At 8:00pm ET, my NBA Playoff Game Of The Year is on Oklahoma City. In Game 1, the Thunder maintained control for much of the way, only to see their lead slip away in the fourth quarter. To their credit, the Pacers have consistently demonstrated an ability to stage improbable comebacks in the final period. However, a repeat performance is unlikely in Game 2. Oklahoma City has learned its lesson and will not let another lead slip away. The Thunder have been the best team all season and that's the team we will see the entire way on Sunday. The Thunder have a proven track record of responding to playoff losses with victories in the following game. In each previous series, they showcased their Game 2 dominance: defeating Memphis by 19 points, overwhelming the Nuggets by 43 points after dropping Game 1, and securing a 15-point win over Minnesota. Backs to the wall after Thursday's loss, expect the Thunder to rebound strongly with another decisive Game 2 win and cover. 

At 8:00 PM ET, my Eastern Conference Playoff Game of the Year is on the Indiana Pacers. This series concludes tonight. The Pacers have a perfect 3-0 record both straight-up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) following a loss in these playoffs, with convincing victories by 26, 20, and 9 points, averaging over 18 points per win. Despite a 26-22 road record after their loss at Madison Square Garden, Indiana boasts an impressive 34-13 home record at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Pacers' star Tyrese Haliburton emphasized the team's composure, stating, "We understand what the stakes are. We're fine. There's no need to panic or anything." Pascal Siakam acknowledged the opponent's effort in the previous game, noting, "They played harder than us. It's OK. We played hard, but they played harder." Lay the small number and expect Haliburton, Siakam and the rest of the Pacers to elevate their intensity and performance to secure the win and cover at home tonight.

At 8:30pm Et, my Western Conference Playoff Game Of The Year is on Minnesota. Its improbable that the Timberwolves will smash the Thunder the way that they did in Game 3, this score will likely be much closer. However, the decisive win in Game 3 significantly boosted the Timberwolves' confidence, reinforcing their belief that executing their game plan can and will lead to victory against this opponent. With Game 4 at Target Center, where Minnesota has a strong postseason record, I anticipate the Timberwolves will even the series. With Game 4 being played at Target Center, I expect Minnesota to even the series. SGA may have won the MVP but this is Anthony Edward's house. The Wolves have only lost one game here in the playoffs and that was when they had a very long layoff in between games. They've won each of their last 3 games here by double-digits and by a combined 77 points. The Thunder have dropped 3 of their last 4 away games, highlighting the increased difficulty of winning on the road in the postseason compared to the regular season. I like the Wolves outright but in game which could be decided on the final shot, I will take the points. Play on Minnesota.

At 10:00pm ET, my NBA Quarterfinals Game Of the Year is on Minnesota. In the last game, the Timberwolves fell just short of covering the spread, with the Warriors sinking a late three-pointer to secure the ATS victory. Despite this, Minnesota asserted dominance in the series. Even with Curry, Golden State faced a formidable challenge; without him, the Warriors are significantly outmatched.  Edwards outshines Butler, and the Timberwolves' supporting cast surpasses the Warriors' roster. While Golden State will play with desperation, it won’t suffice. Minnesota, a proven road team with a near-identical home and away record, is poised to tighten its grip on the series with a decisive victory and cover on Monday. Lay the points. 

My WESTERN CONFERENCE GAME OF THE WEEK is on the Houston Rockets at 10:00 EST. Houston will look to tie up this series before heading home for Game 5. Jimmy Butler sat out Game 3 and it's unclear if he'll play in this one. But whether he does or not, I like Houston to, at the very least, keep this one competitive until the final bucket. Basically, I feel that whichever team has its hands on the ball last will win Game 4. Fred Van Vleet was a bright spot in Game 3 for Houston with 17 points. Stephen Curry is obviously amazing, but without Butler at 100%, the lineup gets thin pretty quickly for the Warriors. Houston was the No. 2 seed coming into this one, and Golden State was a No. 7. I'm not counting out the Rockets quite yet. Jalen Green had a big game in Game 2 following the loss at home in Game 1 and I expect a similar response tonight. Grab the points, Rockets roll!

My EASTERN CONFERENCE ROUND ONE GAME OF THE YEAR is on the Indiana Pacers at 7:00 EST. Many might think that this is a good spot for the Bucks to bounce back in, but I'm not one of those people. Indiana destroyed Milwaukee 117-98 in Game 1, and I believe a similar outcome will happen here in Game 2 as well. The Pacers are just too deep offensively. Game 1 saw Pascal Siakam lead the way with 25 points, while Tyrese Haliburton had a double-double. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the best player on the floor, admittedly overall, and while he had 36 points and 12 rebounds in Game 1, he got little help (note, Kyle Kuzma became the first player in playoff history to play more than 20 minutes and not record a single stat.) Damian Lillard is listed as questionable. It's rumored that he's "good to go." But whether he plays in Game 2 or not, I don't see him being super-effective right out of the gate. The Bucks are just 20-20 on the road this year, while the Pacers are 29-11 at home. Lay the points, Pacers roll!

My Western Conference ROUND ONE GAME OF THE YEAR is on the Minnesota Timberwolves at 8:30 EST. These franchises have not me in the Playoffs since the 2004 Confernece Finals featuring Shaq, Kobe and KG. The Lakers are essentially two players. Granted, their two fantastic players, who have the ability to take over a game or situation at any moment. Austin Reaves had a great regular season, but the bench then starts to wear thin pretty quickly after that. Minnesota made big changes this year as well by shipping out Karl Anthony Towns and going instead with Julius Randle. But Anthony Edwards put the team on his back in the second-half of the season and finished by averaging 27.6 points, 5.7 boards and 4.6 assists per game. Note that only the Oklahoma City Thunder have a better record in the West than the Wolves do since March 1st (17-4.) Over that stretch the Wolves have posted the second-best offense (121.9 points per 100 possessions), and the seventh-best defense (110.7 points allowed per 100 possessions.) I think this is a bad matchup for LA without Anthony Davis in the line-up. While the outright upset is a possibility in my opinion, my official call will be to grab as many points as you can with the Wolves.

My PLAY-IN GAME OF THE YEAR is on the Miami Heat at 7:30 EST. The Heat have defeated the Bulls two other times in the Play-In Tournament, and I expect them to advance once again in 2025 as well. Chicago ended the regular-season with a 39-43 record and in ninth spot, while Miami finished in tenth, two games behind at 34-45. The loser will be eliminated, while the winner will move on to play the winner of the Hawks/Magic. Chicago won the season series by a score of 3-0, but experience counts now in the Playoffs. Yes, Jimmy Butler is long gone from Miami, but it till has plenty of talented players, including Tyler Herro. While Chicago does average 117.8 PPG, it concedes 119.4. Billy Donovan's side also only managed a sub-par 18-23 record at the United Center. Miami last played in the Play In Tournament in 2023 against the Bulls, and then moved on to the Finals to play Denver. Miami averages 110.6 PPG, but is one of the better defensive clubs in conceding just 110.6 as well. I think Eric Spolestra will have "something up his sleeve" here once again for the Bulls. Grab the point/s, Heat roll!

My PLAY-IN TOTAL OF THE YEAR is on the over between the Atlanta Hawks and the Orlando Magic. The winner of this tie will clinch the No. 7 seed in the East, while hte loser will have one more opportunity to try and get a playoff berth with the No. 8 seed. The Magic faltered down the stretch of the regular season, mostly due to injuries to key contributors. Quin Snyder's team is just 4-6 in its last ten games, but they did close the regular-season with two straight wins. Orlando closed with five straight victories. One of those games was a 119-112 home win here over Atlanta just last week. I foresee a similar pace and final combined score here as well, and that's why I'm rolling with the over.

My EASTERN-CONFERENCE GAME OF THE WEEK is on the New York Knicks at 7:00 EST. Detroit is so far 2-1 in the season series, but I think that New York has a legitimate shot at evening it up after this evening in the final regular season matchup between the clubs. New York is off a tough 119-117 loss to the Celtics, while Detroit fell 127-117 to the Kings. Detroit has now lost two straight here at home, also losing 109-103 to Memphis. With two straight against the Bucks to close out the year, will the home side get caught "looking ahead" to those important end-of-season divisional matchups?! Clearly, the answer is yes. The Knicks are still battling for a playoff spot, currently sitting in third spot, two games ahead of the Pacers. Detroit will be either fifth or sixth, depending on how it finishes up against the Bucks to close out the season. Cade Cunningham has helped turned around the Pistons this year, but I think that Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau will have his team prepared tonight. Look for the Knicks to push the pace and while an outright is possible, let's grab the points. Knicks roll!

My 10* ATLANTIC DIVISION GAME OF THE MONTH is on the New York Knicks at 7:30 EST. New York is 50-28, but it's 5-1 SU in its last six. It's off a dominant 112-98 win over Phoenix here two nights ago and I believe the Knicks will carry that defensive momentum and confidence over ino this one. Boston is 58-20 and it's won four of its last five SU. With a final road game of the season at Orlando tomorrow night, Boston could be caught looking ahead to that difficult contest (note that the Celtics close out the regular season with back-to-back "cream puffs" at home against Charlotte.) New York's final week is much more difficult though, with a game at Detroit, followed by a home game against Cleveland, then a regular-season finale at Brooklyn. That puts added importance on this contest. The Knicks also play with the added incentive of revenge following a 118-105 loss in their most recent matchup in February. The Celtics have plenty of injury issues as well, with Al Horford out and Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis and Jaylen Brown all listed as questionable. Jalen Brunson though is expected to suit up for New York. Whether he does or not though, I love the way this one sets up for the home side. The play is on New York.

My 10* CBB GAME OF THE MONTH is on Houston at 8:50 EST. Houston stunned Duke by outscoring the Blue Devils 15-3 over the final few minutes to win 70-67 in the final Four and I think the Cougars will carry that confidence and momentum over into the National Championship game. LJ Cryer had 26 points, as the Cougars have proved they can win games with either their offense or the defense. Florida was foruntate in its win over Auburn after trailing for nearly 85% of the game. Walter Clayton Jr. was superb with 34 points, but now he's going to run into a real buzzsaw of a defense in this smothering Cougars' unit. Houston should be favored here in my opinion after beating Duke, so my official call will be to grab as many point/s as you can.

My 10* ULTIMATE SIDE is on Houston at 8:45 EST. Most of the money is on the Duke Blue Devils in this matchup, but I feel the value is on the defensive-minded Houston Cougars. Cooper Flagg is a phenomenal player, but Houston has some fantastic play-making guards, experience and depth. Duke beat Houston 54-51 in the 2024 Sweet 16, and everything points to a similar battle here as well in my opinion. LJ Cryer is the key to the Houston offense and Duke will struggle to cover him from the outside at times, giving the underdog the chance to keep this one competitive late. Cryer had 30 points in the 81-76 victory over Gonzaga and I believe he can match pace here with Flagg on the biggest stage. Grab the points, Houston rolls!

My 10* CBC SLAM-DUNK Wednesday play is on Butler at 7:00 EST. I really do believe this game will be decided by whichever team has its hands on the ball last. Butler is 15-19 and Boise State is 25-10. Butler advanced with an impressive win over Utah as an underdog to advance, and I expect the Bulldogs to carry that momentum over here. Boise State was expected to beat George Washington in its first round matchup, and it did easily. But now it runs into a more veteran team here in the Bulldogs, and I think this one will be much more competitive than what the oddsmakers are trying to lead us to believe. Keep your eyes on Pierre Brooks II for Butler, as he led with 22 points and nine rebounds in the win over Utah. Tyson Degenhart had 19 points in the Broncos victory. Butler played well in an underdog role last time out and everything points to that being the case again here on Wednesday. Grab the points, Bulldogs roll!

My 10* CBC GAME OF THE YEAR is on Arizona State at 8:30 EST. Nebraska looked terrible down the stretch of the regular season, losing its final five games and missing the Big Ten Tournament because of it. The Huskers are 17-14 overall. Brice Williams leads an offense that averages 75.4 PPG, and a defense that concedes 72.9. Arizona State finished 13-19 SU, and 17-15 ATS this season. The Sun Devils also played terribly down the stretch, losing ten of 11 and losing in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament to K-State. Overall the team averages 73.9 PPG, while allowing 76.5. A consistent bright spot for ASU has been the play of BJ Freeman, who leads the team with 13.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 2.6 APG. These teams haven't played a serious game in weeks. Each looked bad this season, but they each have a big opportunity to now end the season on a possible positive note. I see these teams being very evenly matched and because of that, I'm grabbing the points. Sun Devils roll!

My 10* NON-CONFERENCE GAME OF THE WEEK is on the Memphis Grizzlies at 7:30 EST. Memphis beat Boston 127-121 on the road as a seven-point underdog back on December 7th. The Grizzlies are now 44-30 though after losing four of their last five, most recently falling 134-127 at home to the Lakers. Clearly, the home side is eager to snap out of this poor stretch. And now I think the Grizzlies catch the Celtics at a great time. Boston is rolling along at 55-19 following eight straight victories. That includes all five so far on its current Western road swing. But with a night off before three home games vs. the Heat, suns and Wizards, would anyone fault the defending champs if they got caught looking ahead? The Grizzlies simply don't have that luxury, and they're finally getting healthier as well. I'll stop short in calling for an outright upset, but I definitely feel the conditions are correct for a competitive battle until the final moments. Because of that, I'm grabbing the points. Grizzlies roll! 

My 10* ELITE 8 GAME OF THE YEAR in on Texas Tech at 6:05 EST. I'm going on record right now saying that I believe the Red Raiders have what it takes to move on to the Final Four. But that said, my official call for this pick is to grab as many points as you can. Florida used a late second-half push to win and cover against Maryland, but I think the Gators will have a much more difficult time against Texas Tech. Walter Clayton Jr. was big for Florida in the Sweet 16 with 22 points and six assists. One blow for Florida is the status of Alex Condon, who suffered an ankle injury, putting him uncertain for this contest. Florida continues to shine defensively, as points are likely to once again be at a premium in this one. The combination of JT Toppin and Elijah Hawkins was too much for Arkansas in the Sweet 16. Florida has a slight size advantage, but the Red Raiders are gritty, battle-tested team that continues to exceed expectations. I'm grabbing the points and expecting a battle until the final horn. The play is Texas Tech.

My 10* SWEET 16 GAME OF THE YEAR is on Texas Tech at 10:05 EST. The Razorbacks have yet to lose a post-season game against the spread. They beat South Carolina 72-68 in the SEC Tournament's first round, but then lost 83-80 to Ole Miss in the second, going on to cover though with the 4.5 points. Arkansas has since won its first two games to open up the NCAA Tournament as well, dispatching KU 79-72 as a 5-point underdog, before a 75-66 upset victory over St. John's as a 7-point dog. Texas Tech is 3-1 SU over its four post-season games as well, losing to Arizona 86-80 in the second round of the Big 12 Conference Tournament, while also winning both of its first two games of the NCAA Tournament, most recently the 77-64 victory over Drake. The Red Raiders are just 1-3 against the spread in that span though, finally managing an ATS cover last time in the victory over Drake. Arkansas is a well-coached team with a bunch of veterans, but Texas Tech has the skill and athletic advantage. It's difficult for me to see the Hogs slowing down JT Toppin, as the 6-foot-9 All-American is averaging 17.9 points and 9.2 boards per game. Arkansas' defense thrives on creating turnovers, but the Red Raiders are 26th in the country in protecting the ball, conceding just 9.9 turnovers per game. Lay the points with confidence.

My 10* NIT QUARTERFINAL GAME OF THE YEAR is on North Texas at 9:00 EST. I believe the Mean Green will win this game outright, but the official call will be to grab the points. The Mean Green are 26-8 and the Cowboys are 17-17. Oklahoma State managed a nail-biting 85-83 win over SMU to move on, with Bryce Thompson leading the way with 24 points. The Cowboys have managed 78 PPG in the NIT, but for the season they're averaging 73.1. Atin Wright leads UNT in scoring this year with 14.9 PPG and overall the Mean Green average 67.8 PPG. The difference though comes on the defensive end, with UNT conceding 59.9 PPG, and OKS allowing 76.8. The Cowboys' ineffecitve defense will allow the Mean Green to sneak into their building here and find a way to post the victory. Grab the points, the play is North Texas.

My 10* CBI TOURNEY GOY is on Cleveland State at 5:00 EST. This is the quarterfinals of the CBI Tournament. The Queens Royals looked decent in advancing by beating Northern Arizona yesterday by a score of 95-78, but I think the Royals will now struggle here in the second game of the back-to-back. Cleveland State has been off since a 56-54 loss to Youngstown State in the Horizon Conference Tournament's second round as a three-point favorite. The Vikings finished 21-12 and second overall in the Horizon, while Queens was 19-14 in the A-Sun, ranked sixth overall. On the season the Royals average 76.6 PPG, while allowing 74.1, while the Vikings average 73.6 PPG, while allowing 66.5. Cleveland State has five players averaging at least eight points, and I believe this depth, as well as the fact that the Vikings are well-rested, will prove to be the difference-makers for them this evening. Lay the points, Cleveland State rolls! 

My 10* 2ND ROUND NIT GAME OF THE YEAR is on Bradley at 2:00 EST. The Braves enter 27-8 after finishing 17-6 in the MVC. The Braves advanced to the second round by beating North Alabama by a score of 71-62 as 4.5-point favorites. George Mason finished 17-4 in the A-10. The Patriots advanced by beating Samford by a score of 86-69 as 6.5-point favorites. Bradley averages 76.7 PPG, while George Mason averages 71.3. The Braves concede 68.6, while the Patriots allow 63.5. Over their last ten games though Bradley is averaging 70.3 PPG, while allowing 66.1, while George Mason has averaged 69 points per game and conceded 66.4 over the same span. I really believe an upset is in the making here, but my official call will be to grab as many points as you can. Bradley rolls!

My 10* 2ND ROUND GAME OF THE YEAR is on Purdue at 12:40 EST. I had a play on Purdue in its victory over High Point, and now I like the Boilermakers to not only move into the next round but to do so in a convincing fashion once again in this favorable matchup. Here is a small excerpt from that writeup, as a lot of the information contained in that analysis also directly pertains to this pick and why I like the Boilermakers again here in the second round:

... The Boilermakers finished 22-11. They're the No. 4 seed after losing six of their last nine games. I say they come in motivated enough here though to not only win this game but to do so in blowout fashion. Purdue is Top 10 in the country in field-goal shooting at 49% ...

... Purdue is loaded with talent as well, including Trey Kaufman-Renn and Braden Smith and I believe they'll be just too much for the Panthers to handle. The Boilermakers have a big talent edge here and I expect them to ride that to a solid victory in the First Round ...

McNeese State is off the 69-67 upset win over Clemson as a seven-point dog, but I believe the Cowboys finally have a letdown here. Clemson played terribly, as McNeese State won despite shooting only 43.5 percent from the floor and 21.1 percent from range. It will be a lot harder now to try and contain Smith and Kaufman-Renn this time though, and I don't believe the Cowboys will. Look for Purdue's size and talent to once again be the deciding factor for the Boilermakers in this matchup and lay the points with confidence.

My 10* NCAA TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND GAME OF THE YEAR is on Missouri. Missouri finished 22-11 this year. The Tigers lost four of their last five, but I expect them to come in rested and ready here. Missouri finished .500 against Top 25 teams this season. Drake finished 30-3 and it has a veteran team led by Bennett Stirtz. Stirtz is great, but the offense is a little thin after that though. In their Conference Tournament win over Bradley back on March 9th, Stirtz led the way with 24 points, but only one other player scored in double figures. Missouri lost to Florida, which went on to win the SEC Tournament, by a score of 95-81. Tamar Bates had 16 points in a losing cause, but I think he and the rest of his team will bounce back big here in the First round. Drakes is a sexy "darkhorse" underdog pick here in Round 1, but I'm not biting. The Bulldogs won't be able to keep pace here offensively, as they've posted below 66 points in four of their last six games. Look for a rested Missouri side to be too much for the Bulldogs on both ends of the floor in this one and lay the points with confidence. Missouri rolls!

My 10* FIRST FOUR GOY is on Texas at 9:10 EST. The winner of this game will face Illinois on Friday. Xavier finished 21-11 The Musketeers had their seven-game win streak come to an end by Marquette in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament. Xavier is led by Zach Freemantel, but the Musketeers finished just 2-5 against teams in the Top 25 this year. Overall Xavier ranks 59th in scoring and 125th in points allowed per contest. The Longhorns come in battle-tested after one of the most difficult schedules in the country. Tre Johnson averages just under 20 PPG this year. In total the Longhorns played against 13 teams ranked in the Top 25 this season. Texas ranks 54th in the country in points per game this year, and 170th in points allowed per contest. The Longhorns also rank 29th in the country in fewest turnovers per game, while the Musketeers rank 130th. Grab the points, the play is on Texas.

My 10* NIT FIRST ROUND GAME OF THE YEAR is on CSU Northridge at 11:00 EST. There's a possible upset in the cards here on Tuesday night, as I feel that CSU Northridge has a legitimate shot at winning this one outright at Stanford vs. the Cardinal. CSU Northridge is 22-10 and 14-7 in Big West action, while Stanford finished 20-13 and 12-10. For me, more than anything, this pick comes down to "recent form." And more specifically, the recent form of each offense. Over their last ten games Maxime Raynaud and the Cardinal are 5-5 and averaging 66.6 PPG, while conceding 70. Conversely, over their last ten games, the Matadors are 7-3 and averaged 80.0 PPG, while conceding 76.1. Marcus Adams Jr. averages 16.1 PPG for Cal State Northridge and I believe their versatile offense will, at the very least, keep them competitive until the final moments. Grab the points, the Matadors roll!

My 10* Western Conference GAME OF THE WEEK is on the LA Lakers at 10:30 EST. I had LA last night, and I believe it'll find a way to not only win tonight, but to do so in blowout fashion, going on to cover this larger spread easily in my opinion. LA had dropped four in a row previous, so it can't "look past" its lowly opponent this evening. This is a very winnable game for the home side, especially with much more difficult upcoming contests here vs. Denver and Milwaukee on back-to-back nights. The Lakers play with the added incentive of "revenge" as well following a 126-102 loss here to the Spurs back in mid-January. San Antonio has been trading wins/losses over its last four games, and off a 119-115 home victory over the Pelicans, I expect this pattern/trend to continue. The Spurs are only 10-21 on the road this year and everything points to a letdown here for the visiting side in my opinion. And that's why I'm laying the points with confidence, Lakers roll!

My 10* SWAC TOURNEY GAME OF THE YEAR is on Alcorn State at 8:30 EST. Alcorn State enters the Tournament as the No. 6 seed after finishing 11-20 overall, including 11-7 in the SWAC. Bethune-Cookman closed 16-15 and 13-5 and as the No. 3 seed overall. When you look more closely at their scoring, they're very evenly matched, with Bethune-Cookman averaging 88.7 points per 100 possessions and Alcorn State averaging 86.2 points per 100 possessions. The Braves won both regular season games vs. the Wildcats, and both times, they were dogs. Bethune-Cookman enjoyed a significant home-floor advantage this year, but this game is being played at the Gateway Center Arena. I do think an outright victory is once again possible for Alcorn State, but my official call is to grab as many points as you can. Alcorn State rolls!

My 10* BIG WEST TOURNAMENT GAME OF THE YEAR is on Cal State Bakersfield at 9:00 EST. Cal State Bakersfield finished 14-18 and No. 8 in the Big West, while UC Santa Barbara was 19-12 and No. 5. The bottom line here is that the recent form of the Roadrunners has me convinced that they not only are going to cover with the spread here, but also could potentially steal this game outright. Cal State Bakersfield closed the season with a 76-64 win over Hawaii as a 2.5-point favorite. The Roadrunners rank second in the conference in three-point percentage, and that's going to come into play and be a key deciding factor in this Conference Tournament game in my opinion. The Gauchos backed their way into the tournament by losing their last two games. These teams played twice this year and UC Santa Barbara won and covered and each, but now here in the Conference Tournament, the value has finally swung the other way in my opinion. It appears to me that this game will be decided by whichever team has its hands on the ball last. So because of that, I'm grabbing the points. Cal State Bakersfield rolls!

My 10* A-10 TOURNEY GAME OF THE YEAR is on Davidson at 11:30 AM EASTERN. I'm going with Davidson to win and cover here on Wednesday morning. The Wildcats backed their way into the Conference Tournament with four straight losses and finished 16-15 overall. But, they did beat Richmond 71-60 on February 8th, and 72-66 on January 25th to sweep the season series. While the old saying goes that it's difficult to beat a team three times in one year, I really like Davidson to bounce back in this opening matchup and post a third straight victory in this series. The Spiders are terrible. They finished 10-21 and they also enter the Conference Tournament having lost four in a row. The "better" team is more prepared to bounce back in this spot, and that's exactly what I'm expecting. This has been a difficult matchup all year for Richmond and nothing will change here in the Conference Tournament. Lay the points, Davidson rolls!

My 10* SUN BELT Conference Tournament Game of the Year is on Arkansas State at 7:00 EST. This is the Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship game being played in Pensacola, Florida. Arkansas State got by South Alabama 74-71 to advance, while Troy beat James Madison 79-60 in its semifinal matchup. Arkansas State has so far averaged 75.2 PPG in this tournament, while allowing 72.5. Keep your eyes on Joseph Pinion, who had 23 points last time out (three others scored in double figures.) Troy has averaged 77 PPG in the Conference tournament, while allowing 59.5. Tayton Conerway had 22 points in the victory, but I believe this matchup still favors Arkansas State. These teams went 1-1 SU/ATS vs. each other in the regular season, but the Red Wovles' recent offensive play will turn out to be the difference-maker for them in my opinion tonight. Lay the small amount of points with confidence here, the play is on Arkansas State!

My 10* NORTHEAST CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT GAME OF THE YEAR is on Fairleigh Dickinson. The Knights were 13-19 in the regular season. They opened the Conference Tournament with a 71-56 victory over Stonehill. They play with revenge following an 87-66 loss here back in early February (lost both conference games to the Blue Devils, both SU and ATS this season). Central Connecticut finished 24-6. The Blue Devils opened the tournament with an 86-67 win over Le Moyne. Terrence Brown is a player to keep your eyes on for the Knights today. He's really developed into a major threat, most recently posting 23 points, five rebounds, six assists, and two steals in 36 minutes. I say that the Knights keep their recent momentum rolling here and, at the very least, keep this one competitive enough to earn the comfortable cover. Grab the points, Fairleigh Dickinson rolls!

My 10* CAA Conference Tournament GAME OF THE YEAR is on Stony Brook at 2:00 EST. Stony Brook finished 8-23, but the silver lining saw the Seawolves win their final two games of the year as an underdog. Stony Brook was a ten-point underdog in an 84-74 loss at Delaware in mid-January, so it plays with the added incentive of revenge in this one. The Blue Hens finished with the better 12-19 record, but Delaware backed its way into the Conference Tournament by losing six straight, both SU and ATS. For me, "recent form" is a crtical factor when starting the "playoffs" (in the NBA/NHL/NFL etc), or the Conference Tournaments. I'm not going to call for an outright upset, but that is a very real possibility in this one as well in my opinion. A great situational play in the first round of the CAA Tournament, grab the points as Stony Brook rolls to at least the comfortable cover!

My 10* Missouri Valley Conference Tournament GAME OF THE YEAR is on Murray State at 7:00 EST. Murray State endured mixed results over the regular season and finished 15-16 overall, falling 70-60 in its regular-season finale at Belmont. The Racers will look to move past the Opening round of the Conference Tournament, though in a favorable matchup. Murray State plays with the added incentive of revenge afer losing 78-74 at Evansville in late January as a 5.5-point favorite. The Purple Aces were just 11-20. They lost their final three games of the regular season, including a 62-53 loss at Illinois State in its finale. Nick Ellington did not play for Murray State in the loss to Evansville, and he just finished with 19 points and four rebounds in the most recent loss to the Bears. Look for Murray State to exact a little revenge in the opener of the Conference Tournament and lay the points, as everything points to the Racers rolling!

My SLAM DUNK WINNER on Wednesday March 5th at 9:30 EST is on the Memphis Grizzlies. It's a big West Coast matchup. Oklahoma City is 50-12 overall, including 23-7 on the road, while Memphis is 38-23 overall and 22-9 at home. Shai and the Thunder are in the proverbial driver's seat right now, as he's currently a -550 favorite to win the MVP. Despite that though, we still really like the hungry underdog home side here. Oklahoma City has won six of seven games since the All-Star Break. It's off the 137-128 win over Houston. After this it has three straight at home vs a red hot Portland side and two straight against the Nuggets. Situational cappers would point to this as being a very possible "trap" game for the visitors (as they enter on the extended winning run on the road, combined with the upcoming difficult home stand.) The potential for the visitors to get caught looking ahead is very real. Memphis does not have that luxury. It can't look past anyone as it is now desperate to snap a three-game losing streak, most recently falling 132-130 to the Hawks. Memphis also plays with the added incentive of "revenge" as well after falling 125-112 to the Thunder about a month ago. Grab the points and watch the Grizz roll to AT LEAST the solid ATS cover.

My UNDERDOG BLOWOUT WINNER in on the Charlotte Hornets at 7:00 EST. Golden State has been playing well since the Jimmy Butler trade, but off a 126-119 loss at Philadelphia, a setback that snapped a five-game winning streak, and with a much more high-profile contest at the Knicks on Tuesday, I believe the Warriors are going to have a bit of a mental letdown here. It's a perfect "spot" bet for Hornets backers! Charlotte also plays with the added incentive of "revenge" following a 128-92 loss at Golden State in late February. The Hornets have lost six straight and while I'm not calling for that streak to end today, I do feel that this spread is now a bit too large for Golden State to cover considering the other situational factors its facing. I think the revenge-minded home side will be able to keep this one competitive enough to comfortably cover with this larger spread. 

My Pacific Division Game of the Month is on the LA Clippers at 9:30 EST. LA is just 1-4 since the break. It lost here 106-102 to the Lakers just two nights ago, but I like the Clippers to finally bounce back with a solid victory tonight, and to avenge the most recent loss. This is the fourth and final meeting between the clubs this regular season, and the Lakers currently own a 2-1 lead. But I like Kawhi Leonard and James Harden to respond. The Lakers have won five straight, but I'm finally anticipating a letdown here vs. the desperate Clippers. The Lakers have the Pelicans and Knicks coming to town next, but I think the "hungrier" revenge-minded Clippers are the correct call in this situation. In fact, they've now qualified as my top Pacific Division side for March. Lay the points, Clippers roll.

My Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament game of the year is on Central Arkansas at 7:00 EST. Both teams were pretty poor this season, but the Bears play with revenge and I believe that motivational factor will tip the scales in their favor in the opener of the A-Sun Conference tournament. Both teams finished 8-23 and backed their way into the tournament. But I think the Hatters will have a difficult time slowing down Central Arkansas' star player Elias Cato, who averages 14.8 PPG. The Bears play with revenge as I mentioned following a 75-65 road loss back in January. But now the Hatters don't have the "home floor" advantage here in the Conference Tournament. These teams are evenly matched, but I think the Bears will avenge the earlier loss. That said, grab as many points as you can.

At 8:30pm ET, my Sun Belt Game Of The Month is on Southern Miss. The value lies with the home underdog in this Sun Belt showdown. The Golden Eagles are dreadful on the road but their home record is better than Troy's road record. The Trojans won by only 9 when they hosted the Golden Eagles. Again, SMU is terrible on the road and decent at home. SMU's last three losses all came by single digits. Five of Troy's last 6 road games were decided by 7 points or less. Last season's game here was decided by a single point. This will be another nail-biter. Grab the points.

At 9:00pm ET, my Horizon League Game Of the Month is on Wright State. The Vikings are having a great season but this is a difficult situation. Not only are they off a tough OT loss but they are also playing their 3rd straight road game. This is the first time all season that they will play 3 straight on the road. The Raiders are 3-10 on the road and they lost at Cleveland State back in December. They are a far better 9-3 at the Nutter Center. They defeated the Vikings 82-70 here last season. No big spread to worry about either. Three straight road games will catch up to Cleveland State. Play on Wright State.

At 9:00pm ET, my Big East Game Of the Week is on Creighton. This game is going to be one sided from the get-go. This season's earlier meeting was played at Depaul and the Bluejays won by 24. Playing at CHI Health Center in Omaha, the Bluejays are poised to deliver an even bigger beating. The Blue Demons are off 5 straight double-digit losses and they're 1-9 on the road. Off a double-digit win over Georgetown, Creighton is 13-2 at home. The Bluejays crush the Blue Demons here annually and they beat them by 23 here last year. I've got them winning by at least that many again tonight. Lay the points.

At 7:40pm ET, my Atlantic Division Game Of the Year is on the Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers are in need to a big win. A game against the short-handed Nets is being handed to them on a silver platter. They simply need to play up to their potential and they can blow this Brooklyn team out. The break came at an opportune time. The 76ers lost at Brooklyn 10 days ago. They hammered the Nets in this season's game at Philadelphia though. Maxey said this: "You have to have some urgency out there. You know that every game is going to be important for us." Maxey and the 76ers play with urgency and give us a glimpse of how good they can really be! Lay the points.

At 6:00pm ET, my SEC Game Of the Year is on Alabama. By this time of the year, nearly team is dealing with some injuries or missing players. In Kentucky's case, it's missing one its very important players. Point guard Lamont Butler (shoulder) has missed two straight games and five of the last seven. Also, off-guard Jaxson Robinson (wrist) has sat out the last three games. Coach Pope acknowledged how important Butler is to the Wildcats: "Lamont is a really special point of attack defender. So, we can't replace that. That's just a massive challenge for us to try to figure out." Pope also knows he's walking into a hornet's nest: "Now we've got the epic challenge of all challenges going to Alabama and seeing if we can deal with that insanity down there. The Wildcats are 2-5 on the road. The Tide are 10-2 at home. The last meeting here was a 78-52 win for the Tide. Off consecutive defeats, Alabama will show no mercy today. Lay the points.

At 7:00 pm ET, my MAAC Conference Game Of the Month is on Fairfield. You guys know how I like getting points with the better team. That's how I see this one. The Stags already defeated the Broncs this season. They've won 6 of the past 9 meetings, each of the past 3. Off a 1-point loss, Rider is 3-5 its past 8 games. All 3 victories were by 3 points or less. The Broncs aren't a good team and they have very little home court advantage. As a matter of fact, the Broncs have 7 road wins but they are only 3-6 in their home games. Grab the points.

At 9:00pm Et, my Big 12 Game Of the Month is on Kansas. Off Saturday''s loss at Utah, Bill Self will demand his team responds with a much better effort at Provo tonight. He's great at getting his team to bounce back from defeat, the Jayhawks are 6-0 straight up off their last 6 losses. Self said the following: "I've obviously done a (expletive) job getting these guys to understand the way we have to play in order to give us a chance to win. I'm tired of regrouping. We don't need to regroup. What we need to do is basically be men as an entire organization. Go out and do what our job is to do and accept responsibility for everybody -- players, coaches, everybody -- when we don't do it well." Self will make sure his team hasn't forgotten that BYU beat them at Lawrence last year. Winning on the road in the Big 12 isn't easy but it can be done. We saw Arizona win at Baylor last night and tonight the Jayhawks will walk away with the road win.

At 9:00pm ET, my WAC Game Of the Month is on California Baptist. The Lancers are off an OT loss on the road last game. That was on the heels of a home win against Grand Canyon, the top team in the conference. A let-down wasn't shocking. It won't happen twice in a row though as the Lancers are ready to roll against an inferior opponent. The Trailblazers are likely the least talented team in the entire WAC. The Lancers have big edges both inside and out. Utah Tech is 0-13 on the road and the Trailblazers have lost their last 7 straight overall. Lay the points.

At 11:00pm ET, my WCC Conference Game Of the Month is on Gonzaga. The Bulldogs will comfortably cover the "two touchdown" spread tonight, winning by more than 20. The Dons are an unbeatable 15-0 at home but they're below .500 on the road. They haven't beaten Gonzaga in years and they're playing their 2nd straight on the road. Gonzaga is off a 17-point road win and a 20-point home win before that. St. Mary's and San Francisco are ahead in the conference standings but the Bulldogs will remind everyone why they remain the class of the conference. Lay the points.

At 10:40pm ET, my NBA Western Conference Game Of The Year is on the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers catch the Grizzlies off a road win at Phoenix last night. It looked like it might be easy but that wasn't the case in the end. Memphis led by as many as 19 but allowed Phoenix to cut the margin to three, with 2:34 left. Even off 3 straight road wins, the Grizzlies are 15-11 on the road. They haven't won 4 road games in a row all season. The last time they played a road game, after playing the previous day, the Grizzlies lost by 8 at Golden State. For the Clippers, Kawhi Leonard has increased his playing time past the 30-minute mark in back-to-back games. Tonight, they'll add Bogdan Bogdanovic to the mix. They are off a 20-point win and are playing with plenty of rest. The Clippers are also 6-2 their last 8 games against the Grizzlies. Lay the points.

At 6:00pm ET, my Big East Game Of The Week is on Villanova. The Red Storm are really strong this season but this is going to be a difficult environment for them. They are off a huge statement road win at UConn (and Marquette before that) and that may have them ripe for an emotional letdown. The Wildcats just beat Xavier by a dozen, their second straight win of 10 points or more. They play with revenge from a January loss at St. Johns. The Wildcats are 2-1 versus ranked teams this season and they have a strong chance at pulling off the upset in front of the home fans. Grab the points.

At 8:00pm ET, my SWAC Game Of The Month is on Texas Southern. The Tigers have been one of the best teams in the SWAC for years. They've got some good big men which will provide them an edge down low. Bethune-Cookman is a perfect 5-0 on its home floor. On the road, the Wildcats are just 4-12. The Tigers also struggle away from home. They are 3-10 on the road. They are a much better 7-3 at home though. The Tigers won 69-62 their last game here against the Wildcats. Playing at H&PE Arena is going to provide them with the advantage that they need. Lay the points.

At 2:10pm Et, my NBA Game Of the Week is on Houston. The Rockets have gone through a rare rough patch. A home game against Toronto is just what they need to get rolling again. The Raptors are only 4-20 on the road. They fight hard at times but are fully in rebuilding mode. They aren't going to be able to match Houston's intensity. They are off 3 straight losses and the last 2 of them came by 12 and 31 points. The Rockets won by 29 the last time they hosted Toronto. Lay the points and look for another blowout.

At 10:30pm ET, my CBB Game Of The Week is on Arizona. Both teams are red hot but in my opinion, the Wildcats have the stronger squad. They lost at Lubbock earlier but are now playing at home. Arizona is 10-1 on its home floor. Texas Tech star JT Toppin went down with a twisted ankle last game. If he plays tonight, he's likely to be at less than 100%. That will impact the Red Raiders at this difficult venue. Since the loss at Texas Tech, the Wildcats have been on a mission. They've won 5 straight and none of the games were close. They've been waiting for this game and will take care of business on their home floor. Lay the small number.

At 8:10pm ET, my #1 Northwest Div. Game Of the Month is on Minnesota. This will be the fourth and final meeting between the teams during the regular season. The home team won all 3 games. The game at Minnesota resulted in a 25 point win for the Timberwolves. The Trail Blazers have been on quite the run but it will come to an end tonight. Lay the points.

At 8:00pm ET, my Big East Game Of The Year is on Connecticut. When was the last time that you could get the Huskies at this low a line for a home game against St. John's? No time in my memory! That shows just how strong this year's St. John's team is. The Red Storm are on a 9-game winning streak and they have to lose in 2025. Impressive stuff but they aren't yet ready to beat the Huskies at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. With the return of star player McNeely and the fact that it's "$2 beer night" in Storrs, the stadium is going to be rocking. McNeely has been out for nearly a month. Even if he doesn't immediately dominate, his return will inspire the rest of the team. The fired up UConn fans will also help provide the Huskies with an extra boost of energy that will put them over the top. The Huskies are off one of their best games, as they beat Marquette on the road. They are 10-1 at home this season. The Red Storm will put up a good fight but it won't be enough. Lay the points.

At 8:00pm Et, my Underdog Game Of The Month is on Montana. These are 2 of the best teams in the Big Sky Conference. Northern Colorado is 9-1 in Big Sky action and Montana is 8-2, good for 1st and 2nd in the conference. This is very important for both teams and we should expect a game which comes down to the wire. As a matter of fact, I believe the visitors will score the upset. The Bears embarrassed them at Montana last month and the Grizzlies have been waiting to settle the score! Prior to last month, 3 of the previous 4 meetings were decided by 6 points or less. The Grizzlies were struggling when they hosted Northern Colorado last month but they have since hit their stride. They have won 4 straight games, going 3-0-1 versus the spread. The Grizzlies are 5-3 ATS the past 8 times that they were underdogs and they're 6-3 ATS the past 9 times that they were underdogs of 6 points or greater. Grab the points.

At 10:10pm Et, my NBA Revenge Game Of the Week is on Phoenix. It didn't really surprise me that the Trail Blazers took Saturday's game. Phoenix was coming off a big win over GSW the night before. The Trail Blazers were playing well and playing with double-revenge. Tonight will be a different story. The Suns will now be the team playing with revenge and both teams are now on equal footing, when it comes to rest. Phoenix got pounded on Saturday and that won't sit well with the team, especially when former-Sun Ayton was a big part of Portland's win. We will see an entirely different Suns team this time. The Suns are 5-0 straight-up and 4-1 versus the spread, the past 5 times that they were off a loss. They won by 10, 8, 7, 24 and by 25. The Suns are healthy and tonight they will have their revenge. Lay the points.

At 3:10pm ET, my Central Division Game Of the Month is on Chicago. The Bulls have been playing without LaVine recently and they're playing with the knowledge that changes are likely before the deadline. That didn't stop them from winning big last game and it won't prevent them from cashing for us this afternoon. The Bulls shot 50.6 percent from the field last game and they had assists on 34 of their 45 field goals. The Bulls own the Pistons. They've won 18 of the past 20 meetings. Their last 2 visits to Detroit resulted in double-digit victories. The Pistons are 3-6 versus the spread their last 9 as favorites, 1-4 ATS their last 5 as favorites in the -3 to -7 range. Grab the points.

At 2:00pm Et, my Big 12 Game Of The Year is on Cincinnati. I used the Bearcats as my biggest play from the Big 12 last season. They were +9 point underdogs against BYU and won outright by 11. They're not underdogs today but will deliver us another 10+ point victory. Playing at home is important to each of these teams. The Mountaineers won 69-65 when they hosted the Bearcats at Morgantown last year. But when they played at Cincinnati, the Bearcats smashed them by 36 points. Cincy would go on to win the important tie-breaker, a 90-85 victory in the Big 12 Tournament. WVU lost all 5 starters from last year's team and its starting to show. The Mountaineers are off 3 straight defeats. The Bearcats can relate as they have also dropped 3 in a row. Two of those were on the road though and they are still 8-3 at home. Seven of their 8 home wins came by at least 7. WVU might win when these teams meet again on Feb. 19th but this afternoon's game will be all Cincinnati. Lay the points.

At 6:00pm ET, my Southland Game Of The Year is on Incarnate Word. These teams squared off against each other 3 weeks ago, at Houston Christian. The Huskies won by 5 points. The Huskies also won a close game, at Houston Christian, against the Cardinals, last season. The Cards won the game on their home floor last season though and they will win again at home today. Incarnate Word is 2-7 on the road but 7-4 at home. The Cards just snapped a 6-game slide by blowing out New Orleans last game. That was just the spark that they needed and they will ride an emotional high into today's game. This is the 3rd straight road game for the Huskies and they've got another one on Monday. That will catch up to them against the hungry Cardinals today. The Cardinals are stronger than they were last year and they have one of the better backcourts in the Southland Conference. Guards Bailey, Anderson and company will lead their team to a 2nd straight win. Lay the points.

At 9:00pm ET, my Big Sky Game Of The Month is on Weber State. The Wildcats played without leading scorer Blaise Threatt for several games and that had a negative effect. Threatt has now returned and the Wildcats are much better because of it. In their last game, Threatt had 26 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals. Weber State won 87-81 at Sacramento State. The Wildcats used a different starting lineup and the move paid off. Viljami Vartiainen scored a career-high 22 points. The Wildcats will use that same starting lineup against Idaho and are going to win their 2nd straight. Threatt had 24 points when Weber State hosted Idaho last season, a one-sided 88-65 victory for the Wildcats. The Vandals are off a home loss versus Northern Arizona and their last 2 road games were losses of at least 10 points. This is a team that the Wildcats match up well against. This is the start of 4 straight home games and Weber State needs to tip it off with a victory. Lay the points.

At 7:10pm ET, my NBA Eastern Conference Game Of The Month is on Charlotte. It looks like they won't have LaMelo Ball but that won't prevent the Hornets from taking down the Nets on Wednesday. The Hornets have won 4 of 7. The Nets have lost 7 straight. Even without Ball, the Hornets are still the healthier team. The Nets are dealing with numerous injuries, including Cameron Johnson. That will make Hornet fans happy as it was Johnson who led the Nets with 34 points in defeating Charlotte by 1 point earlier in the season. The Nets are also missing Cam Thomas (and several others) and he still leads the team in scoring. Between Johnson and Thomas, they average 44.1 points per game. No other Brooklyn player averages more than 13.2 points. The Hornets acquired forward Josh Okogie a couple of weeks ago. A big addition, he had 19 points last game. Josh Green said this of his new teammate: "The energy he has brought from us, offensive rebounds to defensive rebounds, pushing the pace, it's been amazing. He's great to play with." Charlotte won by 11 the last time that it hosted Brooklyn. Lay the points.

At 11:00pm ET, my MWC Game Of the Week is on San Diego State. I'm confident that the Aztecs are going to smash the Spartans tonight. San Diego State just beat a much better team (Nevada) on the road, by 19 points. That same Nevada team beat SJ State by 9 the previous week. The Spartans are only 1-5 on the road. The Aztecs lost their last home game so they are going to be chomping at the bit to get back in the win column here with a decisive victory. Their last 2 home wins came by 15 over Colorado State and by 29 over Air Force. Still capable of dominating defensively, the Aztecs will not be easy to score against tonight. They have owned the Spartans for years and I expect them to deliver us a 20+ point victory. Lay the points.

At 7:30pm Et, my NBA Non. Conference Game Of The Week is on Philadelphia. The Lakers are in a difficult scheduling spot tonight. They battled Charlotte right down to the end last night, Davis and James both playing more than 36 minutes. (Reaves and Christie also played 37 and 39 minutes.) Tonight will be their 2nd road game in 2 nights, their 3rd game in the past 4. The Lakers are 7-13 versus the spread the past 20 times that they played 2 games in 2 days. The last time they played 2 road games in 2 days, they lost by 29. The 76ers still have injury issues but they are well rested and they are also off consecutive victories. They won by 12 at Chicago in their last game and they defeated a really good Cleveland team in their last home game. Grab the points with the rested home underdog.

At 3:30pm Et, my CUSA Conference Game Of The Year is on Sam Houston. The Bearkats are better than many people realize. Even though their record may not be that impressive, they arguably have the best backcourt in their conference. They are 5-2 on their home floor. The Hilltoppers are also perhaps better than their record and are a solid team. They are just 2-6 on the road though. The Bearkats won both games against WKU last season en route to winning the conference regular season, in their first year as a member of CUSA. They brought back a handful of players from that team including Lamar Wilkerson, one of the best players in the conference. Wilkerson is averaging 19.6 ppg this season and has scored at least 20 in four of his past 5. Look for him to lead his team to victory. Lay the points.

At 9:00pm ET, my Big 10 Game Of The Week is on Iowa. Last season's games were both won by the home team. The Nittany Lions won by 10 at Penn State and the Hawkeyes won by 9, at Iowa. This season, both teams have been much better on their home floor. The Nittany Lions are 10-2 at home, 1-3 on the road. Also 10-2 at home, the Hawkeyes are winless (0-4) on the road. This is the only meeting of the season. Off 3 straight losses, the Hawkeyes badly need to bounce back with a win. They got off to a slow start last game but Iowa coach Fran McCaffery will have the Hawkeyes ready to go from the opening tip tonight. Averaging 91 points per game at home, the Hawkeyes are going to be tough to keep up against. Lay the points and look for them to deliver us a win and cover.

At 7:00pm ET, my America East Game OF the Year is on Vermont. In terms of talent, these are two teams at the opposite end of the America East Conference. The Catamounts are stacked and the the Highlanders are not. Vermont plays great defense and the Highlanders can't stop anyone. NJIT is coming off a win but each of its wins this season has been followed by a double-digit loss. The Highlanders are 0-10 on the road. Vermont is 6-1 at home. After a slow start, the Catamounts have started to roll. They've won 4 of their last 5. They've defeated the Highlanders by 21, 27, 16, 39 and 21 the past 5 meetings here. They will keep their foot on the foot on the gas and remind the Highlanders who the top team in the conference still is. Vermont by 20+. Lay the points.

At 8:00pm ET, my A-10 GOW is on St. Louis. There is a clear class difference between the Billikens and the Explorers. St Louis has beaten La Salle 6 straight times. Every one of those victories came by more than 10 points. Last year, they won by 18. The Billikens have won 5 o their last 6 games and the Explorers are off an 18-point loss at UMass. The Explorers have dropped 3 of their last 5 and their last 7 losses have all been by more than 10 points. With the Billikens 9-1 at home, this will be another blowout. Lay the points.

At 11:00pm ET, my MWC Game Of the Week is on UNLV. These are two teams going in opposite directions. The Cowboys are 0-3 their last 3 games. The losses came by 65 combined points! Their last road game was a 44 point loss. The Rebels just defeated Utah State (now 16-2) and then they won at San Diego State, which is never easy. They will appreciate facing a much weaker Wyoming team. The Rebels have won 4 straight in the series and the wins came by an average of 11 points. Catching the Cowboys at right time, I've got the Rebels winning by even more than that tonight. Lay the points.

At 3:00pm Et, my Horizon League Game Of the Year is on Wisconsin Milwaukee. The Panthers looked great again in their last game. They beat Youngstown State by 15 points. That's back to back double-digit wins and brings them to 8-2 their last 10 overall. They're a perfect 9-0 at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena! The Panthers average 84.7 points per game here and they only allow 67. The Colonials have also been strong at home but they are below .500 on the road. In 7 meetings between these teams since 2021, the home team has won every time. From a matchup perspective, it is my feeling that the Panthers are better inside and outside. The Panthers impressive play at home continues. Lay the points.

At 7:00pm ET, my Big South Game Of the Year is on High Point. The Panthers were 27-9 last season and they're already 15-5 this season. They're not used to losing but when they do, they immediately bounce back. They lost for the 5th time last game. After their previous 4 losses this season, they went 4-0 the next game. Last time that the Panthers were off a loss, they went on the road and defeated Charleston Southern by 14 in their next game. The time before that they were off a loss, their next game resulted in a 18-point win over Radford. Presbyterian is a team like Radford which the Panthers can handle with ease. The Blue Hose are 1-9 on the road. They are 0-3 their last 3 games and 1-5 their last 6. High Point has won the past 5 meetings. The Panthers' 6th straight win in the series will be a destruction. Lay the points.

At 7:00pm Et, my A-10 Game Of the Month is on St. Josephs. The value of homecourt advantage will be on full display at Michael J. Hagan '85 Arena on Friday. VCU is a perfect 9-0 on its home floor. St. Josephs is a solid 7-3 on its home floor. Both teams are only 1-2 on the road. The Rams have been rolling but the Hawks are off the type of game that will have them oozing with confidence. The Hawks will be ready to take down a team which has been a pesky thorn in their side for years. The Hawks beat Loyola-Chicago 93-57 last game. That was a team which swept them last season. They will carry the momentum into Friday and upset the Rams. Play on St. Josephs.

At 10:00pm ET, my Western Conference Game Of the Month is on Sacramento. Strong situational advantage for the Sacramento Kings in this game. They catch the Rockets off a 128-108 win at Denver. The Kings will dictate the pace and control this game. Lay the points.

At 10:10pm ET, my NBA Underdog Game Of the Month is on the Miami Heat. Off a loss against the Clippers, the Heat are going to really go all out to avoid going winless in their 2 games at Los Angeles. Though they tend to struggle against the Clippers, the Heat have a recent habit of beating the Lakers. They hammered the Lakers by 41 points at Miami in December. They also swept the Lakers last season. They were 5-point underdogs here and won by 14. As a matter of fact, the Heat are 7-2 their last 9 games against the Lakers and the 2 losses each only came by 3 points. The Lakers have lost 3 straight and were outscored 37-13 in the fourth quarter of their last game. Grab the points.

At 6:00pm ET, my Patriot League Game Of The Year is on Army. In a battle of 2 evenly matched teams, homecourt is going to make a big difference. The Leopards won both games last year but each was very close. The game at Lafayette was a 5-point game and the game at West Point went to Overtime. The Black Knights are improved this season and turning those close games into a victory will be a good measuring stick. Both teams are 6-2 at home but each has struggled on the road. The Leopards are only 1-8 in away games. Their only road victory was a 4-point win at Mercyhurst, a team which has lost 10 of its last 13. The Black Knights are off consecutive victories and this make 3 straight. Play on Army.

At 10:10 PM ET, my NBA Non-Conference Game Of The Week is on Portland. Fans of the Trail Blazers will be anticipating a victory tonight. The Trail Blazers, 2-0 against the Nets last season, can climb back to .500 at home with a win tonight. They haven't been favored by this much all season but the Trail Blazers are 7-2 straight up and 6-3 versus the spread the past 9 times that they were favored by greater than 5 points. The Nets have lost 5 straight and 8 of 9. The inspired Trail Blazers will be too much for them. Lay the points.

At 9:00pm ET, my MWC Game Of The Week is on Boise State. Wyoming has been ok but the wheels are about to come off as the Cowboys are walking into the wrong building. With 2 losses in 3 games, the Broncos are angry and they're going to be hostile. The Broncos are 5-0 straight up and 4-1 versus the spread their last 5 games versus the Cowboys. This year, the Cowboys returned 0 starters from last season and are projected to finish near the bottom of the MWC. Projected to finish near the top of the conference and with a massive edge in the frontcourt, the Broncos will have their way with Wyoming tonight. Lay the points.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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