Winning Sports Picks

15* CBB Sunday PLAY OF THE DAY on Colorado -3

The Colorado Buffaloes are one of the most underrated teams in the country. They have opened the season 12-2 with their only losses coming to Baylor and Oklahoma State on a neutral court. They have beaten the likes of Harvard and Kansas this season.

Colorado has one of the best home-court advantages in the land dating back to last year. It has opened 10-0 at home this season, outscoring opponents by an average of 13.4 points per game. The Buffaloes are 4-1 against Oregon since joining the Pac-12, and they have won all four meetings in Boulder all-time.

Oregon is simply overvalued right now due to its 13-0 start. It is coming off a 70-68 overtime victory at Utah last time out, but it won't be as fortunate against a much better Colorado team today. The Buffaloes have won four straight at home against Top 25 teams after beating then-No. 6 Kansas on December 7.

The Ducks are 4-11-2 ATS in their last 17 vs. Pac-12 opponents. The Buffaloes are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games following a S.U. win. Colorado is 23-11-1 ATS in its last 35 games following an ATS loss. The Buffaloes are 4-0 ATS in their last four Sunday games. Roll with Colorado Sunday.

15* American Athletic PLAY OF THE DAY on Rutgers +17

This play is more of a fade of the Louisville Cardinals than anything. They are simply way overvalued after winning the championship last year, and after their 12-2 start this season. They have no business being a 17-point favorite at Rutgers Saturday.

Forward Chase Behanan has been dismissed from the team recently, leaving Louisville thin along the front line. It didn't bother them one bit in a 90-65 win at UCF in its first game without Behanan last time out. However, that result is the reason that the Cardinals are overvalued here, and I fully expect them to come back down to earth in their second game without him.

Rutgers is off to a respectable 7-7 start this season while being competitive in every game under first-year coach, Eddie Jordan. Indeed, all seven of the Scarlet Knights' losses this season have come by 11 points or fewer, including five by 6 points or less. They are coming off an impressive 71-66 home victory over Temple last time out and are fully capable of competing with Louisville, which may be looking ahead to its game against Memphis next.

The Cardinals are 1-5 ATS in their last six games following an ATS win. Roll with Rutgers Saturday.

15* CBB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on TCU +5

Off a disastrous 2012-13 campaign, the TCU Horned Frogs came into the 2013-14 season way undervalued. They remain that way as a home underdog to the West Virginia Mountaineers in their Big 12 opener Saturday when they really should be the favorite.

TCU has opened 9-3 this year while going 5-1 ATS in all lined games to show how underrated it really is. Two of the three losses came against very good SMU and Harvard teams on a neutral court. The Frogs have gone on the road and beaten Washington State (64-62) as a 14-point dog, and Mississippi State (71-61) as an 8.5-point dog. They have also beaten Tulsa twice.

West Virginia has been unimpressive en route to an 8-5 start this season. It doesn't have a good win all season as its eight victories have come against the likes of Mount St. Mary's, Duquesne, Georgia Southern, Presbyterian, Old Dominion, Loyola-Maryland, Marshall and William & Mary. The Mountaineers were at least a 7.5-point favorite in all of those games.

The Mountaineers are 1-10 ATS vs. good free throw shooting teams that make 72% or more of their attempts over the past two seasons. West Virginia is 0-6 ATS in its last six vs. Big 12 opponents. The Mountaineers are 7-22-1 ATS in their last 30 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600. WVU is 16-33-2 ATS in its last 51 games overall. Take TCU Saturday.

20* Big 12 GAME OF THE WEEK on Kansas State +6.5

The Kansas State Wildcats get the call Saturday as a home underdog to the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Cowboys are one of the most overrated teams in the country due to playing a pretty soft schedule up to this point and getting through it at 12-1.

Kansas State is playing its best basketball of the season heading into this win, winning eight straight games while going 6-1 ATS in lined games in the process. That includes wins over Ole Miss (61-58) and Gonzaga (72-62) to prove that they are for real. Their last two games weren't even close as they rolled over Tulane (72-41) and George Washington (72-55).

The Wildcats have owned the Cowboys in recent meetings. They have gone 4-1 SU & 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings with their only loss coming by a final of 70-76 on the road last season. I like that dominance to continue in the Big 12 opener today with likely an outright victory, though I'll gladly take the points for some insurance.

Kansas State is 8-1 ATS in home games versus good defensive teams - shooting pct defense of <=42% over the last two seasons. The Wildcats are 16-1 ATS in their last 17 home games after two straight wins by 10 or more points. The Cowboys are 5-16 ATS in their last 21 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600. Roll with Kansas State Saturday.

20* Pac-12 GAME OF THE WEEK on Washington +17.5

The Washington Huskies are showing tremendous value as a massive road underdog to the Arizona Wildcats today. I'll take advantage and back them as 17.5-point underdog fresh off their biggest win of the season.

I was all over the Huskies last time out as they went into Arizona State and came away with a 76-65 victory as a 10.5-point underdog. I still believe this team is underrated and their best is yet to come. There's no question that the Wildcats will bring out the best in them.

Arizona is the No. 1 ranked team in the country and for good reason. However, it has created expectations for itself that it simply cannot live up to in the near future now that we have entered conference play. That is especially the case off a 60-25 win over Washington State. There's no question that the value in this game is with the Huskies, especially considering that the Wildcats could be looking ahead to UCLA.

Plays on road underdogs of 10 to 19.5 points (WASHINGTON) - excellent free throw shooting team (>=73%) against an average free throw shooting team (65-69%), good ball handling team (<=14.5 TO's) against a poor pressure defensive team (<=14.5 TO's) are 26-7 (78.8%) ATS over the last five seasons.

Arizona is 3-11 ATS in its last 14 games following a home win over a conference rival. Lorenzo Romar is 22-6 ATS as an underdog of 10 or more points in all games he has coached. The Huskies are 13-6 ATS in their last 19 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600. Take Washington Saturday.

15* CBB Saturday Early ANNIHILATOR on Nebraska +17.5

The Nebraska Cornhuskers are going to be one of the most improved teams in the country by season's end. I believe they show that tonight and hang with a very good Ohio State team to stay within this inflated number, giving us the cover.

The Cornhuskers have played three very tough games in their last five contests overall, which will have them battle-tested heading into this showdown. They lost at Creighton (67-82), at Cincinnati (69-74) and at Iowa (57-67). This is a team that returned all five starters from a year ago and will be competitive in Big Ten play.

Ohio State is overvalued due to opening the season 14-0. It has created expectations for itself in terms of the point spread heading into conference play that it cannot live up to. Plus, I fully expect the Buckeyes to be looking ahead to their showdown against Michigan State on Tuesday, which will also help allow the Huskers to stay within the number.

Plays against favorites of 10 to 19.5 points (OHIO ST) - after 8 or more consecutive wins, undefeated on the season are 67-39 (63.2%) ATS over the last five seasons. Tim Miles is 11-1 ATS off a loss against a conference rival as the coach of Nebraska. Miles is 7-0 ATS in road games after playing two consecutive road games as the coach of Nebraska. Bet Nebraska Saturday.

15* Nebraska-Omaha/Hawaii CBB Midnight BAILOUT on Nebraska-Omaha +10

Nebraska-Omaha is a team that I have been on all season. I'm not about to stop now, especially catching them as a double-digit underdog against Hawaii tonight. This team will be ready to give the Warriors a fight tonight.

Despite playing a brutal schedule, the Mavericks have managed to open 10-4 and remain one of the most underrated teams in the country just because the betting public does not know about them. Their four losses have against quality competition, too.

Nebraska-Omaha lost at Iowa (75-83) as a 29.5-point underdog, at UNLV (70-73) as a 14-point dog, at Drake (80-88) as a 5.5-point dog, and at Minnesota (79-92) as a 16-point dog. As you can see, they have only lost by double-digits once all season, and No. 2 will not be coming tonight.

This is a Mavericks team that returned four starters from last season and does a lot of things right. They are scoring 84.9 points per game thanks in large part to their 78.2% from throw shooting. They don't foul often defensively, yielding an average of only 22 free throw attempts per game.

Nebraska-Omaha is 6-1 ATS in its last seven road games. The Mavericks are 6-1 ATS in their last seven non-conference games. The Mavericks are 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall. Roll with Nebraska-Omaha Friday.

15* NBA Friday Night Line Mistake on Atlanta Hawks +3

The Atlanta Hawks (18-14) have been underrated all season. They continue to be so as a 3-point home underdog to the Golden State Warriors tonight. I'll take the points in a game I believe they are going to win outright.

The Warriors are in their biggest letdown spot of the season. They are coming off a 123-114 road win at defending champion Miami last night in which everything went right. They shot 56.1% from the field and it just seemed like they could not miss.

It's only human nature for a team like the Warriors to have a letdown off such a big win. Plus, they will now be playing the second of a back-to-back and their 3rd game in 4 days. Meanwhile, Atlanta comes in on two days' rest and will be ready to go.

Plays against road teams where the line is +3 to -3 (GOLDEN STATE) - after going over the total by more than 18 points in their previous game, a good team (60% to 75%) playing a team with a winning record are 31-6 (83.8%) ATS over the last five seasons.

The Hawks are 12-4 SU & 10-6 ATS at home this season. Golden State is 27-55 ATS in its last 82 road games after scoring 60 points or more in the first half of last game. Atlanta is 6-1 ATS in its last seven vs. Western Conference foes. The underdog is 9-3 ATS in the last 12 meetings in this series. Take the Hawks Friday.

15* CBB Thursday PLAY OF THE DAY on Washington +11

The Washington Huskies are showing tremendous value as a double-digit road underdog to Arizona State in their Pac-12 opener Thursday. I'll take advantage and snag all the points I can get in this one.

Washington comes in undervalued due to failing to cover the spread in three straight games heading into this contest. Arizona State is overvalued due to covering the spread in three straight coming in.

This has been a one-sided series in recent years to say the least. Indeed, Washington is a perfect 7-0 in its last seven meetings with Arizona State. That makes it mind-boggling that the books have made the Huskies a double-digit underdog when they simply dominate this series.

Plays on road underdogs of 10 to 19.5 points (WASHINGTON) - excellent free throw shooting team (>=73%) against an average free throw shooting team (65-69%), good ball handling team (<=14.5 TO's) against a poor pressure defensive team (<=14.5 TO's) are 25-7 (78.1%) ATS over the last five seasons.

The Huskies are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600. Washington is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 meetings at Arizona State. The road team is 16-6 ATS in the last 22 meetings. Roll with Washington Thursday.

15* NBA Thursday PLAY OF THE DAY on Brooklyn Nets +12.5

There's no denying that the Brooklyn Nets have been the most disappointing team in the NBA up to this point. As a result, there's going to be some value in backing this team going forward. I believe that's the case tonight as a 12-point underdog to Oklahoma City.

The reason the Nets are being undervalued here is because they are coming off back-to-back blowout road losses to Indiana (91-105) and San Antonio (92-113). While those two teams are two of the best in the league, the Thunder in their current state are not.

Oklahoma City is without Russell Westbrook likely for the rest of the season due to another knee injury. This team is not the same without him, and just like it struggled in the playoffs last year, it will really struggle the rest of the way to find points.

Plays on road underdogs of 10 or more points (BROOKLYN) - off a road blowout loss of 20 points or more, a bad team (25% to 40%) playing a team with a winning record are 71-34 (67.6%) ATS since 1996.

Brooklyn is 13-4 ATS in its last 17 road games when playing only its 2nd game in 5 days. The Nets are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 road games after failing to cover the spread in two or more consecutive games. The Thunder are 1-9 ATS after a game with 15 or less assists over the last two years. Take the Nets Thursday.

15* CBB Wednesday PLAY OF THE DAY on Boston College +9.5

The Boston College Eagles are way undervalued due to their poor start. They returned all five starters and 96 percent of their scoring from last season, so I have no doubt that this team is better than it has shown thus far.

The reason the Eagles are undervalued here is because they have failed to cover the spread in five straight games coming in, while Harvard has covered in four straight leading up to this one. As a result, the public is on Harvard and off of Boston College.

Boston College is 97-64 ATS in its last 161 road games overall, including 36-19 ATS in its last 45 January road games. The Eagles are 71-43 ATS in their last 114 after having lost two of their last three games coming in. Harvard is 17-35 ATS in its last 52 games after allowing 80 points or more in its last game. Take Boston College Wednesday.

15* Bucks/Lakers New Year's Eve BAILOUT on Milwaukee +6.5

I faded the Los Angeles Lakers as an 8-point favorite over the Philadelphia 76ers last time out with success. I still believe they are overvalued tonight as a 6.5-point favorite against the Milwaukee Bucks, and I'll fade them again as a result.

Los Angeles already had a pretty poor roster before all of the injuries started happening. Now, it is without four key players in Kobe Bryant, Steve Blake, Steve Nash and Xavier Henry. Plus, Pau Gasol and Jordan Farmar are battling nagging injuries. This Lakers' team in its current state is no better than Milwaukee.

The Bucks are 33-16-2 ATS in their last 51 road games vs. a team with a losing home record. Milwaukee has won three of its last four meetings with the Lakers. The Bucks are 10-3-1 ATS in the last 14 meetings. The underdog is 14-4-1 ATS in the last 19 meetings. Roll with the Bucks Tuesday.

15* CBB Tuesday Night Line Mistake on Northern Illinois +23.5

The Northern Illinois Huskies are showing tremendous value as a massive road underdog to the Iowa State Cyclones. They will be up for this game to try and knock off one of the top-ranked teams in the country.

The same cannot be said for Iowa State, which is coming off a huge tournament win in Hawaii. Now, Iowa State has its Big 12 opener on deck Saturday against Texas Tech, and it will be looking ahead to that game. I simply do not see the Cyclones being motivated enough tonight to cover this massive spread.

I've liked what I've seen so far from Northern Illinois, which returned four starters from last year and is 5-5 on the season. Four of its five losses have come by 13 points or less, including three by five points or fewer. The only exception was a 54-80 road loss to a very good UMass team as a 20.5-point dog. The Huskies have gone 3-2 SU & 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall, which is impressive when you consider they were an underdog in each.

Northern Illinois is 8-1 ATS in road games versus poor pressure defensive teams - forcing <=14 turnovers/game over the last 2 seasons. The Huskies are 11-1 ATS in road games after a game with 9 or less assists over the last 2 seasons. Northern Illinois is 57-37 ATS in its last 94 games as a road dog of 10 or more points. Take Northern Illinois Tuesday.

15* NBA Monday No-Doubt Rout on Detroit Pistons -2.5

This is a classic home-and-home situation. These teams just played two nights go with Washington rolling to a 106-82 home victory. I look for Detroit to return the favor and get revenge in blowout fashion at home this time around.

The Pistons will be very hungry for a victory after losing four of their last five coming in. You have to like their chances of bouncing back considering they are a sensational 26-7 at home against Washington since 1996.

Plays on all teams where the line is +3 to -3 (DETROIT) - after going over the total by 48 or more points total in their last ten games, a marginal losing team (40% to 49%) playing a losing team are 30-8 (78.9%) ATS over the last five seasons.

Detroit is 20-8 ATS after failing to cover the spread in two or more consecutive games over the past two seasons. The Wizards are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games following a SU win of more than 10 points. The Pistons are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 home meetings with Washington. Bet the Pistons Monday.

15* CBB Monday PLAY OF THE DAY on Tennessee -2

The Tennessee Volunteers are showing tremendous value as only a 2-point home favorite over Virginia Monday. I'll gladly take advantage and back the Vols, who will be hungry after losing two of their past three games coming in.

Tennessee has played its best basketball at home this season. It is 5-1 at home, outscoring opponents by an average of 14.2 points per game. Virginia has only played one true road game all year, which was a 72-75 loss at Wisconsin-Green Bay.

Virginia is 16-32 ATS in its last 48 games as a road underdog of 6 points or less. Tennessee is 26-11 ATS in its last 37 home games with a line of +3 to -3. The Cavaliers are 1-8 ATS in their last 9 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600. Virginia is 5-13-1 ATS in its last 19 road games. Take Tennessee Monday.

15* NBA Sunday PLAY OF THE DAY on Philadelphia 76ers +8

The Los Angeles Lakers should never be an 8-point favorite against any team in the league with Kobe Bryant out. I'll gladly take advantage and back the Philadelphia 76ers as an 8-point underdog to the Lakers tonight.

The Lakers are 27-49 ATS when playing 6 or more games in 10 days over the last 3 seasons. Los Angeles is 4-13 ATS after covering the spread in two or more consecutive games over the past 2 seasons. The 76ers are 4-0 ATS in their last four meetings in Los Angeles. The road team is 8-1 ATS in the last nine meetings. Bet the 76ers Sunday.

15* NBA Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Washington Wizards -2

The Washington Wizards were blown out by the Minnesota Timberwolves last night. As a result, they are way undervalued as only a 2-point home favorite tonight over the Detroit Pistons. I'll take advantage of this value tonight.

Plays on all teams where the line is +3 to -3 (WASHINGTON) - after going over the total by 48 or more points total in their last ten games, a marginal losing team (40% to 49%) playing a losing team are 30-8 (78.9%) ATS over the last five seasons.

Detroit is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons. Washington is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) when playing on back-to-back days over the last 2 seasons. The Wizards are 24-9 ATS (+14.1 Units) revenging a loss where opponent scored 100 or more points over the last 2 seasons. Roll with the Wizards Saturday.

15* Louisville/Kentucky CBB Saturday No-Brainer on Kentucky +2.5

This is a classic case where the defending champions are way overvalued. Louisville should not be favored on the road at Kentucky, and I'll gladly take advantage by backing the home dog in this one.

Kentucky is one of the best rebounding teams in the country. It is outrebounding opponents 44-31 on the season and averaging 14 offensive boards in the process. It is also shooting 35 free throws per game.

The Wildcats are 35-17 ATS off three straight games where they outrebounded their opponents by six or more since 1997. Kentucky is 72-48 ATS off a no-cover where the team won straight up as a favorite since 1997. John Calipari has never lost as the coach off Kentucky off a combined score of 155 points or more in two straight games, going a perfect 6-0 ATS in this spot. Roll with Kentucky Saturday.

15* NBA Friday Night Line Mistake on Utah Jazz -3.5

The Los Angeles Lakers are getting too much respect from the books as only a 3.5-point road underdog to the Utah Jazz. I realize that the Jazz have the worst record in the West, but they are a better team than the Lakers right now.

Los Angeles is without Kobe Bryant and its top two points guards in Steve Nash and Steve Blake. It is also expected to be without Pau Gasol tonight as he continues to recover from a respiratory infection. The Lakers simply cannot be competitive without these four players.

Utah his finally at full strength and has played its best basketball of the season over the past couple weeks. It has gone a respectable 4-4 in its last eight games overall despite playing seven of those games on the road. The four losses came to San Antonio, Miami, Atlanta and Memphis.

The Jazz have won four of their last five meetings with the Lakers. Los Angeles is 2-14 ATS in road games off a home loss over the last three seasons. After playing defending champion Miami tough at home on Christmas Day, this is clearly a letdown/hangover spot for the Lakers. Take the Jazz Friday.

20* NBA Friday No-Doubt Rout on New Orleans Pelicans -2.5

The New Orleans Pelicans just recently got back their best player in Anthony Davis, who is averaging 19.3 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game this season. They will be a force to be reckoned with with Davis back in the lineup going forward.

I believe the Pelicans are way undervalued due to losing four of their last five games overall. However, all five of those games were on the road and the four losses came against playoff contenders in the West in Denver, Golden State, LA Clippers & Portland. They capped off the trip with a 113-100 win at Sacramento, and will be looking forward to returning home where they have won their last two.

Denver has lost four in a row coming in to mostly quality competition as well. However, three of its four losses came at home, and three of the setbacks came by 8 points or more. The Nuggets' only win in their last six games came against New Orleans on December 15, with has the Pelicans in revenge mode heading into this rematch.

Home-court advantage has been huge in this series of late as the home team is a perfect 6-0 SU & 6-0 ATS in the last six meetings overall. The Nuggets are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. The Pelicans are 14-6 ATS in their last 20 games playing on 3 or more days rest. Bet the Pelicans Friday.

15* CBB Friday PLAY OF THE DAY on Louisiana-Monroe +25

The Ohio State Buckeyes are way overvalued right now due to their perfect 12-0 record and No. 3 ranking. I'll gladly fade them in their final non-conference game before Big Ten play. That makes this a huge lookahead spot for the Buckeyes, who play Purdue on December 31.

I've seen enough from Louisiana-Monroe this season against quality competition to make me believe that the Warhawks can be competitive. They have gone 4-1 ATS in their five lined games while playing some very good teams tough.

They lost 63-80 at Kansas as a 26-point underdog, 54-61 at Ole MIss as a 16.5-point dog, and 62-75 at LSU as a 15.5-point dog. If they can stay within 17 points of those three teams, who are all likely to make the NCAA Tournament, then they can certainly stay within 25 of Ohio State tonight.

Plays against favorites of 10 or more points off 10 or more consecutive wins are a healthy 145-92 (61.2%) ATS over the last five seasons. LA-Monroe is 7-0 ATS in road games off three consecutive non-conference games over the last three seasons. The Warhawks are 7-1 ATS in their last eight non-conference games. The Buckeyes are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 home games. Roll with Louisiana-Monroe Friday.

20* NBA GAME OF THE WEEK on Memphis Grizzlies +7.5

This is the perfect spot to fade the Houston Rockets. They will be playing the second of a back-to-back and their 5th game in 7 days, which is one of the toughest spots in the league. Plus, they are coming off a huge win at San Antonio last night, setting them up for a big letdown spot here.

After not spending Christmas with their families, these Rockets' players return home and will be more concerned about spending time with their loved ones rather than playing this game. Memphis, meanwhile, comes in on two days' rest having last played on Monday. It will be 100% focused heading into this one.

Houston is 8-28 ATS in its last 36 home games when playing its 5th game in 7 days. Memphis is 6-2 ATS in its last eight games when playing on two days rest. Houston is 0-6 ATS in its last six games following a S.U. win. Bet the Grizzlies Thursday.

20* Clippers/Warriors ESPN Late-Night BAILOUT on Golden State -2

The Golden State Warriors are back in business now that they have gotten a healthy Andre Iguodala back. This guy was one of the biggest acquisitions in the offseason, but he has gone unnoticed for the most part.

The Warriors have won each of their last two games with a blowout home win 102-83 over the Lakers, and an impressive 89-81 road victory over the Nuggets. Quietly, Iguodala has shot 52.2 percent from the field this season while averaging 11.2 points, 5.2 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists. He is their best perimeter defender, which always gets overlooked.

Los Angeles is being overvalued right now due to its five-game winning streak heading into this game. Four of those five wins have come at home. The Clippers are just 8-7 on the road this year, while the Warriors are 9-4 at home. The home team has won four straight meetings between these teams, including three by double-digits.

Plays against road teams where the line is +3 to -3 (LA CLIPPERS) - after going over the total by more than 18 points in their previous game, a good team (60% to 75%) playing a team with a winning record are 31-6 (83.8%) ATS over the last five seasons. Golden State is 9-1 ATS a home game where where the total is between 205 and 209.5 points over the last two seasons. The Clippers are 1-6 ATS in their last seven meetings in Golden State. Bet the Warriors Wednesday.

15* Iowa State/Boise State ESPN 2 No-Brainer on Iowa State -4.5

The Iowa State Cyclones are clearly one of the most underrated teams in the country. They have opened the season a perfect 10-0 while going 5-2 against the spread in lined games. They will be going for their best start in school history Wednesday, so they clearly want to accomplish that feat.

That shouldn't be a problem against a Boise State team that hasn't beaten anybody this season. It has lost to its two toughest opponents in Kentucky (55-70) and St. Mary's (74-82). It also barely escaped with a 62-61 victory over Hawaii a couple days ago to open up this tournament.

Iowa State has beaten three of the best teams in the country en route to this 10-0 start to really prove that it is for real. It has taken down the likes of Michigan, BYU and Iowa already this season, and Boise State is not as good as any of those three squads.

The Cyclones are 39-17 ATS in their last 56 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record. Iowa State is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games overall. The Broncos are 0-7 ATS in their last seven games vs. a team with a wining record. Boise State is 0-7 ATS in its last seven games vs. a team with a winning percentage above 60%. Roll with Iowa State Wednesday.

15* NBA Sunday Night Line Mistake on Toronto Raptors +10

The Oklahoma City Thunder are in a massive letdown spot here. They are coming off a 113-100 win at San Antonio Saturday night, which is their biggest rivals. It's only human nature for them to come back home tonight and not show up with the effort it will take to cover a double-digit spread in this 2nd of a back-to-back situation.

Toronto has been playing team basketball since trading away Rudy Gay to Sacramento. It has won four of its last six games since the trade, which includes a perfect 3-0 road record with wins over the Lakers, Bulls, and Mavericks. This is one of the most underrated teams in the league in my opinion.

Plays on road teams (TORONTO) - a good offensive team (98-102 PPG) against a poor defensive team (98-102 PPG), after allowing 100 points or more 2 straight games are 69-23 (75%) ATS over the last five seasons. Plays against favorites of 10 or more points (OKLAHOMA CITY) - after 6 or more consecutive wins, with a winning record on the season playing a losing team are 47-18 (72.3%) ATS over the last five seasons.

Mark Brooks is 15-29 ATS off five or more consecutive wins as the coach of Oklahoma City. The Thunder are only winning 101.2 to 99.2 in this spot, or by an average of 2.0 points per game. They are clearly overvalued here and it's time to fade them, especially on the 2nd of a back-to-back off such a big win over the Spurs. Take the Raptors Sunday.

15* CBB Sunday Night Line Mistake on California +11

The California Bears are showing tremendous value as a double-digit underdog to Creighton tonight. This is going to be one of the better teams in the Pac-12 despite some early struggles.

This is a classic case of overvalued and undervalued at its finest. Cal has favored to cover the spread in three straight games coming in, while Creighton has covered the spread in three straight. This automatically creates the kind of line value that is hard to pass up.

Cal's three losses this season have come against very good competition on the road in Syracuse, Dayton and UC-Santa Barbara. Creighton has some ugly losses to San Diego State and George Washington on a neutral court despite being a favorite in both contests, so this team is vulnerable.

Cal is outrebounding its opponents 40-33 on the season, and getting to the free throw line 24 times per game. Creighton is only outrebounding foes 37-32 and getting to the line 21 times per game.

Plays on road underdogs of 10 or more points (CALIFORNIA) - after failing to cover 4 of their last 5 against the spread against opponent after having covered 3 of their last 4 against the spread are 116-58 (66.7%) ATS over the last five seasons. This trend just goes to show that you should back a cold team ATS against a hot team ATS, especially when catching double-digits on the road. Bet California Sunday.

15* NBA Sunday Undervalued Underdog on Boston Celtics +12.5

The Boston Celtics are showing tremendous value as a big road underdog to the Indiana Pacers tonight. Boston will be motivated for a number of reasons tonight, not the least of which is an 82-97 home loss to the Pacers in their first meeting this season.

Boston blew a 50-42 halftime lead to Indiana in that game. Yesterday , Boston blew a 92-84 lead over Washington with 6:14 to play. A 14-1 run by the Wizards gave them a 106-99 win to escape with a victory from the jaws of defeat.

Sure, this will be a second of a back-to-back for Boston, but that's not concerning one bit. That's because the Celtics had two days off before that game against Washington, and now they won't play against until December 28 after this game against Indiana. That will have them playing with a sense of urgency as they want to enjoy their break with an upset victory over the Pacers.

Boston has played extremely well since that loss to Indiana back on November 22. It has gone 8-6 SU & 8-6 ATS in its last 14 games overall. What's most amazing about this run is that the Celtics have not lost one game by more than 8 points during this stretch, making for a perfect 14-0 system backing them pertaining to tonight's spread of 12.5. Roll with the Celtics Sunday.

15* UConn/Washington ESPNU No-Brainer on Washington +6

Washington is off to just a 6-4 start this season, but all but one of its losses have come against quality competition. Three of its four losses have come to Indiana, Boston College and San Diego State, which were all on the road.

The Huskies have played very well over the past month, winning four of their last five games with their only loss coming at San Diego State by a final of 63-70 as an 11-point underdog. They are 5-1 at home this season where they are putting up 85.3 points per game on the season.

UConn is overvalued due to its 9-1 start. This team has won a whopping four games by two points or less and by a combined five points. That's how close this team is to being a 5-5 squad right now.

What's most amazing about that is that UConn has yet to play a true road game this season. It will be traveling all the way out to the west coast to play in a hostile environment. UConn has lost three of its past four non-conference true road games dating to last season.

UConn is only even with teams in rebounding margin this season. It is only grabbing seven offensive boards per game while giving up 11. Washington is outrebounding opponents 37-33 on the year. While UConn is only getting to the free throw line 20 times per game, Washington is getting to the charity stripe 26 times per contest, cashing in 77.6% of them.

UConn is 0-6 ATS versus good foul drawing teams who attempt at least 25 free throws per game over the past two seasons. UConn is 0-6 ATS in road games off two straight non-conference games over the last two years. Take Washington Sunday.

20* Oklahoma State/Colorado ESPN 2 Late-Night BAILOUT on Colorado +6.5

The Colorado Buffaloes are one of the most underrated teams in the country. They continue to get no respect from oddsmakers Saturday as a 6.5-point underdog against Oklahoma State in a game that they should be favored in.

Colorado returned four starters from last year and will be an NCAA Tournament team in 2014. It has opened 10-1 with impressive wins over the likes of Kansas, Harvard and UC-Santa Barbara.

What I like most about the Buffaloes is their rebounding and free throw shooting. They are outrebounding opponents 40-30 on the season, which is one of the best margins in the country. They are also getting to the line 32 times per game, converting 70.5% of them.

Oklahoma State has arguably the best trio of guards in the country. However, the Cowboys will be overmatched on the glass in this one, which will be the difference in the game. They are only outrebounding their opponents 39-36 on the season against a pretty soft schedule to this point.

Colorado is 9-1 ATS versus good shooting teams that make 48% of their shots or better over the last three seasons. The Buffaloes are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games overall. The Cowboys are 1-6 ATS in their last seven neutral site games. Oklahoma State is 5-15 ATS in its last 20 games vs. a team with a winning percentage above 60%. Bet Colorado Saturday.

15* NBA Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Utah Jazz +4.5

This is a great spot to fade the Charlotte Bobcats. They are coming off a huge come from behind win over the Detroit Pistons last night, erasing a 20-point deficit in the second quarter and a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

Clearly, the Bobcats used a ton of energy to come back and win that game, and they'll be flat tonight because of it. That's especially the case when you consider this will be their 4th game in 5 nights, which is one of the toughest situations an NBA team can have. The Bobcats are 14-31 ATS in their last 45 games playing on 0 days rest.

Sure, Utah got crushed by Atlanta last night, but that's actually going to work in our favor here. The Jazz were able to rest their starters in the fourth quarter, and thus they'll be fresh and ready to go. I look for the Jazz to play with an extra sense of urgency after last night's poor performance.

Utah is a perfect 9-0 straight up in its last nine meetings with Charlotte dating back to 2008. It is showing tremendous value as an underdog tonight, and I look for it to make it 10 straight wins over the Bobcats in this series. I'll just take the points for some insurance. Bet Utah Saturday.

15* CBB Saturday Night Line Mistake on Texas Tech +11.5

The Texas Tech Red Raiders are a much-improved team this season under former National Championship winner, Tubby Smith. Smith has taken 17 of his last 20 teams to the NCAA Tournament, and it won't be long before he gets the Red Raiders there, too.

Fortunately for Smith, the cupboard wasn't bare to start the season. The Red Raiders welcomed back four starters this year, and they have opened a solid 7-4 to this point. Their four losses have come to four of the better teams in the country in Arizona, Pittsburgh, LSU and Alabama. So, this team is certainly battle-tested.

Arizona State is simply getting too much respect here as I don't believe it has a win of any significance yet. However, it does have two losses that make me believe that this team is overrated. The Sun Devils fell 60-88 to Creighton and 57-60 to a depleted Miami team on a neutral court.

Plays on road underdogs of 10 or more points (TEXAS TECH) - excellent free throw shooting team (>=73%) against an average free throw shooting team (65-69%), good ball handling team (<=14.5 TO's) against a poor pressure defensive team (<=14.5 TO's) are 25-6 (80.6%) ATS over the last five seasons. Roll with Texas Tech Saturday.

15* CBB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on UAB +9.5

The UAB Blazers continue to go under the radar as a 9.5-point underdog Saturday. Asking LSU to win by double-digits to beat us is simply asking too much, and I'll take advantage and back the Blazers in a game that will go right down to the wire.

UAB returned four starters from last season and has opened a solid 9-2. That record is very impressive when you consider that they have already played New Mexico, Nebraska, Temple and North Carolina. Against the two toughest teams they've face, they beat UNC 63-59 at home, and only lost 94-97 to New Mexico on a neutral court.

What I love about the Blazers is that they are the best rebounding team in the country, averaging 48.2 boards per game, which including 15 offensive rebounds per contest. They are outrebounding their opponents by a whopping 13 boards per game.

LSU usually has an advantage over teams on the glass because of its height, but that won't be the case here. Another factor to watch is that the Tigers are only getting to the free throw line 20 times per game and making just 64.4% of them. They aren't an aggressive team when it comes to drawing fouls.

Plays on road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points (UAB) - in a game involving 2 up-tempo teams (>=60 shots/game), after 2 straight games - allowing a shooting pct. of 37% or less are 24-3 (88.9%) ATS since 1997. LSU is 0-10 ATS in its last 10 home games off a close road win by three points or less. The Tigers are 4-16 ATS in their last 20 games as a home favorite of 9.5 to 12 points. Take UAB Saturday.

15* CBB Saturday Afternoon ANNIHILATOR on Northern Iowa +10.5

The Northern Iowa Panthers have played a brutal early schedule that will have them battle-tested heading into this showdown at Virginia, which will certainly help them be competitive and possibly pull off the upset.

Indeed, the Panthers have played George Mason, Maryland, La Salle, Iowa State and VCU already this season. They took an undefeated and Top 15 Iowa State team to overtime, while beating VCU 77-68 last time out.

That's the same VCU team that went on the road and beat Virginia 59-56 back on November 12, giving these teams a common opponent. Virginia has been off for a whopping two weeks since a 72-75 loss at Wisconsin-Green Bay, and I look for it to be rusty in this contest as a result.

Virginia has three losses already this season without a good win. The Cavaliers are 3-11 ATS In their last 14 games overall. Virginia is 1-5 ATS in its last six home games. Bet Northern Iowa Saturday.

15* CBB Friday PLAY OF THE DAY on Nebraska-Omaha +15

The Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks are one of the most underrated teams in the entire country. They have opened the season 8-3 SU and 4-1 ATS in their lined games. From what I've seen against solid competition, I have no doubt that the Mavericks can stay within 15 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers Friday night.

Nebraska-Omaha returned four starters from last season. CJ Carter (15.1 ppg) has led the way, but John Karhoff (13.0 ppg), Devin Patterson (12.6 ppg) and Marcus Tyus (9.9 ppg) have all made significant contributions as well.

The Mavericks' only three losses this season came on the road at Iowa (75-83) as a 29.5-point dog, at UNLV (70-73) as a 14-point dog and at Drake (80-88) as a 5.5-point dog. As you can see, they have lost a game by more than eight points all season. If they can stay within eight of Iowa, they can certainly do so against Minnesota.

The Golden Gophers are a quality team this season with an 8-2 record. However, it's not like they have blown away some of their poorest competition. They only beat Lehigh (81-62), Coastal Carolina (82-72), New Orleans (80-65) and South Dakota State (75-59) at home. They also only beat Chaminade (83-68) as a 20-point road favorite. Nebraska-Omaha is a much better squad than all five of those teams.

Plays against home favorites of 10 or more points (MINNESOTA) - after allowing 65 points or less three straight games against opponent after two straight wins by 6 points or less are 22-5 (81.5%) ATS over the last five seasons. The Mavericks are 5-1 ATS in their last six road games. Bet Nebraska-Omaha Friday.

15* Rockets/Pacers ESPN Friday No-Brainer on Houston +6

The Indiana Pacers are coming off a crushing loss to the Miami Heat. They blew a double-digit lead in the second half on Wednesday and fell by a final of 94-97. I look for them to suffer a hangover from that defeat as it was their biggest game of the season to this point.

Former All-Star Danny Granger is expected to make his season debut tonight for the Pacers. He has been out so long that I believe his return will only be a distraction for this team as they try to find ways to fit him in. They have been better off without him up to this point.

The Houston Rockets have played solidly all season and currently sit with a 17-9 record. James Harden is expected to play tonight as he continues to recover from an ankle injury. Houston is 8-1 against the Eastern Conference this season with its only loss coming in overtime in a game in which Harden was sidelined.

The Rockets are 5-1 ATS in their last six games vs. Eastern Conference opponents. Houston is 4-0 ATS in its last four Friday games. The Rockets are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 vs. NBA Central Division opponents. Bet Houston Friday.

15* NBA Friday Undervalued Underdog on Utah Jazz +7.5

The Utah Jazz are starting to play much better basketball now that they are finally healthy. Trey Burke has been very impressive in his return from a broken finger, and he has led the Jazz to three wins in their last five games overall.

All three of those wins came on the road over Sacramento (122-101) as a 7-point dog, Denver (103-93) as a 10.5-point dog, and Orlando (86-82) as a 3-point dog. The two losses came against the Spurs and Heat, who are arguably the two best teams in the league.

Speaking of the Heat, the Atlanta Hawks are in a huge lookahead spot tonight. They have a game against the defending champion Miami Heat on deck, and they won't be able to help themselves but to look ahead to that game. Their lack of focus will allow the Jazz to not only cover, but possibly win this thing outright.

Atlanta is 1-10 ATS off two consecutive covers as a favorite over the past three seasons. The Hawks are 1-10 ATS off two straight wins by 10 points or more over the past three years. Atlanta is 13-30 ATS off two or more consecutive ATS wins over the last three season. The Hawks are 3-12 ATS in home games off two or more straight wins over the last two years. The Hawks are simply overvalued in this spot tonight. Roll with the Jazz Friday.

20* NBA Non-Conference GAME OF THE MONTH on Sacramento Kings +11

The Miami Heat are in a massive letdown spot Friday. They are coming off their biggest win of the season, a 97-94 home victory over the Indiana Pacers Wednesday night. They erased a double-digit deficit in the second half to come back and beat their biggest rivals.

Now, I fully expect the Heat to come out flat against the Sacramento Kings Friday night. They won't be mentally locked in enough to win this game by double-digits, which is what it would take to beat us.

Sure, Sacramento hasn't been playing that well, but it does have a 106-91 win over Houston recently. Plus, the Kings are getting used to having Rudy Gay since the big trade. With a few games now under their belts with Gay in the lineup, I look for this team to really take off in the near future.

Last year, Sacramento took Miami to overtime as a 15-point road underdog. I look for this game to go right down to the wire as well for reasons mentioned above. The Kings will never be out of this game, and I wouldn't be surprised one bit to see them win this game outright.

Plays on road underdogs of 10 or more points (SACRAMENTO) - after one or more consecutive losses, on Friday nights are 74-34 (68.5%) ATS over the last five seasons. The Kings are 5-1 ATS in their last six after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game. Sacramento is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 games vs. a team with a winning percentage above 60%. The Heat are 1-7 ATS in their last eight home games vs. a team with a road winning % of less than .400. Take the Kings Friday.

15* CBB Thursday PLAY OF THE DAY on Troy +14

The Cal-Santa Barbara Gauchos are getting too much respect from oddsmakers here as a 14-point favorite over Troy. They have a rematch with Utah State on deck tomorrow, and they will certainly be looking ahead to that contest and not giving Troy the attention it deserves.

The Trojans have played a couple of good teams tough this season to make be believe that they can hang with UCSB. They lost on the road to both Ole Miss (54-69) and UAB (69-81) as a 15-point underdog in each. That's the same UAB team that beat UNC.

Santa Barbara is a quality team, but it is getting too much respect for recent wins over Cal and San Diego. It has done most of its damage at home this season, and this will be a neutral court game played in Utah. The Gauchos do have three losses on the year, so they are clearly beatable.

The Trojans are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record. Troy is 6-0 ATS off a road loss in which it scored less than 60 points over the past two seasons. The Trojans are 18-7 ATS off a loss by 20 or more points since 1997. Take Troy Thursday.

15* NBA Wednesday Undervalued Underdog on Phoenix Suns +2.5

The Phoenix Suns continue to get no respect from the book as a home underdog to the San Antonio Spurs. I'll take advantage once again and back them in a game that I believe they are going to win outright.

Phoenix will be going for its sixth straight win, which would be its longest winning streak since the 2009-10 season. First-year head coach Jeff Hornacek has this team playing unselfish basketball with 10 different players that can beat you on a given night.

The result has been a 14-9 start with league-best 17-5-1 ATS mark. I have almost been more impressed with some of the Suns' losses this season than their wins. Seven of their nine losses have come by eight points or fewer, including road losses to San Antonio (96-99) and Oklahoma City (96-103) as double-digit underdogs.

Now, the Suns will be out for revenge on the Spurs, who are going to be playing without their best player. Tony Parker is expected to miss the next two games with a shin injury. He is the one player that the Spurs simply cannot afford to play without because the offense goes as he goes. They have no business being favored without Parker in the line-up.

Phoenix is 8-1 ATS in its last nine games vs. a team with a winning record. San Antonio is 0-5 ATS in its last five games vs. a team with a winning record. These two trends combine for a 13-1 system backing the Suns. Bet Phoenix Wednesday.

20* NBA Wednesday No-Doubt Rout on Minnesota Timberwolves -1.5

The Portland Trail Blazers are simply overvalued right now due to their 22-4 start. I faded them last night with success by cashing in the Cavaliers +5 as the Blazers hit their second straight game-winner at the buzzer for a 3-point victory.

Not only does that set the Blazers up for a letdown spot here, it also has them coming in very tired. In fact, this will be the second of a back-to-back and the 4th game in 5 days for Portland. That is one of the toughest situations that a team can be in, and I look for that fatigue to show in Portland's play tonight.

There's no question that Minnesota is a vastly improved team in 2013-14. Kevin Love is healthy and has led the Timberwolves to a respectable 12-13 start. They have played their best basketball at home this season, going 7-4 while outscoring the opposition by 6.5 points per game.

Plays against favorites (PORTLAND) - after going over the total by more than 6 points in three consecutive games, vs. division opponents are 26-9 (74.3%) ATS over the last five seasons. The favorite is 17-6 ATS in the last 23 meetings in this series. The Timberwolves are 18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 games following a S.U. loss. Minnesota is 14-5-1 ATS in its last 20 games following an ATS loss. Take the Timberwolves Wednesday.

15* CBB Wednesday Undervalued Underdog on Indiana State +10

The Saint Louis Billikens are way overvalued this season due to making the NCAA Tournament last year. Sure, they returned a lot of talent from that team, but asking them to beat a very good Indiana State team by double-digits tonight is asking too much.

The Sycamores have opened 7-2 this season and are two measly points away from being undefeated. Their two losses have both come on the road to Belmont (95-96) and Tulsa (62-63) by a single point. That's the same Belmont team that beat North Carolina on the road.

Indiana State really proved what it was capable of with an 83-70 win at Notre Dame as an 11-point underdog on November 17. This is a team that returned four starters from last year and will be underrated for most of the season, so it's important that you hop on board early to take advantage of the value.

The Sycamores are scoring 79.1 points per game while shooting 50% from the field, 44.8% from 3-point range, and 75.2% from the line. To compare, Saint Louis is scoring 70.5 points per game, shooting 43.7% from the field, 30.2% from 3-point range, and 70.7% from the charity stripe.

It's easy to see that Saint Louis is overvalued considering it is just 2-7 ATS in all lined games this season. The Billikens are 0-9 ATS off three straight games where both teams scored 70 points or less over the past two seasons. Bet Indiana State Wednesday.

15* Texas/UNC ESPN 2 Holiday Hoops ANNIHILATOR on Texas +11

The Texas Longhorns are one of the most underrated teams in the league this year. They have gone completely under the radar while opening the season 9-1. They have won five straight since their lone loss of the season to then-No. 25 BYU.

Center Cameron Ridley scored a game-high 22, while freshman point guard Isaiah Taylor added 15 points and eight assists without a turnover in an 85-53 win over Texas State Saturday. The Longhorns featured a balanced offensive attack with five players averaging double figures scoring.

North Carolina is in a massive letdown spot here. It is coming off an 82-77 home win over then-No. 11 Kentucky, and I look for it to suffer a letdown off such a big victory. Remember, the Tar Heels lost to UAB and Belmont earlier this season, so they are vulnerable. They are simply getting too much respect here as a double-digit favorite due to the Kentucky win.

Rick Barnes and Texas have gone 4-1 against Roy Williams and North Carolina in their last five meetings. That includes an 85-67 home win for the Longhorns last year despite behind a 5-point underdog. That Texas team wasn't nearly as good as this year's version.

The Longhorns are 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings with UNC. North Carolina is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games following a win. The Tar Heels are 1-5 ATS in their last six vs. Big 12 foes. UNC is 1-4 ATS in its last five home games vs. a team with a winning road record. Roll with Texas Wednesday.

15* Memphis/Florida ESPN Tuesday No-Brainer on Florida -3

Now that they have finally gotten healthy and have all their key players back from suspension, the Florida Gators are going to be a very dangerous team going forward. They proved that last time out with a 67-61 victory over Kansas, and I look for them to build off that win with another triumph over Memphis tonight.

Florida has opened 7-2 this season with its only two losses coming on the road to Wisconsin (53-59) and UConn (64-65). As you may know, both Wisconsin (12-0) and UConn (9-0) remain undefeated this season. The loss to the Badgers came without some key players, while the loss to the Huskies game on a game-winning buzzer-beater.

Memphis (7-1) is a quality team that is improved this season, but I just believe that Florida is on a completely different playing field. The 80-101 loss at Oklahoma State early in the season shows me that the Tigers aren't ready to compete with the best teams in college basketball. Sure, they would beat the Cowboys in their second meeting, but that was obviously a letdown spot for OSU.

The Gators are 15-7 ATS in their last 22 games following a ATS win. Florida is 4-1 ATS in its last five games overall. Memphis is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 vs. SEC foes. The Tigers are 0-4 ATS in their last four Tuesday games. Billy Donovan is 54-37 ATS when the line is +3 to -3 as the coach of the Gators. Roll with Florida Tuesday.

20* NBA Tuesday PLAY OF THE DAY on Cleveland Cavaliers +5

The Cleveland Cavaliers come into this game playing their best basketball of the season. I look for them to knock off the red-hot Portland Trail Blazers tonight, but I'll take the points for some added insurance.

Cleveland has won five of its last seven games overall while going 6-1 ATS in the process. Its only losses during this stretch came on the road to Atlanta and Miami, which are two of only three teams with winning records in the Eastern Conference. The Cavs area perfect 4-0 at home during this stretch, beating Chicago, Denver, New York and the Clippers.

Portland is simply overvalued due to its 21-4 start. There's no question they are improved this season, but the Blazers have created expectations for themselves that they cannot live up to. Plus, this will be their 3rd game in 4 days, while the Cavaliers come in on two days' rest since a 107-114 loss at Miami as a 13-point underdog on Saturday.

Mike Brown is 56-29 ATS after successfully covering the spread in three or more consecutive games in all games he has coached. Terry Stotts is 22-39 ATS off a road win in all games he has coached. The Blazers are 0-7 ATS in their last seven Tuesday games. The Cavs are 4-0 ATS in their last four home games. Bet Cleveland Tuesday.

15* CBB Tuesday No-Doubt Rout on Wake Forest -6

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons are much-improved this season and will be making a run at the NCAA Tournament. Jeff Bzdelik returned four starters from last year, and this is a sleeper team to look out for in the ACC.

The Demon Deacons have opened 8-2 this season with their only losses coming to very good Kansas and Tennessee teams on a neutral court. They are a perfect 7-0 at home this year, which includes a solid win over Richmond (76-66) last time out as only a 1-point favorite.

St. Bonaventure may be 7-3 this season, but it really has played a soft schedule It has not beaten anyone of any significance this year. It has lost to Siena, Louisiana Tech and Buffalo, while barely escaping with victories over Wagner (70-67) and UMass-Lowell (67-58). Leading scorer Matthew Wright (17.3 ppg) is questionable to play tonight with an ankle injury after missing Saturday's game against Iona.

Wake Forest is 7-1 ATS in its last eight games vs. Atlantic 10 opponents. The Demon Deacons are 7-2 ATS in their last nine non-conference games. Wake Forest is 12-4 ATS in its last 16 home games. Take Wake Forest Tuesday.

15* NBA Monday Undervalued Underdog on Utah Jazz +13

The Miami Heat are in a huge lookahead spot tonight. They have a home meeting with the Indiana Pacers on deck coming up Wednesday on National TV. They are certainly more concerned with getting revenge on the East-leading Pacers after losing to them a week ago than they are in blowing out the Utah Jazz tonight.

Miami has a way of playing down to the level of its competition as it is, and now it has an excuse to do so with the Pacers on deck. The Heat are 0-3 ATS in their last three home games, and they were big favorites in each. They beat Charlotte (99-98) as an 11.5-point favorite and Cleveland (114-107) as a 13-point favorite, while also losing to Detroit (97-107) as a 9-point favorite.

Utah has played its best basketball of the season of late in winning two of its last three games. It crushed both Sacramento (122-101) and Denver (103-93) on the road as a big underdog in each contest for its two victories. Its lone loss came at home to San Antonio. This team has finally gotten healthy with the recent returns of Marvin Williams, Trey Burke and Derrick Favors, and it has made a big difference.

The Jazz have actually won four of their last six meetings with the Heat. Utah is 4-1 ATS in its last five games following a double-digit home loss. The Jazz are 6-2 ATS in their last eight road games. The Heat are 1-7 ATS in their last eight home games vs. a team with a losing road record. Utah is 19-7 ATS after having lost five or six of its last seven games over the past two seasons. Roll with the Jazz Monday.

15* NBA Monday Night Line Mistake on Detroit Pistons +11

The Indiana Pacers are in a huge letdown spot here. They have a game against Miami on deck on Wednesday that will be nationally televised on ESPN. It will be a rematch from their 90-84 win over the defending champs a week ago. They won't be able to help themselves from looking ahead to that game.

Sure, Detroit is playing the second of a back-to-back, but this team will come back motivated off a narrow loss to a very good Portland team last night. They have lost four of their last five coming in and want to stop the bleeding as soon as possible.

The Pistons have been playing their best basketball on the road of late. They are 4-1 SU & 4-1 ATS in their last five road games with their only loss coming to New Orleans by a final of 106-111 in overtime. That includes roads wins over Miami (107-97), Brooklyn (109-97) and Chicago (92-75) during this stretch.

Plays against home teams (INDIANA) - very good team - outscoring their opponents by 6+ points/game against opponent after allowing 110 points or more are 77-39 (66.4%) ATS over the last five seasons. Detroit is 10-1 ATS off a home game where both teams scored 100 or more points over the past two seasons. It is winning 105.5 to 96.3 in this spot, or by an average of 9.2 points per game. Take the Pistons Monday.

20* NBA Sunday No-Doubt Rout on Phoenix Suns +1

Time and time again the Phoenix Suns have not gotten the respect they deserve from oddsmakers in the early going. That is the case once again Sunday as they are listed as a home underdog to the Golden State Warriors. Once again, I'll take advantage.

Phoenix (13-9) has been the most profitable team at the pay window this season, going a ridiculous 16-5-1 ATS. It is 7-3 at home this year where it is outscoring opponents by 4.9 points per game. First-year head coach Jeff Hornacek has the Suns playing as a team, and the depth that they have allows him to simply play the hot hands throughout the game. This might be the most unselfish team in the game.

Golden State (13-11) has struggled on the road this season, going 6-8 away from home. The Warriors made a great move by signing Andre Iguodala this offseason to give them some perimeter defense and slashing offensively. However, Iguodala has been out since November 23, and his loss isn't getting the attention it deserves. The Warriors have lost eight of their last 13 games overall.

Phoenix is 9-1 ATS versus good 3 point shooting teams that make 36% or more of their attempts this season. The Suns are only allowing 32.3% from 3-point range this year. The home team is 7-2 ATS in the last nine meetings in this series. Take Phoenix Sunday.

15* CBB Sunday PLAY OF THE DAY on La Salle +14

The La Salle Explorers made it all the way to the Sweet 16 last year. They returned six of their top seven players from that squad, including second-leading scorer Tyreek Duren (13.6 ppg), who has scored 47 points while dishing out 10 assists in his last two meetings with Villanova.

I believe the Explorers came into this season overconfident with so much experience back from last year's Sweet 16 team. After a poor 5-4 start, I have no doubt this team will get it together sooner rather than later. A game against Big 5 rival Villanova will certainly spark their interest.

The Wildcats come into this game overvalued due to their 9-0 start and first Top 10 ranking since February of 2011. They'll be taking on a La Salle team that is clearly not afraid of them after winning 77-74 at home last season.

Plays against favorites of 10 to 19.5 points (VILLANOVA) - after 8 or more consecutive wins, undefeated on the season are 63-33 (65.6%) ATS over the last five seasons. La Salle is 6-0 ATS in road games after playing a game where both teams score 65 points or less over the last 3 seasons. Bet La Salle Sunday.

15* CBB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on North Dakota State +14.5

The Ohio State Buckeyes are way overvalued right now due to their 9-0 start against a very soft schedule. I would argue that North Dakota State will be the toughest opponent that the Buckeyes have faced all season.

This is an NDSU team that will likely be going to the NCAA Tournament this year with all five starters back. It has won five straight games coming in, which includes impressive road wins over both Santa Clara and Notre Dame.

With this being Finals Week for Ohio State, I expect the players to have been lacking focus leading up to this game. Also, the home crowd won't be as fierce as it normally would be. Both of these factors favor a cover by NDSU.

Plays against home favorites of 10 or more points (OHIO ST) - after allowing 65 points or less 3 straight games against opponent after 2 straight wins by 6 points or less are 22-4 (84.6%) ATS over the last five seasons. The Bison are 19-7 ATS in their last 26 non-conference games. The Buckeyes are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 home games. Bet North Dakota State Saturday.

15* NBA Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Philadelphia 76ers +10.5

The Portland Trail Blazers are way overvalued due to their 19-4 start to the season. They are coming off a huge win over the Houston Rockets on National TV Thursday, which sets them up for a letdown spot here against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Philadelphia has been very competitive for most of the season, but it has only resulted in a 7-17 record. That record certainly has the 76ers undervalued right now as a double-digit home underdog. I'll take advantage in a game that should go right down to the wire.

Sure, the 76ers have lost five straight games coming in, but four of those losses came by 11 points or less. Those four were against the Nuggets, Clippers, Timberwolves and Raptors, who are all legitimate playoff contenders.

Home-court advantage has been huge in this series. The home team has won five straight meetings dating back to 2010. Each of the last six meetings have been decided by single-digits. The 76ers are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.

Plays on home underdogs (PHILADELPHIA) - cold team - failing to cover the spread in 8 or more of their last 10 against opponent after having covered 5 or 6 of their last 7 against the spread are 69-36 (65.7%) ATS since 1996. Roll with the 76ers Saturday.

15* Xavier/Cincinnati Rivalry Play on Cincinnati -4.5

The Cincinnati Bearcats are showing excellent value as a mere 4.5-point favorite over rival Xavier Saturday. I'll take advantage and back them in what I believe is going to be a lopsided final similar to the 60-45 beat down the Bearcats gave the Musketeers last season.

Cincinnati has three starters back from that squad and has opened 7-1 this season with its only loss coming at New Mexico, which is a plays that opponents rarely win. All seven of the Bearcats' wins have come by double-digits this year.

Xavier also has three starters back from last year, but it's easy to see that this team isn't very good. It was beaten by both Tennessee (49-64) and USC (78-84) on a neutral court. Last time out, it barely beat Evansville (63-60) despite being a 10-point home favorite.

Plays against neutral court teams (XAVIER) - off a close home win by 3 points or less, a good team (60% to 80%) playing a team with a winning record are 25-6 (80.6%) ATS over the last five seasons. The Bearcats are 6-0 ATS as a neutral court favorite or pick over the last three seasons. Roll with Cincinnati Saturday.

20* NBA Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Atlanta Hawks -1

The Atlanta Hawks (12-11) are one of only three teams in the Eastern Conference with a winning record this season. They have been underrated all year, and I'll back them as a slim 1-point favorite against the overrated New York Knicks (6-16) tonight.

I didn't expect the Knicks to be very good coming into the season anyway, but the injuries have really put them in a tough spot. Tyson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Amare Stoudemire and Kenyon Martin are all expected to miss this game Saturday.

That leaves the interior of the Knicks extremely vulnerable, and with guys like Al Horford and Paul Millsap, I look for the Hawks to exploit it tonight. They won 110-90 in New York on November 16 in their last meeting and I expect a similar beat down in this one.

Making matters worse for the short-handed Knicks is that they will be playing the second of a back-to-back and their 4th game in 5 days. Sure, Atlanta is coming off an overtime game last night, but it had two days off before that game, so it will not be tired. This will only be the Hawks' 3rd game in 8 days.

Plays against home teams (NEW YORK) - revenging a loss where opponent scored 110 or more points, extremely tired team - playing their 4th game in 5 days are 28-5 (84.8%) ATS over the last five seasons. Atlanta is 22-6 ATS in road games after having won three of its last four games over the past three seasons. Take the Hawks Saturday.

15* New Mexico/Kansas ESPN 2 No-Brainer on Kansas -5.5

This is essentially a home game for Kansas as it will be played at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, MO. I look for the Jayhawks to be highly motivated for a win Saturday after losing two straight and three of their last four games coming in.

A closer look shows that those three losses came against some of the best teams in the country. They fell to Villanova (59-63), Colorado (72-75) and Florida (61-67) all on the road by a combined 13 points. They beat Duke (94-83) on a neutral court earlier this season, so they are certainly battle-tested.

New Mexico has beaten up on a pretty soft schedule. It did get a good win at home over Cincinnati last time out, but again, that was at home and this team just does not lose at home. In their toughest game of the season, the Lobos were handled by UMass 81-65 on a neutral court.

The Lobos are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record. New Mexico is 1-4 ATS in its last five games following a win. Take Kansas Saturday.

20* CBB Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Boise State -3

The Boise State Broncos are one of the most underrated teams in all of college basketball. They returned all five starters from last season, and they have opened 8-1 this year with their only loss coming at Kentucky by a final of 55-70.

While St. Mary's has also started strong, opening 8-0, it has yet to play a road game. Plus, it has played a very soft schedule. Boise State is 6-0 at home this season, outscoring opponents 89.5 to 64.5, or by an average of 25.0 points per game.

Plays on a favorite (BOISE ST) - off an embarrassing road loss scoring less than 60 points, with all five starters returning from last season are 81-40 (66.9%) ATS over the last five seasons. The Broncos are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a S.U. loss. Bet Boise State Saturday.

15* NBA Friday Undervalued Underdog on Minnesota Timberwolves +9.5

The Minnesota Timberwolves are showing solid value as nearly a double-digit underdog to the San Antonio Spurs tonight. Asking the Spurs to win by 10 or more points to beat us is simply asking too much.

San Antonio is getting way too much respect due to back-to-back blowout road victories over Toronto (116-103) and Milwaukee (109-77), which are two of the worst teams in the league. The Spurs had not played well in three home games prior to that, losing to both Houston (106-112) and Indiana (100-111), while also barely beating Atlanta (102-100).

Minnesota went through a rough stretch there for a while with five losses in a six-game stretch. However, it is back on track after a road win at Detroit (121-94) and a home win over Philadelphia (106-99). I still believe this is one of the most improved teams in the league and one that is fully capable of giving the Spurs a run for their money last night.

We only have to look back to the final two meetings between these teams last season to see that the Timberwolves can hang with the Spurs. The won 108-95 in San Antonio on April 17 as a 9.5-point underdog. They also won 107-83 at home on March 12 as an 8.5-point dog. What's most amazing about those two wins was that they were without their best player in Kevin Love, who deserves MVP consideration this season.

The Timberwolves are 13-5-1 ATS in their last 19 games following a ATS loss. Minnesota is 16-7 ATS in its last 23 games when playing on one days' rest. San Antonio is 6-13 ATS in its last 19 Friday games. The Spurs are 7-18-1 ATS in their last 26 vs. NBA Northwest Division opponents. Roll with the Timberwolves Friday.

15* NBA Friday Night Line Mistake on Charlotte Bobcats +12.5

The Indiana Pacers are in a massive letdown spot here. They are coming off their biggest win of the season, a 90-84 victory over the defending champion Miami Heat. I have no doubt they won't even show up tonight off such a big win. It will have the Bobcats hanging around, possibly pulling off the upset.

Charlotte is noticeably improved this season. It has opened a respectable 10-12 straight up and 13-8-1 against the spread in all games this season. That includes a 4-5 mark on the road where it has gone 7-1-1 against the number.

You only have to look back to the Bobcats' last two road games to find out what they are capable of. They only lost 98-99 at Miami on December 1 as an 11.5-point underdog. They also fell 82-89 on December 3 at Dallas as an 8-point dog in a game that they led most the way.

While Indiana is unlikely to show up off such a big win, Charlotte comes into this game highly motivated. It wants revenge from one of its worst losses of the season, a 74-99 setback at home to these Pacers.

Plays on road underdogs of 10 or more points (CHARLOTTE) - after 1 or more consecutive losses, on Friday nights are 73-33 (68.9%) ATS over the last five seasons. The Bobcats are a perfect 7-0 ATS in their last seven road games. Take Charlotte Friday.

20* NBA Friday No-Doubt Rout on Orlando Magic -2

The Orlando Magic should be a much heavier favorite tonight against the Cleveland Cavaliers. I'll gladly take advantage and back the home team in what I believe will be a blowout in the Magic's favor by game's end.

Cleveland comes in overvalued due to having won four of its last five games overall. However, all four of those wins were at home. Cleveland is one of the worst road teams in the league, going 1-10 straight up and 2-9 ATS while getting outscored by a whopping 13.4 points per game.

Orlando comes in undervalued due to losing six of its last seven. However, it was playing without its best player in Nikola Vucevic in four of those six losses. He came back against Charlotte on Wednesday and provided 12 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Magic to a 92-83 road victory.

Vucevic is averaging 14.6 points and 11.1 boards per game this season, and he's simply irreplaceable on this team. They are a much strong squad with him on the floor. Plus, Tobias Harris could make his season debut tonight, which would only be an added bonus.

Orlando is 25-9 straight up in its last 34 home meetings with Cleveland. The Cavaliers are 0-8 ATS in their last 8 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game. Cleveland is 2-11 ATS in its last 13 road games overall. The Magic are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 home meetings with the Cavaliers. Bet the Magic Friday.

15* Clippers/Nets TNT Thursday No-Brainer on Brooklyn +2.5

The Brooklyn Nets have started to play up to their potential as they've gotten healthy over the last week. They have won back-to-back games for the first time all season with a 90-82 win at Milwaukee, followed by a 104-96 home win over Boston.

The Nets lost the first meeting of this season series with the Clippers in Los Angeles by a final of 103-110. It's amazing they kept it that close considering that Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Deron Williams and Brook Lopez all sat out that game. All four of these guys are back and healthy.

I have been riding the Clippers a lot of late, but now it's time to fade them. This is a brutal spot for them as they will be playing the second of a back-to-back and their 6th road game in 9 days.

Los Angeles is short-handed, playing without two key players in J.J. Redick and Matt Barnes, which makes the spot even tougher. Meanwhile, the Nets are fresh and ready to go as this will be just their 2nd game in 5 days.

The home team has won 11 of the last 12 meetings in this series. The Nets have won each of their last five home meetings with the Clippers. Los Angeles is 1-12 ATS in its last 13 meetings in Brooklyn. The home team is 20-7 ATS in the last 27 meetings. Take the Nets Thursday.

15* Maryland/Boston College ACC No-Doubt Rout on Boston College +2

The Boston College Eagles are way undervalued due to their 3-6 start to the season. I have no doubt that this team is better than it has shown as it returned 96 percent of its scoring from last year. This team finished strong last season, and I look for them to pick up their play tonight.

Maryland is getting too much respect as a road favorite in this one when it has no business being one. The Terrapins don't have too many impressive wins this year, and they are coming off back-to-back losses to Ohio State (60-76) and George Washington (75-77). They also lost to Oregon State (83-90) at home and are just 5-4 on the season.

Home-court advantage has been huge in this series over the past couple of years. The home team is a perfect 4-0 in the last four meetings. Boston College won by a final of 69-58 at home against Maryland last year, and with 96 percent of its scoring back from that team, I expect a similar result. The Terrapins lost center Alex Len to the NBA and have taken a step back this year.

Boston College is 71-40 ATS after having lost two of its last three games since 1997. The underdog is 7-1 ATS in the last eight meetings in this series. Maryland is 12-25 ATS in its last 37 December road games. The Terrapins are 3-11 ATS after having won four or five of their last six games over the last three seasons. Roll with Boston College Thursday.

15* CBB Wednesday PLAY OF THE DAY on Wisconsin-Milwaukee +18

The books are giving the Wisconsin Badgers way too much respect tonight, and we'll take advantage by backing the underdog Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers in this one. The Badgers are 10-0 this season which is why they are getting so much respect, but now they have created expectations for themselves that they cannot live up to.

It's not like Wisconsin has been blowing teams out during this unbeaten start on a regular basis. Indeed, eight of those 10 wins have come by 11 points or less. So, in all reality, the Badgers have simply been lucky to win every close game.

Their only two blowout wins came against lowly North Dakota (103-85) and Bowling Green (88-64). So, they have only won one game this season by more than 18 points. Coming off a huge win over in-state rival Marquette on Saturday, the Badgers are in a letdown spot here.

Wisconsin-Milwaukee is one of the most improved teams in the country in 2013. It has opened 9-2 this season with its only losses coming to DePaul (71-80) and Loyola-Illinois (72-76) by a combined 13 points. It has impressive wins over Davidson and Northern Illinois on the road, as well as home wins over Northern Iowa and Bradley.

Plays against favorites of 10 to 19.5 points (WISCONSIN) - after eight or more consecutive wins, undefeated on the season are 62-29 (68.1%) ATS over the last five seasons. This trend just goes to show that fading a team on a long winning streak that is undefeated is a very profitable move simply because that team is overvalued, which is clearly the case tonight.

The Panthers are 5-0 ATS in their last five road games. Wisconsin-Milwaukee is 5-1 ATS in its last six non-conference games. The Badgers are 0-4 ATS in their last four vs. Horizon League opponents. Roll with Wisconsin-Milwaukee Wednesday.

20* NBA Wednesday No-Doubt Rout on Los Angeles Clippers -5.5

The Los Angeles Clippers were called out by head coach Doc Rivers for pouting after an 82-88 loss at Cleveland a few nights back. They responded well with an 11-point victory at Philadelphia in Monday. Now, I look for them to win by double-digits against the Boston Celtics tonight as well.

Rivers is one of the few head coaches that can get his team to respond by calling them out because they respect him so much. I don't expect it to just be a one game thing. In fact, I look for the Clippers to play some of their best basketball of the season for the remainder of this road trip. Rivers will be returning to the place he coached the past nine years, and it's clear that his players want to make this a special night for him.

"It's one of those things as players we want to rally around him and win this game for him," Blake Griffin said. "It's important when guys come back to their home city or come back to a place where they used to play or coached or whatever it is, it's a good feeling to come back and have a successful trip."

Boston will be playing the second of a back-to-back and its 3rd game in 4 days after falling 96-104 in Brooklyn last night. I look for the Clippers, who are coming off a day off, to run the Celtics out of the building tonight due to being the fresher team.

The Clippers are 27-12 ATS in their last 39 games as a road favorite of 3.5 to 6 points. Boston is 69-102 ATS in its last 171 home games after playing two consecutive road games. The Celtics are 1-4 ATS in their last five games when their starting 5 players combine for more than 160 minutes of the previous day. Los Angeles is 7-2 ATS in its last nine meetings with Boston. Bet the Clippers Wednesday.

15* Boise State/Kentucky ESPN No-Brainer on Boise State +11

Boise State is one of the most underrated teams in college basketball. It returned all five starters from last season and has opened a perfect 8-0 this season as a result. This is one team not only to watch out for now, but in the NCAA Tournament as well.

The Broncos are excellent perimeter shooters, which is why they rank as the nation's No. 2 scoring offense at nearly 92 points per game. They shoot 51.9% overall, 40.2% from 3-points range and 75.3% from the free throw line. They have five players scoring in double figures, so they certainly share the ball well, too.

Kentucky is one of the most overrated teams in the country in the early going due to all the hype that its recruiting class received in the offseason. It has already lost two games to Michigan State and Baylor in its toughest two games of the season on neutral courts. The rest of the Wildcats' schedule has been a cake walk, though they struggled to beat Cleveland State (68-61) at home as a 24.5-point favorite.

Plays on road underdogs of 10 or more points (BOISE ST) - excellent free throw shooting team (>=73%) against an average free throw shooting team (65-69%), good ball handling team (<=14.5 TO's) against a poor pressure defensive team (<=14.5 TO's) are 24-4 (85.7%) ATS over the last five seasons. The Broncos are 6-0 ATS after allowing 55 points or less over the last three seasons. Roll with Boise State Tuesday.

15* CBB Tuesday No-Doubt Rout on Minnesota -15.5

The Minnesota Golden Gophers should be a much bigger favorite tonight over the South Dakota State Jack Rabbits. I look for them to blow the opposition out of the building by 20-plus points tonight.

I like what I've seen from the Golden Gophers thus far under first-year head coach Richard Pitino. He has led them to an 8-2 start with their only losses coming on a neutral court to solid Syracuse and Arkansas teams. They have an impressive road win at Richmond (74-59) as a 1.5-point dog, and a great home win over Florida State (71-61) as a 3.5-point favorite, so they are certainly battle-tested.

South Dakota State is just 4-6 this season with its four wins coming against the likes of SW Minnesota State, Dakota State, Lehigh and Howard. As you can see, none were impressive. This team is simply overmatched tonight, and it will show in the final score.

The Golden Gophers are 6-0 SU & 3-0 ATS at home this season where they are outscoring opponents by an average of 17.0 points per game. The Jack Rabbits are 0-5 SU & 0-5 ATS on the road this season, getting outscored by an average of 15.6 points per game. That includes road losses to the likes of Texas Tech (54-68), UC-Santa Barbara (64-83) and Stanford (60-92). None of those three teams are as strong as Minnesota.

SDSU is 0-7 ATS in its last seven games overall. The Jack Rabbits are 0-6 ATS in their last seven road games. SDSU is 0-7 ATS in its last seven road games against a team with a home winning percentage of greater than 60%. The Gophers are 5-1-1 ATS in their last seven home games. These four trends combine for a 25-1 system backing Minnesota. Plus, the Gophers beat SDSU by a final of 88-64 at home last season. Bet Minnesota Tuesday.

15* NBA Monday PLAY OF THE DAY on Utah Jazz +7.5

Due to their 17-4 start, the Portland Trail Blazers are now overvalued because the betting public is all over them. Conversely, the Utah Jazz are undervalued due to their 4-18 start, which has the betting public wanting nothing to do with them.

Utah should not be catching 7.5 points at home to Portland tonight. These teams just played on Friday with Portland rolling to a 130-98 home victory over Utah. Everything went right for the Blazers that night as they shot 17-of-23 (73.9%) from 3-point range. Obviously, that's not going to happen again, and Utah will be out for revenge tonight.

That was certainly a rare win for the Blazers in this series considering the Jazz have still won seven of the last nine meetings. Utah is 28-10 straight up in its last 38 home meetings with Portland. I look for the Blazers to suffer a hangover from their 2-point loss to Dallas last time out, and to not show up after having just crushed the Jazz by 32 points three days ago.

The Jazz are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games following a double-digit home loss. Utah is 15-7 ATS in its last 22 home games vs. a team with a winning road record. The Jazz are 5-1 ATS in their last six after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game. It's revenge time for Utah tonight folks. Take the Jazz Monday.

15* Pacers/Thunder NBA Sunday No-Brainer on Oklahoma City -5

This is a horrible spot for the Indiana Pacers, and I'm going to fade them because of it. Sure, I'm very impressed with their NBA-best 18-2 record this year, but this is simply the time to go the other way.

Indiana will be playing the second of a back-to-back and its 5th game in 8 days. It is coming off a huge 111-100 win at San Antonio last night. That sets the Pacers up for a big letdown spot here.

Making matters worse for the Pacers is that they have a game against the defending champion Miami Heat on deck. That makes this a sandwich game for them off a big win and with an even bigger opponent up next. There's no question Indiana will be looking ahead to that huge showdown as they want revenge on the Heat, who knocked them out in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals last year.

Conversely, Indiana will have Oklahoma City's full attention. It is coming on on a days' rest off a 109-95 win at New Orleans on Friday. The Thunder are quietly playing some of the best basketball in the NBA, winning nine of their last 10 games overall with their only loss coming at Portland.

The Thunder are a perfect 9-0 at home this season where they are outscoring opponents by 8.6 points per game. The Thunder won both meetings with the Pacers last season, winning 104-93 at home and 97-75 on the road. It's a tough matchup for the Pacers because Paul George is overmatched by Kevin Durant. George is rarely ever overmatched.

The Thunder are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600. Oklahoma City is 9-4 ATS in its last 13 Sunday games. Indiana is 3-9 ATS in its last 12 Sunday games. Bet the Thunder Sunday.

15* CBB Sunday PLAY OF THE DAY on Washington +14.5

This is a classic case of one team being overvalued due solid streak, while another team is undervalued because of a poor streak coming in. Washington has failed to cover each of its last four games, while San Diego State has covered three of its last four coming in. This has created some excellent line value on the underdog Huskies.

Sure, Washington is off to a slow start this season at just 4-3, but two of its losses have come against quality opponents in Indiana and Boston College on a neutral court. This team is not as bad as its record would indicate, and a slow start has it way undervalued.

I really like what I've seen from the Huskies on the offensive end. They are putting up 84.1 points per game against opponents that are only allowing an average of 73 points per game on the season. They have five players averaging at least 10.3 points per game, led by returning starter Chris Wilcox (22.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 42.3% 3-pointers).

San Diego State is a good team but one that is getting way too much respect as a double-digit favorite here. It is getting that respect due to a 6-1 start with its only loss coming to Arizona. However, each of its last three wins have come by 8 points or less, including a 65-64 win at San Diego last time out as a 6.5-point favorite.

The Huskies will be the more rested and prepared team coming into this one. They have not played since November 30 in a home win over Long Beach State. The Aztecs last played on December 5 in their 1-point win at San Diego. So, that will be a huge advantage for Washington as it will be more prepared for this game coming in.

Plays on underdogs of 10 or more points (WASHINGTON) - after failing to cover 5 or 6 of their last 7 against the spread against opponent after having covered 3 of their last 4 against the spread are 130-68 (65.7%) ATS over the last five seasons. This trend just goes to show how profitable it can be to back a team that has been struggling ATS of late against a team that has been dominating ATS of late. Books over-adjust, creating line value on the struggling team. Roll with Washington Sunday.

20* Mavs/Blazers NBA Saturday Night BAILOUT on Dallas +5

The Portland Trail Blazers are way overvalued right now due to their 17-3 start. They had everything go right for them last night against the lowly Utah Jazz, but now they face a much more formidable opponent in the Dallas Mavericks tonight.

Portland is in a very tough spot here. It will be playing the second of a back-to-back and its 5th game in 7 days. Meanwhile, Dallas comes in on two days' rest having last played on Wednesday in a 100-97 win at New Orleans. This spot certainly favors the Mavericks rest-wise.

Dallas has owned Portland of late, winning seven of the last nine meetings in this series. In fact, Dallas has not lost to Portland by more than five points in any of their last 13 meetings.

They have nine wins and four losses against the Blazers over that span with their losses coming by 2, 2, 2 and 5 points. That makes for a perfect 12-0-1 system backing Dallas pertaining to tonight's spread of 5. This is just an excellent spot for Dallas, and a terrible one for overvalued Portland. Bet the Mavericks Saturday.

15* CBB Saturday Letdown Spot on UNC-Greensboro +27.5

The North Carolina Tar Heels won't even show up Saturday. They are in a huge letdown spot after beating No. 1 Michigan State on Wednesday by a final of 79-65 on the road. Now, they have Kentucky on deck, so they will be looking ahead to that game as well. I fully expect the Tar Heels to just go through the motions Saturday, which will allow Greensboro to stay within this massive spread.

Remember, North Carolina lost to both Belmont (80-83) and UAB (59-63) already this season, so this team is extremely vulnerable. All five of its wins have come by 23 points or less, which includes a 62-54 home win over Holy Cross as a 21-point favorite.

North Carolina is 1-7 ATS in its last eight games following a S.U. win. The Tar Heels are 1-5 ATS in their last six games following an ATS win. UNC will not show up at all in this one. Take UNC-Greensboro Saturday.

15* CBB Saturday Line Mistake on Northeastern -1

Few teams in the country have played a schedule as tough as the one that Northeastern has gone up against. It has opened 2-6, which includes an upset win over Georgetown (63-56) as a 13.5-point underdog.

The six losses have all come by 13 points or less, including five by 9 points or fewer. Five of the six have come on the road, including setbacks against very good Charlotte (77-86), Florida State (60-62) and VCU (66-79) teams. The home loss came against Harvard (64-72), which is expected to make the NCAA Tournament.

The Huskies have not been a favorite in any game this season. This is the first time they will be favored, which comes as no surprise considering this is just their second home game of the season. I really like what I've seen from the three star players on this team in Scott Eatherton (16.4 ppg, 10.6 rpg), David Walker (12.2 ppg, 3.0 apg) and Reggie Spencer (11.0 ppg, 6.9 rpg).

UAB is in a massive letdown spot here. It is coming off a huge 63-59 home win over North Carolina as a 7.5-point underdog. That was arguably the biggest win in school history, and one that it's going to be hard for the players to get over. I look for the Blazers to come out flat because of it, and for the Huskies to come out hungry following four consecutive losses against very good competition.

The Blazers are 2-9 ATS in road games versus very good shooting teams who make 45% of their shots or better over the past two seasons. They are losing 67.6 to 76.5 in this spot, or by an average of 8.9 points per game. UAB is 6-15 ATS in its last 21 road games. The Huskies are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 games following an ATS loss. Roll with Northeastern Saturday.

15* CBB Saturday Bounce-Back BLOWOUT on Northwestern -5.5

The Northwestern Wildcats should be a much bigger favorite here against Western Michigan. I'll take advantage and back them as a short home favorite in a game I believe they'll win by double-digits.

Northwestern is undervalued right now due to a 4-5 start against an absolutely brutal schedule. All five losses have come against quality teams in Stanford, Illinois State, Missouri, UCLA and NC State. Four of those losses came on the road in games they were an underdog in, so they were supposed to lose.

Western Michigan is overvalued due to its 5-2 start which has come against soft competition. Its five wins have come against Cornell, Oakland, Alabama A&M, Tennessee State and New Mexico. Only one of those wins came in the role of the underdog. WMU also lost to Hawaii (68-78) on the road and North Dakota State (74-83) at home.

Off three straight losses, Northwestern will be happy to return home where it is 3-1 on the season and outscoring opponents by 7.5 points per game. Western Michigan is 1-9 ATS in road games after having won 5 or 6 of its last 7 games over the past three seasons. It is losing in this spot by 11.2 points per game. Roll with Northwestern Saturday.

15* CBB Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Southern Illinois -3.5

The Southern Illinois Salukis deserve to be getting more respect than they are Saturday. I'll take advantage and back them as a slim 3.5-point home favorite against Western Kentucky in what I fully expect to be a double-digit blowout by game's end.

Southern Illinois is undervalued right now due to its 2-6 start. A closer look shows that it has been up against a brutal schedule, and it has been unfortunate in close games. Three of its six losses came by 4 points or less, and all six have been by 13 or fewer.

Also, five of the six losses have come in the role of the underdog, so the Salukis were supposed to lose. Two of those were against Missouri (59-72) as a 16.5-point underdog, and Saint Louis (67-76) as a 12.5-point dog. They hung with both of those teams to really show their potential.

Now, the Salukis are in the role of the favorite for the first time all season. They deserve to be against a Western Kentucky team that is overrated at 4-3 this season. Its four wins have all come at home against E. Tennessee State (57-50), UNC-Wilmington (73-58), Samford (67-64) and E. Illinois (68-53).

The Hilltoppers are 0-3 SU & 0-3 ATS on the road this season with double-digit losses to Wichita State (49-66) as a 15.5-point dog, Marshall (64-74) as a 3.5-point dog, and Bowling Green (62-74) as a 2-point favorite. This team is clearly overrated and should be a bigger dog today.

Adding fuel to the fire for the Salukis is the fact that they have lost three straight to the Hilltoppers by 7 points or less, including last year's 57-58 road loss. They'll want revenge, and I fully expect them to get it today.

This will only be the 3rd home game of the year for the Salukis. Southern Illinois is 6-1 ATS in its last seven home games. Western Kentucky is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 road games vs. a team with a .500 or better home record. Southern Illinois is 7-2 ATS in its last nine games vs. a team with a winning record. WKU is 0-6 ATS in road games after playing a road game over the past two seasons. Take Southern Illinois Saturday.

20* CBB GAME OF THE WEEK on Fordham +11.5

The St. John's Red Storm are coming off a big 69-58 win over Georgia Tech on a neutral court. With a date with one of the top teams in the country in Syracuse on deck, I have no doubt that the Red Storm will be overlooking Fordham in this one.

This is a very good Fordham team that is one of the most underrated in the country. It has opened 4-2 with one of its two losses coming at Syracuse by a final of 74-89 as a 19.5-point underdog. If the Rams can stay within 15 of Syracuse on the road, they can certainly stay within 11 of the Red Storm.

St. John's really doesn't have a good win yet. It has some ugly wins, however. It only beat Bucknell 67-63 as a 7-point home favorite, and Monmouth 64-54 as a 20-point favorite. It also has losses to Wisconsin (75-86) on a neutral court as a 5-point dog, and to Penn State (82-89) on a neutral court as a 3-point favorite.

Fordham returned five of its top six scorers from last season. Leading the way this season has been the three-headed monster of Jon Severe (23.2 ppg, 42.1% 3-pointers), Branden Frazier (18.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 5.2 apg) and Mandell Thomas (15.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 3.7 apg). With these three, the Rams are capable of competing with just about anyone in the country.

Fordham is 4-0 ATS in its last four meetings with St. John's. Fordham covered as a 13.5-point road underdog in a 58-47 loss at St. John's last year, covered as an 11.5-point road dog in a 56-50 loss at St. John's in 2011, and won outright as a 14-point home underdog by a final of 84-81 in 2010. Clearly, the Rams are not afraid of the Red Storm.

St. John's is 4-15 ATS as a home favorite of 9.5 to 12 points since 1997. St. John's is 1-12 ATS after allowing 60 points or less in its previous game over the past three seasons. Fordham is 21-8 ATS in its last 29 games overall. The Rams are 11-2 ATS in their last 13 non-conference games. The Red Storm are 0-8 ATS in their last eight games following a S.U. win. Bet Fordham Saturday.

20* Jazz/Blazers NBA Late-Night BAILOUT on Utah +11.5

The Utah Jazz are showing tremendous value as a double-digit underdog to the Portland Trail Blazers tonight. Portland is overvalued due to its 16-3 start this season and has created expectations for itself that it cannot live up to.

Utah, meanwhile, is undervalued due to its 4-16 start. This team has been playing much better of late due to the healthy return of point guard Trey Burke. In fact, the Jazz have won three of their last five games overall and led Indiana most of the way before having a poor 4th quarter and losing by 9 on Wednesday.

The reigning NCAA player of the year missed the team's first 12 games because of a fractured index finger. He's started the last six and has averaged 33.5 minutes in the past five, putting up 16.2 points and 5.0 assists per game as Utah has gone 3-2. Burke has just two turnovers over the last four games while the Jazz have averaged 13.0, compared to 17.8 through their first 16 games.

Portland is in a huge letdown spot here. It is coming off back-to-back home wins over two of the best teams in the NBA in Indiana (106-102) and Oklahoma City (111-104). It will have a hard time getting up to play one of the worst teams in the league in the Jazz tonight. I'm not saying the Blazers' start is a complete fluke, but they certainly are overvalued because of it.

The Jazz have won seven of their last eight meetings with the Blazers overall. Plays on road underdogs of 10 or more points (UTAH) - after 1 or more consecutive losses, on Friday nights are 73-32 (69.5%) ATS over the last five seasons. The Jazz are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following an ATS loss. Utah is 4-1 ATS in its last five road games. The Jazz are 6-2 ATS in their last eight meetings in Portland. Bet Utah Friday.

15* CBB Friday PLAY OF THE DAY on California -1.5

The Cal Golden Bears should be a much bigger favorite tonight over Cal Santa Barbara. This is a Cal team that returned four starters from last season and is way undervalued right now due to suffering two early losses.

However, both of those losses came against two of the better teams in the country in Syracuse and Dayton. Cal has taken care of business against everyone else, and I look for it to come up with an easy victory over UCSB tonight as well.

Santa Barbara is getting too much respect due to beating UNLV on the road earlier this season. That UNLV team is way down this year, and they are getting too much credit for it. They have lost to Utah State, Colorado and UCLA since, and they'll be overmatched by the Bears in this one as well.

Cal is 4-0 in its last four meetings with UCSB, winning all four by seven or more points. UCSB is 3-15 ATS versus teams who are called for 17 or less fouls per game over the past three seasons. Cal is 18-7 ATS as a road favorite of three points or less since 1997. Cal is 44-18 ATS in road games after having lost two of its last three games since 1997. The Bears are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 vs. Big West opponents. Take Cal Friday.

15* NBA Friday No-Doubt Rout on Phoenix Suns -3.5

The Phoenix Suns continue to lack the respect they deserve from oddsmakers. They should be a bigger home favorite tonight over the Toronto Raptors, but I'll take advantage since they just continue to fly under the radar.

Phoenix has opened 10-9 this season with impressive wins along the way. More impressive, though is the fact that seven of their nine losses have come by 8 points or fewer. So, this team has essentially been in just about every game this season.

Toronto is just 6-11 this season and has really struggled of late. It has lost four straight heading into this one, giving up 102 or more points in three of the four losses. This is a team that relies too heavily on Rudy Gay and DeMar DeRozan to carry the scoring load, while Phoenix is a team that goes about 10 deep and gets its scoring from different places night in and night out.

The Suns have won 14 of their last 17 meetings with the Raptors. Phoenix is 12-3 ATS versus poor shooting teams that make 43% or less of their shots over the past two seasons. The Suns are 13-3-1 ATS in their last 17 games playing on 1 days rest. Phoenix is 13-5-1 ATS in its last 19 games overall. Roll with the Suns Friday.

15* NBA Friday Undervalued Underdog on Boston Celtics +4.5

The Boston Celtics have quietly played some very good basketball in the early going under head coach Brad Stevens. They currently sit atop the Atlantic Division with an 8-12 record in the watered-down Eastern Conference.

The Celtics have won four of their last six games overall, which includes road wins over Atlanta (94-87) and Charlotte (96-86), as well as home wins over Cleveland (103-86) and Milwaukee (108-100). This team remains undervalued despite a respectable start to the season under Stevens.

Denver is way overvalued right now due to winning seven of its last eight games overall. It had a seven-game winning streak snapped as a 3.5-point favorite at Cleveland on Wednesday, losing by a final of 88-98. This road trip has started to take its toll on the Nuggets as this will be their sixth road game in their past seven contests.

The Nuggets are a notorious terrible road team over the year, and a great home team. That's why I'll look to fade them almost any time they are a road favorite. Plus, the Celtics are 32-7 all-time at home against the Nuggets, winning the last three while averaging 112.0 points per game.

Boston is 14-3 ATS in home games versus poor defensive teams who allow 99 or more points per game over the past two seasons. The Nuggets are 4-11 ATS in their last 15 games vs. a team with a losing S.U. record. The home team is 16-5 ATS in the last 21 meetings in this series. Boston is 6-1 ATS in its last seven home meetings with Denver. Take the Celtics Friday.

15* CBB Thursday No-Doubt Rout on Kansas State -1.5

The Kansas State Wildcats are looking for a statement win tonight against Ole Miss to get their season back on track. They have opened 4-3 this year, but two of those losses came against very good Charlotte and Georgetown teams on a neutral court. They have been much better since, posting back-to-back blowout victories over Long Beach State (52-38) and Central Arkansas (87-54).

Ole Miss is way overrated in the early going due to its 6-0 start against soft competition. It has only played on true road game this year, and struggled to beat Coastal Carolina by a final of 72-70 on November 16. The Rebels will be playing in a much tougher atmosphere in Manhattan, KS tonight.

Kansas State went 15-1 at home last season and is now 18-2 at home over the past two seasons combined. Wildcats guard Will Spradling is hoping to get a lift from its fan base in Thursday's game. "It'll be a big game for us, a game to get the preseason turned around," the senior guard said. "We had a rocky start, but we should have a good home crowd tomorrow and a good home court advantage."

The Wildcats are 14-1 ATS in home games after two straight wins by 10 points or more since 1997. They are winning in this spot 80.7 to 60.1, or by an average of 20.6 points per game. Roll with Kansas State Thursday.

20* NBA DOG OF THE WEEK on Utah Jazz +9

The Utah Jazz hit rock bottom when they started 1-14. Oddsmakers had to adjust their power ratings for the Jazz to an all-time low because of that start. As a result, this team has been showing a ton of value of late and will be going forward.

The Jazz have won three of their last four games overall while going 3-1 ATS in the process. That includes home wins over both Chicago (89-83) and Houston (109-103), as well as a road win at Phoenix (112-104). A big reason for this resurgence has been the debut of rookie point guard Trey Burke, who has been a playmaker in the early going.

Indiana's stock could not be bigger due to its 16-1 start to the season. As a result, oddsmakers have had to adjust their power ratings for the Pacers to an all-time high. This will create value in fading Indiana going forward, and that was evident in its 102-106 loss at Portland last time out when it was actually a favorite in that game.

With games against San Antonio and Oklahoma City on deck, this could be a huge letdown spot for Indiana. I look for the Pacers to be overlooking the Jazz enough to let Utah cover, and possibly win this game outright.

The Jazz are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game. Utah is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games overall. Utah has won six straight home meetings with Indiana dating back to 2007. It hasn't lost at home against the Pacers since 2005. Bet the Jazz Wednesday.

15* ACC/Big Ten Challenge GAME OF THE NIGHT on Boston College +4

The Boston College Eagles are way undervalued after starting the season 0-3. They have rebounded nicely to 3-4 with their only loss since coming by a final of 70-72 to unbeaten Connecticut as a 9-point underdog. In fact, three of Boston College's four losses this season have come by 4 points or less.

The Eagles returned 96 percent of their scoring from last season as they are one of the most experienced teams in the entire country. Olivier Hanlan (21.7 ppg) and Ryan Anderson (19.0 ppg, 7.1 rpg) are two of the best players in the entire country and fully capable of carrying the team.

Purdue is nowhere near as good as its 6-2 record would indicate. Its six wins have all come at home against the likes of Northern Kentucky (77-76), Central Connecticut State, Rider (81-77), Eastern Illinois and Siena (twice). Four of its six wins have come by 8 points or fewer. In its only two tough games, Purdue fell to Oklahoma State (87-97) and Washington State (54-69) on a neutral court.

Free throw shooting is very important this year. Boston College is averaging 22 makes on 26 attempts per game for an incredible 84.3% from the charity stripe. Purdue is only averaging 18 makes on 27 attempts per game for a 65.9% conversion rate.

Boston College is 39-23 ATS in its last 62 road games as an underdog of 6 points or less. The Boilermakers are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a losing S.U. record. Purdue is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 non-conference games. Roll with Boston College Wednesday.

15* NBA Wednesday Night Line Mistake on Phoenix Suns +10.5

The Phoenix Suns are showing tremendous value as a double-digit underdog to the Houston Rockets tonight. They blew a big first-half lead against the Grizzlies to lose last night, but since they had two days' rest coming into that game and are very deep, they will be plenty fresh tonight.

The Suns are still one of the most underrated teams in the NBA this season. They are off to a 9-9 start with seven of their losses coming by 8 points or fewer. They have proven they can play with anybody as evidenced by their narrow road losses to Oklahoma City (96-103), San Antonio (96-99) and Portland (89-90).

Houston isn't the healthiest of teams right now. Starting point guard Jeremy Lin, who was off to a tremendous start this season, is sidelined by a knee injury. Starting forward Chandler Parsons is questionable to play tonight as he nurses a back injury.

Phoenix is 7-1 ATS in its last eight games following an ATS loss. The Suns are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 road games. Phoenix is 10-3-1 ATS in its last 14 vs. Western Conference opponents. The Suns are 22-7 ATS in their last 29 meetings with the Rockets, including 19-5 ATS in their last 24 meetings in Houston. Take Phoenix Wednesday.

15* CBB Rivalry GAME OF THE NIGHT on Pennsylvania +18.5

The Villanova Wildcats are in a huge letdown spot tonight after winning the Battle 4 Atlantis title. The Wildcats posted back-to-back dramatic wins over quality teams in Kansas and Iowa to claim the title. They now have a Top 25 ranking, and are getting patted on the back.

Sure, Villanova has won 10 straight over Big Five rival Pennsylvania, but this has been a closely-contested series in recent years. Each of the last three meetings between these teams have been decided by 13 points or less.

Pennsylvania is just 2-4 this season, but it has played a tough schedule in the early going, and it returns all five starters from last season. Three of its four losses have come by 12 points or fewer. The only blowout came at Iowa as a 25-point underdog in a 31-point loss.

Plays against favorites of 10 to 19.5 points (VILLANOVA) - after having covered 4 or 5 of their last 6 against the spread, undefeated on the season are 30-12 (71.4%) ATS over the last five seasons.

Penn is 6-0 ATS in road games versus teams who attempt 21 or more 3 points shots/game over the past three seasons. The Quakers are 10-1 ATS in road games after a game where they made 88% of their free throws or better since 1997. Penn is 26-9 ATS in its last 35 road games after having lost 4 or 5 of its last 6 games coming in. Take Pennsylvania Wednesday.

20* College Basketball GAME OF THE WEEK on Detroit +10

This is a classic early-season revenge spot for Detroit. After losing at home to Toledo by a final of 78-80 on November 23 as a 4-point underdog, I fully expect Detroit to give the Rockets a run for their money on the road tonight in the rematch.

Detroit has won three of its past five games overall with its two losses coming by a combined 4 points. That includes road wins at James Madison (71-67) as a 3.5-point underdog, and at South Florida (65-60) as a 9-point dog.

With an emphasis on more foul calls this season, Detroit makes for a solid team to back. That's because it is averaging 21 makes on 27 attempts per game, shooting a sensational 79.4% from the charity stripe this season.

The underdog is a perfect 5-0 against the spread in the last five meetings between these teams. The road team is 4-1 against the number in the last five meetings as well. The Titans are 4-1 against the spread in their last five games overall. Bet Detroit Wednesday.

15* CBB Tuesday GAME OF THE NIGHT on North Texas +19.5

The North Texas Mean Green get the call Tuesday night as a massive road underdog to the BYU Cougars. This line has been inflated, and we'll take advantage and back the Mean Green in what will be a closer game than oddsmakers are anticipating.

North Texas is off to a 5-3 start this season with all three of its losses coming by 13 points or less. That includes an 82-95 loss at Oklahoma as a 15.5-point underdog, which is an Oklahoma team that I believe is better than this BYU squad.

The Cougars have opened 6-2 this season, but they only have two wins by more than 11 points this year. Those came at home against their two easiest opponents in Mount St. Mary's (108-76) and Mesa College (84-60), which were games that didn't even have lines on them. Off a huge win over Utah State, and with UMass on deck, I believe this is a big letdown spot for BYU tonight.

North Texas is 15-6 ATS in its last 21 games versus poor pressure defensive teams who force 14 or less turnovers per game. The Mean Green are 18-7 ATS after playing their last game on the road over the past three seasons. The Cougars are 17-36-1 ATS in their last 54 games following an ATS win. BYU is 2-7-1 ATS in its last 10 home games. The Mean Green are 4-0 ATS in their last four games vs. a team with a winning % above .600. Bet North Texas Tuesday.

20* NBA Tuesday No-Doubt Rout on Dallas Mavericks -8

The Dallas Mavericks have lost four of their last five games coming into this one. They'll clearly be motivated for a victory tonight against the Charlotte Bobcats, which is a team they have dominated throughout the years.

"We're going to learn about our team right now," coach Rick Carlisle said. "Lose four out of five, have a tough loss like last night and then another tough one like tonight - it's going to test the togetherness and the collective will."

Charlotte, meanwhile, is in a huge letdown spot off a tough 98-99 loss at the defending champion Miami Heat last time out. I look for the Bobcats to suffer a hangover from that loss because they led most of the way before having the game taken away from them down the stretch.

Dallas had gone 16-0 against Charlotte before losing in overtime on the road last November. The Mavericks are a perfect 9-0 at home against the Bobcats, limiting them to just 90.4 points on 42.1 percent shooting in the process. Dallas has won all nine games by an average of 13 points per game.

The Mavericks are 8-2 at home this season where they are scoring an average of 108.5 points per game. Charlotte is scoring just 89.2 points per game overall and 89.9 points per game on the road this year. The Bobcats are 13-37-1 ATS in their last 51 vs. Western Conference opponents. Dallas is 22-6 ATS in its last 28 games following a S.U. loss. Bet the Mavericks Tuesday.

15* NBA Western Conference Line Mistake on Phoenix Suns +3.5

The Memphis Grizzlies have no business being favored tonight against the Phoenix Suns. I fully expect the Suns to win outright, but I'll simply take the points for some insurance.

Phoenix is the most underrated team in the league in 2013. It is off to a 9-8 start that could easily have been better. Seven of its eight losses have come by 8 points or less, including four by 3 points or fewer.

Memphis is expected to be without its two best players tonight. Marc Gasol (16.0 ppg, 7.1 rpg) is out with a knee injury, while Zach Randolph (16.0 ppg, 9.1 rpg) is listed as doubtful with a toe injury.

The loss of Randolph is huge considering he is averaging 22.7 points and 12.5 rebounds while shooting 57.6 percent from the field in his last 16 games versus Phoenix. Meanwhile, the Suns just recently returned Eric Bledsoe, so they are back to close to full strength.

Phoenix is 10-1 ATS as an underdog this season. The Suns are 8-1 ATS in road games this year. The Suns are 7-0 ATS in their last seven games following a ATS loss. The Grizzlies are 0-4 ATS in their last four home games. These four trends combine for a 29-2 system backing Phoenix. Roll with the Suns Tuesday.

15* NBA Eastern Conference ANNIHILATOR on Philadelphia 76ers -3.5

The Philadelphia 76ers are showing tremendous value as only a 3.5-point home favorite over the Orlando Magic tonight. Philadelphia will be highly motivated to end a four-game losing streak overall, which included a 94-105 loss at Orlando on November 27, so the 76ers will be out for revenge as well.

Orlando is expected to be without its best player in Nikola Vucevic, who is listed as doubtful with an ankle injury. Vucevic is averaging 14.7 points and 10.9 rebounds per game this season and is simply irreplaceable. Not to mention both Jameer Nelson (foot) and Tobias Harris (ankle) are doubtful for the Magic as well.

Philadelphia is a respectable 5-5 at home this season, while Orlando is just 1-6 on the road. The Magic are 5-16-1 ATS in their last 22 games vs. a team with a winning % below .400. The 76ers are 14-6 ATS in their last 20 games following a SU loss of more than 10 points. Take the 76ers Tuesday.

15* Florida/UConn ESPN 2 No-Brainer on Florida +5

I look for the Florida Gators to pull off the upset tonight at Connecticut, but I'll take the points for some insurance. The Huskies are way overvalued in the early going due to their perfect 7-0 start. A closer look shows that they are very fortunate to be unbeaten right now.

In fact, three of their wins have come by a combined four points! They have beaten Maryland (78-77), Boston College (72-70) and Indiana (59-58) all on neutral courts. I believe Florida is the best team that they have played yet. The Gators' only loss came at Wisconsin (53-59).

Florida has a huge edge in rebounding in this one. The Huskies have been outrebounded in three straight games, and they're allowing an average of 14.7 offensive rebounds per game on the season, which is one of the highest marks in the country. UConn gave up 20 to Loyola-Maryland in a lackluster 76-66 home victory last time out.

The Gators began a tough stretch of games with a 67-66 win over a very good Florida State team on Friday. The Gators grabbed 20 offensive rebounds in that contest. In fact, they have outrebounded each of their last five opponents while averaging 14.0 offensive boards during that stretch.

Connecticut is 0-9 against the spread after four or more consecutive wins over the past three seasons. This trend just goes to show you how overvalued the Huskies have been once they start to see some success, which is certainly the case here. Take Florida Monday.

15* NBA Sunday PLAY OF THE DAY on Minnesota Timberwolves +9

This is a huge letdown spot for Oklahoma City, which is coming off its overtime victory over the Golden State Warriors on Friday. Russell Westbrook nailed a 3-pointer with 0.1 seconds left in the extra session to beat the Warriors. Off such a big, thrilling win, I look for the Thunder to come back unmotivated today.

Motivation will not be problem for the Timberwolves, who have lost five of their last seven coming in. This is a business trip for Minnesota, which won at Dallas last night by a final of 112-106. I wouldn't be surprised one bit to see this team pull off the upset tonight as well, but I'll take the points for some insurance.

Oklahoma City is 13-29 ATS after a close win by 3 points or less since 1996. It is coming back to lose 100.0 to 102.6 in this spot. Bet the Timberwolves Sunday.

15* CBB Sunday PLAY OF THE DAY on Wichita State +2

I would be surprised to see Wichita State as an underdog the rest of the year. This is a team that went to the Final Four last season, and somehow they're getting overlooked in 2013-14. I'll take advantage and back the Shockers as a dog here.

The Shockers have opened 7-0 this season with seven straight victories by double-digits. That includes a 77-54 road win at Tulsa, and victories over both Depaul (90-72) and BYU (74-62) on neutral courts.

Saint Louis is a quality team that returns similar talent to Wichita State from last year, but this team is obviously way overvalued in the early going. It has opened 6-1 this season with a loss to Wisconsin. I would argue that the Billikens don't have a good win yet.

The Shockers are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600. The Shockers are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 road games. Wichita State is 9-1-1 ATS in its last 11 games overall. Take Wichita State Sunday.

15* CBB Saturday PLAY OF THE DAY on Iowa -2

The Iowa Hawkeyes are off to a 7-0 start this season with five of those victories coming by 31 or more points. This is one of the deepest teams in the country that can handle playing three games in three days because of it.

The Hawkeyes have 10 players averaging more than 15 minutes per game. All ten of those players are averaging at least 4.6 points per contest, and all five starters are back from last year. This team is ranked in the Top 25 for a reason and will only continue to climb after beating Villanova Saturday.

The Wildcats are coming off a huge win over Kansas yesterday, and even though this is the championship game in the Battle 4 Atlantic, I look for them to suffer a letdown off such a big win.

The Hawkeyes are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 non-conference games. Iowa is 27-9 ATS in its last 36 games overall. The Hawkeyes are 21-6 ATS in their last 27 games following a win. Iowa is 18-6 ATS in its last 24 games vs. a team with a winning record. Bet Iowa Saturday.

15* SDSU/Creighton CBB PLAY OF THE DAY on Creighton -4

The Creighton Bluejays returned four starters from last season and are one of the best players on the country. That includes Doug McDermott (23.2 ppg, 7.7 rpg), who is off to another monster start and may be the best players in all of college basketball. McDermott is averaging 27.4 points and 7.6 boards while leading the Bluejays to a perfect 5-0 start this season.

He is getting plenty of help, too. Devin Brooks (12.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg), Ethan Wragge (10.2 ppg) and Austin Chatman (9.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 5.4 apg) have fit in with McDermott nicely. The Bluejays have shot 51.5% or better in all five games this season, which is impressive considering they have faced three very good opponents. They beat both St. Joseph's (73-69) and Arizona State (88-60) on the road, as well as Tulsa (82-72) at home. They are shooting 53.5% from the field on the season.

San Diego State lost four of its top six scorers from last season, including leading scorers Jamaal Franklin (17.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg) and Chase Tapley (13.5 ppg). The Aztecs only bring back Xavier Thames (9.5 ppg), J.J. O'Brien (7.2 ppg) and Winston Shepard (5.7) as players of relevance. They have played an extremely soft schedule outside of Arizona, who they lost to by a final of 60-69 at home as a 3.5-point underdog.

Plays on neutral court teams (CREIGHTON) - an explosive offensive team (>=76 PPG) against a good offensive team (74-76 PPG), after scoring 80 points or more 2 straight games are 35-8 (81.4%) ATS over the last five seasons. San Diego State is only hitting 63.0% of its free throws this year, which is a big factor given the emphasis on fouls.

The Aztecs are 1-6-1 ATS in their last 8 games following a S.U. win. San Diego State is 0-5 ATS in its last five vs. Big East opponents. The Bluejays are 7-1 ATS in their last eight neutral site games. Creighton is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games overall. Bet Creighton Friday.

20* NBA Friday Undervalued Underdog on Washington Wizards +10.5

The Indiana Pacers are way overvalued right now due to their 14-1 start. There's no question this is one of the best teams in the league, but they have taken advantage of a very easy schedule thus far, and should not be laying double-digits to Washington tonight.

Indiana has only faced one team this season that currently has a winning record, and that was Memphis (8-7). With with biggest game of the season against the Los Angeles Clippers on deck, this could certainly be a lookahead spot for the Pacers.

Quietly, the Washington Wizards have won three straight and five of their last six games overall heading into this one. They are undervalued right now due to a poor start to the season, with road losses to the likes of the Heat, Thunder, Mavericks and Spurs, who are four of the best teams in the NBA. There's no question that Washington is better than its 7-8 record would indicate, while Indiana is nowhere near as good as its 14-1 mark.

These teams met four times last season with Indiana winning three of them by 4, 7 and 8 points. Washington won the other by a final of 104-85 at home as a 4-point dog in their final meeting of the season, which is when John Wall was actually healthy, and he led the way with 37 points. Wall miss the other three meetings, and the Wizards still hung tough and lost all three by 8 points or fewer.

Plays against home favorites of 10 or more points (INDIANA) - after 3 or more consecutive wins, on Friday nights are 32-7 (82.1%) ATS over the last five seasons. The Wizards are 27-13-1 ATS in their last 41 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record. The road team is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings in this series. Take the Wizards Friday.

15* CBB Thursday No-Doubt Rout on Iowa -4.5

The Iowa Hawkeyes are one of the most underrated teams in the entire country. They returned all five starters from last year, and they are one of the deepest teams in the land. I look for them to blow out Xavier tonight in Round 1 of the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament.

Indeed, the Hawkeyes are deep. They have 10 players who are averaging 15 or more minutes per game. A big reason for that is that they have been blowing out the opposition in the early going, but they aren't afraid to go 10 deep against good teams, too. Iowa has outscored its first five opponents 92.6 to 54.6, or by an average of 38.0 points per game en route to a 5-0 start.

Ten players are also averaging 5.0 points per game or more this season. Leading the way has been Roy-Devyn Marble (14.6 ppg, 3.8 apg, 3.2 spg), Aaron White (13.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg), Jarrod Uthoff (11.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg), Peter Jok (9.4 ppg), Zach McCabe (7.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg) and Melsahn Basabe (7.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg). This is certainly a team you will see in the NCAA Tournament down the road, and one that is a sleeper to win the Big Ten.

Xavier brings back a quality squad as well with three starters returning. I like what I've seen from the Musketeers thus far, but their 5-0 start has come against some very soft competition as well, and they haven't been nearly as dominant as Iowa. They only beat a mediocre Tennessee team by a final of 67-63 at home on November 12.

The one stat that really stood out to me when researching this game was the free throw shooting for both teams. With an emphasis on calling more fouls this season, free throw shooting is at a premium. Iowa is getting to the line 36 times per game, converting on 74.2% of its opportunities in the process. Xavier is getting to the line 28 times per game, but making a woeful 59.9% of them.

In a game that is expected to be close according to oddsmakers, free throw shooting could easily be the difference as to why the Hawkeyes cover this one, even though I fully expect them to win via blowout.

Iowa is 20-6 ATS in its last 26 games overall. The Hawkeyes are 9-0 ATS in their last nine games after scoring 75 or more points in two or more straight games coming in. Iowa is 8-0 ATS in its last eight games after playing two consecutive games as a home favorite. The Hawkeyes are 11-0 ATS in their last 11 games after playing two consecutive games as a favorite. These three trends combine for a perfect 28-0 system backing the Hawkeyes. Roll with Iowa Thursday.

15* Baylor/Syracuse ESPN Late-Night BAILOUT on Syracuse -4

The Orange have really impressed me in the early going en route to a perfect 6-0 start this season. Their wins over two very good teams in Minnesota (75-67) and California (92-81) to open the Maui Invitational really show that Jim Boeheim has another great squad at Syracuse this season.

C.J. Fair (17.0 ppg, 6.2 rpg) and Jerami Grant (13.2 ppg, 7.2 ppg) have really stepped up their games as key returnees from last season. Freshman Tyler Ennis (11.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 4.0 apg, 2.7 spg) has done a tremendous job of running the offense. Trevor Cooney (14.8 ppg, 48.8% 3-pointers) has proven to be the next great sharpshooter for the Orange.

Baylor has been unimpressive to me thus far. It barely escaped with home victories over South Carolina (66-64) and Charleston Southern (69-64) before heading to the Maui Invitational. I believe the loss of leading scorer Pierre Jackson (19.8 ppg), 7.1 apg) has really taken its toll on this squad. The Bears were fortunate to escape with a 67-66 victory over Dayton last night as well.

The Orange are 14-3 ATS in their last 17 games after scoring more than 90 points in their previous game. Syracuse is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games vs. Big 12 opponents. Baylor is 1-4 ATS in its last five games vs. ACC foes. Take Syracuse Wednesday.

20* Spurs/Thunder Western Conference ANNIHILATOR on Oklahoma City -2.5

The San Antonio Spurs are getting way too much respect from oddsmakers tonight due to their 11-game winning streak coming into this one. A closer look at the streak shows that it has come against soft competition.

Only two of the 11 wins have come against teams with winning records, and those were against Denver (7-6) and Golden State (9-6). The game against the Nuggets was the first game of the steak back when Denver was really struggling early in the year. The win over the Warriors game by a final of 76-74 when Golden State was playing without its best player in Stephen Curry.

Oklahoma City has been a much tougher team since the return of Russell Westbrook. It has won eight of its past 10 games overall with its only losses coming on the road against the Clippers (103-111) and Warriors (115-116). Now, Westbrook has had five days off after sitting out the Thunder's 95-73 home win over Utah on November 24 in their last game. Coach Mark Brooks picked a perfect spot to give his knee some rest, and he'll be ready to go tonight because of it.

Oklahoma City is a perfect 6-0 at home this season, outscoring opponents by an average of 10.0 points per game. Home-court advantage has been huge in this series between the Spurs and Thunder. The home team has won 13 of the past 15 meetings in this series. The Thunder are 5-0 SU & 5-0 ATS in their last five home meetings with San Antonio, winning all five games by 6 points or more. Take Oklahoma City Wednesday.

15* Heat/Cavaliers ESPN Wednesday No-Brainer on Cleveland +9

The Cleveland Cavaliers are showing tremendous value as a big home underdog to the Miami Heat Wednesday night. They have had three full days off since their ugly 96-126 loss at San Antonio, which is a defeat that is stuck in the betting public's minds, which is also why this line has been inflated.

Another reason for the inflation is the fact that Miami enters this contest on a 7-game winning streak. A closer look at the streak shows that the Heat have only beaten two teams with winning records during this run. Miami has a way of playing down to its competition, and that has certainly been the case when meeting up with the Cavaliers of late.

In fact, all four meetings between the Cavaliers and Heat last season were decided by 4 points or less. Miami won 110-108 and 109-105 at home, as well as 98-95 and 96-95 on the road. After coming so close to beating the Heat last season, you can bet the Cavaliers are hungry to get over the hump pull off the upset in their first meeting of the 2013-14 campaign.

Plays against favorites (MIAMI) - top caliber team - outscoring their opponents by 9+ points/game against opponent after allowing 105 points or more are 48-18 (72.7%) ATS over the last five seasons. The Heat are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 games following an ATS win. Miami is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games following a SU win of more than 10 points. Cleveland is 4-1 ATS in its last five games when laying on three or more days of rest. Roll with the Cavaliers Wednesday.

20* NBA Situational GAME OF THE MONTH on Philadelphia 76ers +4.5

The Philadelphia 76ers are in a great spot tonight. They come in on three days' rest, so they'll certainly be ready to go having last played on Saturday. They'll be up against an Orlando team that will be playing the second of a back-to-back and its 4th game in 5 days.

The 76ers have been underrated all season. They have opened the season 6-9 straight up and 9-6 against the spread, sporting one of the league's top scoring offenses at 103.7 points per game. Evan Turner (21.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg), Michael Carter-Williams (17.3 ppg, 7.4 apg, 5.7 rpg, 3.0 spg) and Spencer Hawes (16.8 ppg, 10.3 rpg) lead six 76ers who are averaging in double figures scoring this season.

Orlando is getting way too much respect from oddsmakers after its upset victory over Atlanta last night. That certainly sets the Magic up for a letdown spot here, and playing their 4th game in 5 days, they certainly won't be able to match the intensity level of the 76ers, who love to push the tempo. In fact, Philadelphia ranks 1st in the league in pace, and it will wear down Orlando tonight.

I'm not a huge trends guy, but one of the best ones I have come across all season is that Jacque Vaughn is 1-14 against the spread as a favorite as the coach of Orlando. This team cannot be trusted in the role of the favorite, especially in such a tough situation like tonight's spot. Bet the 76ers Wednesday.

20* BYU/Wichita State ESPN 2 No-Brainer on Wichita State -3

Rarely will you get the opportunity to back Wichita State as such a small favorite the rest of the season. I'm going to take full advantage tonight and back them in the CBE Hall of Fame Classic Final in Kansas City, MO tonight against BYU.

Remember, this is a Wichita State team that made it to the FInal Four last year before bowing out to eventual champion Louisville by a final of 72-68. The Shockers returned plenty of talent from that team to make another run in 2013. Cleanthony Early (13.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg), Ron Baker (8.7 ppg) and Tekele Cotton (6.5 ppg) all return, as do several other key role players.

Wichita State has opened 6-0 this season and has yet to be tested. All six of its wins have come by 14 points or more, including a 77-54 road win over Tulsa as a 6-point favorite, and a 90-72 victory over DePaul last night as an 8-point favorite. Early (14.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg), Baker (14.0 ppg, 3.8 apg) and Cotton (11.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg) have all stepped up their games this season. Also, returnee Fred VanVleet (13.2 ppg, 5.8 apg) has done a tremendous job of running the offense at point guard.

BYU is a talented team, but it is nowhere near as good as the Shockers this season. The Cougars caught Iowa State in a huge letdown spot off a big win over Michigan previously, and they couldn't get the job done at home, falling 88-90. They also struggled as a 7-point favorite against Texas last night, winning by a final of 86-82. The Longhorns are certainly down this season, so that win was far from impressive.

Wichita State is 12-1 ATS versus up-tempo teams averaging 62 or more shots per game since 1997. BYU is 1-9 ATS as a neutral court underdog of 3 points or less since 1997. The Shockers are 17-4 ATS as a neutral court favorite of 6 points or less since 1997. Bet Wichita State Tuesday.

15* CBB Tuesday Undervalued Underdog on Oakland +7.5

You would be hard-pressed to find a team that has played a more difficult schedule in the early going than Oakland. They opened the season with four straight road games against North Carolina (61-84), UCLA (60-91), California (60-64) and Gonzaga (67-82). They have also played LA-Lafayette (75-84) and St. Francis-NY (62-68) on a neutral court. They have been an underdog in all six contests, and they have opened 0-6.

Due to this 0-6 start, the Grizzlies are way undervalued right now. This is a team that returned four starters from last year and will be improved as the season progresses and the schedule gets easier. Travis Bader (22.1 ppg last year) and Duke Mondy (12.0 ppg, 5.1 apg, 3.0 spg) are back to lead the way. Bader (21.5 ppg) is off to a fast start, while Corey Petros (10.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg), Tommie McCune (9.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg) and Kahlil Fielder (8.7 ppg, 5.2 apg) have all stepped up their games this season.

Western Michigan is getting way too much respect from oddsmakers in this one. It has opened 3-2 this season with its only wins coming against New Mexico State (70-64), Tennessee State (63-52) and Alabama A&M (73-69). It also has losses to North Dakota State (74-83) and Hawaii (68-78). As you can see, the Broncos only have one win on the season by more than 6 points.

This is a Broncos squad that lost three of their top five scorers from a year ago in Darius Paul (10.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg), Nate Hutcheson (10.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg) and Brandon Pokley (8.9 ppg), who averaged nearly 30 points combined between them. Shayne Whittington and David Brown are solid players, but they are being asked to do too much. This team doesn't have near the balance that Oakland offers.

Oakland is 17-6 ATS when playing its 2nd road game in three days since 1997. The Grizzlies are 23-10 ATS in road games when playing with one or less days rest since 1997. The Grizzlies are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record. The Broncos are 2-7 ATS in their last nine games vs. a team with a losing S.U. record. Take Oakland Tuesday.