underdogs of at least 3.5 points. They were getting at least six points in four of the games. Tonight the oddsmakers generosity isn't there for the Aggies, who did not fare well against Loyola Marymount last season when they lost to them by 18 on the road. They were eight-point underdogs for that matchup. Loyola Marymount has lost both of its road games so far, but this is a weaker opponent than either Nevada or Colorado. In home games where the spread is three points or less, UC Davis is 1-6 straight up and against the spread. LMU is shooting the basketball very well (51.5 FG%), which is more than we can say for UC Davis, who is at just 45.2%. Lions roar in this one. Play on LOYOLA MARYMOUNT

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This is a 10* on OVER

A critical game for both teams, though that's for different reasons. The Saints are still in play for the NFC's top seed. They are tied with the 49ers, Seahawks and Packers, all of whom also have just three losses. The Colts have lost three in a row, blowing leads in every game, to fall to 6-7 and see their own playoff chances go on life support. The fact that Indy has only been beaten once by more than one score means we won't be laying points Monday night. But the Over is something we can get behind after the way both of these defenses played last week. The Colts gave up over 500 yards in a 38-35 loss to the Bucs, almost all of it coming through the air. That's good news for the Saints' Drew Brees, who threw for 349 in a losing effort last week. The reason New Orleans lost last week was because their defense was torched for 8.2 yards per play by the 49ers. That was right here at home too. Over the last seven weeks, the Saints have scored at least 31 points every game except when facing the Falcons (familiar opponent). The Colts have allowed 69 points the last two games. Play OVER Colts-Saints

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This is a 10* on HOUSTON

This is a very bad spot for San Antonio, who has played a NBA record four straight overtime games. Three of those have resulted in wins. One, a double OT affair, saw them beat tonight's opponent. But it was not without controversy. That was the game where referees mistakenly disallowed a James Harden dunk, leading to a wild sequence of events where the Spurs ended up erasing a 22-point deficit. While the Rockets protest of that game was not upheld, they'll get their revenge tonight. Adding fuel to the fire is that they are off an upset loss the other night to Detroit. They shot just 40% in the loss and scored the fewest number of points in a game (107) in nearly a month. The Spurs are a league-worst 5-18 against the spread this year and that includes 0-8 if they scored 115 or more points in their last game. They are coming off a 121-119 win over Phoenix, which was played in Mexico City. That detour "south of the border" is another disadvantage the Spurs are facing and it's really difficult to see them playing well tonight. Play on HOUSTON

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This is a 10* play on the UNDER

Golden State's fall from grace has been ugly. The three-time NBA champs are 5-22 this year and it would absolutely be fair to call them the worst team in the Western Conference. Just to further illustrate what we're dealing with here, the Warriors were underdogs in 23 of their first 24 games. That's more times being a dog than the previous two seasons combined! Sunday night marks the ninth time they will be a home dog this year. It's a division game with Sacramento, who certainly isn't complaining about what's going on in Oakland. But the Kings did just lose to the Knicks on Friday. We want no part of either side tonight, but like the Under as you've got two teams that are near the bottom of the league in scoring. It's the first meeting of the year. The Warriors are 11-3 Under against teams with losing records. The only time they've topped 105 points in the last 10 games was an overtime loss to the Knicks. Play UNDER Sacramento-Golden State

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This is a 10* on HAWAII

Samford makes the long trip out to Honolulu Sunday night. The Bulldogs just won on the road, 112-90 at Houston Baptist last Saturday. But prior to that, they'd been 0-5 in road games with a couple of losses by more than 20 points. Samford can score, but not surprisingly they don't shoot nearly as well when they're the road team. That's a problem when you're giving up 83.3 points/game (on the road). Hawaii figures to be in a foul mood this evening as it is coming off a 25-point loss at Oregon. That was just the third loss overall for the Warriors, two of them on the road to P5 teams. They are 6-1 at home. This result likely boils down to who's senior guard performs better tonight - Josh Sharkey for Samford or Eddie Stansberry for Hawaii. In the end, we like how Hawaii has been shooting the three-ball recently (averaging 9.3 makes L3 games). For the year, they are second among Big West teams in three-pointers made. Play on HAWAII  

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This is a 10* on DALLAS

The Cowboys have nosedived, losing three in a row for the second time this season. If they were in any other division, their playoff chances might be toast. But the NFC East is a different story. Dallas is still tied with Philadelphia atop the division despite both teams being just 6-7. Next week's game in Philly is likely to determine who makes the playoffs. But more pressing for the 'Boys is this week's home game vs. the Rams. Unlike their opponents, LA comes in with plenty of confidence. They just thwarted the Seahawks 28-12 on Sunday Night Football. But we're still willing to back the Cowboys in this one. The lookahead line had them laying four points. As a result of not only their loss last Thursday (to the Bears), but what the Rams did to Seattle, the line has moved considerably. A couple weeks ago, Dallas not being favored here would have been considered crazy. This is a team that's been an underdog just one time all season and that was at New England where they covered the spread. Remember it was only a few weeks ago when the Rams looked to have more questions than answers as they'd been held to just 35 points over a three-game stretch, which included a humiliating 45-6 home loss at the hands of Baltimore. The Cowboys probably played their worst game of the season last week in Chicago. They've had extra time to prepare here and were 2-0 ATS as a home dog last year, winning both games outright. They are healthy and lead the league in total offense. This is a classic "buy low" situation. Play on DALLAS

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This is a 10* on TENNESSEE

Tennessee and Houston will play twice over the next three weeks and those two games figure to decide who wins the AFC South. The Titans have come back from the dead, led by Ryan Tannehill, to win six of their last seven games. Both teams are 8-5 on the year. Houston is off a very ugly loss to Denver last week, leaving real questions about where it stands right now. Though we're talking same records, the Titans have a much better point differential. They are +63 while the Texans are only +8. Which do you think is more indicative of a division winner? This first meeting is in Tennessee where the Titans have won four in a row. In Tannehill's seven starts, the Titans offense ranks #2 in the league in scoring. They have scored 31 or more points four straight games. Houston hasn't scored more than 31 points in its last seven games. The Titans have the better defense as well, which is even more true now that J.J. Watt is out for the Texans. Houston has failed to cover eight of the last nine times it has faced a team with a winning record in the second half of the season. Play on TENNESSEE

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This is a 10* on NORTHERN ARIZONA

Northern Arizona has played what we'd call a "light schedule" so far. The Lumberjacks have taken the floor only six times, which is tied for the second fewest in the whole country. Only Iona (5) has played fewer games. Yet NAU still has the same number of wins (4) as their opponent for Saturday (Utah Valley St). The difference is UVSU has lost seven times, more than the total number of games played for NAU! We've got the teams rated pretty evenly, so the chance to grab this many points looks to be a steal. Utah Valley State has lost four in a row and six of seven. The only win came when they were an underdog. So laying points isn't a great option for the Wolverines. Wouldn't you know they are not only 0-4 ATS as favorites this year, every one of those games have resulted in a straight up defeat. Gotta take the points here. Play on NORTHERN ARIZONA

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This is a 10* on the OVER

Denver has been the top Under team in the league so far with 18 of their 23 games staying below the number. There's a number of reasons for this, one of which is that they are near the bottom in number of possessions per game. They've also quietly become one of the league's top defensive teams, giving up just 101.6 points/game, which is tops in the league. But eventually the oddsmakers are going to catch up with them and tonight's total vs. OKC looks too low. The Thunder are 6-1 Under their last seven games, obviously contributing to the low total we have tonight. They've held three straight opponents below 100 points, but that's not something we see taking place here. When you look at the amount of scoring taking place around the league, this total sticks out like a sore thumb. Yesterday was the anniversary of the highest scoring game in league history (it involved Denver) and "in honor" of that, the Nuggets go Over. Play OVER OKC-DENVER

AAA

This is a 10* on TORONTO

Toronto is in its worst stretch of the season, having lost four of five games. They've gone 0-5 ATS and now face division foe Brooklyn, who is 8-2 ATS as an underdog. But with Kyrie Irving set to miss a 14th straight game, I don't see the Nets competing tonight. They just lost to Charlotte, as a 9.5-point favorite, Wednesday. That game saw them blow a 20-point lead. Caris LeVert has missed 15 straight games. Toronto is fully healthy, so the stretch of losing seems oddly timed. But also look at who they've lost to - Houston, Miami, Philadelphia and the Clippers. All of those are top teams. Brooklyn is below average and has lost eight straight times here in Toronto. After shooting poorly the last five games (below 40%), look for the Raptors to get it going offensively tonight. They average 116 points/game at home. Play on TORONTO

AAA

This is a 10* on the OVER 

The Spiders of Richmond are 8-1 and have covered three straight, all as favorites. They've also gone Under in seven consecutive tries. That has led us to the lowest O/U for any Richmond game to date, a great time for us to spring into action. The opponent is College of Charleston, a team that has also seen its fair share of Unders so far, but two of their three Overs have come when the total is 135.5 points or lower. Richmond should not have much trouble scoring in this game. They are averaging 84.8 points/game at home and 79.6 points/game for the year. So we're counting on them holding up their end of the bargain. They've scored 75 in every game vs. a non-power conference foe. Both teams have held opponents to just over 40% shooting so far this year. Don't look for that to continue. Play OVER Charleston-Richmond

AAA