Stephen Nover

Dallas is 8-1 in its last nine games after a 108-92 home win against Orlando. Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis were both in Dallas' lineup for the first time since Dec. 10.

Now the Mavericks draw the Thunder, a bottom feeder that is 1-6 in their last seven games and 0-2 versus Dallas this season with both losses coming in Oklahoma City. 

Safe to say the Mavericks are in a fat and happy state. They host the Raptors in a bigger game on Wednesday. 

Oklahoma City, though, is very dangerous in this role going 19-7-1 ATS the past 27 times as an underdog, including covering seven of their last nine road contests. The key for the Thunder is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He's been on fire averaging 28.7 points, eight assists and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 52.5 percent from the field during his past three games.

Eastern Illinois is one of the lowest scoring teams in the nation. The Panthers don't even have one player averaging double figures in scoring.

But this spot sets up well for the Panthers. They catch Murray State off its biggest win of the season. The Racers just beat Belmont, 82-60, on the road in an early showdown game for the top record in the Ohio Valley Conference.

The Racers are 4-14 ATS the past 18 times when on the road taking on a home team that has a losing mark.

Eastern Illinois has given up 66 or fewer points in three of its last five games. The Panthers can stay within this inflated point spread given what a huge letdown spot this is for Murray State.

(Stephen Nover is 9-0 the past two days on his premium/free plays.)

The Rebels under first-year head coach Kevin Kruger aren't strong enough to lay this mid-range number on the road against a San Jose State that is better than perceived.

The Spartans are much improved at 7-7 than they were last season when they went 5-16, including 2-12 in the Mountain West Conference. The Rebels are a middle-of-the-road Mountain West Conference team hoping to get an NIT berth. 

San Jose State is 8-5 ATS in its lined games. The Spartans have played their best ball at home going 5-2 ATS. 

The Rebels are an unimpressive 5-10 ATS. They have been inconsistent all season and are 0-2 SU and ATS in their two true road games losing to SMU and San Francisco by an average of 20 points. This is UNLV's first away game since Dec. 4. 

The Cardinals lost their edge with a late October Thursday night home loss to the Packers. They have yet to regain it and I don't see that changing in this matchup. 
Arizona is 1-4 SU and ATS in its last five games. The Cardinals' defense has been below par the second half of the season. Their secondary has given up 14 TD passes with just one interception during the last five games. 

Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp, who had a superstar season, can take advantage. Stafford threw for a career-high 41 TD passes in his first year with Rams offensive guru coach Sean McVay while Kupp led the NFL in receptions, receiving yards and receiving TD's, emerging as the top wide receiver in the NFL. Stafford had no problem in two games against the Cardinals this season, completing 69 percent for 567 yards and a 5-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. 

The Rams are going to get their points here. I don't see the Cardinals keeping up. I give a huge plus to Aaron Donald and a Rams defense line that is peaking against an Arizona offensive line that has sprung leaks and doesn't have a quality healthy running back left. 

This puts tremendous pressure on Kyler Murray, who hasn't been the same dominant force he was earlier in the season before missing four games. Minus superstar wide receiver and security blanket DeAndre Hopkins, the Cardinals are far less dangerous through the air and in the red zone. Arizona's offense mainly consists of a bunch of 5-yard passes for Murray, which isn't going to get the job done. 

McVay is 5-1 against Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury. During these six meetings the Rams have held Murray in check. Murray's averaged 233.2 passing yards, 6.8 yards per attempt with eight all-purpose TD's and nine turnovers along with being sacked 18 times.