04-26-24 |
Wolves v. Suns -3.5 |
|
126-109 |
Loss |
-115 |
5 h 26 m |
Show
|
At 10:40 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Phoenix Suns (538) minus the points versus the Minnesota Timberwolves (537) in Game Three of their Western Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Phoenix (49-35) has lost the first two games of this series after their 105-93 loss on the road against the Timberwolves as a 3-point underdog on Tuesday. Minnesota (58-26) has won three of their last four games as well as five of their last seven contests. REASONS TO TAKE THE SUNS MINUS THE POINTS: Phoenix had been playing well to end the season with three straight victories. The Suns have bounced back to win 6 of their last 9 games after an upset loss on the road by double-digits. They have only generated 75 and 78 shots in the first two games of this series — but they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after failing to put up more than 80 shots in two straight games. They have also covered the point spread in 15 of their last 20 games after not allowing more than 100 points in their last contest. Now after playing their last five games on the road, they return home now to play for the first time since April 9th — and they have covered the point spread in 16 of their last 21 games after playing their last four games on the road. Phoenix has covered the point spread in 35 of their last 56 home games when favored by six points or less. Minnesota only made 44.9% of their shots in Game Two — but that was also their best shooting effort in their last seven games. The Timberwolves have won and covered the point spread in both games in this series — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after winning two games in a row while covering the point spread as a favorite in both games. And while the Suns have not scored more than 95 points in either game in this series, Minnesota has failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 16 games after not allowing more than 105 points in two or more games in a row. FINAL TAKE: Phoenix won all three games against the Timberwolves in the regular season by double-digits. And while they have lost both games in this series by 25 and 12 points, the Suns have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 6 opportunities to avenge two straight losses to their opponent by double-digits. 8* NBA Minnesota-Phoenix ESPN Special with the Phoenix Suns (538) minus the points versus the Minnesota Timberwolves (537). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
04-26-24 |
Clippers +4.5 v. Mavs |
Top |
90-101 |
Loss |
-105 |
4 h 35 m |
Show
|
At 8:10 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Los Angeles Clippers (535) plus the points versus the Dallas Mavericks (536) in Game Three of their Western Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Los Angeles (52-32) has lost four of their last five games after their 96-93 upset loss at home to the Mavericks as a 1.5-point underdog on Tuesday. Dallas (51-33) snapped a three-game losing streak to even this series at 1-1. REASONS TO TAKE THE CLIPPERS PLUS THE POINTS: Los Angeles only made 36.8% of their shots on Tuesday which was the worst shooting effort for their entire season. Kawhi Leonard did return from injury in that game after missing nine games in a row but he was rusty — he made only 7 of his 17 shots while missing nine of his 12 jumpers including an 0-5 mark from behind the arc. With two days off, he should play better tonight as he re-establishes his rhythm. Remember, Leonard had a 51% shooting percentage with a 39% clip from behind the arc in his previous 72 playoff games resulting in almost 29 Points-Per-Game. More ball movement should achieve better shooting results for this team. Los Angeles was still in a position to win Game Two despite that dismal shooting. They outplayed the Mavericks in the other areas of the game: they had more offensive rebounds and scored more second-chance points; they made more free throws; they had fewer turnovers; they had more fast break points; they had more points in the paint and shot a better percentage at the rim. The Clippers have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 17 games after an upset loss. After playing their last five games, they go back on the road — and they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 12 games after playing three or more games in a row. Head coach Ty Lue needs to make an adjustment to the Mavericks playing small ball with Maxi Kleber on the court — and that could mean more playing time for P.J. Tucker who did see more action at the end of the season. Dallas may be due for a letdown as they have failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 17 games after an upset loss. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 11 games after a win by three points or less — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight games after a win on the road by three points or less. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 22 of their last 33 games after a win by six points or less. The Mavericks were red-hot down the stretch by winning 16 of 18 games before tanking the final two regular season games since their spot as the fifth seed in the Western Conference playoffs was clinched. But only one of their 16 victories during that stretch was against a top-six seed in either conference — and that upset win at home against Denver required a miracle buzzer-beating shot from Kyrie Irving to steal that game. Dallas is below .500 with a 23-27 straight-up record against teams with a winning percentage of .500 or better. FINAL TAKE: The Clippers have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 17 opportunities to avenge a loss by three points or less including four of those last five situations. 25* NBA Western Conference Underdog of the Month with Los Angeles Clippers (535) plus the points versus the Dallas Mavericks (536). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
04-25-24 |
Knicks v. 76ers -4.5 |
Top |
114-125 |
Win
|
100 |
2 h 12 m |
Show
|
At 7:40 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Philadelphia 76ers (528) minus the points versus the New York Knicks (527) in Game Three of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Philadelphia (48-37) returns home trailing 0-2 in this best-of-seven series after their 104-101 loss in Madison Square Garden as a 5-point underdog on Monday. New York (52-32) has won seven games in a row. REASONS TO TAKE THE 76ERS MINUS THE POINTS: I have not endorsed anything in this series yet because of my uncertainty regarding the health of Joel Embiid. He is averaging 38 minutes per game in this series — and while he has only made 20 of 51 of his shots, he is still scoring 31.5 Points-Per-Game after dropping 34 points and adding 10 rebounds on Monday. Getting the extra day off really helps the Sixers and Embiid tonight — and they have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 22 games when playing for the second time in five days. Philadelphia has also covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a straight-up loss where they covered the point spread as the underdog. They have also covered the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games after losing two games in a row on the road. The 76ers return home where they have covered the point spread in 21 of their last 33 home games when favored — and they have covered the point spread in 16 of their last 25 games when favored by 3.5 to 9.5 points. Philly is defending Jalen Brunson well because they are bypassing drop coverage to stay in his face to take away his midrange. While he is scoring 23.0 PPG, he has only made 16 of his 55 shots from the field for a rough 29.1% field goal percentage. The Knicks held the Sixers to just 42.9% of their shots which was the best defensive effort in their last 13 games. But there are plenty of concerns for this team despite their 2-0 lead in the series. All five of their starters got outscored when they were on the court in Game One — the best +/- number for a starter was Brunson’s -3. Game Two had the controversial officiating late in the game. New York is only scoring 86.3 points per 100 adjusted possessions in the half-court. The Knicks have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 13 games after failing to cover the point spread in a straight-up victory. They have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 19 games after a win by three points or less — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after a win by three points or less at home. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after a win by three points or less against an Atlantic Division rival. Furthermore, New York has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 6 games when playing no more than the fifth time in the last 14 days. Both games in this series have finished Over the Total — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 23 games after playing two or more Overs in a row. And in their last 11 games as an underdog getting 3.5 to 9.5 points, they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 times. FINAL TAKE: The 76ers have covered the point spread in 31 of their last 51 games when avenging a loss on the road to their opponent. 25* NBA Atlantic Division Game of the Year with the Philadelphia 76ers (528) minus the points versus the New York Knicks (527). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
04-25-24 |
Cavs v. Magic -2.5 |
|
83-121 |
Win
|
100 |
0 h 13 m |
Show
|
At 7:10 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Orlando Magic (526) minus the points versus the Cleveland Cavaliers (525) in Game Three of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Orlando (47-37) has lost the first two games of this series as well as five of their last six contests after their 96-86 loss to the Cavaliers as a 5.5-point underdog on Monday. Cleveland (50-34) has won four of their last five games. REASONS TO TAKE THE MAGIC MINUS THE POINTS: Orlando has not been competitive in this series after losing both games by double-digits and not scoring more than 86 points. This young team should play better — and shoot better — back on their home court. The Magic have covered the point spread in 27 of their last 40 games at home where they are making 48.8% of their shots. They have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games at home after a point spread loss. Additionally, Orlando has covered the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games after losing two games in a row — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after losing two or more games in a row on the road. They have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after losing four of their last five games. Furthermore, they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after failing to score more than 100 points in their last two games. If there is a silver lining for the Magic, it is that they have not allowed more than 97 points in this series — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after not allowing more than 105 points in their last game. Cleveland is only making 42% of their shots in this series — and they are hitting just 29% of their 3s. Now they go on the road where their Adjusted Offensive Efficiency drops from 117.0 to 112.0. The Cavaliers have failed to cover the point spread in 19 of their last 28 games on the road as an underdog of up to six points. They have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games when playing with two days of rest. They have covered the point spread in both games in this series — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games after covering the point spread in two games in a row. They have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after winning their last two games by double-digits. FINAL TAKE: The Magic have covered the point spread in 19 of their last 25 home games when favored. 10* NBA Thursday Daily Discounted Deal with the Orlando Magic (526) minus the points versus the Cleveland Cavaliers (525). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
04-24-24 |
Pelicans v. Thunder -7.5 |
Top |
92-124 |
Win
|
100 |
4 h 8 m |
Show
|
At 9:40 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Oklahoma City Thunder (520) minus the points versus the New Orleans Pelicans (519) in Game Two of their Western Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Oklahoma City (58-25) has won six games in a row after their 94-92 win against the Pelicans in Game One of this best-of-seven series. New Orleans (50-35) has lost three of their last four games. REASONS TO TAKE THE THUNDER MINUS THE POINTS: Oklahoma City looked nervy in their playoff series in the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. They only made 43.5% of their shots which was the worst shooting effort in their last seven games. They only made 32% of their 3-pointers. With the first playoff game and victory under their belts, they should get back into the rhythm that earned them the top seed in the Western Conference. Oklahoma City may still be underappreciated in some circles — but this is a team loaded with young talent that smartly engages in the math battle of modern basketball. They led the league by making 38.9% of their 3s in the regular season. They also focus on winning the turnover battle — they rank fifth in the NBA by turning the ball over 12.5% of the time while posting the top turnover rate on defense by forcing turnovers in 15.5% of their opponent’s possessions. They led the NBA by scoring 20.4 Points-Per-Game off turnovers. And led by rookie Chet Holmgren, they were tops in the league by holding their opponents to 61.6% shooting inside four feet. The Thunder have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a straight-up win where they did not cover the point spread. They have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 21 games after not allowing more than 95 points — and they have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 21 games after playing a game where no more than 195 combined points were scored. Oklahoma City will start benefiting from getting last week off while the Pelicans were surviving the Play-In Tournament. The Thunder have covered the point spread in 26 of their last 38 games when playing with two days of rest — and they have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 22 games when playing for no more than the sixth time in the last 14 days. They now have a 34-8 record when playing at home — and they have covered the point spread in 27 of those 42 games. They have covered the point spread in 17 of their last 25 home games after playing their last game at home. And in their last 17 home games when favored by 6.5 to 12 points, they have covered the point spread in 11 of these contests. New Orleans only made 38.5% of their shots which was the worst shooting effort in their last 28 contests — but I do not necessarily think the Regression Gods are coming for a visit tonight. The Pelicans miss the injured Zion Williamson who scored 22.9 PPG on 57.0% shooting. Brandon Ingram does not look close to 100% from his knee injury that kept him out for weeks. He scored only 13 points on Sunday on 5 of 17 shooting. In his four games back from injury, he has scored more than 13 points only once — and he is making just 43.1% of his shots. The Pelicans got a big game out of Jonas Valanciunas in Game One who grabbed 20 rebounds. They pulled down 36% of their missed shots — and while the Thunder are not a great rebounding team, I do expect head coach Mark Daigneault to have his team focus more on protecting their defensive glass. New Orleans has outrebounded their last three opponents by at least five boards — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 3 of their last 4 games after outrebounding three straight opponents by five or more rebounds. They have covered the point spread in their last two games — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 19 games after covering the point spread in two or more games in a row. Additionally, the Pelicans have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after not allowing more than 95 points in their last game. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight games after a game where no more than 205 combined points were scored — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after a game where both teams did not score more than 105 points. They stay on the road where they have failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 29 road games as an underdog of 6.5 to 12 points. FINAL TAKE: The Pelicans have failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 21 games when attempting to avenge a loss on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games when playing with revenge from a loss by three points or less. 25* NBA Western Conference Game of the Month with the Oklahoma City Thunder (520) minus the points versus the New Orleans Pelicans (519). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
04-23-24 |
Mavs +1.5 v. Clippers |
|
96-93 |
Win
|
100 |
2 h 31 m |
Show
|
At 10:10 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Dallas Mavericks (513) plus the points versus the Los Angeles Clippers (514) in Game Two of their Western Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Dallas (50-33) has lost three games in a row after their 109-97 upset loss as a 3.5-point favorite in the opening game of this best-of-seven series. Los Angeles (52-31) snapped a three-game losing streak with the win. REASONS TO TAKE THE MAVERICKS PLUS THE POINTS: Dallas only made 38.7% of their shots on Sunday — and they only made 30% of their shots from behind the arc. The Mavericks simply seemed to lack much urgency in that game — but they should play better tonight. Dallas has covered the point spread in 27 of their last 44 games after a straight-up loss. They have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after losing two games in a row — and they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games after losing three or more games in a row. Additionally, they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 13 road games after suffering an upset loss on the road as the favorite. The Mavericks have covered the point spread in 27 of their last 42 games on the road. They allowed the Clippers to nail 18 of their 36 shots (50%) from behind the arc on Sunday — but they should tighten up their perimeter defense tonight. The Mavericks have become a very good defensive team in the second half of the season after acquiring Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington at the trade deadline. Gafford offers them the rim protection they were desperate for and Washington is a good on-the-ball defender. After ranking 26th in the NBA in opponent effective field goal percentage, Dallas improved to third in the league in that category since February 5th. They led the NBA in their final 15 games with an Adjusted Defensive Efficiency of 106.1. Los Angeles made 46.0% of their shots in Game One despite not having Kawhi Leonard in that game — that was the best shooting effort in their last three games. And by holding the Mavericks to 38.7% shooting, they played their best defensive game in their last four contests. They raced out to a 56-30 halftime lead after Dallas managed to score only eight points in the second quarter. But the Clippers have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after going into halftime with a 20 or more point lead. They have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games when playing for the second time in seven days. And in their last 15 games at home with the Total set in the 210s, Los Angeles has failed to cover the point spread in 12 of those games. Kawhi Leonard is available to play tonight — but he may not be at full strength after missing the last nine games. FINAL TAKE: The Mavericks have covered the point spread in 8 straight games on the road when playing with revenge from a loss on the road to their opponent. 10* NBA Tuesday Late Show Bailout with the Dallas Mavericks (513) plus the points versus the Los Angeles Clippers (514). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
04-23-24 |
Pacers +1.5 v. Bucks |
Top |
125-108 |
Win
|
100 |
4 h 54 m |
Show
|
At 8:40 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Indiana Pacers (511) plus the point(s) versus the Milwaukee Bucks (512) in Game Two of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Indiana (47-37) has lost two of their last three games after dropping the opening game of this best-of-seven series by a 109-94 score as a 1-point favorite on Sunday. Milwaukee (50-33) snapped a two-game losing streak with the victory. REASONS TO TAKE THE PACERS PLUS THE POINT(S): Indiana was flat on Sunday — and Tyrese Halliburton looked tentative on the court. Veteran head coach Rick Carlisle who has overseen an NBA title in his coaching career should get his team refocused for Game Two tonight. They should also shoot the ball better after only making 39.6% of their shots which was the worst shooting effort in their last 63 games. The Pacers are third in the NBA in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency — and they have led the league in that category since March 1st. They make 50.4% of their shots on the season — and they should improve their 3-point shooting tonight after only making 8 of their 38 shots from behind the arc. Indiana nails 37.0% of their 3s so they should improve on their 21% clip from behind the arc. The Pacers have been very consistent after disappointing efforts. Indiana has covered the point spread in 23 of their last 35 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 26 of their last 37 games after a point spread loss. They have also covered the point spread in 18 of their last 25 games after an upset loss — and they have covered the point spread in 3 of their 4 upset losses against Central Division rivals. They have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after an upset loss as a double-digit loss — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a loss by 15 or more points. They have also covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after an upset loss as a road favorite. The Pacers play at the second-fastest pace in the league by averaging 105.2 possessions per game. Getting last week off should help them tonight as they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games when playing for just the second time in seven days — and they have covered the point spread in 19 of their last 26 games after when playing for no more than the fourth time in ten days. A silver lining for Indiana on Sunday is that they pulled down 28% of their missed shots — if they can approach that number again while shooting better, they should pull off the upset. Milwaukee played their best defensive game in their last ten contests by holding the Pacers to 39.6% shooting. The Bucks will likely still be without Giannis Antetokounmpo tonight as he recovers from his calf injury. Damian Lillard stepped in Game One with 35 points on 11 of 24 shooting — and he nailed 6 of his 11 shots from behind the arc. But it is fair to say that Lillard has been a disappointment in his first season with the Bucks. He is only scoring 24.3 Points-Per-Game on 42.4% shooting and a 35.4% mark from 3-point land. Milwaukee was lethargic down the stretch with eight losses in their final 11 regular season games including an ugly 25-point loss at Orlando in the final day which cost them the second seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Bucks have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 15 games after an upset victory — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after an upset win by 10 or more points. FINAL TAKE: The Pacers have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 23 games when avenging a double-digit loss to their opponent. 25* NBA Central Division Game of the Year with the Indiana Pacers (511) plus the point(s) versus the Milwaukee Bucks (512). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
04-22-24 |
Lakers v. Nuggets -6.5 |
|
99-101 |
Loss |
-115 |
3 h 18 m |
Show
|
At 10:10 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Denver Nuggets (506) minus the points versus the Los Angeles Lakers (505) in Game Two of their Western Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Denver (58-25) took the opening game of this best-of-seven series with their 114-103 victory as a 7-point favorite on Saturday. Los Angeles (49-36) had their three-game winning streak with the loss.
REASONS TO TAKE THE NUGGETS MINUS THE POINTS: The Lakers have now lost nine straight games to Denver — which raises the urgency that they need to split the first two games on the road and avoid the requirement to beat the defending champions in four of the final potential five games in this series. But it will be difficult for Los Angeles to not think they let Game One slip away after owning a 49-37 lead midway through the second quarter. The free throw disparity in that game was particularly striking in the Lakers' favor despite them being on the road. Granted, Los Angeles ranks second in the league by getting to the line 24.2 times per game — and they also rank second in free throw rate. But while the Lakers made 17 of their 19 shots from the charity stripe, the Nuggets only had six free throw attempts all game. Denver averages 15.5 made free throws per game on 19.9 attempts — so expect at least another dozen or so free throw attempts from them tonight. The Nuggets were whistled for 20 fouls on Saturday which was five more than what were called on Los Angeles. The Lakers had 29 free throw attempts in their Play-In Tournament game against New Orleans which was 14 more than what the Pelicans got. New Orleans was whistled for 23 fouls in that game almost doubled the 12 personal fouls called on Los Angeles. But the Lakers have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after getting at least 10 more shots at the charity stripe than their opponent in two straight games — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 16 games after drawing at least ten more personal fouls than their opponent. Denver has full confidence that they can flip the switch to defeat this Lakers’ team — but they may not want to temp fate again by falling behind by 12 points. The Nuggets are a rested team who are comfortable playing in the high altitude — and they have covered the point spread in 4 straight games when playing for no more than the third time in the last ten days. Denver has won two games in a row as well as five of their last six contests — and they have covered the point spread in 30 of their last 46 games at home after winning three of their last four games. They ended the regular season with a 1-point win at Memphis — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their 6 games this season when following up two straight double-digit victories.
FINAL TAKE: The Lakers have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games when playing with triple revenge — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 16 of their last 21 games when attempting to end a losing streak of four or more games against their opponent. 10* NBA LA Lakers-Denver TNT Special with the Denver Nuggets (506) minus the points versus the Los Angeles Lakers (505). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
04-21-24 |
Pelicans v. Thunder -8 |
Top |
92-94 |
Loss |
-115 |
2 h 27 m |
Show
|
At 9:40 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Oklahoma City Thunder (586) minus the points versus the New Orleans Pelicans (585) in Game One of their Western Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Oklahoma City (57-25) has won five games in a row after their 135-86 victory against Dallas as a 19.5-point favorite last Sunday. New Orleans (50-34) has won five of their last seven games after their 105-98 victory against Sacramento as a 1-point favorite in their second Play-In Tournament game on Friday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE THUNDER MINUS THE POINTS: Oklahoma City comes into this game rested and ready after getting the week off after earning the number one seed in the Western Conference with their victory against the Mavericks. They made 55.7% of their shots against Dallas — and they have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 19 games after making at least 55% or more of their shots in their last game. The Thunder have scored at least 125 points in three straight games — and they have covered the point spread in 7 straight games at home after scoring 125 or more points in their last two games. They have also covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games after scoring 120 or more points in their last three games. Additionally, they have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 20 games after not allowing more than 95 points in their last game — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games after not allowing more than 90 points in their last game. Furthermore, Oklahoma City has covered the points spread in 15 of their last 22 games after a win by 15 or more points — and they have covered the points spread in 5 of their last 6 games after victory by 30 or more points. Furthermore, the Thunder have covered the point spread in 18 of their last 26 home games after winning their previous game at home — and they have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 15 games at home on a three-game or better winning streak. OKC has covered the point spread in 27 of their 41 games at home this season — and they have covered the point spread in 17 of their last 24 home games with the Total set in the 210s. New Orleans stepped up without the injured Zion Williamson to make 51.8% of their shots against the Kings which was the best shooting effort in their last four contests. They also held that depleted Sacramento team missing Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter to just 40.9 shooting which was the best defensive effort in their last 13 contests. Brandon Ingram logged in 37:09 minutes which was the most he played since returning from injury — he had not played more than 24 minutes in his first two games back so fatigue will be an issue. The Pelicans are thin with their scoring without Williamson — they score -3.7 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions when he is off the court. The Pelicans have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after playing a game where both teams did not score more than 105 points — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games after playing a game where no more than 205 combined points were scored. And while they have won five of their last seven contests, they have failed to cover the point spread in 20 of their last 30 games after winning five or six of their last seven games.
FINAL TAKE: This is a tough situational spot for the Pelicans after surviving on Friday night in the Crescent City before traveling to Oklahoma City for this series — all without their leading scorer. The Thunder have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 16 home games when favored by 6.5 to 12 points. 25* NBA Sunday TNT Game of the Month with the Oklahoma City Thunder (586) minus the points versus the New Orleans Pelicans (585). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
04-20-24 |
Lakers v. Nuggets -6.5 |
|
103-114 |
Win
|
100 |
1 h 18 m |
Show
|
At 8:40 PM ET on Saturday, we will be the Denver Nuggets (576) minus the points versus the Los Angeles Lakers (575) in Game One of their Western Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Denver (57-25) won four of their last five games to close out the regular season with a 126-111 victory at Memphis as a 13.5-point favorite last Sunday. Los Angeles (49-35) has won three games in a row as well as seven of their last nine contests after their 110-106 upset victory at New Orleans as a 1-point underdog in the Play-In Tournament on Tuesday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE NUGGETS MINUS THE POINTS: Denver enters the postseason healthy and with momentum — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 6 games after a double-digit win on the road. They have also covered the point spread in 29 of their last 45 games at home after winning three of their last four games. The week off should help the defending champions as well in this opening game. The Nuggets have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 16 games when playing with three or more days of rest between games. Los Angeles has pulled off two straight upset victories against the Pelicans — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 16 of their last 22 games after an upset win on the road as an underdog. The Lakers have also failed to cover the point spread in 27 of their last 39 games after winning their last game on the road. They have covered the point spread in two straight games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 26 of their last 39 games after covering the point spread in two or more games in a row. Additionally, Los Angeles has failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 17 games after winning six or seven of their last eight contests.
FINAL TAKE: The Nuggets own the Lakers with eight straight victories against them after completing a three-game regular season sweep with a 124-114 victory in Los Angeles as a 1-point road favorite back on March 2nd. The Lakers have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games when avenging a loss at home. 8* NBA Saturday Night Discounted Deal with the Denver Nuggets (576) minus the points versus the Los Angeles Lakers (575). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
04-20-24 |
Suns v. Wolves -1.5 |
|
95-120 |
Win
|
100 |
2 h 9 m |
Show
|
At 3:40 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Minnesota Timberwolves (578) minus the point(s) versus the Phoenix Suns (577) in Game One of their Western Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Minnesota (50-26) closed out the regular season losing two of their last three games after their 125-106 upset loss as a 2-point favorite last Sunday. Phoenix (49-33) has won three games in a row and six of their last eight games after their 125-106 upset victory as a 2-point underdog last Sunday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE TIMBERWOLVES MINUS THE POINT(S): Minnesota will benefit from the week off — they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games when playing with three more days of rest. They have also covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after an upset loss. Additionally, they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after a loss on their home court — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after a double-digit loss. They host the first two games of this series — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 home games when listed in the +/- 3-point range. Phoenix made 54.7% of their shots last week against the Timberwolves which was the best shooting effort in their last 11 games. But the Suns have failed to cover the point spread in 16 of their last 20 games on the road after pulling off an upset victory by 15 or more points. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 28 of their last 45 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 20 games after a straight-up win on the road. They stay on the road for the fourth straight game — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after winning their two previous games on the road. And in their last 10 games when playing for just the second time in the last seven days, they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of those games.
FINAL TAKE: The Timberwolves have covered the point spread in 10 straight games when playing with revenge from a loss at home. 10* NBA Phoenix-Minnesota ESPN Special with the Minnesota Timberwolves (578) minus the point(s) versus the Phoenix Suns (577). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
04-19-24 |
Kings v. Pelicans |
|
98-105 |
Win
|
100 |
2 h 18 m |
Show
|
At 9:40 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the New Orleans Pelicans (558) minus (or plus) the point(s) versus the Sacramento Kings (557) in the Play-In Tournament. THE SITUATION: New Orleans (49-34) has lost two games in a row after their 110-106 upset loss at home against the Los Angeles Lakers as a 1-point favorite in their Play-In game on Tuesday. Sacramento (47-36) has won two games in a row after their 118-94 upset victory at home against Golden State as a 3-point underdog on Tuesday to advance to this final Play-In Tournament game. The winner of this game takes the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoffs and plays at Minnesota on Sunday; the loser’s season ends.
REASONS TO TAKE THE PELICANS MINUS (OR PLUS) THE POINT(S): The Pelicans lost a close one against the Lakers on Tuesday despite only making 46.2% of their shots which was the worst shooting effort in their last four games. The injury to Zion Williamson certainly played a role in determining the final score of that game. With Williamson out tonight with that left shoulder injury, look for the remaining Pelicans to step up their play in his absence tonight. As it is, New Orleans has covered the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games after a loss by six points or less. Look for the Pelicans to play better on defense tonight since Williamson is a liability on defense — New Orleans holds their opponents to -3.7 points per 100 adjusted possessions when he is off the court. Sacramento has covered the point spread in three straight games after their upset victory against the Warriors — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 17 games after covering the point spread in two or more games in a row. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games after covering the point spread in five or six of their last seven games. The Kings scored at least 110 points for just the fourth time in their last 15 games on Tuesday. After posting historic efficiency numbers on offense last season, Sacramento is a different team right now after the injuries to Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter. Monk is the team’s third-leader scoring and offensive spark plug coming off the bench. Huerter is their best 3-point shooter who opens up space in the starting five for De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. For the season, the Kings rank 14th in the league by averaging 99.47 adjusted possessions per game — with Huerter missing the last 17 games and Monk out the last 11 contests.
FINAL TAKE: The Pelicans beat the Kings in all five of their meetings this season after their 135-123 upset win on the road as a 1-point underdog on April 11th — and Sacramento has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games when attempting to avenge a double-digit loss at home. 8* NBA Friday Late Show Bailout with the New Orleans Pelicans (558) minus (or plus) the point(s) versus the Sacramento Kings (557). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
04-17-24 |
Hawks v. Bulls -3 |
|
116-131 |
Win
|
100 |
4 h 39 m |
Show
|
At 9:40 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Chicago Bulls (550) minus the points versus the Atlanta Hawks (549) in the Play-In Tournament. THE SITUATION: Chicago (39-43) had their two-game winning streak snapped in a 120-119 loss in overtime at New York as a 13-point underdog on Sunday. Atlanta (36-46) limps into the postseason on a six-game losing streak after a 157-115 loss at Indiana as a 13.5-point underdog on Sunday. The winner of this game plays on the road against the loser of the Miami-Philadelphia game; the loser’s season ends.
REASONS TO TAKE THE BULLS MINUS THE POINTS: Credit goes to head coach Billy Donovan’s team for playing hard on Sunday in a game that did not mean anything to them since they had already locked home court in this nine-versus-ten seed Eastern Conference clash in the Play-In Tournament. The Bulls nailed 48.5% of their shots against the Knicks which was actually the worst shooting effort in their last five games. Chicago has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after making at least 47% of their shots in four or more games in a row. They did allow New York to make 50.5% of their shots after Washington made 52.3% of their shots in their previous game — but the Bulls have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 21 games after allowing their last two opponents to make 50% or more of their shots. Chicago has played four straight Overs — and they have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 20 games after playing three or more Overs in a row. They have also covered the point spread in 12 of their last 19 games after playing four or more games in a row. Additionally, the Bulls have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 24 games when playing for the second time in five days. Atlanta chose to not show up in their game against the Pacers on Sunday as they let Indiana make 65.0% of their shots — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 15 games after allowing their last opponent to nail 55.0% or more of their shots. The Hawks have also failed to cover the point spread in 19 of their last 25 games after a straight-up loss on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 straight games after a loss on the road by 20 or more points. They stay on the road for the third straight game where they have failed to cover the point spread in 26 of their last 40 games. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 21 of their last 32 games against teams with a losing record.
FINAL TAKE: The Bulls won the three-game series with the Hawks — but they come off a 113-101 upset loss to them the last time they played which was in Chicago where they were favored by two points. Chicago won meetings between these two teams when Tray Young played for Atlanta. The Bulls have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 11 opportunities to avenge a double-digit loss at home to their opponent. 10* NBA Wednesday Night Discounted Deal with the Chicago Bulls (550) minus the points versus the Atlanta Hawks (549). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
04-16-24 |
Warriors -1.5 v. Kings |
Top |
94-118 |
Loss |
-110 |
12 h 59 m |
Show
|
At 10:10 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Golden State Warriors (543) minus the points versus the Sacramento Kings (544) in the Play-In Tournament. THE SITUATION: Golden State (46-36) has won four of their last five games after their 123-116 win against Utah as an 11-point favorite on Sunday. Sacramento (46-36) snapped their three-game losing streak with a 121-82 victory against Portland as a 17.5-point favorite on Sunday. The winner of this game travels to play the winner of the Los Angeles Lakers-New Orleans Pelicans game on Thursday to determine the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoffs; the loser’s season ends.
REASONS TO TAKE THE WARRIORS MINUS THE POINTS: Head coach Steve Kerr has Golden State playing their best basketball heading into the postseason — they have won ten of their last 12 games. In their last ten games, the Warriors rank seventh in the NBA with a Net Adjusted Efficiency Margin of +8.1 which is a big improvement over their Net Adjusted Efficiency Margin of +2.4 for the entire season which ranks 13th. They rank ninth in the league in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency — but they rose to fifth in that metric in their last ten games. They are making 50.6% of their shots in their last five games. The improvement in defense has been even more pronounced. While they rank 13th in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency for the season, they rise to ninth in their last ten games. They have held their last five opponents to 45.3% shooting which has resulted in 110.4 Points-Per-Game — and those numbers are a 1.3% and a -4.8 PPG improvement against their season defensive averages. They did allow the Jazz to make 51.7% of their shots on Sunday but that was the worst defensive game in their last 17 contests. Golden State has failed to cover the point spread in three straight games — but they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 15 games after failing to cover the point spread in three of their last four games. They have also covered the point spread in 19 of their last 28 games after winning two of their last three contests. After struggling on the road last season with the negative vibes coming from Jordan Poole impacting the chemistry of the team, Kerr has emphasized better play away from home this season. The Warriors have covered the point spread in 27 of their last 41 games on the road — and they have covered the point spread in 16 of their last 23 road games in the second half of the season. They have also covered the point spread in 14 of their last 19 road games when favored — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 road games when favored by up to six points or listed as a pick ‘em. Sacramento held the collection of G-Leaguers wearing Trail Blazers’ uniforms to just 31.6% shooting on Sunday which was the best defensive effort of their season. But the Kings have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games after not allowing more than 100 points in their last game — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after not allowing more than 95 in their last contest. Additionally, they have failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 25 games after a win by double-digits — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after a win by 20 or more points. Sacramento is missing two key pieces to what was already a limited rotation of players. Kevin Huerter has only played in two minutes in the last 16 games after injuring his left shoulder on March 18th. Malik Monk has played just one minute in their last ten games after he sprained his right MCL. Both losses are critical. Huerter is their best 3-point shooter. His presence on the perimeter opens up space for De’Aaron Fox to drive the lane — and he is an important target for Domantas Sabonis in his point forward role. Monk provides instant offense off the bench and is in line to win the Sixth Man of the Year award. In their last five games, they are only making 44.7% of their shots which has resulted in 112.6 Points-Per-Game — and those marks represent -3.0% and -4.0 PPG drops from their season averages.
FINAL TAKE: The Warriors will be without Gary Payton II with his left calf strain — but he has missed their last three games as well. These two teams split their four regular season games but the Kings won the most recent two contests after a 134-133 victory on the road on January 25th. Golden State has covered the point spread in 20 of their last 31 games when avenging a loss where they surrendered 110 or more points — and they have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 18 games when motivated by double revenge. 25* NBA Pacific Division Game of the Year with the Golden State Warriors (543) minus the points versus the Sacramento Kings (544). Best of luck for us — Frank.
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04-14-24 |
Bucks v. Magic -6 |
|
88-113 |
Win
|
100 |
0 h 3 m |
Show
|
At 1:10 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Orlando Magic (512) minus the points versus the Milwaukee Bucks (511). THE SITUATION: Orlando (46-35) has lost three games in a row after their 125-113 loss at Philadelphia as a 6-point underdog on Friday. Milwaukee (49-32) had their two-game winning streak snapped in a 125-107 loss at Oklahoma City as a 14-point underdog on Friday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE MAGIC MINUS THE POINTS: Both teams have things to still play for this afternoon. The Bucks need a win to secure the second seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Magic are currently the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference — but a loss could see them fall all the way to the ninth seed given the logjam in the playoff race and their being on the losing end of several tie-breakers. Wendall Carter is listed as questionable for Orlando — but Giannis Antetokounmpo is out for Milwaukee. The Magic have not covered the point spread in their three-game losing streak with all three of those losses being by 12 or more points— but they have covered the points spread in 9 straight games after failing to cover the point spread in three or more games in a row. They have also covered the point spread in 5 straight games after losing three games in a row — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after losing three games in a row by double-digits. Orlando returns home for this one where they have covered the point spread in 18 of their last 25 games when favored. They have also covered the point spread in 16 of their last 20 games when favored by 3.5 to 9.5 points — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 10 games at home when favored by 3.5 to 9.5 points. Milwaukee has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a loss on the road by double-digits. The Bucks have failed to cover the point spread in five of their last seven games — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 20 of their last 31 games after failing to cover the point spread in four or five of their last six games. Milwaukee concludes their regular season on the road where they have failed to cover the point spread in 19 of their last 26 games as an underdog — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 23 road games as an underdog of up to six points or as a pick ‘em.
FINAL TAKE: The Bucks have won the last two games against the Magic after their 117-99 upset win at home against them as a 2-point underdog on Wednesday. Orlando has covered the point spread in 24 of their last 37 games at home when playing with double-revenge. 10* NBA Sunday Afternoon Discounted Deal with the Orlando Magic (512) minus the points versus the Milwaukee Bucks (511). Best of luck for us — Frank.
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04-12-24 |
Suns v. Kings +4.5 |
Top |
108-107 |
Win
|
100 |
3 h 26 m |
Show
|
At 10:40 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Sacramento Kings (584) plus the points versus the Phoenix Suns (583). THE SITUATION: Sacramento (45-35) has lost two games in a row as well as four of their last five after their 135-123 upset loss to New Orleans as a 1-point favorite last night. Phoenix (47-33) snapped a two-game losing streak with a 124-108 win in Los Angeles against the Clippers as an 11-point favorite on Wednesday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE KINGS PLUS THE POINTS: Sacramento misses the injured Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter which leaves their depth pretty thin. Huerter helps with the spacing on the court since he is primarily a three-point shooter. Monk provided instant offense off the bench and may still win the Sixth Man of the Year award. But the Kings still have De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis -- and they did make 54.8% of their shots last night against the Pelicans. Head coach Mike Brown will want a better effort on defense after they allowed New Orleans to make 57.0% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in their last 31 games. Sacramento has covered the point spread in 18 of their last 25 games after allowing their previous opponent to make 55% or more of their shots including seven of their ten games under those circumstances this season. They have covered the point spread in 16 of their last 21 games after allowing 130 or more points in their last contest. Additionally, the Kings have covered the point spread in 25 of their last 34 games after a loss on their home court — and they have covered the point spread in 18 of their last 26 games after an upset loss as a home favorite. They have covered the point spread in 20 of their last 27 games after losing two or more games in a row. And while they have not covered the point spread in their last two games, they have then covered the point spread in 12 of their last 13 games after not covering the point spread in two or more games in a row. Sacramento still has plenty to play for this weekend as the regular season ends on Sunday. They have clinched a spot in the playoffs — but they are fighting for positioning for the Play-In Tournament next week with them being tied with Golden State and the Los Angeles Lakers for the 8th through 10th spots. This is only the fifth time this season when the Kings are playing at home as an underdog — and they have covered the point spread in 3 of those 4 previous games. Phoenix enjoyed their best shooting effort in their last four games by making 48.4% of their shots against the Clippers on Wednesday. But the Suns have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 18 games after a straight-up win on the road. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games after a win by 15 or more points — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 21 games after a point spread cover as a double-digit favorite. Furthermore, they have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games after a double-digit victory against a Pacific Division rival. And while that final score finished Over the 218.5-point total, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 22 of their last 34 games after playing a game that finished Over the Total. Phoenix stays on the road where they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 16 games on the road when a pick ‘em or favored by up to six points.
FINAL TAKE: The Suns score 116.2 Points-Per-Game — and Sacramento has covered the point spread in 10 of their last 15 games in the second half of the season against teams who score at least 116 PPG. The Kings score 116.6 PPG — and the Suns have failed to cover the point spread in 20 of their last 28 games against teams who score 116 or more PPG. 25* NBA Bailout Game of the Month with the Sacramento Kings (584) plus the points versus the Phoenix Suns (583). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
04-08-24 |
Purdue v. Connecticut -6 |
|
60-75 |
Win
|
100 |
5 h 34 m |
Show
|
At 9:20 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Connecticut Huskies (676) minus the points versus the Purdue Boilermakers (675) in the National Championship Game. THE SITUATION: Connecticut (36-3) has won 12 games in a row after their 86-72 victory against Alabama as a 10-point favorite on Saturday. Purdue (34-4) has won 11 of their last 12 games after their 63-50 victory against North Carolina State as a 9.5-point favorite on Saturday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
REASONS TO TAKE THE HUSKIES MINUS THE POINTS: UConn nailed 10 of their 25 shots (40%) of their shots from behind the arc on Saturday en route to a 50% shooting effort overall. Connecticut made 51.7% of their shots in the Elite Eight against Illinois which was the fourth time in their last five games where they shot at least 50% from the field — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games on the road after shooting 50% or better from the field in two or more games in a row. The Huskies have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 15 games after scoring 85 or more points in their last game. They have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games after covering the point spread as a double-digit favorite. UConn has won all five of their games by at least 14 points — and they have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 18 games after winning four or more games in a row by double-digits. Additionally, the Huskies have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games when playing with one day or less of rest. UConn has covered the point spread in 4 of their 5 games this season against teams winning 80% or more of their games. And while the Boilermakers are outscoring their opponents by +14.1 Points-Per-Game, the Huskies have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after 15 games into the season against teams who are outscoring their opponents by +8.0 or more PPG. Purdue has failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 17 games after not allowing more than 60 points in their last contest. They have covered the point spread in all five of their games in the Big Dance — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games after covering the point spread in five or six of their last seven games. They have all failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 25 games after winning five or more games in a row. If there is one area that particularly concerns me about the Boilermakers is their propensity to get sloppy with the basketball. After committing 16 turnovers against the Wolfpack, Purdue is turning the ball over in 17.8% of their possessions when playing on a neutral court, ranking 187th in the nation. I also think there is a big edge in coaching tonight. I think Matt Painter is fine for Purdue — but Dan Hurley is simply at the top of his game right now with the rare mix of combining work ethic with being the top tactician in the game. His teams have always been very good on the defensive end of the court — but he has been tremendous in raising the level of play when his team has the basketball with very tight schemes and formations.
FINAL TAKE: The Huskies have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 12 games played on a neutral court as a favorite or pick ‘em — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games played on a neutral court as a favorite from 6.5 to 12 points. 10* CBB Purdue-Connecticut TBS-TV Special with the Connecticut Huskies (676) minus the points versus the Purdue Boilermakers (675). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
04-06-24 |
Alabama v. Connecticut -10.5 |
|
72-86 |
Win
|
100 |
1 h 56 m |
Show
|
At 8:49 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Connecticut Huskies (672) minus the points versus the Alabama Crimson Tide (671) in the Final Four Semifinals of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Connecticut (35-3) has won 11 games in a row after their 77-52 victory against Illinois as an 8-point favorite in their Elite Eight contest last Saturday. Alabama (25-11) has won four games in a row with their 89-82 victory against Clemson as a 3-point favorite in their Elite Eight game last Saturday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
REASONS TO TAKE THE HUSKIES MINUS THE POINTS: Even with their Final Four run, Alabama only ranks 46th in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency in their last ten games which is far below their ranking of 14th on the season overall. For comparisons sake, North Carolina State ranks 11th in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency in their last ten games which encompasses their run to win the ACC Tournament. The fundamental problem the Crimson Tide have tonight is their porous defense. They rank 189th in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency in their last ten games. When playing away from home, their defense ranks 175th in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and the +9.8 more points per 100 adjusted possessions they give up when away from home is the eighth worst disparity in the nation. Alabama has given up 87 and 82 points in their last two games — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 20 games after allowing 80 or more points in two roomer games in a row. Both those games finished Over the Total — and the Crimson Tide has failed to cover the point spread in 26 of their last 35 games after playing two or more games Over the Total. UConn has covered the point spread in 22 of their last 31 games after a win by 20 or more points. They have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 15 games after not allowing more than 55 points in their last game. The Huskies have not allowed more than 58 points in five straight games — and they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games after not allowing more than 65 points in four or more games in a row. And in their last 21 games as a double-digit favorite, UConn has covered the point spread 14 times.
FINAL TAKE: UConn has covered the point spread in 13 of their last 16 games in the Big Dance — and they have ten games in a row in the NCAA Tournament by 13 or more points. 10* CBB Alabama-Connecticut TBS-TV Special with the Connecticut Huskies (672) minus the points versus the Alabama Crimson Tide (671). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
04-06-24 |
NC State v. Purdue -9 |
Top |
50-63 |
Win
|
100 |
3 h 0 m |
Show
|
At 6:09 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Purdue Boilermakers (674) minus the points versus the North Carolina State Wolfpack (673) in the Final Four Semifinals of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Purdue (33-4) has won 10 of their last 11 games after their 72-66 victory against Tennessee as a 3-point favorite in their Elite Eight game last Sunday. North Carolina State (26-14) has won nine straight games after their 76-64 upset victory against Duke as a 7-point underdog in their Elite Eight game on Sunday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
REASONS TO TAKE THE BOILERMAKERS MINUS THE POINTS: NC State held the Blue Devils to just 32.2% shooting last Sunday which was the best defensive effort of their season. Getting Kyle Filipowski into foul trouble helped — and Duke made only five of their 20 shots (25%) of their shots from behind the arc. The Wolfpack’s improbable run after trailing a bad Louisville team at halftime in the opening round of the ACC Tournament has included seven upset victories. They have survived two overtime games. And they have probably been fortunate with opponent 3-point shooting woes since their last eight opponents have made only 26.2% of their shots behind the arc despite posting a 35.8% opponent shooting percentage from 3-point land after rallying to defeat the Cardinals a month ago. I expect the bubble to burst tonight — and in a big way — against this Boilermakers team. NC State’s run has been centered on the improved and inspired play of D.J. Burns whose playground post-up moves have baffled opponents. But the 275-pounder’s mojo is not going to fly when now being guarded by Zach Edey, who has seven inches and 25 pounds on him. Burns has thrived on taking advantage of opposing defenders leaning in on him to slow him down since he has the agility to spin by those guys. Edey does not need to do that — he’s just going to stand there and raise his arms. He doesn’t even draw fouls because simply staying vertical is imposing enough on potential shooters. Burns can attempt to attack the rim — and Edey’s 7.0% block rate of opposing shots he defends comes into play. The Wolfpack face an even bigger challenge trying to defend Edey — the conundrum is a huge challenge for head coach Kevin Keatts. If he uses Burns to try to defend him, he risks getting him into foul trouble since Edey is so good at drawing fouls. Opposing big men have fouled out in 29 of the 37 games Purdue has played this season. Burns is too small to stop Edey’s hook shot. And he’s slow. Keatts could deploy Mohamed Diarra who is an inch taller than Burns — but he is spotting Edey 85 pounds. Another problem would then be that Burns would be forced to defend on the perimeter (probably against the 6’6 Mason Gillis) since Purdue plays the other four players with Edey out on the perimeter where they all can make 3s. Keatts could try a zone defense to bypass these problems — but then Edey will have even more room to crash the boards for second-shot opportunities. He ranks third in the country by pulling down 18.5% of his team’s missed shots when he is on the court. And this potential zone would open up more 3-point opportunities for the Boilermakers who rank second in the nation by nailing 40.6% of their 3s. Purdue has scored 1.12 Points-Per-Possession in the rare times teams have attempted to deploy a zone defense against them. NC State has failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 25 games after a double-digit win — and they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 13 games after a double-digit win against an ACC rival. And teams in the NCAA Tournament coming off a win that eliminated Duke from the Big Dance have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their next 9 games. Purdue only made 45.3% of their shots against the tough Volunteers defense last week which was the worst shooting effort in their last four games. The Boilermakers did control the boards by out-rebounding Tennessee by a 47-26 margin — and they have covered the point spread in 6 straight games after out-rebounding their last opponent by 20 or more boards. Purdue has covered the point spread in 12 of their last 14 games against teams outside the Big Ten — and they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 13 games played on a neutral court.
FINAL TAKE: NC State has failed to cover the point spread in 3 of their last 4 games after 15 games into the season against teams winning 80% or more of their games. The Boilermakers have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 road games against teams winning 60-80% of their games — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their 9 games in the Big Dance under head coach Matt Painter when favored by nine or more points. 25* College Basketball Game of the Year on the Purdue Boilermakers (674) minus the points versus the North Carolina State Wolfpack (673). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
04-05-24 |
Wolves +4.5 v. Suns |
|
87-97 |
Loss |
-105 |
0 h 25 m |
Show
|
At 10:10 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Minnesota Timberwolves (549) plus the points versus the Phoenix Suns (550). THE SITUATION: Minnesota (53-23) has won two games in a row and nine of their last 11 after their 133-85 victory against Toronto as a 16.5-point favorite on Wednesday. Phoenix (45-31) has won two games in a row and six of their last eight contests after their 122-101 win against Cleveland as a 5.5-point favorite on Wednesday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE TIMBERWOLVES PLUS THE POINTS: Minnesota continues to play well despite being without the injured Karl Anthony-Towns for the last month. The Timberwolves raced out to a 58-42 lead at halftime against the Raptors — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games after owning a halftime lead of 15 or more points in their last game. And while that final score finished Over the 214-point Total, they have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games on the road after playing a game that finished Over the Total. Minnesota continues to lead the NBA in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They have held their last five opponents to 42.2% shooting which has resulted in 97.8 Points-Per-Game — and those marks are -2.4% and -8.2 PPG below their season average. The Timberwolves have covered the point spread in 22 of their last 33 games on the road in the second half of the season — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 road games with the Total set in the 210s. Phoenix made 50.6% of their shots on Wednesday which was the best shooting effort in their last four games. The Suns have then failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 26 games after a double-digit victory — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 21 games after a win by 20 or more points at home. They have failed to cover the point spread in 19 of their last 29 games after winning two of their last three games.
FINAL TAKE: The Timberwolves want to avenge a 133-115 loss at Phoenix on November 15th — and they have covered the point spread in 26 of their last 40 opportunities for some sweet same-season revenge. 8* NBA Friday Late Show Bailout with the Minnesota Timberwolves (549) plus the points versus the Phoenix Suns (550). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
04-04-24 |
Indiana State -2.5 v. Seton Hall |
Top |
77-79 |
Loss |
-110 |
0 h 17 m |
Show
|
At 7:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Indiana State Sycamores (681) minus the points versus the Seton Hall Pirates (682) in the Championship Game of the National Invitational Tournament. THE SITUATION: Indiana State (32-6) reached the finals of this tournament with their 100-90 victory against Utah as a 4.5-point favorite on Tuesday. Seton Hall (24-12) advanced from their semifinal contest in an 84-67 victory against Georgia as a 5.5-point favorite on Tuesday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.
REASONS TO TAKE THE SYCAMORES MINUS THE POINTS: Indiana State allowed the Utes to make 52.3% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in their last 33 games. The Sycamores have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after allowing 90 or more points in their last game. They have also covered the point spread in 24 of their last 34 games after a win by 10 or more points — and they have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 23 games after scoring 80 or more points in their last contest. And while they have won 10 of their last 11 games with their lone setback being against Drake in the Missouri Valley Conference title game that kept them from making the NCAA Tournament (despite 28 wins at the time), they have covered the point spread in 16 of their last 24 games after winning six or seven of their last eight contests. Indiana State does sacrifice defense for their explosive offense most of the time — but there is one area that head coach Josh Schertz has his team focus on when playing on the defensive end of the court. The Sycamores limit their opponents to pulling down only 23.9% of their missed shots when they are playing away from home which is the 11th-best mark in the nation. Their defensive rebounding will be critical tonight since the Pirates rank 19th in the county by rebounding 35.6% of their missed shots. They held Utah to just five offensive rebounds on Tuesday — and they have covered the point spread in 17 of their last 22 games after not allowing their opponent to pull down more than five offensive rebounds in their last game. Indiana State will win this game with their innovative offense under Schertz. They play at the 26th fastest pace in the nation by averaging only 15.9 seconds per possession. The Sycamores lead the nation with an effective field goal percentage of 59.9% — and they lead the nation by making 62.6% of their shots inside the arc. They fall all the way down 11th in the country with their 38.1% shooting percentage from behind the arc — and they rank sixth in the nation by taking 49.3% of their shots from behind the arc. Led by the bespectacled Robbie Avila, they have scored at least 80 points in nine of their last eleven games. Seton Hall wants to slow this game down and engage in some bully-ball — but the spacing that the Sycamores engage in on offense takes away their opponent's ability to muck things up in the lane. The Pirates only have a 47.5% effective field goal percentage when on the road which ranks 264th in the nation. If they cannot get second chance opportunities, they will struggle to score points. As it is, they rank only 112th in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency when playing away from home. They do not force turnovers to increase their potential scoring opportunities either — they rank 130th in the nation by forcing turnovers in only 17.7% of their opponent’s possessions. Seton Hall has covered the point spread in three straight games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 16 games after covering the point spread in three of their last four games. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games when playing for the second time in seven days.
FINAL TAKE: The Pirates have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 14 road games in tournament action — and the Sycamores have covered the point spread in 21 of their last 32 games when favored. While I think the “home court” edge for Indiana State is overplayed a bit since they are playing on a neutral court that both teams just played on, it certainly does not hurt our cause that the crowd will be mostly cheering on the home state Sycamores. 25* CBB NIT Game of the Year with the Indiana State Sycamores (681) minus the points versus the Seton Hall Pirates (682). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
04-03-24 |
Cavs +6 v. Suns |
|
101-122 |
Loss |
-100 |
2 h 14 m |
Show
|
At 10:10 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Cleveland Cavaliers (517) plus the points versus the Phoenix Suns (518). THE SITUATION: Cleveland (46-30) has won two of their last three games after their 129-113 victory at Utah as a 9.5-point favorite last night. Phoenix (44-31) has won two of their last three games after a 124-111 upset victory as a 1.5-point underdog on Monday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE CAVALIERS PLUS THE POINTS: Cleveland will be without two of their best wing defenders tonight after Dean Wade and Isaac Okoro were both declared out for tonight’s game — but the good news is that Donovan Mitchell is available to play after missing last night’s game due to injury management. Mitchell missed most of March but he did play in the Cavaliers' previous two games at Philadelphia and Denver. Cleveland enjoys a +7.1 Adjusted Net Efficiency margin with Mitchell on the court. From December to February before his broken nose injury, he was scoring 28.1 Points-Per-Game from a 61.5% true shooting percentage — and he was adding 6.5 Rebounds-Per-Game and 5.4 Assists-Per-Game. The Cavaliers pretty much have the third seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race locked up — but Mitchell asserted that the team needs to raise their confidence against good teams after getting clobbered by the Nuggets by 29 points. Cleveland raced out to a 67-47 halftime lead against the Jazz last night — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 14 games after taking a halftime lead of 20 or more points. They continue their five-game road trip that began on Sunday in Denver — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 road games when playing for the third time in five days. They have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 15 games as an underdog getting 3.5 to 9.5 points. And while the Suns score 116.8 PPG, the Cavaliers have covered the point spread in 18 of their last 26 games against teams who average 116 or more PPG. Phoenix has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 17 games after a win on the road. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 22 games after a double-digit victory. We were on the Under in that game but Devin Booker went off for 52 points with that final score cruising Over the 222-point total — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 22 of their last 33 games after playing an Over in their last game. The Suns have failed to cover the point spread in 19 of their last 28 games after winning two of their last three games — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 23 games when playing for just the second time in five days. Despite playing against the fifth-easiest schedule in the league up until this point, Phoenix ranks only 15th in the NBA in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. Since the All-Star break, they rank 27th in the 3-point attempt-to-field goal attempt ratio and 25th in opponent 3-point shooting percentage. And while they do rank seventh in the league in offensive rebounding rate, they now face a Cavaliers team led by Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen that ranks eighth in the NBA in defensive rebounding rate. Phoenix has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games against teams winning 60-70% of their games — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 22 of their 36 home games this season including five of their last seven contests at home.
FINAL TAKE: Cleveland will be looking to avenge a 117-111 loss at home to the Suns on March 11th in a game they played without Mobley and Max Strus. The Cavs were able to launch 50% of their shots from behind the arc but only made 33.3% of them despite their 36.7% shooting mark from 3-point range this season. Cleveland has covered the point spread in 17 of their last 26 opportunities to exact revenge against their opponent — and they have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 18 games when avenging a loss where they gave up 110 or more points. 10* NBA Wednesday Late Show Bailout with the Cleveland Cavaliers (517) plus the points versus the Phoenix Suns (518). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
04-02-24 |
Georgia v. Seton Hall -3.5 |
|
67-84 |
Win
|
100 |
3 h 54 m |
Show
|
At 9:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Seton Hall Pirates (664) minus the points versus the Georgia Bulldogs (663) in the Semifinals of the National Invitational Tournament. THE SITUATION: Seton Hall (23-12) has won five of their last six games after their 91-68 victory against UNLV as a 6-point favorite last Wednesday. Georgia (20-16) has won four of their last five games after their 79-77 upset victory at Ohio State as a 9-point underdog last Tuesday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.
REASONS TO TAKE THE PIRATES MINUS THE POINTS: Seton Hall comes into this game with momentum after beating their last two opponents in the NIT by 38 combined points. The Pirates have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 16 games after a win by 20 or more points. They were one of the three teams this season to beat UConn — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after 15 games into the season against teams with a winning percentage in the 51-60% range. They should get plenty of second-chance scoring opportunities against this Bulldogs team that struggles to protect their defensive glass. Seton Hall pulls down 35.6% of their missed shots, ranking 19th in the nation. Georgia allows their opponents to rebound 30.4% of their missed shots, ranking 238th in the country. The Bulldogs have pulled off two straight upset victories in this tournament to reach the semifinals. The Bulldogs shot 47.8% from the field against the Buckeyes which was the best shooting effort in their last ten games. Georgia has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after playing a game on the road where both teams scored 75 or more points. They ranked just tenth in the SEC and currently rank 105th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. In their five games played on a neutral court, the Bulldogs are scoring -12.2 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions. Another problem they are likely to experience tonight is they lack a Plan B if their shots are not falling. They only pull down 27.3% of their missed shots, ranking 238th in the nation. They also only force turnovers in 16.2% of their opponent's possessions, ranking 240th.
FINAL TAKE: The Bulldogs have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games played on a neutral court as an underdog or as a pick ‘em. 8* CBB Tuesday Night Discounted Deal with Seton Hall Pirates (664) minus the points versus the Georgia Bulldogs (663). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-31-24 |
NC State v. Duke -6.5 |
Top |
76-64 |
Loss |
-110 |
2 h 55 m |
Show
|
At 5:05 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Duke Blue Devils (658) minus the points versus the North Carolina State Wolfpack (657) in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Duke (27-8) has won six of their last eight games after their 54-51 upset win against Houston as a 4-point underdog on Friday. North Carolina State (25-14) has won eight games in a row after their 67-58 upset win against Marquette as a 7.5-point underdog on Friday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas.
REASONS TO TAKE THE BLUE DEVILS MINUS THE POINTS: Duke advanced despite making only 40.8% of their shots which was the worst shooting effort in their last 21 games. The Blue Devils have covered the point spread in 16 of their last 24 games after winning four or five of their last six games. They have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after not allowing more than 60 points in their last game. Head coach Job Scheyer has his team playing their best defense of the entire season right now. They have not allowed an opponent to generate an effective field goal percentage higher than 43.3%. Their three opponents in the Big Dance have an Adjusted Offensive Efficiency no higher than 85.2 — and Duke only had two better defensive games than that in terms of Adjusted Defensive Efficiency before this tournament started. The Wolfpack make 45.1% of their shots — but the Blue Devils have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games against teams who make 45% or more of their shots. Duke has covered the point spread in 4 straight games when playing for the second time in three days. On the road, the Blue Devils are scoring +2.6 more points per 100 adjusted possessions. Duke has covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 road games in March. And while NC State is outscoring their opponents by +4.1 Points-Per-Game, the Blue Devils have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 19 games against teams outscoring their opponents by +4.0 or more PPG. NC State played their best defensive game of the season by holding the Golden Eagles to just 33.3% shooting. Marquette scored at just an 0.84 Points-Per-Possession rate despite ranking 21st in the nation by scoring at an adjusted 1.18 PPP rate. Some of that was just bad shooting luck for the Golden Eagles who could not hit the side of a barn from outside as they only made 4 of 31 shots from behind the arc despite getting tons of open looks. The Wolfpack’s opponents in the Big Dance are making only 23 of their 97 shots from behind the arc. ACC opponents made 36.2% of their 3s against NC State — so I am expecting a visit from the Regression Gods regarding the 23.7% shooting percentage of the Wolfpack’s opponents in this tournament. Of concern for NC State is that they only scored at a 0.97 PPG rate on Friday — and they missed six of their 12 free throws. The Wolfpack has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 6 games after not making more than 53% of their free throws in their last game. They held Marquette to only 24 points in the first half — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after not allowing more than 25 points in the first half of their last game. They have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games when playing for the second time in three days. And while they have covered the point spread in six of their last seven games (with six upset victories in that run), NC State has then failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games after covering the point spread in four or five of their last six games.
FINAL TAKE: The Wolfpack have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games played on a neutral court with the Total set from 140 to 144.5. The Blue Devils have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games played on a neutral court. 25* CBB ACC Game of the Year with the Duke Blue Devils (658) minus the points versus the North Carolina State Wolfpack (657). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-31-24 |
Tennessee v. Purdue -3 |
|
66-72 |
Win
|
100 |
0 h 6 m |
Show
|
At 2:20 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Purdue Boilermakers (656) minus the points versus the Tennessee Volunteers (655) in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Purdue (32-4) has won nine of their last ten games after their 80-68 victory against Gonzaga as a 4.5-point favorite on Friday. Tennessee (27-8) has won ten of their last 12 games with their 82-75 victory against Creighton as a 3.5-point favorite on Friday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
REASONS TO TAKE THE BOILERMAKERS MINUS THE POINTS: Purdue made 57.1% of their shots including 45% of their 3-pointers to overwhelm the Bulldogs on Friday. Gonzaga did make 49.2% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in the Boilermakers' last 14 contests. Purdue is making 53.6% of their shots in this Big Dance including 43.3% of their shots from behind the arc. They also own a +55 net rebounding edge in their three games in this tournament. The Boilermakers scored 106 points in their previous game against Utah State — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after scoring 80 or more points in two or more games in a row. They have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 road games after winning four or five of their last six games. Purdue has covered the point spread in 11 of their last 13 games against teams outside the Big Ten. They have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games played on a neutral court. Furthermore, they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 road games against teams winning 60-80% of their games. And while the Volunteers are outscoring their opponents by +11.8 Points-Per-Game, the Boilermakers have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games against teams outscoring their opponents by +8.0 or PPG. Tennessee has filed top over the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games on the road after winning three of their last four games. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games when playing for the second time in the last three days. I worry about this team given the massive funk that Santiago Vescovi is mired in right now. After scoring 12.9 Points-Per-Game and making 39% of his 3-pointers in the previous two seasons, he limped into this tournament with a 3.3 PPG scoring average in his last seven games while making only 23% of their shots including just 4 of 22 (18.1%) of his shots from behind the arc. In his first two NCAA Tournament games, Vescovi has only scored eight combined points with a 33.3% shooting percentage with only two made 3s in his seven attempts. Vescovi was the only player not to play on Friday against the Bluejays — he claims it was because of the flu, but it is suspicious that he could not take the floor at all in this single-elimination tournament. His confidence could be shot. The Volunteers have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 17 games with the Total set in the 140s. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games played on a neutral court.
FINAL TAKE: Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes has failed to cover the point spread in 16 of his last 21 coached games in the NCAA Tournament going back to 2010 during his time with Texas and now the Volunteers. Even worse, when his team was not a double-digit favorite in those games in the Big Dance, his teams failed to cover the point spread in 14 of those 16 contests. 10* CBB Sunday Afternoon Discounted Deal with the Purdue Boilermakers (656) minus the points versus the Tennessee Volunteers (655). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-30-24 |
Clemson v. Alabama -3 |
|
82-89 |
Win
|
100 |
1 h 49 m |
Show
|
At 8:49 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Alabama Crimson Tide (654) minus the points versus the Clemson Tigers (653) in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Alabama (24-11) has won three games in a row after their 89-87 upset victory as a 4.5-point underdog on Thursday. Clemson (24-11) has pulled off their second-straight upset victory in the Big Dance with their 77-72 upset win against Arizona as a 7-point underdog on Thursday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.
REASONS TO TAKE THE CRIMSON TIDE MINUS THE POINTS: Alabama should build off their momentum tonight as they have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 19 games after a point spread win — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after winning three of their last four games. They trailed at halftime by a 54-46 score before holding the Tar Heels to only seven points in the first ten minutes of the second half. The Crimson Tide have covered the point spread in 6 straight games after allowing 45 or more points in their last game. They have also covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games when playing with one day of rest. Alabama makes 36.8% of their 3-point shots — and the Tigers are vulnerable to 3-point shooting teams since their opponents take 40.6% of their shots from behind the arc when they are playing on the road, ranking 286th in the nation. The Crimson Tide have covered the point spread in 9 of their 12 games this season when the Total is set at 160 or higher. They have also covered the point spread in 11 of their last 18 games against teams with a winning record. Clemson made 49.2% of their shots against the Wildcats which was the best shooting effort in their last five games. The Tigers are due a visit from the Regression Gods after their three opponents in the Big Dance have missed 58 of their 75 shots from behind the arc. Clemson has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 6 games when playing their second game on the road in the last three days. On the road, the Tigers are scoring -2.0 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions.
FINAL TAKE: Clemson makes 46.8% of their shots while holding their opponents to just 41.2% shooting — but the Crimson Tide have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 15 games against teams who make at least 46.8% of their shots and hold their opponents to no better than 42% shooting. 10* CBB Saturday Night Discounted Deal with the Alabama Crimson Tide (654) minus the points versus the Clemson Tigers (653). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-29-24 |
Duke +4.5 v. Houston |
|
54-51 |
Win
|
100 |
1 h 19 m |
Show
|
At 9:40 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Duke Blue Devils (645) plus the points versus the Houston Cougars (646) in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Duke (26-8) has won five of their last seven games after their 93-55 victory against James Madison as a 6-point favorite last Sunday. Houston (32-4) has won 13 of their last 14 games after their 100-95 victory in overtime against Texas A&M as an 8.5-point favorite on Sunday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas.
REASONS TO TAKE THE BLUE DEVILS PLUS THE POINTS: Duke nailed 14 of their 28 shots from behind the arc against the Dukes — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after making 50% or more of the 3-pointers in their last game. They have also covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after not allowing more than 60 points in their previous game. The Blue Devils opened their Big Dance with a 64-47 win against Vermont as a 12.5-point favorite — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after covering the point spread in two straight games as the favorites. They have also covered the point spread in 14 of their last 21 games after winning five or six of their last seven games. Houston has failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games after scoring 80 or more points in their last game. They have scored at least 86 points in both their games in the Big Dance — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games after scoring 75 or more points in two or more games in a row. And while they have covered the point spread in four of their last six games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after covering the point spread in four or five of their last six games. Houston is an elite defensive team — but getting to play them away from the Fertitta Center helps a lot. The Cougars give up +13.1 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing away from home.
FINAL TAKE: The Blue Devils have covered the point spread in 4 of their 5 games played on a neutral court this season. 8* CBB Friday Night Discounted Deal with the Duke Blue Devils (645) plus the points versus the Houston Cougars (646). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-29-24 |
Gonzaga +5.5 v. Purdue |
Top |
68-80 |
Loss |
-112 |
2 h 22 m |
Show
|
At 7:39 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Gonzaga Bulldogs (639) plus the points versus the Purdue Boilermakers (640) in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Gonzaga (27-7) has won 11 of their last 12 games after their 89-68 victory against Kansas as a 4-point favorite on Saturday. Purdue (31-4) has won eight of their last nine games after their 106-67 win against Utah State as an 11.5-point favorite on Saturday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
REASONS TO TAKE THE BULLDOGS PLUS THE POINTS: Purdue exorcised some of their demons last week after Fairleigh Dickinson knocked them off in the Round of 64 last year despite being a one seed. The Boilermakers had an easy time of it in a 78-50 victory against Grambling State before their 39-point win against the Aggies over the weekend. But this remains a program that has not advanced beyond the Sweet 16 since 2019 — so nerves may play a role for this team that has been National Championship or bust ambitions all season. Purdue made 55.9% of their shots against Utah State which was the best shooting effort in their last eight games. They also held the Aggies to 35.9% shooting which was the best defensive performance in their last 15 contests. But the Boilermakers have failed to cover the point spread in 17 of their last 25 games after a win by 15 or more points — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games after a win by 20 or more points. Additionally, they have beaten six teams this season by 30 or more points — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of those 5 next contests going into tonight’s showdown. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after winning two games in a row by 15 or more points. Since getting outrebounded by Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament, Purdue has outrebounded their next three opponents by at least 14 boards. But the Boilermakers have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 10 road games after outrebounding two straight opponents by ten or more boards — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight road games after outrebounding three straight opponents by ten or more rebounds. Away from home, Purdue scores -7.9 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions which ranks 337th in the nation in the worst drop-off from the home offensive efficiency. The Bulldogs hold their opponents to 40.2% shooting — and the Boilermakers have failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 17 road games after 15 games into the season against teams with an opponent’s field goal percentage of 42% or lower. And while Gonzaga outscores their opponents by +16.2 Points-Per-Game, Purdue has failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 27 games after 15 games into the season against teams outscoring their opponents by +4.0 or more PPG. There is a national perception that this is a down year for head coach Mark Few’s Bulldogs — but this is a better team since Few inserted Ben Gregg into the starting lineup in mid-January. The 6’10 big man makes 38.6% of his 3-pointers — his ability to play on the perimeter opens up space for superstar point guard Ryan Nembhard and Graham Ike to operate their pick-and-rolls with plenty of room. Gonzaga ranks ninth in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency in their last ten games led by a nearly unstoppable offense that ranks third in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency during that span. They lead the nation in their last ten games with an effective field goal percentage of 61.5% -- leading the nation with a 44.2% clip from behind the arc and ranking fourth with a 59.6% mark from inside the arc. The Bulldogs will slow down the Boilermakers' rebounding edge — they outrebound their opponents by +7.4 Rebounds-Per-Game while ranking 52nd in the nation by pulling down 33.3% of their missed shots. On the road, Gonzaga ranks 29th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they allow -2.9 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing away from home. The Boilermakers make 49.0% of their shots — but the Bulldogs have covered the point spread in 6 straight road games after 15 games into the season against teams who make 48% or more of their shots.
FINAL TAKE: This showdown is a rematch of Purdue’s 73-63 victory against the Bulldogs in the Maui Invitational on November 20th. A few things from that game. First, Few had yet to insert Gregg into the starting lineup which unleashed the offensive attack. Second, Gonzaga neutralized the Boilermakers’ rebounding edge with both teams pulling down 38 boards. Third, Purdue’s Zach Edey was not called for a foul while Ike was in foul trouble all game with four personal fouls — that is not likely to happen again. Few has had a long time to consider how to adjust to the Boilermakers’ motion offense — and the Bulldogs have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 16 road games when avenging a same-season loss. 25* CBB Sweet 16 Underdog of the Year with the Gonzaga Bulldogs (639) plus the points versus the Purdue Boilermakers (640). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-28-24 |
Alabama v. North Carolina -4 |
|
89-87 |
Loss |
-110 |
2 h 57 m |
Show
|
At 9:40 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the North Carolina Tar Heels (636) minus points versus the Alabama Crimson Tide (635) in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: North Carolina (29-7) has won two straight games and ten of their last 11 contests after their 85-69 victory against Michigan State as a 4-point favorite on Saturday. Alabama (23-11) has won three of their last four games after their 72-61 victory against Grand Canyon as a 5.5-point favorite on Sunday. This game is being played on a neutral court at Crytpo.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.
REASONS TO TAKE THE TAR HEELS MINUS THE POINTS: North Carolina should feed off their momentum tonight as they have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 19 games after a double-digit victory. They have also covered the point spread in 12 of their last 18 games after scoring 80 or more points in their last contest. They defeated Wagner by a 90-62 score in their opening game in the NCAA Tournament — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games after winning two games in a row by double-digits. Head coach Hubert Davis has this team playing outstanding defense — they rank sixth in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. On the road, the Tar Heels have been even better by allowing -1.1 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions — they rank fourth in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. Alabama held the Antelopes to just 32.1% shooting which was the best defensive effort in their last 19 contests. But the Crime Tide still allows +9.6 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing away from home — and that is the 354th worst discrepancy versus their home defensive metrics. Alabama benefited from playing two mid-major teams in Grand Canyon and Charleston in their first two games in the Big Dance. They lost four of their final six games in the SEC — and one of those victories required overtime against a mediocre Arkansas team. The Crimson Tide have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games with the Total set at 170 or higher. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games as an underdog.
FINAL TAKE: The Tar Heels have covered the point spread in 17 of their 28 games this season against teams with a winning record — and they have covered the point spread in 8 straight games in the Big Dance. 10* CBB Thursday Night Discounted Deal with the North Carolina Tar Heels (636) minus points versus the Alabama Crimson Tide (635). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-28-24 |
San Diego State v. Connecticut -10.5 |
Top |
52-82 |
Win
|
100 |
2 h 19 m |
Show
|
At 7:39 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Connecticut Huskies (634) minus the points versus the San Diego State Aztecs (633) in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Connecticut (33-3) has won nine games in a row after their 75-58 victory against Northwestern as a 13.5-point favorite on Sunday. San Diego State (26-10) has won two in a row and four of their last five after their 85-57 victory against Yale as a 5.5-point favorite on Sunday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.
REASONS TO TAKE THE HUSKIES MINUS THE POINTS: I don’t always love laying double-digits but am willing to do it in this instance in this rematch of last year’s National Championship Game. UConn won that game by a 76-59 score — and while they may be even better this season, the Aztecs are not quite as good as that group was last year. While San Diego State ranked eighth in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing on the road last season, they fall to 22nd in that metric when playing away from home this season. The Aztecs give up +4.9 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing on the road versus at home this season — and that is the 308th worst discrepancy in the nation. San Diego State has failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 17 road games against teams with a winning record — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 11 road games after 15 games into the season against teams with a winning record. The Aztecs' offense is too one-dimensional as they rely too much on big man Jaedon LeDee (who was coming off the bench last year). Huskies head coach has a three-headed monster to slow down LeDee in starters Donovan Clingan and Alex Karaban along with Samson Johnson coming off the bench. San Diego State did make 52.7% of their shots against Yale on Sunday but that was the best shooting effort in their last ten contests. The Aztecs have failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 18 games on the road after a straight-up win. They have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 11 road games after winning two or more games in a row. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight games when playing for the third time in seven days. UConn’s three losses this season have either come from an ice-cold shooting performance or running into a team on fire from behind the arc. But San Diego State only makes 31.8% of their 3-pointers, ranking 283rd in the nation. The Huskies have won three straight games by 16 or more points — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games after winning three or more games in a row by 15 or more points. They rank eighth in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency after not allowing more than 58 points in three straight games — and they have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 17 games after not allowing more than 65 points in three or more games in a row. They have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games on the road after covering the point spread as a double-digit favorite. Furthermore, UConn has covered the point spread in 24 of their last 35 games when favored — and they have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 20 games as a double-digit favorite. They have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games played on a neutral court.
FINAL TAKE: While San Diego State has revenge on their minds, don’t underestimate the motivation the Huskies have in this game as a measuring stick regarding how this year’s group compares to last year’s squad. UConn has covered the point spread in 36 of their last 55 games against teams with a winning record — and they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games against teams with a winning record after 15 games into the season. The Aztecs have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 17 games after 15 games into the season against teams with a winning record. 25* CBB Sweet 16 Game of the Year with the Connecticut Huskies (634) minus the points versus the San Diego State Aztecs (633). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-26-24 |
Fairfield v. Seattle University -6.5 |
Top |
58-75 |
Win
|
100 |
3 h 18 m |
Show
|
At 9:30 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Seattle Redhawks (618) minus the points versus the Fairfield Stags (617) in the Semifinals of the College Basketball Invitational. THE SITUATION: Seattle (21-14) has won two games in a row after their 71-57 victory against Evansville as a 9-point favorite yesterday in the Quarterfinals of this tournament. Fairfield (24-12) has won two in a row and six of their last seven after their 77-74 victory against Chicago State as a 4.5-point favorite on Monday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida.
REASONS TO TAKE THE REDHAWKS MINUS THE POINTS: Seattle is a solid team out of the Western Athletic Conference who beat Grand Canyon while losing a second game on the road against them in overtime. They also beat Louisiana Tech and lost in double overtime to Washington. Head coach Chris Victor has his team play very good defense — they rank 64th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency off the strength of their half-court defense. They rank 18th in the nation with an effective field goal percentage of 46.8%. The Stags live and die by the 3-point shot — but the Redhawks rank seventh in the nation by limiting their opponents to just 29.7% shooting from behind the arc. Seattle should build off their momentum as they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 18 games after a point spread win. On the road, they are scoring +7.0 more points per 100 adjusted possessions. The Redhawks have covered the point spread in 8 of their 11 games this season against teams winning 60-80% of their games. And while Fairfield outscores their opponents by +5.1 Points-Per-Game, Seattle has covered the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games against teams who outscore their opponents by +4.0 or more PPG. The Stags nailed 57.7% of their shots yesterday which was the best shooting effort in their last 22 games. But Fairfield has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a straight-up win where they did not cover the point spread as the favorite. They have only covered the point spread once in their last four games — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after failing to cover the point spread in three of their last four contests. And while they have won nine of their last 11 games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games after winning eight or more of their last ten games. The Stags are a good offensive team — but they struggle to stop their opponents on the other end of the court. Fairfield ranks 243rd in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. The problems are with their interior defense. They allow their opponent to make 53.1% of their shots inside the arc, ranking 303rd in the nation. They also allow their opponents to pull down 30.8% of their missed shots, ranking 268th in the nation. Seattle limits their opponents to 41.4% shooting — and the Stags have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games against teams with an opponent’s field goal percentage of 42% or less. Fairfield had a 10-4 record when playing at home — but they rank 272nd in the nation with their drop in Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing away from home. The Stags have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 14 games after 15 games into the season against teams winning 51-60% of their games including all five of those circumstances this season.
FINAL TAKE: Fairfield has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their 5 games played on a neutral court this season — and the Redhawks have covered the point spread in 4 straight games on a neutral court when favored or a pick ‘em. Seattle has also covered the point spread in 5 of their 6 games in a tournament setting. 25* CBB College Basketball Invitational Game of the Year with the playing the Seattle Redhawks (618) minus the points versus the Fairfield Stags (617). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-24-24 |
Iowa v. Utah -5 |
Top |
82-91 |
Win
|
100 |
1 h 5 m |
Show
|
At 9:00 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Utah Utes (848) minus the points versus the Iowa Hawkeyes (847) in the second round of the National Invitational Tournament. THE SITUATION: Utah (20-14) won for the second time in their last three games after their 84-75 victory against UC-Irvine as an 8-point home favorite on Tuesday. Iowa (19-14) snapped a two-game losing streak with their 91-82 victory at home against Kansas State as a 5.5-point favorite on Tuesday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE UTES MINUS THE POINTS: Utah ranks top-50 in the nation in both Adjusted Offensive Efficiency and Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They have beaten six teams that made the NCAA Tournament: Saint Mary’s, BYU, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington State. They are particularly tough to beat at home where they enjoy an altitude edge in Provo — especially against teams from the east like Iowa. The Utes have a 15-2 record at home with an average winning margin of +16.5 Points-Per-Game. They hold their opponents to 38.7% shooting including a 31.5% mark from behind the arc that results in 67.9 PPG on their home court. They make 49.4% of their shots including 38.9% of their 3-pointers resulting in 84.4 PPG. They rank 18th in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing at home — and they enjoy the 24th biggest jump in that metric when compared to playing away from home. Utah has covered the point spread in 11 of their 17 games at home this season — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 15 home games when favored or a pick ‘em. They have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games against teams outside the Pac-12. Iowa made 48.3% of their shots on Tuesday which was the best shooting effort in their last three contests — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 16 games after scoring 85 or more points in their last game. They scored 78 points in their 12-point loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games after scoring 75 or more points in two or more games in a row. The Hawkeyes rank 15th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency — but they struggle on the other end of the court. They rank 151st in the Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they drop to 188th in that metric when playing in hostile environments. Interior defense is a significant problem as they allow their home hosts to make 57.9% of their shots inside the arc. Iowa has failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 17 road games when playing for the second time in seven days. They have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 14 games as an underdog. And in their last 13 games with the Total set in at 160 or higher, they have failed to cover the point spread 9 times.
FINAL TAKE: Utah outscores their opponents by +5.5 PPG — and Iowa has failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 21 road games against teams who outscore their opponents by +4.0 or more PPG. The Hawkeyes have also failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 27 games against teams with a winning record. 25* CBB 2nd Round NIT Game of the Year with the Utah Utes (848) minus the points versus the Iowa Hawkeyes (847). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-24-24 |
Grand Canyon +6 v. Alabama |
|
61-72 |
Loss |
-110 |
0 h 26 m |
Show
|
At 7:10 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Grand Canyon Antelopes (839) plus the points versus the Alabama Crimson Tide (840) in the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Grand Canyon (30-4) has won six games in a row after their 75-66 upset victory as a point underdog in their opening game in the NCAA Tournament on Friday. Alabama (22-11) has won two of their last three games after their 109-96 victory against Charleston as an 8.5-point favorite in their first game in the Big Dance on Friday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Spokane Veterans Arena in Spokane, Washington.
REASONS TO TAKE THE ANTELOPES PLUS THE POINTS: Any concern that this Grand Canyon team was a paper tiger that benefited from an easy schedule out of the Western Athletic Conference got dismissed them dominating one of the best Saint Mary’s teams their legendary head coach Randy Bennett has had there in his tenure. The Antelopes are playing with house money now — and they should feed off their momentum tonight. Grand Canyon has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after winning six or seven of their last eight games. And while they have covered the point spread in six straight games, they have then covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after covering the point spread in two or more games in a row. Head coach Bryce Drew has a veteran team full of transfers who play in a style that makes them very dangerous against this Crimson Tide squad — and all these skills travel on the road. The Antelopes lead the nation with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 45.1% when playing away from home. They will challenge Alabama which loves to shoot 3s as they rank 18th in the nation by holding their opponents to 30.4% shooting when playing on the road. They also rank fifth in the nation with an opponent’s shooting percentage of 44.8% inside the arc. Grand Canyon does some things to generate more scoring opportunities if their shots are not falling. They rank 81st by pulling down 31.5% of their missed shots when on the road — and the Tide are vulnerable in this department as their opponents to pull down 32.3% of their missed shots in their seven games played on a neutral court, ranking 236th in the nation (and they rank 236th in defensive rebounding overall). Furthermore, the Antelopes lead the nation by forcing turnovers in 20.1% of their opponent’s possessions when playing away from home, ranking 21st in the nation. And the Antelopes' attacking style has them lead the nation in getting to the free throw line when playing on the road — and Alabama is a fouling machine that ranks 342nd in defensive foul rate. The Crimson Tide outscore their opponents by +9.8 Points-Per-Game — and Grand Canyon has covered the point spread in 25 of their last 35 games on the road against teams outscoring their opponents by +8.0 or more PPG. They have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games played on a neutral court. Alabama is adored by the laptops — but their season stats include plenty of the empty calories that come from the luxury of the carefree launching of more and more 3s when bullying lesser opponents. The Crimson Tide made 60% of their shots against the Cougars on Friday — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after making 60% or more of their shots. The problem with Alabama is that do not play defense - they rank 178th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when on the road. They give up +10.8 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing away from home which is the 355th worst discrepancy from their home defensive efficiency. Alabama has given up 80 or more points in eight straight games — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games after allowing 80 or more points in three or more games in a row. The Tide live by the three — but they die by relying too much on the 3 as well. They rank 19th in the nation by taking 49.1% of their shots from the field from behind the arc when playing on a neutral court — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games played on a neutral court.
FINAL TAKE: The Antelopes have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games against teams winning 60-80% of their games — and the Crimson Tide have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games against teams with a winning percentage of 80% or higher. 10* CBB Sunday Night Discounted Deal with the Grand Canyon Antelopes (839) plus the points versus the Alabama Crimson Tide (840). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-24-24 |
Colorado v. Marquette -3.5 |
|
77-81 |
Win
|
100 |
0 h 11 m |
Show
|
At 12:10 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Marquette Golden Eagles (830) minus the points versus the Colorado Buffaloes (829) in the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Marquette (26-9) has won four of their last five games after their 87-69 victory against Western Kentucky as a 14.5-point favorite in their opening-round game in the NCAA Tournament on Friday. Colorado (26-10) has won two straight games as well as ten of their last 11 contests with their 102-100 victory against Florida as a 1-point favorite in their first game in the Big Dance on Friday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.
REASONS TO TAKE THE GOLDEN EAGLES MINUS THE POINTS: Colorado made 63.0% of their shots on Friday — but still needed K.J. Simpson to nail a last-second game-winner to eke out their game with the Gators in a final score that looked more like a Miami Heat contest than a college basketball game. That was the best shooting performance in the Buffaloes’ last 30 contests — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 26 of their last 35 games after scoring 95 or more points in their last game. And while Colorado made 6 of their 10 shots from behind the arc in that game, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games after a game where they made at least 50% of their 3-pointers. The Buffaloes have also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a win by three points or less — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 16 games after a win by six points or less. Colorado struggled with the Florida press late in the game on Friday — they rank 254th in the nation by turning the ball over in 18.1% of their possessions. Here comes the Golden Eagles who rank 20th in the nation by forcing turnovers in 21.2% of their opponent’s possessions. Marquette got Tyler Kolek back on Friday who was able to play 38 minutes while enjoying a strong second half en route to 18 points and 11 assists. The Golden Eagles have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 16 games after a double-digit win — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games after a win by 15 or more points. They have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games when playing for the second time on the road in three days.
FINAL TAKE: Colorado has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their 14 games this season against teams winning 60-80% of their games — and Marquette has covered the point spread in 8 of their 10 games after 15 games into this season against teams winning 60-80% of their games. The Golden Eagles have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games played on a neutral court with the Total set in the 140s — and the Buffaloes have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games played on a neutral court with the Total set in the 140s. 10* CBB Sunday Afternoon Discounted Deal with the Marquette Golden Eagles (830) minus the points versus the Colorado Buffaloes (829). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-23-24 |
Oregon +5.5 v. Creighton |
|
73-86 |
Loss |
-120 |
8 h 17 m |
Show
|
At 9:40 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Oregon Ducks (793) plus the points versus the Creighton Bluejays (794) in the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Oregon (24-11) has won five games in a row after their 87-73 victory against South Carolina as a 2.5-point favorite in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. Creighton (24-9) has won four of their last five games after their 77-60 victory against Akron as a 12-point favorite in their first-round game on Thursday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
REASONS TO TAKE THE DUCKS PLUS THE POINTS: Creighton played their best defensive game in their last 12 contests by holding the Zips to just 37.9% shooting. They also made 56.5% of their shots which was the best shooting effort in their last eight contests. But head coach Greg McDermott’s team is vulnerable because they tend to live by the three but die by the three. They take 48.6% of their shots from behind the arc which is the eighth most aggressive tactic in the nation. They rank 352nd in the percentage of points they generate from inside the arc or the free throw line. If Creighton’s 3-point shots are not falling, they don’t have a Plan B (outside of great defense). They do not crash the glass since they only pull down 25.8% of their missed shots, ranking 284th in the nation. They rank 351st in getting to the free-throw line for some easy points. They do not force turnovers as their opponents cough the ball up just 11.1% of the time, ranking 361st. And they play at a slow pace by averaging 67.0 adjusted possessions per game, ranking 208th, so their style of play does not help the Regression Gods appear if they are not hitting their 35.6% clip from behind the arc. Creighton was hot on Thursday as they nailed 10 of their 17 shots from 3-point range for a 58.8% clip. But the Bluejays have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 18 games after making 55% or more of their shots including five of those seven occasions this season. When playing on their home court, Creighton makes 38.5% of their 3s — but when away from home, that clip drops to 34.6% which is only the 109th-best percentage in the nation. They score -10.6 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing away from home — and that is the 13th worst decline in the country. Additionally, the Bluejays have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games after covering the point spread as a double-digit favorite. Creighton has also failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 13 games against teams winning 60-80% of their games. Oregon is playing their best basketball of the season now that head coach Dana Altman has found the most successful style and identity for this team. Injuries have plagued the Ducks all season with four players suffering season-ending injuries. But after only playing one time before January 13th, their 6’11 big man N’Faly Dante is demonstrating his vast NBA potential. In his last five games, Dante is scoring 20.6 Points-Per-Game while pulling down 8.8 Rebounds-Per-Game and adding 2.8 Steals-Per-Game and 1.6 Blocks-Per-Game. He is likely the best player on the court tonight. And while Creighton averages 11 made 3s per game, the Ducks have covered the point spread in 6 of their 9 games this season against teams who make 8 or more 3s per game. Furthermore, the Ducks have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games as an underdog.
FINAL TAKE: This matchup means a lot to Altman who was the head coach at Creighton for 16 years before taking the Oregon job in 2010. In Altman, we trust — he has a 16-6-1 ATS mark in the 23 games he has coached in the NCAA Tournament. 5* CBB Round of 32 Underdog of the Year with the Oregon Ducks (793) plus the points versus the Creighton Bluejays (794). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-22-24 |
TCU -3.5 v. Utah State |
Top |
72-88 |
Loss |
-115 |
12 h 56 m |
Show
|
At 9:55 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the TCU Horned Frogs (771) minus the points versus the Utah State Aggies (772) in the Round of 64 of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: TCU (21-12) has lost four of their last six games after their 60-45 loss to Houston as an 11.5-point underdog last Thursday in the Quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament. Utah State (27-6) had their six-game winning streak snapped in an 86-70 loss to San Diego State as a 5-point underdog last Friday in the Semifinals of the Mountain West Conference Tournament. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.
REASONS TO TAKE THE HORNED FROGS MINUS THE POINTS: TCU shot a season-low 23.3% from the field in their loss to the Cougars who might be the best defensive team in the country. But head coach Jamie Dixon should have his team ready to play tonight. The Horned Frogs have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games after failing to score more than 60 points in their last game. And while they missed 18 of their 20 shots from behind the arc in that game, they have then covered the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games after failing to make at least 20% of their 3-pointers — including all four of those occasions this season. TCU has been resilient under Dixon’s guidance — they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games after a double-digit loss. Additionally, they have covered the point spread in 25 of their last 35 games after a straight-up loss including eight of their previous 11 losses this season. They have also covered the point spread in 21 of their last 30 games after a loss to a Big 12 rival including six of those nine occasions this season. They have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after losing two of their last three games. Dixon has his team engage in a style of play that leads to success in single-elimination games because he emphasizes seizing extra possessions. The Horned Frogs rank 20th in the nation by pulling down 35.5% of their missed shots. They also rank 22nd in the nation by forcing turnovers in 20.8% of their opponent’s possessions. They are also an above-average 3-point shooting team that makes 35.0% of their shots from behind the arc when playing away from home. TCU scores +1.5 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing on the road as opposed to being at home. And while the fact that they give up +3.8 more points per 100 adjusted possessions on the road is concerning, when looking at just their six games played on a neutral court, they allow -0.1 points per 100 adjusted possessions versus home and true road games — and those six contests include four games against NCAA Tournament teams. Utah State has failed to cover the point spread in 24 of their last 35 games on the road after a double-digit loss. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after winning 15 or more of their last 20 contests. I worry about this Aggies team in tournament settings because they lack a Plan B if their shots are not falling. Under first-year head coach Danny Sprinkle, this team plays like his previous Montana State teams. They get to the free throw line — and they are an outstanding shooting team inside the arc where they rank tenth in the nation by making 57.1% of their shots. But they only make 32.1% of their 3-pointers, ranking 270th in the nation. They do not create many second chances for themselves on the offensive glass as they pull down only 28.5% of their missed shots, ranking 192nd in the nation. And they force turnovers in only 16.4% of their opponent’s possessions, ranking 223rd in the nation. On the road, they are scoring -2.9 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions — so the old-school Bobby Knight style of play on offense does not travel well for them. And they do not play the same quality of defense as those Knight teams from the 1970s and 80s. Utah State ranks 67th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they rank 303rd in the nation by allowing their opponents to make 53.1% of their shots inside the arc. The Aggies have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 23 games in the postseason — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 appearances in the NCAA Tournament. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 10 games as an underdog.
FINAL TAKE: Utah State has failed to cover the point spread in 16 of their last 25 games after 15 games into the season against teams winning 60-80% of their games including five of their eight games this season under Sprinkle. TCU has covered the point spread in 15 of their last 23 games against teams winning 80% or more of their games — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games against those teams when playing them 15 games into the season. This Horned Frogs team has high-profile wins against Houston and Baylor. Lastly, TCU ranks 296th in the nation in Ken Pomeroy’s Luck Factor rankings based on his analytics while the Aggies rank 14th in that metric — so perhaps this is a game that the Regression Gods have circled. 25* CBB NCAA Tournament Round of 64 Game of the Year with the TCU Horned Frogs (771) minus the points versus the Utah State Aggies (772). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-22-24 |
James Madison +5.5 v. Wisconsin |
|
72-61 |
Win
|
100 |
0 h 25 m |
Show
|
At 9:40 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the James Madison Dukes (761) plus the points versus the Wisconsin Badgers (762) in the Round of 64 of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: James Madison (761) rides a 13-game winning streak after their 91-71 victory against Arkansas State as a 5.5-point favorite back on March 11th in the Championship Game of the Sun Belt Conference. Wisconsin (22-13) saw their three-game winning streak snapped in a 93-87 loss to Illinois as a 4-point underdog in the Semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament on Saturday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
REASONS TO TAKE THE DUKES PLUS THE POINTS: James Madison beat Michigan State in the Breslin Center to begin their season — and they are going to be a tough out for any team trying to snap their 13-game winning streak. The Dukes are a dangerous underdog because they do things to force additional possessions if their shots are not falling. They rank 40th in the nation by forcing turnovers in 19.8% of their opponent’s possessions. They also rank 79th in the nation by pulling down 32.0% of their missed shots. They make 36.4% of their shots from behind the arc, ranking 38th in the nation. They only take 38% of their shots from 3-point land — but they may get more aggressive as an underdog against a Big Ten power in this contest. The Badgers are certainly vulnerable in this regard since they rank 345th in the nation by allowing their opponents to nail 37.4% of their 3-pointers. James Madison nailed a season-high 62.5% of their shots against the Red Wolves while holding them to just 35.6% shooting. I tend to expect an appearance from the Regression Gods after seeing outlier numbers like that but the Dukes have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after nailing 60% or more of their shots — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after playing a game where they made at least 57% of their shots and held their opponent to no better than 43% shooting. They have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games against teams outside the Sun Belt Conference — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games when playing on a neutral court. Wisconsin has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games after a straight-up loss — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 17 games after a point spread loss. The Badgers are a vulnerable favorite since they play at such a slow pace — they rank 358th in the nation by averaging 19.1 seconds per possession. On the road, Wisconsin scores -4.1 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions — and they rank 207th in the nation in terms of their drop in Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing away from home.
FINAL TAKE: The Dukes have covered the point spread in 18 of their last 25 games against teams with a winning record. 10* CBB Friday Late Show Bailout with the James Madison Dukes (761) plus the points versus the Wisconsin Badgers (762). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-21-24 |
NC State v. Texas Tech -4.5 |
|
80-67 |
Loss |
-120 |
1 h 42 m |
Show
|
At 9:40 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Texas Tech Red Raiders (734) minus the points versus the North Carolina State Wolfpack (733) in the Round of 64 of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Texas Tech (23-10) had their four-game winning streak snapped in an 82-59 loss to Houston as a 10.5-point underdog in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament on Friday. North Carolina State (22-14) has won five games in a row after their 84-76 upset victory as a 10-point underdog against North Carolina in the ACC Championship Game on Saturday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
REASONS TO TAKE THE RED RAIDERS: Texas Tech only made 33.3% of their shots against the Cougars last week which was the worst shooting effort of their season. They also allowed Houston to make 49.2% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in their last four contest. The Red Raiders have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a loss by 15 or more points. Texas Tech should shoot the ball better tonight. They rank 11th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency when playing on the road fueled by their making 38.8% of their shots behind the arc which is fourth fourth-best shooting mark on the road. An encouraging part of the Red Raiders late in the season has been their ability to get to the free throw like. Despite averaging 20 free throw attempts per game, they have gotten to the charity stripe 24, 24, and 25 times in their last three games. Texas Tech has taken 14 and 10 more shots from the line in their last two games — and they have covered the point spread in 5 straight games after taking ten or more free throw attempts than their opponent in two straight games. And while the Red Raiders have covered the point spread in four of their last five games, they have then covered the point spread in 15 of their last 22 games after covering the point spread in four of their last five games. North Carolina State made 54.9% of their shots in their upset win against North Carolina to win the ACC Tournament — and that was the best shooting effort in their last 28 games. They also held the Tar Heels to 37.3% shooting which was the best defensive effort in their last 15 games. After pulling off four straight upset victories last week in the ACC Tournament necessary for them to make the Big Dance, expect a visit from the Regression Gods now that they have had time to exhale. They have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games after covering the point spread in two or more games in a row — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after covering the point spread in four or five of their last six games. Defense is an area of concern for the Wolfpack as they rank 98th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing away from home. They are especially vulnerable to good 3-point shooting teams like the Red Raiders as they rank 270th in the nation by allowing their opponents to make 36.2% of their shots behind the arc when playing on the road.
FINAL TAKE: The Wolfpack have not covered the point spread in their last 3 games in the first round of a tournament (including last week as a favorite against Louisville in the ACC Tournament) — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games played on a neutral court as an underdog getting 3.5 to 6 points. 10* CBB Thursday Late Show Bailout with the Texas Tech Red Raiders (734) minus the points versus the North Carolina State Wolfpack (733). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-21-24 |
Oregon v. South Carolina +2 |
|
87-73 |
Loss |
-110 |
3 h 25 m |
Show
|
At 4:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the South Carolina Gamecocks (738) plus the point(s) versus the Oregon Ducks (737) in Round of 64 of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: South Carolina (26-7) was on a two-game winning streak before their 86-55 loss to Auburn as a 7.5-point underdog in the Quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament last Friday. Oregon (23-11) rides a four-game winning streak after their 75-68 upset victory against Colorado as a 2.5-point underdog to win the Pac-12 Tournament on Saturday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
REASONS TO TAKE THE GAMECOCKS PLUS THE POINTS: South Carolina is on upset alert perhaps overseeded by the tournament committee as a six-seed — but I don’t care about seeds, I care about point spreads. With the Gamecocks now getting points in many locations, the value rests with this otherwise solid team that has something to prove after getting crushed by 31 points in their last game. They made only 28.1% of their shots which was the worst shooting effort of their season. But South Carolina has bounced back to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games on the road after a straight-up loss to an SEC rival. They have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 road games when playing for just the second time in seven days. And while their game with the Tigers finished Under the 144.5-point total, they have then covered the point spread in 12 of their last 15 games after playing a game that finished Under the Total. The Gamecocks were without Myles Stute against an Auburn but the wing’s hip injury has improved enough for him to take the court. South Carolina ranks 38th in the nation in both Adjusted Offensive Efficiency and Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing away from home. They defeated Mississippi State, Texas A&M, and Tennessee all in true road games. The Gamecocks have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games as an underdog. Oregon needed two straight upset victories to win the Pac-12 title after rallying from a double-digit deficit to Arizona in the semifinals before their upset win against the Buffaloes last Saturday. The Ducks have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 14 games after a straight-up win against a Pac-12 opponent. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 15 games after covering the point spread in two or more games in a row. Additionally, Oregon has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after winning four or more games in a row. The Ducks rank 35th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency when playing away from home — but they only rank 88th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing on the road. Oregon does not play effective defense in the half-court. They rank 213th and 260th in the nation when playing on the road by allowing their opponents to make 52.2% of their shots inside the arc and 36.0% of their 3-pointers. UCLA, Arizona, and Colorado combined to make only 17 of their 62 shots from behind the arc last week — that 27.4% mark from 3-point range may speak more about those team’s ineffective shooting than it does about a sudden surge in the Ducks’ perimeter defense. Those three conference rivals did still convert 43 of their 83 shots inside the arc — and that 51.8% shooting percentage is right in the range of Oregon’s suspect interior defense for the season. The Ducks have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 17 games played on a neutral court — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games played on a neutral court as a favorite of up to six points.
FINAL TAKE: Oregon has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games after 15 games into the season against teams with a winning record. South Carolina has covered the point spread in 17 of their last 24 games against teams with a winning record. 10* CBB Don't Need te Points (but we will take the points) Underdog Special with the South Carolina Gamecocks (738) plus the point(s) versus the Oregon Ducks (737). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-20-24 |
Colorado v. Boise State +3.5 |
Top |
60-53 |
Loss |
-109 |
4 h 30 m |
Show
|
At 9:10 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Boise State Broncos (704) plus the points versus the Colorado Buffaloes (703) in the First Four Round of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Boise State (22-10) has lost two of their last three games after their 76-66 loss to New Mexico in a pick ‘em match last Thursday in the Quarterfinals of the Mountain West Conference Tournament. Colorado (24-10) was on an eight-game winning streak before their 75-68 upset loss to Oregon as a 2.5-point favorite in the finals of the Pac-12 Tournament on Saturday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio.
REASONS TO TAKE THE BRONCOS PLUS THE POINTS: Colorado is a bit challenging to figure out as they played their best basketball of the season down the stretch. The Buffaloes did deal with some injuries this season with freshman phenom Cody Williams missing 13 games being the most impactful. He is back on the court again, although he may not be 100%. I appreciate the narrative that this team underperformed high preseason expectations — but they are playing at that level now that they are close to 100% again. But problems remain. For starters, Colorado played much better at home in Boulder where they usually have an advantage over their visitors given the high altitude. With a 16-1 record at home, they rank 17th in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency when evaluating home court edges. Of note is their 42.7% shooting percentage from behind the arc which ranks fifth best in the nation for home teams. But when away from Boulder, the Buffaloes drop to 47th in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency — and their statistical drop represents the 292nd biggest split in the nation. They allow +5.8 more points per 100 adjusted possessions, ranking 321st in the country in the biggest rise in opponent scoring. Colorado is simply not a great defensive team away from home as they rank 91st in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency on the road. On offense, the Buffaloes score -4.7 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions on the road, ranking 284th in the nation with that drop in offensive efficiency. They make 35.8% of their 3-pointers on the road which still ranks 59th in the country — but that -6.9% drop represents the 325th worst loss of shooting effectiveness. They also turn the ball over in 19.5% of their possessions away from home, ranking 297th in the nation. Colorado has failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games played on a neutral court as a favorite or pick ‘em. And while their game with the Ducks finished Over the 140-point Total, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 18 road games after playing a game that finished Over the Total. The Buffaloes have not been reliably resilient under head coach Tad Boyle after setbacks either. Colorado has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after an upset loss — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a straight-up loss. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after winning eight or more of their last ten games — so a letdown may be looming for this team. Boise State has been stewing to get back on the court after making only 29.4% of their shots against the Lobos in what was the worst shooting effort of their season. The Broncos have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a straight-up loss to a conference rival. They have also covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after losing two of their last three games — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games when playing for the second time in eight days. They have converted at least 10 shots from behind the arc in two straight games — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after making at least 10 shots from distance in two or more games in a row. Boise State ranks 49th in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing away from home led by its defense that ranks 28th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They rank 15th in the nation by holding their opponents to 30.0% 3-point shooting away from home. Overall, the Broncos rank 28th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they rank fifth in the nation by holding their opponents to pulling down only 23.1% of their missed shots.
FINAL TAKE: Boise State’s Leon Rice is one of the most underrated in the business — and he has led the Broncos to now three straight NCAA Tournaments. This is Colorado’s first trip to the Big Dance in three years. The public loves the Buffaloes tonight — and the fact that Mountain West Conference teams are 23-46-2 ATS in the Big Dance since 2006 (not sure if that counts Colorado State’s victory last night) is probably playing a role in that sentiment. Besides Colorado’s tournament inexperience, their best victory this season was likely against a Washington State team that ranks 42nd in the nation at KenPom despite playing in the Pac-12. Boise State played a top-30 schedule in the nation — and they have seven victories that all rate better than that using KenPom’s metrics: Saint Mary’s (#18th); San Diego State twice (#20th); New Mexico twice (#22nd); Colorado State (#30); Nevada (#34th). With the Buffaloes now laying -3 to even -3.5s, the strong value is with the battle-tested underdog. 25* CBB First Four NCAA Tournament Game of the Year with the Boise State Broncos (704) plus the points versus the Colorado Buffaloes (703). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-19-24 |
Colorado State -2.5 v. Virginia |
|
67-42 |
Win
|
100 |
3 h 36 m |
Show
|
At 9:10 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Colorado State Rams (671) plus the points versus the Virginia Cavaliers (672) in the First Four Round of the NCAA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Colorado State (24-10) had their four-game winning streak snapped in a 74-61 loss to New Mexico as a 2.5-point underdog in the semifinals of the Mountain West Conference Tournament on Saturday. Virginia (23-10) had won two games in a row before their 73-65 upset loss in overtime to North Carolina State as a 2.5-point favorite in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament on Friday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio.
REASONS TO THE RAMS PLUS THE POINTS: Colorado State only managed to make 34.3% of their shots in their loss to the Lobos which was the worst shooting effort for them all season. But the Rams have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after losing three of their last four games. And while they have only covered the point spread once in their last seven games, they have then covered the point spread in 4 straight games after failing to cover the point spread in six or seven of their last eight games. Colorado State is a good defensive team that ranked 38th in the nation and third in the Mountain West Conference in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They hold their opponents to 42.9% shooting away from home resulting in 69.7 PPG — and they give up -1.4 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing on the road. The Rams have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games against teams outside the Mountain West Conference. Virginal has failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 13 games on the road after winning two of their last three games. And while they have played three straight Overs, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after playing two or more Overs in a row. On the road, the Cavaliers only make 40.5% of their shots resulting in 60.4 Points-Per-Game — and those marks are -2.9 % and -3.2 PPG below their season averages. Their lack of secondary scoring threats will present a problem for them tonight. They rank 225th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency — and they are scoring -4.8 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions. But the bigger issue is the play of their defense. While they rank third in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing at home, they surrender +13.8 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing on the road. Virginia has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games after 15 games into the season against teams with a winning percentage in the 60-80% range. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 27 of their last 40 games in the postseason.
FINAL TAKE: The Rams have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games played on a neutral court as a pick ‘em or favorite of up to six points. 8* CBB Tuesday Late Show Bailout with the Colorado State Rams (671) plus the points versus the Virginia Cavaliers (672). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-19-24 |
North Texas +3 v. LSU |
|
84-77 |
Win
|
100 |
1 h 53 m |
Show
|
At 7:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the North Texas Mean Green (673) plus the points versus the LSU Tigers (674) in the first round of the National Invitational Tournament. THE SITUATION: North Texas (18-14) saw their two-game winning streak snapped in a 77-71 loss to FAU as a 5.5-point favorite on Friday. LSU (17-15) has lost two of their last three games after their 70-60 loss to Mississippi State as a 5-point underdog on Thursday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE MEAN GREEN PLUS THE POINTS: North Texas only made 40.7% of their shots in the quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference tournament last week. The Mean Green have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games after a loss to a conference rival — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games after a point spread loss. North Texas should be highly motivated tonight — not only are they the defending NIT champions from last season but they can make a statement by defeating a power five conference opponent in their building. The Mean Green’s defense travels — they rank 11th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing away from home. They also rank 37th in the nation by pulling down 33.9% of their missed shots. They should expose a Tigers defense that ranks 290th in the nation by allowing their opponents to pull down 31.3% of their missed shots. North Texas has covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 road games with the Total set in the 130s. They have also covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 road games as an underdog. LSU only made 38.0% of their shots in their loss to the Bulldogs last week — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 10 games after failing to score more than 60 points in their last game. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 21 of their last 32 games after a straight-up loss. The Tigers get to host this game in Baton Rouge — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 11 home games with the Total set in the 130s. Furthermore, they have failed to cover the point spread in 16 of their last 22 home games when the favorite or listed as a pick ‘em — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 17 home games against teams outside the SEC.
FINAL TAKE: These two teams played on a neutral court in Charleston with LSU winning by a 66-62 score as a 2-point favorite on November 17th. The Mean Green have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 6 opportunities to avenge a loss on the road. 10* CBB Tuesday Daily Discounted Deal with the North Texas Mean Green (673) plus the points versus the LSU Tigers (674). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-17-24 |
Wisconsin v. Illinois -2.5 |
Top |
87-93 |
Win
|
100 |
4 h 14 m |
Show
|
At 3:30 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Illinois Fighting Illini (650) minus the points versus the Wisconsin Badgers (649) in the Championship Game of the Big Ten Tournament. THE SITUATION: Illinois (25-8) has won three straight games as well as six of their last seven contests after their 98-87 victory against Nebraska as a 4.5-point favorite in their semifinal showdown yesterday. Wisconsin (76-75) has won three games in a row after their 76-75 upset victory in overtime against Purdue as a 5.5-point underdog in their semifinal game yesterday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
REASONS TO TAKE THE FIGHTING ILLINI MINUS THE POINTS: Illinois was locked in with their 3-point shooting yesterday as they nailed 13 of their 35 shots en route to their victory. They should build off that momentum this afternoon. The Fighting Illini have covered the point spread in 4 straight games after making at least 13 shots from behind the arc in their last game. They lead the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency when playing on the road — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games after scoring 95 or more points in their last game. They have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after winning three or more games in a row. And they have covered the point spread in 26 of their last 40 games after a win by double-digits. The Illini did allow the Cornhuskers to make 46% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in their last three games — but they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after allowing 85 or more points in their last contest. The Fighting Illini rank fifth in the nation's Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing away from home — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 13 road games against teams with a winning record. Wisconsin may be due for a physical and emotional after outlasting the Boilermakers in overtime yesterday. This is a tough matchup for the Badgers against this Illinois team that plays fast and scores tons of points. The Fighting Illini score 83.7 Points-Per-Game while launching 24 shots from behind the arc per game. Wisconsin has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games against teams who score 77 or more PPG. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games against teams who take at least 21 shots from 3-point land per game. The Badgers struggle with their perimeter defense — they rank 347th in the nation by allowing their opponents to convert on a whopping 37.2% of their 3-point shots. Wisconsin’s opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 52.0% ranks 262nd in the nation. Inexplicably, Purdue only attempted 16 shots from behind the arc yesterday with their head coach Matt Painter seemingly lost control of the script and still freaked out regarding how to have his team play in one-and-down contests after they got upset as a number one seed last year in the Big Dance. Illinois head coach Brad Underwood will not make that mistake today. The Badgers score -5.1 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing on the road — and they rank 209th in the nation in the drop off in their Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing away from home.
FINAL TAKE: Wisconsin has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games when listed in the +/- 3-point range — and Illinois has covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games when listed in that +/- 3-point range. 25* CBB Big Ten Game of the Year with the Illinois Fighting Illini (650) minus the points versus the Wisconsin Badgers (649). Best of luck for us — Frank.
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03-16-24 |
Texas-Arlington +6 v. Grand Canyon |
|
74-89 |
Loss |
-109 |
1 h 18 m |
Show
|
At 11:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the UT-Arlington Mavericks (639) plus the points versus the Grand Canyon Antelopes (640) in the Championship Game of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament. THE SITUATION: UT-Arlington (20-13) has won eight games in a row after their 87-84 victory against Tarleton State as a 1-point favorite in their semifinal contest in this tournament yesterday. Grand Canyon (28-4) has won four games in a row after their 80-72 victory against Seattle as a 6-point favorite in their semifinal game on Friday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
REASONS TO TAKE THE MAVERICKS PLUS THE POINTS: UT-Arlington outlasted Tarleton State yesterday despite allowing them to make 50% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in their last six games. The Mavericks have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games after allowing 80 or more points in their last game. They have also covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games after a straight-up win against a WAC rival — and they have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 22 games after a point spread victory. UT-Arlington has several routes to pull the upset tonight. They rank fourth in the WAC by pulling down 31.3% of their missed shots — and the Antelopes struggle in this department as they rank eighth in the conference by allowing their opponents to rebound 30.6% of their missed shots. They also force turnovers in 20.8% of their opponent’s possessions, ranking third in the conference. Grand Canyon turns the ball over in 18.0% of their possessions. The Mavericks lead the WAC by making 36.6% of their shots from behind the arc — and they also lead the conference by launching 41.4% of their shots from 3-point range. These attributes have helped UT-Arlington cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games after 15 games into the season against teams with a winning record. They have also covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games played on a neutral court. Grand Canyon has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games when playing with one day or less of rest. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 14 games after winning four or more games in a row. All four of the Antelopes' losses were on the road where they score -5.0 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions.
FINAL TAKE: Grand Canyon swept both regular-season meetings with the Mavericks after their 67-61 win on the road as a 6-point road favorite back on January 27th. UT-Arlington has covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 opportunities for revenge — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 10 games when playing with double-revenge. 8* CBB Saturday Late Show Bailout with the UT-Arlington Mavericks (639) plus the points versus the Grand Canyon Antelopes (640). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-16-24 |
NC State v. North Carolina -9.5 |
|
84-76 |
Loss |
-120 |
1 h 35 m |
Show
|
At 8:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the North Carolina Tar Heels (634) minus the points versus the North Carolina State Wolfpack (633) in the Championship Game of the ACC Tournament. THE SITUATION: North Carolina (27-6) has won eight games in a row after their 72-65 victory against Pittsburgh as a 7.5-point favorite on Friday. North Carolina State (21-14) has won four games in a row after their 72-65 upset victory against Virginia as a 2.5-point underdog yesterday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C.
REASONS TO TAKE THE TAR HEELS MINUS THE POINTS: North Carolina outlasted Pittsburgh despite only making 43.3% of their shots which was the worst shooting effort in their last six contests. The Tar Heels have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after winning five or more games in a row. They have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games against teams with a winning percentage in the 51-60% range. North Carolina has a 13-5 record on the road with an average winning margin of +7.0 Points-Per-Game. They rank fourth in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing away from home — and they rank seventh in the country overall in Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing on the road. North Carolina State has pulled off three straight upset victories against Syracuse, Duke, and Virginia to reach this championship game — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games after covering the point spread in two or more games in a row. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 20 of their last 29 games after winning two or more games in a row. They rank just 64th in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing on the road with the perimeter defense being a significant vulnerability. The Wolfpack allow their opponents to make 37.0% of their 3-pointers when playing away from home, ranking 333rd in the nation. North Carolina ranks 36th in the nation by nailing 36.4% of their 3-pointers when playing away from home.
FINAL TAKE: The Wolfpack lost both contests against the Tar Heels in the regular season after a 79-79 loss in Chapel Hill as an 11-point underdog on March 2nd. North Carolina State has failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 16 opportunities for some same-season revenge. 8* CBB Saturday Night Discounted Deal with the North Carolina Tar Heels (634) minus the points versus the North Carolina State Wolfpack (633). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-15-24 |
Colorado v. Washington State +2.5 |
|
58-52 |
Loss |
-110 |
1 h 42 m |
Show
|
At 10:30 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Washington State Cougars (858) plus the points versus the Colorado Buffaloes (857) in the Semifinals of the Pac-12 Conference Tournament. THE SITUATION: Washington State (24-8) has won three of their last four games after their 79-62 victory against Stanford as an 8-point favorite in their Quarterfinals contest in this tournament last night. Colorado (23-9) has won seven games in a row after their 72-58 victory against Utah as a 4.5-point favorite in their Quarterfinals game last night. This game is being played on a neutral court at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
REASONS TO TAKE THE COUGARS PLUS THE POINTS: Washington State should build off their momentum from yesterday as they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 16 games after a straight-up victory. And while they have covered the point spread in two of their last three games, they have then covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after winning two of their last three games. They have also covered the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games after winning two of their last three games. Colorado has won eight of their last ten games — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after winning eight or more of their last nine games. The Buffaloes have covered the point spread in three straight games, but they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after covering the point spread in three straight games. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 28 of their last 40 games on the road after covering the point spread in three or more games in a row. Furthermore, Colorado has failed to cover the point spread in 19 of their last 29 games with the Total set in the 140s — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games played on a neutral court as a favorite or pick ‘em.
FINAL TAKE: Colorado wants to avenge a 78-69 loss at Washington State as a 2-point underdog on January 27th — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 3 of their 4 opportunities for revenge this season. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games when attempting to avenge a loss where they gave up 75 or more points. 8* CBB Friday Late Show Bailout with the Washington State Cougars (858) plus the points versus the Colorado Buffaloes (857). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-15-24 |
Wichita State v. UAB -4.5 |
Top |
60-72 |
Win
|
100 |
1 h 59 m |
Show
|
At 3:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the UAB Blazers (830) minus the points versus the Wichita State Shockers (829) in the Quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference Tournament. THE SITUATION: UAB (20-11) has won two straight games after their 74-70 victory against SMU as a 1.5-point favorite on Sunday. Wichita State (15-18) won for the fourth time in their last five games with their 71-65 upset victory against Memphis as an 8.5-point underdog in the second round of this tournament yesterday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
REASONS TO TAKE THE BLAZERS MINUS THE POINTS: UAB enters this tournament rested and ready — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games when playing for just the second time in eight days. They have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after a victory against an American Athletic Conference rival — and they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games after winning two of their last three games. The Blazers are one of the best offensive-rebounding teams in the country — they rank 22nd in the nation by pulling down 35.3% of their missed shots. They also rank 22nd in the nation in getting to the free throw line — and they led the American Athletic Conference by making 75.7% of their shots on the charity stripe. These team attributes travel — UAB scores +4.9 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing away from home. Overall, they rank 28th in the nation in their improvement when Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing away from home. Wichita State held the Tigers to just 36.2% shooting which was the best defensive effort in their last five games. But the Shockers have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 21 games after a win against a conference rival. They have covered the point spread in two straight games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games after covering the point spread in two or more games in a row. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 16 of their last 22 games after winning three of their last four games so an emotional letdown this afternoon appears likely. Wichita State ranks only 205th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency — and they score -3.4 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing away from home. Overall, they rank 321st in the nation in the drop in their Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing away from home. The Shockers have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 15 games as an underdog — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games on a neutral court when an underdog getting up to six points.
FINAL TAKE: Wichita State won the only meeting between these two teams back on February 28th by a 74-66 score as a 7.5-point underdog. The Blazers have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 17 games playing with revenge including all four of those opportunities this season. 25* CBB American Athletic Conference Game of the Year with the UAB Blazers (830) minus the points versus Wichita State Shockers (829). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-15-24 |
Middle Tennessee v. Western Kentucky -5.5 |
|
54-85 |
Win
|
100 |
1 h 33 m |
Show
|
At 3:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (818) minus the points versus the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (817) in the Semifinals of the Conference USA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Western Kentucky (20-11) snapped their four-game losing streak with their 89-69 victory against New Mexico State yesterday as a 6.5-point favorite. Middle Tennessee (14-18) has won two of their last three games after their 70-67 upset victory against Louisiana Tech as a 9-point underdog in their Quarterfinals contest in this tournament yesterday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
REASONS TO TAKE THE BLAZERS MINUS THE POINTS: We were on UAB to embrace the reset the conference tournament offered — and they responded with the easy 20-point victory. The Blazers have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 16 games after a win by double-digits. We expected a better defensive effort from them yesterday — and they held the Aggies to 45.2% shooting which was the best defensive effort in their last four games. Western Kentucky is a pretty good defensive team — they ranked fourth in Conference USA in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency in the regular season. They are allowing -3.6 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing away from home. Their raw numbers are propped up by their uber-fast pace. The Hilltoppers rank fourth in the nation by averaging only 14.6 seconds per possession — and their 75.1 adjusted possessions per game is the top number in the nation. They combine this fast pace with great shooting — they lead Conference USA with an effective field goal percentage of 54.6%. Western Kentucky has scored 79 or more points in four straight games — and they have then covered the point spread in 7 straight games on the road after scoring 75 or more points in two or more games in a row. Additionally, they have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 14 games after losing four or five of their last six games. Middle Tennessee played their best defensive game in their last four contests yesterday by holding the Bulldogs to just 39.7% shooting. But the Blue Raiders have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a win by six points or less. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after winning two of their last three games. On the road, Middle Tennessee ranks just 330th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency — and they are scoring -6.3 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing away from home. The Hilltoppers are outscoring their opponents by +5.7 Points-Per-Game — and the Blue Raiders have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games on the road against teams who are outscoring their opponents by +4.0 or more PPG.
FINAL TAKE: These two teams split their two regular-season games after the Blue Raiders won the most recent meeting by a 74-72 score as a 3.5-point home underdog on February 24th. The Hilltoppers have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games when playing with revenge from a loss on the road to their opponent. 8* CBB Friday Afternoon Discounted Deal with the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (818) minus the points versus the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (817). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-14-24 |
New Mexico State v. Western Kentucky -6.5 |
Top |
69-89 |
Win
|
100 |
1 h 15 m |
Show
|
At 9:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (798) minus the points versus the New Mexico State Aggies (797) in the Quarterfinals of the Conference USA Tournament. THE SITUATION: Western Kentucky (19-11) has lost four games in a row after their 82-79 loss at Liberty as a 6.5-point favorite on Saturday. New Mexico State (13-18) has won two games in a row after their 77-70 win against Florida International as a 4-point favorite on Saturday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
REASONS TO TAKE THE HILLTOPPERS MINUS THE POINTS: Western Kentucky allowed the Flames to make 51.1% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort of their season. They had not allowed an opponent to make 50% or more of their shots until their last two contests. The Hilltoppers have given up 82 or more points in three straight games — but they have then covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after allowing 75 or more points in two or more games in a row. They have also covered the point spread in 26 of their last 38 road games after allowing 75 or more points in two or more games in a row. Western Kentucky is a pretty good defensive team — they rank fourth in Conference USA in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They are allowing -3.9 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing away from home. Their raw numbers are propped up by their uber-fast pace. The Hilltoppers rank fourth in the nation by averaging only 14.6 seconds per possession — and their 75.1 adjusted possessions per game is the top number in the nation. They combine this fast pace with great shooting — they lead Conference USA with an effective field goal percentage of 54.6%. Western Kentucky has scored 79 or more points in three straight games — and they have then covered the point spread in 6 straight games on the road after scoring 75 or more points in two or more games in a row. Additionally, they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 13 games after losing four or five of their last six games. This is just their second game since March 2nd — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games when playing for just the second time in the last eight days. New Mexico State nailed made 44.9% of their shots on Saturday which was the best shooting effort in their last six games. They rank 297th in the nation and last in the Western Athletic Conference in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. The Aggies scored 49 points in the first half of that game — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after scoring 45 or more points in the first half of their last game. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games on the road after a straight-up win. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after winning two of their last three games. Now they go back on the road where they have just one victory in 16 games — and they are getting outscored by -16.2 Points-Per-Game in those contests. New Mexico State only makes 40.5% of their shots including 25.5% of their 3-pointers on the road resulting in just 63.4 PPG. But the decline in defense when playing away from home is even more dramatic. They allow their opponents to make 37.8% of their 3-pointers when playing away from home resulting in 79.6 PPG. They are giving up +11.0 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing on the road. They rank 356th in the nation in the drop they experience in Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing away from home. The Aggies have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 8 road games against WAC rivals. Another intangible dragging this team down is that they rank 349th in the nation in putting their opponents on the free throw line — and the Hilltoppers make 73.4% of their free throws. New Mexico State has failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 20 games as an underdog.
FINAL TAKE: These two teams split their two regular season games after Western Kentucky won the last meeting by a 72-58 score as a 9.5-point favorite on February 17th. But the Aggies have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their 6 games this season when attempting to avenge a double-digit loss to their opponent. The Hilltoppers have covered the point spread in 40 of their last 61 games in conference tournament action. 25* CBB Conference USA Game of the Year is with the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (798) minus the points versus the New Mexico State Aggies (797). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-14-24 |
Niagara +2 v. Marist |
Top |
59-65 |
Loss |
-110 |
1 h 26 m |
Show
|
At 6:30 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Niagara Purple Eagles (791) plus the point(s) versus the Marist Red Foxes (792) in the Quarterfinals of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. THE SITUATION: Niagara (16-15) has won two of their last three games after their 67-65 victory against Siena as a 10.5-point favorite on Tuesday. Marist (17-12) snapped a two-game losing streak with a 63-62 win against Niagara as a 3.5-point favorite on Saturday. This game is being played on a neutral court at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
REASONS TO TAKE THE PURPLE EAGLES PLUS THE POINT(S): Niagara should build off the momentum of their victory in the first round of this tournament on Tuesday — they have covered the point spread in 6 straight games after a win by three points or less in their last game. They have also covered the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games after winning two of their last three games. And in their last 12 road games when playing with one day or less of rest, they have then covered the point spread in 10 of those contests. The Purple Eagles are a good team away from home where they allow -10.0 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions. They also score +2.7 more points per 100 adjusted possessions away from home. Overall, they rank third in the nation in the bump they receive in Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing away from their home court. They lead the MAAC in getting to the free throw line — and the Red Foxes rank ninth defensively in that category in conference play. Niagara has covered the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games as an underdog. They have also covered the point spread in 16 of their last 23 games against teams with a winning record — and they have covered the point spread in 7 straight games on the road after 15 games into the season against teams with a winning record. Marist can struggle to score baskets — they rank 321st in the nation and ninth in the conference in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. They held the Purple Eagles to just a 42.9% shooting percentage on Saturday which was the best defensive effort in their last three games — but the Red Foxes have then failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after a game where neither team scored more than 65 points. They have covered the point spread only once in their last six games — and they have then failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after failing to cover the point spread in three of their last four games. Marist ranks 229th in the nation in the drop in Adjusted Net Efficiency margin when playing away from home — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games played on a neutral court with the Total set in the 120s. Furthermore, they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games in March.
FINAL TAKE: These two teams split their two regular season games with the Purple Eagles winning by five points in January. Niagara has covered the point spread in 15 of their last 20 opportunities for revenge — and they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 13 games when avenging a loss on the road. 25* CBB Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Underdog of the Year with the Niagara Purple Eagles (791) plus the point(s) versus the Marist Red Foxes (792). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-14-24 |
UCLA +3.5 v. Oregon |
|
66-68 |
Win
|
100 |
0 h 10 m |
Show
|
At 5:30 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the UCLA Bruins (777) plus the points versus the Oregon Ducks (778) in the Quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Conference Tournament. THE SITUATION: UCLA (16-16) has won two games in a row after their 67-57 victory against Oregon State as a 6-point favorite in the quarterfinals yesterday. Oregon (20-11) snapped a two-game losing streak with a 66-65 victory against Utah as a 4.5-point favorite on Saturday. This game is being played on a neutral court at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
REASONS TO TAKE THE BRUINS THE PLUS THE POINTS: UCLA should build off their momentum from their triumph yesterday — they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 14 games after a straight-up win. They have also covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games on the road after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 7 straight games on the road after a point-spread victory. They have covered the point spread in 21 of their last 30 games when playing with one day of rest. Additionally, the Bruins have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after a win against a Pac-12 rival — and they have covered the point spread after beating two straight conference opponents. Head coach Mick Cronin has this team playing better defense during this winning streak as they held both those opponents to just 53.5 Points-Per-Game. UCLA ranks 46th in the nation and third in the Pac-12 in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. And while they had lost five games in a row before this recent run, they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games after losing five or six of their last seven games. Oregon held the Utes to just 41.1% shooting on Saturday which was the best defensive effort in their last five games. But the Ducks still rank only tenth in the Pac-12 in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. Oregon has failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after a straight-up win against a Pac-12 opponent — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a win at home against a conference opponent. Additionally, they have failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 23 games when favored.
FINAL TAKE: These two teams split their two regular-season meetings after the Bruins upset the Ducks by a 71-63 score as a 2.5-point underdog on February 3rd. Oregon has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games when playing with revenge. 10* CBB Thursday Afternoon Discounted Deal with the UCLA Bruins (777) plus the points versus the Oregon Ducks (778). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-14-24 |
Mississippi State -4.5 v. LSU |
|
70-60 |
Win
|
100 |
0 h 9 m |
Show
|
At 1:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Mississippi State Bulldogs (767) minus the points versus the Louisiana State Tigers (768) in the second round of the SEC Tournament. THE SITUATION: Mississippi State (19-12) has lost four games in a row after their 93-89 upset loss to South Carolina in overtime as a 5-point favorite on Saturday. LSU (17-14) has won three of their last four games after their 84-80 victory against Missouri as a 7-point favorite on Saturday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.
REASONS TO TAKE THE BULLDOGS MINUS THE POINTS: Mississippi State can reset their season after stumbling down the stretch of the season — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after losing two or more games in a row to an SEC rival. They have also covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after losing four of their last five games. The Bulldogs still have designs on making the NCAA Tournament after registering high-profile victories against Tennessee and Auburn. They also have wins against Washington State and Northwestern — and all three of those teams rank from #40 to #45 in the nation using Ken Pomeroy’s analytics. But Mississippi State cannot afford a slip-up in this game. The Bulldogs rank 25th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they are sixth in the nation by limiting their opponents to making just 29.4% of their 3-point attempts. They also rank 19th in the nation by pulling down 35.9% of their missed shots — and they should control the glass against this Tigers team that ranks 302nd in the nation by allowing their opponents to pull down 31.6% of their missed shots. Mississippi State has covered the point spread in 6 straight games played on a neutral court. LSU has been inconsistent all season. They have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after a straight-up win on their home court — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 16 of their last 20 games after winning four or five of their last six contests. Additionally, the Tigers have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 22 games when playing for just the second time in seven days. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 24 of their last 35 games as an underdog including ten of their fifteen games as a dog this season.
FINAL TAKE: LSU wants to avenge an 87-67 loss to the Bulldogs at home back on February 24th where they were 3-point home dogs — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 opportunities for some sweet same-season revenge. Mississippi State pulled down 16 offensive boards in that game representing 42.1% of their missed shots. 10* CBB Blowout Bookie Buster with the Mississippi State Bulldogs (767) minus the points versus the Louisiana State Tigers (768). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-13-24 |
Stanford v. California +2 |
|
87-76 |
Loss |
-110 |
0 h 10 m |
Show
|
t 9:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the California Golden Bears (676) plus the points versus the Stanford Cardinal (675) in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament. THE SITUATION: California (13-18) has lost three games in a row after their 80-58 loss at Stanford as a 4.5-point underdog last Thursday. Stanford (13-17) snapped a six-game losing streak with that victory. This game is being played on a neutral court at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
REASONS TO TAKE THE GOLDEN BEARS PLUS THE POINTS: California limps into the postseason having lost three straight games by double-digits. But all three of those games were true road games played in hostile environments. They get a clean slate now playing in Las Vegas — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after losing two or more games in a row. After losing by 29 points in their game before facing the Cardinal, they have also covered the point spread in 14 of their last 22 games after losing two games in a row by 15 or more points. The Golden Bears have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 20 games as an underdog — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games played on a neutral court. Stanford held Cal to just 35.0% shooting which was the best defensive effort in their last 17 contests. That game finished Under the 154.5-point Total — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games after playing an Under in their last game. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 3 of their last 4 games after losing four of their last five games — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games played with five or six days of rest. And while the Cardinal has covered the point spread in their last two games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 6 games after covering the point spread in two games in a row — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games after covering the point spread in two of their last three games. Stanford goes back on the road where they are making only 43.4% of their shots resulting in 68.9 Points-Per-Game — and those marks are -3.6% and -7.6 PPG lower than their numbers on their home court. They are scoring -12 fewer points per 100 possessions when away from home — and they rank 337th in the nation in the drop in Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing on the road. Stanford is getting outscored by -8.4 PPG when on the road — and they have failed to cover the points spread in 11 of their last 15 games played on a neutral court with the Total set in the 150s.
FINAL TAKE: Cal did win the first meeting between these two teams — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games when motivated by some sweet same-season revenge. 10* CBB Wednesday Late Show Bailout with the California Golden Bears (676) plus the points versus the Stanford Cardinal (675). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-13-24 |
Lehigh +8.5 v. Colgate |
Top |
55-74 |
Loss |
-114 |
0 h 11 m |
Show
|
At 7:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Lehigh Mountain Hawks (306541) plus the points versus the Colgate Raiders (306542) in the Championship Game of the Patriot League Tournament. THE SITUATION: Lehigh (14-17) has won two games in a row — and seven of their last nine contests — after their 84-79 win in overtime at Boston University as a 2-point favorite in the semifinals of this tournament on Sunday. Colgate (24-9) is on a four-game winning streak after their 68-65 victory against Bucknell as a 12-point favorite in their semifinal contest on Sunday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE MOUNTAIN HAWKS PLUS THE POINTS: Lehigh was terrible in the first half on the road against the Terriers as they fell behind by 21 points before going into the locker room trailing by 18 points. They only made 40.0% of their shots in that game which was terrible worst shooting effort in their last three games. But they nailed 12 shots from behind the arc, made 24 of their 30 shots at the charity stripe, and forced 16 turnovers in 20.8% of Boston University’s possessions to rally back and steal the game. With that lesson in hand, the Mountain Hawks should play much better tonight and not dig themselves such a hole. They have held their last five opponents to 41.7% shooting resulting in just 66.0 Points-Per-Game. Their defense travels where they are quite comfortable — they are holding their home hosts to -3.9 points per 100 adjusted possessions. Even better, they score +8.8 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing in hostile environments. Overall, Lehigh ranks fourth in the nation in their net improvement in Adjusted Efficiency Margin when playing in true road games. Not surprisingly, the Mountain Hawks have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 18 games on the road — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 11 road games with the Total set in the 130-134.5 point range. They have also covered the point spread in 11 of their last 13 games as an underdog. Colgate held Bucknell to just 38.2% shooting which was the best defensive effort in their last five games. But despite their four-game winning streak, the Raiders have not covered the point spread in three straight games — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after two or more wins in a row where they did not cover the point spread as the favorite. They have only covered the point spread once in their last seven games — and they have failed to cover the point spread 7 of their last 9 games after failing to cover the point spread in four or five of their last six contests. Colgate is vulnerable even as a Patriot League giant because they do not create additional scoring possessions. They only pull down 23.6% of their missed shots in conference play and they only force turnovers in 16.7% of their opponent’s possessions — and both those marks rank sixth in the Patriot League. They thrive by usually making the shots they take — but they were cold from behind the arc on Sunday as they made only 5 of their 25 (20%) shots from 3-point range. The Raiders have then failed to cover the point spread in 3 of their previous 4 games after failing to make more than 20% of their 3-pointers in their last game. They earned the right to host this game after winning the regular season crown — but they rank 246th in the nation in the drop Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing at home as opposed to their efficiency numbers when playing on the road. Colgate has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 8 home games with the Total set in the 130s — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 3 of their last 4 home games with the Total set in the 130-134.5 point range.
FINAL TAKE: Colgate swept both meetings with the Mountain Hawks in the regular season — but both their victories were by just three points including a 60-57 escape at home as an 11-point favorite on January 22nd. The Raiders then won by a 63-60 score on March 2nd — but Lehigh has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games when playing with same-season revenge. 25* CBB Patriot League Tournament Game of the Year with the Lehigh Mountain Hawks (306541) plus the points versus the Colgate Raiders (306542). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-12-24 |
Wisc-Milwaukee v. Oakland -3.5 |
Top |
76-83 |
Win
|
100 |
0 h 7 m |
Show
|
At 7:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Oakland Grizzlies (624) minus the points versus the Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers (623) in the Championship Game of the Horizon League Tournament. THE SITUATION: Oakland (22-11) has won three straight games as well as seven of their last ten contests after their 74-71 victory against Cleveland State as a 3.5-point favorite in the semifinals of this tournament last night. Wisconsin-Milwaukee (20-14) has won six straight games after their 82-75 upset victory against Northern Kentucky as a 1.5-point underdog in their semifinal contest last night. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis, Indiana.
REASONS TO TAKE THE GRIZZLIES MINUS THE POINTS: Oakland should have covered the point spread last night — but rather than letting a flung half-court shot by the Vikings go uncontested the Grizzlies player fouled the Cleveland State shooter giving them three shots at the charity stripe. Even after that, Oakland covers the -3.5 if they hit their final free throw with only a second or two left in the game — but, nope. The Grizzlies still won that game despite only making 38.7% of their shots which was the worst shooting effort in their last four games. Oakland has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games after a victory by six points or less — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games on the road after a win against a Horizon League rival by six points or less. They have also covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games when playing with one day or less of rest. Oakland has a 12-8 mark when playing away from home — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 12 road games after winning three of their last four games. They have also covered the point spread in 12 of their last 17 games on the road after a straight-up win. They rank 11th in the nation with their improvement in Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing away from home. The Grizzlies have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games played on a neutral court when favored by six points or less — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games in tournament action. They have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games with the Total set in the 150s. Wisconsin-Milwaukee held the Norse to host 39.1% shooting last night which was the best defensive effort in their last eight contests. But the Panthers still rank 312th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. Milwaukee has failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 19 games after winning two or more games in a row against conference rivals. And while they have covered the point spread in three of their last four games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 road games after covering the point spread in three of their last four games. The Panthers score -5.9 fewer points per 100 adjusted 100 possessions when playing on the road — and they rank 204th in the nation with their drop in Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing away from home. The Grizzlies make 45.0% of their shots — and Milwaukee has failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 17 road games against teams who make at least 45.0% of their shots. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games played on a neutral court.
FINAL TAKE: Oakland swept the two regular season games between these two teams after their 90-87 win on the road on January 27th — and the Panthers have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games when avenging a loss where they gave up 75 or more points. 25* CBB Horizon League Tournament Game of the Year with the Oakland Grizzlies (624) minus the points versus the Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers (623). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-11-24 |
Cleveland State v. Oakland -4.5 |
|
71-74 |
Loss |
-120 |
0 h 8 m |
Show
|
At 7:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Oakland Grizzlies (856) minus the points versus the Cleveland State Vikings (855) in the Semifinals of the Horizon League Tournament. THE SITUATION: Oakland (21-11) has won two games in a row with six victories in their last seven contests after their 75-65 win against IUPUI-Fort Wayne as a 4.5-point favorite on Thursday. Cleveland State (20-13) has won three games in a row after their 82-70 upset victory as a 10-point underdog on Thursday. This game is being played on a neutral court at Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis, Indiana.
REASONS TO TAKE THE GRIZZLIES MINUS THE POINTS: Oakland is heating up on the offensive end of the court lately — they are making 48.1% of their shots in their last five games resulting in 79.0 Points-Per-Game. The Grizzlies should continue their momentum as they have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 18 games after a point spread win — and they have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 19 games when playing for just the second time in eight days. Oakland has an 11-8 mark when playing away from home — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 road games after winning three of their last four games. They have also covered the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games on the road after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games on the road after a point spread victory. Additionally, the Grizzlies have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games played on a neutral court — and they have covered the point spread in 4 straight games in tournament action. Cleveland State has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a straight-up win on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games on the road after a straight-up victory. They have failed to cover the point spread after winning two games in a row — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after winning three of their last four games. And while they have scored 44 points in the first half in two straight games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 11 road games after scoring 40 or more points in the first half in two or more games in a row. Cleveland State ranks only seventh in the Horizon League in both Adjusted Offensive Efficiency and Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. When playing away from home, they are allowing their opponents to make 57.4% of their shots inside the arc and pull down 34.7% of their missed shots, ranking 353rd and 338th in the nation respectively. The Vikings are allowing +4.7 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing on the road — and they rank 324th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing away from home.
FINAL TAKE: These two teams split their two regular-season meetings after the Grizzlies’ 83-71 victory as a 3.5-point home favorite on February 3rd — and the Vikings have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games when playing with same-season revenge. 10* CBB Monday Daily Discounted Deal with the Oakland Grizzlies (856) minus the points versus the Cleveland State Vikings (855). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-10-24 |
Lehigh -1.5 v. Boston University |
|
84-79 |
Win
|
100 |
0 h 7 m |
Show
|
At 4:00 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Lehigh Mountain Cats (306507) minus the point(s) versus the Boston University Terriers (306508) in the Semifinals of the Patriot League Tournament. THE SITUATION: Lehigh (13-17) snapped a two-game losing streak with their 76-61 victory at UL-Lafayette as a 2.5-point favorite in the quarterfinals of this event on Thursday. Boston University (16-16) has won six straight games after their 70-61 victory as a 3.5-point favorite on Thursday in their quarterfinals contest.
REASONS TO TAKE THE MOUNTAIN HAWKS MINUS THE POINT(S): Lehigh has still won six of their last eight games — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games after a victory by 15 or more points. They have also covered the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games after losing two of their last three games. The Mountain Hawks have not allowed more than 64 points in four straight contests — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after not allowing more than 65 points in two or more games in a row. They have held their last five opponents to 39.9% shooting resulting in just 61.0 Points-Per-Game. Their defense travels where they are quite comfortable — they are holding their home hosts to -4.3 points per 100 adjusted possessions. Even better, they score +8.8 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing in hostile environments. Overall, Lehigh ranks second in the nation in their net improvement in Adjusted Efficiency Margin when playing in true road games. Not surprisingly, the Mountain Hawks have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 17 games on the road — and they have covered the point spread in 18 of their last 24 road games with the Total set in the 130s. Boston University has survived two overtime games during their six-game winning streak — including their upset win on the road against Lehigh on February 28th. The Terriers held the Midshipmen to 36.1% shooting in their most recent game which was the best defensive performance in their last four contests. But the Terriers have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 15 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after a point spread victory. And while they have won eight of their last ten games, they have also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of the last 6 games after winning eight or more of their last ten contest. They get to host this semifinal contest as the higher two-seed in this tournament — but they are surrendering +14.2 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing at home. They rank 334th in the nation and ninth in the Patriot League in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing at home. Boston has failed to cover the point spread in 16 of their last 21 games at home as an underdog.
FINAL TAKE: Boston swept both regular-season meetings against the Mountain Hawks after that 64-62 upset win on the road as a 6-point underdog on February 28th — but Lehigh has covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 opportunities for some sweet same-season revenge. 10* CBB Sunday Afternoon Discounted Deal with the Lehigh Mountain Cats (306507) minus the point(s) versus the Boston University Terriers (306508). Best of luck for us — Frank.
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03-09-24 |
Wyoming v. Fresno State -1.5 |
|
86-47 |
Loss |
-110 |
0 h 8 m |
Show
|
At 7:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Fresno State Bulldogs (696) minus the point(s) versus the Wyoming Cowboys (695). THE SITUATION: Fresno State (11-19) has lost six straight games after their 79-58 loss at New Mexico as an 18-point underdog on Wednesday. Wyoming (14-16) snapped their four-game losing streak with their 74-63 win at home against Air Force as a 6.5-point favorite on Tuesday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE BULLDOGS MINUS THE POINT(S): Fresno State has endured some tough luck during their current losing streak. They lost by only two points at home to UNLV before losing in overtime at home to Utah State. They only made 32.7% of their shots in Albuquerque against the Lobos which was the second-worst shooting effort of their season. But the Bulldogs have then covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after losing two or more games in a row to Mountain West Conference rivals — and they have covered the point spread in 22 of their last 32 games after losing three or more games in a row. Additionally, Fresno State has covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after a double-digit loss this season — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after failing to score more than 60 points in their last game. They return home where they are making 47.4% of their shots resulting in 70.9 Points-Per-Game. They are scoring +7.4 more points per 100 adjusted possessions on their home court. They rank 58th in the nation by making 56.0% of their shots at home inside the arc — and the Cowboys are vulnerable defending the interior as they rank 345th in the nation by allowing their home hosts to make 57.0% of their shots inside the arc. The Bulldogs have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 home games when favored or a pick ‘em. Wyoming held the Falcons to just 41.2% shooting which was the second-best defensive effort of their season. But the Cowboys have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games after a double-digit victory — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 straight games after a win by ten or more points against a conference rival. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after losing two of their last three games. They go back on the road where they only have a 5-11 record with an average losing margin of -8.4 PPG. They only make 42.7% of their shots on the road resulting in just 67.2 PPG — and they are scoring -4.7 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions on the road. Wyoming has failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 21 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 road games as an underdog or as a pick ‘em.
FINAL TAKE: The Bulldogs want to avenge a 68-67 loss to the Cowboys in Laramie as a 3.5-point underdog back on January 13th — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games when attempting to avenge a loss by three points or less. 10* CBB Saturday Night Discounted Deal with the Fresno State Bulldogs (696) minus the point(s) versus the Wyoming Cowboys (695). Best of luck for us — Frank.
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03-08-24 |
Western Illinois +6 v. Arkansas-Little Rock |
Top |
57-82 |
Loss |
-110 |
1 h 44 m |
Show
|
At 8:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Western Illinois Leathernecks (885) plus the points versus the Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans (886) in the Semifinals of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. THE SITUATION: Western Illinois (21-11) won for the fourth straight time with their 61-59 triumph against Tennessee State as a 2.5-point favorite in the quarterfinals of this event yesterday. Arkansas-Little Rock (20-11) has won nine straight games after their 81-43 victory against Tennessee Tech as a 13.5-point favorite last Saturday. This game is being played on a neutral court at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana.
REASONS TO THE LEATHERNECKS PLUS THE POINTS: Western Illinois survived yesterday’s game despite making only 37.5% of their shots which was the worst shooting effort in their last four games. But the Leathernecks controlled the boards with a 52-36 edge in rebounds — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after out-rebounding their previous opponent by +15 or more boards. This team does two things well that usually translate to neutral courts. First, Western Illinois ranks 13th in the nation by pulling down 37.1% of their missed shots — and they lead the Ohio Valley Conference by rebounding 39.2% of their misses. They grabbed 19 second chances yesterday representing 45.2% of their missed shots. They should control the offensive glass tonight as well — the Trojans rank 227th in the nation by allowing their opponents to pull down 30.0% of their missed shots. Second, the Leathernecks play great half-court defense. They rank 14th in the nation with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 46.1%. They also rank 20th in the nation in putting their opponents on the free-throw line — so they make it very tough on their opponents to score points. Western Illinois has not allowed more than 65 points in their last two games — and they have ten covered the point spread in 7 straight games after not allowing more than 65 points in two straight games. They have also covered the point spread in 6 straight games on the road after not allowing more than 60 points in their last game. They have covered the points spread in 15 of their last 19 games when playing with one day or less of rest. They have covered the point spread in 17 of their last 23 games after failing to cover the point spread in their last game. Additionally, they have only covered the point spread once in their last three games — and they have covered the point spread in 6 straight games after failing to cover the point spread in two of their last three contests. They have an 11-6 record away from home where they are scoring +2.0 more points per 100 adjusted possessions while holding their opponents to -4.0 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions. They rank 25th in the nation in their improved play away from home in terms of Adjusted Net Efficiency. They are holding teams to just 40.6% shooting including a 28.9% clip from behind the arc resulting in 66.8 Points-Per-Game. Western Illinois ranks eighth in the nation with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 45.6% when playing on the road. They hold these teams to just 46.8% shooting inside the arc, ranking 21st in the nation — and they allow these opponents to make only 28.9% of their 3-pointers, ranking ninth in the nation. The Leathernecks have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 road games against Ohio Valley Conference opponents. Little Rock held Tennessee Tech to just 30% shooting last week which was the best defensive effort in their last eight contests. The Trojans have scored at least 80 points in five straight games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 15 road games after scoring 75 or more points in three or more games in a row. They have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 20 road games after winning five or more games in a row — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 12 road games after winning six or more games in a row. On the road, they have a 6-7 record while making 46.0% of their shots. They only hit 30.0% of the 3-pointers away from home, ranking 297th in the nation. They score -2.4 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions away from home. But the bigger concern is on the other end of the court where they allow +7.9 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when away from home. They rank 335th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing on the road.
FINAL TAKE: Little Rock won the first meeting between these two teams in a 63-60 upset win as a 1.5-point road underdog back on February 28th — but the Leathernecks have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games when playing with revenge from a loss at home to their opponent. 25* CBB Ohio Valley Conference Underdog of the Year with the Western Illinois Leathernecks (885) plus the points versus the Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans (886). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-07-24 |
Utah v. Oregon State +7.5 |
Top |
85-92 |
Win
|
100 |
2 h 43 m |
Show
|
At 11:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Oregon State Beavers (774) plus the points versus the Utah Utes (773). THE SITUATION: Oregon State (12-17) has lost eight of their last nine games after their 78-71 loss at Oregon as a 13.5-point underdog last Thursday. Utah (18-11) has won three of their last four games after their 88-59 victory against California as a 9-point favorite on Saturday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE BEAVERS PLUS THE POINTS: Oregon State allowed the Ducks to make 49.0% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in their last four games. The Beavers have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a straight-up loss on the road — and they have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 17 home games after a straight-up loss. They have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after winning two of their last three games — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after losing six or seven of their last eight games. Now after playin' their last three games on the road, they return home where they have an 11-5 record with an average winning margin of +5.6 net Points-Per-Game. They are scoring +1.2 more points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing at home — and they are giving up -8.8 points per 100 adjusted possessions on their home court. Oregon State ranks eighth in the nation in the bump up in Adjusted Net Efficiency when they are playing on their home court. The Beavers hold their opponents to just 41.1% shooting and a 30.9% mark from behind the arc resulting in 67.6 Points-Per-Game. The Beavers have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 18 home games as an underdog or pick ‘em — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 home games as an underdog getting 6.5 to 12 points. Utah nailed 50.8% of their shots on Saturday which was the best shooting mark in their last 16 contests. They also held the Golden Bears to 34.4% shooting in what was the best defensive effort in their last 11 games. After playing one of their best games of the season, the Utes have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after a win against a Pac-12 rival in their last game. They have failed to cover the point spread in 17 of their last 23 games after winning two of their last three games. And while they have covered the point spread in three of their last four games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games after failing to cover the point spread only once in their last four games. Now after playing their last two games at home, they go back on the road where they have a 4-9 record with an average losing margin of -7.9 PPG. Utah is only making 43.5% of their shots on the road including just 32.1% of their 3-pointers resulting in 71.3 PPG. They are scoring -7.2 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing in hostile environments. They are allowing their home hosts to make 47.8% of their shots including 38.0% of their 3-pointers resulting in 79.2 PPG. The Utes are giving up +11.0 more points per 100 adjusted possessions in true road games. Utah ranks 171st in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing in hostile environments — and their opponent's effective field goal percentage of 55.2% ranks 319th in the nation. Furthermore, they rank 361st in the nation in the drop in Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing in hostile environments. Utah has failed to cover the point spread in 22 of their last 31 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 8 road games in conference play. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 road games with the Total set in the 140s — and they have also failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 road games as a favorite or a pick ‘em.
FINAL TAKE: Utah won the first meeting between these two teams at home at Salt Lake City by a 74-47 score as a 15-point favorite. The Beavers have covered the point spread in 10 of their 13 opportunities for revenge — and they have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 18 game games when avenging a loss on the road. 25* CBB Pac-12 Underdog of the Year with Oregon State Beavers (774) plus the points versus the Utah Utes (773). Best of luck for us — Frank.
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03-07-24 |
Colorado v. Oregon -3 |
|
79-75 |
Loss |
-110 |
1 h 36 m |
Show
|
At 9:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Oregon Ducks (752) minus the points versus the Colorado Buffaloes (751). THE SITUATION: Oregon (19-10) has lost two of their last three games after their 103-83 loss at Arizona as a 14-point underdog on Saturday. Colorado (20-9) has won four games in a row after their 81-71 victory as a 12-point favorite on Sunday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE DUCKS MINUS THE POINTS: Oregon allowed the Wildcats to make 60.9% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort of their season. The Ducks have then covered the point spread in 14 of their last 18 games after allowing 80 or more points in their last game — and they have covered the point spread in 6 straight games after allowing 85 or more points in their last game. Furthermore, Oregon has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after a double-digit loss to a Pac-12 rival — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games after a loss by 15 or more points. Now after playing only one time at home in their last five games, they return to Eugene for only the second time since February 10th to defend their 12-2 record. The Ducks are outscoring their guests by +9.6 Points-Per-Game. They are holding their visitors to just 43.7% shooting including a 30.9% mark from behind the arc. Colorado has made at least 50% of their shots in five straight games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 23 of their last 32 games after making 47% or more of their shots in three or more games in a row. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games after shooting 50% or better from the field in three or more games in a row. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 15 games after a point spread win. The Buffaloes have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after winning four of their last five games. And while they have won their last three games by double-digits, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 16 of their last 21 road games after winning at least two games in a row against Pac-12 rivals by 10 or more points. After playing their last three games at home, Colorado goes back on the road where they have a 4-8 record with an average losing margin of -2.5 PPG. They are allowing their home hosts to make 47.2% of their shots including 37.2% of their 3-pointers resulting in 77.2 PPG.
FINAL TAKE: The Buffaloes have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 32 of their last 46 road games as an underdog getting 3.5 to 6 points. 10* CBB Colorado-Oregon ESPN2 Special with Oregon Ducks (752) minus the points versus the Colorado Buffaloes (751). Best of luck for us — Frank.
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03-06-24 |
BYU v. Iowa State -7.5 |
|
63-68 |
Loss |
-105 |
0 h 11 m |
Show
|
At 9:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Iowa State Cyclones (702) minus the points versus the BYU Cougars (701). THE SITUATION: Iowa State (23-6) has won three games in a row as well as seven of their last eight contests after their 60-52 victory at Central Florida as a 3.5-point favorite on Saturday. BYU (21-8) has won two games in a row after their 87-75 victory as a 6.5-point favorite on Saturday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE CYCLONES MINUS THE POINTS: The Cougars nailed 52.5% of their shots against the Horned Frogs which was the best shooting mark in their last nine contests. But BYU has then failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games after a straight-up win at home where they beat a conference rival. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after winning two of their last three games. They go back on the road where they have lost six of their eight games this season. While the Cougars rank 18th in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency in one set of power rankings I follow, they drop to 45th in the nation using those numbers when playing in hostile environments. They are scoring -6.4 fewer points per 100 adjusted possessions when playing in true road games — and they are allowing +8.3 more points per 100 adjusted possessions in those games. Their drop in Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing in hostile environments is the 317th-worst discrepancy in the nation. They rank just 131st in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they are allowing their home hosts to make 35.8% of their 3-pointers, ranking 224th in the nation. BYU has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games on the road. Iowa State has covered the point spread in 15 of their last 21 games after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 19 games after a point spread victory. They have also covered the point spread in 11 of their last 15 games after winning three of their last four games. They return home where they are 17-0 and rank third in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency when assessing home court play. The Cyclones have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 17 games at home — and they have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 21 games when favored.
FINAL TAKE: Iowa State wants to avenge an 87-72 loss at BYU as a 4-point road underdog back on January 16th — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 opportunities for revenge from a loss on the road. 8* CBB BYU-Iowa State ESPN2 Special with the Iowa State Cyclones (702) minus the points versus the BYU Cougars (701). Best of luck for us — Frank.
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03-06-24 |
Indiana v. Minnesota -5.5 |
|
70-58 |
Loss |
-110 |
0 h 15 m |
Show
|
At 9:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Minnesota Golden Gophers (708) minus the points versus the Indiana Hoosiers (707). THE SITUATION: Minnesota (18-11) snapped their two-game losing streak with a 75-70 victory against Penn State as a 6.5-point favorite on Saturday. Indiana (16-13) has won two games in a row after their 83-78 upset win at Maryland as a 9-point favorite on Sunday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE GOLDEN GOPHERS MINUS THE POINTS: Minnesota covered the point spread in 14 of their last 17 games after a straight-up win. And while they have scored 75 or more points in their last two games, they have then covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games after scoring 75 or more points in two or more games in a row. The Golden Gophers stay at home where they have a 16-2 record this season with an average winning margin of +12.7 Points-Per-Game. They are nailing 48.2% of their shots resulting in 78.6 PPG. They are also holding their guests to 41.7% shooting including a 33.7% mark from behind the arc resulting in just 65.9 PPG. Minnesota has covered the point spread in 17 of their last 19 games at home — and they have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 14 games when favored. Indiana has pulled off two straight upset victories as their victory in College Park was preceded by a 74-70 upset win at home against Wisconsin. But the Hoosiers have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after an upset victory on the road. Now Indiana goes back on the road where they are just 5-8 with an average losing margin of -7.0 PPG. Head coach Mike Woodson is running an offense Bobby Knight would appreciate as they rely on shooting inside the arc and getting to the free-throw line. But this approach may be outdated — and they rank 315th in the nation by only making 29.7% of their shots from 3-point land. This Indiana team does not play defense like Knight’s team of old either — they are allowing 78.8 PPG when playing on the road. The Hoosiers have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 12 road games as an underdog of up to six points or as a pick ‘em.
FINAL TAKE: Minnesota wants to avenge a 74-62 loss at Indiana back on January 12th — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 12 opportunities for revenge. The Golden Gophers have also covered the point spread in 6 straight games when playing with revenge for a loss on the road. 10* CBB Wednesday Night Discounted Deal with the Minnesota Golden Gophers (708) minus the points versus the Indiana Hoosiers (707). Best of luck for us — Frank.
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03-06-24 |
Florida Atlantic v. North Texas +2.5 |
|
80-76 |
Loss |
-110 |
0 h 4 m |
Show
|
At 8:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the North Texas Mean Green (700) plus the points versus the Florida Atlantic Owls (699). THE SITUATION: North Texas (16-12) has won two games in a row after their 84-69 victory against East Carolina as a 9-point favorite on Sunday. Florida Atlantic (22-7) has won two of their last three games after their 79-73 victory against Tulane as a 16.5-point favorite on Saturday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE MEAN GREEN MINUS THE POINTS: Even in victory, North Texas allowed the Pirates to make 53.2% of their shots in what was the worst defensive effort of their season. The Mean Green have then covered the point spread in 17 of their last 24 games after a double-digit victory — and they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games after a win by 10 or more points on their home court. They have also covered the point spread in 20 of their last 29 games after winning two or more games in a row. North Texas stays at home where they have an 11-3 record with an average winning margin of +12.5 Points-Per-Game. The Mean Green ranks fifth in the nation by making 42.2% of their 3-pointers when playing at home. They also rank third in the American Athletic Conference by pulling down 37.0% of their missed shots when playing at home. They also rank third in the conference in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency in AAC action. They are holding their opponents to 39.5% shooting including a 31.1% mark from behind the arc resulting in 61.6 Points-Per-Game. North Texas has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games on their home court. They have also covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games against teams winning 60-80% of their games — and they have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 20 games as an underdog. FAU has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games after a straight-up win against a conference rival — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 10 games after a straight-up victory at home where they did not cover the point spread as the favorite. Now the Owls go back on the road where they have lost six of their seven games this season. They rank 252nd in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing in hostile environments. They also rank 247th in the nation by allowing their home hosts to rebound 31.2% of their missed shots. FAU has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 24 of their last 35 road games as a favorite or as a pick ‘em. The Owls are scoring -6.3 points per 100 adjusted possessions in hostile environments while allowing their home hosts to score +9.6 more points per 100 adjusted points — and those marks represent the 355th worst drop in terms of Adjusted Net Efficiency in the nation.
FINAL TAKE: The Mean Green are motivated to avenge a 66-63 loss at FAU as a 9.5-point underdog back on January 28th — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games when avenging a loss on the road. 10* CBB Don’t Need the Points (but take the points) Underdog Special with the North Texas Mean Green (700) plus the points versus the Florida Atlantic Owls (699). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-05-24 |
San Diego State v. UNLV +3 |
|
58-62 |
Win
|
100 |
2 h 57 m |
Show
|
At 11:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (654) plus the points versus the San Diego State Aztecs (653). THE SITUATION: UNLV (18-10) has won four games in a row as well as nine of their last ten contests after their 68-50 victory against San Jose State as a 13.5-point favorite on Saturday. San Diego State (22-7) has won two games in a row after their 72-64 win against San Jose State as a 21.5-point favorite last Wednesday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE RUNNIN’ REBELS PLUS THE POINTS: UNLV should continue their big momentum tonight as they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 4 straight games after a win at home by double-digits. They have also covered the point spread in 13 of their last 17 games when playing for the second time in seven days. They have a 10-4 record on their home court with an average winning margin of +9.7 Points-Per-Game. The Runnin’ Rebels have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games at home. They have also covered the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games in conference play. Over their last ten games, they rank 36th in Adjusted Net Efficiency — and this improvement has been fueled on the defensive end of the court where they rank eighth in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency in those ten games. San Diego State has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after a win against a Mountain West Conference rival — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after winning two games in a row against a conference opponent. They have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games after winning three of their last four games. And while they have only covered the point spread once in their last three games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 27 games after failing to cover the point spread in two of their last three games. All seven of their losses are away from home this season — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games on the road.
FINAL TAKE: San Diego State won the first meeting between these two teams by a 72-61 score on January 6th — but the Runnin’ Rebels have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games when playing with revenge. 8* CBB Tuesday Late Show Bailout with the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (654) plus the points versus the San Diego State Aztecs (653). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-05-24 |
Jacksonville v. Eastern Kentucky -8.5 |
Top |
67-65 |
Loss |
-110 |
0 h 10 m |
Show
|
At 7:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Eastern Kentucky Colonels (306510) minus the points versus the Jacksonville Dolphins (306509) in the Quarterfinals of the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament. THE SITUATION: Eastern Kentucky (17-13) has lost two games in a row after their 81-67 loss at Lipscomb as a 3.5-point underdog on Friday. Jacksonville (15-16) snapped their two-game losing streak before their 92-86 upset win at Kennesaw State as a 2.5-point underdog in the first round of this tournament last night.
REASONS TO TAKE THE COLONELS MINUS THE POINTS: The Dolphins broke out by making 50.0% of their shots last night in what was the best shooting effort in their last 22 games. They nailed 13 of their 21 shots 61.9% from behind the arc in that game — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 15 games after making 50% or more of their 3-pointers in their last game. That performance was well out of character for this Jacksonville team that ranks last in the Atlantic Sun in both Adjusted Offensive Efficiency and their 47.3% effective field goal percentage. They rank 281st in the nation by making only 30.3% of their shots from behind the arc. I hate the situation the Dolphins are now in having to travel from Georgia to Kentucky without a day of rest as this tournament continues. As it is, Jacksonville has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games when playing with one day or less of rest — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight road games when playing for the second time in three days or less. Additionally, they have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 13 games after a straight-up win on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after a point spread victory. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after allowing 80 or more points in their last contest. The Dolphins are just 3-13 away from home — and they rank 330th in the nation and last in the Atlantic Sun in Adjusted Net Efficiency in hostile environments. Jacksonville 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 on the road with the Total set in the 140s. They have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 14 road games as an underdog or as a pick ‘em. They face an angry Eastern Kentucky team that only made 39.7% of their shots last Friday which was the worst shooting effort in their last nine games. The Colonels have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games after a loss on the road -- and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a double-digit loss on the road. And while they have not covered the point spread in their last four games, they have then covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after not covering the point spread in four or more games in a row. Eastern Kentucky returns where they have a 10-3 record with an average winning margin of 14.3 Points-Per-Game. They rank 203rd in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency on their home court (not bad for a low mid-major) while leading the Atlantic Sun in that metric. They are scoring 87.1 PPG at home from 48.7% shooting from the field and a 38.4% clip from behind the arc, ranking 42nd in the nation. The Dolphins play pretty good defense — but they rank 313th in the nation by allowing their home hosts to make 38.1% of their 3-pointers. The Colonels have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 15 home games with the Total set in the 140s — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 16 home games when favored by 6.5 to 12 points. Eastern Kentucky ranks third in the conference in both Adjusted Offensive Efficiency and Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games in March. They also lead the Atlantic Sun with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 42.7%.
FINAL TAKE: Jacksonville wants to avenge a 75-59 loss at Eastern Kentucky as an 11-point underdog on January 25th — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 opportunities for revenge from a loss where they did not score more than 60 points. 25* CBB Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament Game of the Year with the Eastern Kentucky Colonels (306510) minus the points versus the Jacksonville Dolphins (306509). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-04-24 |
Northern Colorado v. Northern Arizona +4 |
Top |
82-74 |
Loss |
-107 |
1 h 3 m |
Show
|
At 8:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (884) versus the Northern Colorado Bears (883). THE SITUATION: Northern Arizona (14-17) has lost two of their last three games after their 85-58 loss at Weber State as a 12.5-point underdog on Saturday. Northern Colorado (18-12) snapped a two-game losing streak with an 81-79 upset victory against Idaho State as a 2-point underdog on Saturday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE LUMBERJACKS PLUS THE POINTS: Northern Arizona only made 31.5% of their shots on Saturday which was the worst shooting effort in their last 15 games. They also allowed the Wildcats to make 50.8% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in their last seven contests. The Lumberjacks should bounce back tonight — they have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 17 games after a double-digit loss to a Big Sky Conference rival including five of those last seven circumstances this season. They have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 13 games after losing two of their last three games. They return home where they have a 7-4 record this season while holding their opponents to just 43.9% shooting including a 30.2% mark from behind the arc. Northern Arizona plays solid half-court defense when playing at home — they rank fourth in the Big Sky with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 49.9% on their home court and they rank in the top-four in both 3-point defense and 2-point defense at home in conference play. The Lumberjacks have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games at home as an underdog or a pick ‘em — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 13 home games as an underdog of up to six points or as a pick ‘em. Head coach Shane Burcar led his team to a big March run last year — they reached the Big Sky Conference Tournament Championship Game despite a 5-13 record in conference play in the regular season. Under Burcar, Northern Arizona has covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games in March. They have also covered the point spread in 29 of their last 47 games as an underdog. They now host a Northern Colorado team that is a vulnerable road favorite. The Bears rank 323rd in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing in hostile environments — and they rank eighth in the Big Sky in that category when on the road. They have a 7-9 record on the road while getting outscored by -1.2 Points-Per-Game. They allow their home hosts to score 81.9 PPG while making 47.2% of their shots including 37.0% of their 3-pointers, ranking 287th in the nation when assessing play on the road. They rank 304th in the nation with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 54.8%. Northern Colorado has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 road games as a favorite or as a pick ‘em — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 road games as a favorite of up to six points or as a pick ‘em. They made 60.0% of their shots on Saturday against the Bengals which was the best shooting effort in their last six contests. They have scored 81 points in two straight contests — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after scoring 80 or more points in two or more games in a row. And while they have covered the point spread in three of their last four games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 15 games after covering the point spread in three of their last four games. The Lumberjacks are vulnerable against good offensive rebounding teams — but that is not the Bears who rank 307th in the nation in that category. And while Northern Arizona only makes 43.6% of their shots, the Bears have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after 15 games into the season against teams who are not making more than 45% of their shots.
FINAL TAKE: Northern Arizona looks to avenge a 92-87 loss at Northern Colorado on December 30th — and they have covered the point spread in 3 of their 4 games this season when playing with revenge from a loss by 10 or more points. The Lumberjacks have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games after 15 games into the season against teams winning 51-60% of their games. 25* CBB Big Sky Conference Underdog of the Year with the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (884) versus the Northern Colorado Bears (883). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
03-02-24 |
Tennessee v. Alabama -2.5 |
|
81-74 |
Loss |
-110 |
1 h 7 m |
Show
|
At 8:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Alabama Crimson Tide (772) minus the points versus the Tennessee Volunteers (771). THE SITUATION: Alabama (20-8) has won four of their last five games after their 103-88 victory at Mississippi as a 5.5-point favorite on Wednesday. Tennessee (22-6) has won five games in a row after their 92-84 victory against Auburn as a 7-point favorite on Wednesday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE CRIMSON TIDE MINUS THE POINTS: Alabama has covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games at home after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 4 straight games after a straight-up win on the road. They have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 home games when playing for the second time in seven days. The Crimson Tide lead the nation in Adjusted Offense Efficiency. They have scored 80 or more points in nine straight games — and they have scored 90 or more points in five straight contests. They return home where they rank seventh in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency. Alabama has a 14-1 record on their home court with an average winning margin of +25.2 Points-Per-Game. They are making 50.1% of their shots on their home court including 41.1 of their 3-pointers which ranks 15th best in the nation. And after allowing Kentucky and then Ole Miss to make 63.1% and 51.9% of their shots against them, they come back home where they are holding their guests to 39.7% shooting including a 28.3% mark from behind the arc resulting in 70.6 PPG. The Crimson Tide has covered the point spread in 12 of their last 15 games at home — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 home games with the Total set at 160 or higher. They have also covered the point spread in 15 of their last 20 games when favored. Tennessee has failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 16 road games after a straight-up win at home. And while they have won and covered the point spread in their last two games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 7 straight games on the road after covering the point spread as the favorite in two or more games in a row. They scored 86 or more points in both of those games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games after scoring 85 or more points in two or more games in a row. And while the Volunteers have covered the point spread in four of their last five games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 8 straight games on the road after covering the point spread in four or five of their last six games. Tennessee ranks fourth in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing at home, they go back on the road where they drop to 17th in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing in hostile environments. The Volunteers rank 228th in the nation in putting their opponents on the free throw line in true road games. They also rank 276th in the nation by allowing their home hosts to make 36.5% of their 3-pointers. Tennessee has failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 road games as an underdog of up to six points or as a pick ‘em.
FINAL TAKE: The Crimson Ride will be motivated to avenge a 91-71 loss at Tennessee in their lowest-scoring game of the season as they missed 17 of their 21 shots from behind the arc. But Alabama has still covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after 15 games into the season against teams with a winning record. Tennessee has failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 16 games as an underdog. 10* CBB Tennessee-Alabama ESPN Special with the Alabama Crimson Tide (772) minus the points versus the Tennessee Volunteers (771). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
02-28-24 |
Oklahoma v. Iowa State -9 |
Top |
45-58 |
Win
|
100 |
2 h 24 m |
Show
|
At 8:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Iowa State Cyclones (738) minus the points versus the Oklahoma Sooners (737). THE SITUATION: Iowa State (21-6) has won five of their last six games after their 71-64 victory against West Virginia as an 18-point favorite on Saturday. Oklahoma (84-82) snapped a two-game losing streak in an 84-82 upset win in overtime at Oklahoma State as a 1.5-point underdog on Saturday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE CYCLONES MINUS THE POINTS: Iowa State was flat against the Mountaineers over the weekend as they allowed them to make 47.8% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in their last nine games. Despite that performance, the Cyclones still rank third in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. Iowa State has covered the point spread in 21 of their last 28 home games after a straight-up win where they did not cover the point spread as the favorite. They have also covered the points spread in 13 of their last 19 games after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a straight-up win against a Big 12 rival. And while this is just their second game since last Monday, they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games when play for the second time in eight or more days. The Cyclones stay at home where they have a 16-0 record with an average winning margin of +25.8 Points-Per-Game — and they rank third in the nation in Net Efficiency Margin when looking only at home court advantages. They are making 49.9% of their shots at home including 39.1% of their 3-pointers which is the 32nd-best mark in the nation — resulting in 82.9 PPG. On the other end of the court, they are holding their guests to just 38.7% shooting including a 31.2% mark from behind the arc resulting in just 57.1 PPG. They also rank third in the nation by forcing turnovers in 27.0% of their opponent’s possessions — and they should force plenty of turnovers against this Sooners team that ranks 222nd in the nation by turning the ball over in 17.7% of their possessions. Iowa State has covered the point spread in 13 of their last 16 games on their home court — and they have covered the point spread in 8 straight home games with the Total set in the 130s. They have also covered the point spread in 7 straight games after 15 games into the season against teams who are winning 60-80% of their games. Oklahoma nailed 50.7% of their shots on Saturday which was the best shooting effort in their last 15 games. But the Sooners have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a straight-up win against a Big 12 rival — and they have failed to cover the point spread in all 3 of their previous games this season after pulling off an upset victory. Oklahoma did allow the Cowboys to make 57.4% of their shots in that game — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 18 games after allowing their previous opponent to make 55% or more of their shots. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after giving up 80 or more points in their last game. They stay on the road where they have a 6-5 record with an average losing margin of -1.1 PPG — but their drop in Net Adjusted Efficiency when playing in a hostile environment presents the 243rd biggest discrepancy in the nation relative to their play at home. They only make 44.9% of their shots on the road in hostile environments including just 29.4% of their 3-pointers which is the 306th lowest mark in the nation. Oklahoma ranks 206nd in the nation with an effective field goal percentage (eFG) of 48.4% — and that drop compared to their eFG when at home or on a neutral court of -6.8% is the 332nd biggest discrepancy in the nation. On defense, the Sooners are allowing +9.4 more adjusted points per 100 possessions when playing in a hostile environment which is the 344th worst discrepancy versus their defensive efficiency at home or on a neutral court. Oklahoma has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after 15 games into the season against teams with a winning record.
FINAL TAKE: Iowa State wants to avenge a 71-63 loss at Oklahoma back on January 6th — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 opportunities for revenge from a loss on the road. 25* College Basketball Game of the Month is with the Iowa State Cyclones (738) minus the points versus the Oklahoma Sooners (737). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
02-28-24 |
Pelicans v. Pacers -6.5 |
|
114-123 |
Win
|
100 |
0 h 11 m |
Show
|
At 7:40 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Indiana Pacers (524) minus the points versus the New Orleans Pelicans (523). THE SITUATION: Indiana (33-27) had their three-game winning streak snapped in a 130-122 upset loss at home to Toronto as a 5.5-point favorite on Monday. New Orleans (35-24) had their two-game losing streak snapped in their 115-92 victory in New York against the Knicks as a 6-point favorite last night.
REASONS TO TAKE THE PACERS MINUS THE POINTS: Indiana comes off one of their worst games of the season. They only made 46.0% of their shots which was the worst shooting effort in their last ten games. And they allowed the Raptors to make 55.2% of their shots in what was the worst defensive effort in their last six contests. The Pacers have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games for allowing 130 or more points in their last game. They have also covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after a straight-up loss at home. Indiana has still covered the point spread in 17 of their last 24 home games after winning two of their last three games. This is their fourth game since the return from the All-Star Break — and they have covered the point spread in 18 of their last 24 games when playing for no more than the fourth time in the last ten days. All three of those previous games were at home — and they have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 20 games after playing their previous three games at home. They host an undermanned Pelicans team that will be without C.J. McCollum who is nursing an ankle injury. It looks like Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram will take the court tonight after being listed as questionable with their nagging injuries — but depth will still be an issue with Dyson Daniels out with a knee and Jose Alvarado suspended. New Orleans held the Knicks to just 37.3% shooting which was the best defensive performance in their last 57 contests going all the way back to the second game of the season. But the Pelicans have then failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 17 games after a straight-up win on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 11 road games after a double-digit win. New Orleans has won five of their last seven games — but they have also failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 19 games after winning five or six of their last seven games. They stay on the road where they have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 19 road games after a straight-up win on the road. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 17 of their last 27 road games as an underdog getting 6.5 to 12 points.
FINAL TAKE: The Pelicans have failed to cover the point spread in 27 of their last 40 road games against teams with a winning record — and the Pacers have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games in the second half of the season against teams with a winning record. 10* NBA New Orleans-Indiana ESPN Special with the Indiana Pacers (524) minus the points versus the New Orleans Pelicans (523). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
02-27-24 |
Nets v. Magic -6.5 |
|
81-108 |
Win
|
100 |
0 h 6 m |
Show
|
At 7:10 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Orlando Magic (502) minus the points versus the Brooklyn Nets (501). THE SITUATION: Orlando (32-26) had won three games in a row before their 109-92 loss at Atlanta as a 1.5-point underdog on Sunday. Brooklyn (22-35) snapped their four-game losing streak with a 111-86 win at Memphis as a 2-point favorite last night.
REASONS TO TAKE THE MAGIC MINUS THE POINTS: Paolo Banchero has been declared out for tonight’s game with an illness — and that almost was enough for me to dismiss what was initially an intriguing situational spot for Orlando. But the odds have dropped a couple of points from a line that was already shaded down a bit with his status questionable for this game from the overnight line. Checking the deeper analytics, the Magic are actually getting outscored by -1.4 Points Per 100 Possessions when Banchero is on the court — and they are then outscoring their opponents by +6.5 Points Per 100 Possessions when he is off the court. The difference comes from Banchero’s shaky play on defense — Orlando allows -8.6 fewer Points Per 100 Possessions when he is off the court. As it is, the Magic have something to prove tonight after their loss on Sunday where they only made 41.7% of their shots in what was the worst shooting effort in their last 21 games. Orlando has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 13 games after a double-digit loss. The absence of Banchero tonight allows for Franz Wagner to step up and continue his good month — he has made 51.5% of his shots in February resulting in 22.3 Points-Per-Game. The Magic return home where they have covered the point spread in 17 of their last 25 games. They have also covered the point spread in 14 of their last 19 games when favored — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games when favored by 3.5 to 9.5 points. Brooklyn nailed 48.9% of their shots yesterday which was the best shooting effort in their last four games. Even better, the Nets held the Grizzlies to just 38.7% shooting in what was the best defensive performance in their last 18 contests. But Brooklyn has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games when playing the second game in back-to-back days. They have failed to cover the point spread in 9 straight road games after losing three of their last four games — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 14 road games after losing four or five of their last six contests. They stay on the road where they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games when getting 6.5 to 12 points as the underdog.
FINAL TAKE: The Magic want to avenge a 129-101 loss at Brooklyn back on December 2nd as a 2.5-point favorite — and they have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 22 opportunities for revenge in a game where they allowed 110 or more points. 10* NBA Tuesday Daily Discounted Deal with the Orlando Magic (502) minus the points versus the Brooklyn Nets (501). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
02-24-24 |
Maryland-Baltimore County +5.5 v. New Hampshire |
Top |
86-68 |
Win
|
100 |
2 h 30 m |
Show
|
At 1:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers (306555) plus the points versus the New Hampshire Wildcats (306556). THE SITUATION: UMBC (9-19) had their two-game winning streak snapped on Thursday in a 62-56 loss at Maine as a 4.5-point underdog. New Hampshire (15-10) has won two of their last three games in an 83-78 victory against the New Jersey Institute of Technology as a 9.5-point favorite on Thursday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE RETRIEVERS PLUS THE POINTS: Maryland-Baltimore Country only made 37.3% of their shots on Thursday which was the worst shooting effort in their last 26 contests. Despite that disappointing performance, the Retrievers still lead the America East Conference in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency when playing on the road — and they rank 31st in the nation with their 53.1% effective field goal percentage. UMBC generates good looks at the basket when playing away from home because they play at a blistering pace — they rank second in the nation by averaging only 14.4 seconds per possession. They also rank seventh in the country by averaging 73.4 adjusted possessions per game. While the Retrievers have just a 4-9 record in conference play, seven of their losses have been by six points or less — and two of those losses were by just two points or less. UMBC should play better this afternoon as they have covered the point spread in 11 of their 17 games after a straight-up loss this season. They have also covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after a loss to an American East rival — and they have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 16 games after a straight-up loss by six points or less. They stay on the road where they have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 20 road games as an underdog or as a pick ‘em — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 road games with the Total set in the 160s. The Retrievers have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 road games against teams with a winning record — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games against teams winning 60-80% of their games. New Hampshire nailed 53.7% of their shots on Thursday which was the best shooting effort of the season. The Wildcats converted 11 of their 27 (40.7%) of their 3-pointers in that game — but now they play a UMBC team that ranks 26th in the nation by holding their opponents to just 30.6% shooting from behind the arc. New Hampshire has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a straight-up win against a conference opponent — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 home games when playing with just one day of rest. The Wildcats rank just eighth in the American East in Net Adjusted Efficiency when playing at home in conference play — and UMBC ranks fourth in the conference in Net Adjusted Efficiency when playing on the road against American East foes. New Hampshire is only making 44.3% of their shots including 34.6% of their 3-pointers when playing at home. The Wildcats have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games when playing at home — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 8 home games when favored or a pick ‘em. This team also plays at a fast pace — they rank 26th in the nation by averaging only 15.6 seconds per possession and they rank 21st by averaging 71.2 adjusted possessions per game. But New Hampshire tends to underachieve against similar fast-paced teams. UMBC averages 64 shots per game — and the Wildcats have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after 15 games into the season against teams who launch 62 or more shots per game. On the other hand, while New Hampshire averages 62 shots per game, the Retrievers have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games against teams who take 62 or more shots per game.
FINAL TAKE: The Wildcats did win the first meeting between these two teams in a 64-58 win on the road as a 3-point favorite on January 20th — but UMBC has covered the point spread in 7 of their 10 opportunities for revenge this season. The Retrievers have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games when avenging a loss on the road. 25* CBB American East Underdog of the Year with the Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers (306555) plus the points versus the New Hampshire Wildcats (306556). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
02-22-24 |
Washington State v. Arizona -12.5 |
|
77-74 |
Loss |
-110 |
2 h 40 m |
Show
|
At 11:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Arizona Wildcats (834) minus the points versus the Washington State Cougars (833). THE SITUATION: Arizona (20-5) rides a six-game winning streak after their 105-60 victory against Arizona State as an 18.5-point favorite on Saturday. Washington State (20-6) has won seven games in a row and 10 of their last 11 contests after their 72-59 victory against Stanford as a 7.5-point favorite on Saturday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE WILDCATS MINUS THE POINTS: Arizona is clicking on all cylinders right now after point guard Kylan Boswell stepped up from a slow start earlier in the season. During this six-game winning streak, Boswell is scoring 10.5 Points-Per-Game while making 35.4% of his shots from behind the arc and dishing out 4.0 Assists-Per-Game. For the fifth-scoring option, those are nice complementary numbers to Caleb Love and Oumar Ballo who are combining to score 31.8 PPG. The Wildcats are a legitimate contender to win the NCAA Tournament — and it starts with their balance on both ends of the court. Arizona ranks sixth in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency and 11th in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They should continue their momentum tonight as they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after a straight-up win at home. They have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games after winning three or more games in a row. And while they have covered the point spread in three straight contests, they have then covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games after covering the point spread in two or more games in a row. Additionally, the Wildcats have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after scoring 95 or more points in their last game — and they have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 19 games after not allowing more than 65 points in their last contest. They stay at home where they have a 13-0 record with an average winning margin of +30.7 net Points-Per-Game. Arizona is holding their guests to just 38.7% shooting resulting in just 63.6 PPG. They are also nailing 51.9% of their shots including 39.7% of their 3-pointers en route to 94.3 PPG when playing at home. Led by Ballo, they also rank 13th in the country by pulling down 39.0% of their missed shots. Only UCLA and Stanford have played within 11 points of the Wildcats in their 13 wins at home — their next closest home game was their 15-point victory against USC. Arizona has covered the point spread in 10 of their 13 home games this season — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 home games when laying 12.5 or more points. They have also covered the point spread in 10 of their 15 games this season as a double-digit favorite. Washington State has failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games after a double-digit win at home — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 straight games when playing on the road after a double-digit victory. And while their win against the Cardinal was preceded by a 99-79 victory at Colorado, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after two straight wins by 10 or more points — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after two straight wins on their home court by double-digits. But now after playing their last two games at home to raise their record to 13-1 in front of their home fans, they go back on the road where they are just 7-5. The Cougars will struggle to score tonight — they only make 44.2% of their shots on the road resulting in 70.5 PPG. They rank 207th in the country by making only 32.3% of their shots from behind the arc. Washington State makes up for their mediocre shooting by pulling down 30.4% of their missed shots in conference play, ranking second in the Pac-12 — but good luck with that against the Wildcats who rank third in the nation by holding their opponents to rebounding only 22.8% of their missed shots.
FINAL TAKE: Arizona has had this game circled since their 73-70 upset loss at Washington State as a 9-point road favorite back on January 13th. The Wildcats have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games when avenging a same-season loss — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 opportunities for revenge from an upset loss on the road. 10* CBB Thursday Late Show Bailout with the Arizona Wildcats (834) minus the points versus the Washington State Cougars (833). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
02-22-24 |
Cleveland State v. Northern Kentucky -2.5 |
Top |
73-75 |
Loss |
-109 |
1 h 54 m |
Show
|
At 7:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Northern Kentucky Norse (752) minus the points versus the Cleveland State Vikings (751). THE SITUATION: Northern Kentucky (14-13) saw their three-game snapped in a 73-72 loss at Wisconsin-Milwaukee as a 2.5-point underdog last Saturday. Cleveland State (16-11) has won two of their last three games after an 81-73 upset win against Youngstown State as a 3.5-point underdog on Saturday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE NORSE MINUS THE POINTS: Northern Kentucky should bounce back with a strong effort tonight as they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after a straight-up loss to a Horizon League rival. The Norse have still covered the point spread in their last two games — and they have covered the point spread in 18 of their last 25 home games after covering the point spread in their last two contests. This team leads the Horizon League in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They rank 35th in the nation by forcing turnovers in 20.5% of their opponents' possessions — and they force turnovers in 22.0% of their opponent’s possessions when playing on their home court. Now after playing their last two games on the road, they return to play for just the second time since last Wednesday — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 home games when playing for the second time in eight days. Northern Kentucky has a 10-3 record at home with an average winning margin of +11.2 net Points-Per-Game. They hold their guests to just 44.4% shooting at home including a 29.9% clip from behind the arc resulting in 69.5 PPG. They also rank 56.6% of their shots inside the arc at home which ranks 49th in the nation — and they are making 48.9% of their shots at home overall resulting in 80.7 PPG. Northern Kentucky has covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 home games when favored by up to six points or as a pick ‘em — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 12 home games when listed in the +/- 3-point range. They have also covered the point spread in 6 straight home games after playing their last two games on the road. Cleveland State held the Penguins to just 43.1% shooting which was the best defensive effort in their last five games. They also nailed 53.3% of their shots which was the best shooting effort in their last 12 games and tied for their best effort in their last 20 contests. But the Vikings have then failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a straight-up win against a conference rival — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after scoring 80 or more points in their last contest. Additionally, while they have won four of their last six games, they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after winning four or five of their last six games. Now after playing their last two games at home, they go back on the road where their defense falters — they rank 328th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing away from home. Of particular concern is their interior defense when playing Northern Kentucky — they allow their opponents to make 57.8% of their shots inside the arc when on the road, ranking 351st in the nation. They also allow their opponents to pull down 36.5% of their missed shots when playing away from home, ranking 339th in the nation. The Norse pull down a solid 31.9% of their misses when playing at home. Cleveland State has a 4-9 record on the road with an average losing margin of -4.7 PPG. They allow their opponents to make 48.6% of their shots away from home resulting in 77.6 PPG. The Vikings have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games on the road with the Total set in the 145-149.5 point range — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after playing their last two games at home. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 road games as an underdog of up to six points or a pick ‘em — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 14 road games in 10 of their last 14 games on the road when listed in the +/- 3-point range.
FINAL TAKE: Both these teams have 9-7 records in the Horizon League — but Cleveland State won the first meeting between these teams by an 88-85 score at home as a 4.5-point favorite on January 7th. The Norse have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games when playing with revenge from a same-season loss. 25* CBB Horizon League Game of the Year with the Northern Kentucky Norse (752) minus the points versus the Cleveland State Vikings (751). Best of luck for us — Frank.
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02-21-24 |
Nebraska v. Indiana -1.5 |
|
85-70 |
Loss |
-110 |
0 h 14 m |
Show
|
At 8:30 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Indiana Hoosiers (714) minus the point(s) versus the Nebraska Cornhuskers (713). THE SITUATION: Indiana (14-11) has lost two games in a row after their 76-72 upset loss at home to Northwestern as a 2.5-point favorite on Sunday. Nebraska (18-8) has won two games in a row with their 68-49 victory at home against Penn State as an 8-point favorite on Saturday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE HOOSIERS MINUS THE POINT(S): Indiana needs a victory after a bad stretch in Big Ten plays. The Hoosiers have still covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after a straight-up loss. And while they have only covered the point spread once in their last four games, they have then covered the point spread in 8 of their last 13 games after failing to cover the point spread in three of their last four games. Indiana stays at home where they have a 10-4 record while making 48.4% of their shots and limiting their opponents to just 40.7% shooting. Nebraska’s victory against the Nittany Lions finished Under the 151.5-point total for that game. But the Cornhuskers have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 12 games on the road after playing a game that finished Under the Total. 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 10 of their last 16 games after covering the point spread in four of their last five games. They go back on the road where they are just 2-7 with an average losing margin of -5.5 Points-Per-Game. Nebraska has failed to cover the point spread in 20 of their last 31 games on the road including six of their last eight contests away from home. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 18 road games as an underdog or pick ‘em.
FINAL TAKE: Indiana wants to avenge an 86-70 loss at Nebraska back on January 3rd — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games when playing with revenge from a double-digit loss. 8* CBB Wednesday Night Discounted Deal with the Indiana Hoosiers (714) minus the point(s) versus the Nebraska Cornhuskers (713). Best of luck for us — Frank.
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02-21-24 |
Furman v. Samford -7 |
Top |
72-74 |
Loss |
-110 |
0 h 29 m |
Show
|
At 7:30 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Samford Bulldogs (692) minus the points versus the Furman Paladins (691). THE SITUATION: Samford (23-4) was on a six-game winning streak before their 88-84 upset loss at Mercer as a 10-point favorite on Saturday. Furman (15-12) has won three games in a row with their 82-65 victory against UT-Chattanooga as a 3-point favorite on Sunday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE BULLDOGS MINUS THE POINTS: Samford might be coming off their worst-played game of the season. They allowed the Bears to make 54.0% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in their last 26 games. They also only made 43.1% of their shots which was the worst shooting effort in their last nine contests — and tied for the worst shooting performance in their last 25 games. They should play better tonight as they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after a straight-up loss to a Southern Conference opponent. The Bulldogs should shoot much better tonight as they rank sixth in the nation with an effective field goal percentage of 57.2%. While they rank 27th in the nation with their shooting inside the arc, their 40.5% clip from behind the arc is the best mark in the country. Samford combines this excellent shooting by playing at a very fast pace. They rank 10th in the nation in Adjusted Possessions per game — and they are sixth in the nation by averaging only 15.0 seconds per possession. Additionally, the Bulldogs push the pace by pressing on defense — they rank 13th in the nation by forcing turnovers in 22.4% of their opponents' possessions. After scoring 170 combined points in their last two games, Samford has scored at least 75 points in seven straight contests. They have then covered the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games after scoring 80 or more points in two or more games in a row — and they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games after scoring 75 or more points in five or more games in a row. They have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a game where both teams scored 80 or more combined points. They return home where they have a 15-0 record with an average winning margin of +21.2 Points-Per-Game. The Bulldogs hold their opponents to just 43.1% shooting when playing at home — but they are nearly unstoppable on the other end of the court. They are making 52.4% of their shots on their home court including a nation-leading 43.9% of their shots from 3-point range resulting in 97.0 Points-Per-Game. Samford has covered the point spread in 8 of their 13 boarded games at home this season — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 home games when favored by 6.5 to 9 points. They have also covered the point spread in expected high-scoring games where the Total is set at 160 or higher. Furman played their best defensive game of the season on Sunday by holding the Moccasins to just 33.9% shooting. And while the Paladins do a good job in defending the perimeter, they rank 332nd in the nation when playing on the road by allowing their opponents to make 56.1% of their shots inside the arc. Furman had not covered the point spread in six straight games before their triumph against Chattanooga — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after failing to cover the point spread in at least four of their last five games. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after winning three of their last four games. They go back on the road where they are just 4-10 while allowing their opponents to make 48.6% of their shots and score 80.8 PPG. On the other end of the court, the Paladins only make 42.6% of their shots including just 32.4% of their shots from 3-point range resulting in 77.9 PPG. Furman scores 80.0 PPG this season — but the Bulldogs have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games against teams scoring 77.0 or more PPG. The Paladins have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games as an underdog.
FINAL TAKE: Furman won the first meeting between these two teams by a 78-68 score back on January 24th — but Samford has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 opportunities for same-season revenge. The Paladins are outscoring their opponents by +4.5 PPG — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games on the road against teams with a winning record. The Bulldogs have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games against teams outscoring their opponents by +4.0 or more PPG. 25* CBB Southern Conference Game of the Year is with the Samford Bulldogs (692) minus the points versus the Furman Paladins (691). Best of luck for us — Frank.
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02-20-24 |
San Diego State v. Utah State -2.5 |
|
63-68 |
Win
|
100 |
2 h 5 m |
Show
|
At 9:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Utah State Aggies (638) minus the points versus the San Diego State Aztecs (637). THE SITUATION: Utah State (21-5) had their two-game winning streak snapped in a 75-55 loss at Colorado State as a 6-point underdog on Saturday. San Diego State (20-6) has won two games in a row as well as four of their last five contests after their 81-70 victory against New Mexico as a 6.5-point favorite on Friday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE AGGIES MINUS THE POINTS: Utah State only made 38.6% of their shots on Saturday in what was the worst shooting effort in their last 14 contests. They were 7-14 from the charity stripe in that game — but they have then covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after failing to make at least 53% of their free throws in their last game. The Aggies have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after a double-digit loss. And while they were trailing by 43-26 score at halftime in their loss to the Rams, they have then covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after trailing by 15 or more points at halftime of their last contest. First-year head coach Danny Sprinkle is doing a great job overseeing this team that did not return any production from last season. The former Montana State coach was dependent on the transfer portal — led by forward Great Osobor who is scoring 17.8 Points-Per-Game and 9.2 Rebounds-Per-Game who played for Sprinkle as a Bobcat. Utah State ranks 14th in the nation by making 57.0% of their shots inside the arc. They rank sixth in the country by limiting their opponents to making just 28.6% of their shots from behind the arc. They also rank 13th in the nation by limiting their opponents to rebounding only 22.3% of their missed shots. Now after playing their last two games on the road, they return home where they have an 11-1 record with an average winning margin of +18.4 Points-Per-Game. The Aggies are holding their opponents to just 41.6% shooting and a 27.8% clip from behind the arc, resulting in 66.0 PPG. On the other end of the court, they are nailing 53.2% of their shots at home including 36.3% of their 3-pointers resulting in 84.4 PPG. They rank 11th in the nation by making 60.8% of their shots inside the arc. Utah State has covered the point spread in 17 of their last 25 home games when favored or a pick ‘em including seven of those ten circumstances this season. San Diego State may be coming off their best game of the season last Friday. The Aztecs made 56.9% of their shots which was the best field goal percentage of the season. They also held the Lobos to 35.5% shooting which was the best defensive effort in their last 12 contests. But San Diego State has then failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games on the road after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the points spread in 7 of their last 8 games on the road after winning two or more games in a row. The Aztecs improved to 13-0 at home by beating Colorado State — but they go back on the road where they are just 7-6 this season. While they rank sixth in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing at home, they drop to a rank of 48th in that metric when away from home. Of importance against the Aggies, they allow their opponents to make 51.2% of their 2-point shots when on the road, ranking 152nd in the nation. San Diego State has failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 road games with the Total set in the 140s. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 10 road games against teams with a winning record.
FINAL TAKE: Utah State wants to avenge an 81-67 loss at San Diego State back on February 3rd. The Aggies have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games when listed in the +/- 3-point range. The Aztecs have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games when listed in the +/- 3-point range including five games in a row when playing on the road. 10* CBB San Diego State-Colorado State CBS Sports Network Special with the Utah State Aggies (638) minus the points versus the San Diego State Aztecs (637). Best of luck for us — Frank.
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02-19-24 |
North Carolina Central v. Norfolk State -6 |
|
74-80 |
Push |
0 |
4 h 42 m |
Show
|
At 9:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Norfolk State Spartans (306662) minus the points versus the North Carolina Central Eagles (306661). THE SITUATION: Norfolk State (16-9) has won six of their last seven games after their 71-67 win in overtime against South Carolina State as a 9.5-point favorite on Saturday. North Carolina Central (13-10) has lost two games in a row after their 90-82 loss at Howard as a 4-point underdog on Saturday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE SPARTANS MINUS THE POINTS: Norfolk State is in first place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with a 6-2 record — and they are the highest-ranked team from the conference according to the Adjusted Net Efficiency metrics by Ken Pomeroy. They upset VCU earlier in the season. They might have the best player in the conference in guard Jamarii Thomas, a transfer from UNC-Wilmington. Head coach Robert Jones led his team to win the conference tournament in 2021 and 2022 before losing to Howard in the tournament championship game last March. The Spartans held South Carolina State to just 32.1% shooting on Saturday — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after not allowing their last opponent to make more than 33% of their shots. Norfolk State ranks third in the conference in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they lead the conference by holding their opponents to just 40.6% shooting inside the arc. The Spartans have not covered the point spread in five straight games — but they have then covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after failing to cover the point spread in four or five of their last six contests. They stay at home for this one where they have a 10-0 record with an average winning margin of +24.8 net Points-Per-Game. They are holding their opponents to just 37.2% shooting including a 31.2% clip from behind the arc resulting in 62.8 PPG. They also rank 32nd in the nation by limiting their guests to 43.9% shooting inside the arc. This is just Norfolk State’s third game since February 5th — and they have covered the point spread in 26 of their last 37 home games when playing for the second time in seven days. They have also covered the point spread in 9 of their last 14 home games when favored in the 6.5-9 point range. The Spartans rank 11th in the nation in getting to the free throw line — and that mark rises to eighth best in the country when playing at home. They also rank 12th in the nation by forcing turnovers in 22.4% of their opponents’ possessions — and that mark improves to seventh in the nation by forcing turnovers in 24.6% of their opponents’ possessions when playing at home. While North Carolina Central leads the MEAC by turning the ball over in 18.2% of their possessions — their 18.4% turnover rate when playing away from home ranks 265th in the country. The Eagles nailed 56.0% of their shots on Saturday which was the best shooting effort in their last eight games. NC Central has played two games in a row that finished Over the Total — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after playing two or more Overs in a row. They are in second place in the conference with a 5-3 record — and they also have the second-best Adjusted Net Efficiency mark of all the MEAC teams using Pomeroy’s numbers. Head coach LeVelle Moton’s team thrives in defending the perimeter — as they rank 10th in the nation by holding their opponents to just 29.0% shooting from 3-point range. But the Spartans only rank sixth in the conference by hitting 31.5% of their 3-pointers — so 3-point shooting is not their formula for success. The Eagles stay on the road where they are just 5-8 this season with an average losing margin of -6.5 PPG. They are only making 41.3% of their shots away from home which includes a woeful 28.0% clip from downtown, ranking 334th in the nation. They are allowing their opponents to make 45.0% of their shots away from home resulting in 72.4 PPG.
FINAL TAKE: This Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference showdown could be the preview of the Conference Tournament Championship Game. North Carolina Central won the first meeting between these two teams on their home court by a 60-58 score on January 9th with the Spartans missing 15 of their 16 shots from behind the arc in the loss. Norfolk State has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 opportunities for same-season revenge — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games when avenging a loss on the road to their opponent. 10* CBB NC Central-Norfolk State ESPNU Special with the Norfolk State Spartans (306662) minus the points versus the North Carolina Central Eagles (306661). Best of luck for us — Frank.
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02-19-24 |
Iowa State v. Houston -8 |
|
65-73 |
Push |
0 |
2 h 36 m |
Show
|
At 9:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Houston Cougars (882) minus the points versus the Iowa State Cyclones (881). THE SITUATION: Houston (22-3) has won three games in a row along with eight of their last nine games after their 82-61 victory against Texas as a 10-favorite on Saturday. Iowa State (20-5) has won four games in a row along with seven of their last eight contests after their 82-74 win against Texas Tech as a 7.5-point favorite on Saturday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE COUGARS MINUS THE POINTS: Houston may be the best college basketball team in the country. They lead the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they lead the country with an opponent’s field goal percentage of 43.2% while ranking in the top eight in both 3-point and 2-point defense. They lead the nation by blocking their opponent’s shots in a whopping 17.5% of their possessions. They rank fourth in the nation by forcing turnovers in 24.9% of their opponent’s possessions. On offense, the Cougars are not a great shooting team but they still rank 16th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency due to their tremendous shot volume. They are fourth in the nation by pulling down 39.2% of their missed shots — and they are sixth in the country by turning the ball over in just 13.6% of their opponent’s possessions. Houston should be fine playing on short rest since they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games when playing with one day of rest. They stay at home where they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after winning two or more games in a row. They have a 14-0 record at home with an average winning margin of +30.4 Points-Per-Game. They hold their guests to just 33.5% shooting and a 27.0% clip from behind the arc resulting in just 48.1 PPG. They also shoot better on their home court where they make 48.1% of their shots resulting in 78.5 PPG. The Cougars have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games on their home court. Iowa State has covered the point spread in five straight games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 17 games after covering the point spread in five or more games in a row. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after winning four or more games in a row. And while they are undefeated on their home court, the Cyclones are just 5-5 when away from home where they both score and allow 71.2 PPG. Iowa State also struggles to make baskets — especially on the road. They are only making 28.6% of their shots from behind the arc away from home, ranking 326th in the nation. They also only convert on 64.6% of their free throws away from home, ranking 335th in the country. While they rank 27th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency when playing at home, they fall to 58th in the nation in that metric when on the road. And troublesome for this showdown, they allow their opponents to rebound 35.7% of their missed shots when playing away from home, ranking 339th in the nation.
FINAL TAKE: Houston is motivated to avenge their 57-53 upset loss at Iowa State as a 2.5-point underdog back on January 9th — and they have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 21 games when playing with revenge from an upset loss as a road favorite. 8* CBB Monday Night Discounted Deal with the Houston Cougars (882) minus the points versus the Iowa State Cyclones (881). Best of luck for us — Frank.
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02-17-24 |
Utah State v. Colorado State -5.5 |
|
55-75 |
Win
|
100 |
1 h 20 m |
Show
|
At 5:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Colorado State Rams (726) minus the points versus the Utah State Aggies (725). THE SITUATION: Colorado State (19-6) had won four games in a row before their 71-55 loss at San Diego State as a 6-point underdog on Tuesday. Utah State (21-4) has won two games in a row and five of their last seven contests after their 84-76 victory at Wyoming as an 8-point favorite.
REASONS TO TAKE THE RAMS MINUS THE POINTS: Colorado State raced out to a 44-30 halftime lead against the Aztecs — but San Diego State put the clamps down on defense in the second half by outscoring the Rams by a whopping 41-11 margin to win that game decisively. We were on the Aztecs in that game expecting them to frustrate the Colorado State offensive attack in that revenge spot. The Rams only made 35.8% of their shots in that game in what was their worst shooting effort of the season. But they should play better tonight in their opportunities to exact some revenge. Colorado State should start well as they have gone into halftime with at least a six-point lead in five straight games — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after enjoying halftime leads of at least five points in three or more games in a row. And while their game against San Diego State finished far below the 140-point total, they have then covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 home games after playing a game that finished Under the Total. Despite what the Aztecs did to them, the Rams remain one of the best shooting teams in the nation. They rank 14th in the nation with an effective field goal percentage of 56.2% — and those numbers are fueled by their 58.1% clip inside the arc, ranking seventh in the nation. They return home where they have a 13-1 record with an average winning margin of +14.9 Points-Per-Game. Colorado State makes 52.8% of its shots at home including 38.7% of their 3-pointers and 61.3% of their shots inside the arc which ranks eighth best in the nation — resulting in 82.4 PPG. They hold their guests to 44.4% shooting including a 32.1% mark from behind the arc resulting in 67.5 PPG. The Rams have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games at home with the Total set in the 140s. They have also covered the point spread in 12 of their last 19 games when favored — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 home games when favored by up to six points or as a pick ‘em. Utah State made 56.6% of their shots on Wednesday which was the best shooting effort in their last four contests. But now they travel from Laramie to Fort Collins for a second straight game in Mountain West altitude — and they have one less day of rest for this contest as compared to the Rams. The Aggies rank 327th in the nation in bench minutes while using mostly a six-man rotation of players who average 15 or more minutes per game. Utah State is vulnerable with their interior defense as well — they rank 253rd in the nation by allowing their opponents to make 52.1% of their 2-point shots. The Aggies have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 14 road games as an underdog or pick ‘em — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight road games as an underdog of 3.5 to 6 points. Furthermore, they have failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 26 road games with the Total set in the 145-149.5 point range.
FINAL TAKE: As mentioned earlier, Colorado State has revenge on their mind after losing at Utah State on January 6th by a 77-72 score — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 10 games when avenging a loss on the road to their opponent. 10* CBB Utah State-Colorado State CBS Sports Network Special with the Colorado State Rams (726) minus the points versus the Utah State Aggies (725). Best of luck for us — Frank.
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02-16-24 |
Jacksonville v. Queens NC -1.5 |
|
65-74 |
Win
|
100 |
1 h 40 m |
Show
|
At 7:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Queens University Royals (306556) minus the points versus the Jacksonville Dolphins (306555). THE SITUATION: Queens University (10-17) has lost three games in a row after their 93-79 upset loss at North Florida as a 2.5-point favorite on Wednesday. Jacksonville (13-13) had their two-game winning streak snapped in a 66-61 loss at Kennesaw State as a 5.5-point underdog on Wednesday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE ROYALS MINUS THE POINTS: Queens only made 45.3% of their shots on Wednesday which was the worst shooting effort in their last four contests. The Royals have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 13 games after a double-digit loss. They have also covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after losing three games in a row. They have given up 75 or more points in 16 straight games — but they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games after allowing 75 or more points in four or more games in a row. The Royals play at one of the fastest paces in the nation — they rank 15th in the nation by averaging only 15.2 seconds per possession. They stay at home where they have a 9-3 record with an average winning margin of +11.2 Points-Per-Game. Queens should shoot better tonight as they nail 48.8% of their shots at home resulting in 89.9 PPG. The Royals have covered the point spread in 4 of their 6 home games when favored or a pick ‘em this season. Jacksonville only made 39.3% of their shots on Wednesday — but it was still their best shooting effort in their last three games. The Dolphins have 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 9 games after a point spread loss. Additionally, they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a straight-up loss to an Atlantic Sun rival. They stay on the road to play for the third time since last Saturday — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 20 of their last 27 road games when playing for the third time in seven days. They are just 3-12 away from home with an average losing margin of -14.1 PPG. The Dolphins have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 17 road games as an underdog getting up to six points or as a pick ‘em.
FINAL TAKE: Queen’s University is motivated to avenge a 79-77 loss at Jacksonville as a 3-point favorite back on January 18th — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 opportunities for revenge. 8* CBB Friday Daily Discounted Deal with the Queens University Royals (306556) minus the points versus the Jacksonville Dolphins (306555). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
02-14-24 |
Lakers v. Jazz -5 |
|
138-122 |
Loss |
-110 |
1 h 53 m |
Show
|
At 9:10 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Utah Jazz (536) minus the points versus the Los Angeles Lakers (535). THE SITUATION: Utah (26-28) has lost two games in a row after their 129-107 loss to Golden State as a 1-point underdog on Monday. Los Angeles (30-26) has won two games in a row as well as five of their last seven contests after their 125-111 victory against Detroit as a 10-point favorite last night.
REASONS TO TAKE THE JAZZ MINUS THE POINTS: The Lakers will be undermanned tonight with them playing without a day of rest before the All-Star break. LeBron James is taking a load management night off to probably rest up for the All-Star Game with the official designation being that he is dealing with an undisclosed injury. Los Angeles has already been without Cam Reddish, Gabe Vincent, and Jarred Vanderbilt. Max Christie is also tonight with a right ankle sprain — but Anthony Davis is going to give it a go tonight after being listed as questionable with his right ankle all day. The Lakers did not make any moves at the trade deadline — but they did pick up Spencer Dinwiddie off waivers after he was dropped by Toronto soon after acquiring him at the trade deadline. But roster depth is an issue for this team — and they are much worse without James. They outscore their opponents by +2.0 points per 100 possessions when James is on the court — but they are getting outscored by -4.2 points per 100 possessions without James. This biggest loss is on the offensive end of the court where they drop by -7.0 points per 100 possessions. The Lakers made 51.2% of their shots against the Pistons on the heels of nailing 55.7% of their shots in their previous game against New Orleans — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after making 50% or more of their shots in two or more games in a row. They have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games after a double-digit win on their home court. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after winning two games in a row at home — and they have to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games after winning five or six of their last seven games. Now after playing their last three games at home, they go back on the road where they have a 12-17 record while getting outscored by -3.7 Points-Per-Game. The Lakers have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 15 road games with the Total set at 230 or higher. Utah (26-28) has rebounded to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after a double-digit loss at home. They have also covered the point spread in 28 of their last 43 games after losing two of their last three games. And while they have only covered the point spread twice in their last seven games, they have then covered the point spread in 13 of their last 17 games after failing to cover the point spread in four or five of their last six games. The Jazz were sellers at the trade deadline by dealing away role players Kelly Olynyk and Simone Fontecchio for draft capital — but they are still competing for the Play-In Tournament to get some postseason experience rather than embracing a soft tank to improve their draft position. Utah stays at home where they have a 17-8 record with an average winning margin of +6.4 PPG. They are making 48.1% of their shots on their home court resulting in 123.2 PPG. The Jazz have covered the point spread in 18 of their last 24 home games — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 12 home games when continuing a home stand. They have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 19 home games with the Total set at 230 or higher. Utah has also covered the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games when favored — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 home games when favored by up to six points or listed as a pick ‘em.
FINAL TAKE: The Lakers want to avenge a 132-125 loss at Utah in the last meetings between these two teams on January 13th — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their 22 opportunities for same-season revenge this season. The Jazz have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 13 home games against teams with a winning record. 10* NBA Wednesday Night Discounted Deal with the Utah Jazz (536) minus the points versus the Los Angeles Lakers (535). Best of luck for us — Frank.
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02-13-24 |
Kings +4.5 v. Suns |
|
125-130 |
Loss |
-109 |
1 h 59 m |
Show
|
At 10:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Sacramento Kings (507) plus the points versus the Phoenix Suns (508). THE SITUATION: Sacramento (30-22) has lost three of their last four games after their 127-113 win at Oklahoma City as a 3.5-point underdog on Sunday. Phoenix (31-22) had their three-game winning streak snapped in a 113-112 upset loss at Golden State as a 1.5-point underdog on Saturday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE KINGS PLUS THE POINTS: Sacramento should play better tonight as they have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 21 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 13 games after a double-digit loss. Additionally, they have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 23 games after a point spread loss. And while they have only covered the point spread once in their last four games, they have then covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after failing to cover the point spread in three of their last four games. The Kings stay on the road where they have covered the point spread in 39 of their last 58 road games with the Total set at 230 or higher. They have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 13 road games as an underdog. Phoenix has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after a loss by six points or less. And while they had covered the point spread in their three previous games, the Suns have then failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after covering the point spread in three of their last four games. Phoenix returns home where they have failed to cover the point spread in 17 of their last 26 games — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 15 home games with the Total set at 230 or higher.
FINAL TAKE: The Kings want to avenge a 119-117 loss in Phoenix to the Suns back on January 16th — and they have covered the point spread in 21 of their last 30 games when playing with revenge from a same-season loss. 8* NBA Sacramento-Phoenix TNT Special with the Sacramento Kings (507) plus the points versus the Phoenix Suns (508). Best of luck for us — Frank.
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02-13-24 |
Colorado State v. San Diego State -5.5 |
|
55-71 |
Win
|
100 |
1 h 29 m |
Show
|
At 9:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the San Diego State Aztecs (636) minus the points versus the Colorado State Rams (635). THE SITUATION: San Diego State (18-6) saw their two-game winning streak snapped in a 70-66 loss in overtime at Nevada as a 2-point underdog on Friday. Colorado State (19-5) is on a four-game winning streak after their 66-47 win against San Jose State as a 15-point favorite on Friday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE AZTECS MINUS THE POINTS: San Diego State allowed the Wolf Pack to make 46.5% of their shots in that game last week which was the second-worst defensive effort in three last 15 contests. They only made 40.8% of their shots as well in the loss which was the worst shooting effort in their last seven contests. The Aztecs should play better tonight as they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after a straight-up loss against a Mountain West Conference rival — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a straight loss on the road to a conference opponent. They have also covered the point spread in 6 straight home games after winning 15 or more of their last 20 games. Now after playing their last two games on the road, they return home where they have a perfect 11-0 record with an average winning margin of +17.0 Points-Per-Game. San Diego State should shoot better back on their home court where they are making 46.1% of their shots. But it is the Aztecs' defense that thrives when playing at home where they rank ninth in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They hold their guests to 38.6% shooting including just a 28.6% clip from behind the arc resulting in 60.2 PPG. San Diego State has covered the point spread in 6 of their 9 board home games this season — and they have also covered the point spread in 34 of their last 4 home games when favored by 3.5 to 6 points. Colorado State held the Spartans to just 32.8% shooting which was the best defensive effort in their last 18 contests. The Rams have covered the point spread in four straight games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after covering the point spread in four of their last five games. And while they have played three straight Unders, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after playing three or more Unders in a row. Colorado State makes eight shots from behind the arc per game — but the Aztecs have covered the point spread in 18 of their last 23 games after 15 games into the season against teams who make eight or more 3s per game. And while San Diego State has an opponent’s field goal percentage of 41.1% this season, the Rams have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games after 15 games into the season against teams who hold their opponents to no higher than 42%. Now Colorado State goes back on the road where they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 road games with the Total set in the 140s — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight road games with the Total set from 140 to 144.5. Furthermore, the Rams have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 15 road games as an underdog or a pick ‘em — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 road games as an underdog of six points or less or as a pick ‘em. Additionally, Colorado State has failed to cover the point spread in 16 of their last 25 games as a dog — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 20 of their last 31 games after 15 games into the season against teams with a winning record.
FINAL TAKE: The Rams shot 53.8% from the field in their 79-71 win at home against San Diego State on January 30th which was the worst defensive effort of the season for the Aztecs — so head coach Brian Dutcher will have his team ready to go on the defensive end of the court tonight. San Diego State has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games when avenging a loss on the road this season. 10* CBB Tuesday Late Show Bailout with the San Diego State Aztecs (636) minus the points versus the Colorado State Rams (635). Best of luck for us — Frank.
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02-12-24 |
Lehigh +2 v. Bucknell |
Top |
71-63 |
Win
|
100 |
1 h 24 m |
Show
|
At 7:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Lehigh Mountain Hawks (306629) plus the point(s) versus the Bucknell Bison (306630). THE SITUATION: Lehigh (8-15) snapped their two-game losing streak with their 94-90 win in double overtime against Lafayette as a 3.5-point favorite on Saturday. Bucknell (10-15) has lost two of their last three games after their 77-62 upset loss at home against Boston University as a 4.5-point favorite on Saturday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE MOUNTAIN HAWKS PLUS THE POINT(S): Lehigh survived two overtimes on Saturday despite allowing the Leopards to make 55.6% of their shots in what was the worst defensive effort of the season. The Mountain Hawks have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after losing two of their last three games. This is Lehigh’s third game since Wednesday — and they have covered the point spread in 17 of their last 25 games when playing their third game in seven days. This team appears to be finding itself under Dr. Brett Reed in his 17th year as the head coach. His team got hot in the second half of conference play last year with the Mountain Hawks finishing tied for second place in the Patriot League. While Lehigh has just a 5-7 record in conference play this season, they rank fourth in the league in Adjusted Net Efficiency. The Mountain Hawks are 13th in the nation by limiting their opponents to pulling down only 23.9% of their missed shots. They also lead in the Patriot League in getting to the free throw line and in making 73.6% of their shots at the charity stripe — and now they play a Bison team that ranks ninth in the league in putting their opponents on the free throw line. Now after playing their last two games at home, they go back on the road where they have covered the point spread in 17 of their last 20 road games after playing their last two games at home. They have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 road games after losing two of their last three games. Additionally, they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games on the road — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 road games with the Total set in the 140s. Furthermore, Lehigh has covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games as an underdog — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 road games as an underdog or as a pick ‘em. Bucknell averages 53 shots per game — and the Mountain Hawks have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 12 road games against teams who do not attempt more than 53 shots per game. Lehigh has also covered the point spread in 16 of their last 23 games against teams with a losing record after 15 games into the season — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after 15 games into the season against teams winning 40-49% of their games. The Bison have a 7-5 record in the Patriot League — and they rank third in Adjusted Efficiency Margin under rookie head coach John Griffin III. But Bucknell has failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 24 games after an upset loss — as they have covered the point spread in 16 of their last 20 games after an upset loss to a conference rival. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after an upset loss by double-digits. The Bison rank eighth in the Patriot League by turning the ball over in 18.1% of their possessions — and Lehigh ranks second in the conference by forcing turnovers in 17.8% of their opponents' possessions. Griffin has yet to re-establish a home-court advantage for Bucknell as they have just a 4-7 record at home while getting outscored by -3.6 net Points-Per-Game. The Bison have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 18 home games when favored or a pick ‘em.
FINAL TAKE: Lehigh wants to avenge an 86-80 upset loss at home against Bucknell as a 5-point favorite on January 10th. The Mountain Hawks have covered the point spread in 8 of their 11 opportunities for revenge this season — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games when avenging a loss where they gave up 75 or more points. 25* CBB Patriot League Underdog of the Year with the Lehigh Mountain Hawks (306629) plus the point(s) versus the Bucknell Bison (306630). Best of luck for us — Frank.
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02-10-24 |
Drake v. Bradley -3.5 |
Top |
74-67 |
Loss |
-115 |
5 h 7 m |
Show
|
At 6:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Bradley Braves (758) minus the points versus the Drake Bulldogs (757). THE SITUATION: Bradley (17-7) saw their two-game winning streak snapped in a 73-70 upset loss at Evansville as a 9-point favorite on Wednesday. Drake (19-5) has won three of their last four games after their 92-88 win against Southern Illinois as a 10-point favorite on Wednesday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE BRAVES MINUS THE POINTS: Bradley only made 42.4% of their shots on Wednesday which was the worst shooting effort in their last 11 contests. But the Braves have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after a straight-up loss on the road to a Missouri Valley Conference rival. It was a rare bad day at the offense for this team regarding shooting the basketball — they rank 12th in the nation with an effective field goal percentage of 56.5%. They also rank 16th in the nation by nailing 38.1% of their shots from behind the arc — and they lead the Missouri Valley Conference by making 39.6% of their 3-pointers in conference play. After playing their last two games on the road, they return home where they have a 10-2 record with an average winning margin of +13.8 net Points-Per-Game. They are making 49.3% of their shots at home resulting in 79.2 PPG. They are also playing well on the other end of the court where they are holding their guests to just 40.6% shooting resulting in 65.4 PPG. Bradley has covered the point spread in 29 of their last 38 games at home — and they have covered the point spread in 20 of their last 25 games at home when favored or a pick ‘em. Drake made 56.9% of their shots on Wednesday in what was the best shooting effort in their last five games. But the Bulldogs have failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 2 games after a win at home — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a straight-up win at home against a conference river. Additionally, they have failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 17 games on the road after a win where they scored 80 or more points — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games after a win at home where they scored 85 or more points. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 26 of their last 39 games on the road where they won straight-up but did not cover the point spread as the favorite. Drake is second in the nation in defensive rebounding — but they will be challenged by the Braves who lead the Missouri Valley by pulling down 31.1% of their missed shots. The Bulldogs’ defense takes a step back when they are playing on the road. Their opponents sport an effective field goal percentage of 52.8% when they are playing away from home, ranking 238th in the nation — and Drake ranks no higher than 215th in the nation in opponent 3-point shooting and opponent 2-point shooting when they are away from home. The Bulldogs have failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 28 games away from home — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 road games when an underdog of up to six points or as a pick ‘em. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 16 games as an underdog overall.
FINAL TAKE: This is Bradley’s first opportunity to play Drake since their 77-51 loss to them as a 2-point underdog in the Championship Game of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament last March 5th which cost them a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Braves have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 11 games at home after 15 games into the season against teams with a winning record. 25* CBB Missouri Valley Conference Game of the Year with the Bradley Braves (758) minus the points versus the Drake Bulldogs (757). Best of luck for us — Frank.
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02-09-24 |
San Diego State v. Nevada -1.5 |
|
66-70 |
Win
|
100 |
3 h 9 m |
Show
|
At 8:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Nevada Wolf Pack (888) minus the point(s) versus the San Diego State Aztecs (887). THE SITUATION: Nevada (18-5) has won two straight games as well as three of their last four contests after their 77-63 upset win at Utah State as a 5.5-point underdog on Tuesday. San Diego State (18-5) has won two games in a row after their 77-64 victory at the Air Force as a 9.5-point favorite on Tuesday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE WOLF PACK MINUS THE POINTS: The Atzecs nailed 51.0% of their shots on Tuesday which was the best shooting effort in their last nine games. But this is now head coach Brian Dutcher’s third game since Saturday — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games when playing for the third time in seven days. San Diego State has an 11-0 record at home where they boast the nation’s tenth-best defense in terms of Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. But the Aztecs are just 7-5 away from home — and their play on defense plummets to just ranking 59th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They also only make 44.4% of their shots on the road with the biggest drop-off coming inside the arc. While San Diego State nails 56.8% of their 2-point shots when playing at home, that number drops to a 49.5% mark inside the arc when playing on the road. The Aztecs have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 8 road games as an underdog of up to six points or as a pick ‘em. They have also covered the point spread in 4 straight road games when listed in the +/- 3-point range. Nevada registered a quality victory against the Aggies this week — but head coach Steve Alford needs a few more high-quality wins for their NCAA Tournament resume and this would be a signature victory for this team. I remain bullish on the Wolf Pack that we have backed a few times already this season. Nevada is a very experienced team that ranks seventh in the nation in returning Division I experience from their team that won 22 games that lost to Arizona State in a First Four game in the NCAA Tournament. They rank Nevada ranks 39th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. This group has a high floor given the strong fundamentals that he has instilled into this team. The Wolf Pack ranks 23rd in the nation by turning the ball over in 14.1% of their possessions. They also get to the free throw line as they rank ninth in the nation in free throw rate. Nevada returns home where they have an 11-1 record this season with an average winning margin of +18.4 Points-Per-Game. They hold their guests to just 38.4% shooting resulting in 61.5 PPG. They also make 38.5% of their shots at home including 32.3% of their 3-pointers resulting in 61.3 PPG. One of the weaknesses of this team is their shooting — they rank last in the Mountain West Conference by making only 49.8% of their shots inside the arc. But they are more proficient when playing at home where they make 51.6% of their 2-pointers — and they rank 45th in the nation by nailing 39.1% of their 3-pointers when on their home court. The Wolf Pack have covered the point spread in 17 of their last 24 games at home — and they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 17 games when favored. Additionally, they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games when listed in the +/- 3-point range. They should build off their momentum from their victory against Utah State as they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 16 games after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 22 of their last 32 games after a point spread win.
FINAL TAKE: Nevada will have revenge on their mind after losing by a 71-59 score on the road back on January 17th. Alford’s teams have covered the point spread in 8 of his 10 head-to-head encounters against Dutcher — and his teams cover that point spread by an average of +4.05 points. Lastly, the Wolf Pack have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games against teams winning 60-80% of their games — and the Aztecs have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 6 games against teams winning 60-80% of their games. 10* CBB San Diego State-Nevada CBS Sports Network Special with the Nevada Wolf Pack (888) minus the point(s) versus the San Diego State Aztecs (887). Best of luck for us — Frank.
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02-08-24 |
SIU-Edwardsville v. Morehead State -10.5 |
|
68-79 |
Win
|
100 |
0 h 22 m |
Show
|
At 9:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Morehead State Eagles (828) minus the points versus the SIU-Edwardsville Cougars (827). THE SITUATION: Morehead State (18-5) has won five games in a row after their 67-60 victory at Tennessee Tech as an 11-point favorite on Saturday. SIU-Edwardsville (13-10) had their two-game winning streak snapped in a 90-79 upset loss at UT-Martin as a 1.5-point favorite on Saturday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE EAGLES MINUS THE POINTS: Morehead State only made 42.9% of their shots on Saturday which was the worst shooting effort in their last five contests. The Eagles should build off their momentum as they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 10 home games after a straight-up victory against an Ohio Valley Conference rival. They have also covered the point spread in 15 of their last 21 games after not allowing more than 60 points in their last game. And in their last 13 games after winning five or six of their last seven games, they have then covered the point spread 11 times. Morehead State leads the Ohio Valley in both Adjusted Offensive Efficiency and Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They return home where they have a 10-0 record with an average winning margin of +31.0 Points-Per-Game. They should shoot better tonight since they are nailing 50.8% of their shots and 37.5% of their shots from behind the arc en route to scoring 86.2 PPG. The Eagles have covered the point spread in 10 straight games at home with the Total set in the 130s. They have also covered the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games when favored. SIU-Edwardsville has failed to cover the point spread in 8 straight road games after an upset loss in conference play. And while they have won five of their last seven games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after winning four or five of their last six games. They go back on the road where they have a 3-6 record while getting outscored by -6.5 PPG. They only make 39.1% of their shots away from home. The Cougars have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games on the road.
FINAL TAKE: Morehead State wants to avenge a 61-48 upset loss on the road to SIU-Edwardsville on January 13th as a 5-point road favorite — and the Eagles have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games when playing with revenge. 8* CBB Blowout Bookie Buster with the Morehead State Eagles (828) minus the points versus the SIU-Edwardsville Cougars (827). Best of luck for us — Frank.
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02-08-24 |
Tarleton St v. Utah Valley -3 |
|
72-61 |
Loss |
-110 |
0 h 13 m |
Show
|
At 8:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Utah Valley Wolverines (800) minus the points versus Tarleton State (799). THE SITUATION: Utah Valley (9-13) has lost three straight games as well as six of their last seven after an 86-67 loss at home to Grand Canyon as a 5-point underdog on Saturday. Tarleton State (15-7) has won three straight games as well as six of their last seven contests after their 75-64 victory against Stephen F. Austin as a 2-point favorite on Saturday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE WOLVERINES MINUS THE POINTS: Utah Valley only made 37.3% of their shots on Saturday which was the worst shooting effort in their last four contests. The Wolverines have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a loss by 15 or more points. They have also covered the point spread in 21 of their last 29 games after a point spread loss including five of those seven contests this season. And while they have given up 77 and 86 points in their last two games, they have then covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after allowing 75 or more points in two or more games in a row. They stay at home where they have played only twice in their previous seven games — and five of their six losses during their current 1-6 run have been on the road. Utah Valley has a 7-2 record at home with an average winning margin of +7.6 Points-Per-Game. They hold their opponents to 41.9% shooting which results in 67.4 PPG. The Wolverines have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 21 home games when favored or a pick ‘em — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 home games when favored by six points or less or are a pick ‘em. Furthermore, they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 home games with the Total set in the 135-139.5 point range. Utah Valley leads the Western Athletic Conference in getting to the free throw line when playing at home. They also pull down 29.9% of their missed shots in conference play at home — and the Texans rank 10th in the WAC by allowing their opponents to rebound 37.0% of their missed shots when on the road against conference opponents. Tarleton State made 51.2% of their shots on Saturday while holding the Lumberjacks to just 41.2% shooting — and both those marks were their best efforts in their last five games. But the Texans have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after winning two or more games in a row against conference opponents. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 7 straight games after winning three or more games in a row. They have scored 75 or more points in three straight contests — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games after scoring 75 or more points in two or more games in a row. Tarleton State has covered the point spread in three straight games and four of their last five games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after covering the point spread in three or more games in a row. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games after covering the point spread in four or five of their last six games. They go back on the road where they only make 41.8% of their shots and just 26.6% of their shots from behind the arc. The Texans have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 8 road games as an underdog of up to six points or as a pick ‘em.
FINAL TAKE: Utah Valley has covered the point spread in 29 of their last 42 games when favored. 10* CBB Thursday Daily Discounted Deal with the Utah Valley Wolverines (800) minus the points versus Tarleton State (799). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
02-07-24 |
Davidson +6.5 v. Duquesne |
|
72-59 |
Win
|
100 |
1 h 29 m |
Show
|
At 7:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Davidson Bulldogs (685) plus the points versus the Duquesne Dukes (686). THE SITUATION: Davidson (12-9) has lost two games in a row after their 76-63 loss at Loyola-Chicago as a 5-point underdog on Sunday. Duquesne (13-8) has won four straight games after their 85-71 victory as a 5.5-point favorite on Saturday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE BULLDOGS PLUS THE POINTS: Davidson allowed the Ramblers to nail 46.3% of their shots on Sunday which was the worst defensive effort in their last five contests. Despite that performance, they have still held their last five opponents to just 39.1% shooting. The Bulldogs have endured several close losses — two of their setbacks were by one scoring possession and two more of their losses were in overtime. Davidson has rebounded to cover the point spread in 42 of their last 62 games after losing on the road to a conference rival. They have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after losing two games in a row to conference opponents. Additionally, the Bulldogs have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 14 games after losing three of their last four games — and they have covered the point spread in 23 of their last 33 road games after losing three of their last four games. Davidson has been without David Skogman the last two games — and the 6’10 senior remains questionable with a foot injury. This play would probably be higher graded if there was confirmation he was returning to action tonight — but this situation remains worthy of investment. While the Bulldogs have not scored more than 63 points in their last two games, they have then covered the point spread in 18 of their last 26 games after failing to score more than 65 points in two or more games in a row. They stay on the road where they have a 5-5 record — and they have covered 6 straight road games after playing on the road in their last contest. Duquesne nailed 52.8% of their shots on Saturday in what was their best shooting effort of the season. The Dukes still rank last in the Atlantic 10 Conference in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency in conference play. Duquesne has failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games after scoring 80 or more points in their last game. They have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a straight-up loss on the road. Additionally, the Dukes have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after winning three or more games in a row — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after winning four or five of their last six contests. And while their game with Rhode Island finished above the 146.5 point total, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 17 home games after playing a game that finished Over the Total. They are only making 42.9% of their shots when playing at home — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 17 home games with the Total set in the 130s. In their last five games, Duquesne is only making 41.8% of their shots resulting in 68.2 Points-Per-Game — and those are -4.4 PPG and -1.2 % below their season averages.
FINAL TAKE: Davidson beat Maryland on a neutral court earlier this season (although mentioning the Terrapins gives me terrible flashbacks to their painful offensive performance last night — and I knew what I was getting into when endorsing them). The Dukes have failed to cover the point spread in 29 of their last 45 games at home — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 11 home games when favored. 10* CBB Wednesday Daily Discounted Deal with the Davidson Bulldogs (685) plus the points versus the Duquesne Dukes (686). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
02-07-24 |
The Citadel v. Western Carolina -11 |
|
64-71 |
Loss |
-110 |
0 h 13 m |
Show
|
At 7:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Western Carolina Catamounts (680) minus the points versus The Citadel Bulldogs (679). THE SITUATION: Western Carolina (16-7) has lost two straight games as well as five of their last six contests after their 88-86 upset loss in overtime at Wofford on Saturday. The Citadel (9-14) has lost three games in a row and nine of their last ten after a 62-60 loss at East Tennessee State.
REASONS TO TAKE THE CATAMOUNTS MINUS THE POINTS: Western Carolina comes off a frustrating loss where they lost by only two points in overtime despite only shooting 42.4% from the field and allowing the Terriers to nail 57.6% of their shots. The Catamounts have covered the point spread in 7 straight home games after a game where they did not shoot better than 43% while allowing their opponent to make 57% or more of their shots from the field. They have also covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 home games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 6 straight home games after allowing 85 or more points in their last game. Western Carolina stayed competitive against Wofford by making 19 of their 23 shots from the free throw line — and they also nailed 11 of their 25 (44%) of their shots from behind the arc. They return home where they rank 22nd in the nation by making 40.2% of their 3-pointers. The Catamounts make 48.7% of their shots at home resulting in 84.2 Points-Per-Game -- and they are outscoring their guests by +14.6 PPG by holding them to just 40.3% shooting. Western Carolina has lost two games in overtime during the recent string of bad luck — their three other losses were by six, four, and three points. The Citadel held the Buccaneers to just 39.3% shooting in what was the best defensive effort in their last 11 contests. But they only made four of their 23 shots (17.4%) from behind the arc in that game — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after not making more than 20% of their shots from 3-point range in their last contest. The Bulldogs have covered the point spread in two straight games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after covering the point spread in two or more games in a row. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games after losing three of their last four contests. The Citadel ranks 283rd in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency when playing away from home. The Catamounts hold their opponents to 41.1% shooting — and the Bulldogs have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games against teams with an opponent’s field goal percentage of 42% or lower.
FINAL TAKE: The Citadel has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games against teams with a winning record — and Western Carolina has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after 15 games into the season against teams with a losing record. 8* CBB Blowout Bookie Buster with the Western Carolina Catamounts (680) minus the points versus The Citadel Bulldogs (679). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
02-06-24 |
Rutgers v. Maryland -7.5 |
|
56-53 |
Loss |
-115 |
1 h 27 m |
Show
|
At 6:30 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Maryland Terrapins (602) minus the points versus the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (601). THE SITUATION: Maryland (13-9) had their two-game winning streak snapped in a 63-4 loss at Michigan State as a 6-point underdog on Saturday. Rutgers (11-10) snapped their three-game losing streak with a 69-59 upset loss at Michigan as a 4.5-point underdog on Saturday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE TERRAPINS MINUS THE POINTS: These two teams are mirror images of each other. Both squads play ferocious defense. Both head coaches bragged about the improved athleticism on the roster this season. Neither team can hit the side of the barn when shooting the basketball. And both teams are underachieving relative to their preseason NCAA Tournament aspirations — each squad’s highest-profile victory came against Nebraska so far this season. Maryland only made 30.9% of their shots on Saturday which was the worst shooting effort in their last 18 games. They also allowed the Spartans to make 44.4% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in their last eight contests. But the Terrapins have covered the point spread in 17 of their last 28 games after a straight-up loss. And while they have covered the point spread in five of their last seven games, they have then covered the point spread in 30 of their last 41 home games after covering the point spread in five or six of their last seven games. Maryland relies too much on isolation plays when they have the basketball. But this approach does get them second-chance scoring opportunities and shots at the free-throw line — and these tactics should work against the Scarlet Knights. The Terrapins rank 29th in the nation by pulling down 36.7% of their missed shots when playing at home — and Rutgers ranks 280th in the country by allowing their opponents to rebound 32.6% of their misses when playing away from home. Maryland also ranks 18th in the nation in getting to the free throw line — and the Scarlet Knights are middle of the pack sixth in the Big Ten in defensive free throw rate in conference play. The Terrapins return home where they have a 10-2 record with an average winning margin of +13.9 net Points-Per-Game. Their lone losses were to Purdue and Michigan State which rank 2nd and 17th in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency using Ken Pomeroy’s metrics. Maryland holds their guests to 40.5% shooting which results in only 62.3 PPG. The Terps have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 home games when laying 6.5 to 12 points. Maryland ranks 6th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they lead the Big Ten in that metric in conference play. They also lead the Big Ten with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage (eFG) of 46.8%. Now here comes Rutgers who ranks 300th in the nation and last in the Big Ten in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. The Scarlet Knights are even worse at shooting the basketball — they rank 358th in the nation with an eFG of 43.3% and are last in the Big Ten with their 41.2% eFG. They rallied from a 15-point halftime deficit to upset an implosion Wolverines team on Saturday — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after a point spread win. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 18 games after a double-digit win on the road. They stay on the road where they have a 2-7 record with an average losing margin of -8.1 PPG. Rutgers shoots only 39.0% on the road with a 30.3% clip from behind the arc resulting in 64.9 PPG. They are giving up 73.0 PPG away from home because their opponents are managing to make 44.1% of their shots which is not too shabby. The Scarlet Knights rank third in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — but their opponent’s effective goal percentage of 50.4% away from home drops to 105th in the nation. Rutgers has failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 30 games on the road.
FINAL TAKE: Nine of the Terrapins' 12 victories at home against Division I opponents have been by nine or more points. They are better equipped to grind out these expected lower-scoring games. Maryland has covered the point spread in 4 straight games with the Total set at 129.5 or lower — and Rutgers has failed to cover the point spread in 3 of their last 4 road games with the Total set no higher than 129.5. 10* CBB Blowout Bookie Buster with the Maryland Terrapins (602) minus the points versus the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (601). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
02-04-24 |
Clippers -3.5 v. Heat |
|
103-95 |
Win
|
100 |
1 h 59 m |
Show
|
At 6:10 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Los Angeles Clippers (545) minus the points versus the Miami Heat (546). THE SITUATION: Los Angeles (32-15) has won two games in a row as well as seven of their last eight contests after their 136-125 victory at Detroit as a 12-point favorite on Friday. Miami (26-23) has won two games in a row after their 110-102 victory at Washington as a 7.5-point favorite on Friday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE CLIPPERS MINUS THE POINTS: Los Angeles defeated the Pistons despite allowing them to nail 50.6% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in their last seven games. But the Los Angeles offensive attack is nearly unstoppable as they made 59.6% from the field — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after shooting 55% or better from the field. There were early bumps in the road — but head coach Tyronn Lue has figured out how to incorporate James Harden into the lineup. Usage is down for everyone from their previous levels — but this has helped Harden and Paul George be more efficient when they do have the basketball. Russell Westbrook has accepted the role of coming off the bench — and he is thriving on the second unit. And Kawhi Leonard is playing as well as he has at any time in his career. Since the first five games when Harden joined the team, the Clippers lead the NBA in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. They are making 39.4% of their shots from behind the arc with Leonard, George, Harden, and Norman Powell all making more than 40% of their 3s. They have a 29-8 record in their last 37 games — and they enjoyed a Net Efficiency Rating of +9.7 in January. Los Angeles has scored at least 125 or more points in their last two games — and they have covered the point spread in 21 of their last 28 games after scoring 125 or more points in two or more games in a row including five of those six circumstances this season. The Clippers have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a straight-up win where they did not cover the point spread as the favorite. They have also covered the point spread in 15 of their last 22 games after winning six or seven of their last eight games. Los Angeles may get Ivica Zubac back on the court after being upgraded to questionable for this game — he has missed the last nine contests with a right calf injury. The Clippers have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 16 games on the road — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 14 games road as the favorite. They have also covered the point spread in 18 of their last 26 games when favored by 3.5 to 9.5 points. And in their last 8 games against teams winning 51-60% of their games, Los Angeles has covered the point spread 7 times. Miami had endured a seven-game losing streak before winning their last two games — and that was the longest losing run in Eric Spoelstra’s tenure as their head coach. The Heat are struggling on both ends of the court. They hoped to add offense by trading for Terry Rozier from Charlotte but he has been a disappointment so far — and he has only scored 18 combined points in their two-game winning streak so it’s not as if he finally unlocked something for the team. The Heat did hold the Wizards to 41.1% shooting but that was their best defensive effort in their last nine games. Miami has played three straight Unders — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after playing three or more Unders in a row. They return home where they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 13 home games with the Total set at 220 or higher — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 17 of their last 24 home games against teams from the Western Conference opponents. Additionally, the Heat have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 18 games as an underdog — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight home games as a dog. The Clippers are making 49.6% of their shots — and Miami has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games against teams making 48% or more of their shots. The Heat have also failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games in the second half of the season against teams with a winning record. To compound matters to Miami, they will be without Duncan Robinson who has missed the previous three games in the concussion protocol.
FINAL TAKE: Miami wants to avenge a 121-104 loss in Los Angeles to the Clippers as an 8-point underdog on January 1st — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games when playing with revenge. The Heat have also failed to cover the point spread in 7 straight home games when attempting to avenge a loss when their opponent scored 110 or more points. 10* NBA LA Clippers-Miami ESPN Special with the Los Angeles Clippers (545) minus the points versus the Miami Heat (546). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
02-03-24 |
Drake v. Indiana State -5 |
|
67-75 |
Win
|
100 |
0 h 15 m |
Show
|
At 6:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Indiana State Sycamores (730) minus the points versus the Drake Bulldogs (729). THE SITUATION: Indiana State (19-3) is on a six-game winning streak after their 78-72 win at Belmont as an 8-point favorite on Wednesday. Drake (18-4) has won two in a row and six of their last seven after their 81-70 victory as a 20.5-point favorite on Wednesday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE SYCAMORES MINUS THE POINTS: Indiana State ranks 11th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency based mostly on them being perhaps the best pure shooting team in the country. They lead the nation with an effective field goal percentage of 61.1% — and they rank in the top four in the country in 3-point shooting, 2-point shooting, and free throw shooting. The Sycamores should build off their momentum as they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games after a straight-up win on the road — and they have covered the point spread in 22 of their last 28 games after a straight-up win against a Missouri Valley Conference opponent. They return home where they have a 9-0 record with an average winning margin of +26.5 net Points-Per-Game — and they rank 15th in the nation in Adjusted Net Efficiency when playing on their home court. They are holding their guests to 40.6% shooting at home resulting in 64.1 PPG. They are also making 52.6% of their shots at home including 41.4% of their shots from behind the arc resulting in 90.6 PPG. Indiana State has covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games at home — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 home games with the Total set in the 150s. The Sycamores have also covered the point spread in 12 of their last 17 games when favored. Drake has failed to cover the point spread in 17 of their last 24 games after a straight-up win at home — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 18 games after a double-digit win on their home court. They outrebounded the Beacons by a 48-30 margin in that contest — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight games after getting outrebounding their previous opponent by +15 or more boards. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 16 road games after scoring 80 or more points in their last game. Now after playing their last two games at home, they go back on the road where they have lost all four of their games this season. The Bulldogs have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 road games after winning their previous two games at home. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 road games as an underdog of up to six points or as a pick ‘em. Drake’s defense wanes when playing away from home — they rank 131st in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing away from home. They can struggle to stop good shooters — they rank 255th in the nation with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 53.2% when playing on the road with these teams making 36.5% of their shots from behind the arc.
FINAL TAKE: Indiana State will be looking to avenge an 89-78 loss at Drake back on January 10th. The Sycamores have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 19 opportunities for revenge — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games when playing with revenge from a loss where they gave up 75 or more points. 20* CBB Drake-Indiana State ESPN2 Special with Indiana State Sycamores (730) minus the points versus the Drake Bulldogs (729). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
02-03-24 |
Jacksonville v. Lipscomb -11.5 |
Top |
82-84 |
Loss |
-105 |
4 h 54 m |
Show
|
At 5:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Lipscomb Bisons (306610) minus the points versus the Jacksonville Dolphins (306609). THE SITUATION: Lipscomb (13-10) has suffered two straight upset losses after their 85-76 loss at North Florida as a 1.5-point favorite on Wednesday. Jacksonville (11-11) snapped their three-game losing streak with a 63-43 upset win against Austin Peay as a 2.5-point underdog on Wednesday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE BISONS MINUS THE POINTS: Despite their 4-4 record in the Atlantic Sun Conference, Lipscomb still ranks as the top team in the conference according to the Adjusted Net Efficiency Margins of Ken Pomeroy — and they have an impressive victory against Florida State this season. The Bisons have been resilient after losses this season — they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a straight-up loss and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a straight-up loss on the road. They have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a point spread loss. They need to tighten up on defense after allowing 85 and 80 points in their last two games — but they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after allowing 75 or more points in two or more games in a row. They have also covered the point spread in 4 of their last games after allowing 80 or more points in their last game. Now after playing their last three games on the road, they return home where they have a 7-1 record with an average winning margin of +18.0 net Points-Per-Game. Lipscomb has covered the point spread in 13 of their last 18 games at home including five of their last six boarded home games this season. They are holding their guests to just 41.6% shooting resulting in 75.1 PPG. But it is the Bison’s shooting on their home court that sets them apart. They lead the nation with an effective field goal percentage of 62.7% when playing at home — they are nailing 55.1% of their shots resulting in 93.1 PPG when in front of their home fans. Lipscomb is second in the Atlantic Sun by hitting 40.3% of their 3-pointers — and they rank third in the nation by converting 45.3% of their shots from behind the arc when playing at home. They should make a ton of 3s this afternoon against this Dolphins team that is ninth in the conference by allowing their opponents to make 37.2% of their 3-pointers — and they rank 352nd in the nation by allowing their opponents to convert 39.7% of their 3-pointers when they are playing on the road. Jacksonville made 47.9% of their shots on Wednesday which was the best shooting effort in their last five games — and by holding the Governors to 34.0% shooting, they enjoyed their best defensive performance in their last 11 contests. But the Dolphins have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after an upset win by double-digits — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 16 games after a point spread win. Jacksonville leads the conference by pulling down 33.1% of their missed shots — but the Bisons protect their defensive glass by limiting their conference opponents to rebounding just 24.3% of their misses, ranking second in the Atlantic Sun. The Dolphins stay on the road where they have a 3-10 record with an average losing margin of -15.6 net PPG. They only make 42.6% of their shots away from home resulting in 67.2 PPG. Jacksonville has failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight road games against teams with a winning record. They have failed to cover the point spread in 22 of their last 31 games on the road as an underdog or pick ‘em — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 straight games as a double-digit underdog.
FINAL TAKE: Jacksonville has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games with the Total set in the 140s — and Lipscomb has covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games with the Total set in the 140s. 25* CBB Atlantic Sun Conference Game of the Year with the Lipscomb Bisons (306610) minus the points versus the Jacksonville Dolphins (306609). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
02-03-24 |
Grand Canyon v. Utah Valley +5.5 |
|
86-67 |
Loss |
-110 |
0 h 20 m |
Show
|
At 4:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Utah Valley Wolverines (696) plus the points versus the Grand Canyon Antelopes (695). THE SITUATION: Utah Valley (9-12) has lost two straight games as well as five of their last six contests with their 77-72 loss as a 6.5-point underdog on Thursday. Grand Canyon (20-2) has won three games in a row as well as 17 of their last 18 contests after a 95-88 win in overtime against Seattle as a 9.5-point favorite on Thursday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE WOLVERINES PLUS THE POINTS: Utah Valley rebounded to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after a straight-up loss. They have also covered the point spread in 24 of their last 35 games after a point-spread victory. The Wolverines have covered the point spread in four straight games — and they have covered the point spread in 16 of their last 22 games after covering the point spread in two or more games in a row. They have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after losing two of their last three games. They return home where they have a 7-1 record this season with an average winning margin of +10.9 net Points-Per-Game. They hold their guests to just 41.8% shooting resulting in 65.1 PPG. The Wolverines have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 17 games at home including five of their last six contests on their home court. They have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 home games when playing for the second time in three days. Grand Canyon has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games after a win at home where they scored 85 or more points. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after winning eight or more of their last ten contests. Now on short rest, they go back on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games in conference play.
FINAL TAKE: The Wolverines look to avenge a 78-65 loss at Grand Canyon as a 13.5-point underdog back on January 18th — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 opportunities for same-season revenge. 8* CBB Don’t Need the Points (but take the points) Underdog Special with the Utah Valley Wolverines (696) plus the points versus the Grand Canyon Antelopes (695). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
02-02-24 |
San Jose State v. Nevada -11.5 |
|
60-90 |
Win
|
100 |
4 h 40 m |
Show
|
At 11:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Nevada Wolf Pack (890) minus the points versus the San Jose State Spartans (889). THE SITUATION: Nevada (16-5) has lost four of their last five games after their 89-55 loss at New Mexico as an 8.5-point underdog last Sunday. San Jose State (8-13) has lost four games in a row after their 82-61 loss at Utah State as a 13.5-point underdog on Tuesday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE WOLF PACK MINUS THE POINTS: Nevada played their worst game of the season on Sunday on the road in The Pit. Their 33.9% field goal percentage was the worst shooting effort of the season — and it was the worst defensive performance of the season by allowing the Lobos to nail 58.6% of their shots. This is a get-right game for this team. The Wolf Pack have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a loss by 30 or more points. They have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after losing four of their last five games. Nevada is a very experienced team that ranks seventh in the nation in returning Division I experience from their team that won 22 games that lost to Arizona State in a First Four game in the NCAA Tournament. They rank Nevada ranks 51st in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. Head coach Steve Alford’s team has a high floor given the strong fundamentals that he has instilled into this team. The Wolf Pack ranks 26th in the nation by turning the ball over in 14.4% of their possessions. They also get to the free throw line as they rank ninth in the nation in free throw rate — and they host a Spartans team that ranks 242nd in the nation in putting their opponents on the free throw line. Nevada returns home where they have a 10-1 record this season with an average winning margin of +17.3 Points-Per-Game. They hold their guests to just 38.4% shooting resulting in 61.5 PPG. They also make 48.8% of their shots at home including 37.4% of their 3-pointers resulting in 78.8 PPG. The Wolf Pack have covered the point spread in 16 of their last 23 games at home — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 home games when laying 9.5 to 12 points. San Jose State has failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after a straight-up loss — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a double-digit loss. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight games after a straight-up loss on the road. The troubling dynamic of this team that makes a bounce-back unlikely is their cratering play on defense. The Spartans rank last in the Mountain West Conference in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency after allowing their last five opponents to nail 56.5% of their shots resulting in 81.2 PPG. The Aggies made 60.0% of their shots against them on Tuesday which was the fifth straight game they have allowed an opponent to make 50.7% or more of their shots. San Jose State has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 10 road games after allowing their previous opponent to make 60% or more of their shots — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 24 games after allowing four or more straight opponents to make 47% or more of their shots. And while the Spartans have not covered the point spread in four straight games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after not covering the point spread in two or more games in a row. Nevada’s biggest weakness is their defensive rebounding — they rank last in the conference by allowing their opponents to pull down 34.1% of their missed shots. But San Jose State is not equipped to take advantage of this weakness — they are only pulling down 25.8% of their missed shots which ranks tenth in the MWC. The Spartans stay on the road where they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 13 games on the road.
FINAL TAKE: These teams last played last March 9th in the Mountain West Conference tournament when San Jose State upset the Wolf Pack by an 81-77 score. Nevada will have revenge on their mind from that loss — and this Spartans team does not have the size or depth of that 21-win team. The Wolf Pack have covered the point spread in 24 of their last 36 games when favored. 10* CBB Friday Late Show Bailout with the Nevada Wolf Pack (890) minus the points versus the San Jose State Spartans (889). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
02-01-24 |
Wisconsin v. Nebraska +1.5 |
|
72-80 |
Win
|
100 |
0 h 15 m |
Show
|
At 8:30 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Nebraska Cornhuskers (790) plus (or minus) the point(s) versus the Wisconsin Badgers (789). THE SITUATION: Nebraska (15-6) had their two-game winning streak snapped in a 73-51 loss at Maryland as a 5-point underdog last Saturday. Wisconsin (16-4) has won three games in a row as well as nine of their last ten contests after their 81-66 victory against Michigan State as a 2.5-point favorite last Friday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE CORNHUSKERS PLUS (OR MINUS) THE POINT(S): Nebraska has rebounded to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a loss on the road by 20 or more points. They have also covered the point spread in 13 of their last 17 home games for a loss to a Big Ten rival — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 home games after a loss on the road. They turn home where they have a 13-1 record with an average winning margin of +13.1 net Points-Per-Game. Nebraska holds their guests to just 39.3% shooting resulting in 67.6 PPG. They are also making 46.2% of their shots at home resulting in 80.7 PPG. The Cornhuskers have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games on their home court — and they have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 15 home games in conference play. Additionally, Nebraska has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 home games with the Total set from 140 to 144.5. They have also covered the point spread in 12 of their last 15 home games after 15 games into the season against teams with a winning record. The Cornhuskers' best attribute is their 3-point shooting — they rank second in the Big Ten by making 41.4% of their shots from behind the arc. Even better, Nebraska is nailing 48.3% of their 3-pointers when playing at home in conference play. The Badgers are vulnerable to outside shooting, especially on the road where they rank 351st in the nation with their home hosts making 40.0% of their 3-pointers. Wisconsin has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 11 road games after three or more conference games in a row. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 road games with the Total set in the 140s — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 road games when favored or a pick ‘em.
FINAL TAKE: The Cornhuskers will be looking to avenge an 88-72 loss at Wisconsin as a 5-point underdog back on January 6th — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games when playing with revenge on their minds. They have also covered the point spread in 14 of their last 18 home games when avenging a double-digit loss to their opponent. 10* CBB Thursday Night Discounted Deal with the Nebraska Cornhuskers (790) plus (or minus) the point(s) versus the Wisconsin Badgers (789). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
01-31-24 |
Southern Miss v. Arkansas State -5 |
Top |
71-78 |
Win
|
100 |
3 h 19 m |
Show
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At 8:30 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Arkansas State Red Wolves (718) minus the points versus the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (717). THE SITUATION: Arkansas State (8-13) has lost two games in a row and four of their last five contests after an 85-82 loss in overtime at UL-Monroe as a 5.5-point favorite on Sunday. Southern Mississippi (12-9) had their three-game winning streak snapped in an 83-67 loss at Marshall as a 4-point underdog on Saturday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE RED WOLVES MINUS THE POINTS: Arkansas State only made 32.9% of their shots on Sunday which was the second-worst shooting effort of the season and their worst effort in 16 games. Under head coach Bryan Hodgson, the Red Wolves lead the Sun Belt Conference in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. Arkansas State has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games after a straight-up loss on the road — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 home games after allowing 80 or more points in their last contest. Additionally, they have covered the point spread in 6 straight games after losing two or more games in a row — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after losing four of their last five games. Now after playing their last four games on the road, the Red Wolves return home for the first time since January 13th where they have a 5-2 record along with an average winning margin of +9.4 Points-Per-Game. On their home court is where Hodgson’s offensive attack explodes — the former assistant for Nate Oats at Alabama has his team rank 11th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency when playing at home. Arkansas State makes 50.4% of their shots at home resulting in 88.4 PPG which is +10.1 PPG above their season average. Hodgson plays the math game by having his team take 46.7% of their shots from behind the arc, ranking 24th in the nation. Arkansas State ranks second in the conference by making 37.1% of their 3-pointers — and they rank 17th in the nation by hitting 42.3% of their shots from behind the arc when at home. They should hit plenty of 3-pointers against this Golden Eagles squad that ranks 342nd in the nation by allowing their opponents to make 37.2% of their shots from 3-point range. The Red Wolves should also get plenty of second-chance scoring opportunities tonight as they rank 63rd in the nation by pulling down 33.1% of their missed shots — and Southern Mississippi allows their opponents to rebound 31.4% of their missed shots, ranking 272nd in the nation. The Golden Eagles have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after a point spread loss — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 2 road games after a point spread loss. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 12 road games after winning three of their last four games. Southern Mississippi lacks the offensive firepower to keep up with the Red Wolves when they are playing at home. The Golden Eagles rank 12th in the Sun Belt by making only 46.5% of their shots inside the arc — and they have scored less than 70 points in four of their last five games. They stay on the road where they have a 5-8 record while getting outscored by -6.5 PPG. Southern Mississippi makes only 42.4% of their shots on the road resulting in only 69.5 PPG. They have failed to cover the point spread in 33 of their last 49 road games as an underdog getting 3.5 to 6 points. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games against teams with a losing record.
FINAL TAKE: Arkansas State is looking to avenge a 69-66 upset loss at Southern Mississippi as a 3-point underdog on January 17th. The Red Wolves get this rematch at home where they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 home games with the Total set in the 150 to 154.5 point range. 25* College Basketball Game of the Month with the Arkansas State Red Wolves (718) minus the points versus the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (717). Best of luck for us — Frank.
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01-31-24 |
Nuggets v. Thunder -5.5 |
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100-105 |
Loss |
-110 |
0 h 21 m |
Show
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At 8:10 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Oklahoma City Thunder (580) minus the points versus the Denver Nuggets (579). THE SITUATION: Oklahoma City (32-15) has lost two straight games after their 107-101 upset loss against Minnesota as a 2.5-point favorite on Monday. Denver (33-15) has won two straight games and five of their last six contests after their 113-107 victory against Milwaukee as a 4-point favorite on Monday.
REASONS TO TAKE THE THUNDER MINUS THE POINTS: Oklahoma City only made 44.3% of their shots on Monday which was the worst shooting effort in their last five games. The Thunder have bounced back to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after a straight-up loss to a Northwest Division rival — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 15 games after a point spread loss. They have also covered the point spread in 28 of their last 41 games after losing by six points or less. They stay at home where they have covered the point spread in 25 of their last 37 home games when favored. Denver will be without Nikola Jokic tonight as he is nursing a sore lower back. The Nuggets have failed to cover the point spread in 19 of their last 28 games on the road after winning two or more games in a row. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 27 games winning four or five of their last six games. They go back on the road where they have failed to cover the point spread in 16 of their last 24 games.
FINAL TAKE: Denver wants to avenge a 119-93 loss at home to Thunder as a 1.5-point favorite back on December 29th — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games when playing with revenge from a loss where they gave up 110 or more points. The Nuggets have also failed to cover the point spread in 27 of their last 41 games against divisional rivals. 8* NBA Wednesday Night Discounted Deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder (580) minus the points versus the Denver Nuggets (579). Best of luck for us — Frank.
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