A featured top twenty-five matchup exists Thursday between Texas and Oklahoma. The Longhorns are playing in their third straight road game, but matchup well against the Sooners. Expect their offense to pick up where it left off against Iowa State, as the Longhorns make a late season push up the polls. Grab Texas. 

Conference struggles are not customary for Murray State. This year they were .500 in the Ohio Valley at 10-10, including two losses against Jacksonville State. Yet the pressure is now on the Gamecocks for a third win. Grab Murray State to get the win that matters most and advance in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament.

Amidst several postponements, Wichita State has endured for a five game winning streak. In their last outing they upset the Houston Cougars, and the win removed the interim label for Coach Isaac Brown. Look for a bit of rust today as Tulane looks to spoil the Shockers tournament aspirations. Play Tulane.

Stakes are high today in the ACC between Duke and Georgia Tech. Both teams are on the back end of potential March Madness aspirations. On January 26th, during a 2-6 stretch of Duke’s season they mustered a 75-68 victory over Georgia Tech. Grab Duke to bounce back and continue their late tournament surge. 

The Buffalo Bulls are playing their best basketball of the season. They’ve won three consecutive games by double-digits. Expect their momentum to continue against an Akron Zips team that’s lost consecutively by double digits. Take the Bulls in an early MAC Tuesday game.

A program that has stepped backwards this season has been East Tennessee State. Their matchup today against UNC Greensboro was one of the former top matchups of the Southern Conference. Yet, East Tennessee State is in the midst of losing four of their past five. A positive is their games have remained competitive. Look for East Tennessee State to play tough as they close out the regular season strong. 

Friday, out in the Sun Belt Arkansas-Little Rock will aim to end a six-game losing streak. They’ll face a UL Lafayette team that is streaky offensively led by guard Cedric Russell. Yet, their bench has taken a hit as Devin Butts has seen his minutes reduced since returning from suspension. Grab UALR to gain the season-series edge 2-1 over Lafayette.

Bowling Green continues to show signs of the team preseason prognosticators predicted would finish near the top of the MAC. They’ve won three consecutive games and are coming off a big comeback win over Eastern Michigan. With confidence on their side look for the Falcons to sidestep their fourth straight road game, and gain another cover against Akron.

The Northwestern Wildcats have one of the longest in-conference losing streaks at thirteen games. Thursday, they’ll face a Minnesota Gophers team that has free failed from the top twenty-five to the bottom of the standings in the Big Ten. This is an opportunity for the Wildcats effort to outdual an unmotivated Gophers. Grab Northwestern. 

On January 10th, Xavier defeated Providence thanks to a last second three point shot, 74-73. The loss for the Friars spoiled a career-high seven made three pointers by guard David Duke. Xavier’s record may be 12-4 overall, but they are just 5-4 in the Big East. Take the Friars to avenge January’s loss.  

One of the best under the radar matchups today lies with Sam Houston State and Abilene Christian. As home underdogs back on January 20th, the Bearkats defeated the Wildcats, 64-57. It was a sloppy outing from Abilene Christian who shot below forty percent from the field, and fifty-eight percent from the free throw line. Expect a higher degree of efficiency from both ends of the floor as Abilene Christian regains the top spot in the Southland conference. 

The Butler Bulldogs appear to be a team worn down by Big East conference play as the season winds down. They’ve lost six of eight and have dropped their scoring output in each of their past four losses. Look for the Pirates to sweep the season series and topple the spread late at the free throw line. Play Seton Hall. 

Bowling Green has bounced back with consecutive wins after losing the prior six. Tuesday, they’ll face an Eastern Michigan team that’s just 1-8 overall in-conference. Expect Bowling Green to continue their upward momentum and cash ATS in their third straight road game. 

The Richmond Spiders will host UMass in an Atlantic 10 Tuesday matchup. The Minutemen have not played in seventeen days due to Covid-19, while Richmond just played three days ago. Expect UMass to tire out late as Richmond does enough to push past the number in the final minutes.

Out in the Northeast conference Bryant will meet Merrimack for a second consecutive day. Saturday, the Bulldogs outlasted Merrimack for a close two point victory. The win came after a long stretch off that is a value indicator to go against Sunday. Grab Merrimack to make slight adjustments and get the win against Bryant. 

Eastern Kentucky is in the middle of a jam packed road stretch. Saturday will mark their sixth straight road game as they take on Southeast Missouri State. The Colonels have not skipped a beat on the road trip with octane offense that averages 83 points per game. Grab the Colonels to overwhelm Southeast Missouri State.

Ball State has shown the ability to play to the level of other MAC opponents, it just hasn’t translated to wins. They’ve went just 1-5 over their last six games. Yet, the one win was over conference leader Toledo. Friday’s opponent in Akron routed Ball State by thirty-two points, and also limited the Cardinal to forty-two points. It won’t be as easy this time but grab the Zips.

A team that has had an extended layoff in the Sun Belt has been Appalachian State. They have not been on the floor in twenty days. That’ll make it tough tonight as they host conference leader South Alabama. The Jaguars have won six straight games but five straight have been decided by seven or less. Take Appalachian State as they thrive on slower pace close games. 

In their last matchup against Michigan, the Badgers surrendered a double-digit lead. They’ll aim to regroup Thursday against Iowa who has won consecutive games by double-digit points, including a thirty point win over Michigan State. Yet, look for the Badgers to continue their pattern of a loss followed by a win. Take the Badgers.

A repeat matchup exists Thursday in the Big South conference between USC Upstate and Presbyterian. On Monday, Presbyterian broke a 50-50 tie with a 10-2 run. With three days off in between the contest look for USC Upstate to have better offensive execution, and cut down nineteen turnovers from Monday’s contest. Take USC Upstate.

A team that has trended upward in the Southern Conference have been the Mercer Bears. Six of their eight losses have been by single digits, including a six point loss against today’s opponent in East Tennessee State. The Buccaneers second half defense resulted in a fourteen point swing. Tonight, look for East Tennessee State to complete the season sweep and gain the cover. 

Wednesday, in the Northeast Conference, St. Francis (NY) will meet Fairleigh Dickinson for the second consecutive day. Tuesday, St. Francis won the first matchup 83-75. The loss was the third straight for the Knights who have spiraled defensively. Expect a sharper performance tonight as the Terriers have not won consecutive games since January 8th. 

The UConn Huskies will aim to avenge an eleven point loss to the Providence Friars last Wednesday. On Saturday, they ended a losing skid that featured four of five losses with an eight point win over Xavier. Bench production of forty-one points was the main catalyst. They may also have James Bouknight back in the lineup tonight. Take the Huskies.

Monday, the Chattanooga Mocs will aim for a season-sweep over East Tennessee State. The two teams previously met on February 6th, as the Mocs won 67-65. A win today for the Mocs would be five straight and their best in-conference stretch since 2016-2017. Take the Mocs. The win is part of a current four-game win streak for Chattanooga. 

UC San Diego’s debut to division one basketball has not been fluid. Two stretches of postponements have disrupted the team’s ability. Yet, Friday they played an inspiring second half of basketball against today’s opponent in Cal State Bakersfield. They erased a fourteen point half-time deficit by scoring forty-six points in the second half. Expect a carry over effort from the Tritons. Take the points. 

Out in the Sun Belt, UL-Monroe will finish off a home and away series against UL Lafayette. On Thursday, the Warhawks won in upset fashion with a 72-66 victory. It ended a ten game losing streak and also exceeded their best offensive output in seven games. Take UL Monroe to continue their success against UL Lafayette.

University of Texas San Antonio has finally started to look like the team many anticipated in pre-season. They’ve won six of seven games to get back over .500 at 11-9. Saturday, they’ll face Florida Atlantic for a second consecutive day. Grab the Owls to keep the game close as they did Friday in a four point contest. Play Florida Atlantic.

Nebraska’s return from a near-month layoff has resulted in three double-digit losses. Cold shooting has shown they are not in rhythm and ready for game action. Attempting to play their fourth game in less than a week is a value angle against Illinois. Take the value on the Cornhuskers having their legs under them offensively, and competing Friday night. 

Friday, Miami-Ohio will aim to secure their first victory against the upper tier of the MAC. On the season they are 0-4 against opponents that’s conference record is above .500. Yet they have the skillset to compete with Akron’s guards for forty minutes. Take the value here on the Redhawks.

UT-Arlington has turned around their season thanks to going 7-3 over their last ten games. The increase in play has featured a strong reliance on the Mavericks defense, as they’ve held oppositions to an average of sixty five points or less in three straight games. Yet, Texas State is responding well to a difficult recent schedule. Expect their intensity to continue to increase as they gain another win.  

Western Carolina’s struggles in the Southern Conference have featured a 1-9 record. Today, they’ll aim for revenge against the team that defeated them by the biggest margin, an 87-61 victory for VMI. The Kadets will once again aim to go up and down the floor and take advantage of Western Carolina’s weaknesses defensively. Take the Keydets. 

Out in the WCC Pepperdine will face a San Francisco team that’s had over two weeks off. That may be an advantage for the Dons who have a solid defensive team that has had strong victories this year, including defeating Virginia. Yet, look for familiarity and the strength of Colby Ross to keep Pepperdine within the number. 

Tuesday, Bowling Green will host a Kent State team they lost 96-91 on January 27th. The loss is apart of a current five-game losing streak for the Falcons. Yet, Kent State is showing signs of wearing down. In their last matchup they had a halftime deficit of twenty points against Akron, and in their prior game they allowed a 17-0 run by Miami-Ohio. Take the value here on Bowling Green ending their losing streak. 

The Elon Phoenix have been woeful this season as they are just 3-6 overall. In-conference they are actually 0-5, and today will face a James Madison team that destroyed them in their last matchup. Yet, both teams have had consecutive games postponed. Look for a boost in play from the Phoenix as they cover the five.

Sunday’s lone night cap features California and Stanford. These two teams met three days ago as Stanford won 70 to 55. The conundrum here ATS-wise is Stanford does not typically score over 75 points. That means they’ll need to rely on solid defense to cover this double-digit spread. Look for proper execution as California continues to fade. Play Stanford. 

Once 2-4, Cal Irvine has used the Big West conference to roll off eight of nine victories. In fact, their only loss during that stretch came by one point in overtime against Hawaii. After Friday night’s seventeen point victory over Cal State Bakersfield, this is a perfect sell high spot on the Anteaters. Play Cal State Bakersfield to play a closer game. 

One of the more predictable home and away conference series has been Arizona and Colorado. Since the 2015 season each series matchup has been won by the host team. Earlier this year Colorado suffered their worst loss of the season against Arizona in an 88-74 contest. Look for the series trend to continue and Colorado to amp up their level of play to avenge December 28th’s loss. Play Colorado.

Texas State has had one of the more redundant schedules in college basketball. They’ve played conference opponent UL Lafayette four times, and today will mark their fourth matchup against Arkansas Little Rock. All three prior matchups were won by Texas State by an average margin of eight points, including yesterday’s 57-47 matchup. Look for a closer matchup today as both team’s are very familiar with each other. Take Arkansas Little Rock. 

The Auburn Tigers youth has had it’s ups and downs this season. They’re coming off consecutive losses for the first time since early January. Yet, the value stands on Ole Miss to stick to the game plan from January 9th’s 72-61 victory over Auburn. Furthermore, their road record of 1-5 over their last six is another value angle. Take the points here.

Florida Gulf Coast finds themselves in second to last in the Atlantic Sun Conference standings. It’s unfamiliar territory in a conference that is much improved top to bottom. Friday, they’ll take on a North Alabama team that had their six-game winning streak snapped last Saturday against North Florida. Grab the value on Florida Gulf Coast to take game one tonight ahead of tomorrow’s rematch. 

Friday, the Akron Zips will look to complete a season sweep over Kent State. Back on New Year’s Day the Zips toppled the Golden Flashes by erasing a nine point halftime deficit. Kent State’s lone home loss came against conference leader Toledo 84-82. Hence, the two point spread here. Detract and grab the value on Akron completing the season-sweep.  

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights defense has led them to three much needed Big 10 victories. One would expect their defense to remain sharp against a Minnesota team that’s fallen apart with losses in four of five games. A former top twenty five team the Gophers should be in desperation mode to get back into contention. Take the underdog Thursday.

The Belmont Bruins are one of the few teams in college basketball undefeated in-conference. They boast a 12-0 mark, and on Thursday will face Eastern Illinois, whom they defeated 79-66 on January 21st. In the contest the Panthers kept it close for the first thirty minutes at a six point deficit. At home, look for the Panthers to sustain a competitive effort for the entire game and close within the spread. 

Wednesday, UNC Greensboro will aim to extend a six-game winning streak. The winning streak have all been covers against the number, with five of the six double digit victories. Value lies against Greensboro’s ATS streak, and also may be a tad bit high based on Citadel playing Monday night. Grab the Bulldogs.

Talent from Wofford’s 2019 NCAA tournament run, has helped spur a Southern Conference best 8-2 record. Their closest conference victory came against Wednesday’s opponent in VMI, which was an 80-78 win. In the contest, VMI senior Greg Parham scored a season-high twenty-nine points. Look for another solid effort from the Keydets Wednesday evening. Play VMI 

Eastern Kentucky of the Ohio Valley will put their 13-2 record on the line against Jacksonville State. The Colonels have a balanced team that features six players averaging double figures scoring. Yet, their weak link is perimeter shooting where they shoot just thirty-three percent as a team. Look for Jacksonville State to play solid interior defense and avenge a 69-66 overtime loss to the Colonels on January 6th. Play the Gamecocks. 

An intriguing matchup lies today in the MAC with Miami-Ohio and Kent State. The Golden Flashes potent scoring ability is an advantage tonight on a high spread. They score in bunches led by do it all senior Danny Pippen who averages 21 points per game. Look for the Golden Flashes to break their four-game stretch of contests being decided by seven points or less. Grab Kent State.

After a five-game skid the Rutger Scarlet Knights have bounced back with consecutive wins. In fact, they trounced Michigan State 67-37.  Their Sunday opponent in Northwestern has lost seven straight, but five of those were on the road. With the Scarlet Knights an average Big 10 team this season, this is a vulnerable spot. Grab the Wildcats to benefit from returning home and an eight day layoff. Play Northwestern.

Solid performances in non-conference play for the Bradley Braves featured two one-point losses against Xavier and Missouri. Expected competitive play for the Braves in-conference has not carried over, as they are in the bottom four in the Missouri Valley. Yet, today is an advantageous spot for the Braves as they face an Indiana State team that has peaked winning five of six. Take Bradley. 

Saturday, out in the Sun Belt a fourth matchup will take place between UL Lafayette and Texas State. Friday, UL Lafayette outlasted Texas State 62-60 in a style of play that suited the Bobcats. Today, expect the Ragin’ Cajuns to try and increase the pace of play and get out in front early. Play UL Lafayette. 

Friday, Florida International had one of the more difficult losses in college basketball, losing 63-55 in overtime against Charlotte. The loss was their sixth in a row which also coincides ATS. Yet, the Panthers showed they can matchup well against the 49ers. Look for FIU to finally resemble the team that began the year 8-3. Take Florida International. 

In the night cap we’ll examine the Mountain West matchup of Air Force and San Jose State. Both teams have struggled to win as Air Force has dropped six of their last seven games. In fact, all of their losses during that stretch have been by wide margins of double digits. Yet this is a nice spot against the struggling Spartans. Look for the Falcons to show up ahead of their second matchup on Saturday. Take the Falcons.

Unlike years past this season’s Murray State Racers are not strong contenders in the Ohio Valley Conference. At 6-7 they have struggled in-conference with a 3-5 mark. Yet they are starting to show some positive signs having won two of their last three. Look for the Racers to get off to a big start and run away from a 3-10 Tennessee State team. Grab Murray State.

The Southland conference has eight teams with subpar records. Wednesday, 3-11 Central Arkansas will travel to take on 4-11 Southeast Louisiana. The Bears are coming off a 93-58 road loss against Abilene Christian. A positive is the lone two opponents in-conference with subpar records the Bears have defeated. Expect Southeast Louisiana’s turnover issues to lead to a victory for the Bears. Grab Central Arkansas.

Returning from a lengthy covid layoff has been beneficial ATS-wise for the majority of teams. One that did not have success was East Carolina, as they lost by thirty-seven points to Memphis on Saturday. Expect a better performance today against a Central Florida team still attracting ATS value based on their non-conference wins over Auburn, Florida State, and Cincinnati. Take East Carolina. 

One of the best under the radar games today is Mercer versus UNC Greensboro. After a 6-5 start the Spartans have won and covered four straight. An offensive surge with better execution has been the root of Greensboro’s success. Facing a Mercer team that lacks strong defense should continue the Spartans ATS run. Grab UNC Greensboro. 

One of the few teams to not have any non-conference games because of Covid-19 were the Fordham Rams. They jumped right into Atlantic 10 conference play and the result has been a 1-7 record. Of their seven losses only one was by single digits. The occurrence came against today’s opponent Duquensne, in a 48-45 loss. An added bonus ATS-wise is their Coach in Jeff Neubauer just stepped down yesterday. With an interim in place look for the Rams to be motivated. Grab Fordham.

Toledo heads into Tuesday’s matchup having won ten of their last eleven. They’ll face a Miami-Ohio team that’s on a three-game double digit win streak. Look for the Rockets to neutralize Miami-Ohio with their guard play, and begin their road trip with an ATS cover. Grab Toledo.

Tuesday, one of the marquee matchup’s in college basketball is Oklahoma against Texas. The Longhorns will be without their Coach in Shaka Smart due to Covid-19. That should benefit the Sooners who are coming off a momentum building 75-68 victory over the Jayhawks. Furthermore, the spread is a tad higher based on the Sooners 1-3 road record. Grab the Sooners.

Saturday, Oral Roberts had their hands full against UMKC, winning just 60-58. The win marked their sixth of their last seven. Yet their output of sixty points Saturday was their fewest all season. Expect the pesky UMKC to build off of Saturday’s near victory, and gain another cover Sunday.

For the second consecutive weekend Illinois State will aim to avoid being swept on their home floor. To do so they’ll need to avenge a 69-60 loss yesterday to Valparaiso. The victory for the Crusaders was their first in the Missouri Valley conference this season. It also marked just their second division one win this season. Take the value on the Crusaders replicating Saturday’s performance.

Out in the Southland Conference an under the radar matchup exists between Northwestern State and SE Louisiana. Improved play from the Lions has resulted in wins in two of their last three matchups. Boosted play has come from several players, including junior guard Gus Okafor. Okafor is coming off a career-high twenty-six points. Grab the value on the Lions who aim to win consecutive games for the first time this season.

Saturday, Louisiana Monroe and Texas State will meet for the second consecutive day. On Friday, the Bobcats outlasted Louisiana Monroe for a 57-47 victory. Now the Bobcats must avoid road fatigue as today marks their sixth straight road game. In a game that will be tighter grab the Bobcats to outlast Louisiana Monroe.

Sometimes a team can get a big win over a power five school in non-conference play, and not catapult forward. This appears to be the case for UTEP, who won outright at ASU earlier this year. Louisiana Tech has bolstered their record to 11-4 and has to dynamic of a team for the Miners. Take Louisiana Tech.

At the top of the Southland Conference stands Sam Houston State. The Bearkats have rolled off an impressive eight straight wins and stand at 5-0 in-conference. Yet today’s opponent is a different caliber in Abilene Christian. The Wildcats lone two losses were against power five schools Texas Tech and Arkansas. Grab Abilene Christian to end Sam Houston State’s win streak. 

Wednesday, Arkansas and Auburn will meet for the second time this season. In the first matchup Arkansas withstood runs from the Tigers to hold off for a twelve point victory. They did so by forcing 19 turnovers, twelve of which came from the Tigers back-court. Grab the Razorbacks to regroup from a stretch of four of five losses. Take Arkansas. 

An under the radar matchup exists in the Southland Conference between SE Louisiana and the McNeese Cowboys. Southeast Louisiana has struggled at scoring, including scoring a season-low forty-two points in their last game. Yet, McNeese does not have a victory over a division one opponent and is a poor defensive team. Take the small dog in SE Louisiana. 

In-state conference games are always heightened. Today in the SEC, Mississippi State will host Ole Miss. Close contests have become the norm for the Bulldogs, as four of their last five games have been decided by five points or less. In what may be another tight result look for the Bulldogs to finish off the Rebels at the free throw line.  

The Missouri Tigers return home after a three-game road trip. They’ll face a South Carolina team that has only played six games due to covid issues. In the month of December the Gamecocks cancelled five games, and in their last game Frank Martin and assistant coach Chuck Martin were out because of Covid. The coaching staff returns tonight and should give the Gamecocks a much needed boost against number nineteen Missouri. Take South Carolina. 

Out in the MAC, Kent State has built up a three-game win streak. They’re 6-2 overall ATS-wise, and all three of their losses have been by single digits. Yet, I expect Buffalo to bounce back after a poor Friday showing against Bowling Green. In the contest, the Bulls found themselves down by sixteen points at halftime. Look for a strong effort from the Bulls in today’s first game in college hoops. 

A repeat matchup exists today in the Missouri Valley Conference, as Indiana State takes on Illinois State. Saturday the Redbirds allowed the Sycamores to shoot double the free throws, as Indiana State went 22-24 from the line. Room for improvement from the field should elevate Indiana State’s play Sunday. Take the Sycamores.  

The Albany Great Danes have not been on the court in seven days, because of their last matchup against Stony Brook being postponed. Saturday, they’ll take on a New Jersey Institute team coming off a season-low forty-one points. In a game that may get sloppy expect the 1-5 Great Danes to do enough to pull through ATS. Grab Albany.

On Thursday, Florida Atlantic ended a three-game losing streak by topping today’s opponent in Florida International, 81-79. Value exists today on the Owls again, as FAU has failed to win consecutive games over division one schools this season. Furthermore, the Panthers are failing to get proper levels of play from their upperclassmen. Take the Owls here. 

A devalued team ATS are the Bryant Bulldogs. They’re 7-3 ATS, which included a tough one-point loss against the Syracuse Orangemen. Thursday, they’ll take on a St. Francis (PA) team that’s 1-7 record could make this a let down spot for the Bulldogs. Instead, expect the Bulldogs to come out strong and avenge two losses a season ago by twenty points or more against the Red Flash. Take Bryant. 

The Texas Longhorns have ascended to the fourth spot in the top twenty-five. They’ve done so with a knack of winning close games. In fact, they have won four games by a margin of three points or less. Sooner or later that style of play hurts a team, especially in-conference. Grab Texas Tech as their starting lineup is growing more and more comfortable each game on the floor together. 

The Texas A&M Aggies have had difficulties offensively. They’ve dropped three of their last four games, and scored fifty-four points in all three. Furthermore, they are 0-2 on the road with both losses by twenty points or more. Yet, last season the Aggies scored a conference high 87 points against the Bulldogs. Take the value here on A&M.

The youth of the Auburn Tigers has not matched up well early in SEC conference play. 0-4, they are dead last in the conference and in dire need of confidence. Tonight they’ll face a Georgia team that’s 7-1 home record is devalued based on a weak schedule. Take the Tigers to get their first conference win. 

After a 1-6 start, Kentucky has began SEC play undefeated at 3-0. The only team that has began conference play stronger is tonight’s opponent in Alabama. Expect Kentucky to take advantage of the Crimson Tide’s low team field goal percentage of forty two percent, and convert opportunities in transition. Grab Kentucky. 

Under the radar value lies today in a Big West conference debut for UC San Diego against UC Irvine. Saturday also marks the division one debut of the Titans, who have played just two games this year due to covid issues. Teams that have had limited completed games against non-division one opponents have been fantastic ATS. Grab the Titans as they begin their conference and division one debut with a cover.  

 Saturday, UNC Greensboro will meet Wofford for the second time in four days. On Wednesday, UNC Greensboro Coach Wes Miller made a brilliant adjustment in the second half. Amplified defensive ball pressure forced Wofford point guard Storm Murphy into seven turnovers. Grab UNC Greensboro to build upon Wednesday’s blueprint.  

For the second consecutive day, Florida International will take on Middle Tennessee. Friday, the Panthers used a 10-0 second half run to pull away from a 48-48 tie. Expect a similar result Saturday, as Middle Tennessee’s offense is too sluggish to depend on ATS-wise. Grab FIU.

Rice’s strength of schedule downgrades them today against 5-3 UTEP. Rice has faced lower level competition in the majority of their games. Look for UTEP to take advantage as they have a solid win over ASU, and have the scoring ability to pull away from the number ATS. Go against the line move here and back the favorite. 

A team that was expected to be at the top of the MAC was Ohio. They came into the season with the bullseye on them, and lost three straight in late December. They’ve now bounced back and will step up in competition today against the 4-0 Toledo Rockets in MAC conference play. Look for Ohio to elevate their play and cover the number.

On the young season the Virginia Cavaliers have yet to defeat a power five team by fourteen points or more. Yet, the Cavaliers continue to get strong numbers from oddsmakers ATS based on their past history. In-conference they execute game plans as good as any team in college basketball. With Wake Forest undermanned expect the Cavaliers to pull away by a significant margin. Grab Virginia. 

Prior to their team coronavirus outbreak the Houston Cougars looked the part of a tier-two national contender. They have not had the same rhythm and look since returning to the court, and that resulted in their first loss of the season. In their last game against SMU they needed to pull away from a game that was closer than the final score. The Shockers have been solid and have yet to lose a game by double-digits. Expect that spectrum to change as the Cougars have enough return time back on the floor to be sharp. Grab Houston. 

One of the more obscure lines of the season lies with today’s matchup of Northwestern State vs Incarnate Ward. With a 1-11 record the Demons find themselves as seven point favorites. Northwestern State has defeated Incarnate Ward in four consecutive matchups since 2017-2018. Lay the points. 

In college basketball teams have yearly patterns that bettors can capitalize on. A season ago, Richmond began 10-1 before losing three of five at the tail end of December and into January. That pattern has lurked once again as the Spiders have lost consecutive home games. Take the value on the underdog as the Rams keep it close.

 Tuesday, Rutgers will travel to take on Michigan State in a battle of top twenty-five teams. Close losses in two games are the difference in Rutgers not being a top ten team. They are shooting just sixty percent from the free throw line, which proved costly in their lost against Iowa. With Michigan State just 1-3 in-conference this line is a bit short. Grab the Spartans. 

The Clemson Tigers have one of the best surprise early resumes. They have defeated Purdue, Maryland, Alabama, Mississippi State, and Florida State. That has catapulted them inside the top twenty, but today’s opponent is tricky for them. NC State has torched recent ACC opponents in first halves, with 49 points against North Carolina and 45 against Boston College. Expect another big first half and for Clemson to be in an unfamiliar spot facing a deficit. Grab NC State. 

Pre-season, no mid-major team received more of a boost than Bowling Green when Justin Turner announced he would return to the school. The Falcons have raced out to a 7-2 start and have covered decisively in three-straight road games. Returning home to face Central Michigan is a value spot on the Chippewas to fade the Falcons recent ATS-run. Grab the underdog.

Two teams that have extended layoffs will meet today in the CAA. Both Morgan State and James Madison have not stepped on the court in nearly two weeks. In the Dukes last loss they nearly pulled off an upset over VCU. Expect that to be fresh in bettors minds but for the layoff to benefit the road team in Morgan State. Take the points here.

Consecutive days of games have seen a familiar pattern. Single digit spreads the team that loses in the first day, typically covers the next. This scenario just happened with Georgia State-Coastal Carolina and South Alabama-Georgia Southern. I expect it to happen in the Missouri Valley Sunday as Northern Iowa’s 2-6 record is not indicative of the type of team they are. Young they are a work in progress and will take a step forward today against Evansville.

A familiar team has returned to Summit League competition in UMKC. Saturday, after seven years away in the WAC they’ll meet against North Dakota. At 1-8, the Fighting Hawks are coming off their worst loss of the season, 88-55 against Drake. An even level of competition today against UMKC should help elevate North Dakota’s offense. Take the home favorite to spoil UMKC’s return to the Summit League.

A season ago the Dayton Flyers were one of the top choices to make a Final Four run. A cancelled season and a talent drop off has placed uncertainty on this year’s team.  Already 0-1 in conference play, they’ll face a feisty George Mason team Saturday. The Patriots have played four straight games that have been decided by five points or less. Take the points here. 

Two teams that are explosive offensively are Coastal Carolina and Georgia State. The Panthers boast scorers up and down their roster and have a knack for going on crucial decisive scoring runs. I expect that to take fold in the second half even if the Panthers are down early and at halftime. Take the Panthers to pull away in the final minutes.

Two teams that have under performed to in the MAAC have been Rider and Fairfield. They’ll meet today with a combined record of 2-14. An ATS edge is a common opponent in Iona, whom the Stags have their lone win over and a team that Rider lost against. In what may be a sloppy game take the forward thinking value on the road team in Rider. 

With Tennessee Tech winning yesterday there are few teams left without a win. One of those plays today in a repeat matchup of Wednesday, as USC Upstate takes on High Point. USC Upstate has had a drastic change over from their days in the Southern Conference six years ago. Talent is down and they struggle mightily with transition defense. Yet, High Point is a slower pace team. This will be closer than yesterday’s eleven point road loss. Grab Upstate.

Eric Musselman has quickly revamped Arkansas, as they are off to an 8-0 start. Yet, they are one of the few power five schools that have not had any true non-conference tests. In fact, the highest rated team they have faced is 4-3 North Texas. Expect Auburn to capitalize on Arkansas weak non-conference schedule as the home underdog. Grab Auburn. 

St. Bonaventure and Rhode Island both head into Wednesday’s matchup off a long holiday break. The Bonnies have not played since December 19th, and Rhode Island since the 18th. The break may have been a good thing for the Rams as they had a fierce non-conference schedule. Working in several transfers takes time. Expect the Rams to show improvement and get one win closer to .500.

Senior guard, Tahj Eaddy is one of several small school transfers the USC Trojans have utilized this season. Eaddy played his past two years at Santa Clara, which should be added motivation for the Trojans. Take the Trojans to run away from Santa Clara with their underrated blue chip transfer depth. Grab USC.