At 5:05 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Phoenix Suns (559) minus the points versus the Memphis Grizzlies (560). THE SITUATION: Phoenix (7-4) takes the court again for the first time since January 11th when they were upset at Washington by a 128-107 score as a 6-point favorite. Memphis (6-6) comes off a 106-104 win against Philadelphia as a 2-point favorite on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE SUNS MINUS THE POINTS: Phoenix has not played in the last seven days because of the COVID outbreak in the Wizards’ organization which forced them to quarantine after exposure to their players in that game. This Suns team should be anxious to get the bad taste out of their mouth of what was probably their worst game of the season. They allowed Washington to make 52.2% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort so far in this campaign. They only made 44.8% of their shots which was their lowest field goal percentage in their last seven games. Yet Phoenix has covered the point spread in 7 straight games after an upset loss on the road where they were favored — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after an upset loss by at least 20 points as a road favorite. The Suns went from a talented upstart that went 8-0 in the bubble this summer to a legitimate threat in the Western Conference with the veteran Chris Paul guiding the emerging stars in Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, and DeAndre Ayton. Second-year head coach Monty Williams is also getting valuable contributions from his bench from players like Cameron Johnson. Phoenix ranks sixth in the NBA in their net efficiency rating. They have scored at least 105 points in nine straight games — and they have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 19 games on the road after scoring at least 105 points in four straight games. The Suns have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games on the road. Phoenix has also coved the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after not playing more than three games in the last ten days. Memphis has won four straight games with their victory against the 76ers. They go Ja Morant in that game with their second-year superstar scoring 17 points with six assists. The Grizzlies did get out-rebounded by 15 rebounds in that game. This team misses Jaren Jackson and Justise Winslow who are both out with injuries — and they will be without Jonas Valuncianas for this game who is out due to COVID quarantining protocols. Ayton may be poised for a big night against what is left of the Memphis frontcourt. The Grizzlies have failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 19 games after being outrebounded by at least 15 boards in their last game. Memphis has a great head coach in Taylor Jenkins who gets the most out of his talent. But the problem Jenkins faces is when his group goes against the top rosters in the league where the consistent effort from his players is not enough — and that is made even worse with all the players out for this one. The Grizzlies are playing their fourth game in ten days — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 17 of their last 21 games when playing no more than their fourth game in ten days. Memphis is only 2-5 at home this season with an average losing margin of -5.0 PPG — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 6 home games. And while the Grizzlies launch 31 shots from 3-point land per game, the Suns have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games against teams who attempt at least 18 shots from 3-point land per game.

FINAL TAKE: Phoenix is missing some bench pieces for this one with Dario Saric and Jalen Smith out still because of quarantine protocols — but they have their starting five intact. The Suns have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games when favored. 25* NBA TNT Game of the Month with the Phoenix Suns (559) minus the points versus the Memphis Grizzlies (560). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Minnesota Golden Gophers (645) plus the points versus the Michigan Wolverines (646). THE SITUATION: Minnesota (10-4) has lost two straight games as well as three of their last four after their 86-71 loss at Iowa as an 11.5-point underdog back last Sunday. Michigan (11-0) remained undefeated on Tuesday with their 77-54 thrashing of Wisconsin at home in Ann Arbor as a 3-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GOLDEN GOPHERS PLUS THE POINTS: We had the Badgers on Tuesday but the Wolverines were on fire with a 51.6% field goal percentage in that game. Michigan also held Wisconsin to just a 30.8% field goal percentage which was their best defensive effort of the season. I thought the Wolverines were underrated to begin the season — and I continue to think that second-year head coach Juwan Howard is underappreciated. The Michigan alum is getting every ounce of talent out of his roster — just wait for when the five-star recruits start coming to Ann Arbor next fall. But this is not the most talented group of players in the Big Ten (or the State of Michigan). They have benefited from a soft early schedule where their 82-57 victory against these Golden Gophers at Crisler Arena on January 6th was their highest-profile victory before their win against the Badgers. The Wolverines have covered the point spread in five straight games as well as eight of their last nine contests — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 19 games after covering the point spread in five straight games. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games after covering the point spread in six or seven of their last eight games. Now Michigan goes on the road for just the third time this season — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 13 road games with the Total set in the 140 to 149.5 point range. The Wolverines went to the free-throw line only four times on Tuesday — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after not attempting more than seven free throws in their last game. Minnesota is 30th in the nation with a free throw attempt-to-field goal attempt ratio of 41.5%. They average 26 free throw attempts per game — and Michigan has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 6 games against teams who average at least 25 free throws per game. The Golden Gophers should respond with a big effort as they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 16 of their last 22 games after a loss on the road. Additionally, Minnesota has covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 home games after a point spread loss. The Golden Gophers have also covered the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games after a double-digit loss. Minnesota returns home where they are 10-0 with an average winning margin of +14.8 PPG. Not only do the Gophers score 85.5 PPG on their home court but they hold their guests to just a 37.8% field goal percentage — so expect the Wolverines to struggle to make baskets with the unique sightlines at Williams Arena. Minnesota has covered the point spread in 5 straight games at home — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games at home with the Total set in the 145.5 to 149.5 point range. The Gophers have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 home games getting the points — and they are 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 home games as the underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Michigan is outscoring their opponents by +16.2 PPG — but Minnesota has covered the point spread in 10 of their last 12 home games against teams who are outscoring their opponents by at least +8 PPG. The Golden Gophers have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games when avenging a loss where they gave up at least 75 points. 25* CBB Big Ten Game of the Month with the Minnesota Golden Gophers (645) plus the points versus the Michigan Wolverines (646). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Illinois Fighting Illini (602) minus the points versus the Ohio State Buckeyes (601). THE SITUATION: Illinois (9-4) saw their four-game winning streak snapped on Sunday in their 66-63 upset loss at home to Maryland as a 10-point favorite. Ohio State (10-3) has won their last two games after their 81-71 win against Northwestern on Wednesday as an 8.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE ILLINI MINUS THE POINTS: Illinois made only 41% of their shots against the Terrapins in what was their worst shooting effort of the season. They shoot the ball better this afternoon — they rank 11th in the nation with an effective field goal percentage of 57.9% — and they have the ninth-best offense in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency according to the metrics of Ken Pomeroy. The Illini have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after an upset loss — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after a loss at home. They should be anxious to take the court again after their game with Nebraska was postponed because of a COVID outbreak within the Cornhuskers program. Illinois stays at home where they are 6-1 this season with an average winning margin of +23.4 PPG. They are making 50.9% of their shots at home which is generating 83.4 PPG — and they are holding their guests to just 36.1% shooting. The Illini are 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 games when favored — and they are 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. Ohio State has failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games on the road after a win against a Big Ten rival. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a double-digit victory — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games after scoring at least 80 points in their last game. They go back on the road where they are just 3-3 this season while being outscored in those games. They are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 road games — and they are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 road games against teams with a winning record at home. Defense is an issue for head coach Chris Holtmann's team — they rank 60th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency by Pomeroy. And while they hold their opponents to 40.6% shooting, that mark rises to 45.6% in their road games.

FINAL TAKE: The Buckeyes have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 road games as an underdog getting 6.5 to 12 points — and the Illini have covered a decisive 32 of their last 44 home games when laying 6.5 to 9 points. 10* CBB Blowout Bookie Buster with the Illinois Fighting Illini (602) minus the points versus the Ohio State Buckeyes (601). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:05 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Los Angeles Lakers (518) minus the points versus the New Orleans Pelicans (517). THE SITUATION: Los Angeles (10-3) has won four straight games as well as eight of their last nine contests after their 128-99 win at Oklahoma City on Wednesday as an 11-point favorite. New Orleans (4-6) has lost four games in a row after their 111-106 loss in Los Angeles against the Clippers as an 11.5-point underdog on Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE LAKERS MINUS THE POINTS: Los Angeles returns home after a three-game road trip where they outscored their opponents by a 121.6 - 100.3 PPG scoring margin. They beat Houston by 18 and 17 points before their 29-point win against the Thunder. The Lakers should build off their momentum as they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after winning two games in a row by at least 15 points — and they have covered the point spread in 3 straight games after winning their last two games by at least 20 points. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are listed as questionable for tonight’s game — but this is the modus operandi for this team as they have listed as questionable for every game this season yet James has played every game while Davis has only missed one contest. And Davis was legitimately questionable for Wednesday’s game with OKC as he was dealing with a jammed toe and playing without rest from Tuesday’s game — yet he still played. Even if James and/or Davis take the night off, this Lakers’ now has the depth to keep humming right along with Dennis Schroder, Wes Matthews, Montrezl Harrell, and Marc Gasol now in the mix. LA should be motivated to play well tonight on national television — and they want to get their mojo going on their home court where they are just 3-3 this season. The Lakers shot 49.5% from the field against the Thunder which was actually their worst field goal percentage in their last five games. LA can create a wall in the paint when they have James, Davis, and Gasol on the court at the same time. They are third in the NBA by allowing only 105.2 PPG this season. The Lakers’ size also has them dominate the boards. They outrebounded their last three opponents by at least eight boards — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after outrebounding their last three opponents by at least +5.0 RPG. While this is their eighth game in fourteen days, they have covered the point spread in 18 of their last 27 games when playing at least eight games in fourteen days. New Orleans has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a straight-up loss. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 19 games after winning at least four games in a row. And while they did cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a point spread victory. The team does expect to play Zion Williamson tonight after he went through the COVID quarantine protocols — but he faces a tough offensive assignment against the Lakers’ interior defense. The Pelicans will be without Lonzo Ball for this game as he deals with a knee injury — and Eric Bledsoe is questionable with an eye injury. That is not good news for a team that has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games when playing with one day of rest. New Orleans has also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 road games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Lakers' head coach Frank Vogel has confirmed late this afternoon that Davis will play tonight. The Pelicans are just 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 games when playing in the Staples Center against the Lakers. 10* NBA Friday Late Show Bailout with the Los Angeles Lakers (518) minus the points versus the New Orleans Pelicans (517). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:05 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Golden State Warriors (573) plus the points versus the Denver Nuggets (574). THE SITUATION: Golden State (6-5) saw their two-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday with their 104-95 upset loss to Indiana as a 3.5-point favorite. Denver (5-6) also had their two-game winning streak end on Tuesday with their 122-116 loss at Brooklyn as a 2-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE WARRIORS PLUS THE POINTS: Golden State made only 38.6% of their shots in that game which was their lowest field goal percentage in their last nine games. They should play better tonight — they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a straight-up loss. The Warriors have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a point spread loss. Now Golden State goes back on the road where they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games against teams with a losing record at home. Denver made 50% of their shots in their loss against the Nets which was the third game in a row where they made at least 50% of their shots from the field. The Nuggets have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games after at least two straight games where they shot 50% or better. Denver has also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after scoring at least 115 points in their last game. The Nuggets are just 2-4 on their home court — and they are 1-5-1 ATS in their last 7 home games when favored. They are struggling on defenders after losing wing defenders like Jerami Grant in the offseason. They rank 25th in the NBA by allowing 113.3 points-per-100 possessions.

FINAL TAKE: The Warriors are a much better team when Steph Curry a healthy Draymond Green with him on the court after he was injured to start the season. Denver is an offensive juggernaut — but they tend to underachieve in expected higher-scoring games. The Nuggets have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games with the Total set at 220 or higher. 10* NBA Thursday Late Show Bailout with the Golden State Warriors (573) plus the points versus the Denver Nuggets (574). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:35 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the New York Knicks (556) minus the points versus the Brooklyn Nets (555). THE SITUATION: New York (5-6) has lost three games in a row with their 109-88 loss at Charlotte as a 5-point underdog on Monday. Brooklyn (6-6) snapped a two-game losing streak last night with their 122-116 victory against Denver as a 1.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE KNICKS PLUS THE POINTS: The Nets made 60.8% of their shots last night which was a season-best for head coach Steve Nash’s team — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight games after shooting at least 60% from the field in their last game. Brooklyn also allowed the Nuggets to make 50% of their shots which was the second-straight game where they allowed their opponent to make at least 50% of their baskets. The Nets have allowed their last four opponents to shoot 47.3% from the field. Full attention to defense for this team playing without rest may be a challenge for this team. They have failed to cover the point spread in 20 of their last 27 games when playing without rest. Kevin Durant will make a rare appearance in a back-to-back game tonight — but the team remains without Kyrie Irving who has taken a personal leave from the team. Brooklyn goes back on the road crosstown where they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games on the road against teams with a losing record at home. The Nets have also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games as a favorite — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games when laying 3.5 to 9.5 points. New York has not been competitive in their last two games after getting crushed against Denver by a 114-89 score the previous day. But the Knicks have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after losing two straight games by at least 20 points. They should play better for first-year head coach Tom Thibodeau tonight. They return home where they have covered the point spread o 6 of their last 7 home games against teams with a winning percentage below 40% on the road (Brooklyn is 1-2 on the road). New York has also covered the point spread in 15 of their last 22 games when playing with one day of rest.

FINAL TAKE: The Nets have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games against the Knicks in Madison Square Garden. 10* NBA Brooklyn-New York ESPN Special with the New York Knicks (556) minus the points versus the Brooklyn Nets (555). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the UT-Chattanooga Moccasins (668) plus (or minus) the point(s) versus the Mercer Bears (667). THE SITUATION: UT-Chattanooga (9-3) has lost three of their last four games after their 92-87 upset loss at The Citadel on Saturday as a 6-point underdog. Mercer (7-3) has lost two straight games as well as three of their last four with their 83-80 loss at Furman as a 10.5-point underdog back on January 2nd.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MOCCASINS PLUS (OR MINUS) THE POINT(S): UT-Chattanooga has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after a loss on the road a conference rival — and they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 13 games after a point spread loss. Additionally, the Moccasins have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 16 home games are a game on the road where both teams scored at least 75 points. They return home where they are 4-1 this season while making 48.1% of their shots. UT-Chattanooga has covered the point spread in 14 of their last 19 home games with the Total set in the 150 to 154.5 point range. The Moccasins have also covered the point spread in 28 of their last 42 games as an underdog including all three of their games this season when getting the points. UT-Chattanooga is 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 home games as an underdog. Mercer has failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games after a loss where they covered the point spread as an underdog. The Bears have also failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 15 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight games after a narrow loss by 6 points or less. Mercer made 55.6% of their shots against Furman which was the best shooting effort in their last six games. They stay on the road where they are favored — yet they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games as a road favorite. And in their last 11 games when listed in the +/- 3-point range, the Bears have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of these contests.

FINAL TAKE: UT-Chattanooga has covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. 10* CBB Wednesday Daily Discounted Deal with the UT-Chattanooga Moccasins (668) plus (or minus) the point(s) versus the Mercer Bears (667). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET Wednesday, we will be playing the Georgia Bulldogs (682) plus (or minus) the point(s) versus the Auburn Tigers (681). THE SITUATION: Georgia (7-3) has their last three games after falling to Arkansas on Saturday by a 99-69 score as a 5.5-point underdog. Auburn (6-6) has lost four games in a row with their 94-90 loss against Alabama on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CRIMSON TIDE PLUS (OR MINUS) THE POINT(S): The Bulldogs allowed the Razorbacks to make 52.2% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in their last nine games. Head coach Mike Crean was not happy with the effort of his team in that 30-point loss — so expect a more spirited effort with his team looking to win their first SEC game of the season. Georgia has covered the point spread in 23 of their last 30 games after a loss by at least 20 points. The Bulldogs have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a point spread loss — and they have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 17 games after allowing at least 90 points in their last game. Georgia returns home where they have covered the point spread in 28 of their last 42 games after losing at least three games in a row. They are 7-1 in Athens this season with an average winning margin of +13.1 net PPG. Crean’s team should play much better on defense as they limit their guests to just 40.7% shooting and 67.0 PPG. The Bulldogs have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 22 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. Georgia should score plenty of easy baskets inside against the Tigers — they are 61st in the nation with a 53.9% shooting percentage inside the arc. Auburn allows their opponents to make 52.3% of their 2-pointers which is 242nd in the country. The Bulldogs also pull down 35.6% of their missed shots which is 20th in the nation. The Tigers have been bet into a small favorite as I write this — the likely logic is that their getting freshman Sharife Cooper eligible is a game-changer for this team. The 6’1 guard scored 26 points while adding 9 assists against the Crimson Tide. Yet the laptops still project the Bulldogs to win this game even with Cooper back in the mix. The Tigers have failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight games after a straight-up loss — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a point spread loss. They also have failed to cover the point spewed in 6 straight games after allowing at least 85 points. Auburn goes back on the road where they are 2-4 while making only 39.8% of their shots. The Tigers have failed to cover the point spread in 17 of their last 23 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 straight games away from home with the Total set in the 155 to 159.5 point range. Auburn has also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home court.

FINAL TAKE: Georgia has covered the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games as an underdog including 6 of their last 8 games at home as a dog. The Tigers are 0-4-1 ATS in their last 5 games against teams with a winning percentage of 60% or higher. 25* CBB SEC Underdog of the Month with the Georgia Bulldogs (682) plus (or minus) the point(s) versus the Auburn Tigers (681). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Wisconsin Badgers (615) plus the points versus the Michigan Wolverines (616). THE SITUATION: Wisconsin (10-2) has won two straight games as well as seven of their last eight contests after their 80-73 win against Indiana in double-overtime as a 9-point favorite last Thursday. Michigan (10-0) remained unbeaten last Wednesday with their 82-57 win against Minnesota as an 8-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BADGERS PLUS THE POINTS: Wisconsin outlasted the Hoosiers despite making only 42.4% of their shots which was their lowest field goal percentage in their last four games. The Badgers should continue their momentum as they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 17 games after a win at home against a Big Ten rival — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after winning four of their last five games. Wisconsin’s win against Indiana came on the heels of their 71-59 win at home in Madison against the Golden Gophers team the Wolverines just beat. The Badgers have then covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after winning two in a row on their home court. And while Wisconsin has covered the point spread in five of their last seven games, they have then covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 road games after covering the point spread in four or five of their last six games. Head coach Greg Gard has a veteran team with five seniors who were all in the rotation for the group last year that tied for the Big Ten regular-season title. All five players are averaging at least 9.8 points-per-game this year. Now they go back on the road where they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games away from home. Michigan has now covered the point spread in their last four games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 3 of their last 4 games after covering the point spread in four straight games. Head coach Juwan Howard’s team has covered the point spread in seven of their last eight games — but that might be setting up this team to suffer a letdown as they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games after covering the point spread in six or seven of their last eight games. Howard is a great coach — and this Wolverines team was undervalued in November and December. But now they are perhaps a tad overvalued. Eight of their ten games have been played at home. Using the Ken Pomeroy ratings, their best non-conference opponents were Central Florida while their best win was against the Golden Gophers in their last game. Michigan has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 home games when laying up to 6 points. The Wolverines have also failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 11 home games with the total set in the 130 to 139.5 range.

FINAL TAKE: Wisconsin is battle-tested with victories against Louisville and Michigan State as well as that Minnesota team that is the feather in the Wolverines’ cap. The Badgers will be the best defensive team that Michigan will have played this year — and Wisconsin is 9-3-1 ATS in their last 13 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. Expect a close game with the Badgers in a position to pull the upset (but take the points for some insurance). 10* CBB Wisconsin-Michigan ESPN Special with the Wisconsin Badgers (615) plus the points versus the Michigan Wolverines (616). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 6:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Utah Utes (864) plus the points versus Colorado Buffaloes (863). THE SITUATION: Utah (4-4) has lost three games in a row after their 79-73 loss to Oregon on Saturday as a 2.5-point underdog. Colorado (8-3) has won two of their last three games after their 79-72 win against that Oregon team two earlier on Thursday as a 4.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE UTES PLUS THE POINTS: The Utes’ loss to the Ducks came on the heels of them losing both games in their Los Angeles swing against UCLA and USC. Head coach Larry Krystowiak’s team needs a win — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games after losing two games in a row to conference rivals. And while Utah has not covered the point spread in their last two games, they have then covered the point spread in 11 of their last 17 games after not covering the point spread in two straight games. They stay at home where they are 4-1 this season with an average winning margin of +14.0 PPG. They are making 47.1% of their shots on their home court while holding their opponents to just 38.9% shooting. They also are 49th in the nation by limiting their guests to just 26.8% shooting from behind the arc on their home court. The Buffaloes are taking 39.0% of their shots from 3-point land when playing away from Boulder. Utah is also good at applying pressure as they are generating turnovers in 22.8% of their opponent’s possessions which is 35th best in the country. The Utes have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games on their home court — and then have covered the point spread in 6 straight home games after losing two of their last three games. Additionally, Utah has covered the point spread in 37 of their last 56 home games when playing their second game in three days. And in their last 57 home games with the Total set in the 135 to 139.5 point range, the Utes have covered the point spread in 36 of these contests. Colorado made 46% of their shots on Thursday in their win over the Ducks which was the best shooting effort in their last four games. The Buffaloes have then failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games after a victory against a Pac-12 foe. They go back on the road where they have lost all three of their games this season — and they are making only 43.8% of their shots away from home. Colorado has failed to cover the point spread in 41 of their last 55 road games against teams with a winning record at home — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 16 of their last 22 road games when favored. The Buffaloes are allowing their last five opponents to make 47.3% of their shots. They have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: Head coach Tad Boyle’s team leads the nation by making 85.6% of their free throws. Yet they are not likely to get many freebies on the charity stripe against this Utah team that is 12th in the nation with a defensive free throw attempt-to-field goal attempt ratio of 22.6%. 10* CBB Monday Daily Discounted Deal with the Utah Utes (864) plus the points versus Colorado Buffaloes (863). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 4:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Niagara Purple Eagles (686) minus the points versus the Rider Broncs (685). THE SITUATION: Niagara (4-5) looks to rebound from getting upset at home last night to the Broncs by a 76-70 score as a 6.5-point favorite. Rider (3-7) won just their third game of the season with the victory.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PURPLE EAGLES MINUS THE POINTS: Niagara has bounced-back to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a point spread defeat. They stay at home for this game where they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games at home — and they have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. Rider made 54.7% of their shots last night which was their best shooting performance of the season. But they just 8-17-2 ATS in their last 27 games after a point spread win. They have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home. And they are only 5-15-2 ATS in their last 22 road games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Rider has failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games as an underdog — and Niagara has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games against teams with a winning percentage not better than 40%. Look for the Purple Eagles to make some adjustments on defense this afternoon to avenge last night’s loss. 10* CBB Blowout Bookie Buster with the Niagara Purple Eagles (686) minus the points versus the Rider Broncs (685). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (848) plus the point(s) versus the Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans (847). THE SITUATION: UL-Louisiana (7-2) saw their seven-game winning streak snapped on Saturday with their 71-59 upset loss at home to Texas State as a 2.5-point favorite. Little Rock (6-3) has won two straight games as well as four of their last five contests with their 75-62 win against UT-Arlington on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RAGIN’ CAJUNS PLUS THE POINT(S): Lafayette might have played their worst game of the season last Saturday. They made only 34.6% of their shots which was the second-lowest mark all season. They also allowed the Bobcats to hit 60% of their baskets which was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage they have given up this year. The Ragin’ Cajuns have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games after allowing their last opponent to shoot at least 60% from the field. Lafayette has also covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after a game where they did not shoot better than 38% while allowing their opponent to nail at least 60% of their shots. The Ragin’ Cajuns have also bounced-back to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 10 games after a double-digit loss. Lafayette has also covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a loss at home to a conference rival — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games after getting upset by double-digits as a home favorite. They stay at home where they are 6-1 with an average winning margin of +6.4 PPG. They hold their opponents to just 40.8% shooting which is resulting in 68.6 PPG. The Ragin’ Cajuns have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 11 home games at home with the Total set in the 150s. Lafayette does a good job of forcing turnovers — their opponents are coughing it up in 20.6% of their possessions which is 81st in the nation. This is a significant area of concern for the Trojans — they are 325th in the nation by turning the ball over in 24.7% of their possessions. Little Rock exposed a vulnerable Mavericks’ defense in their two-game swing last week. They made a whopping 70% of their shots against UT-Arlington in the opener before making 56.1% of their shots on Saturday in what was their best two shooting efforts of the season. And by holding the Mavericks to just 31.8% shooting, the Trojans played their best defensive game of the season. But the Trojans have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after winning at least two straight games in a row at home. And while Little Rock has covered the point spread in their last two games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games on the road after covering their last two games. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games when playing with five or six days of rest. They go back on the road where they are just 1-3 this season while allowing their opponents to make 46.1% of their shots which is resulting in 77.0 PPG. The Trojans are 19th in the nation by making 39.4% of their 3-pointers — but that mark plummets to a 32.1% clip when playing away from their home court this season. Little Rock has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 road games against teams with a winning record at home — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight games on the road with the total in the 150-154.5 point range. To compound matters, the Trojans may be without their best player in Markquis Nowell who is listed as doubtful with an undisclosed issue. He leads the team with a 17.0 PPG average while adding 8.9 Assists-Per-Game and 4.7 Rebounds-Per-Game.

FINAL TAKE: Little Rock is just 1-5-1 ATS in their last 7 games against teams with a winning record — and the Ragin’ Cajuns have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games against teams with a winning percentage of 60% or better. 25* CBB Sun Belt Conference Underdog of the Month with the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (848) plus the point(s) versus the Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans (847). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:05 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Los Angeles Clippers (531) minus the points versus the Golden State Warriors (532). THE SITUATION: Los Angeles (5-2) has lost two of their last three games after their 116-113 upset loss at home to San Antonio as a 7.5-point favorite last night. Golden State (4-3) upset Sacramento at home on Sunday with their 137-106 win as a 1.5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CLIPPERS MINUS THE POINTS: Los Angeles should respond with a strong effort tonight. They have covered the point spread in 37 of their last 51 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 24 of their last 32 games after a point spread setback. Additionally, the Clippers have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 20 games after a narrow loss by 6 points or less. LA did not have Paul George who was a late scratch in that game — and he is questionable for tonight. The Clippers may also be without Marcus Morris who is doubtful with an injury. But Kawhi Leonard was not on the injury report this evening so he should play in his first back-to-back game in four years — and that speaks to the relative urgency of this game for head coach Ty Lue’s team. They go back on the road where they have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 18 games — and they have covered the point spread in 16 of their last 21 road games against Pacific Division rivals. They also have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 13 road games against teams with a winning record at home. Golden State has played their best two games of the season with their 15-point win at home against Portland followed up by their 31-point win over the Kings. Expect a letdown from this team that remains dependent on 3-point shooting even without Klay Thompson. The Warriors have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 17 games after a win by at least 20 points. Additionally, Golden State has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a win at home against a divisional rival — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games after a double-digit victory over a Pacific Division foe. Furthermore, the Warriors are 18-37-1 ATS in their last 56 games after a point spread win. Golden State probably played their best game of the season against the Kings on Sunday. They made 52.6% of their shots which was the second-best shooting effort all season. Kelly Oubre made four of his six shots from behind the arc in that game after missing 28 of his 30 shots from 3-point land in his first six contests. They also held Sacramento to just 37.8% shooting which was their lowest opponent’s field goal percentage this year. But the Warriors have allowed at least 106 points in all seven of their games this season — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 22 of their last 30 games at home after allowing at least 105 points in at least three straight games. And in their last 15 games after winning two straight games by double-digits, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 10 of these games.

FINAL TAKE: Los Angeles has covered the point spread in 18 of their last 26 games on the road when favored by up to 6 points — and they have covered the point spread in their last 4 games at Golden State. 10* NBA LA Clippers-Golden State ESPN Special with the Los Angeles Clippers (531) minus the points versus the Golden State Warriors (532). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:05 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Sacramento Kings (530) minus the points versus the Chicago Bulls (529). THE SITUATION: Sacramento (3-4) has lost three games in a row with their 137-106 upset loss at Golden State on Sunday as a 1.5-point favorite. Chicago (3-4) has won three of their last four games with their 111-108 upset win at Portland as a 9.5-point underdog last night as a 9.5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE KINGS MINUS THE POINTS: Sacramento has suffered two straight upset losses with their setback to the Warriors coming on the heels of an upset loss at Houston. The Kings shot a season-low 37.8% from the field while allowing the Warriors to make 52.6% of their shots which is the second-most all year. Sacramento is also dealing with internal drama with the fathers of Marvina and De’Aaron Fox going at each on twitter. It’s a mess already — but this team should rally to play better in this winnable game. The Kings have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games after a straight-up loss — and they have coved the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a straight-up loss. And in their last 41 games after losing three of their last four games, Sacramento has covered the point spread 27 times. They return home where they are 10-4-1 ATS in their last 15 games. And in their last 16 games against teams with a losing record, the Kings have covered the point spread 11 times. Chicago has pulled off two straight upset wins with their 118-108 upset win against Dallas as a 4-point underdog preceding last night’s game against the Trail Blazers. But the Bulls have failed to cover the point spread in 20 of their last 28 games after a straight-up win. And while Chicago has scored 118 and 111 points in their last two games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 13 games after scoring at least 110 points in two straight contests. They stay on the road where they have failed to cover the spread in 5 of their last 7 road games against teams with a winning percentage on their home court.

FINAK TAKE: Sacramento is 2-1 at home this season. Chicago is just 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 games against the Kings. 10* NBA Wednesday Daily Discounted Deal with the Sacramento Kings (530) minus the points versus the Chicago Bulls (529). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Baylor Bears (696) minus the points versus the Oklahoma Sooners (695). THE SITUATION: Oklahoma (9-0) remained unbeaten this season on Saturday with their 76-65 win at Iowa State as a 15.5-point favorite. Oklahoma (6-2) has won four of their last five games with their 75-71 win against West Virginia on Saturday as a 1.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BEARS MINUS THE POINTS: I think Baylor is undervalued in these spots after coming off one of their worst efforts of the season on Saturday. Baylor did not make a 3-pointer in the first half against the Cyclones before setting for 4 of 19 shooting mark from behind the arc. The Bears shot 47.3% from the field which was the worst shooting effort in their last five games. Baylor is third in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency while making 43.8% of their 3-pointers which is the second-best mark in the nation. They also allowed Iowa State to make 48.1% of their shots which was the second-highest opponent field goal percentage they surrendered all season (and worst since their opening game). Head coach Scott Drew’s team is 5th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They have not covered the point spread in their last two games — but they have then covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after not covering the point spread in two straight games. The Bears have also covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a straight-up win. Additionally, Baylor has covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after a double-digit win on the road — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after a win by at least 10 points against Big 12 foes. They return home where they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games. Oklahoma has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a straight-up win. And while the Sooners raced out to a 38-20 lead at halftime, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after owning a lead of at least 15 points in their last game. I don’t like this matchup for Oklahoma under head coach Lon Kruger who emphasizes offense over defense. The Sooners are 21st in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency with their three-guard attack — but this will be the best defensive team they will have faced this season. But Oklahoma ranks 64th in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency while allowing their opponents to make 39.6% of their 3-pointers which is the 320th mark in the nation. Baylor scores 92.9 PPG — and the Sooners have failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight games against teams who score at least 77 PPG. Oklahoma has also failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games against teams who shoot at least 45% from the field.

FINAL TAKE: Baylor will overwhelm the Sooners’ with their offense playing on their home court — and their defense will make it hard for Oklahoma to keep up. The Bears have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 18 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. Baylor has also covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games when favored. 10* CBB Oklahoma-Baylor ESPN2 Special with the Baylor Bears (696) minus the points versus the Oklahoma Sooners (695). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Xavier (688) minus the points versus the St. John’s (687). THE SITUATION: Xavier (8-2) has lost their last two games after their 85-68 upset loss as a 3-point favorite last Wednesday. St. John’s (6-4) snapped a three-game losing streak back on December 20th with their 94-83 win against Georgetown as a 4-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MUSKETEERS MINUS THE POINTS: Xavier made only 43.1% of their shots which was tied for the third-worst shooting effort this season. The Musketeers had covered the point spread in five straight games before that loss to the Pirates. Xavier has covered the point spread in 9 of their last 10 games after covering the point spread in at least four of their last five games. The Musketeers have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games when playing with five or six days of rest. Xavier now returns home where they are 7-1 this season with an average winning margin of +12.3 PPG. The Musketeers are making 50.2% of their shots at home which is generating 83.0 PPG. They are also holding their opponents to just 39.7% of their shots when playing on their home court. Xavier matches up quite well against the Red Storm who deploy head coach Mike Anderson’s “40 minutes of hell” full-court press. St. John’s is 29th in the nation by forcing turnovers in 23.5% of their possessions. But the Musketeers get good guard play from seniors Paul Scruggs and Nate Johnson. Xavier only turns the ball over in 16.0% of their possessions which is 37th best in the nation. They have not turned the ball over more than 11 times in four straight games — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games after not turning the ball over more than 11 times in their last four. If and when the Musketeers break the Red Storm press, they should torch their defense. St. John’s has an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 56.7% which is 325th in the nation — and they are allowing their opponents to make 39.6% of their 3-pointers. Xavier has an eFG of 55.9% which is 25th in the country — and they are making 37.2% of their 3-pointers which is 51st in the nation. St. John’s has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after a win over a conference rival — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight games after a double-digit victory against a Big East foe. The Red Storm shot 47.6% of their shots which was the best shooting effort in their last five games while making 13 of their 29 shots from behind the arc. But St. John’s has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after making at least 13 shots from 3-point land in their last game. The Red Storm also held the Hoyas to just 43.5% shooting which was their second-best scoring effort in their last eight games. Anderson’s team may be rusty in this game having not played in 17 days. They go back on the road where they have lost three of their four games while allowing their home hosts to make 50% of their shots. St. John’s have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games on the road as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: The Red Storm have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% — and Xavier has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning record. 25* CBB Wednesday CBS Sports Network Game of the Month with the Xavier (688) minus the points versus the St. John’s (687). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Kansas Jayhawks (639) minus the points versus the TCU Horned Frogs (640). THE SITUATION: Kansas (8-2) had won eight games in a row before losing at home to Texas on Saturday by an 84-59 score as a 4.5-point favorite. TCU (9-2) has won five straight contests after their 67-60 win at Kansas State on Saturday as a 3.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE JAYHAWKS MINUS THE POINTS: Kansas played their worst game of the season on Saturday. They made only 30.8% of their shots from the field including missing 20 of their 23 shots from behind the arc. That 30.8% field goal percentage was their lowest mark of the season. They also allowed the Longhorns to make 49.2% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in their last nine games. Kansas has an opponent’s field goal percentage of 40.5% so they should play better tonight. Head coach Bill Self has been remarkably reliable in getting his team to respond with good efforts after bad losses. The Jayhawks have covered the point spread in 9 straight games after a loss by at least 20 points — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a loss by 10 points against a conference rival. Additionally, Kansas is a dominant 43-19-3 ATS in their last 65 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games after a point spread setback. They have also covered the point spread in 6 straight games after failing to score at least 60 points in their last game. Perhaps the Jayhawks were primed for a letdown after defeating two ranked teams in Texas Tech and West Virginia in their previous two games. Now they go back on the road where they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 13 games — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 10 road games with the Total set in the 130s. Kansas has also covered the point spread in 10 of their last 11 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home court. TCU is 4-2 at home this season — but with just a +4.8 net points-per-game differential. They have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games when playing at home. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games at home with the Total set in the 135.5 to 139.5 point range. Additionally, the Horned Frogs have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games after a win over a Big 12 opponent — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games after a point spread victory. TCU has also failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games at home after winning at least two games in a row. The Horned Frogs’ best win this season was against Oklahoma State — their losses were against Providence and Oklahoma. Head coach Jamie Dixon’s team is perhaps best at defending the arc — they are holding opponents to just a 28.2% shooting percentage from 3-point land which is 41st in the nation. But Self’s team is not reliant on 3-pointers — they only take 36.2% of their shots from behind the arc which is the 206th most reliant on 3s in the nation. Kansas should dominate the interior in this game with their size — the Horned Frogs allow their opponents to make 49.6% of their shots inside the arc which is 160th. The Jayhawks should also get plenty of second-chance opportunities. Kansas pulls down 35.1% of their missed shots which is 31st in the nation — and TCU ranks 150th by allowing their opponents to pull down 27.1% of their misses.

FINAL TAKE: Marcus Garrett is questionable for Kansas after suffering a head injury against Texas -- Self said he seemed good yesterday (but would be a game-time decision). The point guard is solid but his potential absence is not devastating for this balanced Jayhawks team. TCU is not in Kansas’ league — they rank 76th and 60th in the nation in adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency while the Jayhawks rank 36th and 19th in those metrics. Kansas has also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. The Horned Frogs would be more dangerous as a home dog in this spot if they were playing in front of a packed gym full of fans. Alas … 25* CBB Tuesday ESPN Game of the Month with the Kansas Jayhawks (639) minus the points versus the TCU Horned Frogs (640). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:05 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Sacramento Kings (589) minus the points versus the Golden State Warriors (590). THE SITUATION: Sacramento (3-3) has lost two straight games as well as three of their last four games after their 102-94 upset loss at Houston on Saturday as a 2-point favorite. Golden State (3-3) has won three of their last four games with their 137-122 upset win at home against Portland last night as a 5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE KINGS MINUS THE POINT(S): Sacramento made only 38.9% of their shots against the Rockets in what was their worst shooting effort of the season. And the 45% field goal percentage of Houston in that game was the second-worst defensive performance for the Kings this season. Sacramento has then covered the point spread in 11 of their last 15 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a point spread setback. Additionally, the Kings have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games after losing two in a two row. Sacramento will be without Tyrese Halliburton for this game after he suffered an injured wrist two games ago in Houston. But this will be a big game for Harrison Barnes who makes his return to Golden State to play his former team. The Kings have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 15 games on the road when favored by up to 6 points. Golden State received an epic game from Steph Curry last night as he poured in a career-high 62 points last night in the upset win against the Trail Blazers. We had the Warriors last night — but the problem for this team without Klay Thompson is that they may need Curry to play at a super-human level to pull out games. Golden State has failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 20 games after an upset win. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 19 games when playing without rest. The Warriors made 55.7% of their shots last night which was their best shooting effort of the season. They also held Portland to just 41.7% shooting which was their second-best defensive performance of the new season. Yet this Golden State team remains a team that has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games as an underdog. And in their last 5 games with the Total set in the 230s, the Warriors failed to cover the point spread in 4 of these games.

FINAL TAKE: Sacramento has covered the point spread in 34 of their last 54 games when listed in the +/- 3-point range. Look for them to catch the Warriors playing without rest — and without fans in the Oracle Center. 10* NBA Monday Late Show Bailout with the Sacramento Kings (589) minus the points versus the Golden State Warriors (590). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the West Virginia Mountaineers (873) minus the point(s) versus the Oklahoma State Cowboys (874). THE SITUATION: West Virginia (8-3) has lost two of their last three games with their 75-71 loss at Oklahoma as a 1.5-point underdog on Saturday. Oklahoma State (7-2) snapped a two-game losing streak on Saturday with their 82-77 win in overtime at Texas Tech as an 8-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MOUNTAINEERS MINUS THE POINT(S): The Cowboys are a young team with intriguing talent led by freshman Cade Cunningham who might be the first player taken in the next NBA draft. But one of the biggest concerns for young teams is consistency. Upsetting the Red Raiders is Oklahoma State’s best win on their resume so far this season — but they are 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 games after a straight-up win. The Cowboys have also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a point spread win. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games when playing with one or fewer days of rest. They return home where they are 3-1 this season — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games on their home court. Their game with Texas Tech was their first contest since December 20th — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 10 home games when playing not more than their second game in eight days. West Virginia made only 40% of their shots against the Sooners which was the worst shooting effort in their last three games. Head coach Bob Huggins’ team should respond with a strong effort as they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 6 games when playing their game on the road in three days. The Mountaineers’ have a style of play that travels well since they do so many things to generate more shooting opportunities if their shots are not falling. West Virginia is 17th in the nation by pulling down 37.6% of their missed shots. They also force turnovers in 20.5% of their opponent’s possessions which is 72nd in the country. “Press Virginia” should have success against the Cowboys who can be loose with the ball — they are turning the ball over in 19.1% of their possessions which is 147th in the nation. Huggins is dealing with a significant roster shakeup with the loss of Oscar Tshiebwe and Isaiah Cottrell for the season. Cottrell is their top-rated freshman but who was not playing much coming off the bench to offer depth at forward. Tsheibwe leaving the team for personal reasons is more disruptive as he formed a potentially awesome twin-tower front line with forward Derek Culver. That said, Tsheibwe was playing less than 20 minutes-per-game while not producing as much as he did in his freshman season. Huggins has a deep roster — and I suspect the loss will create the opportunity for even more full-court pressure. West Virginia still has a size edge over Oklahoma State with Culver down low.

FINAL TAKE: The Mountaineers were competitive against Gonzaga and Kansas in their other two losses this season. They have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. Oklahoma State has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 home games as an underdog getting no more than 6 points. 10* CBB West Virginia-Oklahoma State ESPN2 Special with the West Virginia Mountaineers (873) minus the point(s) versus the Oklahoma State Cowboys (874). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:30 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Miami Heat (578) minus the points versus the Oklahoma City Thunder (577). THE SITUATION: Miami (2-3) has lost two of their last three games with their 93-83 upset loss at Dallas on Friday as a 1.5-point favorite. Oklahoma City (2-3) snapped a three-game losing streak on Saturday with their 108-99 win at Orlando as a 4.5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HEAT MINUS THE POINTS: Miami made only 37.2% of their shots on Friday in what was their worst shooting effort of the season. But this team has been very reliable under head coach Erik Spoelstra after a setback as they are 37-13-1 ATS in their last 51 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 28 of their last 42 games after a point spread win. The Heat have also covered the point spread in 13 of their last 16 games when returning home after a game on the road. Miami is making 48.7% of their shots when playing on their home court. The Heat have covered the point spread in 4 straight games on their home court when favored — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. Oklahoma City held the Magic to just 37.0% shooting which was their best defensive effort of the season. The Thunder also made 19 of their 21 free throw attempts which were wildly out-of-character for a team that is last in the NBA by making only 62.3% of their shots from the charity stripe. This is a much different team this season under rookie head coach Mark Daigneault. The team has three new starters in Al Horford, George Hill, and Darius Bazley joining Shai-Gilgeous Alexander and Luguentz Dort in the starting five. That is likely a starting unit of a lottery team.

FINAL TAKE: The Thunder are 0-3 at home but a surprising 2-0 on the road. Yet this team has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games on the road against teams with a winning record at home. 10* NBA Monday Daily Discounted Deal with the Miami Heat (578) minus the points versus the Oklahoma City Thunder (577). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:30 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Golden State Warriors (572) plus the points versus the Portland Trail Blazers (571). THE SITUATION: Golden State (2-3) had their two-game winning streak snapped on Friday with their 123-98 loss at home to Portland (3-2). The Trail Blazers have won three of their last four games.

REASONS TO TAKE THE WARRIORS PLUS THE POINTS: Golden State is not as bad as their 15-50 record last season. They have Stephen Curry back this season from his season-ending injury last year — plus they added Kelly Oubre, Kent Bazemore, and Brad Wanamaker along with James Wiseman as the second pick in the NBA draft. Draymond Green did not play in the first four games this season but he did return to the court on Friday. While the Warriors may not make the playoffs this season, they should at least be credible on most nights — so expect Curry, Green, and head coach Steve Kerr to make the necessary adjustments to rebound from their 25-point loss. Oubre is bound to get a visit from the Regression Gods to start seeing some of his 3-pointers begin to fall. He has made only one of his 25 shots from downtown so far this season which makes him the first player in NBA history to not make at least three shots from behind the arc in the first five games of the new season if he launched at least 3-pointers. The Warriors were blown out on the road at Brooklyn and Milwaukee before beating Chicago and Detroit on the road. This will be just their second home game of the season. Golden State has covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 home games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road. They also have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games when playing with one day of rest. Portland played their best defensive game of the season by holding the Warriors to 39.2% shooting. But the Trail Blazers have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a double-digit win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a point spread win. Portland has looked a bit sketchy to start the season with a 20-point loss to Utah, an 18-point loss to the Clippers, and a narrow 2-point win over a Houston team that is a train wreck right now. The Blazers have failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight road games against teams with a losing record at home.

FINAL TAKE: Portland has failed to cover the point spread in 24 of their last 35 games played at Golden State. Look for the Warriors to play much better tonight. 10* NBA Sunday Late Show Bailout with the Golden State Warriors (572) plus the points versus the Portland Trail Blazers (571). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 5:30 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Minnesota Golden Gophers (840) minus the point(s) versus the Ohio State Buckeyes (839). THE SITUATION: Minnesota (9-0) saw their three-game winning streak snapped on Thursday in their 71-59 loss at Wisconsin as an 8-point underdog. Ohio State (8-2) has won three of their last four games with their 90-54 win against Nebraska as a 10.5-point favorite on Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GOLDEN GOPHERS MINUS THE POINT(S): Minnesota played one of their worst games of the season against the Badgers. They made only 31.2% of their shots while allowing Wisconsin to make 50.8% of their baskets — and both of those marks were the second-worst for them all season. The Gophers have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a straight-up loss. Additionally, Minnesota has covered the point spread in 15 of their last 20 games after a loss on the road — and they have covered the point spread in 9 straight games after a loss on the road where they did not score more than 60 points. Now after playing their last five games as an underdog, they return home where they are 9-0 this season with an average winning margin of +14.5 PPG. The Gophers make 45.3% of their shots at home — and they hold their guests to just 38.5% shooting. Minnesota has covered the point spread in 4 straight home games — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 home games with the Total set in the 145 to 149.5 point range. And in their last 6 home games after being the dog in their previous three games, the Gophers have covered the point spread in all 6 games. Ohio State has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after a double-digit victory. The Buckeyes have also failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a point spread win. Ohio State held the Cornhuskers to just 28.3% shooting which was their best defensive effort of the season. But now they go back on the road where they experienced both of their losses while allowing their opponents to make 46.5% of their shots. The Buckeyes are 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 games on the road — and they are 8-21-1 ATS in their last 30 road games against teams with a winning record at home.

FINAL TAKE: Ohio State has failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games when listed in the +/- 3-point range — and Minnesota has covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games at home when listed in the +/- 3-point range. 10* CBB Blowout Bookie Buster with the Minnesota Golden Gophers (840) minus the point(s) versus the Ohio State Buckeyes (839). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 4:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the USC Trojans (684) minus the points versus the Utah Utes (683). THE SITUATION: USC (5-2) looks to rebound from their 72-62 loss at home to Colorado as a 3.5-point favorite on Thursday. Utah (4-2) come off a narrow 72-70 loss at UCLA on Thursday as a 2.5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE TROJANS MINUS THE POINTS: We almost took the Bruins on New Year’s Eve but I was concerned that the Utes may show more grit than expected — and that was the case as they rallied in the second half to make that a close game with Mick Cronin’s team. They shot 50% from the field which was their best shooting effort in their last four games. This is the better spot to fade Utah — they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 straight games after a loss to a Pac-12 rival. They are now 0-2 on the road this season — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games away from home. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 road games against teams with a winning percentage of 60% or better on their home court. USC fell to 4-1 at home this season against the Buffaloes — but they have then covered the point spread in 6 straight games after a double-digit loss to a Pac-12 rival. The Trojans have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 4 straight games after a point spread loss. That might have been the worst game that USC has played for head coach Andy Enfield this season. They made only 38.3% of their shots which was the second-worst shooting effort of the season. They also allowed Colorado to make 41.7% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in their last six games. The Trojans have still covered the point spread in 36 of their last 52 home games against teams with a winning percentage below 40% on the road.

FINAL TAKE: USC has covered the point spread in 14 of their last 20 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. 10* CBB Blowout Bookie Buster with the USC Trojans (684) minus the points versus the Utah Utes (683). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:35 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Toronto Raptors (520) minus the points versus the New York Knicks (519). THE SITUATION: Toronto (0-3) has started the new season with three straight losses after their 100-93 loss at Philadelphia as a 1.5-point underdog on Tuesday. New York (2-2) pulled off their second-straight upset victory with their 95-86 win at Cleveland as a 3.5-point underdog on Tuesday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RAPTORS MINUS THE POINTS: It has been a rough start for head coach Nick Nurse’s team. They lost Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol in free agency. They have had to make Tampa Bay their temporary home given COVID protocols in Canada prohibiting travel to and from the United States. Yet this remains a talented basketball team with Pascal Siakam, Kevin Lowry, and quality depth. They added Aron Baynes to compensate for the loss of Ibaka and Gasol (but they could probably use another big man). The Raptors have been outrebounded by at least eight boards in three straight games — but they have then covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after getting outrebounded by at least 5 boards in three straight games. Toronto only made 35.6% of their shots on Tuesday against the 76ers which was their worst shooting effort this season. But they did hold the Sixers to only a 38.1% field goal percentage which was their best defensive effort of the season — so that is encouraging. The Raptors have covered the point spread in 24 of their last 37 games after a point spread loss. And while Toronto has yet to cover the point spread this season, they have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 18 games after not covering the point spread in at least three straight games. New York played their best defensive game of the season on Tuesday by holding the Cavaliers to just 36.4% shooting. That defensive effort helped that game finish miles below the 216 point total — but the Knicks have failed to cover the point spread in 49 of their last 77 games after playing a game that finished Under the Total. That win came on the heels of their 130-110 upset win against Milwaukee on Sunday. But new coach Tom Thibodeau has seen his teams fail to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games after pulling off two straight upset wins. Despite these early upsets, this is still a major rebuilding project in New York. They committed a troubling 25 turnovers against Cleveland while enduring a -12 net turnover margin in that game — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games after turning the ball over at least ten more times than their opponent. This Knicks team is also dealign with a bunch of injuries with Dennis Smith, Jr., Frank Ntilikina, and rookie Obi Toppin all out and Austin Rivers questionable with a groin.

FINAL TAKE: The Knicks made be just what the doctor ordered for Nurse and this Raptors team. Toronto has won eight straight games against New York while covering the point spread in six of these games. I don’t love that this game is being played in Tampa Bay — but the Raptors have played a game already in their new home this season and we would likely be laying 12 or so points if this game was being played in Toronto (and I would be investing in this situation still). The circumstances here are too good to pass up. 25* NBA Game of the Month with the Toronto Raptors (520) minus the points versus the New York Knicks (519). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:30 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Miami Heat (574) plus the points versus the Milwaukee Bucks (573). THE SITUATION: Milwaukee (2-2) got a small measure of revenge against a Heat team that eliminated them from the playoffs in the fall with their 144-97 blowout win in Miami as a -6.5-point favorite. Miami (1-2) has lost two of their first three games this season.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HEAT PLUS THE POINTS: The Bucks played as if they had been visualizing every 3-point attempt sinking for them since they got eliminated by the Heat in the bubble in last year’s playoffs. Milwaukee made an NBA record 29 shots from behind the arc while nailing 56.9% of their 51 3-point attempts. Needless to say, the Regression Gods will be visiting tonight. The issue is how far down to earth will the Bucks play again tonight? Their team personality suggests they will suffer a significant emotional letdown. Milwaukee is 2-6-1 ATS in their last 9 games after a double-digit win — and they are 0-3-1 ATS in the four games after a victory. The Bucks have also failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after a point spread victory. And in their last 6 games after scoring at least 125 points in their last game, Milwaukee has failed to cover the point spread all 6 times. I looked the Bucks closely — I got scared off for two reasons. First, even after last night’s triumph, Milwaukee has still failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 road games against teams with a winning record at home. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 30 road games when favored by up to 6 points. The second reason I backed off was that Miami was playing without Jimmy Butler who is dealing with an ankle injury. While the Heat are obviously better with Butler leading the team, I was concerned that the oddsmakers and betting market would overcompensate for his absence. Butler has been ruled out tonight — which makes me like the Miami side even more in this rematch situation. With Bam Aqebayo and Goran Dragic leading the way for a team whose depth remains a strength, there is plenty of talent to keep things close tonight. As head coach Erik Spoelstra indicated after the game, his team did not match the Bucks’ intensity level last night. They also did a poor job early in their 3-point defense with Spoelstra indicating that the Bucks’ first 15 shots from downtown were “right in their wheelhouse.” Both of those issues will be corrected tonight. The Heat have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after allowing at least 130 points in their last game. And while they allowed a whopping 46 points in the first quarter en route to going to the locker room at halftime with a 83-57 hole, they also have covered the point spread in 4 of 5 games after trailing by at least 20 points at halftime. Miami has also covered the point spread in 13 of their last 19 games after a loss by at least 30 points. As it is, this has been a resilient group under Spoelstra. The Heat are 38-14-1 ATS in their last 53 games after a straight-up loss — and this includes them covering the point spread in twenty-six of their last thirty-four games after a setback. Miami has also covered the point spread in 4 straight games after a double-digit loss — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a loss by at least 10 points on their home court. The Heat made only 46.8% of their shots after nailing at least 50.6% of their shots in their first two games. I think Miami improved their roster by bringing in Moe Harmless for Jae Crowder while also adding the criminally-underrated Avery Bradley. The Heat also committed an unsightly 22 turnovers last night which they should clean up tonight. They have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games at home — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 home games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Milwaukee had not looked great early in the season with two losses to Boston and New York along with a win against a Golden State team that may be in for another long year. Chemistry is an issue after significant roster turnover after failing to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. Expect a close game and don’t be surprised with a Heat upset — but (always) take the points for some insurance especially with the Heat playing without Butler who is so clutch down the stretch. 25* NBA Underdog of the Month with the Miami Heat (574) plus the points versus the Milwaukee Bucks (573). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:07 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Iowa Hawkeyes (628) minus the points versus the Northwestern Wildcats (627). THE SITUATION: Iowa (7-2) comes off a 102-95 upset loss at Minnesota on Friday as a 6-point favorite. Northwestern (6-1) pulled off their third-straight upset victory on Saturday when they stunned Ohio State as a 2.5-point home underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HAWKEYES MINUS THE POINTS: Iowa has been remarkably reliable when coming off a straight-up loss under head coach Fran McCaffrey. The Hawkeyes have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 13 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games after a loss on the road. Iowa has also covered the point spread in 13 of their last 16 games after a point spread loss. Additionally, the Hawkeyes have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after allowing at least 90 points in their last game — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games after a game where both teams scored at least 80 points. Iowa made only 37.2% of their shots which was their worst shooting effort of the season. Now the Hawkeyes return home where they are 7-0 with an average winning margin of +29.5 net PPG. Iowa is making 49.9% of their shots at home which is generating a staggering 96.1 PPG. And while the conventional wisdom on Iowa is that they are not a great defensive team, they hold their guests to 39.9% shooting which is resulting in only 66.6 PPG. The Hawkeyes are 20-4-2 ATS in their last 26 gams at home. They also have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. Northwestern has pulled upsets against Michigan State and Indiana before their win over the Buckeyes. The Wildcats have then failed to cover the point spread in 23 of their last 32 games after an upset win at home — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 19 of their last 26 games after an upset win at home against a Big Ten rival. Additionally, the Wildcats have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a win at home in the Big Ten — and they are 8-21-1 ATS in their last 30 games after a point spread win. Even in the win, Northwestern demonstrated some vulnerabilities in the paint against the Buckeyes — and that is an ominous sign when now facing Luka Garza who is a scoring machine with his 28.8 PPG scoring average on 62.7% shooting and a beast on the boards with a 10.0 RPG average. The Wildcats are an improved team under head coach Chris Collins — but it has not been a complete roster overhaul of bluechip five stars from the team that finished 3-17 in Big Ten play last season. Collins has his team playing at a quicker pace — but that will be a big mistake if they try that against Iowa. Northwestern has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games with the Total set in the 150s.

FINAL TAKE: It may look easy to take this upstart Wildcats team as a double-digit dog to at least keep things close given their recent success — but that is kinda the point. Iowa has covered the point spread in 10 of their last 11 home games when laying double-digits. Trust the oddsmakers on this one — the Hawkeyes’ offensive prowess can produce another blowout at Carver-Hawkeyes Arena. 25* CBB Big Ten Game of the Month with the Iowa Hawkeyes (628) minus the points versus the Northwestern Wildcats (627). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:30 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Michigan State Spartans (752) minus the points versus the Wisconsin Badgers (751). THE SITUATION: Michigan State (6-1) looks to rebound from their first loss of the season on Sunday with their 79-65 upset loss in Evanston against Northwestern as an 8.5-point favorite. Wisconsin (7-1) has won four games in a row with their 67-53 victory over Nebraska on Tuesday as a 13.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE SPARTANS PLUS THE POINT(S): Michigan State probably played their worst game of the season on Sunday. They made only 38.8% of their shots which was the worst shooting marker them this season. They also allowed the Wildcats to make 52.9% of their shots which was their worst defensive performance of the year. Head coach Tom Izzo certainly made defense a priority in practice this week after they allowed Oakland to make 50% of their shots in their previous game. The Spartans have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 15 games after allowing their last to opponents to shoot at least 50% from the field. Michigan State has also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after an upset loss as a road favorite. Perhaps the biggest challenge for Izzo with his team this season is replacing the leadership of the departed Cassius Winston. While sophomore Rocket Watts has assumed the starting point guard duties, this group is doing a great job of sharing the basketball. The Spartans are second in the nation by assisting on 73.7% of their field goals. They have generated at least 19 assists in three straight games — and Izzo’s teams have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games after playing two straight games with at least 19 teams assists. Michigan State returns home where they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. And while it is not often that Sparty plays at home as an underdog, they have then covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 home games when getting the points. Additionally, Michigan State has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. Wisconsin has covered the point spread as a favorite for three straight games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 22 of their last 34 games after covering the point spread as a favorite for at least three straight contests. The Badgers have held their last three opponents to no better than 38.9% shooting from the field — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 6 games after not allowing their last three opponents to shoot better than 40% from the field. Furthermore, Wisconsin has failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 19 games after winning at least six or seven of their last eight games. The Badgers are 9th in the nation by making 41.9% of their shots from behind the arc — but they may be too reliant on these shots with them making up 39.0% of their shots from the floor. In their lone loss this season against Marquette, they made only 7 of their 24 shots (29.1%) from 3-point land. Perhaps not coincidentally, that game on December 4th was their only game so far this season played away from their home court at the Kohl Center. The Badgers have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last five games on the road after playing their previous three games at home.

FINAL TAKE: The home team has covered the point spread in 8 of the last 11 meetings between these two teams. Look for Michigan State to play one of their best defensive games of the season after their loss to what now looks like a pretty good Northwestern team who followed up their upset win against Sparty with a road win at Indiana. 25* CBB Fox-TV Game of the Month with the Michigan State Spartans (752) minus the points versus the Wisconsin Badgers (751). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Miami Heat (578) minus the points versus the New Orleans Pelicans (577). THE SITUATION: Miami (0-1) looks to rebound from their 113-107 upset loss at Orlando on Wednesday as a 4.5-point favorite. New Orleans (1-0) looks to build off their 113-99 upset victory at Toronto as a 4-point  underdog on Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HEAT MINUS THE POINTS: The defending Eastern Conference champions were a bit flat in their 2020-21 season debut. They turned the ball over 22 times in a sloppy effort against the Magic. The spotlight of national television should help Miami tighten things up this afternoon. This team has been consistently good under head coach Erik Spoelstra after disappointing efforts. Miami has covered the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games after a loss to a Southeast Division rival — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after an upset loss to a divisional opponent. Additionally, the Heat have covered the point spread in 25 of their last 33 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 21 of their last 30 games after a narrow loss by 6 points or less. Additionally, Miami has covered the point spread in 16 of their last 21 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. And in their last 32 home games as a favorite, the Heat are 21-10-1 ATS. New Orleans may be due for a letdown in their first game under new head coach Stan Van Gundy as they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a double-digit win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a straight-up victory. The Pelicans have also failed to cover the point spread in 19 of their last 23 games on the road after an upset victory by at least 10 points. New Orleans has Zion Williamson but they traded away Jrue Holliday to Milwaukee while getting Eric Bledsoe. I am not sure why Van Gundy keeps getting jobs after doing nothing in his last tenure with Detroit. New Orleans has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: The Pelicans have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 10 trips to Miami to play the Heat. This is a nice early situation for us. 25* NBA ESPN Game of the Month with the Miami Heat (578) minus the points versus the New Orleans Pelicans (577). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Los Angeles Clippers (503) plus the points versus the Los Angeles Lakers (504). THE SITUATION: The Los Angeles Clippers (0-0) begin the new season happy to back in the Staples Center after things unraveled in the bubble when they lost to Denver in the Western Conference Semifinals in seven games. The Los Angeles Lakers (0-0) begin their reign as reigning NBA champions after they defeated Miami in the NBA Finals in six games.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CLIPPERS PLUS THE POINTS: LeBron James wanted a later start to the regular season after a long stint through the Finals in the bubble. I am expected James to slowly ease his way into this season with his eyes always on peaking physically and mentally for the postseason. James has also long held a mentality of taking a step back to allow his “supporting cast” to take more responsibility — and I suspect that will the case in big regular season games like this. The Lakers turned many of their players that lifted the championship trophy. Gone now are Rajon Rondo, Danny Green, Dwight Howard, JaVale McGee, and Dion Waiters along with Avery Bradley who opted-out of the bubble. General manager Rob Pelinka has probably upgraded the roster with Marc Gasol, Montrezl Harrell, Dennis Schroeder, and Wes Matthews joining the team. But chemistry is an issue in the short-term — and James will want to see how these players perform while also assessing if players like Kyle Kuzma can take the step to the next level. The Clippers struggled with chemistry issues and adjusting to the challenging circumstances living in the bubble this summer and fall — but don’t forget how good they were before the shutdown. The Clippers were 2nd in the league in Offensive Efficiency and 5th in the NBA in Defensive Efficiency. They lost Harrell along with Landry Shamet, JaMychal Green, and Joakim Noah from last year’s team — but they have made some nice additions. Serge Ibaka joins the team to take Harrell’s spot — his defense, 3-point shooting, and comfort in playing without the ball should help this team especially in crunch-time when Kawhi Leonard wants the basketball. The Clippers also signed an underrated 3-point shooter in Luke Kennard who should be a good fit with Leonard and Paul George. The Clippers also have a new head coach in Ty Lue who replaces Doc Rivers. Rivers probably took too much blame for the postseason failure last fall — but Lue is a player’s coach who should give this team a lift early on.

FINAL TAKE: While the Lakers are the technical home team, the Staples Center is the home for both teams so there is truly no advantage for either team. The Lakers have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games as a favorite. Lastly, the Clippers will have revenge on their minds after losing to the Lakers in the bubble on July 30th by a 103-101 score in the last meeting between these two teams. 10* NBA Tuesday Late Show Bailout with the Los Angeles Clippers (503) plus the points versus the Los Angeles Lakers (504). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Iowa Hawkeyes (680) minus the points versus the Purdue Boilermakers (679). THE SITUATION: Iowa (6-1) looks to bounce-back from their first loss of the season on a neutral court against Gonzaga by a 99-88 score as a 4-point underdog. Purdue (6-2) comes off an 88-78 win over Notre Dame on a neutral court as a 4.5-point favorite on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HAWKEYES MINUS THE POINTS: Iowa has rebounded to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 12 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 12 straight games are a point spread setback. The Hawkeyes allowed the Bulldogs to make 51.4% of their shots which was their worst defensive effort of the season. But Iowa has covered the point spread in 5 straight games after allowing at least 90 points in their last game. And the Hawkeyes made only 4 of their 22 shots from behind the arc against Gonzaga for a 18% shooting mark. They return home to Iowa City where they make 37.4% of their 3-pointers. Iowa is 19-5-2 ATS in their last 26 games at home — and they are 8-1-2 ATS in their last 11 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. The Hawkeyes are also 17-4-2 ATS in their last 23 home games as a favorite. And in their last 6 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%, Iowa has covered the point spread 5 times. Purdue is just 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games after a point spread win. The Boilermakers stay on the road where they are 2-2 away from home at their Mackey Center. Purdue is 4-10-2 ATS in their last 16 games on the road. Furthermore, the Boilermakers are 3-8-2 ATS in their last 13 games as an underdog — and they are 0-4-1 ATS in their last 5 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%.

FINAL TAKE: Iowa will also have revenge on their minds after they lost at home to Purdue last March 3rd by a 77-68 score despite being a 5-point favorite. Look for the Hawkeyes to avenge that loss with a decisive win. 20* CBB Blowout Bookie Buster with the Iowa Hawkeyes (680) minus the points versus the Purdue Boilermakers (679). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Austin Peay Governors (786) plus the points versus the Murray State Racers (785). THE SITUATION: Austin Peay (4-3) has lost two of their last three games after their 76-70 upset loss to Florida A&M as a 13-point favorite last Tuesday. Murray State (4-2) has won three of their last four games after their 90-49 win against Transylvania last Tuesday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GOVERNORS PLUS THE POINTS: Austin Peay should respond with a strong effort as they are 11-5-2 ATS in their last 18 games after a straight-up loss. That game with Florida A&M might have been their worst effort of the season. They only made 39.7% of their shots which was the second-lowest mark all season. They also allowed Florida A&M to make 55.6% of their shots which was the second-highest opponent’s field goal percentage they have surrendered all season. The Governors have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after allowing their last opponent to make at least 55% of their shots. This is a good team under head coach Matt Figger in his fourth year in the program. He had two players declare early for the NBA draft in the spring — but Terry Taylor and Jordyn Adams decided to return for their senior and sophomore seasons. Austin Peay was 21-12 with a 14-4 record in the Ohio Valley before the stoppage of play. They are 19-6-1 ATS in their last 26 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. Murray State may be due for a letdown as they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight games after a win by at least 20 points. The Racers have also failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games on the road after a double-digit win at home. Murray State has played only twice on the road where they have suffered both of their losses. The Racers returned three starters from the team that finished 15-3 in the Ohio Valley and 23-9 overall — but there is only one senior in their rotation. Murray State has failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games on the road as a favorite.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams already played once on December 8th when the Racers embarrassed the Governors on their home court by an 87-57 score. Austin Peay gets to avenge that loss on their home court tonight — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games when playing with revenge from a loss by at least 20 points. 25* CBB Monday ESPNU Game of the Month with the Austin Peay Governors (786) plus the points versus the Murray State Racers (785). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Duke Blue Devils (693) minus the points versus the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (694). THE SITUATION: Duke (2-2) has lost two of their last three games after their 83-68 upset loss to Illinois back on December 8th as a 3-point favorite. Notre Dame (2-2) has won two of their last three games after their 64-63 upset victory in Rupp Arena against Kentucky on Saturday as a 7.5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BLUE DEVILS MINUS THE POINTS: The college basketball observers who pontificate about point spreads think that the oddsmakers have installed Duke as a favorite only because of the reputation of head coach Mike Krzyzewski. Well, he has managed to lead his team to cover point spread expectations in 19 of their last 24 games after an upset loss by double-digits — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after an upset loss by at least 15 points. Additionally, his Blue Devils are 13-6-1 ATS in their last 20 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 25 of their last 37 games after a loss by at least 10 points. Now of the reasons why Krzyzewski's teams are so reliable after setbacks is the disappointment usually ensures a captive audience from the uber-talented roster he consistently assembles. Duke will be without their most naturally-talented player in Jalen Johnson after the freshman suffered a foot injury. And while this Duke team may lack the elite talent of some of his recent teams, there are still plenty of five-star players at his disposal — and this is one of his deepest teams over the last few seasons. The eight days off between games will help Coach K continue to work with his team in practice. He will fine-tune some issues on defense after the Illini shot 58.6% from the field which was the worst defensive performance of their season. This is the Blue Devils from game away from Cameron Indoor — but Duke has covered the point spread in 5 straight road games after playing at three straight games at home. The Blue Devils have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 road games with the Total set in the 140s. Notre Dame is riding high after their upset victory over another blue blood in Kentucky — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after an upset win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a win on the road. The Fighting Irish raced out to a 31-9 lead in the first ten minutes of the game before going into halftime with a 22-point lead. But Notre Dame was outscored by a deceive 54-33 margin in the final 30 minutes. And head coach Mike Brey’s teams at South Bend have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after leading by at least 15 points at halftime of their last game. The Irish return home where they have failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 16 games after not forcing more than 14 turnovers in at least four straight games. Notre Dame has not forced more than 12 turnovers in any of their four games — and they rank 315th in the nation by only turning the ball over in 13.6% of their opponent’s possessions. Furthermore, the Fighting Irish have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 home games as an underdog or pick ‘em.

FINAL TAKE: This Duke team — despite losses to Michigan State and Illinois — ranks 17th in the nation in both Adjusted Offensive Efficiency and Adjusted Defensive Efficiency according to Ken Pomeroy’s metrics. So take all the negative talk about how down this the Blue Devils team is with a grain or two of salt. Let’s trust KenPom and the oddsmakers’ judgment (and Coach K!). 25* CBB Wednesday ESPN Game of the Month with Duke Blue Devils (693) minus the points versus the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (694). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Illinois Fighting Illini (616) minus the points versus the Minnesota Golden Gophers (615). THE SITUATION: Illinois (4-2) has lost two of their last three games with their 81-78 upset loss at Missouri on Saturday as a 3.5-point favorite. Minnesota (6-0) remained unbeaten to start the season with their 90-61 win over UMKC last Thursday as a 17-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE ILLINI MINUS THE POINTS: Illinois bounced-back to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after an upset loss. Illinois has also covered the point spread in 14 of their last 19 games after a game on the road where both teams scored at least 75 points. This is a battle-tested team whose other loss is to the second-ranked team in the nation in Baylor — and all they did between their losses was crush Duke at Cameron Indoor Arena by an 83-68 score. The Illini have one of the best starting-fives in the nation led by a dynamic inside-out duo of Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn. Dosunmu was a preseason All-American who is scoring 24.8 PPG while adding 7.7 Rebounds-Per-game and 5.2 Assists-Per-Game. The 7’0 Cockburn is also an NBA talent who scored 13.3 PPG last season while pulling down 8.8 Assists-Per-Game. They return home to Champagne for only their fourth game on their home court this season — and they have covered the point spread in 30 of their last 42 home games when favored by 6.5 to 9 points. Minnesota is just 2-6-3 ATS in their last 12 games after a straight-up win — and they are 1-4-2 ATS in their last 7 games after a point spread loss. Now the Golden Gophers go on the road for the first time all season — and they gave failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 road games after playing their last three games at home. Minnesota has not been a great team on the road under head coach Richard Pitino. They have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 road games against teams with a winning record at home. The Golden Gophers have also failed to cover the point spread in 34 of their last 47 road games as an underdog in the 6.5 to 9 point range. This team was better than their 15-16 record last year. They certainly got a shot in the arm when Marcus Carr bypassed the NBA to return for his junior season. And Minnesota added two nice transfer players in center Liam Robbins from Drake and guard Both Gach from Utah. Yet this is an untested group whose overtime win last week at home against Boston College was their only game against a power-five conference opponent before tonight.

FINAL TAKE: This will be an angry Illini team after losing to Mizzou — and the Golden Gophers are 1-6-2 ATS in their last 9 games against teams who are winning at least 60% of their games. 25* CBB Tuesday ESPN2 Game of the Month with the Illinois Fighting Illini (616) minus the points versus the Minnesota Golden Gophers (615). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 5:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Providence Friars (609) plus the points versus the TCU Horned Frogs (610). THE SITUATION: Providence (3-2) has won two of their last three games after their 79-67 win over Fairleigh Dickinson last Saturday as a 20.5-point favorite. TCU (4-1) saw their four-game winning streak snapped on Sunday with their 82-72 loss to Oklahoma as a 4-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE FRIARS PLUS THE POINTS: The Friars made only 1 of their 10 shots from behind the arc — and they are making just 21% of their shots from 3-point land this season. The Regression Gods will be visiting this team to see more friendly bounces even if that means they creep into just the low-30s for the 3-point shooting percentages. Look for more passing from Ed Cooley’s team after they only had nine team assists on Saturday. Providence has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after not getting more than 9 assists in their last game. The Friars have also covered the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games after a straight-up win. They go on the road where they have covered the point spread in 25 of their last 37 games on the road as an underdog getting no more than 3 points. TCU has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after a straight-up loss — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a loss at home to a Big 12 rival. The Horned Frogs have also failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games after allowing at least 80 points in their last game. TCU stays at home where they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 home games when favored. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 21 of their last 31 games with the Total set in the 130s.

FINAL TAKE: Providence has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games against teams with a winning record. 10* CBB Providence-TCU ESPNU Special with the Providence Friars (609) plus the points versus the TCU Horned Frogs (610). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:30 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Duke Blue Devils (832) minus the points versus the Illinois Fighting Illini (831). THE SITUATION: Duke (2-1) looks to build off their 76-54 win over Bellermaine last Friday as a 31-point favorite. Illinois (3-1) suffered their first loss of the season last Wednesday in an 82-69 loss to Baylor as a 4.5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BLUE DEVILS MINUS THE POINTS: Duke has covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games at home after a game where they won as a favorite but did not cover the point spread. The Blue Devils have also covered the point spread in a decisive 50 of their last 78 home games after a win by at least 20 points. And while Duke has yet to cover the point spread this season, they have then covered the point spread in 11 of their last 13 home games after failing to cover the point spread in three straight games. The Blue Devils lost their top three scorers from last year and did not bring in a top-ten freshman recruit — but don’t feel too bad for head coach Mike Krzyzewski with “only” six of his freshmen class being five-star recruits. This may be the most balanced and deep Duke team in years. And Krzyzewski has the teaching benefit of being able to coach off their loss to Michigan State last week. The Blue Devils have the situational edge with this being their fourth straight game at home in Cameron Indoor Arena — and they have covered the point spread 7 straight games after playing their last three games at home as a favorite. Duke has also covered the point spread in 5 straight home games against teams with a losing record on the road. Illinois may be rusty after last playing a week ago — they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games when playing with five or six days of rest. Many are high on this Illini team that returned all five starters from the team last year that was 21-10. Head coach Brad Underwood has one of the best inside-out duos in the nation in guard Ayo Dosunmu and center Kofi Cockburn. But the cart may be in front of the horse for this team just a little bit right now — this team would have really benefited from the experience of the NCAA Tournament last season. Their 13-point loss to Baylor was their 5th straight failure to cover the point spread against a team with a winning percentage over 60%. This team only beat Ohio in their previous game by 2 points despite being a 16-point favorite. Now they go on the road to play in their first true road game — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 road games against teams with a winning record at home. The Illini have also failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 road games as an underdog. One of the biggest early weaknesses of this Duke team is that they are turning the ball over in 23.3% of their possessions which is 231st in the nation. Yet Illinois only forces turnovers in just 14.2% of their opponent’s possessions which is 276th in the country.

FINAL TAKE: Illini has a great starting five — but their bench is a question mark after that. Duke is steadily improving — and they have a good bench. Illinois has size — but the Blue Devils will space the floor and use tempo to counter that Illini edge. 10* CBB Tuesday Late Show Bailout with Duke Blue Devils (832) minus the points versus the Illinois Fighting Illini (831). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 4:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the North Carolina Tar Heels (716) plus (or minus) the points versus Texas (715) in the finals of the Maui Invitational in Asheville, North Carolina. THE SITUATION: North Carolina (3-0) reached the finals of the Maui Invitational yesterday with their 67-63 win over Stanford as a 4-point favorite. Texas (3-0) joined them in the finals with their 66-44 upset victory over Indiana as a +2.5-point underdog. This game is being played on a neutral court in Asheville.

REASONS TO TAKE THE TAR HEELS PLUS (OR MINUS) THE POINTS: Look for a big emotional letdown from the Longhorns after their easy win over the Hoosiers. Texas has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a win by at least 20 points. Shaka Smart’s team deserves some credit for their defensive effort as they held Indiana to just 23.9% shooting. But Indiana could not hit the side of the barn yesterday — and they deserve blame for their inability to make shots. The Longhorns limited the Hoosiers to only 6 offensive rebounds after holding Davidson to just 3 offensive rebounds in their last game. But Texas has then failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games after not allowing more than 9 offensive rebounds in two straight games. Now here comes the size of another Roy Williams team at North Carolina that is 7th in the nation by pulling down 44.5% of their missed shots. This is a young team for Williams this season — but this tournament is providing him an opportunity to teach in a concentrated setting. His teams have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games when playing with one day or less of rest. Additionally, North Carolina is 9-4-1 ATS in their last 14 games against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: The Tar Heels are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 games when playing on a neutral court. While the Longhorns are talented, so is this North Carolina team — and their style of play of crashing the glass for second-chance scoring opportunities is a consistent formula to get baskets when playing in tournaments like this. 25* CBB Maui Invitational Game of the Year with the  North Carolina Tar Heels (716) plus (or minus) the points versus Texas (715). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 1:30 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Indiana Hoosiers (713) plus the points versus the Stanford Cardinal (714). THE SITUATION: Indiana (2-1) lost their Semifinals game with Texas yesterday in the Maui Invitational in a 66-44 upset loss to Texas as a 2.5-point favorite. Stanford (1-1) lost a nail biter against North Carolina in this tournament yesterday by a 67-63 score as a 4-point underdog. This game will be played on a neutral court in Asheville.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HOOSIERS PLUS THE POINTS: Indiana was feeling very good about themselves after blowing out Providence by a 79-58 score in the opening game of this tournament. But they could not hit the side of a barn yesterday as they made only 23.9% of their shots from the field. That was the worst shooting effort for an Indiana team in the last ten years. But the Hoosiers have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after failing to make at least 28% of their shots in their last game. They also have covered the point spread in 4 straight games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 5 straight games after a point spread setback. Stanford has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a straight-up loss — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games after a narrow loss by 6 points or less. Additionally, the Cardinal has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games played on a neutral court as a favorite — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 18 games on a neutral court with the total set in the 130 to 134.5 point range.

FINAL TAKE: Stanford feels pretty good about their narrow loss to the Tar Heels — but the Hoosiers have plenty to prove in this game for 3rd place in this tournament. The oddsmakers opened this game with Indiana a small favorite — but the steam has been fading their awful shooting performance yesterday. I suspect the Regression Gods will appear this afternoon to help the Hoosiers make some baskets. 10* CBB Indiana-Stanford ESPN Special with the Indiana Hoosiers (713) plus the points versus the Stanford Cardinal (714). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:30 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Kentucky Wildcats (627) plus the points versus the Kansas Jayhawks (628). THE SITUATION: Kentucky (1-1) looks to bounce back from a 76-64 loss at home to Richmond as a 6.5-point favorite on Sunday. Kansas (1-1) rebounded from their loss to Gonzaga to open the season with a 94-72 thrashing of Saint Joseph’s last Friday as a 20.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE WILDCATS PLUS THE POINTS: Kentucky opened as a small favorite in this game because of their net edge in raw talent — but the market has been all over Kansas of this one. This sets up a nice strong contrarian play with the opportunity to take the better talent as a dog getting four or so points. The Wildcats certainly looked vulnerable against a veteran and savvy Spiders team — but that offered head coach John Calipari some outstanding teaching moments for his young team. I expect a much better effort from this Kentucky team that has four freshmen in their starting lineup. In Calipari I will trust — his teams have covered the point spread in 4 straight games after a straight-up loss and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a loss at home. The Wildcats have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a point spread setback. Kentucky managed only five assists on Sunday which is certainly an issue that Calipari will address in sharing the basketball better. The Wildcats have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after not registering at least nine assists in their last game. Kentucky did lose their top six scorers from last season — and Keion Brooks is injured for this game after being the team’s only regular returning player from last season. But Calipari also brought in a couple of veteran transfers in seven-footer Olivier Sarr who was a third-team All-ACC player for Wake Forest last season along with Davion Mintz who scored 9.7 PPG for Creighton two years ago. Kansas will be at a size disadvantage in this game as they were against Gonzaga who shot 64.5% against them while retaining a +9 rebound edge against the Jayhawks. Kansas may be due for a letdown as they have failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 19 games after a win by at least 15 points — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after a win by at least 20 points. This Kansas team was poised to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament last year — but they lost their top two players from that team in Devon Dotson and Udoka Azubuike who accounted for 31.8 PPG. This Jayhawks team lacks a go-to scorer. And while this remains a very good team, the elite talent that Bill Self has been able to attract in the past is starting to thin out given the toll of years of NCAA investigations. Gonzaga simply outclassed them — so much so, that some experts are describing that Bulldogs team as one of the best collegiate teams in the last ten years. Maybe … but they have played two games together, so let’s not overreact.

FINAL TAKE: Kansas may win this game — but Calipari will have his team ready to play their best game of the season.  The Wildcats have covered the point spread in 37 of their last 56 games on a neutral court with the Total set in the 140s — and the Jayhawks have failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 23 games with the over/under in the 140 to 149.5 point range. 25* CBB Champions Classic Game of the Year with the Kentucky Wildcats (627) plus the points versus the Kansas Jayhawks (628). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Mississippi State Bulldogs (872) minus the points versus the Texas State Bobcats (871). THE SITUATION: Mississippi State (0-2) remained winless this season after losing to Liberty on a neutral court in Melbourne, Florida last Thursday as a 4.5-point favorite. Texas State (2-0) remained unbeaten after their 75-63 win over Texas A&M Corpus Christi yesterday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BULLDOGS MINUS THE POINTS: Mississippi State needs a win after losing both their games in Florida last week — they also lost to a solid Clemson team. The Bulldogs have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games after a straight-up loss. They have also covered the point spread in 17 of their 22 games after a double-digit loss under head coach Ben Howland. And while they did not cover the point spread in either of those games, they have then covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after not covering the point spread in two straight games. Rowland led a team that won their third-straight 20-win season last year but the decision of sophomore Robert Woodard to go pro left this team in rebuilding mode. This is a sophomore-laden group with talent that should continue to improve. Tolu Smith, a 6’10 sophomore transfer from Western Kentucky, has averaged 16.0 PPG while adding 9.5 Rebounds-Per-Game. Sophomore guard D.J. Stewart has added 16.0 PPG along with 3.0 Assists-Per-Game. This young team should benefit from the weekend of practice under Howland after their initial two games in Florida. Mississippi State has covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games at home — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 home games when favored by 6.5 to 9 points. Additionally, the Bulldogs have covered the point spread in 40 of their last 61 home games with the Total listed in the 135 to 139.5 point range. Mississippi State has also covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. Texas State faces a challenging travel day playing without rest — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games when playing their second game in three days. Additionally, the Bobcats have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 15 games after a win on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games after a point spread win. This will be this team’s toughest test of the season after opening their season with a win against the private schoool University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. Texas State has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games on the road.

FINAL TAKE: In addition to the situational edge the Bulldogs have for this game having been at home all weekend before hosting this game, they also have a big edge in coaching. Terrence Johnson is the Bobcats’ interim head coach after Danny Kaspar was let go in September after the revelation of several racially-charged comments to his team over the years. No offense to Johnson, but Howland has a significant experience edge who has had extra preparation time for this game — and he needs the win. 25* College Basketball Game of the Month with the Mississippi State Bulldogs (872) minus the points versus the Texas State Bobcats (871). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the South Florida Bulls (822) plus the points versus the Virginia Tech Hokies (821). THE SITUATION: South Florida (2-0) looks to bounce back from an 84-68 loss to Rhode Island as a 1.5-point underdog on Saturday. Virginia Tech (2-0) comes off a triumphant 81-73 upset victory over Villanova as a 9-point underdog yesterday. This game will be played on a neutral court at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BULLS PLUS THE POINTS: I expect a big emotional letdown from the Hokies after pulling off the big upset over a top-five ranked team in the nation. Virginia Tech pulled a similar upset against Michigan State last year on a neutral court as well. They followed up that game flat for their next three games with a 27-point loss on a neutral court to Dayton followed by a 13-point loss on a neutral court against BYU and then a 14-point loss at home against Duke. As it is, the Hokies have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a point spread victory. Additionally, Virginia Tech has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games as a favorite. South Florida should respond with a strong effort as they are 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 games after a point spread win. The Bulls were a young team that finished 14-17 for head coach Brian Gregory — and they were without then-sophomore Alexis Yetna who was out the season with an injury. Yetna was the American Athletic Conference Freshmen of the Year two years ago with a 12.3 PPG scoring average along with a 9.6 Rebounds-Per-Game mark. Yetna is back with this team. South Florida is 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 games against teams with a winning record — and they are 5-2-1 ATS in their last 8 games as a dog.

FINAL TAKE: The Bulls have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games played on a neutral court. Look for them to catch a flat Hokies team in what should be a close game. 10* CBB Sunday Late Show Bailout with the South Florida Bulls (822) plus the points versus the Virginia Tech Hokies (821). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:30 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Kansas State Wildcats (158) plus the points versus the Colorado Buffaloes (157). THE SITUATION: Kansas State (0-1) looks to rebound from an 80-70 loss at home to Drake as a 4.5-point favorite on Wednesday. Colorado (1-0) won their opening game of the season with their 84-61 thumping of South Dakota on Wednesday in Manhattan.

REASONS TO TAKE THE WILDCATS PLUS THE POINTS: Bettors and pundits are down on Kansas State right now with them returning only contributors from the group that was just 11-22 last season. The Wildcats have also been hit with COVID cases which has limited their ability to practice. Expect this team to get plenty out of their game and subsequent practices under head coach Bruce Weber after their loss on Wednesday. Kansas State has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a double-digit loss at home. They also have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games when playing with just one day of rest. Weber has brought in eight newcomers on the roster. He should get the most out of his roster. The Wildcats have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games as an underdog — and they have covered the point spread in 16 of their last 24 home games as an underdog getting 3.5 to 6 points. Colorado has failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a point spread victory. Additionally, the Buffaloes have failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 19 road games after earning a win on the road. Head coach Tad Boyle has three starters back from the group that finished 21-11 last season. But Boyle’s teams have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 road games against teams with a winning percentage of 40% or less at home — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 20 road games as a favorite.

FINAL TAKE: Kansas State has covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% — and Colorado has failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games against teams with a losing record. Look for the Wildcats to play much better with a game under their belts. 10* CBB Friday Late Show Bailout with Kansas State Wildcats (158) plus the points versus the Colorado Buffaloes (157). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:37 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Los Angeles Lakers (961) minus the points versus the Miami Heat (962) in Game Six of the NBA Finals. THE SITUATION: Los Angeles (67-24) blew their first opportunity to hoist the championship trophy on Friday with their 111-108 upset loss at home to the Heat as a 5.5-point favorite. Miami (58-35) still trails by a 3-2 mark in this series. This game will be played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE LAKERS MINUS THE POINTS: Los Angeles has lost four times in this postseason — and they have responded by winning their next game by an average winning margin of +10.75 PPG. This is Lebron James' time to step up. He was great on Friday with his 40 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals. Jimmy Butler countered with a great game of his own where he scored 35 points — but he logged in 47:12 minutes in that game and look exhausting limping off the interview table after the game. Remember, after his Herculean Game Three effort, he managed only 22 points in Game Four. And he had the benefit of two days of rest to conjure up the energy for Friday night’s effort. James is more consistent from night-to-night — even if he needs to amp up his effort if Anthony Davis is limited due to the heel injury he was dealing with at the end of Game Four. The other consistent element of this series is the Lakers’ owning the glass. Los Angeles has outrebounded the Heat by seven boards in each of their last three games — and they have then covered the point spread in 10 of their last 16 games after outrebounding their last three opponents by at least +5.0 RPG. Miami has failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games after an upset win. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 13 games after being outrebounded by at least five rebounds in three straight games. The Heat nailed 14 of their 33 shots (42.4%) from behind the arc on Friday but regression back to their 36.2% mark from 3-point land in this series is likely for tonight. Miami got another unlikely performance from a role player on Friday when Duncan Robinson scored 26 points while making 7 of his 13 shots from downtown. The Heat have also received unlikely performances from Kendrick Nunn and Kelly Olynyk in this series. How long can this last? The moment they don’t get a big effort from an unlikely will then likely spell the end of their season.

FINAL TAKE: Los Angeles has covered the point spread in 42 of their last 65 games on the road when playing with revenge from a same-season loss. 10* NBA LA Lakers-Miami ABC-TV Special with the Los Angeles Lakers (961) minus the points versus the Miami Heat (962). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Miami Heat (709) plus the points versus the Los Angeles Lakers (710) in Game Five of the NBA Finals. THE SITUATION: Miami (57-35) looks to rebound from their 102-96 loss to the Lakers on Tuesday as a 7.5-point underdog. Los Angeles (67-23) has the opportunity to win the NBA championship tonight with their 3-1 lead in this series. This game will be played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HEAT PLUS THE POINTS: Miami has been resilient throughout the postseason — they should respond with a strong effort tonight. The Heat are 36-14-1 ATS in their last 51 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games after a loss by 6 points or less. Miami has also covered the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games after a point spread victory. Bam Adebayo was able to play over 33 minutes on Tuesday — and the extra day of rest should help him play even longer tonight. The second additional day of rest should also help Jimmy Butler who has logged-in at least 43 minutes of play in the last three games in this series. The Heat have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games when playing with two days of rest — and they have covered the point spread in 18 of their last 27 games when playing just their second game in five days. Miami shot just 42.7% from the field in Game Four which was tied for their lowest field goal percentage in their last fourteen games. That game finished well below the 214.5 point total — but the Heat have covered the point spread in 22 of their last 34 games after playing a game that finished Under the Total. They also have covered the point spread in 16 of their last 25 games after losing two of their last three games — and they have covered the point spread in 27 of their last 44 games with the Total set in the 210 to 219.5 point range. Los Angeles is just 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 games after a point spread loss. The Lakers have also failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 15 games away from home against Eastern Conference opponents.

FINAL TAKE: Los Angeles probably wins the championship tonight — but their confidence to be able to flip the switch when they need to will probably keep this game close. Miami has covered the point spread in 11 of their last 17 games when playing with revenge from a same-season loss. 10* NBA Friday Daily Discounted Deal with the Miami Heat (709) plus the points versus the Los Angeles Lakers (710). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Los Angeles Lakers (707) minus the points versus the Miami Heat (708) in Game Four of the NBA Finals. THE SITUATION: Los Angeles (66-23) lost their first game in the NBA Finals on Sunday with their 115-104 upset loss as a 9-point favorite. Miami (57-34) still trails by a 2-1 margin in this series. This game will be played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE LAKERS MINUS THE POINTS: Los Angeles has responded with victories in all three of their postseason losses this year — and their average winning margin in those games is+13 Points-Per-Game. They have also covered the point spread in all 3 games this season when they lost by double-digits as a favorite laying at least 6 points. The Lakers were flat in Game Three. They shot just 43% from the field which was their lowest field goal percentage in their last twelve games. They allowed the Heat to make 51.2% of their shots which was the worst defensive performance in their last five games. After committing only ten turnovers in Game Two, LA turned the ball over ten times in just the 1st quarter in Game Three en route to 20 turnovers for the game. Anthony Davis was slowed by committing three personal fouls in the first half. He only played 33 minutes and scored only 15 minutes after scoring at least 32 points in the first two games of this series. Davis was simply not very active on Sunday as he attempted only nine shots despite the Heat lacking credible defenders inside the paint given the injury to Bam Adebayo. Davis has failed to score at least 20 points only sixteen times this season. After a lackluster Game Three in the Western Conference Finals against Denver, Davis was spectacular in the next two games averaging 30.5 PPG. The Lakers should also score more points in transition in this game. After netting +6.1 points per 100 possession clip in transition in Game One and +1.1 points per 100 possession mark in transition in Game Two, LA had -1.4 points per 100 possession rating in Game Three. They had adequate transition scoring chances that represented 12.1% of their possessions on Sunday, but they only scored at 90.9 points per 100 possession rate. The Lakers entered this series averaging 23.3 points per game via transitions which was tops in the NBA playoffs with 18.5% of their possessions coming from transition. Los Angeles’ loss snapped a four-game winning streak — but they have still won 22 of their last 29 games after winning three of their last four games. They also have won 23 of their last 34 games after winning four of their last five contests. The Lakers are still dominating Miami on the boards. Their 50-43 advantage on the boards in Game Three was the narrowest that margin has so far been in this series. Los Angeles has covered the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games after outrebounding their last three opponents by at least five boards — and this includes them covering the point spread in four of these last five situations. Miami played their best defensive game in their last nine contests by holding LA to 43% shooting. They received a superhuman effort from Jimmy Butler who scored 40 points with 13 assists and 11 rebounds in his first career triple-double in the playoffs. This was the second-best Game Score registered by Basketball-Reference in the playoffs since 1984 which is how far back they can measure that metric. After logging in 45 minutes to carry his team to victory, it is highly unlikely that Butler can come close to replicating that performance. Butler made 14 of his 20 shots on Sunday — but he made only 45.1% of his shots from the field during the regular season. And Butler has scored more than 30 points in nine of his 44 playoff games since he became an All-Star in 2015 — so it was a relatively rare occurrence. As it is, the Heat have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games after a double-digit win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 18 games after a double-digit victory as an underdog. Miami has also failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 27 games on the road after scoring at least 115 points. The Heat were without the injured Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic on Sunday which made Butler’s effort even more spectacular. Dragic will probably not play in this series but Adebayo has been upgraded to questionable for tonight’s game with his neck injury. He wanted to play on Sunday but was not cleared by the Miami medical staff. Even if he does take the court, it remains questionable how effective he can be (as we learned, unfortunately, last night with both Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley not being effective playing with injuries despite participating in practices at the end of the week).

FINAL TAKE: The Lakers have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 21 games when playing with revenge from an upset loss — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games when playing with revenge from an upset loss were they were favored by at least 7 points. Look for LA to come out with similar intensity as they did in Game One of this series which they won by 18 points. 25* NBA Game of the Year with the Los Angeles Lakers (707) minus the points versus the Miami Heat (708). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Miami Heat (701) plus the points versus the Los Angeles Lakers (702) in Game One of the NBA Finals. THE SITUATION: Miami (56-32) has won two of their last three games to take care of the Boston Celtics in six games after their 125-113 upset win as a 3-point underdog on Sunday. Los Angeles (64-22) has won eight of their last nine games with their 117-107 win over Denver in Game Five of their series with the Nuggets on Saturday. This game will be played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HEAT PLUS THE POINTS: Miami still seems to be undervalued by the betting public despite them owning the Lakers’ same 12-3 record in the postseason. The Heat have not trailed nor been tied in a playoff series (after Game One) in these playoffs. They should build off the momentum built from dispatching of the Celtics as they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after a point spread win. Additionally, Miami has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games when playing with two days of rest — and they have covered the point spread in 18 of their last 26 games when playing their second game in five days. Los Angeles nailed 54.5% of their shots on Saturday to close out their series with the Nuggets in what was the best shooting effort in their last seven games. The Lakers also held Denver to just 42.2% shooting which was the best defensive effort in their last five contests. But I worry about rust for this team now — they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games when playing with at least three days of rest. Furthermore, Los Angeles has failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games away from home against Eastern Conference opponents. Additionally, LeBron James’ teams have a history of starting slowly in new series — especially in the NBA Finals. James’ teams have lost eight of their nine Game Ones in the NBA Finals while failing to cover the point spread in 7 of these 8 Game Ones.

FINAL TAKE: The Lakers won both meetings between these two teams in the regular season with the last battle being Miami on December 13th where they won by a 113-110 score as a 5.5-point favorite. Miami has then covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games on the road when playing with revenge. 10* NBA Miami-LA Lakers ABC-TV Special with the Miami Heat (701) plus the points versus the Los Angeles Lakers (702). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Denver Nuggets (711) plus the points versus the Los Angeles Lakers (712) in Game Five of the Western Conference Finals. THE SITUATION: Denver (55-26) once again finds themselves on the brink of elimination after losing to the Lakers on Thursday by a 114-108 score as a 6-point favorite. Los Angeles (63-22) now has a 3-1 lead in this series. This game will be played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE NUGGETS PLUS THE POINTS: Finally, Denver has found their comfort zone again trailing by a 3-1 deficit and staring straight into the abyss. The Nuggets rallied from a 3-1 deficit to defeat both the Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Clippers so there will not be any lack of resolve or confidence from this team tonight. Getting some help from the referees will help after the Lakers got to the charity stripe 35 times on Thursday. Los Angeles 28 made free throws were five more than the total attempts that Denver got in that game — and while they made 20 of their free-throw opportunities, losing those eight points was the difference in the game. The Nuggets have rebounded to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a straight-up loss. Denver has also covered the point spread in 4 straight Game 5s in the playoffs. Additionally, the Nuggets have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 12 playoff games when trailing in the series — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 playoff games when facing elimination. Los Angeles lost Game Three of this series in large part because they got complacent with their two-game lead — that is a factor again tonight. The last two games in this series have finished Over the Total — and the Lakers have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 20 road games after playing their last two games Over the Total. Furthermore, LA has failed to cover the point spread in 21 of their last 32 games away from home when playing their third game in five days — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 road games when playing their fourth game in seven days. And while the Lakers have allowed the Nuggets to make at least 47.3% of their shots in three straight games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after allowing their last three opponents to make at least 47% of their shots.

FINAL TAKE: Denver has covered the point spread in 20 of their last 32 games when playing with revenge. Anthony Davis injured his ankle on Thursday as well —  and it may slow him down 48 hours later due to the swelling. 10* NBA Saturday Daily Discounted Deal with the Denver Nuggets (711) plus the points versus the Los Angeles Lakers (712). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:30 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Boston Celtics (716) minus the points versus the Miami Heat (715) in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Finals. THE SITUATION: Boston (57-30) hopes to stave off elimination tonight after getting upset in Game Four of this series to the Heat on Wednesday by a 112-109 score as a 3.5-point favorite. Miami now owns a 3-1 lead in this series. This game will be played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CELTICS MINUS THE POINTS: Complacency has been the hobgoblin for this Boston team in this series. The Celtics are too often letting up in their intensity and focus. After falling behind by a 2-0 margin, they got Gordon Hayward back in Game Three who helped them with that game by a comfortable 117-106 score. And while many pundits commented on how Hayward was a series-changer with him being the right piece to counter the Miami zone defense, I worried about Boston’s determination after avoiding a disastrous 0-3 start to the series. And the Celtics came out flat on Wednesday. Jayson Tatum scored zero points while failing to get to the free-throw line even once in the first twenty-four minutes of the game. Boston went into the locker room at halftime trailing by a 50-44 score — this was their first deficit at halftime since the opening round of these playoffs. If head coach Brad Stevens is going to accomplish just one thing tonight, it will be to get his team to come out with more fire. The Celtics are still outscoring Miami by +19 points in the 1st quarter of this series. Boston has also covered the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games away from home after an upset loss. Additionally, the Celtics are 5-2-1 ATS in their last 8 games after a straight-up loss — and they are 7-1-1 ATS in their last 9 games after a point spread setback. And while Game Four finished above the 212 point Total, Boston has then covered the point spread in 18 of their last 26 games away from after a game that finished Over the Total. The Celtics are outshooting and outrebounding the Heat in this series while also shooting better from behind the arc. The reason why both these teams have each scored exactly 441 points in this series is that Boston is turning the ball over which is giving Miami additional scoring chances. The Celtics are averaging 16.0 turnovers per game while coughing the ball up in 16.4% of their possessions in this series. The Heat are averaging only 11.3 turnovers per game which is helping them take 6 more shots per game than Boston. That’s the series. Only Cleveland had a worse turnover percentage during the regular season. Stevens should be able to impart the importance of Boston paying more attention to protecting the basketball. The Celtics turned the ball over in just 13.6% of their possessions in the regular season. And Boston is scoring at a healthy 114.6 points per possession rate in this series when not turning the ball over. Hayward’s ability to knock down 3s to break the Miami zone defense still exists — the Celtics were +4.9 points per possession better with Hayward on the floor during the regular season. Boston has lost and failed to cover the point spread in four of their last six games. But the Celtics have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 16 games away from home after losing four or five of their last six games — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after failing to cover the point spread in four or five of their last six contests. Miami has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after an upset victory. And while the last two games have finished Over the Total, the Heat have then failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 26 games away from home after playing two straight Overs. Miami received a stellar effort from Tyler Herro who scored 37 points on Wednesday — and while I have appreciated that the former Kentucky Wildcat is emerging as a star, he is unlikely to replicate that performance tonight. The Heat also have an issue with Bam Adebayo not being at 100% with a wrist injury. While it looks like he will play, it is unclear how productive he can be.

FINAL TAKE: Boston has covered the point spread in 13 of their last 18 games away from home when avenging an upset loss. 25* NBA Friday ESPN Game of the Year with the Boston Celtics (716) minus the points versus the Miami Heat (715). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Los Angeles Lakers (709) minus the points versus the Denver Nuggets (710) in Game Four of the Western Conference Finals. THE SITUATION: Los Angeles (62-22) lost their first game in their last seven playoff contests with their 114-106 upset loss to the Nuggets on Tuesday as a 5.5-point favorite. Denver (55-35) now trails in this series by a 2-1 margin. This game will be played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE LAKERS MINUS THE POINTS: Los Angeles slacked with their effort on defense on Tuesday as they allowed the Nuggets to shoot 54.8% from the field which was the worst defensive effort in their last thirteen games. After allowing Denver to score 93 points after the first three quarters, the Lakers tightened things up to limit the Nuggets to just 21 points in the final twelve minutes. LA was also out-rebounded by a 45 to 25 margin while pulling down an embarrassingly sparse four offensive boards. Anthony Davis did not bother to notch his first offensive rebound until the 4th quarter. This team has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after being out-rebounded by at least ten boards in their last game. The Lakers’ effort was not as high as it has been in their six-game winning streak. But LeBron James and company should respond with a strong performance tonight as they have covered the point spread in 20 of their last 27 games after winning three of their last four games — and they have covered the point spread in 21 of their last 31 games after winning four of their last five games. The offensive prowess of this team has been consistent as they have shot at least 50% from the field in nine of their last eleven playoff games. Nine of their last ten playoff wins this postseason have been by more than 6 points — so when the Lakers win, they are also covering point spread expectations. And then there is James. In his career, James has seen his team take a 2-0 lead in the playoffs twenty-three times. It has been just eight times when James’ team then lost Game Three up 2-0 in the series. Only once in Game Four did James and his teammates then respond with a straight-up victory to seize the commanding 3-1 series lead. Denver has covered the point spread in the last two games in this series — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 17 games after covering the point spread in two straight games. The Nuggets have also failed to cover the point spread in 37 of their last 61 games away from home after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 32 of their last 52 games away from home after a point spread win. Denver played one of their best games in the postseason Jamal Murray scoring 28 points with 12 rebounds and 12 assists while Nikola Jokic added 22 points along with 10 boards. And Jeramy Grant played perhaps his best playoff game ever with 26 points while outplaying a listless Anthony Davis. The Nuggets’ 54.8% shooting percentage was the mark in their last eleven games — and they have made at least 47.3% of their shots in six straight games. But Denver may be due for a letdown as they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after making at least 47% of their shots in five straight games.

FINAL TAKE: The Lakers have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 21 games when playing with revenge from an upset loss. 25* NBA Thursday TNT Game of the Year with the Los Angeles Lakers (709) minus the points versus the Denver Nuggets. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:30 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Miami Heat (714) plus the points versus the Boston Celtics (713) in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals. THE SITUATION: Miami (54-31) looks to bounce-back from their 117-106 loss to the Heat on Saturday as a 3.5-point underdog. Boston (57-29) still trails by a 2-1 margin in this series. This game will be played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HEAT PLUS THE POINTS: The Heat had their worst shooting game in their last twelve contests by making only 38.8% of their shots on Monday. After making 44% of their 3-pointers in Game One of this series and then 33% of their shots from downtown in Game Two, Miami made just 27% of their 44 shots from behind the arc. The Heat should shoot better tonight — they have rebounded to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 15 games after a double-digit loss. The Heat have also covered the point spread in 24 of their last 32 games after a straight-up setback — and they are a decisive 33-16-2 ATS in their last 51 games after a point spread loss. And the extra rest for this game should help Miami in this spot as they have covered the point spread in 40 of their last 58 games when playing with at least three days of rest including twelve of these last fifteen situations. Look for Jimmy Butler to step up tonight after averaging only 17.0 PPG so far in this series which is below the scoring averages of Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic. Boston tied their lowest defensive field goal percentage in their last nine games by holding the Heat to just 38.8% shooting. The Celtics have also failed to cover the point spread in 3 of their last 4 playoff games when trailing in the series — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 fourth games in a playoff series.

FINAL TAKE: Miami has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 13 games when playing with revenge from a same-season loss. I think this is the game where Jimmy Butler steps up. Expect a coin-flip game where the value will be with having the underdog’s points for some insurance. 10* NBA Wednesday Daily Discounted Deal with the Miami Heat (714) plus the points versus the Boston Celtics (713). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Denver Nuggets (708) plus the points versus the Los Angeles Lakers (707) in Game Three of the Western Conference Finals. THE SITUATION: Denver (54-35) lost Game Two in this series in heartbreaking fashion with Anthony Davis nailing a buzzer-beating 3-pointers to lead the Lakers to a 105-103 victory on Sunday as a 5.5-point favorite. Los Angeles (62-21) has now won six games in a row. This game is being played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE NUGGETS PLUS THE POINTS: Denver should respond with a strong effort tonight as they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a straight-up win — and they are 5-2-1 ATS in their last 8 games after a point spread victory. An encouraging aspect that the Nuggets can take from Game Two of this series was their improved play on defense in the final 24 minutes of that game. Denver limited the Lakers to just 45 points in the second half while limiting them to scoring at just a 0.95 Points-Per-Possession rate. Los Angeles missed 15 of their 21 shots from behind that arc in the second half. The Nuggets face a daunting 0-2 deficit in this series but they have covered the point spread in 23 of their last 33 games after losing two games in a row. Los Angeles has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a point spread loss. And while that was the first point spread loss in the Lakers’ last five games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 19 of their last 32 games after covering the point spread in four of their last five games. The canary in the coal mine for this game may have been LeBron James’ performance in the second half where he made only 2 of 9 shots for just 6 points. Not degrading James’ greatness at all — but he does sometimes take a step back to preserve energy while putting the onus on his “supporting cast.”

FINAL TAKE: The Lakers have won all four of their meetings with the Nuggets in 2020. Denver has covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games when playing with double-revenge — and they have covered the point spread in 5 straight games when motivated by triple revenge. 10* NBA Tuesday Daily Discounted Deal with the Denver Nuggets (708) plus the points versus the Los Angeles Lakers (707). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Boston Celtics (703) minus the points versus the Miami Heat (704) in Game Three of their Eastern Conference Finals series. THE SITUATION: Boston (56-29) has now lost five of their last seven games after their 106-101 upset loss on Thursday to the Heat despite being a 2.5-point favorite. Miami (54-30) has won ten of their last eleven games as they have taken a 2-0 lead in this series. This game will be played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CELTICS MINUS THE POINTS: Boston had a 17-point lead in the 2nd quarter — so Game Two of this series was the second time that the Celtics were upset after holding a double-digit lead. The Celtics had a 14-point lead in Game One before losing that game by a 117-114 score in overtime. Boston could easily be the team that is up 2-0 in this series. No wonder there were reports after that game of Celtics’ players yelling at each other. If Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown got heated with each other, I take that is a good sign for this team — I would worry more if a group was ho-hum about finding themselves down 0-2 in the Conference Finals. Look for Boston to respond with their best (and most complete) effort in this series. The Celtics have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 15 games are an upset loss. Additionally, Boston has covered the point spread in 13 of their last 16 games on the road after a straight-up loss — and they are 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 games after a point spread setback. The Celtics have also only covered the point spread in two of their last six games — but not only have they covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after losing five of their last seven games but they have also covered the point spread in a decisive 30 of their last 46 games after failing to cover the point spread in four or five of their last six games. Boston has also covered the point spread in 46 of their last 71 games after losing two straight games by 6 points or less. There are answers for head coach Brad Stevens. The Celtics have struggled against the Heat’s 2-3 zone defense — but there are areas on the floor that can be exposed with that scheme. Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra has been using his one of his smaller players on the court playing in the back-three in that zone to allow Jimmy Butler to play up-top to better utilize his ball-hawking skills. However, Stevens should be able to get Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown down low on the wing to take advantage of the height edge they should have. Getting Gordon Hayward back would make a big difference for this team as well — and he has been upgraded to questionable for this game after being out with an ankle injury. Yet simply being more careful with the basketball will make enough of a difference for the Celtics after losing two close games. Boston committed 20 turnovers which accounted for a whopping 21.5% of their possessions on Thursday. Cleaning this part of their game up should lead them to a victory tonight — and perhaps the feisty locker room “discussion” this team had after the game sufficiently addressed this issue. The Celtics turned the ball over in just 13.6% of their possessions during the regular season which was 6th best in the NBA. Miami has been sensational in these playoffs — but they may be due for an emotional letdown. The Heat have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after pulling off an upset victory. Miami has also failed to cover the point spread in 3 straight games after winning two straight games by 6 points or less.

FINAL TAKE: Boston has lost their last three games to the Heat after losing to them in the bubble before the playoffs started. The Celtics have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 17 games when playing with double-revenge — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games when playing with triple-revenge. 25* NBA Eastern Conference Game of the Year with the Boston Celtics (703) minus the points versus the Miami Heat (704). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Boston Celtics (702) minus the points versus the Miami Heat (701) in Game Two of their Eastern Conference Finals series. THE SITUATION: Boston (56-28) looks to rebound from their 117-114 upset loss in overtime to the Heat as a 1.5-point favorite. Miami (53-30) has won nine of their last ten games. This game will be played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CELTICS MINUS THE POINTS: Boston played the worst defensive game in their last sixteen contests by allowing Miami to bail 47.1% of their shots. The Heat scored at a prolific 119.4 points per 100 possession rate while posting an effective field goal percentage of 56.5%. The Celtics should tighten up on defense tonight — they lead all teams in the playoffs with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 47.8% along with an opponent’s 3-point shooting percentage of 31.7% which is also the best defensive mark of all playoff teams. Boston should respond with a strong effort tonight as they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 10 games on the road after an upset loss. The Celtics are also 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games away from home after a narrow loss by 6 points or less. Furthermore, Boston is 6-0-1 ATS in their last 7 games after a point spread loss. The Celtics were listless at times on offense as well as they too often settled for isolation plays rather than continuing to emphasize ball movement to find open shots. Remember, they were coming off a tough seven-game series with Toronto last week. And while Boston has lost four of their last six games, they have then covered the point spread in 12 of their last 14 games away from home after losing four or five of their last six games. Miami has failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after an upset loss. The Heat nailed 16 of their 36 shots from behind the arc on Tuesday — but that 44% clip should regress closer to their 38.6% shooting mark from behind the arc in the playoffs. Miami has failed to cover the point spread in 17 of their last 25 games away from home after a game where they scored at least 115 points — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 22 games on the road after a game where at least 225 combined points in their last game.

FINAL TAKE: Boston has lost their last two games to the Heat after losing to them in the bubble back on August 4th by a 112-106 score. The Celtics have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games when playing with double-revenge. 10* NBA Miami-Boston ESPN Special with the Boston Celtics (702) minus the points versus the Miami Heat (701). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Los Angeles Clippers (730) minus the points versus the Denver Nuggets (729) in Game Seven of their Western Conference Semifinals series. THE SITUATION: Los Angeles (56-20) suffered their second-straight upset loss in this series on Sunday as they lost to the Nuggets by a 111-98 score as a 9-point favorite to force this Game Seven. Denver (53-33) has rallied from a deficit of at least 15 points in the last two contests in this series. This game will be played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Apparently, it is the sense of imminent failure that motivates this Nuggets team to play harder on defense. Five of Denver’s seven victories this postseason have come in elimination games. They held the Clippers to just 41% shooting on Sunday in what was the best defensive effort in their last four games — this performance was highlighted by them getting a defensive stop in eleven straight possessions in the second half. The Nuggets also nailed 54.1% of their shots which was the best shooting effort in the last seven contests. But I am not sure that Denver has one more miracle comeback in their back pocket. This is a team that is 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 games after a double-digit win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 23 games away from home after a win by at least 10 points. The Nuggets have also covered the point spread in 20 of their last 27 games after winning at least two in a row — and they have also failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 15 games after covering the point spread in two straight games. And while they have covered the point spread in four of their last five games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 16 games after covering the point in four of their last five games. Denver has won five of their seven games in the postseason when starting into the dark abyss of an elimination game (they must love the bubble!). But this Nuggets team has failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 16 playoff games when the series is tied. Additionally, Denver has failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games with the Total set in the 200 to 209.5 point range. Head coach Doc Rivers will likely shorten his bench tonight to lean heavily on his superstars, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. The veteran Marcus Morris has been reliable in this series as well with a 13.7 PPG scoring average on 71% shooting from the field which includes a 58% mark from behind the arc. The Clippers have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 10 games after a double-digit loss. Additionally, Los Angeles has covered the point spread in a decisive 35 of their last 52 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 21 of their last 28 games after a point spread setback. Los Angeles should play harder on defense tonight after allowing the Nuggets nail 54.1% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in their last fourteen games in the bubble. Despite these two upset losses in the last two games, the Clippers have still covered the point spread in 35 of their last 52 games when laying 3.5 to 9.5 points.

FINAL TAKE: Los Angeles has covered the point spread in 16 of their last 22 games when playing with revenge from an upset loss. Look for the Clippers to resist the temptation they have succumbed to in the last two games in getting too complacent in the second half. 10* NBA Tuesday Daily Discounted Deal with Los Angeles Clippers (730) minus the points versus the Denver Nuggets (729). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the game the Boston Celtics (717) minus the points versus the Toronto Raptors (718) in Game Seven of their Eastern Conference Finals series. THE SITUATION: Boston (55-27) failed to take advantage of their opportunity to close out this series on Wednesday as they lost to the Raptors by a 125-122 score in double-overtime as a 3-point favorite. Toronto (60-22) has won three of the last four games in this series. This game will be played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CELTICS MINUS THE POINTS: Boston should respond with a strong effort in this second chance to close out this series. The Celtics have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games after an upset loss. Boston has also covered the point spread in 12 of their last 14 games away from home after a straight-up loss — and they are 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 games after a point spread loss. And with that game flying over the 210 Total with the two overtime periods, the Celtics have then covered the point spread in 16 of their last 22 games away home after playing a game that finished Over the Total. And with the Total for this game dropping below the 210 threshold for the first time in this series, Boston has covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games with the over/under set in the 200 to 209.5 point range. Look for the Celtics to make an adjustment with Marcus Smart dedicating himself to defending Lowry which will then put the onus of Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam to provide reliable scoring. Head coach Brad Stevens did not deploy Smart too often on Lowry in Game Six — I suspect he was holding this move in his back pocket for tonight if his team could not pull out Game Six. The Raptors got a Herculean effort from Kyle Lowry in that game as he scored 33 points with eight rebounds and six assists in 53 minutes of play. Toronto made 43.6% of their shots which was the highest field goal percentage in their last three games — but they also enjoyed an effective field goal percentage of 53% due to making 19 of their 47 shots (40%) from behind the arc. Those numbers are likely to regress tonight. The Raptors have just an effective field goal percentage of 48.9% in this series while scoring at just a 101.9 points per 100 possession rate which are both far below their 53.0% eFG and 110.1 Offensive Rating in the playoffs. Toronto launched 101 shots on Wednesday — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after a game where they took at least 100 shots. Additionally, the Raptors have failed to cover the point spread in 25 of their last 39 games after a game where at least 235 combined points were scored — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 17 games after a game where at least 245 combined points were scored.

FINAL TAKE: The Celtics have covered the point spread in 18 of their last 27 games when looking to avenge a loss. 10* NBA Friday Daily Discounted Deal with the Boston Celtics (717) minus the points versus the Toronto Raptors (718). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Houston Rockets (716) plus the points versus the Los Angeles Lakers (715) in Game Four of their Western Conference Semifinals series. THE SITUATION: Houston (49-33) looks to bounce back from their 112-102 loss to the Lakers as a 4-point favorite on Tuesday. Los Angeles (58-21) has taken a 2-1 lead in this series. This game will be played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE ROCKETS PLUS THE POINTS: Now with a 2-1 lead in this series, the Lakers may be due for a bit of a letdown after losing Game One of this series. Los Angeles has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after a straight-up win. The grind of the bubble schedule will not help matters for this team either as they have failed to cover the point spread in 17 of their last 24 games away from home when playing their third game in five days — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 13 games on the road when playing their fourth game in seven days. Houston has failed to cover the point spread in six of their last eight games — but they have then covered the point spread in 6 straight games after failing to cover the point spread in six or seven of their last eight games. The Rockets need to lean on P.J. Tucker more tonight — they are outscoring the Lakers by +13.1 points per 100 possessions in this series when he is on the court. Houston will have to shorten their bench with Daniel House suspended for this game for violating quarantine protocols. House is a nice rotational player but he did not play on Tuesday because of this reason. The Rockets’ success tonight remains primarily in the hands of James Harden and Russell Westbrook. Houston has covered the point spread in 17 of their last 25 games as an underdog — and they have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 playoff games when getting the points.

FINAL TAKE: The Rockets have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 19 games when playing with double-revenge. 10* NBA LA Lakers-Houston TNT Special with the Houston Rockets (716) plus the points versus the Los Angeles Lakers (715). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 6:30 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Toronto Raptors (709) plus the points versus the Boston Celtics (710) in Game Six of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series. THE SITUATION: Toronto (59-22) looks to bounce back from their 111-89 loss to the Celtics on Monday as a 1.5-point underdog. Boston (55-26) now has a 3-2 lead in this series. This game will be played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RAPTORS PLUS THE POINTS: Toronto played their worst defensive game in the bubble on Monday by allowing the Celtics to make 49.4% of their shots. The Raptors should respond with a better effort tonight after perhaps exhaling after rallying from an 0-2 deficit in this series to even things at 2-2 on Saturday. They also shot only 38.8% from the field which was the worst shooting effort in their last four games. Toronto should be seeing more of their shots falling. They have an effective field goal percentage of 47.7% in this series (measuring field goal percentage plus bumping 3-pointers up another point to produce this metric) — yet their expected effective field goal percentage (xeFG — and I love this metric) indicates they should typically seeing an eFG of 54.6% given the longer-term numbers regarding where they are shooting their shots and how closely they are being defended. Toronto is 18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 games after a point spread loss. The Raptors have also covered the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games after a double-digit loss. Boston’s 49.4% field goal percentage was their best shooting mark in their last seven games. Despite that shooting success, I remain worried about this team’s ability to score baskets in crunch time in the 4th quarter without Gordon Hayward to provide a complimentary scorer to Jaylen Brown. And the Celtics have then failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 8 playoff games when attempting to close out the series.

FINAL TAKE: Toronto will play very hard defending their NBA championship in this potential elimination game. The Raptors are 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 playoff games as an underdog. 10* NBA Wednesday Daily Discounted Deal with the Toronto Raptors (709) plus the points versus the Boston Celtics (710). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 6:30 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Miami Heat (705) minus the points versus the Milwaukee Bucks (706) in Game Five of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series. THE SITUATION: Miami (51-30) saw their seven-game losing streak end with their 118-115 upset loss to the Bucks in overtime as a 2.5-point favorite. Milwaukee (61-21) still trails by a 3-1 margin in this series. This game will be played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HEAT MINUS THE POINTS: Miami had won and covered the point spread in all seven of their playoff games in the bubble — I think they took their foot off the proverbial gas pedal when they say Giannis Antetokounmpo leaves the court after re-injuring his ankle. The Greek Freak only played 11:29 minutes in that game. Yet the Heat lost the rebounding battle to the Bucks while attempting two fewer free throws than Milwaukee — and those are two work-rate activities that head coach Eric Spoelstra’s team tends to control. Jimmy Butler only scored 17 points in the loss as well while making only 6 of his 15 shots. He should step up his game again tonight. Miami has bounced-back to cover the point spread in 28 of their last 43 games after an upset loss — and this includes them covering the point spread in eight of these last twelve situations. The Heat have also covered the point spread in 20 of their last 28 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 19 of their last 28 games after a loss by 6 points or less. Milwaukee has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a win by 6 points or less. And the Bucks have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 14 games after losing two of their last three games. Antetokounmpo is listed as questionable but I think it is reasonable to conclude he will not be able to offer much tonight (update: Antetokoumpo has been ruled out tonight). The Bucks made 48.9% of their shots on Sunday which was the best shooting effort in their last three games as they stepped up their games without being able to lean on Antetokounmpo to bail them out. Khris Middleton finally stepped up with 36 points along with 8 rebounds and 8 assists. But Middleton was asked to play 48 of the 53 minutes of that game — and that was just the second time all season where he logged-in more than 40 minutes so fatigue may be a factor tonight. Spoelstra will have something dialed-up to slow down Middleton tonight.

FINAL TAKE: Miami has covered the point spread in 12 of their last 20 opportunities to avenge a narrow loss by 3 points or less. 10* NBA Tuesday Daily Discounted Deal with the Miami Heat (705) minus the points versus the Milwaukee Bucks (706). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Denver Nuggets (743) plus the points versus the Los Angeles Clippers (744) in Game Two of their Western Conference Semifinals series. THE SITUATION: Denver (50-31) saw their three-game winning streak snapped on Thursday with their 120-97 loss to the Clippers as a 9-point underdog. Los Angeles (54-24) has won three games in a row. This game will be played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE NUGGETS PLUS THE POINTS: Denver was competitive early with the 1st quarter ending in a 31-31 score — but the Nuggets’ fatigue from a grueling seven-game series which required them to rally from a 3-1 deficit finally took hold as they scored only 66 points in the final thirty-six minutes of that game. Look for the Nuggets to play a complete game tonight. Denver is 15-7-2 ATS in their last 24 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 4 straight games after a loss by at least 20 points. The Nuggets allowed the Clippers to make 57.1% of their shots so they need to work harder on the defensive end of the court. That was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage they had allowed in their sixteen games in the bubble. Denver has covered the point spread in 4 straight games after allowing their last opponent to shoot at least 55% of their shots. The Nuggets have not covered the point spread in their last two games — but they have then covered the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games after failing to cover the point spread in two straight games. Furthermore, Denver has covered the point spread in 6 straight playoff games when trailing in the series. Los Angeles tied their best defensive effort in their last seven games in Game One by holding the Nuggets to just 42.2% shooting. The Clippers may be due for a letdown after such a strong effort. Doc Rivers’ team has now covered the point spread in three straight games as a favorite. But Los Angeles has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after covering the point spread in three straight games. Additionally, the Clippers have failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 24 games after covering the point spread in two straight games as a favorite — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 22 of their last 32 games after covering the point spread in three straight games as the fave. Additionally, the Clippers have failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 16 playoff games when leading in the series.

FINAL TAKE: Denver has covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games when avenging a double-digit loss to their opponents. And while the Clippers have won the last three games in this series, the Nuggets have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games when playing with double-revenge. 10* NBA Denver-LA Clippers TNT Special with the Denver Nuggets (743) plus the points versus the Los Angeles Clippers (744). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Los Angeles Lakers (740) minus the points versus the Houston Rockets (739) in Game One of their Western Conference Semifinals series. THE SITUATION: Los Angeles (56-20) takes the court again after dispatching of Portland in five games with their 131-122 win last Saturday. Houston (48-31) has won two of their last three games after defeating Oklahoma City on Wednesday in the seventh game of that series by a 104-102 score as a 5.5-point favorite. This game will be on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE LAKERS MINUS THE POINTS: The Rockets are likely to experience a physical and emotional letdown after surviving their seven-game series with the Thunder against their former teammate, Chris Paul. As it is, Houston has failed to cover the point spread in 3 of their last 4 games after a narrow win by 3 points or less — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games after a point spread loss. Additionally, the Rockets have failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games when playing with one day of rest — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 14 games on the road when playing their third game in five days. Los Angeles saw the Trail Blazers playing without Damian Lillard make 47.3% of their shots which was the highest opponent field goal percentage they had allowed in five straight games. The Lakers won the last four games in that series after dropping Game One — and they have covered the point spread in 16 of their last 25 games after winning four of their last five games.

FINAL TAKE: Los Angeles has lost the last two meetings between these two teams including their August 6th meeting in the Orlando bubble which the Rockets won by a 113-97 score as a 3.5-point favorite. The Lakers have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 17 games when playing with double revenge on their minds. 10* NBA Houston-LA Lakers ESPN Special with the Los Angeles Lakers (740) minus the points versus the Houston Rockets (739). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:30 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Los Angeles Clippers (736) minus the points versus the Denver Nuggets (735). THE SITUATION: Los Angeles (53-25) returns to the court tonight after defeating Dallas in six games with their 111-97 win over the Mavericks as a 9-point favorite on August 30th. Denver (50-30) outlasted Utah in their seven-game series that culminated with their 80-78 victory as a 2.5-point favorite on Tuesday. This game will be played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CLIPPERS MINUS THE POINTS: Look for the Nuggets to suffer an emotional letdown after rallying from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Jazz. Don’t be surprised if this team looks tired tonight. Denver played their hardest game on defense in the bubble on Tuesday — they held Utah to just 38.0% shooting. But the Nuggets have failed to cover the point spread in 28 of their last 47 games after a straight-up win. Denver has also failed to cover the point spread in 19 of their last 26 games after winning at least two games in a row — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games after winning at least three games in a row. Furthermore, while the Nuggets have covered the point spread in three of their last four games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 18 games away from home after covering the point spread in three of their last four games. Los Angeles will be rested and ready for this game — and they are 22-8-1 ATS in their last 31 games when playing with at least three days of rest including covering the point spread in nine of these last twelve situations. The Clippers have also covered the point spread in 13 of their last 17 games when playing no more than their fifth game in the last fourteen days. And while Los Angeles has covered the point spread in three of their last four games, they have then covered the point spread in 26 of their last 38 games away from home after covering the point spread in three of their last four games. And in their last 6 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%, the Clippers have covered the point spread 5 times.

FINAL TAKE: Head coach Doc Rivers has indicated that Patrick Beverley will likely take the court tonight after missing time with his calf injury. He gives the team a big boost on defense. It will probably take a game for the Nuggets to adjust to the new challenge of facing this Clippers team. 25* NBA 2nd Round Western Conference Playoff Game of the Year with the Los Angeles Clippers (736) minus the points versus the Denver Nuggets (735). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Oklahoma City Thunder (731) plus the points versus the Houston Rockets (732) in Game Seven of their Western Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Oklahoma City (47-31) forced a climactic seventh game in this series on Monday with their 104-100 upset win over the Rockets as a 4.5-point underdog. Houston (47-31) ha lost three of their last four games in this series. This game will be played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE THUNDER PLUS THE POINTS: The Rockets blew their opportunity to close out this series on Monday despite making 45.2% of their shots which was the best shooting effort in their last five contests. I suspect either Houston goes on a 3-point barrage early in this game en route to a blowout or they have to survive another dog fight. The DNA of this team with James Harden is that they will struggle under the pressure of the moment. The Rockets have lost 7 of their last 10 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after a point spread defeat. The grind of the bubble schedule likely will not help this team as they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games when playing their third game in five days away from home. Houston has also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games when favored. Furthermore, the Rockets have failed to cover the point spread in 17 of their last 22 playoff games in closeout games — and this includes them not covering the point spread in six of these last seven opportunities. Oklahoma City has now covered the point spread in 4 straight games in facing elimination in the playoffs after Monday’s game. The Thunder have also covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games after winning three of their last four games. Oklahoma City is very comfortable playing in close games with Chris Paul leading the way. The Thunder have covered the point spread in a deceive 35 of their last 52 games as an underdog — and they have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 17 games when getting 3.5 to 9.5 points as the dog.

FINAL TAKE: Oklahoma City has covered the point spread in 8 of the last 11 meetings between these two teams. 10* NBA Wednesday Late Show Bailout with the Oklahoma City Thunder (731) plus the points versus the Houston Rockets (732). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 6:30 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Milwaukee Bucks (730) minus the points versus the Miami Heat (729) in Game Two of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series. THE SITUATION: Milwaukee (60-19) saw their four-game winning streak snapped on Monday with their 115-104 upset loss to the Heat in the opening game of this series. Miami (49-29) has now won five straight games. This game will be played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BUCKS MINUS THE POINTS: Milwaukee missed twelve of their twenty-six free throw attempts in this 11-point loss. The Bucks also got a bad game from Giannis Antetokounmpo who missed eight of his twelve free throws while scoring only 18 points. Milwaukee raced out to a 40-29 lead in the first quarter before only scoring 64 points the rest of the way. Look for the Bucks to respond with a big effort tonight. Milwaukee has been very reliable in these situations under head coach Mike Budenholzer as they have covered the point spread in 25 of their last 35 games after an upset loss — and they have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 18 games after suffering an upset loss by double-digits. The Bucks have also covered the point spread in 35 of their last 52 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 15 games after a double-digit setback. Furthermore, Milwaukee has covered the point spread in 32 of their last 52 games after allowing at least 115 points in their last game. Miami has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after an upset victory — and they have also failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 15 games after a double-digit win as an underdog. The Heat have also covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after a win by at least 10 points in their last game. Additionally, Miami has failed to cover the point spread in 21 of their last 32 games after scoring at least 115 points in their last game. Head coach Erik Spoelstra’s team has not been very reliable as an underdog (Monday’s results notwithstanding) as they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games as an underdog — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 playoff games as a dog.

FINAL TAKE: Milwaukee has covered the point spread in 45 of their last 69 games when favored in the 3.5 to 9.5 point range. Eric Bledsoe remains questionable for this game after being a surprise scratch in Game One of this series. If I knew Bledsoe was available, I may have bumped this play to a 25* rating. This is still a very solid situation. 20* NBA Miami-Milwaukee ESPN Special with the Milwaukee Bucks (730) minus the points versus the Miami Heat (729). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:30 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Utah Jazz (739) minus (or plus) the points versus the Denver Nuggets (740) in Game Seven of their Western Conference Quarterfinals series. Utah (47-31) has been upset in the last two games of this series after losing to the Nuggets on Sunday by a 119-107 score. Denver (49-30) was a 2.5-point underdog on Sunday after being a 2-point underdog in Game Five. This game will be played on a neutral court in Utah.

REASONS TO TAKE THE JAZZ PLUS THE POINTS: Utah made only 45.3% of their shots on Sunday which was the worst shooting effort in their last eight games. They also allowed the Nuggets to make 54.9% of their shots which was the worst defensive performance in their last seven contests. Head coach Quin Snyder should have his team ready to play much better tonight. Utah has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after suffering two straight upset losses. And while the Jazz have not covered the point spread in three straight games, they have then covered the point spread in 13 of their last 17 games away from home after failing to cover the point spread in three of their last four games. Additionally, Utah has covered the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games as an underdog. Denver has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a double-digit victory —and they have failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 25 games after winning two games in a row. The Nuggets have also failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 25 games away from home after covering the point spread in two straight contests. Denver’s 54.9% field goal percentage on Sunday was their best shooting mark in the bubble — and they did that after making 50.6% of their shots in Game Five of this series. But the Nuggets have then failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 14 games after making at least 50% of their shots in two straight games.

FINAL TAKE: Denver has failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 14 playoff games when tied in the series. Utah has covered the point spread in 3 straight games in the playoffs when facing elimination under Snyder’s leadership. 10* NBA Utah-Denver ABC-TV Special with the Utah Jazz (739) minus (or plus) the points versus the Denver Nuggets (740). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 5:30 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Toronto Raptors (724) mini the points versus the Boston Celtics (723) in Game Two of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series. THE SITUATION: Toronto (57-20) looks to bounce back from their 112-94 upset loss to Boston on Sunday as a 2-point underdog. Boston (53-24) has now won five straight games after taking a 1-0 lead in this series. This game will be played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RAPTORS MINUS THE POINTS: Toronto may have played their worst game in the bubble on Sunday. They made only 36.9% of their shots in that game which was the lowest field goal percentage in their thirteen games in the bubble. They also allowed the Celtics to make 47% of their shots which was the highest field goal percentage they have allowed in the Orlando bubble. Granted, Boston is great competition — but the Raptors are much better than what they showed in Game One. Pascal Siakam was in foul trouble in Game One which held this team back. Toronto has rebounded to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a loss to an Atlantic Division rival — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a double-digit loss. The Raptors have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after a straight-up loss — and they are 24-9-1 ATS in their last 34 games after a point spread loss. Additionally, Toronto has covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games in the playoffs when favored. Boston’s offensive performance was the best in their last three games — and they also made a sizzling 47.2% of their shots from behind the arc which is not sustainable. 46% of their shots in Game One were from 3-point land which is also out of character for Brad Stevens’ team. The Celtics average 35.8% of their shots from the field from behind the arc — and they make 36.9% of these shots so their performance on Sunday was out of character. Boston has failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 15 games after winning at least four games in a row — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after winning at least five games in a row. The Celtics have still failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games in the playoffs as an underdog — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

FINAL TAKE: Toronto has won all eleven of their games inside the bubble against teams who are not the Celtics — but they have lost both their games in Orlando against Boston. The Raptors have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games when playing with double-revenge. 10* NBA Tuesday Daily Discounted Deal with the Toronto Raptors (724) mini the points versus the Boston Celtics (723). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:30 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Utah Jazz (714) minus the points versus the Denver Nuggets (713) in Game Six of their Western Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Utah (47-30) looks to bounce back from a 117-110 upset loss to the Nuggets last Tuesday. Denver (48-30) still trails 3-2 in this series while facing the possibility of elimination tonight. This game is being played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE JAZZ MINUS THE POINTS: The Nuggets pulled out Game Five of this series on Tuesday by making 50.6% of their shots which was the best shooting effort in their last four games. But Denver may suffer an emotional letdown after staving off elimination in that game as they have failed to cover the point spread in 17 of their last 21 games on the road after a double-digit victory. The Nuggets have also failed to cover the point spread in 29 of their last 44 games away from home after a point spread victory. Furthermore, while Denver has covered the point spread in the last two games in this series, they have then failed to cover the point spread 10 of their last 12 games after covering the point spread in two straight games. The two extra days off from the brief stoppage in play this week may also serve to derail any momentum the Nuggets were building as they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 14 games when playing with at least three days of rest. This remains a team that has failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 19 games in the Western Conference Quarterfinals. Utah shot 50% from the field on Tuesday which was actually their lowest field goal percentage in their last four games. They made 16 of their 34 shots from behind the arc but missed five of their six shots from 3-point land in the 4th quarter blow what had been a double-digit lead. The Jazz also committed 15 turnovers in Game Five after averaging just 9 turnovers per game in the first four games of this series. Utah should play better tonight — they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after making at least 50% of their shots in two straight games.

FINAL TAKE: The Nuggets look to get Garry Harris back for this game after his hip injury has kept him out of all the bubble games in Orlando. Will his presence make his teammates let up on defense? Denver’s lack of effort on defense in this series has been a concern. His return could also mean fewer minutes for P.J. Dozier who was +21 points in the +/- metric in his nineteen minutes in Game Five. 10* NBA Sunday Night Discounted Deal with the Utah Jazz (714) minus the points versus the Denver Nuggets (713). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Orlando Magic (702) plus the points versus the Milwaukee Bucks (701) in Game Five of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Orlando (34-43) looks to bounce back from a 121-106 loss to the Bucks as a 13-point underdog on Monday. Milwaukee (59-18) looks to close out this series up 3-1 in this series. This game was originally scheduled for Wednesday afternoon before the Bucks decided to engage in a strike regarding the recent events in Wisconsin which eventually led to the cancellation of games for three days. This game will be played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MAGIC PLUS THE POINTS: The Bucks are in cruise control at this point in the series after receiving a scare by losing Game One of this series. Covering a double-digit point spread is a different expectation than just doing what is necessary to comfortably win the game. This Milwaukee team has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a point spread victory. And while they have outrebounded Orlando by at least six boards in each of their last three victories, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games after being outrebounding their last three opponents by at least 5 rebounds per game. These two teams have seen at least 227 points scored in the last two games of this series — and the Magic have covered the point spread in 26 of their last 38 games after playing two straight games where at least 215 points were scored. Orlando ha also covered the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games after suffering at least three straight losses. And while they have allowed at least 110 points in five straight games, the Magic have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 15 games after allowing at least 110 points in four straight games.

FINAL TAKE: Hold your nose if you need to (I might) — but these are too many points to pass up in a likely elimination game where the Bucks players’ minds have been elsewhere after initiating the protest this week (and they might also be looking ahead to the Miami Heat). 10* NBA Saturday Afternoon Discounted Deal with the Orlando Magic (701) plus the points versus the Milwaukee Bucks (702). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Los Angeles Clippers (716) minus the points versus the Dallas Mavericks (715) in Game Five of their Western Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Los Angeles (51-25) looks to bounce back from their 135-133 overtime loss to the Mavericks on Sunday in the fourth game of this series as a 7-point favorite. Dallas (45-34) has won two of the last three games in this series. This game will be played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CLIPPERS MINUS THE POINTS: Los Angeles should respond with a strong effort as they have covered the point spread in a decisive 36 of their last 52 games after a straight-up loss under head coach Doc Rivers. The Clippers have also covered the point spread in 20 of their last 26 games after a point spread loss. LA needs to tighten things up on defense after allowing the Mavericks to make at least 50% of their shots for the third straight game. The Clippers have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games after allowing their last three opponents to make at least 47% of their shots — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after allowing at least 125 points in their last game. Los Angeles has also covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games against teams with a winning record. Dallas may be due for a letdown after Luka Doncic won Game Four with his phenomenal buzzer-beating backup 3-pointer. The Mavericks have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a point spread victory. Dallas has also failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 13 games after scoring at least 130 points in their last game. The Mavs were without Kristaps Porzingis on Sunday — and he is likely to not play tonight given his knee injury. His absence will hurt the scoring output for this team — and Luka Doncic may not be able to play Superman two games in a row for this team considering his bum ankle he is dealing with. While Dallas is scoring 123.5 PPG in this series, they are also allowing 123.8 PPG to the Clippers despite a slumping Paul George.

FINAL TAKE: The Clippers have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games when looking to avenge an upset loss to their opponent. 20* NBA Dallas-LA Clippers TNT Special with the Los Angeles Clippers (716) minus the points versus the Dallas Mavericks (715). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 6:30 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Denver Nuggets (714) plus the points versus the Utah Jazz (713) in Game Five of their Western Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Denver (47-30) finds themselves on the brink of elimination tonight after losing Game Four of this series on Sunday with their 129-127 loss as a 3.5-point underdog. Utah (47-29) has won three straight games in this series. This game will be played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE NUGGETS PLUS THE POINTS: Denver should respond with a strong effort in this situation despite losing six of their last seven games with their lone victory being in the opening game of this series. The Nuggets have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after losing three straight games — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after dropping four or five of their last six games. They did work harder on defense on Sunday even if the results were not there. Denver has then covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after allowing at least 125 points in their last game. The Nuggets are losing this series at the free throw line where Utah’s 36 attempts were twenty-three more than the opportunities Denver had at the charity stripe. The Jazz held a 26 to 11 free throw attempt in Game Three of this series as well — but the Nuggets have covered the point spread in 7 straight games after attempting at least ten fewer free throw attempts than their opponent in two straight games. Utah nailed 57.5% of their shots on Sunday which was the best shooting effort in their twelve games in the bubble — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after making at least 55% of their shots in their last game. The Jazz have also failed to cover the point spread in 7 straight games after winning three straight games against divisional rivals. Utah has also failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after allowing at least 125 points in their last game. Furthermore, Utah has failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 17 games when playing their fourth game on the road in the last seven days. Additionally, the Jazz have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games against teams with a winning record — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 playoff games when up 3-1 in the series. And this Utah team remains an ugly 4-16-2 ATS in their last 22 games when the favorite.
 
FINAL TAKE: There is a chance that Garry Harris will make his debut for Nuggets in the bubble tonight as he has been upgraded to questionable with a hip injury. He will really help slow down the Utah offense. Denver has also covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games when playing with double revenge. Together, these team trends produce our specific 87-22-2 ATS combined angle for this situation. 25* NBA Northwest Division Game of the Year with the Denver Nuggets (714) plus the points versus the Utah Jazz (713). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Denver Nuggets (747) plus the points versus the Utah Jazz (748) in Game Four of their Western Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Denver (47-28) got crushed on Sunday in the third game of this series by losing by a 124-87 score to the Jazz. Utah (45-29) has won the last two games in this series as well as three of their last four contests. This game is being played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE NUGGETS PLUS THE POINTS: Denver played their worst game in their eleven games in the bubble on Friday. Not only is their defense still lackluster but they made only 37.5% of their shots which was the lowest mark in their eleven games in Orlando. The Nuggets certainly miss Gary Harris and Will Barton who will be still out for this game. But Denver remains loaded with talent that will be asked to step up in this game. Head coach Mark Malone will need Jamal Murray, Paul Millsap, Nikola Jokic, and the emerging Michael Porter to step up with big games tonight. Denver has not covered the point spread in the last two games in this series after losing Game Two in this series by 19 points — but they have then covered the point spread in 10 of their last 15 games after failing to cover the point spread in their last two games. And while the Nuggets have only covered the point spread once in their last five games, they have then covered the point spread in 20 of their last 26 games after failing to cover the point spread in four of their last five games — and this includes them covering the point spread in four of these last five occasions. Furthermore, this experienced Denver roster has covered the point spread in their last 3 playoff games when trailing in the series. Utah may be due for a letdown after these two dominant performances. The Jazz have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after winning their last two games by double-digits over a Northwest Division rival. Utah has also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a point spread win. The Jazz have also failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games on the road when playing their fourth game in seven days. Utah played their best defensive game in the bubble on Friday while shooting over 50% for the second straight game. But this remains a team that has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games against teams with a winning record. And the Jazz are just 4-15-2 ATS in their last 21 games when favored — and most of those games were when they had Bojan Bogdanovich who was the team’s best 3-point shooter before his season-ending wrist injury.

FINAL TAKE: Denver has covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games when playing with double-revenge. Look for them to play harder on the defensive end of the court which should make things more difficult for the Jazz shooters. 10* NBA Denver-Utah TNT Special with the Denver Nuggets (747) plus the points versus the Utah Jazz (748). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 1:00 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Boston Celtics (741) minus the points versus the Philadelphia 76ers (742) in Game Four of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Boston (51-24) seized a commanding 3-0 lead in this series on Friday with their 102-94 victory over the 76ers as a 6-point favorite. Philadelphia (43-33) has lost and failed to cover the point spread in all three games of this series. This game will be played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CELTICS MINUS THE POINTS: The Sixers played very hard on Friday — and they enjoyed a 94-92 lead with 2:14 left in the 4th quarter. But a series of turnovers and miscues — with Joel Embiid leading the way with these mistakes — led to the Celtics scoring the final 10 points in that game to both win and cover the point spread. I think this loss — and the way that Philadelphia blew the game — is going to put them in the proverbial tank. This has always been an emotionally volatile team where too often they failed to meet the sky-high expectations of a nice roster that was built from years of tanking as the organization embraced “the process.” Embiid has fueled with Ben Simmons over who was the “leader” of the team — so this series has been the former Kansas’ star opportunity to shine with Simmons out the season with his knee injury. Yet Embiid has failed at this moment. Now over three weeks in the quarantined bubble, look for the 76ers to have their minds set on what is described in the European soccer circles as “the beach.” I am expecting a half-hearted effort from Philly in this one. This is their personality when facing adversity. Looking to team trends to discern a personality of this group, Philadelphia has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a straight-up loss — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a point spread loss. The 76ers have also failed to cover the point spread in 26 of their last 37 games on the road against Atlantic Division opponents. Furthermore, Philly has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games as an underdog in the 3.5 to 9.5 point range. One of the frustrating aspects of losing Game Three for the Sixers is by holding the Celtics to just 29.5% shooting, they played their best defensive game in their eleven games in the bubble. Boston assisted on just 15 of their 36 field goals while making only 41.4% of their shots which was their worst shooting effort in this series. The Celtics also committed more turnovers in Game Three than they did in Games One and Two combined. Look for Boston to play better this afternoon as they have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 17 games after a point spread victory. The Celtics have also covered the point spread in 4 straight games against teams with a winning record. Furthermore, Boston has covered the point spread in 4 straight games as a favorite — and they are 35-15-1 ATS in their last 51 games in the playoffs as a favorite.

FINAL TAKE: Philadelphia has failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 18 games away from home when avenging a loss where they allowed at least 100 points. 10* NBA Boston-Philadelphia ABC-TV Special with the Boston Celtics (741) minus the points versus the Philadelphia 76ers (742). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Indiana Pacers (733) plus the points versus the Miami Heat (734) in Game Three of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Indiana (45-30) will be playing with desperation in this game after falling behind 2-0 in this series after their 109-100 loss to the Heat as a 3.5-point underdog on Thursday. Miami (46-29) went 3-5 in seeding games in the bubble but have stepped up their play so far in this series. This game is being played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PACERS PLUS THE POINTS: Indiana misses the inside presence of Domantas Sabonis who is out with a foot injury. Sabonis plays an important tole as a ball facilitator for this team — but the Pacers simply need to shoot the ball better to be more competitive in this series. Victor Oladipo made on 5 of his 14 shots on Thursday with Malcolm Brogdon making just 4 of his 14 shots from the field in that game. Indiana made only 44.4% of their shots in Game Two which was the worst shooting effort in their last three games. This team plays hard for head coach Nate McMillan — look for them to play their best game so far in this series today. Indiana has covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a straight-up loss. The Pacers have also covered the point spread in 20 of their last 31 games after a point spread loss — and they are 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 games after a point spread setback. Indiana did not cover the point spread in the opening game of this series but they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after failing to cover the point spread in their last two games. Miami is riding high with 2-0 lead in this series and no true road games to worry about — but they are just 6-20-1 ATS in their last 27 games after a straight-up win. The Heat have also failed to cover the point spread in 20 of their last 27 games after a point spread loss. And in their last 13 games away from home when playing their third game in five days, Miami has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of these contests.

FINAL TAKE: The Pacers need to attack the paint more in this game according to McMillan — and that should open up space for T.J. Warren to find his range from behind the arc. While Warren shot 52.4% from downtown in the eight seeding games en route to his 31.0 PPG scoring average, he is still making 40% of his 3-pointers so far in this series although he has averaged just 18.0 PPG. 10* NBA Indiana-Miami TNT Special with the Indiana Pacers (733) plus the points versus the Miami Heat (734). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 1:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Orlando Magic (732) plus the points versus the Milwaukee Bucks (731) in Game Three of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Orlando (34-41) saw their two-game losing streak end on Thursday with their 111-96 loss to the Bucks as a 13.5-point underdog. Milwaukee (57-18) snapped a two-game losing streak to even this series at 1-1. This game is being played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MAGIC PLUS THE POINTS: Orlando made only 34.8% of their shots on Thursday which was the worst shooting effort in their last ten games. They made nine fewer shots from 3-point land than they did in Game One where they made 49.4% of their shots (after shooting 57.1% from the field in their last seeding game in the bubble). The Magic scored at just a 94.2 points per 100 possession clip in Game Two — look for them to improve and perform closer to their hot 114.5 points per 100 possession rate on Tuesday in the opening game of this series. Orlando has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a double-digit loss. The Magic have also covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games as an underdog — and they have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 24 games as a double-digit underdog. Milwaukee played one of their best games in the bubble — but I don’t think they have suddenly flipped the switch from their mediocre play in Orlando. The Bucks ranked just 11th in the seeding games in Net Rating — and they are just 10th in Net Rating so far in the playoffs. They did made play their best defensive game in Orlando by holding the Magic to just 34.8% shooting. And their 47.2% shooting mark was their best in the last three games. But Khris Middleton remains in a funk as he missed 15 of his 20 shots and registered a mere 2 points. Milwaukee has then failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after a double-digit win. The Bucks have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight games after a point spread victory. Additionally, Milwaukee has struggled to be completely focused against teams with a losing record as they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games against teams with a losing record.

FINAL TAKE: Orlando missed 25 of their first 28 shots on Thursday which set the tone for the game. But they remain tied in this series at 1-1 and should play better this afternoon. Too many points to pass up on a neutral court when facing a Bucks team that is underperforming their regular season performance through February. 10* NBA Milwaukee-Orlando NBA-TV Special with the Orlando Magic (732) plus the points versus the Milwaukee Bucks (731). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Los Angeles Clippers (727) minus the points versus the Dallas Mavericks (728) in Game Two of their Western Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Los Angeles (50-24) saw their three-game winning streak snapped on Wednesday with their 127-114 upset loss as a 5-point favorite. Dallas (44-33) snapped a three-game losing streak with this victory to even the series at 1-1. This game will be played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CLIPPERS MINUS THE POINTS: Los Angeles should respond with a strong effort tonight as they have bounced-back to cover the point spread in 35 of their last 51 games after a straight-up loss — and they have won 19 of their last 26 games after a point spread loss. The Clippers have also won 8 of their last 9 games after a double-digit loss. And LA has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after allowing at least 125 points in their last game. Additionally, the Clippers have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games against teams with a winning record — and they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games when favored. Expect a better game out of Paul George who missed 13 of his 17 shots from the field while enduring an unlikely -13 plus/minus mark when he was on the court. Dallas may suffer a letdown after that upset victory as they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a point spread victory. Additionally, the Mavericks are just 4-9-1 ATS in their last 14 games after a double-digit loss. Dallas played their best defensive game in their last seven contests by holding the Clippers to just 44% shooting. But moving forward, the Mavericks have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games as an underdog. And in their last 13 games in the Western Conference Quarterfinals, Dallas has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of these contests.

FINAL TAKE: Look for the Clippers to step to play their best game so far in this series. Not only have they bounced-back to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 15 games after an upset loss but they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games when avenging a double-digit loss to their opponent. 10* NBA LA Clippers-Dallas TNT Special with the Los Angeles Clippers (727) minus the points versus the Dallas Mavericks (728). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 4:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Denver Nuggets (723) minus (or plus) the point(s) versus the Utah Jazz (724) in Game Three of their Western Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Denver (47-28) has lost four of their last five games after their 124-105 upset loss to Utah on Wednesday as a 3.5-point favorite. Utah (45-29) has won two of their last three games. This game is being played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE NUGGETS MINUS THE POINTS: The Jazz played one of their best games inside the bubble on Wednesday as they made 20 of their 44 shots from behind the arc which helped fuel their 51.7% shooting mark overall which was the best shooting effort in their ten games in Orlando. But Utah has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after pulling off an upset victory over a Northwest Division rival — and they have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a point spread victory. Furthermore, the Jazz are 3-7-1 ATS in their last 11 games when playing with one day of rest. Utah has still failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games against teams with a winning record. And in their last 8 games in the Western Conference Quarterfinals, the Jazz have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of these contests. Denver should respond with a better effort as they are 13-6-2 ATS in their last 21 games after a straight-up loss. And while the Nuggets have lost five of their last seven games, they have then covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after losing five or six of their last seven contests. Defense has been an issue for this team as they have allowed at least 113 points in each of their ten games in the bubble — but they have then covered the point spread in 45 of their last 70 games after allowing at least 105 points in at least four straight games. Denver has also covered the point spread in 25 of their last 39 games against Northwest Division rivals.

FINAL TAKE: The Nuggets have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 opportunities to avenge a double-digit loss. Late steam has made Utah the small favorite in this game. Both these teams are at less than full strength in this series with Will Barton and Gary Harris out with injuries for Denver but Bojan Bogdanovich not in the bubble for the Jazz. Utah is getting Michael Conley back for this game — but his presence does not warrant this much line movement (so happily take the points for some insurance). 10* NBA Friday Afternoon Discounted Deal with the Denver Nuggets (723) minus (or plus) the point(s) versus the Utah Jazz (724). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:30 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Oklahoma City Thunder (713) plus the points versus the Houston Rockets (714) in Game Two of their Western Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Oklahoma City (44-29) has lost three of their last four games after losing the opening game of this series to the Rockets by a 123-108 score despite being a 1-point favorite. Houston (45-28) snapped a three-game losing streak with the victory.

REASONS TO TAKE THE THUNDER PLUS THE POINTS: Houston played about as well as they can in this contest especially without Russell Westbrook who is not ready to play yet in this series. The Rockets launched 52 shots from behind the arc — and they nailed 20 of these shots generating 60 points on their 38% shooting. Houston shot 48.3% from the field overall in this game which was the best shooting mark in their last eight games. They even got 22 points from Jeff Green. But the Rockets have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after an upset victory. Houston has also filed to over the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games when playing with one day of rest. The Rockets have also failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games when favored. Oklahoma City should bounce-back with a strong effort as they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games after a double-digit loss — and they have covered the point spread in 4 straight games after suffering an upset loss by at least 10 points. The Thunder have also covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a point spread loss. And while Oklahoma City has lost two straight games as well as three of their last four, they have then covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after losing two in a row. Head coach Billy Donovan has the advantage in this game in making some tactical adjustments in the fascinating matchup between their size and the Rockets’ commitment to small-ball. Look for the Thunder to play more of the three-guard lineups featuring Chris Paul and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander along with Dennis Schroeder who found success playing together in the second half. OKC has covered the point spread in 41 of their last 61 games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: The Thunder have covered the point spread in 21 of their last 33 games when avenging a same-season loss — and they have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games when playing with revenge from a loss on the road. Even after Tuesday’s game, Oklahoma City has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 meetings with the Rockets. 10* NBA Thursday Afternoon Discounted Deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder (713) plus the points versus the Houston Rockets (714). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Los Angeles Lakers (768) minus the points versus the Portland Trail Blazers (767) in Game One of their Western Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Los Angeles (52-19) begins its 2020 postseason having lost four of their last five games after their 136-122 loss to Sacramento as a 3.5-point favorite last Thursday. Portland (36-39) advanced to the Western Conference playoffs with their 126-122 win over Memphis in the play-in game on Saturday where they were 5.5-point favorites. This game is being played on a neutral court in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE LAKERS MINUS THE POINTS: The Trail Blazers have been playing with a sense of urgency for nine straight games since entering the bubble given that were 3 1/2 games behind Memphis for the 8th and final spot in the Western Conference playoffs before the stoppage of play in March. Expect an emotional letdown from this team in this opening game of a seven-game series. As it is, Portland has won their last four games — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after winning at least three in a row. The Trail Blazers are also just 3-8-1 ATS in their last 12 games after scoring at least 125 points in their last game. Additionally, Portland has not been a reliable underdog as they have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 20 games as an underdog getting 3.5 to 9.5 points — and they are 4-9-1 AT in their last 14 games in the playoffs games as an underdog. Furthermore, the Blazers are just 10-26-2 ATS in their last 38 games in the Western Conference Quarterfinals. Damian Lillard has carried this Portland team — but it has come at a cost as he has averaged 41 minutes per game for the nine games in the bubble. On the other side of the court is LeBron James who has never been more rested at any point in his professional career after not taking part in the playoffs last year and then seeing five months lost to COVID-19. James is averaged a healthy 31 minutes per game in the bubble to help get him in game shape — Lillard’s 112 more minutes so far in the restart represent almost two full games that he has played in comparison. The Lakers have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 18 games after a game where at least 235 combined points were scored. Los Angeles has also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games when playing with at least three days of rest. And in their last 11 games with the Total set at 230 or higher, the Lakers covered the point spread in 7 of these contests.

FINAL TAKE: Los Angeles will have revenge on their mind after the Blazer upset the Lakers at the Staples Center on January 31st by a 127-119 score despite being a 13-point underdog. The Lakers have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 18 games when avenging an upset loss — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games when playing with revenge from an upset loss where they were laying at least 7 points. 20* NBA Portland-LA Lakers TNT Special with the Los Angeles Lakers (768) minus the points versus the Portland Trail Blazers (767). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 1:30 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Milwaukee Bucks (762) minus the points versus the Orlando Magic (761) in the opening game of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Milwaukee (56-17) was just 3-5 in the bubble after losing three of their last four games with their 119-106 loss to Memphis last Thursday as a 3.5-point underdog. Orlando (33-40) snapped their five-game losing streak in the bubble with their 133-127 win over Orlando as a 4-point favorite on Thursday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BUCKS MINUS THE POINTS: The Magic made 57.1% of their shots against the Pelicans which was their best shooting effort since the return to play. They had not shot better than 42% from the field in their previous four games. I would feel better about this team if Jonathan Isaac did not suffer a season-ending knee injury in the bubble — and Mo Bamba left the bubble for health reasons. This Orlando team will also likely be without Michael Carter-Williams who has been downgraded to doubtful for this game while Aaron Gordon is questionable with his hamstring. The absence of Gordon (or if he is not at full strength) is particularly troublesome since he was a pretty effective defender on Giannis Antetokounmpo — he held him to just 38.1% shooting in the regular season. These are not encouraging developments for a team that has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. The Magic have also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games when playing with at least three days of rest. And in their last 16 games in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, Orlando has failed to cover the point spread in 11 of these games. Milwaukee has looked uninspired in their bubble games — and they were not playing their best basketball in March when the stoppage of play occurred. Antetokounmpo has complained about his team’s intensity on defense. But look for the Bucks to step up their game this afternoon. Milwaukee has covered the point spread in 31 of their last 44 games after a loss — and they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 13 games after a double-digit loss. Furthermore, the Bucks have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games when playing with at least three days of rest. Milwaukee has also covered the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games in the playoffs when favored — and they have covered the point spread in 4 straight games in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

FINAL TAKE: Milwaukee had a +9.4 Net Rating per 100 possessions which was the best mark by far in the regular season. And they were able to accomplish this despite head coach Mike Budenholzer deploying a deep bench. Antetokounmpo was the only player to average more than 30 minutes per game (30.4). The starting five of Antetokoumpo along with Khris Middleton, Wesley Matthews, Eric Bledsoe, and Brook Lopez had a whopping +18.4 Net Rating per 100 possessions when playing together — and they should see more time on the court now that we are in the postseason. Orlando ranked 19th in the regular season in Net Rating which is the lowest of all the teams in the playoffs — and they are missing significant pieces for this game. 10* NBA Tuesday Afternoon Tip-Off with the Milwaukee Bucks (762) minus the points versus the Orlando Magic (761). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 4:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Toronto Raptors (754) minus the points versus the Brooklyn Nets (753). THE SITUATION: Toronto (53-19) has won four straight games after they upset Denver on Friday by a 117-109 score as a 3.5-point underdog. Brooklyn (35-37) saw their three-game winning streak in the bubble snapped on Thursday with their 134-133 loss to Portland as a 9.5-point favorite. While Toronto is the technical home team, this game is being played on a neutral court in the Orlando bubble.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RAPTORS MINUS THE POINTS: Toronto should build off the momentum of playing quality basketball in the bubble despite not having much urgency to produce results. The Raptors had little to play for in their eight bubble games since they had the 2nd seed locked up for most of those games. Head coach Nick Nurse could rest his players and use the games as de-facto preseason contests. Yet they still won seven of their eight contests. The Raptors are an outstanding defensive team that led the twenty-two teams inside the bubble in Defensive Rating after being 2nd in that metric in the regular season. Their athleticism, length, and depth make them a difficult team to hit 3-pointers against — Toronto is 2nd in the NBA in opponent’s effective field goal percentage while leading the league in lowest opponent 3-point shooting accuracy. The Raptors are 5-2-1 ATS in their last 8 games after a straight-up win. Additionally, Toronto is 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 games against teams with a losing record — and the reigning NBA champions have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. The Nets scorched the nets on Thursday by making 55.2% of their shots which was their best shooting mark in their eight games in the bubble. Yet this remains an undermanned roster that entered the bubble without seven players from their March roster with the biggest absences being guard Kyrie Irving and Spencer Dinwiddie. Without the duo of Irving and Dinwiddie, the Nets lost -2.2 points per 100 possessions as compared to when they were on the court together while committing more turnovers and not getting to the free-throw line as much. This ragtag group is led by an emerging star in Caris Levert — but they are likely to meet a rude awakening when facing starting lineups of players who will actually be playing for most of the game while bringing playoff intensity to their defensive efforts. Brooklyn will be out yet another important piece in Jamal Crawford with the former Michigan man (and role model for Levert’s time in Ann Arbor?) being out for this game with a hamstring injury. The Nets may be rusty entering this game with the weekend layoff — they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games when playing with at least three days of rest. Furthermore, the Nets have failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight playoff games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Some bettors remain intrigued by the fact that Toronto has lost ten of their last thirteen opening games to a new series since 2012 while failing to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games when favored in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Those were interesting team trends back in the DeMar DeRozan/Kyle Lowry era when coached by Dwane Casey. With Casey and DeRozan now out of town and Lowry a reigning NBA champion, I am no longer giving those trends much credence. 10* NBA Brooklyn-Toronto ESPN Special with the Toronto Raptors (754) minus the points versus the Brooklyn Nets (753). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Memphis Grizzlies (723) plus the points versus the Portland Trail Blazers (724) in the first game of the NBA Playoff 8th seed/9th seed play-in series. THE SITUATION: Memphis (34-39) snapped a two-game losing streak on Thursday to clinch the 9th seed in the Western Conference playoffs and the opportunity to participate in this unique play-in series with their 119-106 win over Milwaukee as a 3.5-point favorite. Portland (35-39) clinched the 8th seed on Thursday when they defeated Brooklyn by a 134-133 score as a 9.5-point favorite. To advance to the Round of 16 in the Western Conference playoffs (to face the Los Angeles Lakers), the Grizzlies must defeat the Trail Blazers twice. Portland (35-39) wins this series by winning either today or a potential second game tomorrow.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GRIZZLIES PLUS THE POINTS: Memphis won only two of their eight games inside the bubble but there were some extenuating circumstances. The Grizzlies lost their second-best player when Jaren Jackson Jr. suffered a season-ending knee injury. Memphis also endured what was one of the most challenging schedules in the bubble with seven of their opponents advancing to the playoffs in a format that looked imbalanced to help New Orleans with Zion Williamson advance to the playoffs for the potential television ratings. But with some time to adjust to life without Jackson and with their rising star in Ja Morant, don’t count out this well-coached Grizzlies team. Memphis has covered the point spread in 10 of their last 15 games against teams with a winning percentage in the 40-49% range. Portland is quickly receiving most of the betting action with it being alluring to back the incredible run that Damian Lillard is on carrying the Blazers to the playoffs. But don’t be surprised if Portland is emotionally flat in this game. Not only can they exhale after making their incredible run to qualify for the playoffs in the bubble but they have the luxury of having the potential second game on Sunday in their back pockets as a proverbial “do-over.” The Trail Blazers have been living on the edge winning their last three games by no more than 3 points. They have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after winning two in a row — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after allowing at least 130 points in their last game. Furthermore, Portland is just 6-13-1 ATS in their last 20 games against teams with a losing record. The Trail Blazers always have issues on defense with Lillard and C.J. McCollum both smaller guards who tend to struggle to slow down taller backcourts. Trevor Ariza usually gets the assignment to cover bigger shooting guards but he is out the season with an injury. Portland had the 3rd lowest Defensive Rating in the bubble as they allowed 120.4 points per 100 possessions — and their opponents nailed an incredible 43.3% of their shots from downtown which was the 2nd worst opponents 3-point shooting percentage. The Trail Blazers are allowing 116.1 PPG this season — and the Grizzlies have covered the point spread in 23 of their last 40 games against teams who allow at least 110 PPG.

FINAL TAKE: This is the Blazers’ ninth game since July 31st in their first game in the bubble — and this is also their eighth game in the last fourteen days which is a challenging load for a team playing with desperation in almost all those contests. Portland has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games when playing their eighth or more games in the last fourteen days. These two teams played on that last day in July where the Trail Blazers needed overtime to win by a 140-135 score. Expect another close game. 10* NBA Memphis-Portland ABC-TV Special with the Memphis Grizzlies (723) plus the points versus the Portland Trail Blazers (724). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Georgia Bulldogs (671) plus the points versus the Mississippi Rebels (672) in the first round of the SEC tournament. THE SITUATION: Georgia (15-16) has lost two straight games as well as three of their last four contests with their 94-64 loss at LSU as an 8.5-point underdog last Thursday. Ole Miss (15-16) had their two-game winning streak end last Thursday with their 69-44 loss at Mississippi State as a 6-point underdog. The SEC tournament is being played on a neutral court at Bridgestone Arena which is home to the Nashville Predators in the NHL.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BULLDOGS PLUS THE POINTS: Georgia played their second-worst defensive game of the season (and their worst in their last fourteen games) by allowing the Tigers to nail 57.6% of their shots. The Bulldogs are a young team with three freshmen in the starting lineup — so that humiliating loss should give head coach Tom Crean plenty of fodder to have his team ready to play in this game. Georgia has covered the point spread in 22 of their last 29 games after a loss by at least 20 points — and they have covered the point spread in 21 of their last 29 games after a loss by at least 20 points on the road. The Bulldogs have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a loss by at least 30 points. And in their last 15 games after allowing at least 90 points in their last contest, Georgia has covered the point spread in 12 of these games. Led by a likely top-five pick in the NBA draft in June in Anthony Edwards, the Bulldogs do have talent. They led the SEC by making 52.8% of their shots inside the arc — and they have made a healthy 46.2% of their shots over their last five games (despite an underachieving 36.2% mark against LSU which was the lowest field goal percentage in their last seven games). Georgia has scored a healthy 77.4 PPG in those last five games. They have also covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games as an underdog. Mississippi has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a loss by at least 20 points — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after failing to score more than 50 points in their last game. The Rebels stay on the road where they are just 3-11 while making just 37.1% of their shots which results in only 60.6 PPG. Ole Miss is 13th in the SEC in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. They have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games played on a neutral court. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games when listed in the +/- 3-point range.

FINAL TAKE: Georgia will be looking to avenge a 70-60 loss at Mississippi back on January 25th. The Bulldogs have covered the point spread in 18 of their last 26 games when playing with revenge from a double-digit loss. Don’t be surprised if Georgia pulls the upset — but take the points for some insurance. 10* CBB Don’t Need the Points (but we will take the points) Underdog Special with the Georgia Bulldogs (671) plus the points versus the Mississippi Rebels (672). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Georgia State Panthers (668) minus the points versus the Georgia Southern Eagles (667) in the Quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Conference tournament. THE SITUATION: Georgia State (19-12) snapped their three-game losing streak back on March 3rd with their 89-70 win over Arkansas-Little Rock as a 3.5-point favorite. Georgia Southern (19-13) advanced to the Quarterfinals of this tournament with their 82-81 win over UL-Lafayette on Monday where they were 8.5-point favorites. Georgia State is the host school for the Sun Belt tournament with the games being played in the GSU Sports Center.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PANTHERS MINUS THE POINTS: The Eagles shot 53.3% from the field on Monday in that win which was the best shooting effort in their last seven games. But they also made only 10 of their 20 free throws — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after failing to make more than 53% of their free throws in their last contest. Missing freebies has been an Achilles’ heel for this team as they were last in the Sun Belt by making just 67% of their free throws — and they ranked 277th in the nation overall by hitting just 67.7% of their free throws the season. Georgia Southern may be due for a letdown as they have failed to cover the point spread in 13 of the rest 19 games after a win by 6 points or less — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after a narrow win by 3 points or less. Now this team goes back on the road after playing their last two games at home where they make only 43.0% of their field goal attempts — so missing free throws could hurt this team. The Eagles have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 19 road games as an underdog getting 6 points or less. Furthermore, Georgia Southern has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games against teams with a winning record — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games in March. Additionally, the Eagles have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games when playing their second game in three days. Georgia State should have a big advantage when it comes to energy with their eight days off — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games when playing with at last a week off between games. The Panthers’ style under first-year head coach Rob Lanier emphasizes launching plenty of 3s with their four-out attack while crashing the offensive glass and using pressure to force turnovers. Georgia State is 2nd in the Sun Belt by pulling down 35.8% of their missed shots — and they are also 2nd in the conference by forcing turnovers in 20.8% of their conference opponents. The Panthers took 41.2% of their shots from behind the arc in conference play — and they rank 13th in the nation by nailing 40.3% of their 3-pointers when playing at home. Georgia State is 12-2 at home with an average winning margin of +15.2 PPG — and they were led by a stingy defense that limited their guests to just 38.8% shooting which resulted in only 68.4 PPG. The Panthers are 14-5-1 ATS in their last 20 home games — and they are 10-4-1 ATS in their last 15 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. Georgia State should build off the momentum of their victory over the Trojans as they have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 17 games after a win by at least 15 points — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games after scoring at least 80 points in their last game. Furthermore, the Panthers have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 18 games in expected higher scoring games with the Total set in the 150s.

FINAL TAKE: Georgia State will be looking to avenge a 79-70 upset loss at home to Georgia Southern back on February 28th where they were 5-point favorites. The Panthers have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games when avenging a same-season loss — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games when playing with revenge from a same-season loss. 25* CBB Sun Belt Conference Tournament Game of the Year with the Georgia State Panthers (668) minus the points versus the Georgia Southern Eagles (667). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 11:30 AM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Sacramento State Hornets (625) minus the points versus the Weber State Wildcats (626) in the first round of the Big Sky tournament. THE SITUATION: Sacramento State (15-14) has lost two straight games as well as four of their last six contests after their 76-72 loss at Portland State as a 4.5-point underdog on Saturday. Weber State (12-19) has lost three of their last four games with their 78-69 loss at Eastern Washington as an 11.5-point underdog on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HORNETS MINUS THE POINTS: Bettors are backing the Wildcats with the hope that they can flip the switch to find the form that was expected for this team that was one of the preseason favorites to win the regular-season crown. Instead, Weber State stumbled to an 8-12 conference record. Injuries played a role with this team underachieving — but head coach Randy Rahe’s team struggled on defense all season with an Adjusted Defensive Efficiency ranking of 301st in the nation when playing away from home. Getting healthy has not changed that disappointing play as they rank 314th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency over their last ten games. The team trends that help to identify the personality of this team and program under Rahe do not offer evidence that this team can flip the switch. The Wildcats have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games after a point spread win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 road games after a point spread win. Weber State has also failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight games after a straight-up loss where they covered the point spread as an underdog. The Wildcats have particularly struggled on the road where they are just 4-13 with an average losing margin of -12.1 PPG. Weber State allows their opponents to make 48.5% of their shots away from home — and they are making only 42.4% of their shots in those games which results in just 61.8 PPG. The Wildcats have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games played on a neutral court — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games as an underdog played on a neutral court. Sacramento State made only 43.6% of their shots last Saturday which was the lowest field goal percentage in their last six games. But the Hornets have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 21 games after losing two of their last three games. Sacramento State does a couple of things that will help them create extra scoring chances if their shots are not falling. The Hornets are 2nd in the Big Sky by pulling down 33.0% of their missed chances — and the Wildcats are just 10th in the conference by allowing their opponents to pull down 30.0% of their missed shots. The Hornets also lead the Big Sky by forcing turnovers in 21.6% of their possessions — and Weber State has turned the ball over in 18.9% of their possessions over their last ten games which is 130th in the country. Sacramento State has covered the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games on the road against teams who are winning 20-40% of their games. The Hornets have also covered the point spread in 7 straight games played on a neutral court — and they have covered the point spread in 5 straight games when favored on a neutral court. Furthermore, Sacramento State has covered the point spread in 12 of its last 17 games when favored. Additionally, the Hornets have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games against teams with a losing record.

FINAL TAKE: Sacramento State will also be looking to avenge a 70-66 loss to Weber State back on February 6th — and they have covered the point spread in 7 straight games on the road when playing with revenge from a loss earlier in the season. 10* CBB Wednesday Afternoon Discounted Deal with the Sacramento State Hornets (625) minus the points versus the Weber State Wildcats (626). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Boston Celtics (529) minus the points versus the Indiana Pacers (530). THE SITUATION: Boston (42-21) has lost two straight games as well as four of their last five contests after their 105-104 upset loss to Oklahoma City on Sunday as a 6.5-point favorite. Indiana (39-25) has won two straight games as well as six of their last seven contests with their 112-109 upset win in Dallas on Sunday as a 6.5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CELTICS MINUS THE POINTS: Head coach Brad Stevens will be looking for his team to get back to their winning ways after suffering two straight upset losses with that loss to the Thunder preceded by a 99-94 upset loss at home to Utah Jazz. Boston has responded to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games after suffering an upset loss — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a straight-up loss. The Celtics go back on the road where they are 19-12 this season. Boston has covered the point spread in 5 straight games on the road — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 road games as the favorite. The Celtics are also 18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 road games against teams with a winning record at home. Indiana has covered the point spread in three of their last four games — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 15 games after covering the point spread in three of their last four games. The Pacers return home where they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games. Indiana has also failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 10 home games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games at home as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Injuries have hit both these teams right now. Jaylen Brown is still out for the Celtics with his hamstring injury. The Pacers are without Jeremy Lamb and Malcolm Brogdon while Victor Oladipo and Doug McDermott are questionable and doubtful with injuries. Boston is looking to avenge a 122-117 loss at home to Indiana back on December 11th — and the Celtics have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 22 games when playing with revenge. Boston has also covered the point spread in 10 of their last 15 games when avenging a loss where they allowed at least 110 points. The Celtics are also 4-1-1 ATS in their last encounters with the Pacers. 10* NBA Road Warrior Wipeout with the Boston Celtics (529) minus the points versus the Indiana Pacers (530). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Northern Kentucky Norse (616) minus the points versus the Illinois-Chicago Flames (615) in the Finals of the Horizon League conference tournament. THE SITUATION: Northern Kentucky (22-9) has won three of their last four games after their 80-69 win over Wisconsin-Green Bay last night as a 5.5-point favorite. Illinois-Chicago (18-16) has won three straight games as well as six of their last seven contests after their 73-56 upset win over Wright State yesterday as a 6-point underdog. This game will be played on a neutral court at Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis.

REASONS TO TAKE THE NORSE MINUS THE POINTS: Northern Kentucky should continue to build off their momentum as they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games on the road after winning a least two of their last three games. The Norse have also covered the point spread in 11 of their last 15 games when playing their second game in three days. Northern Kentucky won the Horizon League tournament last season under head coach John Brannen who then took the vacated job at Cincinnati in the offseason. The Norse also lost their best player in Drew McDonald. But the program landed a veteran head coach in Darrin Horn who has a decade of head coaching experience at Western Kentucky and South Carolina along with long tenures as an assistant at Marquette and Texas. Horn could have waited for a more high profile job in his return to head coaching but he liked the opportunity at Northern Kentucky. The cupboard was not empty when it comes to talent with guards Jalen Tate and Tyler Sharpe along with forward Dantez Walton back from last season. Injuries have kept this big three from playing together often this season with Tate and Walton missing ten games and eleven games respectively this season. When Tate went down early this season, Walton raised his level of play to lead this team with talk of him perhaps being the Horizon League’s best player before he went down with an injury. But this core is healthy again and have played together for the last seven games. Northern Kentucky has covered the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games played on a neutral court — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games played on a neutral court as a favorite. Illinois-Chicago held the Raiders to just 28.3% of their shots which was the best defensive effort in their last six games. But the Flames have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 14 after not allowing their last opponent to shoot better than 33% from the field. Illinois-Chicago has also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a double-digit victory. The Flames are one of the hottest teams in basketball — and they have covered the point spread in four of their last five games (and five of their last seven). But Illinois-Chicago has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after covering the point spread in five or six of their last seven games. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 road games after winning four or five of their last six contests. The Flames’ biggest weakness is being too loose with the basketball as they turn the ball over in 21.2% of their possessions when playing away from home which ranks 287th in the nation. The Norse have forced turnovers in 20.1% of their opponent’s possessions in their last ten games which is 81st best in the country over that span.

FINAL TAKE: Northern Kentucky will have the additional motivation tonight to avenge a 73-43 loss at home to Illinois-Chicago back on February 16th despite being a 10-point favorite in that game. 25* CBB Horizon League Conference Game of the Year with the Northern Kentucky Norse (616) minus the points versus the Illinois-Chicago Flames (615). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Manhattan Jaspers (607) minus the points versus the Fairfield Stags (608) in the opening round of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament. THE SITUATION: Manhattan (12-17) has lost three straight games as well as seven of their last eight contests with their 66-50 upset loss at home to Fairfield as a 5-point favorite. Fairfield (12-19) snapped a four-game losing streak with the upset victory last week. The MAAC tournament takes place on a neutral court at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

REASONS TO TAKE THE JASPERS MINUS THE POINTS: Manhattan allowed the Stags to make 61.9% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort for them this season. The Jaspers also made only 29.8% of their shots which was the worst shooting effort in their last twenty-three games along with their second-worst offensive performance all season. Manhattan has bounced-back to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games after an upset loss — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after not scoring more than 50 points in their last contest. And while the Jaspers trailed by a 34-17 score at halftime of that game, they have then covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after trailing by at least 15 points at halftime of their last game. Manhattan has also covered the point spread in 26 of their last 39 road games after losing six or seven of their last eight contests. This has been a better team in tournament play under head coach Steve Masiello. The Jaspers have covered the point spread in 23 of their last 33 games in the MAAC tournament — and they have also covered the point spread in 12 of their last 15 road games in an opening contest in a tournament. Additionally, Manhattan has covered the point spread in 4 straight games played on a neutral court — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games as a favorite playing on a neutral court. Fairfield played their best offensive game of the season with that win over the Jaspers last week. And by holding Manhattan to just 29.8% shooting, they come off their best defensive contest in their last seven games with that being the third-lowest opponent’s field goal percentage for them this season. But the Stags have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after not allowing their last opponent to shoot better than 33% from the field. Fairfield has also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after suffering an upset loss — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games on the road after a win over a conference rival. Additionally, the Stags are 5-15-1 ATS in their last 21 games after a straight-up loss — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight games after a point spread loss. Furthermore, Fairfield had failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games after not allowing more than 55 points in their last game — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 19 games after not allowing more than 50 points in their last contest.

FINAL TAKE: Despite enjoying their best shooting effort all season last Thursday against the Jaspers, the Stags are still only making 37.6% of their shots in their last five games which is resulting in just 55.8 PPG. 10* CBB Tuesday Daily Discounted Deal with the Manhattan Jaspers (607) minus the points versus the Fairfield Stags (608). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 11:30 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the BYU Cougars (894) minus the points versus the Saint Mary’s Gaels (893) in the semifinals of the West Coast Conference tournament. THE SITUATION: BYU (24-7) takes the court again tonight having won nine straight games after their 81-64 victory at Pepperdine back on February 29th as a 6.5-point favorite. Saint Mary’s (24-7) advanced to the semifinals of this tournament with their 89-82 victory over Pepperdine in double-overtime on Saturday as a 7-point favorite. This game will be played on a neutral court at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

REASONS TO TAKE THE COUGARS MINUS THE POINTS: BYU has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a victory over a conference rival where they scored at least 80 points. The Cougars are an outstanding shooting basketball team — they are 5th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency while leading the nation by making 42.0% of their shots from behind the arc. BYU made 53.1% of their shots in their victory over the Waves. That was the third straight game where the Cougars shot at least 48.4% of their shots — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after making at least 47% of their shots in three straight games. BYU has also scored at least 81 points in three straight games — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after scoring at least 80 points in three straight games. The Cougars make 49.2% of their shots away from home which results in them scoring 77.1 PPG — and they lead the nation with a 42.4% shooting percentage from 3-point land when playing on the road. BYU also leads the West Coast Conference by forcing turnovers in 19.0% of their opponent’s possessions. The Cougars have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games played on a neutral court — and they have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 17 games when favored. Saint Mary’s has failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after allowing at least 80 points in their last game. And while the Gaels have played four straight games Over the Total, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after playing at least three straight Overs. BYU has a field goal percentage of 50.4% — and Saint Mary’s has failed to cover the point spread in 34 of their last 52 road games against teams who make at least 48% of their shots. The Gaels also allow their opponents to make 35.4% of their shots from behind the arc when they are playing away from home. Saint Mary’s has failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 22 games when playing on a neutral court with the Total set in the 140 to 149.5 point range. The Gaels have also failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 18 games as an underdog — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 21 of their last 29 games played on a neutral court as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Saint Mary’s will be looking to avenge an 81-79 loss at BYU back on February 1st — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games when attempting to avenge a loss on the road to their opponent. 25* CBB West Coast Conference Game of the Year with BYU Cougars (894) minus the points versus the Saint Mary’s Gaels (893). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:30 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the North Dakota Fighting Hawks (863) plus the points versus the South Dakota Coyotes (864) in the Quarterfinals of the Summit League conference tournament. THE SITUATION: North Dakota (12-17) has lost their last two games after losing at South Dakota last Saturday by a 77-67 score as a 7.5-point favorite. South Dakota (20-11) snapped a three-game losing streak with that victory. This game is being played on a neutral court in Sioux Falls.

REASONS TO TAKE THE FIGHTING HAWKS PLUS THE POINTS: North Dakota made only 5 of their 10 free throw attempts in that game which is uncharacteristic for this team that ranks 22nd in the nation by making 76.6% of their free throws this season. The Fighting Hawks have then covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after failing to shoot better than 53% of their free throws in their last game. This is a good shooting basketball team that ranks 25th in the nation with an effective field goal percentage of 52.4% when playing away from home on neutral courts or hostile environments. North Dakota is led by an All-League performer in guard Marlon Stewart. This team usually plays its best basketball in tournament situations. The Fighting Hawks have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 tournament contests — and they have also covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games in the Summit League conference tournament. Furthermore, North Dakota has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games in March. Additionally, the Fighting Hawks are 9-2-1 ATS in their last 12 games played on a neutral court — and they are 7-0-1 ATS in their last 8 games on a neutral court as an underdog. South Dakota does nail 39.0% of their 3-pointers — but North Dakota has covered the point spread in 11 of their last 17 games after fifteen games into the season against teams who shoot at least 37% from 3-point land. The Coyotes shot 54.2% from the field in their victory last Saturday which was the best shooting effort in their last six games. But this South Dakota team shoots only 45.1% when playing any from home. While the Coyotes rank 9th in the nation with an effective field goal percentage of 54.8%, that number drops to a 51.6% clip when they are playing away from home arena. South Dakota has failed to cover the point spread 6 of their last 8 games played on a neutral court — and they have also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games played on a neutral court. The Coyotes win over the Fighting Hawks finished below the 155 point total — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after playing a game that finished Under the Total. And in their last 7 games played with at least seven days of rest, South Dakota has failed to cover the point spread 5 times.

FINAL TAKE: The Coyotes swept the two regular-season games with North Dakota this season as they also defeated them on the road by an 82-68 score on February 8th. This is considered a semi-home game for South Dakota with it being played in Sioux Falls — but it is still 116 miles away from their home campus in Vermillion. Look for the Fighting Hawks give the Coyotes their biggest fight in this single-elimination contest. 25* CBB Summit League Game of the Year with the North Dakota Fighting Hawks (863) plus the points versus the South Dakota Coyotes (864). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 1:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Baylor Bears (613) plus the points versus the West Virginia Mountaineers (614). THE SITUATION: Baylor (26-3) has won two of their last three games with their 71-68 win in overtime at home against Texas Tech on Monday as a 7-point favorite. West Virginia (20-10) had lost six of their last seven games before they defeated Iowa State on the road on Tuesday by a 77-71 score as a 6-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BEARS PLUS THE POINTS: Baylor shot just 36.5% from the field on Monday in what was the worst shooting effort in their last six games. But the Bears have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after a point spread loss — and they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games after a point spread win. They go back on the road this season where they are 12-2 with an average winning margin of +10.0 PPG. They hold their home hosts to just 41% shooting which has resulted in just 61.1 PPG. Baylor is 38-18-1 ATS in their last 59 games on the road — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 road games against teams with a winning percentage of at least 60% on their home court. The Bears have also covered the point spread in 16 of their last 21 games as an underdog — and they have covered the point spread in 5 straight games on the road getting the points. Furthermore, Baylor has covered the point spread in 11 of their last 15 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. West Virginia made 44.3% of their shots on Tuesday in what was the best shooting effort in their last eight games. But the Mountaineers have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after covering the point spread in their last game. West Virginia returns home where they are 13-2 this season — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games when favored. The Mountaineers have lost two of their last three home games while scoring only 58.7 PPG on just 35.9% shooting. West Virginia has failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%.

FINAL TAKE: West Virginia will be looking to avenge a 70-59 loss at Baylor back on February 15th — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games when avenging a loss where they did not reach 60 points. 10* CBB Baylor-West Virginia ESPN Special with the Baylor Bears (613) plus the points versus the West Virginia Mountaineers (614). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 1:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Kentucky Wildcats (615) plus the points versus the Florida Gators (616). THE SITUATION: Kentucky (24-6) saw their eight-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday with their 81-73 upset loss at home to Tennessee despite being an 8.5-point favorite. Florida (19-11) has won two of their last three games after their 68-54 win at Georgia as a 2-point favorite on Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE WILDCATS PLUS THE POINTS: Kentucky allowed the Volunteers to make 52.8% of their shots which was not only the second-highest opponent’s field goal percentage for them all season but also the worst defensive performance in their last twenty games. The Wildcats should rebound with a strong effort as they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a point spread loss. They also have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games after winning two of their last three games. Now Kentucky goes back on the road where they are 8-4 this season. The deeper analytics rank the Wildcats as the 6th best road team in the nation when looking at Adjusted Net Efficiency. They have covered the point spread in 4 straight games on the road — and they have also covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 road games as an underdog. Furthermore, the Wildcats have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games when listed in the +/- 3-point range. Florida has failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 13 games after a win on the road against an SEC rival. The Gators have also failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 11 home games after allowing no more than 60 points in their last contest. And while Florida has covered the point spread in five of their last seven games, they have then failed to cover the point spread 4 of their last 5 games after covering the point spread in five or six of their last seven games. The Gators return home where they are 11-3 this season — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 26 games on their home court. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. And in their last 18 home games with the Total set in the 130 to 139.5 point range, Florida has failed to cover the point spread in 15 of these contests.

FINAL TAKE: The Gators are looking to avenge a 65-59 loss at Kentucky back on February 22nd — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games when attempting to avenge a loss on the road. 25* CBB SEC Underdog of the Year with the Kentucky Wildcats (615) plus the points versus the Florida Gators (616). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the New Orleans Pelicans (552) minus the points versus the Miami Heat (551). THE SITUATION: New Orleans (26-36) has lost three straight games with their 127-123 loss at Dallas as a 6-point underdog on Wednesday. Miami (40-22) has won four straight games after they defeated Orlando at home by a 116-113 score on Wednesday as a 6.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PELICANS MINUS THE POINTS: Miami broke a franchise record against the Magic by making 22 shots from behind the arc. While the Heat made 50% of their 3-pointers to eke out that game, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 19 road games after scoring at least 115 points in their last game. Miami is also just 8-20-1 ATS in their last 29 games after a straight-up win. Now after playing their last five games at home, the Heat go back on the road where they are just 13-18 this season. Miami has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 road games against teams who are winning at least 60% of their games on their home court. Defense has been an issue for this team as of late as they have allowed their last five opponents to make 47.4% of their shots which has resulted in them scoring 112.4 PPG. New Orleans has bounced-back to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games after a straight-up loss. The Pelicans have also covered the point spread in 5 straight games after allowing at least 125 points in their last game. That game was Zion Williamson’s first professional game where he was playing the second half of games on back-to-back days. New Orleans did cover the point spread in that game — and they are 14-5-1 ATS in their last 20 games after a point spread win.

FINAL TAKE: The Heat are not as well equipped to thrive in higher-scoring games. They have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 14 road games after a game where at least 225 combined points were scored. The Pelicans average 92 shots per game while surrendering 117.4 PPG. But Miami has failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 12 games against teams who allow at least 110 PPG — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 21 games on the road against teams who average at least 88 shots per game. 10* NBA Miami-New Orleans ESPN Special with the New Orleans Pelicans (552) minus the points versus the Miami Heat (551). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Yale Bulldogs (849) minus the points versus the Dartmouth Big Green (850). THE SITUATION: Yale (22-6) has won four straight games with their 66-63 win over Princeton last Saturday as an 8-point favorite. Dartmouth (12-15) has won five of their last six games with their 76-57 win at Columbia last Saturday as a 2-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BULLDOGS MINUS THE POINTS: Yale has covered the point spread in 11 of their last 15 games after a point spread loss — and they have covered the point spread in 16 of their last 21 games on the road after a straight-up victory where they did not cover the point spread as a favorite. And while the Bulldogs have only covered the point spread once in their last five games, they have then covered the point spread in 17 of their last 22 games on the road after failing to cover the point spread in three of their last four games. They go back on the road where they are 12-5 this season while holding their home hosts to just 39.1% shooting which results in only 65.5 PPG. Yale has covered the point spread in 15 of the last 20 games on the road — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 13 road games against teams with a winning record at home. Additionally, the Bulldogs have covered the point spread in 45 of their last 57 road games when favored. Yale is a great shooting basketball team that ranks 20th in the nation with an effective field goal percentage of 51.1%. And while the Big Green hold their opponents to just 41.8% shooting from the field, the Bulldogs have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games against teams who do not allow their opponents to make more than 42% of their shots. Dartmouth played their second-best defensive game of the season last week by holding Columbia to just 33.3% shooting. But they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games after a point spread win. The Big Green returns home after playing their last two games on the road but they have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 13 games after playing their last two games on the road. Furthermore, Dartmouth has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games at home — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 home games against teams with a winning record on the road.

FINAL TAKE: Dartmouth looks to avenge a 75-57 loss at Yale back on February 8th — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 51 of their last 78 games at home when attempting to avenge a double-digit loss. 10* CBB Friday Daily Discounted Deal with the Yale Bulldogs (849) minus the points versus the Dartmouth Big Green (850). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Clemson Tigers (854) minus the points versus the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (853). THE SITUATION: Clemson (15-14) has lost two of their last three games with their 70-58 loss at Virginia Tech as a 1.5-point underdog on Wednesday. Georgia Tech (16-14) has won three straight games as well as five of their last six contests with their 73-57 win over Pittsburgh on Wednesday as a 6-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE TIGERS MINUS THE POINTS: Clemson looks to bounce-back from one of their worst games of the season against the Hokies. They made only 35.1% of their shots which was the worst shooting effort in their last seven games. They also allowed Virginia Tech to make 54.2% of their shots which was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage they have allowed all season. The Tigers allowed Florida State to make 50% of their shots in their previous game — but they have then covered the point spread in 14 of their last 17 home games after allowing two straight opponents to shoot at least 50% of their shots. Head coach Brad Brownell’s team has also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games when playing with one or no days of rest. They return home where they are 11-5 this season with an average winning margin of +8.3 PPG. The Tigers play the 32nd stingiest defense in the nation when playing at home according to their Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — they limit their guests to just 40.4% shooting which translates into only 62.6 PPG. Clemson should shoot better tonight — they have still made 47.9% of their shots over their last five games even after the difficult shooting effort against the Hokies. Clemson takes tons of 3s — but they do lead the ACC by making 53.2% of their shots inside the arc. Their efficiency inside the arc improves at home as they are making 56.5% of their 2-point shots which is the 26th best mark in the nation. Georgia Tech does hold their opponents to just 40.2% shooting — but the Tigers have covered the point spread in 22 of their last 33 games after fifteen games into the season when facing a team that does not allow their opponents to shoot better from 42% from the field. And while the Yellow Jackets shoot 45.3% from the field, Clemson has covered the point spread in 19 of their last 27 games after fifteen games into the season against teams who make at least 45% of their shots. Georgia Tech may be due for a letdown as they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a victory by at least 15 points. They made 49.1% of their shots in what was the best shooting effort in their last four games. They also held the Panthers to 30.9% shooting which was the best defensive performance in their last fourteen games. But this will be the Yellow Jackets third game since Saturday — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games when playing their third game in seven days. Additionally, Georgia Tech has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after winning two straight games against conference opponents — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after winning at least three in a row against ACC foes. The Yellow Jackets go back on the road where they are 6-8 this season. Georgia Tech has covered the point spread in five of their last six games — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 26 of their last 39 road games after covering the point spread in five or six of their last seven games. The Jackets have also failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 24 road games with the Total set in the 130 to 134.5 point range. Georgia Tech has two weaknesses that undermine the tough defense they play for head coach Josh Pastner. The Yellow Jackets foul too much to give their opponents freebies at the charity stripe — especially on the road. Georgia Tech ranks 315th in the nation with an opponent’s Free Throw Attempt-to-Field Goal Attempt ratio of 44.4% when playing away from home. The Yellow Jackets also turn the ball over in 22.8% of their possessions which is 342nd in the nation — and Clemson forces turnovers in 19.9% of their opponent’s possessions which is a solid 105th best in the nation.

FINAL TAKE: Clemson will have revenge on their minds as well for this game after losing to Georgia Tech in Atlanta by a 68-59 score back on February 25th. Not only have the Tigers covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 opportunities to play with revenge but they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games when looking to avenge a loss where they did not score at least 60 points. 25* CBB Friday ESPN2 Game of the Year with the Clemson Tigers (854) minus the points versus the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (853). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Utah State Aggies (704) minus the points versus the New Mexico Lobos (703) in the Quarterfinals of the Mountain West Conference tournament. THE SITUATION: Utah State (23-8) saw their six-game winning streak snapped on Saturday with their 66-64 upset loss in Albuquerque at New Mexico where they were 8-point favorites. New Mexico (19-13) has won two straight games after their 79-66 victory over San Jose State in the opening round of this tournament yesterday. This tournament is being played on a neutral court in the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

REASONS TO TAKE THE AGGIES MINUS THE POINTS: Utah State allowed the Lobos to make 44.8% of their shots which was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last four games. They should rebound with a strong effort as they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games after suffering an upset loss on the road as a favorite laying at least 8 points. Utah State has also covered the point spread in 5 straight games after a point spread loss. And while the Aggies have played their last two games Under the Total, they have then covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after playing their last two games Under the Total. Utah State has made 48.0% of their shots over their last five games which has resulted in them scoring 76.4 PPG. They also have held their last five opponents to just 39.6% shooting which has produced only 62.2 PPG. This has also been a winning team away from home with their 8-7 record in road games and games played on a neutral court. The Aggies have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games played on a neutral court. They also have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games as the favorite. New Mexico made 47.5% of their shots yesterday which was theist shooting effort in their last seven games. But the Lobos have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 19 games after a win by at least 10 points. New Mexico has also failed to cover the point spread in 17 of their last 25 games after a point spread victory. The Lobos were 15-3 when playing at home in the Pit — but they are just 4-10 when playing on the road or neutral courts. New Mexico has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games played on a neutral court as an underdog. The Lobos has also failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games as a dog. Furthermore, New Mexico has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games against teams with a winning percentage of 60% or better.

FINAL TAKE: Utah State should control the offensive glass tonight as they look to avenge their loss to end the regular season. The Aggies rank 2nd in the Mountain West Conference by pulling down 30.2% of their missed shots — and the Lobos allow their conference opponents to rebound 31.5% of their misses which is 11th in conference. 10* CBB Thursday Daily Discounted Deal with the Utah State Aggies (704) minus the points versus the New Mexico Lobos (703). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Drake Bulldogs (712) minus the points versus the Illinois State Redbirds (711) in the first round of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament. THE SITUATION: Drake (18-13) has lost three straight games after their 70-43 loss at home to Northern Iowa as a 3.5-point underdog on Saturday. Illinois State (10-20) has won two of their last three games with their 71-60 upset win at Evansville as a 2.5-point underdog last Saturday. The Missouri Valley Conference tournament is played on a neutral court at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BULLDOGS MINUS THE POINTS: Drake made only 30.2% of their shots which was the lowest shooting mark in their last twenty games. The Bulldogs made only 3 of their 21 shots from behind the arc (14.3%) in their loss to the Panthers — but the have then covered the point spread in 15 of their last 20 games on the road after a game where they did not make at least 20% of their 3-point attempts. Drake should shoot better tonight as they have made 36.3% of their shots from downtown in their last ten games away from home in games played on neutral courts and true road games. The Bulldogs should respond with a strong effort as they have bounced-back to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a loss by at least 20 points — and they have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 15 games after a double-digit loss which includes them covering the point spread in those last four opportunities. Drake has been a reliable team when playing on neutral courts as well as they are 15-5-1 ATS in their last 21 games on a neutral court — and they are 8-2-1 ATS in their last 11 games played on a neutral court when favored. Illinois State played their best defensive game of the season against the Purple Aces by holding them to just 32.8% shooting. But the Redbirds are only 2-8-1 ATS in their last 11 games after a straight-up win — and they are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 games after a point spread victory. They stay on the road where they are just 1-14 this season with an average losing margin of -10.4 PPG. Illinois State allows their opponents to make 47.2% of their shots when playing away from home which results in them scoring 75.5 PPG. They also make just 42.2% of their shots in those fifteen games away from Normal. The Redbirds have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games when playing on a neutral court. Illinois State is also just 4-9-1 ATS in their last 14 games when playing as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Drake will be looking to avenge a 57-53 upset loss at Illinois State where they were 1.5-point underdogs back on February 22nd. The Bulldogs play sound fundamental basketball as they made 52.9% of their shots inside the arc which is 2nd best in the MVC. They also hold their opponents to just 46.0% shooting inside the arc which is 2nd best in the Missouri Valley Conference. Illinois State may struggle to score as they make only 45.9% of their shots inside the arc which is 10th in the conference. 25* CBB Missouri Valley Conference Game of the Year with the Drake Bulldogs (712) minus the points versus the Illinois State Redbirds (711). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Creighton Bluejays (778) minus the points versus the Georgetown Hoyas (777). THE SITUATION: Creighton (22-7) saw their five-game winning streak snapped on Sunday with their 91-71 upset loss at St. John’s as a 5.5-point favorite. Georgetown (15-14) has lost four games in a row after their 66-63 loss at home against Xavier as a 3.5-point underdog on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BLUEJAYS MINUS THE POINTS: Creighton played one of their worst games of the season after perhaps enjoying their most positive stint of the year during their previous five-game run. The Bluejays allowed the Red Storm to make 55% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in their last twenty-three games. They also made only 37.3% of their shots which was the worst shooting effort in their last six games. But Creighton has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after a loss by at least 15 points. The Bluejays have also covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a point spread defeat. Creighton has still won nine of their last eleven games — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games after winning at least six or seven of their last eight games. The Bluejays return home where they are 16-1 this season with an average winning margin of +15.7 PPG. Creighton holds their opponents to just 39.7% shooting from the field — and they also make 49.5% of their shots at home which translates into 83.1 PPG. The Bluejays have covered the point spread in 4 straight games on their home court with four victories all by at least 11 points. Creighton has also covered the point spread in 24 of their last 34 home games against teams who do not have a winning percentage better than 40% on the road. Additionally, the Bluejays have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 home games with the Total set in the 150 to 154.5 point range. This team ranks 5th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency according to KenPom — and the analytics also say they have the best Adjusted Offensive Efficiency when playing at home. Creighton has covered the point spread in 9 of their last 12 home games as a favorite in the 6.5 to 12 point range — and they have also covered the point spread in 5 straight games against teams with a winning record. Georgetown has been reduced to an eight-man rotation after four programs left the program in December. Head coach Patrick Ewing’s team will be furthered shorthanded tonight with Omer Yertseven and Mac McClung both doubtful with ankle and foot injuries. Those two players are the Hoyas’ top two possession and shot takers on the team — so their potential loss is devastating. As it is, Georgetown has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a point spread win. They are making only 41% of their shots over their last five games which have resulted in them scoring only 67.8 PPG. Now they go back on the road where they are just 4-6 — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games on the road. This team struggles in defending the perimeter as they rank 302nd in the nation by allowing their opponents to make 35.9% of their shots from behind the arc — and they allow their home hosts to nail 37.5% of their shots from 3-point land which is 298th in the nation. Creighton is 5th in the nation by making 42.1% of their 3-pointers when playing at home. The Hoyas have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 road games against teams who are winning at least 60% of their games on their home court. Furthermore, Georgetown has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games against teams who are winning at least 60% of their games — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Creighton will be motivated to avenge an 83-80 loss at Georgetown back on January 15th. The Bluejays have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games when playing with revenge — and they have covered the point spread in 27 of their last 40 games when avenging a narrow loss by 3 points or less. 25* CBB Big East Game of the Year with the Creighton Bluejays (778) minus the points versus the Georgetown Hoyas (777). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Siena Saints (770) minus the points versus the Niagara Purple Eagles (769). THE SITUATION: Siena (17-10) has won seven straight games after their 52-50 win at Marist on Friday as a 6-point favorite. Niagara (11-18) has won two straight games as well as four of their last six contests with their 100-91 overtime victory over Iona as a 2.5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE SAINTS MINUS THE POINTS: Siena has played their last three games on the road where they were favored — and they have covered the point spread in their last 3 games after playing their last three games on the road where they were laying the points. They return home where they are a perfect 13-0 with an average winning margin of +10.2 PPG. The Saints are making 47.4% of their shots at home which is resulting in them scoring 73.8 PPG. They have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games at home — and they have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 home games when laying the points. Siena has also covered the point spread in 4 straight home games against teams with a winning percentage no better than 40% on the road. Niagara made a shot a season-high 58.7% from the field on Saturday in their overtime win over the Gaels. The Purple Eagles made 15 of their 25 shots from behind the arc in that game — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 18 games after making at least thirteen 3-pointers in their last game. Niagara has also failed to cover the point spread in 17 of their last 24 games after a game where they made at least 55% of their shots. Furthermore, the Purple Eagles have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a game where they scored at least 100 points in their last game — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 13 games after a game where they at least 155 combined points were scored. They go back on the road where they are just 2-15 with an average losing margin of -12.9 PPG. Niagara allows their home hosts to shoot 47.6% of their shots which results in them scoring 75.4 PPG. The Purple Eagles have failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home court.

FINAL TAKE: Niagara’s upset win over Iona came on the heels of them upsetting St. Peter’s at home by a 63-54 scorer as a 5-point underdog. But the Purple Eagles have failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games in March. 10* CBB Wednesday Daily Discounted Deal with the Siena Saints (770) minus the points versus the Niagara Purple Eagles (769). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Iowa Hawkeyes (648) minus the points versus the Purdue Boilermakers (647). THE SITUATION: Iowa (20-9) has won three of their last four games with their 77-68 victory at home against Penn State as a 5-point favorite on Saturday. Purdue (15-14) snapped a four-game losing streak with their 57-49 win at against Indiana where they were 6.5-point favorites on Thursday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HAWKEYES MINUS THE POINTS: Iowa should build off their momentum as they are 7-3-3 ATS in their last 13 games after a straight-up win — and they are 8-2-2 ATS in their last 12 games after a point spread victory. The Hawkeyes stay at home where they are 14-1 this season with an average winning margin of +14.2 PPG. Iowa makes 47% of their shots on their home court which has resulted in them scoring 81.7 PPG. The Hawkeyes are 18-7-2 ATS in their last 27 games at home — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 home games with the Total set in the 140 to 149.5 point range. Additionally, Iowa is 12-2-2 ATS in their last 16 home games when favored — and they are 9-1-2 ATS in their last 12 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. The Hawkeyes rank 5th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. And while the Boilermakers launch 21 shots from behind the arc this season, Iowa has covered the point spread in 8 straight home games who take at least 21 shots from 3-point land per game. Purdue played their best defensive game of the season last week by limiting the Hoosiers to just 25.4% shooting from the field. But the Boilermakers have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 18 games on the road after a victory at home against a Big Ten rival. Purdue has also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a point spread win. And while the Boilermakers are 14-4 at home this season, they are just 4-10 when playing on the road. They are making just 37.4% of their shots on the road which has resulted in only 60.0 PPG. Purdue makes only 28.1% of their 3-pointers and just 43.1% of their shots inside the arc on the road which ranks 318th and 335th in the nation. Their 42.8% effective field goal percentage on the road is just 338th in the country. These struggles with shooting the basketball have contributed to the Boilermakers going just 1-5-2 ATS in their last 8 road games — and they are 1-4-2 ATS in their last 7 road games against teams with a winning percentage of 60% or better on their home court. Purdue has also failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight road games after a game where no more than 125 combined points were scored. The Boilermakers defeated Indiana despite them making only 37.5% of their shots. Purdue has a low 39.7% field goal percentage over their last five games — it will be difficult to keep up with this Iowa team that is highly efficient on offense.

FINAL TAKE: Iowa will be looking to avenge a brutal 104-68 loss at Purdue back on February 5th. The Hawkeyes have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 home games when avenging a loss on the road to their opponent. 25* CBB Big Ten Game of the Month with the Iowa Hawkeyes (648) minus the points versus the Purdue Boilermakers (647). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:35 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Boston Celtics (504) minus the points versus the Brooklyn Nets (503). THE SITUATION: Boston (41-18) had their two-game winning streak snapped on Saturday with their 111-110 upset loss at home to Houston as a 2-point favorite. Brooklyn (26-33) has lost their last four games after their 116-113 loss at Miami on Saturday as a 7.5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CELTICS MINUS THE POINTS: Boston made only 39% of their shots on Saturday in what was the worst shooting effort in their last twenty-five games. The Celtics should respond with a strong effort as they have bounced-back to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after an upset loss. Boston has also covered the point spread in 5 straight games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 4 straight games after a point spread defeat. They stay at home where they are 23-6 this season with an average winning margin of +9.6 PPG. The Celtics should shoot better tonight as they are making 47.3% of their shots on their home court which is resulting in 116.6 PPG. Boston has covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games at home — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 home games against teams with a winning percentage below 40% on the road. The Celtics may be undermined tonight with a flu bug hitting the locker room — Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart are listed as questionable after missing practice yesterday. But Boston will get Kemba Walker back after he missed the last five games with a knee injury. The Celtics have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 16 games in the second half of the season against teams with a winning percentage in the 40-49% range. Boston has also covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games as the favorite. Brooklyn may be without Garrett Temple who is questionable with a shoulder injury — and they will be without Kyrie Irving for the rest of the season with his shoulder injury. The Nets stay on the road where they are 10-20 with an average losing margin of -3.6 PPG. Brooklyn has failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 road games as an underdog. The Nets have also failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games when facing an opponent that is winning at least 60% of their games. And in their last 13 games against fellow Atlantic Division opponents, Brooklyn has failed to cover the point spread 9 times.

FINAL TAKE: Boston will also be motivated to avenge a 112-107 upset loss at Brooklyn back on November 29th. The Celtics have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 21 games when playing with revenge against their opponents. 25* NBA Tuesday TNT Game of the Year with the Boston Celtics (504) minus the points versus the Brooklyn Nets (503). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Arkansas State Red Wolves (605) plus the points versus the Georgia Southern Eagles (606). THE SITUATION: Arkansas State (15-15) has lost eight straight games after their 77-74 loss at UL-Lafayette as a 3-point underdog last Wednesday. Georgia Southern (18-12) has won their last two games with their 79-70 upset win at Georgia State last Friday as a 5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RED WOLVES MINUS THE POINTS: The Red Wolves made only 3 of their 15 shots from behind the arc against Ragin’ Cajuns last week for a low 20% shooting percentage from 3-point land — but they have then covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after failing to shoot better than 20% from downtown in their last game. Arkansas State makes 39.7% of their 3-pointers when playing on the road which is the 8th best mark in the nation — so they should shoot better from 3-point land tonight. The Red Wolves also do a great job of drawing fouls as they lead the nation with a 49.3% Free-Throw Attempt-to-Field Goal Attempt ratio. They should play well tonight as they have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 18 games after a point spread loss. They stay on the road where they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games on the road — and they have also covered the point spread in 6 straight road games against teams with a winning record at home. Georgia Southern may be due for a letdown as they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after an upset win — and they have also failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 18 games after a win on the road. Now after playing their last three games on the road, the Eagles return home where they are 10-3 this season. But Georgia Southern has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after playing their last three games on the road. But the analytics indicate that the Eagles do not play their best basketball on their home court. Georgia Southern ranks 146th in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency with a 194th in the nation mark on offense and a 108th national clip on defense — but the Eagles rank 223rd in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency and 121st in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing on their home court. Their Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing at home drops to a 159th ranking. The Eagles have covered the point spread in their last two games while winning five of their last seven games. But Georgia Southern has failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 13 games after winning four or five of their last six games — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games after covering the point spread in two straight games.

FINAL TAKE: Arkansas State tends to overachieve against the best teams on their schedule. The Red Wolves have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games against teams with a winning record — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games ass an underdog. 10* CBB Tuesday Daily Discounted Deal with the Arkansas State Red Wolves (605) plus the points versus the Georgia Southern Eagles (606). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the New Orleans Pelicans (514) plus the point(s) versus the Los Angeles Lakers (513). THE SITUATION: New Orleans (26-33) has won three of their last four games since the All-Star break with their 116-104 win against Cleveland on Friday as a 13-point favorite. Los Angeles (45-13) had their seven-game winning streak snapped last night with their 105-88 upset loss in Memphis despite being an 11-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PELICANS PLUS THE POINTS: The Lakers have not been good in bounce-back situation as they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a double-digit loss. Los Angeles has also failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a loss on the road. They stay on the road for the third time since Thursday — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 16 games when playing their third road game (even) in five days. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 25 of their last 37 games after playing their last two games on the road. Additionally, the Lakers have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 13 road games against teams with a losing record at home. New Orleans is 12-5-1 ATS in their last 18 games after a straight-up win. They clicking with Zion Williamson finally getting on the floor for this team. They are making 49.8% of their shots over their last five games which has resulted in 117.2 PPG. They have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. They also are 10-4-1 ATS in their last 15 games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: The Pelicans will be without J.J. Reddick who is dealing with a hamstring injury but the Lakers may not have Danny Green who is questionable with a hip issue. Los Angeles has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 trips to the Big Easy to face the Pelicans. 10* NBA LA Lakers-New Orleans ESPN Special with the New Orleans Pelicans (514) plus the point(s) versus the Los Angeles Lakers (513). Best of luck for us — Frank.