At 7:05 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Boston Celtics (503) plus the points versus the Philadelphia 76ers (504). THE SITUATION: Boston (25-10) has lost two straight games after suffering a 129-14 upset loss to San Antonio last night as a 2-point favorite. Philadelphia (24-14) snapped their four-game losing streak on Monday with their 120-113 victory at home over Oklahoma City as an 8-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CELTICS PLUS THE POINTS: Boston has now suffered two straight upset losses as they were stunned in Washington as a 9-point favorite in their previous game against the Wizards. But the Celtics have bounced-back to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a double-digit loss at home — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after an upset loss. The small bright shot for Boston last night was they got Kemba Walker back on the court as he played 18 minutes after missing the previous three games with flu-like symptoms. Head coach Brad Stevens’ team should play much better on defense in this game after they allowed the Spurs to make 55.2% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort of their season. Now Boston goes back on the road where they are 11-7 with an average winning margin of +5.9 PPG while holding their home hosts to just 42.6% shooting. The Celtics have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games on the road — and they are also 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 road games against teams with a winning record at home. And while Boston has only covered the point spread twice in their last seven games, they have then covered the point spread in 18 of their last 25 road games after failing to cover the point spread in four or five of their last six games. Philadelphia has failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 20 games after a victory where they did not cover the point spread as the favorite — and they are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 games after a point spread loss. The Sixers will be without Joel Embiid tonight as he recovers from a dislocated finger he suffered on Monday. Philadelphia is just 3-4 in their seven games this season that Embiid does not play. They defeated the Thunder by shooting 51.1% from the field which was the best shooting effort in their last six games. But the 76ers have also allowed their last four opponents to score at least 113 points — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 23 games after allowing at least 110 points in each of their last three games. The Sixers stay at home tonight where they are just 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 home games as a favorite — and they are also 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%.

FINAL TAKE: Boston will be looking to avenge a 115-109 upset loss at home to Philadelphia as a 1-point underdog back on December 12th — and the Celtics have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 10 games when avenging a loss where they allowed at least 110 points. Boston has covered the point spread in 11 of their last 15 meetings with the 76ers which includes them covering the point spread in five of their last seven trips to face them in Philadelphia. Together, these team trends produce our specific 104-34-5 ATS combined angle for this situation. 10* NBA Boston-Philadelphia TNT Special with Boston Celtics (503) plus the points versus the Philadelphia 76ers (504). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Georgia State Panthers (628) minus the points versus the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (627). THE SITUATION: Georgia State (10-6) has lost two straight games after they suffered a 90-87 upset loss at Arkansas State on Monday as a 3.5-point favorite. UL-Lafayette (7-9) comes off an 81-73 upset win at Appalachian State as an 8-point underdog on Monday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PANTHERS MINUS THE POINTS: Georgia State should respond with a strong effort as they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a straight-up loss. They should play better on the defensive end of the court after allowing the Red Wolves to make 48.1% of their shots in what was their fourth-worst defensive effort of the season. This is another good team for the Atlanta team that has made the NCAA Tournament in three of the last five seasons. First-year head coach Rob Lanier saw his team lose by just 11 points at Duke in November. The Panthers lead the Sun Belt Conference by forcing turnovers in 23.1% of their opponent’s possessions — and they are hosting a Ragin’ Cajuns team that is turning the ball over in 19.5% of their possessions. Georgia State is also making 37.5% of their shots from behind the arc which is 31st in the nation — and that number climbs to a 42.6% clip in their home gym which is 12th best in the country. The Panthers return home where they are a perfect 6-0 with an average winning margin of +20.5 PPG. They are holding their guests to just 37.0% shooting from the field. Georgia State is 9-2-1 ATS in their last 12 home games — and they are 7-1-1 in their last 9 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. The Panthers are also 15-5-1 ATS in their last 21 games against teams with a losing record. Louisiana is just 7-19-1 ATS in their last 27 games after a straight-up win. They stay on the road where they are 2-6 with an average losing margin of -10.2 PPG. The Ragin’ Cajuns make only 39.4% of their shots on the road — and they are allowing their home hosts to make 47.0% of their shots. Louisiana has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 road games as an underdog. The defense is a significant issue for this team as they rank 258th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. The Ragin’ Cajuns allow their opponents to shoot 55.5% inside the arc which is 328th in the country.

FINAL TAKE: Louisiana has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. 20* CBB Blowout Bookie Buster with the Georgia State Panthers (628) minus the points versus the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (627). Best of luck for us — Frank.

Hollywood Sports’ CBB BLOWOUT BOOKIE BUSTER
Frank Sawyer

At 9:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Boise State Broncos (836) minus the points versus the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (835). THE SITUATION: Boise State (10-6) saw their four-game winning streak snapped on Saturday with their 83-66 loss at Nevada as a 3.5-point underdog. UNLV (8-8) has won four games in a row with their 71-59 win over the Air Force on Saturday as a 6-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RUNNIN’ REBELS: That was probably the Broncos worst game of the season. They made only 5 of their 26 shots from behind the arc while shooting just 36.2% of their shots which was their second-worst offensive effort of the season. They also allowed the Wolf Pack to nail 55.9% of their shots which was their worst defensive performance of the season. They should respond with a strong effort tonight as they have bounced-back to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after a loss. This team returned four starters and five of their top six scorers from last year’s team that finished just 13-20. Despite snapping six straight seasons of winning at least 20 games, expectations are high to make a run for the NCAA Tournament this season — and they have a nice win over a BYU team that metrics guru Ken Pomeroy ranks as the 30th best team in the nation. Boise State returns home where they are 7-1 this season with an average winning margin of +23.6 PPG. They are making 48.5% of their shots at home which has translated into 85.1 PPG while holding their visitors to only 39.% shooting. The Broncos have covered the point spread in 6 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 no better than 40% on the road. Boise State has also covered the point spread in 10 of their last 12 home games with the Total set in the 135 to 139.5 point range. UNLV has failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 18 games after winning five or six of their last seven games. Now after playing their last four games at home at the Thomas & Mack Center, they go back on the road for the first time since December 7th. The Runnin’ Rebels are just 1-4 on the road where they are making just 38.7% of their shots while getting outscored by -12.0 PPG. UNLV is just 15-33-5 ATS in their last 53 road games — and they are 11-24-4 ATS in their last 39 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home. This team lives off the offensive glass where they are pulling down 36.5% of their missed shots — but Boise State is 13th in the nation by limiting their opponents to rebounding just 22.5% of their missed shots. The Runnin’ Rebels also turn the ball over in 22.4% of their possessions which is 312th in the nation — and the Broncos force turnovers in a healthy 19.3% of their opponent’s possessions.

FINAL TAKE: UNLV’s best win was against a Utah State team during their current winning streak that is fading fast — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 17 games against teams with a winning record. Boise State has covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games as a favorite. 20* CBB Blowout Bookie Buster with the Boise State Broncos (836) minus the points versus the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (835). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Chicago Bulls (575) plus the points versus the New Orleans Pelicans (576). THE SITUATION: Chicago (13-24) has lost their last four games with their 118-110 loss in Dallas on Monday as a 7.5-point underdog. New Orleans (12-25) has lost two of their last three games after their 128-126 loss at home to Utah on Monday as a 4-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BULLS PLUS THE POINTS: Chicago is 8-2-1 ATS in their last 11 games after a straight-up loss. Despite their recent losing streak, this young team had been playing better as of late. This is a very good defensive team that has been under the radar. Over their last fifteen games, the Bulls have the second-best Defensive Rating in the league — and they rank 7th in that metric overall this season. Defense travels — so why Chicago is just 6-11 on the road this year, they are only being outscored by -1.7 PPG in those games. The Bulls are 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 road games — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games on the road against teams with a losing record at home. New Orleans is just 3-9-1 ATS in their last 13 games after a straight-up loss. They are also 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 games after allowing at least 125 points in their last game. The good news for this team is that it looks like Zion Williamson is close to making his NBA debut for the team. But the bad news at least for tonight is that Jrue Holliday is out with an elbow injury and he has been the straw that stirs the drink when they are playing well. The Pelicans are 6-12 when playing at home — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games at home against teams with a losing record on the road. New Orleans has also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games as a favorite — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 15 home games when laying the points.

FINAL TAKE: The Pelicans have failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 16 games against teams with a winning percentage between the 25% to 40% range. Chicago has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games against teams with a winning percentage at 40% or less. Together, these team trends produce our specific 69-19-3 ATS combined angle for this situation. 10* NBA Don’t Need the Points (but we will take the points) Underdog Special with the Chicago Bulls (575) plus the points versus the New Orleans Pelicans (576). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:35 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Dallas Mavericks (572) minus the points versus the Denver Nuggets (571). THE SITUATION: Dallas (23-13) has won two of their last three games with their 118-110 win over Chicago on Monday as a 7.5-point favorite. Denver (25-11) has also won two of their last three games after their 123-115 win at Atlanta on Monday as a 7-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MAVERICKS MINUS THE POINTS: Dallas made up for the absence of Kristaps Porzingis who missed his fourth straight game with a knee injury by seeing Luka Doncic scored 38 points while adding 11 rebounds and 10 assists to lead them past the Bulls. That was Doncic’s ninth triple-double where he scored at least 30 points. The Mavericks have then covered the point spread in 15 of their last 18 games after playing a game at home. They stay in Dallas tonight where they are outscoring their guests by +7.6 PPG — and they have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 17 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. The Mavericks have allowed 110 points in three straight games — but they have then covered the point spread in 15 of their last 20 games after giving up at least 110 points in three straight contests. Furthermore, Dallas has covered the point spread in 13 of their last 18 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% — and they are 11-5-1 ATS in their last 17 games as a favorite. Denver has failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight games — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after a victory on the road. Additionally, the Nuggets have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a point spread win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 21 of their last 29 games on the road after a point spread win. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 25 games after scoring at least 125 points in their last contest. Denver has scored at least 114 points in their last three games but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 18 games after scoring at least 110 points in three straight contests. But while the Nuggets are scoring tons of points behind a rejuvenated Nikola Jokic, Denver has regressed significantly on the defensive end of the court. The Nuggets had the second-best Defensive Rating in the league about a month ago but over their last ten games, they are saddled with the lowest Defensive Rating in the NBA. Their last five opponents have made 51.9% of their shots. Denver stays on the road for their fifth straight game — they may be fatigued as they close out this road trip. The Nuggets are just 2-6-2 ATS in their last 10 road games against teams with a winning record at home.

FINAL TAKE: Porzingis will not play tonight for the fifth straight game. Denver will be without Will Barton who is out for a personal day. The Nuggets are just 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 games as an underdog. Together, these team trends produce our specific 145-48-1 ATS combined angle for this situation. 10* NBA Denver-Dallas ESPN Special with the Dallas Mavericks (572) minus the points versus the Denver Nuggets (571). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Marquette Golden Eagles (602) minus the points versus the Providence Friars (601). THE SITUATION: Marquette (11-3) has won six of their last seven games with their 71-60 win over Villanova as a 2-point favorite on Saturday. Providence (9-6) has won three in a row as well with their 66-65 win at DePaul as a 1-point underdog on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GOLDEN EAGLES MINUS THE POINTS: Marquette should continue to build off their momentum as they have covered the point spread in 19 of their last 28 games after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 6 straight games after a win at home over a conference rival. The Golden Eagles defeating the Wildcats despite making only 37% of their shots which was their worst shooting effort of the season. This team can overcome bad shooting performances because they get plenty of easy ones at the free-throw line — they rank 8th in the nation with a Free Throw Attempt-to-Field Goal Attempt ratio of 42.5% which is 8th best in the nation. The Friars will put them on the free-throw line tonight as they rank 231st in the nation with an opponent’s FTA/FGA ratio of 34.3%. Marquette only made 5 of their 21 shots from behind the arc for a low 23.8% shooting mark — and that is far below their 40.8% shooting percentage from 3-point land which is 3rd best in the nation led by their superstar guard Markus Howard. The Golden Eagles are a perfect 8-0 at home with an average winning margin of +20.7 PPG. They are playing much better defense under head coach Steve Wojciechowski than in past seasons — they are holding their visitors to just 34.9% shooting which has resulted in 60.0 PPG. Marquette has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games at home — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 home games as a favorite. Providence has failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games after a point spread victory. Expectations were high for head coach Ed Cooley’s team this season that returned all five starters from a team that missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time in six seasons. They have registered their three best wins of the season in their current winning streak with victories against Texas, Georgetown, and DePaul — but they have also endured bad losses to Long Beach State, Penn, and Charleston. The Friars have struggled on the road where they are just 2-5 while being outscored by -8.6 PPG. Providence makes only 36.4% of their shots when playing on the road. They have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home. The Friars have also failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 21 games after playing a game where they were an underdog on the road.

FINAL TAKE: Providence has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games as an underdog. Marquette has been bolstered with the strong play of Utah State transfer Kobe McEwan to complement Howard as a second scoring threat. The Golden Eagles are top-40 in both Adjusted Offensive and Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. 25* CBB Tuesday FS1-TV Game of the Month with the Marquette Golden Eagles (602) minus the points versus the Providence Friars (601). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the West Virginia Mountaineers (863) plus (or minus) the point(s) versus the Oklahoma State Cowboys (864). THE SITUATION: West Virginia (11-2) saw their four-game winning streak snapped on Saturday with their 60-53 loss as a 10-point underdog at Kansas. Oklahoma State (9-4) has lost four of their last six games after their 85-50 loss at Texas Tech on Saturday as a 5.5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MOUNTAINEERS PLUS (OR MINUS) THE POINT(S): West Virginia should respond with a strong effort after their loss on Saturday. They shot just 32.2% from the field against the Jayhawks’ which was the worst shooting effort of the season. They also allowed Kansas to make 40.4% of their shots which was their worst defensive performance in their last six contests. The Mountaineers have covered the point spread in 6 straight games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 23 games after a loss against a Big 12 rival. West Virginia has also covered the point spread in 6 straight games on the road after a game where neither team reached 65 points. After a disappointing 15-21 record last season, head coach Bob Huggins has a younger new-look roster this year that is finding success implementing his system. The Mountaineers are dangerous road warriors because they do many things to create additional scoring opportunities if their shots are not falling. West Virginia forces turnovers in 21.0% of their opponent’s possessions which is 99th in the nation. The Mountaineers also crash the offensive glass as they rank 6th in the nation by pulling down 39.0% of their missed shots. And this team gets to the free throw line as they are 38th in the nation with a free throw rate-to-field goal attempt ratio of 39.3%. West Virginia is 5-2 on the road with an average winning margin of +6.0 PPG. This Mountaineers team also plays outstanding defense. They rank 5th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they are holding their home hosts to just 34.4% shooting from the field which is resulting in only 60.6 PPG. Oklahoma State has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games when playing their second game in three days. The Cowboys return all five starters from last year’s 12-20 team but depth is an issue for this group. They return home where they are making only 41% of their shots this season — and they are shooting just 39.3% from the field over their last five games. In fact, while Oklahoma State is just 99th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency, that number plummets to 229th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency when playing at home. The Cowboys have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 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. And while this is Oklahoma State’s just second game since December 29th, they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 home games when playing only their second game in eight days.

FINAL TAKE: The Cowboys have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 home games when listed in the +/- 3-point range. Together these team trends produce our specific 62-19 ATS combined angle for this situation. 10* CBB West Virginia-Oklahoma State ESPN2 Special with the West Virginia Mountaineers (863) plus (or minus) the point(s) versus the Oklahoma State Cowboys (864). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Illinois Fighting Illini (846) minus the points versus the Purdue Boilermakers (845). THE SITUATION: Illinois (9-5) has lost two of their last three games after their 76-56 loss at Michigan State on Thursday as a 10-point underdog. Purdue (9-5) has won their last two games with their 83-78 win against Minnesota at home in double overtime as a 7-point favorite on January 2nd.

REASONS TO TAKE THE FIGHTING ILLINI MINUS THE POINTS: Illinois shot just 29.3% from the field against the Spartans in what was their worst shooting effort of the season. Illinois has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a straight-up loss — and they have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a point spread loss. This team returned eight of their top nine scorers from last year’s team that had just a 12-21 record last season. But they also added a 7’0 290-lb freshman in Kofi Cockburn who has helped the team rank 3rd in the nation by pulling down 39.3% of their missed shots. The Illini return home where they are 8-1 with an average winning margin of +24.5 PPG. Illinois is making 51.6% of their shots on their home court which is generation an 86.7 PPG scoring average. They also limit their visitors to just 41.1% shooting. The Illini are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 games at home — and they are also 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 home games when laying the points. Purdue has 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 11 of their last 14 road games after a win at home against a Big Ten rival. This team lost three starters from last year’s team with the biggest hole being the graduation of Carsen Edwards that has left this team without a reliable go-to scorer. The Boilermakers go back on the road where they are just 2-4 while scoring just 60.0 PPG because they are making only 36% of their shots. Purdue really struggles to make baskets away from home — they rank 314th in the nation with an effective field goal percentage of just 41.5% when playing on the road. The Boilermakers connect on only 24.7% of their 3-pointers on the road which is 325th in the nation. They are also making a mere 52.3% of their free throws in true road games which is 343rd in the nation. Purdue has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 road games against teams with a winning record. Together, these team trends produce our specific 50-14-2 ATS combined angle for this situation. 

FINAL TAKE: Purdue’s best win this season was at home against a Virginia team who does not look nearly as good as advertised when entering the season. The Boilermakers also lost on the road at Nebraska by 14 points to a Cornhuskers team that metrics guru Ken Pomeroy ranks as just the 152nd best team in the nation. Pomeroy places Illinois at 44th in the nation who has a signature win at home against Michigan. Purdue has failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games as the underdog. 25* CBB Sunday FS1-TV Game of the Month with the Illinois Fighting Illini (846) minus the points versus the Purdue Boilermakers (845). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 6:05 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Miami Heat (526) minus the points versus the Portland Trail Blazers (525). THE SITUATION: Miami (25-10) has lost two of their last three games with their 105-85 loss at Orlando as a 1.5-point underdog on Friday. Portland (15-21) snapped their five-game losing streak on Friday with their 122-103 win at Washington as a 7.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HEAT MINUS THE POINTS: Miami shot just 37.5% from the field in that game which was their worst shooting effort of the season. The Heat have bounced-back to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games after a double-digit loss. Miami is also 18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 games after a straight-up loss — and they are 18-6-2 ATS in their last 26 games after a point spread setback. Now the Heat return home where they are 16-1 this season with an average winning margin of +11.6 PPG. Miami is making 48.5% of their shots at home which has translated into 115.7 PPG. The Heat are 13-4-1 ATS in their last 18 games at home — and they are 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 home games against teams with a winning percentage below 40% on the road. Portland nailed 51.1% of their shots in their win on Friday over the Wizards which was their best shooting effort in their last fourteen games. The Blazers also limited Washington to 42.2% shooting which was their best defensive performance in their last five contests. But Portland is 2-5-1 ATS in their last 8 games after a straight-up loss — and they are 2-6-2 ATS in their last 10 games after a point spread win. The Trail Blazers are also 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 games after a double-digit victory. Now Portland goes back on the road where they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games — 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.

FINAL TAKE: The Blazers have failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight games as an underdog. Together, these team trends produce our specific 92-26-10 ATS combined angle for this situation. 20* NBA Blowout Bookie Buster with the Miami Heat (526) minus the points versus the Portland Trail Blazers (525). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 1:30 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Michigan State Spartans (810) minus the points versus the Michigan Wolverines (809). THE SITUATION: Michigan State (11-3) has won three straight games with their 76-56 win over Illinois as a 10-point favorite on Thursday. Michigan (10-3) has won two straight games after their 86-60 win over UMass-Lowell as a 23-point favorite on December 29th.

REASONS TO TAKE THE SPARTANS MINUS THE POINTS: The Wolverines will be without their best offensive player in Isaiah Livers who missed that last game and remains questionable with a groin injury. Livers is shooting 50% from 3-point range while being the closest thing to a go-to scorer for this group. Rookie head coach Juwan Howard has been impressive with instilling confidence in this team while giving his players sophisticated play sets and the green light to shoot when open. Michigan is 2nd in the nation with an effective field goal percentage go 56.9% as they are nailing 38.7% of their 3-pointers (14th in the nation) and 56.2% of their shots inside the arc (10th in the nation). But the problem for this team is that they lack a Plan B if the shots are not falling. The Wolverines do not force turnovers as they have in the last two seasons under head coach John Beilein — they rank 311th in the nation by seeing turnovers in just 16.8% of their opponent’s possessions. They do not crash the glass either as they rank 240th in the nation by pulling down just 26.1% of their missed shots. And they do not get to the free-throw line for easy ones as they rank 318th in the country with a free throw rate to field goal attempt ratio of 24.5%. This is just this team’s third true road game this season — they lost their previous two road games while ranking just 317th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency in those games. They are making a mere 16.2% of their shots from 3-point land in those two games in hostile environments — and that was with Livers. This is the Wolverines’ first road game since December 11th after playing their last three games at home. Michigan 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 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home. The Wolverines have also failed to cover the point spread in 23 of their last 33 road games as an underdog getting 6.5 to 9 points. Michigan State has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a straight-up win. The Spartans are 6-1 at home this season where they are making 49.2% of their shots which has generated 88.3 PPG. They also play outstanding defense at home where they hold their guests to just 35% shooting from the field which is resulting in 58.2 PPG. Michigan State is 8th in the nation with an opponent’s field goal percentage of 42.3% — and they are limiting their opponents to making only 28.6% from behind the arc (29th in the nation). The Spartans have covered the point spread in 21 of their last 31 games at home. They also have covered the point spread in 23 of their last 31 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%.

FINAL TAKE: Michigan State will have the best player on the court in Cassius Winston — and they have a viable Plan B if the shots are not falling by pulling down 35.3% of their missed shots which is 26th in the nation. Michigan catapulted up the national polls by winning the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament with the benefit of being a veteran team — but the Regression Gods have been visiting them ever since with their hot shooting that week. 20* CBB Michigan-Michigan State CBS-TV Special with the Michigan State Spartans (810) minus the points versus the Michigan Wolverines (809). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Memphis Grizzlies (535) plus the points versus the Oklahoma City Thunder (536). THE SITUATION: Memphis (11-20) has lost three of their last four games with their 145-115 loss to San Antonio as a 1-point underdog on Monday. Oklahoma City (15-14) has won four straight games — as well as nine of their last twelve contests — with their 118-112 win over the Los Angeles Clippers as a 1.5-point favorite on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GRIZZLIES PLUS THE POINTS: The holiday break may have come at the wrong time for this Thunder team that had been on a roll. Oklahoma City has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games when playing with at least three days of rest. While the Thunder have been surging on the offensive end of the court, they have allowed their last five opponents to make 48.3% of their shots. Oklahoma City gets Danilo Gallinari back on the court tonight after he was out with an injury but Hamidou Diallo remains out with an elbow injury. The Thunder tend to underachieve against the lesser teams in the league as they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games against teams with a winning percentage at 40% or less. Oklahoma City has also failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games when laying 3.5 to 9.5 points. Memphis is a dangerous underdog behind rookie phenom Ja Morant — they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games as an underdog. Their last two victories were upset wins over Sacramento and Miami. Head coach Taylor Jenkins should have had the attention of his players this week after the Grizzlies played their worst defensive game of the season by allowing the Spurs to nail 67.4% of their shots on Monday. Memphis has covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after allowing their last opponent to make at least 60% of their shots. The Grizzlies have also rebounded to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a point spread loss — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a double-digit loss. Memphis’ shooting should help them keep this game close as they are making 47.5% of their shots over their last five games.

FINAL TAKE: The Grizzlies will be looking to avenge a 126-122 loss to the Thunder back on December 18th where they blew a 24-point lead. The Thunder have been living dangerously as they rallied from a 26-point deficit to Chicago in their previous game before pulling out the win. Memphis has covered the point spread in 4 of the last 5 meetings between these two teams. Don’t be surprised if Oklahoma City is listless for much of this game since their sloppy play has not been punished as of late. 25* NBA Western Conference Underdog of the Month with the Memphis Grizzlies (535) plus the points versus the Oklahoma City Thunder (536). Best of luck for us — Frank.