This is a play on the KANSAS JAYHAWKS for our CBB Star Attraction. We played against Kansas on Tuesday as a small comp play knowing this game was coming up. The Jayhawks went through the motions as they won by only eight points as a 38.5-point favorite against Eastern Illinois and many will be fading them here based on that game. While Kansas lost badly against Marquette in its only defeat, it owns two very quality wins against Kentucky and Tennessee sandwiched around that and both of those were away from home. The Jayhawks are 3-0 here and while this is their toughest opponent by far, it is hard to ignore the fact they are 149-6 in nonconference games at Allen Fieldhouse under Bill Self. The reigning National Champions are off to a 7-0 start including impressive wins over Indiana and Texas but those were on a neutral floor and this is their first true road game of the season. The talent is here for another run but the Huskies lost so much from that team last season that will be hard to replace, especially in an environment like this. The big thing for Connecticut last season was that it lost only one nonconference game, going 18-1 in its 19 games outside the Big East Conference, but only one of those games was a true road game and that was at Florida which does not compare to this environment. 10* (878) Kansas Jayhawks

This is a play on the NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS for our CBB Elite Powerhouse. Northwestern is coming off one of its best seasons in program history as it went 12-8 in the Big Ten and its No. 2 finish was its highest in over 60 years and the rise has been impressive, going from 8 to 9 to 15 to 22 wins the last four seasons. The Wildcats are off to a 5-1 start and while this is the biggest test so far, the spot could not be better playing its conference opener at home on a Friday night so this environment will be electric. They are led by guard Boo Buie who is on the preseason All-Big Ten team and averaging 18.5 ppg, which is part of the third best backcourt in the conference, ahead of Purdue and that can make the difference again after Northwestern won here last season by six points. We have seen this script before for Purdue will all sorts of early season hype and while this season could be different, this is a tough spot. The Boilermakers won the Maui Invitational with three impressive wins over Marquette, Tennessee and Gonzaga but it was far from a tough environment and this is their first true road game of the season which is always a good fade when laying a big number. Purdue wants to get out with a win and it will be tougher than expected. 10* (876) Northwestern Wildcats

This is a play on the XAVIER MUSKETEERS for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. Xavier is in a similar position to where it was last season as it opened 4-3, where it is now, and then found its groove and won 13 of 14 games enroute to a 27-10 season and a Sweet 16 appearance. The Musketeers lost three starters from last season but have an excellent roster that will contend in the Big East Conference once again. Xavier lost a pair of games away from home against Purdue and Washington and it is coming off a bad loss against Oakland on Monday as a 15-point favorite and it certainly can be guilty of a lookahead to this one. Houston is off to a 7-0 start as it came into the season with high expectations following a 33-win season a year ago but also ended in a Sweet 16 loss. The Cougars, like Xavier, lost some key personnel including three double-digit scorers from the starting lineup including AAC Player of the Year Marcus Sasser. Houston has won every game by double digits but it has been favored in all but one game by double digits so basically has not played anyone of significance and this marks its first true road game of the season. The hype is there once again as the Cougars are ranked No. 6 but these are two similar rosters in transition and we will take the abundance of home points. 10* (846) Xavier Musketeers

This is a play on the COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON COUGARS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Liberty tipped off on Thursday against Florida Atlantic on the Owls home floor and we were hoping for the Flames to win to make this situation even better. This is a four-team event held in Boca Raton, part of the Field of 68 Tip-Off, and Liberty having to play the second of a back-to-back and laying a big number after being a big underdog on Thursday. The Flames opened 6-0 and 5-0 against the number in their first six games which included good wins against Furman and Wichita St. which were back-to-back but facing a team not on a back to back is a different scenario. Charleston opened the season 1-3 which is only one loss less than all of last season but the Cougars bounced back with a pair of wins in true road game against Coastal Carolina and Kent St., the latter coming by six points as a five-point underdog and they are back on track. They lost three starters from that team but are loaded with talent both up top and down low. They push the ball and rely on the three-point ball but bang the boards as the Cougars have been in the top 20 in offensive rebounding percentage the last four seasons and while not there yet, they are in the top 50 so far this year. 10* (844) College of Charleston Cougars

This is a play on the SE MISSOURI ST. REDHAWKS for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. SE Missouri St. hits the road for the fourth time and while it is catching its biggest underdog number, it is still ridiculously high. The Redhawks are 1-5 to start the season including a 0-6 ATS mark after making the NCAA Tournament last season. They have played a tough schedule but catch a low rated opponent here and one that might not be taking them too serious. They lost some great guards from that team and have two starters back which means it may take time but this is the first of five straight winnable games to turn their season around. UMKC is off to a 2-5 start but have lost five straight games as the two wins to open the season came against non-Division 1 teams which have been their only two home games in what of the worst home environments in the country based on location. The Kangaroos are coming off an 11-21 season and while three starters are back, they lost their two top scorers and are having trouble defending with scoring not making up for that. UMKC is home for just one game as it has a game at Kansas on deck so the focus here could be lacking with their biggest game of the season upcoming. 10* (753) SE Missouri St. Redhawks

This is a play on the HOFSTRA PRIDE for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Hofstra is coming off a tournament championship at the Gulf Coast Showcase winning three games in the three days to move the Pride to 4-2, losses coming against Princeton and on the road at George Washington. They return home for just their third home game and it is a big one with a three-game road trip upcoming including games at St. Louis and Duke. Hofstra shared the CAA regular season title with a 16-2 record and made it to the NIT second round and the Pride will be contenders again. The lost two-time CAA Player of the Year Aaron Estrada but bring back three starters led by Tyler Thomas who is averaging 25 ppg. South Florida is 2-2 to start the season with all four games being played at home and now hit the road for the first time up north. Two losses came as favorites so the Bulls have underachieved early on following a 14-18 season including a 7-11 record in the AAC. It is a rebuild in South Florida as the Bulls have a new head coach with Amir Abdur-Ramin and have just one starter back and only three players from the roster from last season. The talent looks to be there but chemistry is an early issue and now the first road game will be a test. 10* (742) Hofstra Pride

This is a play on the BUTLER BULLDOGS for our CBB Star Attraction. Texas Tech is off to a 5-1 start following a 2-1 record in the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament as it lost to Villanova by 16 points in the opener before beating Northern Iowa, which is the top team in the Missouri Valley Conference, and Michigan. The Red Raiders were a fringe NCAA Tournament team last season before losing their final three regular season games and dropping the opener in the Big 12 Tournament and now it is a fresh start with a new head coach in Grant McCasland, who won the NIT with North Texas. This is their first true road game of the season. Butler is 5-2 to start the season with losses to likely NCAA Tournament teams Michigan St. and Florida Atlantic, both away from home. The Bulldogs followed that up with impressive wins over Penn St. and Boise St. and they are back home where they are 3-0. Last season was a tough one as injuries killed them from the start and they never found continuity resulting in a 14-18 season including 6-14 in the Big East Conference. Head coach Thad Matta cleaned house with just one starter back but in his second season, this is now his team with his players and are in a good spot for another quality win. 10* (740) Butler Bulldogs

This is a play on the MONTANA GRIZZLIES for our CBB Late Powerhouse. Montana has opened the season 2-3 following a 35-point loss at Houston and is catching a big number tonight in a great spot. For comparison, the Grizzlies were getting 15 points at Oregon in their first road game and stayed within the number. They bring back a great roster and have been pegged to finish third in the Big Sky Conference with the best backcourt in the conference led by seventh-year guard Aanen Moody, a preseason player of the year candidate. Nevada is 4-0 with covers in all four games that included an impressive win at Washington but is still one of the worst teams in the Pac 12. The Wolf Pack made the NCAA Tournament as a First Four team but lost and they bring back three starters but are still a middle of the pack team in the Mountain West Conference. The Wolf Pack has a revenge game on deck at Loyola Marymount following a 12-point loss last season which was their fourth biggest defeat. Here, we play on road teams after a blowout loss by 20 points or more going up against an opponent after scoring 75 points or more in three straight games. This situation is 102-54 ATS (65.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (721) Montana Grizzlies

This is a play on the ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS for our CBB Star Attraction. Duke is one of the top teams in the country as it used a huge run late last season with a 10-game winning streak on its way to an ACC Tournament Championship before eventually falling in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils have been tested with games against Arizona and Michigan St. which resulted in a split and they come in riding a four-game winning streak. However, this is their first true road game of the season and not an easy place to go to. Arkansas is just 4-3 to start the season and it is coming off a 1-2 tournament record at the Battle 4 Atlantis with the losses coming against Memphis and North Carolina. The Razorbacks came into the season ranked No. 14 in the AP Poll but have fallen out and could use a big quality win. They opened the season with a blowout win over Alcorn St. and have gone 0-6 ATS since then which brings in great value. Arkansas is 38-7 in its last 45 home games since the COVID year and it will be lit tonight. Here, we play on road teams as an favorite or pickem with a winning percentage of .800 or better off a home no-cover where the team won straight up as a favorite, playing a team with a winning percentage between .501 and .600. This situation is 141-85 ATS (62.4 percent since 1997. 10* (718) Arkansas Razorbacks

This is a play on the MURRAY ST. RACERS for our CBB Conference Game of the Month. Bradley is coming off a massive season a year ago where it went 25-10 including a 16-4 record in the Missouri Valley Conference to win the regular season title but lost in the tournament championship game which denied the Braves a trip to the NCAA Tournament. They are 6-0 to start the season but it has been a very tame schedule with only one true road game to open the season. Bradley is 5-0-1 ATS which is playing into this number and open MVC action as a significant road favorite. Murray St. came into last season as a total rebuild yet put together an 11-9 record in their first season in the conference coming over from the OVC and the Racers are better equipped this year with a lot of experience and the best frontcourt in the Missouri Valley Conference. They opened the season 2-0 but have lost three straight games with two of those losses by a combined seven points and the other against a very strong Appalachian St. team. This is a huge game to turn it around before a three-game upcoming road trip. Here, we play against road favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points with a winning percentage of .800 or better playing a team with a winning percentage between .400 and .499. This situation is 59-23 ATS (72 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (698) Murray St. Racers

This is a play on the DETROIT TITANS for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. Oakland opened the season 1-3 with all three losses being as an underdog but has since won three straight games including a massive upset last time out at Xavier as a 15-point underdog. Now the Golden Grizzlies open conference play as an overvalued team based on that win and the fact they are 7-0 ATS which makes them a big public side tonight. They had a decent season in the Horizon League last year going 11-9 for a middle of the pack finish and bowed out in the tournament quarterfinals. Oakland is picked to finish middle of the pack again after losing some key contributors from last season. Detroit has started the season 0-6 with the schedule playing a big role in that. Five of its first six games have been on the road and most against some elite teams as the Titans were underdogs by 15.5, 24, 23 and 16.5 points in their first four games. One of those losses was a very strong effort in a one point defeat at Mississippi and their one home game resulted in a four-point loss to Eastern Michigan. They are now catching a big number at home and their own ATS record is playing into that as the Titans are 1-5 against the number. Great to keep this within reach. 10* (672) Detroit Titans

This is a play on the DUQUESNE DUKES for our CBB Signature Enforcer. UC Irvine lost its season opener at San Jose St. but has won six straight games including impressive wins over USC and Toledo. The victory over the Rockets was part of the Ball Dawgs Classic in Henderson, NV which it won five days ago and now finds itself in a horrible spot as it leaves the west coast for the first time this season and heads east for a stand alone travel spot. The Gauchos have Utah St. and San Diego St. on deck so the focus here will be tough to keep. Duquesne opened the season 3-0 before losing to a very solid Princeton team and is coming off a loss at Nebraska a week ago in its most recent game which was its first true road game of the season. The Dukes are coming off its second 20-win season in the last four years which was sandwiched around two seasons where they won a combined 15 games and they are sleeper team in the Atlantic Ten Conference this season. They have one of the best players in the conference with guard Dae Dae Grant who has the most returning points of any player in the A-10 and is averaging 20.2 ppg. He is part of a starting backcourt averaging a combined 48.8 ppg. Lay the short price here. 10* (660) Duquesne Dukes

This is a play on the MISSOURI TIGERS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Missouri also made it to the NCAA Tournament last year and was bounced by Princeton in the second round so it was a very successful season kind of out of nowhere. The Tigers bring back two starters and brought in the No. 27 ranked recruiting class so there is plenty of talent. They are aggressive on defense and can cause a Pittsburgh team to struggle, one that can score but is not a good shooting team. The Tigers are 5-2 and did win their only true road game at Minnesota but most importantly, they are 0-7 against the number which is inflating this number and they are a live dog here. The Panthers are 5-1 to start the season with a split against Florida and Oregon St. in the NIT Season Tip-Off. Pittsburgh is back home where it has played no one as it was favored by double digits in all four games so this is the biggest test. While it is part of the inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge, this is not the best of spots coming off the trip to NYC and with its ACC opener on deck against Clemson and then the Backyard Brawl against West Virginia. 10* (617) Missouri Tigers

This is a play on the GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. Georgia Tech is in its first season with Damon Stoudamire as head coach following a 15-18 season and the last five years under Josh Pastner were just not good enough. The Yellow Jackets brought back four starters from last season, although one of those is on the shelf until December, so there is plenty of experience and they have five starters that are averaging double digits. They are led by Miles Kelly who is averaging 21 ppg and is in the running for a First Team All ACC player. Georgia Tech is 2-2 with a loss last time out against Cincinnati on the road. Mississippi St. is off to a 6-0 start including three decent wins against Arizona St., Washington St. and Northwestern. The Bulldogs moved up to No. 21 in the latest AP Poll following a less than impressive win over Nichols St. and this is their first true road game of the season. They were the worst three-point shooting team in the country last season and are not much better this year so far and overall, they are No. 226 in shooting and No. 256 from behind the arc. Too many points to be laying away from home. 10* (608) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

This is a play on the EASTERN WASHINGTON EAGLES for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. Eastern Washington put together an incredible season although it did not end the way it wanted. The Eagles put together an 18-game winning streak that included wins in their first 16 Big sky Conference games but then they dropped their final two regular season games, which were meaningless as they already clinched the regular season championship. They lost two starters but still have a veteran group led by all-conference forward Etan Price and they bring in the newcomer of the year in transfer Jake Kyman. The early schedule has been brutal with four road losses against major conference teams and catching a similar number to all of those and this is the worst of the bunch. Washington St. is 4-1 including a 40-point win over Utah Tech but the Trailblazers are pegged to finish dead last in the WAC so that was a deceiving win. The Cougars made it to the NIT last season following an 11-9 record in the Pac 12 but they are expected a regression and while they have won all four games when laying points, they are playing their most experienced team in this role. Washington St. lost four starters and its top four scorers from last season and while it is 4-1, the overall schedule has been fairly tame in addition to that Utah Tech game. This is a revenge game for the Cougars from the NIT last season but it is too many points here. 10* (865) Eastern Washington Eagles

This is a play on the UC-SANTA BARBARA GAUCHOS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Fresno St. is 3-2 following a split in Cancun where it narrowly defeated New Mexico St. and got rolled by James Madison by 31 points. The Bulldogs other two wins came against Fresno Pacific and Morgan St. and now catch another tough opponent in what should not be in a favorite role. They finished 11-20 last season and lost four of their top seven scorers and have been picked to finish deal last in the 11-team Mountain West Conference. UC-Santa Barbara opened the season with a pair of losses against Portland St. and UTEP and both of those games should have been won. The Gauchos recovered to get wins over LeMoyne and Westmont which are far from quality wins but has them trending the right way. They are the preseason pick to win the Big West Conference after finishing tied for the regular season title last year. They have a great backcourt led by Big West Preseason Player of the Year Ajay Mitchell who missed those first two games but has averaged 18 ppg in the two games since. Here, we play on road teams where the line is +3 to -3 shooting 36.5 percent or better from long range and after a game where it made 60 percent of their shots or better going up against teams allowing 36.5 percent or higher from long range. This situation is 34-5 ATS (87.2 percent) since 1997. 10* (863) UC-Santa Barbara Gauchos

This is a play on the LONG BEACH ST. 49ERS for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. Montana St. has been one of the most successful programs in the Big Sky Conference the last couple years but this is a new era with not a lot to build on. The Bobcats won 52 games the last two seasons and made it to the NCAA Tournament but retained only four scholarship players from last season while bringing in a new head coach. They are off to a 3-2 start including an upset win at California but the Golden Bears are arguably the worst team in the Pac 12 and they remain home following a one point win over UC-Riverside and face a better Big West Conference team today. Long Beach St. had a middle of the pack season last year with a 17-16 record as a very inexperienced team but this is now a veteran group with five starters returning and 10 players overall. It has been a tough early season schedule as the 49ers are playing their eighth straight game away from home. They are coming off a 1-2 tournament in Florida which followed an eight-point win at Michigan. This is a great bounce back spot with the much better roster laying a short price. 10* (725) Long Beach St. 49ers

This is a play on the OLD DOMINION MONARCHS for our CBB Afternoon Dominator. Old Dominion is off to a 1-3 start with three straight losses coming into today, two on the road at Ball St. and Arkansas and then a home loss against Princeton. The Monarchs are coming off a solid 19-12 season despite going through numerous uphill battles mostly due to injury and so far, they remain healthy. They have the best player on the floor in Chaunce Jenkins, a junior point guard who led the team in scoring, assists and three-point shooting last year and he is averaging 17.3 ppg so far and he is in the running for SBC Player of the Year. Drexel is 3-2 and coming off a pair of double-digit wins and this is the start of a four-game roadtrip following a three-game homestand. The Dragons are coming off a 17-15 season and are looking to make a move up in the Coastal Athletic Association but winning on the road has been a challenge. They went 4-10 away from home last season and while their defense has been lethal during their three-game homestand by allowing 32 percent shooting, taking that on the road will be a challenge. 10* (714) Old Dominion Monarchs

This is a play on the CHARLOTTE 49ERS for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. Charlotte is a much more experienced team as it has three starters back from a team that went deep into the postseason by winning the CBI Tournament. The 49ers also have a new head coach but they promoted a top assistant and he was able to retain they key players that were expected to transfer out and he brought in a great recruiting class. Charlotte is coming off a loss to UCF by three points on a neutral floor and the other loss came against Liberty, a team that is favored to win Conference USA and the 49ers are back home where they are 2-0. Georgia St. is coming off a pair of wins over Little Rock to improve to 3-2. The Panthers are 2-1 on the road with both wins coming as the favorite and while they did cover their only game as an underdog, it was the opening game of the season against a rebuilding Belmont team where they still did end up losing. Georgia St. finished 10-21 last season that included only three SBC wins and it is projected to finish near the bottom again. The Panthers are more experienced but still very hard to be trusted on the road especially in this spot with the biggest number it has seen and that is telling. 10* (628) Charlotte 49ers

This is a play on the LITTLE ROCK TROJANS for our CBB False Favorite. Tulsa is off to a 4-0 start which is already just one win away from its win total from last season where it went 5-25 including a 1-17 record in the AAC. The Golden Hurricane had nowhere to go but up based on the disaster from last season but are still predicted to finish No. 12 in the 14-team conference and this is the first test. Tulsa lost all five starters and nine of its top ten scorers from last season which may not be a bad thing and the main goal was to shore up a horrible defense which it has done thus far. However, They have played no one with all four games at home and they were favored by double digits in all four games. Little Rock has seen opposite results as it is 1-4 to open the season which includes four straight losses and four straight non-covers. Three of those defeats were away from home with the last one coming in overtime in Little Rock and all of these followed a season opening win at home against Texas St. The Trojans are expected to make a move up in the OVC after a 10-21 season that was filled with brutal losses as 12 times it was a one-point game either way at the last media timeout and they lost all of them. False favorite. 10* (616) Little Rock Trojans

This is a play on the SE MISSOURI ST. REDHAWKS for our CBB Afternoon Dominator. Evansville is off to a 5-0 start and those five wins have already matched the win total all of last season. The Purple Aces are coming off an overtime win over UT-Chattanooga as 8.5-point underdogs yesterday so they are in a tough spot playing back-to-back days off an overtime game. Evansville clearly has improved from last season which was expected with four returning starters but it is still picked to finish 11th in the 12-team Missouri Valley Conference. SE Missouri St. will also be playing back-to-back games in this format in Chattanooga but this is the first game with the second taking place on Sunday. The Redhawks are 1-3 to start the season including a 0-4 ATS mark after making the NCAA Tournament last season. They lost some great guards from that team and have two starters back which means it may take time but coming off their first win and now in a great spot put them in a great position. This is an rare early nonconference revenge spot as SE Missouri St. already lost to Evansville by 19 points at home no less which was just 10 days ago and we are seeing a massive nine-point line swing. 10* (602) SE Missouri St. Redhawks

This is a play on the TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Texas Tech is off to a 4-1 start following a 1-1 split to open the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament as it lost to Villanova by 16 points in the opener before beating Northern Iowa, which is the top team in the Missouri Valley Conference, yesterday. The Red Raiders were a fringe NCAA Tournament team last season before losing their final three regular season games and dropping the opener in the Big 12 Tournament and now it is a fresh start with a new head coach in Grant McCasland, who won the NIT with North Texas and brings in a tenacious defense. Michigan lost to Memphis in the opener before beating Stanford by five points yesterday. The Wolverines opened the season 3-0 with three blowout wins but then lost against Long Beach St., falling by eight points as a 16-point favorite. That defeat was probably a more telling sign of this team that did not bring much back and is picked to finish 12th in the big 10. 10* (853) Texas Tech Red Raiders

This is a play on the USC TROJANS for our CBB Star Attraction. USC opened the season with a big win against Kansas St. as it came into the season ranked No. 21 in the preseason AP Poll and then rolled UC Santa Barbara before losing to UC Irvine but the Trojans were without two of their best players as Boogie Ellis and Kobe Johnson were out. They are back and USC is totally healthy now and that duo scored a combined 35 points yesterday in their eight-point win over Seton Hall and they are in good shape to take the tournament. Oklahoma opened the season 4-0 with four blowout wins at home over some bad competition and it opened the tournament with a nice win over Iowa, which looks to be in another down season. The Sooners are coming off a rough season a year ago as they finished with just 15 wins including a 5-13 record in the Big 12 and not much more is expected this season. The early 4-0 start has this team overvalued. 10* (861) USC Trojans

This is a play on the TOLEDO ROCKETS for our CBB Afternoon Dominator. The final round of the Ball Dawgs Classic from Henderson, NV takes place Friday with the first tip between Toledo and Indiana St. The Rockets are 0-2 through the first two games and the Sycamores are 2-0 but the teams had completely different draws. Toledo had to face New Mexico and UC Irvine, two teams that are expected to contend in the Mountain West Conference and Big West Conference respectively so the Rockets take a step down. Conversely, Indiana St. faces Rice and Pepperdine, two teams that are predicted to finish near the bottom of the AAC and WCC respectively so the Sycamores take a step up. Indiana St. came to Nevada 2-1 with both wins at home against garbage teams while toledo came in 3-0 that included a very impressive win on the road at Wright St. Wrong team favored. 10* (801) Toledo Rockets

This is a play on the BOISE ST. BRONCOS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Boise St. has made the NCAA Tournament each of the last two seasons and will be going for a third consecutive trip which should not be an issue. The Broncos are one of the most experienced teams in the country coming off 51 wins the last two seasons and they have three potential All-MWC Players with the best frontcourt in the conference. Boise St. is off to a 2-1 start with the most recent game resulting in a 17-point loss at Clemson and we can chalk that up to an aberration as the Broncos could not buy a bucket in the second half while Clemson ended up making 51 percent of its shots and now it gets a second chance against another ACC school, one that is not close to that of the Tigers. Virginia Tech is 3-1 to start the season with wins over teams where it was favored by at least 18 points with its one loss coming against South Carolina, a team pegged to finish last in the SEC. The Hokies have three starters back but this team is nothing special as they are picked as a bottom half ACC team. Basically, they should not be favored here. 10* (775) Boise St. Broncos

This is a play on the TEXAS A&M AGGIES for our CBB Afternoon Dominator. Penn St. had a magical run last season as it nearly won the Big 10 Tournament, losing by a bucket to Purdue, then defeated Texas A&M in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Texas by five points. The Nittany Lions are now starting over as they brought back only four players while losing 95 percent of their scoring to go along with a new head coach. They are 4-0 but have played no one as they were favored by at least 13 points in all of those games. Texas A&M is also 4-0 with impressive wins at Ohio St. and SMU and the Aggies are primed for another run after winning 25 games last season. They have four starters back and are currently ranked No. 12 and certainly in the mix in the SEC. They have had this game circled and get their revenge today. Here, we play on favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .800 from last season, with three or more starters returning from last year than opponent. This situation is 36-12 ATS (75 percent) since 1997. 10* (770) Texas A&M Aggies

This is a play on the SMU MUSTANGS for our CBB Star Attraction. SMU is undervalued here with a lot of that based on what transpired last season but the 10-22 record does not tell the whole story. The Mustangs lost seven games by one possession and of those 22 losses, 15 were by five points or less so things could have been a lot better. They were coming off a 24-win season in the previous year but lost a ton of talent including point guard Kendrick Davis who transferred to Memphis and averaged 22.1 ppg. SMU was forced to plug the point but are much better off this season with plenty of backcourt experience. The Mustangs are already 4-1 including a big win at West Virginia last time out. Wisconsin opened the season 1-2 with two double-digit losses against Tennessee and Providence but has since won two straight games including a home upset over Virginia in its last game by 24 points and that is also affecting this line. This is a very experienced team that is expected to make a move up in the Big Ten after going 20-15 including 9-11 in the conference. That being said, this is a slow down team as usual making points a premium and SMU can score and has its own solid defense as well. 10* (747) SMU Mustangs

This is a play on the GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. Cincinnati is off to a 4-0 start with the four wins all coming against mid-majors and now have its biggest test of the season Wednesday. The Bearcats had a great season in their last in the AAC as they went 23-13 and made a run in the NIT. They lost a lot from that team as four of the top five scorers departed as did five of the last seven players in minutes played. They were hoping to have a pair of big time transfers get onto the court right away but 7’0 Aziz Bandaogo and 6’10 Jamille Reynolds were not granted waivers and have to sit out the season. Georgia Tech is in its first season with Damon Stoudamire as head coach following a 15-18 season and the last five years under Josh Pastner were just not good enough. The Yellow Jackets brought back four starters from last season, although one of those is on the shelf until December, so there is plenty of experience and they have five starters that are averaging double digits. They are led by Miles Kelly who is averaging 21 ppg and is in the running for a First Team All ACC player. Georgia Tech is 2-1 with a loss last time out against a very good UMass-Lowell team and are in bounce back mode but more of our concern, it is getting a big number. 10* (687) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

This is a play on the OLD DOMINION MONARCHS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Princeton was one of many Cinderella stories last season as it made it to the Sweet 16 as a No. 15 seed after defeating Arizona and Missouri before eventually losing to Creighton. The Tigers are expected to be a top half team in the Ivy League again but they lost a ton as they have to replace three key seniors in Tosan Evbuomwan, Ryan Langborg and Keeyshawn Kellman which contributed a combined 36 ppg last season. They are off to a 4-0 start, both straight up and against the number and that is affecting this number. There has been a lot of travel with this being the fifth destination in five games with their first home game of the season coming up. Old Dominion is off to a 1-2 start with two straight losses coming into today, both on the road at Ball St. and Arkansas. The Monarchs are coming off a solid 19-12 season despite going through numerous uphill battles mostly due to injury and so far, they remain healthy. They have the best player on the floor in Chaunce Jenkins, a junior point guard who led the team in scoring, assists and three-point shooting last year and he is averaging 19 ppg so far and he is in the running for SBC Player of the Year. 10* (680) Old Dominion Monarchs

This is a play on the MURRAY ST. RACERS for our CBB Afternoon Dominator. This is a great early spot play for Murray St. Appalachian St. played yesterday and rolled over UNC Wilmington by 30 points but it was in the good spot there as the Seahawks were coming off win the previous day in overtime against the Racers in the first game of the Fort Myers Tip-Off. Now it is the Mountaineers playing in a back-to-back spot and playing early in the afternoon no less. That win snapped a two-game losing streak where they lost at Illinois St. and Oregon St. by double digits, two teams to finish in the bottom half of their respective conferences. Murray St. let that game against UNC Wilmington get away as it has a 10-point lead in the second half and led by seven points with 2:06 remaining but lost the lead and the game was sent into overtime on a controversial foul with 1.6 seconds left. That bad taste in their mouths will provide plenty of motivation for the Racers whose defense will improve. Here, we play on teams shooting 36.5 percent or better from three going up against a team shooting 32 percent or worse from three, after 3 straight games - allowing a shooting percentage of 47 percent or higher. This situation is 39-12 ATS (76.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (672) Murray St. Racers

This is a play on the SOUTHERN ILLINOIS SALUKIS for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. Southern Illinois is off to a 3-0 start with wins against Kentucky St., Queens, and Chicago St. and while this is obviously their toughest opponent, the Salukis are a live dog here. While they lost their top two scorers from last season, thee starters are back from a team that went 23-10 and finished tied for third in Missouri Valley Conference. James Madison is off to a 4-0 start and has moved up to No. 22 in the AP Poll. The Dukes opened the season with the big upset over Michigan St. and most recently snuck by Radford at home by three points. This is a buy low, sell high spot and have a tough matchup here against a long and athletic team. The offense has been potent but the defense has been an issues as they are No. 349 in points allowed while their 43.4 percent shooting percentage allowed in No. 229. Here, we play against neutral court teams that has a winning percentage between .600 and .800 last season off a home win by three points or less, playing a team that had a winning record. This situation is 28-7 ATS (80 percent) since 1997. 10* (660) Southern Illinois Salukis

This is a play on the AKRON ZIPS for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. Akron is off to a 4-0 start following a win over Florida International last night and is in another good spot here. Akron is the preseason pick to win the MAC and for good reason. The Zips finished 13-5 in the conference last season behind Toledo and Kent St. and have arguably the two best players in the MAC. Center Enrique Freeman is the Preseason Player of the Year after two straight seasons averaging a double-double and the Zips leading scorer from two years ago, Ali Ali, is back after going to Butler for a season. Overall, the Zips have six players that are playing in their fifth year so this is one of the most experienced teams in the country. Utah St. rolled over Marshall by 23 points yesterday which was a big win after an uneven start to the season. The Aggies are one of the most inexperienced teams in the country as it lost 100 percent of its scoring from last season so facing an experienced team here is not ideal. The Aggies are picked No. 7 in the MWC after a tie for second last season and not in the spot here. 10* (841) Akron Zips

This is a play on the ST. MARY'S GAELS for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. Xavier made a run to the Sweet 16 last season and ended up finishing the season 27-10 and led the Big East in every offensive category but the Musketeers lost the majority of that production with three departed starters that averaged a combined 45.6 ppg. Only four players from last season are on the roster and making matters worse, the two returning starters who were going to lead the offense are out for the season as Jerome Hunter and Zach Freemantle are done. Xavier has to rely on a brand new roster and the offense is hurting as it is ranked No. 206 in scoring and No. 170 in shooting and even more concerning is its free throw shooting that comes in No. 256. St. Mary's is also coming off a great season where it went 27-8 but it is in much better shape as three starters are back. The Gaels opened the season 2-0 but have dropped their last two games with total meltdowns in the second half. They lost to Weber St. after blowing a 16-point lead and in their last game against San Diego St., they trailed by just one point at halftime before getting outscored 45-21 in the second half. This is the get right game they need before heading back home. 10* (735) St. Mary's Gaels

This is a play on the WOFFORD TERRIERS for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. Wofford is coming off an uneven season where it went 17-16 including an 8-10 record in the SoCon but it was a tough year where its coach resigned in January and yet the Terriers plugged along. They lost three starters but have a core group back with a lot of size and athleticism and played No. 7 Tennessee tough for a majority of the game before losing by 21 as a 31-point underdog. Facing a tough defense, they for forced into 10 steals and while facing another power program, they should not be getting this number here. Virginia Tech is 2-1 to start the season with wins over Coppin St. and Campbell, the latter by 16 points with its one loss coming against South Carolina, a team pegged to finish last in the SEC. The Hokies have three starters back but this team is nothing special as they are picked as a bottom half ACC team and are laying close to the same number it did against Campbell which they did not cover. The story here is head coach Mike Young was at Wofford for 17 years before coming to Blacksburg so there will be no running it up against the school that got him to the ACC 10* (671)Wofford Terriers

This is a play on the BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. Harvard is in a big letdown spot following an overtime win yesterday against Massachusetts to improve to 4-0. Harvard was fortunate that the Minutemen could not make a free throw as they went 10-25 from the charity stripe. While it is 4-0, it is not a very impressive 4-0 against three Division 1 teams predicted to finish in the bottom half of their conference and a win against UMass-Boston. The Crimson finished second to last in the Ivy League last season and that is where they are picked again. After losing four seniors, this is a young team with three freshman starters still coming off a Friday high and the back-to-back will be too much to overcome including the preparation standpoint. Boston College is 3-0 with a solid win over Richmond and this is its final home game tune up before playing in the Hall of Fame Classic starting Wednesday. The Eagles are another Harvard opponent picked to finish in the second half of the conference but this is a team from a major conference with a lot of experience. Boston College has gone from 4 to 13 to 16 wins the last three years and brings back three starters all in their third season in the program under head coach Earl Grant. 10* (622) Boston College Eagles

This is a play on the MONMOUTH HAWKS for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. Princeton was one of many Cinderella stories last season as it made it to the Sweet 16 as a No. 15 seed after defeating Arizona and Missouri before eventually losing to Creighton. The Tigers are expected to be a top half team in the Ivy League again but they lost a ton as they have to replace three key seniors in Tosan Evbuomwan, Ryan Langborg and Keeyshawn Kellman which contributed a combined 36 ppg last season. They are off to a 3-0 start, both straight up and against the number and that is affecting this number. Monmouth was a very young team last season and it showed early on as it went 1-12 during the non-conference season and started slow in the CAA but played well late and won a game in the CAA Tournament. The Hawks have four starters back and are expected to make a big move in the conference and they already own a win over West Virginia by eight points as a 14.5-point underdog. The biggest impact should be an already has been graduate transfer Xander Rice, the son of coach King Rice, who was an impactful point guard for Bucknell in the Patriot League. He scored 30 points in the upset of West Virginia. 10* (608) Monmouth Hawks

This is a play on the EASTERN WASHINGTON EAGLES for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. Eastern Washington put together an incredible season although it did not end the way it wanted. The Eagles put together an 18-game winning streak that included wins in their first 16 Big sky Conference games but then they dropped their final two regular season games, which were meaningless as they already clinched the regular season championship. That lost momentum carried over into the conference tournament where they lost in the first round and were relegated to the NIT. They lost two starters but still have a veteran group led by all-conference forward Etan Price and they bring in the newcomer of the year in transfer Jake Kyman. Eastern Washington is 0-3 but faced three elite teams and are now catching another big number similar to the last two ones that they covered. Stanford is a middle of the pack team in the Pac 12 after a 14-19 overall season that includes a 7-13 conference record. The Cardinal lost two starters and did not get a ton of transfer help and is off to a 2-1 start against three inferior teams yet they still cannot defend. They were one of the worst teams defensively in the conference and in the country and have allowed 75 ppg. 10* (825) Eastern Washington Eagles

This is a play on the MICHIGAN ST. SPARTANS for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. There have been rough times at Butler of late as it not reached 20 wins in four years after going 14-18 last season including 6-14 in the Big East to finish ahead of only lowly DePaul and Georgetown. The Bulldogs are starting over once again and are picked to move down in the conference to last place as they lost four starters. 10 new players arrive consisting of six transfers and four freshman that need to replace 91 percent of their scoring and minutes. Butler has started 3-0 with three blowout wins all at home against a bunch of nobody's and now comes the test in its first road game. Michigan St. is off to a 1-2 start but there is no time to panic. The Spartans lost to James Madison to open the season but bounced back against Southern Indiana even though they did not cover. They then lost to Duke on Tuesday and they are off to a 0-3 ATS start and coupled with the Butler 3-0 ATS start, the value is on their side. This is still a top five team with this game and Alcorn St. on deck to get right before facing another daunting test against Arizona on Thanksgiving next week. 10* (778) Michigan St. Spartans

This is a play on the ST. JOHNS RED STORM for our CBB Afternoon Dominator. We had plays on both St. Johns and Dayton yesterday which ended up splitting with the former blowing a big lead and only winning by one point. We covered with Dayton but the Flyers looked unimpressive against an inferior LSU team. Rick Pitino took over the St. Johns program and brought in in three players from his old school as well as numerous big name transfers that were all conference players so this roaster is loaded with talent, it just needs to gel. Now a few games in, they are coming together with the exception of the late lapse yesterday and the Red Storm are now 0-3 against the number with no one betting on them today. The Flyers should have destroyed LSU which is in complete rebuild mode and they actually had to rally to pull off the win. They shot just 39 percent from the floor while the defense allowed 52 percent shooting for the Tigers and overall Dayton is now No. 250 in opponents shooting. While expected to win the A-10, it is a weak conference. The line is telling as Dayton was favored by just one point over the Tigers and is now a pickem in most spots against a much better roster. 10* (839) St. Johns Red Storm

This is a play on the WRIGHT ST. RAIDERS for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. Indiana is off to a 2-0 start but the wins have come against Florida Gulf Coast and Army and both were a lot closer than expected. The Hoosiers had a solid season last year where they advanced to the NCAA Tournament second round but they have to replace four starters including First Team All American Trayce Jackson-Davis and this could take some time. Even head coach Mike Woodson stated early that there is a lot of work to do. McKenzie Mgbako was supposed to be a big piece to the puzzle as he was ranked in the top ten freshmen coming into the season but has scored only six points. Indiana has Connecticut on deck. Wright St. is 0-2 as it got shellacked at Colorado St. before losing a tough game by one point against Toledo, a preseason MAC contender. After winning 22 games two seasons ago, the Raiders won only 18 games last season including 10-10 in the Horizon, their worst conference record since 2016. They are the preseason favorite to win the conference as they have three starters back including two possible first team conference players highlighted by preseason Player of the Year Trey Calvin. This line is based on name and not about roster talent. 10* (717) Wright St. Raiders.

This is a play on the DAYTON FLYERS for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. LSU looked like a contender last season heading into SEC action as it opened the season 12-1 before things went south in a hurry. The Tigers lost their next 14 games before a win against Vanderbilt but had only one more win before the season ended in the SEC Tournament against that same Vanderbilt team. It looks to be a complete rebuild and it was intended to be highlighted by the return of Jalen Cook who was here as a freshman before going to Tulane where he became a two-time First Team All-AAC point guard but he was not granted a waiver and he is ineligible this season. The Tigers beat Mississippi Valley St. but then lost to Nichols St. at home as a 19.5-point favorite. Dayton also opened the season with a convincing win over SUI-Edwardsville but lost its second game at Northwestern but at least it has been road tested. Despite 22 wins, the Flyers did not make it to a postseason tournament as they passed on the NIT because there were too many injuries which hampered them all season. They took a summer trip to Europe to get some early chemistry and they bring back DaRon Holmes II who is averaging 18 ppg and was named the Preseason Player of the Year in the A-10 and Dayton is the favorite to win the conference. 10* (743) Dayton Flyers

This is a play on the ST. JOHNS RED STORM for our CBB Afternoon Dominator. St. Johns defeated Stony Brook in its opener before getting blown out by Michigan by 16 points as a three-point favorite. The big news obviously was the hiring of head coach Rick Pitino who came over after a successful stint at Iona. He cleaned house as nine players transferred as he wanted to build his own regime and is doing so through the transfer portal. He brought in three players from his old school as well as numerous big name transfers that were all conference players so this roaster is loaded with talent, it just needs to gel and it is in a great bounce back spot here. North Texas is coming off its best season ever as it won a school record 31 games while winning the NIT behind one of the best defenses in the country. The Mean Green are expected to take a fall and while they are 2-0, those wins were against Northern Iowa and Nebraska-Omaha, both at home and both fairly competitive from an opponent standpoint. They not only have a new head coach as Grant McCasland left for Texas Tech but they have to replace four starters from last season and are now away from home for the first time. One of the best defenses in the country last year has been a shell of that so far. 10* (741) St. Johns Red Storm

This is a play on the CHARLOTTE 49ERS for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. Utah Valley has a special season a year ago as it won the WAC regular season title with a 15-3 record and it went 28-9 overall to advance to the NIT where it rolled to three wins against New Mexico, Colorado and Cincinnati. Now the Wolverines have to start from scratch as all five starters are gone and only two players from the roster are back, Additionally, there is a new coach in charge after Mark Madsen left for California so this team could take a while to come together. They are off to a 2-0 start including a win over Sam Houston St. in their first Division 1 game but the Bearkats are in rebuild mode as well. Charlotte is a much more experienced team as it has three starters back from a team that went deep into the postseason by winning the CBI Tournament. The 49ers also have a new head coach but they promoted a top assistant and he was able to retain they key players that were expected to transfer out and he brought in a great recruiting class. Charlotte is coming off a loss to Liberty, a team that is favored to win Conference USA and the 49ers are back home to bounce back from that loss. 10* (690) Charlotte 49ers

This is a play on the WEBER ST. WILDCATS for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. Weber St. had a solid season a year ago in the Big Sky Conference going 12-6 but was up against Eastern Washington and Montana St. which both had the two most experienced teams in the conference and now that mantra goes to the Wildcats. They return all five starters including Dillon Jones who is the Preseason Player of the Year in the conference and one of the underrated players in the country after dabbling going into the NBA draft following accolades in the G League. St. Mary's is off to a 2-0 start following a 27-8 season a year ago where it made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to eventual National Champion Connecticut. The Gaels won the WCC with the 14-2 record and will be in contention again but lost two key starters and are overvalued here. They beat New Mexico in their last game but the Lobos were shorthanded and it was a revenge spot for the Gaels which are also in a lookahead with San Diego St. on deck. 10* (723) Weber St. Wildcats

This is a play on the ILLINOIS ST REDBIRDS for our CBB Saturday Ultimate Underdog. St. Louis has been a great program for years as it has won 21 or more games four of the last five years including last season when it went 21-12 including 12-6 in the A-10 but did not get a single postseason invitation and that is telling about where it sits yet still it is an overvalued team. The Billikens lost four starters from last season as well as six of its top seven scorers and while it is not considered a complete rebuild, they are not in a place to compete with experienced competition and even less so when laying a number like this. They rolled some school called Lincoln but prior to that they beat Southern Indiana by shooting 36.4 percent. Illinois St. had a miserable season last year as it went 11-21 including 6-14 in the MVC and that can actually be considered not bad considering the Redbirds had only one starter back with a brand new coach. Now there is experience as three starters are back along with two other players that combined for 24 starts. Additional transfers makes this one of the most experienced teams in their conference. Live dog. 10* (645) Illinois St. Redbirds

This is a play on the KENT ST. GOLDEN FLASHES for our CBB Saturday Enforcer. We lost with Kent St. on Thursday as the Golden Flashes fell in double overtime against James Madison and the Dukes have to be given credit for that as they overcame two late deficits and that was with them coming off that huge win over Michigan St. This is a great bounce back spot for Kent St. after a shaky first game and that recent loss. Four of the starters are juniors or seniors and the fifth starter is a top transfer from Central Michigan who was the MAC Freshman of the Year last season. The offense showed it can score and that was against a solid defense. Fresno St. is coming off a win in its season opener against Fresno Pacific but it was just an 11-point victory and this is not a great spot as this is the Bulldogs only real long travel spot of the season. The MWC is top heavy as usual and Fresno St. is predicted to not be anywhere close as it has been picked to finish either 10 or 11 of the 11-team conference. The Bulldogs return three starters but four of their top seven scorers left and scoring 77 points against a non-D1 shows they cannot keep up here. 10* (644) Kent St. Golden Flashes

This is a play on the BYU COUGARS as part of our CBB Friday Triple Play. San Diego St. made it all the way to the NCAA Championship before losing to Connecticut and it was certainly a season to remember. The Aztecs went 32-7 including 15-2 in the MWC and made the improbable run in the NCAA Tournament with a relentless defense but did have a couple fortunate breaks along the way. They lost three starters and projected starter Darrion Trammell missed the opener and is questionable with a shoulder injury. San Diego St. rolled over a below average Cal State Fullerton team as that defense was on display, allowing just 33 percent shooting but they take a big step up here and the line is telling. BYU is coming off a 19-15 season including a 7-9 record in their final year in the WCC and now it enters the Big 12 are have been projected to be a middle of the pack team. The Cougars have four starters back and got an early jump on the season with an overseas trip to Italy and Croatia and that extra time together is important. They rolled Houston Christian and now have a statement game in a revenge spot. 10* (864) BYU Cougars

This is a play on the MISSOURI TIGERS as part of our CBB Friday Triple Play. Memphis has had a great run under head coach Penny Hardaway as it has won at least 20 games over the last five seasons. The Tigers made it to the NCAA Tournament last season but lost to eventual Final Four team FAU and while they are going to compete for the AAC title, there is work to do in the meantime. Memphis brings back only one player that saw playing time so it is going to take some time, especially when playing a quality team like the one they see tonight. Missouri also made it to the NCAA Tournament last year and was bounced by Princeton in the second round so it was a very successful season as well. The Tigers bring back two starters and brought in the No. 27 ranked recruiting class so there is plenty of talent. They are aggressive on defense and can cause a young Memphis team into mistakes and in its opener, Missouri rolled Arkansas-Pine Bluff with a 56 percent shooting performance and hung 101 points on the Golden Lions. 10* (870) Missouri Tigers

This is a play on the WRIGHT ST. RAIDERS as part of our CBB Friday Triple Play. Wright St. opens its season tonight and have the edge in that regard with nothing for Colorado St. to go off. The Raiders went 10-10 last season in the Horizon League and have three starters back, led by First Team point guard Trey Calvin who is the Preseason Player of the Year and are the preseason pick to win the conference. They also have a key addition as the NCAA granted a waiver to Tanner Holden after he transferred from Ohio St. and graduated from Wright State in July. He averaged 20 ppg for the Raiders two years ago so this is a loaded lineup. Colorado St. won its opener over Louisiana Tech but it was not a pretty win as it won by eight points against a Bulldogs team noy expected to do much this season. The Rams outscored them 23-8 from the free throw line which was clearly the difference. They have three starters back from a team that went 15-18 and have a very tough matchup here against a team they do not know much about. 10* (873) Wright St. Raiders

This is a play on the HOFSTRA PRIDE for our CBB Friday Enforcer. Princeton was one of many Cinderella stories last season as it made it to the Sweet 16 as a No. 15 seed after defeating Arizona and Missouri before eventually losing to Creighton. The Tigers are expected to be a top half team in the Ivy League again but they lost a ton as they have to replace three key seniors in Tosan Evbuomwan, Ryan Langborg and Keeyshawn Kellman which contributed a combined 36 ppg last season. It is a mini rebuild and Princeston opened the season with an upset win over Rutgers in Trenton but the Scarlet Knight are in complete rebuild mode so all that win is doing here is adding value the other way. Hofstra shared the CAA regular season title with a 16-2 record and made it to the NIT second round and the Pride will be contenders again. The lost two-time CAA Player of the Year Aaron Estrada but bring back three starters led by Tyler Thomas who scored 26 points in their opening win over St. Joes-Long Island. 10* (814) Hofstra Pride

This is a play on the KENT ST. GOLDEN FLASHES for our CBB Thursday Enforcer. James Madison is coming off the biggest opening night upset as it took out No. 4 Michigan St., the only top 25 team to lose its opening game. It was a three-point win that was aided by the Spartans going 1-20 from long range and the fact they went just 23-37 (62 percent) from the free throw line. The Dukes shot just 37 percent from the floor including 28 percent from behind the arc so it was certainly a fortunate win but credit has to be given. That being said, this is a big letdown spot especially going on the road again in another tough environment. Kent t. is coming off a 19-point win over Malone College which is not really an indication of how this team really is. After a rough first half, the Golden Flashes poured it on in the second half and overall shot 46 percent from the floor. Three starters are gone from the team that went 28-7 including 15-3 in the MAC so the slow first half start cannot be overly surprising but there is still a ton of experience. Four of the starters are juniors or seniors and the fifth starter is a top transfer from Central Michigan who was the MAC Freshman of the Year last season. 10* (650) Kent St. Golden Flashes

This is play on the AKRON ZIPS as part of our CBB Opening Night 3-Pack. Akron is the preseason pick to win the MAC and for good reason. The Zips finished 13-5 in the conference last season behind Toledo and Kent St. and have arguably the two best players in the MAC. Center Enrique Freeman is the Preseason Player of the Year after two straight seasons averaging a double-double and the Zips leading scorer from two years ago, Ali Ali, is back after going to Butler for a season. Overall, the Zips have six players that are playing in their fifth year so this is one of the most experienced teams in the country. They made a trip to Puerto Rico in August, an international trip allowed every four years, to gain even more early practice time together. South Dakota St. is no slouch as the Jackrabbits are the preseason pick in the Summit League but a lot of that is due to top teams from last season losing a ton. Three starters are back led by Zeke Mayo, who made the Preseason All Summit Team, but there are numerous newcomers coming in and they are at a big disadvantage down low. Overall, there are seven players back with experience but South Dakota St. has seven players that are either freshman or redshirt freshman and a sophomore transfer. 10* (869) Akron Zips

This is play on the FIU PANTHERS as part of our CBB Opening Night 3-Pack. The number here is telling us UCF is a quality and experience team but that is not the case and laying a double-digit price is questionable. UCF had a successful season in its last one in the AAC as it made it to the NIT despite a seventh place finish in the conference at 8-10. It was led by NBA draft pick Taylor Hendricks and now only one starter is back for the Knights while five of the top six scorers have departed and only four players from the roster return. This is not great news in their first year in the Big 12 and they are picked to finish last in the conference and while that is a ways away, the chemistry of this team remains in question. It was a tough season for Florida International as it finished 14-18 including an 8-12 record in Conference USA but things are on the rise. The Panthers were extremely young as they started four freshmen at certain times and they were small, often going with four guards which put them at the bottom of the conference in rebounding but the transfer portal has addressed that. They bring back a ton of experience highlighted by Conference USA Freshman of the Year Arturo Dean who comes in First Team Preseason who is the best player on the floor tonight. 10* (813) FIU Panthers

This is play on the MISSOURI ST. BEARS as part of our CBB Opening Night 3-Pack. West Virginia enters the season amid a chaotic offseason highlighted by the resignation of head coach Bob Huggins and a complete roster overhaul. Despite a 7-11 record in the Big 12, the Mountaineers secured an NCAA Tournament bid where they lost to Maryland by a bucket and now there are questions everywhere. West Virginia lost all five starters and trying to complete a roster was a challenge for new head coach Josh Eilert as there was still an open scholarship spot entering the fall. It is going to take a lot of time for this team to find its chemistry with so many new parts. It was a successful season for the Bears as they went 17-15 overall including 12-8 in the highly competitive MVC as head coach Dana Ford had to deal with adversity all season. Injuries crushed this team as there was not a single player that played in every game while every player on the 13-team roster made a start so pulling off a winning record was impressive. Three starters are back as well as six other players with starting experience led by Donovan Clay who is a sleeper for MVC Player of the Year and the big piece is the return of Matthew Lee who made only two starts before tearing his ACL. 10* (785) Missouri St. Bears

This is a play on the SAN DIEGO ST. AZTECS for our National Championship Enforcer. Connecticut comes in as the big favorite as it again rolled in the NCAA Tournament following a 13-point win over Miami and all five games have been won by at least that amount. That did put some early money on the Huskies as the number opened at -6 and has risen a point and a half as of Sunday night with 81 percent of the money coming in on Connecticut and that will not ease up. The Huskies have used incredible athleticism and length to blowout all five opponents but this is the worst of the two matchups that Connecticut could have gotten from the other semifinal matchup. One stat the no one will want to go against is the fact that Connecticut is 16-0 straight up and 15-1 ATS in nonconference games with the lone non-cover coming by just one point. San Diego St. has not been nearly as dominant in the tournament as it has won its last two games by just one point, the first team ever to win its Elite Eight and Final Four games by a single point. They make a tough matchup for the Huskies as they have the defense that is fully capable to ultimately keep this game close. The Aztecs possess the No. 4 ranked efficiency defense in the country and the last game against Florida Atlantic was the first time in the last nine games they have allowed an opponent to shoot better than 40 percent. San Diego St. is deep which makes opponents adjust and the Aztecs bench points are ranked No. 36 in the country and as long as they can control the pace for most of the game, this one stays close and they are more than capable of the outright victory. 10* (711) San Diego St. Aztecs

This is a play on the MIAMI HURRICANES for our Final Four Dominator. Of the Final Four teams, Miami has had the toughest run as the four teams it defeated had a combined seeding of 19, while San Diego St.'s opponents had a combined seeding of 32 and the Connecticut and Florida Atlantic opponents had a combined seeding of 31. The Hurricanes have had to rally from big deficits along the way so while it can be argued that they very well should not even be here, the experience from their Elite Eight exit from last season has been pivotal. This offense has caused problems and have a good matchup here with the unit that is ranked No. 4 in offensive efficiency. Connecticut is the favorite to win the National Championship as it has looked the most dominant and it is currently -125 to bring it home. The Huskies became the seventh team to win all four games by 15 or more points in reaching the national semifinals and these lopsided results have forced them to lay the big number here, the most they have been favored by over the previous three games. Connecticut does have the edge on offense with its No. 9 ranked efficiency unit against an average Miami defense but the Hurricanes have stifled two solid offenses the last two games when it counted down the stretch. 10* (703) Miami Hurricanes

This is a play on the FLORIDA ATLANTIC OWLS for our Final Four Enforcer. Florida Atlantic is the unlikeliest team to be in the Final Four based on seeding but this team is no joke with 35 wins on the season and has now won 34 of its last 36 games. The Owls rallied from a seven-point second-half deficit, relying on their inside-out game to defeat Kansas St. as the balance remains a strength with four starters scoring in double figures and this balance is key against a great defense. They have already solved one as in their Sweet 16 win over Tennessee who owned the No. 1 ranked efficiency defense, the Owls' scored an impressive 1.07 points per possession and it will not get easier here but it is again doable. The Aztecs also rallied from a seven-point deficit in defeating Creighton that ended on a controversial foul call and they too are playing excellent with eight straight wins. San Diego St. relies on its defense that is ranked No. 4 in efficiency and it will also get a test here as after facing Alabama and Creighton and their No. 41 and 34 offensive efficiency rankings respectively, the Aztecs now square off against the No. 15 ranked efficiency offense. The Owls defense cannot be understated as they are No. 20 in defensive efficiency which makes it tough for the Aztecs which are No. 119 in offensive efficiency. 10* (701) Florida Atlantic Owls

This is a play on the NORTH TEXAS MEAN GREEN for our NIT Thursday Dominator. North Texas put itself into a pretty big hole in the first half but the price of the defense that has carried this team took over in the second half as the Mean Green clamped down and held Wisconsin to just 13 second half points and shut the Badgers out for the final nine minutes of the game. as mentioned in that analysis, North Texas is ranked in the top 25 in four major defensive categories as they are No. 24 in Adjusted Defense, No. 8 in Effective Field Goal Percentage, No. 8 in Opponents Two-Point Shooting and No. 20 in Opponents Three-Point Shooting. The Mean Green improved to 16-5 away from home and now the two teams will meet for a rare fourth time this season. UAB needed overtime to take out Utah Valley which was its closest game of the NIT so far and it should be another tight game and we have to give the edge to the underdog Mean Green that will be more inspired after UAB knocked them out of the C-USA Tournament and likely cost them an NCAA Tournament bid. That meeting was decided by free throws as the Blazers outscored North Texas 25-15 from the stripe. That outstanding Mean Green defense will be the difference again as they add to their program record win total. 10* (666) North Texas Mean Green

This is a play on the NORTH TEXAS MEAN GREEN for our NIT Game of the Year. North Texas has been on a mission as it has rolled past Alcorn St. and Sam Houston St. and while both of those were at home, the Mean Green have seen solid away from Denton, going 15-5 following an outright at Oklahoma St. Wisconsin rolled past Bradley in the opener but snuck by Liberty and Oregon in the last two games and come in from has been proven to be a very weak Big Ten Conference. North Texas is ranked in the top 25 in four major defensive categories as they are No. 24 in Adjusted Defense, No. 8 in Effective Field Goal Percentage, No. 8 in Opponents Two-Point Shooting and No. 20 in Opponents Three-Point Shooting. Wisconsin is always known for its tough defense and while it has been solid this season, it is not on the same level as North Texas. On the other side, the Mean Green hold a sizable advantage as they are No. 37 in Adjusted Offense and No. 115 in Effective Field Goal Percentage while the Badgers are ranked No. 295 and No. 287 in those two categories respectively. Here, we play on teams after allowing 65 points or less in three straight games going up against an opponent after two straight wins by six points or less. This situation is 73-38 ATS (65.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (662) North Texas Mean Green

This is a play on the TEXAS LONGHORNS for our Elite 8 Game of the Year. The Hurricanes rolled over Houston as Miami was very efficient on offense which has been its strength all season as it shot 51.7 percent from the floor while committing just five turnovers. Texas is not as good defensively as Houston which looks like it might be a problem but the Longhorns bring in a different style of defense as they are long and athletic. The Hurricanes nearly let the Cougars back into the game as Houston cut the deficit two points midway into the second half but Miami went on a 19-4 run to pull away. Texas rolled in its Sweet 16 game as well as it took out a very good Xavier team by 12 points but led by double that midway through the second half so the game was not as close as that final score shows. Surprisingly, this is the first trip to the Elite 8 for the Longhorns since 2008 and they are doing it with an interim coach in Rodney Terry who has done a sensational job. Texas has now won seven straight games that also includes a pair of double-digit wins over Kansas so they are playing even better than that record shows. Forward Dylan Disu will be a question mark but Texas got it done without him Friday as he played only two minutes. 10* (656) Texas Longhorns

This is a play on the CONNECTICUT HUSKIES for our NCAA Tourney Enforcer. Gonzaga had its game against UCLA in control late in the second half after overcoming a 13-point halftime deficit and nearly blew it against a depleted Bruins team as UCLA played without top defender Jaylen Clark and interior defender Adem Bona. Gonzaga had a commanding 50-26 rebounding edge and collected 16 offensive boards against the undersized Bruins and the Bulldogs will not have that luxury here against the No. 2 ranked total rebounding percentage rate team in the country. Drew Timme had a career game with 36 points and 13 rebounds and will not replicate that against the Huskies frontcourt. Going into the tournament, only five teams were ranked in the top 25 in both offensive and defensive efficiency with Connecticut being one of those and so far it has looked very dominant. The Huskies were No. 6 in offensive efficiency and has a solid edge there but their No. 22 defensive efficiency ranking could be the difference against the top offensive efficiency team in the nation. The Huskies dominated a very athletic Arkansas team as they held the Razorbacks to just 32 percent shooting from the floor and will be tenacious again on Saturday. 10* (653) Connecticut Huskies

This is a play on the HOUSTON COUGARS for our Sweet 16 Game of the Year. Miami is ranked No. 8 in offensive efficiency but now faces its biggest test. The Hurricanes defeated Drake which came in No. 17 in defensive efficiency but they easily could have lost that game as they used a 16-1 to end the game as the full court press was the difference and they cannot use that here. We won with Miami on Sunday as the offense had a big advantage facing the Hoosiers No. 102 ranked defensive efficiency as they tallied 85 points on nearly 50 percent shooting. They now face the No. 2 ranked team in defensive efficiency yet it is the other side of the ball where they will really have a big disadvantage. Houston toyed with Northern Kentucky before a late surge even though it dominated most categories but had only nine made free throws, the same as the Norse, and the Cougars were sloppy with the ball with 14 turnovers. Against Auburn, they again started slow, trailing by 10 points at halftime before outscoring the Tigers 50-23 in the second half. As mentioned, their defense will be strong against the Miami offense and it is their own offense, ranked No. 4 in efficiency, facing a Miami defense ranked No. 182 in efficiency. 10* (644) Houston Cougars

This is a play on the SAN DIEGO ST. AZTECS for our NCAA Tourney Enforcer. San Diego St. presents a big challenge for Alabama and it is catching a big number with the lowest total on the board of the Friday games with two of the best defenses in the country squaring off. The Aztecs needed some late free throws to cover against Charleston in its tournament opener and then had no issues with Furman on Saturday as their defense was outstanding, holding the Paladins to only 52 points on 32 percent shooting as Furman made only 16 field goals the entire game. They had a solid offensive performance which can bring some momentum into this game as they came in only No. 105 in efficiency, against the No. 4 ranked team in defensive efficiency. Alabama has rolled through its first two games of the tournament and the results against Maryland were outstanding as they held the Terrapins to only 51 points on 35 percent shooting so that will be a challenge again. While the Tide are good offensively, they are not great as they are No. 35 in efficiency and will be facing the No. 15 ranked team in defensive efficiency and an expected low scoring game in on the side of San Diego St. 10* (647) San Diego St. Aztecs

This is a play on the CONNECTICUT HUSKIES for our NCAA Tourney Annihilator. Eighteen of the past 20 champions entered the NCAA Tournament ranked in the top 40 in both offensive and defensive efficiency and going into the Sweet 16, seven teams remain that finished in both. Going into the tournament, only five teams were ranked in the top 25 in both categories and all of those teams are still alive with Connecticut being one of those and so far it has looked very dominant. The Huskies were No. 6 in offensive efficiency and has a solid edge there but their No. 22 defensive efficiency ranking is the big difference in this matchup. The Razorbacks fit the bill for a strong defense as well but were just in the top 30 in efficiency at No. 29. Arkansas opened the tournament with a 10-point win over Illinois but had a big defensive edge there against an Illini offense that was No. 117 in offensive efficiency. The Razorbacks then overcame a double-digit deficit against Kansas to pull off the upset by one point but that outcome likely would have been different has Bill Self been on the sideline for the Jayhawks. Now they have the big disadvantage on offense as they are No. 130 in efficiency. 10* (640) Connecticut Huskies

This is a play on the KANSAS ST. WILDCATS for our NCAA Tourney Dominator. Of the eight Big Ten teams to make the NCAA Tournament, Michigan St. is the only team to make the Sweet 16 and that shows two things, the conference was very weak as a whole and the one team that did make it has the best coach in the Big Ten despite what many considered a down year. The Spartans have looked impressive in wins over USC and Marquette as they turned close games into insurmountable margins in the second half and are favored over the No. 3 seed after being the underdog against the No. 2 seed. This game is similar for Kansas St. when it played Kentucky as it was an underdog on Sunday with a lot of that based on the name of the opponent and the Wildcats are getting that disrespect here as well. In the first round, Kansas St. led throughout against Montana St. and while it had just a three-possession lead with a few minutes left, it used a late 8-0 run to pull away and against Kentucky, the Wildcats used another 8-0 to pull way. Most impressive for Kansas St. is that All Big 12 forward and Newcomer of the Year Keyontae Johnson has not been in top form in the first two games and that makes then even more dangerous. 10* (638) Kansas St. Wildcats

This is a play on the UTAH VALLEY WOLVERINES for our NIT Wednesday Dominator. The public is all over Cincinnati here which is no surprise based on name alone but Utah Valley comes in with nearly the identical resume despite being from the smaller conference. The Wolverines are on a mission after losing in the WAC Semifinals as they have come into the NIT after winning the regular season championship with a 15-3 record and have gone on the road and won in two of the toughest environments at Colorado and New Mexico by 12 and 14 points respectively. They are five spots less in the NET rankings and seven spots less in the KenPom rankings so the Bearcats have no real edge except for home court where they are 16-3. Cincinnati took out Virginia Tech at home and Hofstra on the road to get here and while the higher seed from a bigger conference, this line is telling us something. The Bearcats have a similar offensive rating as Utah Valley but are well behind in defensive efficiency as they will be facing a wolverines team ranked No. 25 in that category. Here, we play on teams coming off two consecutive road wins by 10 points or more, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .800. This situation is 27-6 ATS (81.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (627) Utah Valley Wolverines

This is a play on the NORTH TEXAS MEAN GREEN for our NIT Tuesday Dominator. North Texas has been on a mission as it has rolled past Alcorn St. and Sam Houston St. and while both of those were at home, the Mean Green have seen solid away from Denton, going 14-5. The Cowboys snuck past Youngstown St. in the NIT opener and then defeated Eastern Washington by 11 points on Sunday so they are out to prove the critics wrong but they have a touch matchup here. North Texas is ranked in the top 25 in four major defensive categories as they are No. 24 in Adjusted Defense, No. 8 in Effective Field Goal Percentage, No. 8 in Opponents Two-Point Shooting and No. 20 in Opponents Three-Point Shooting. Oklahoma St. is also solid on defense as it is ranked in the top 25 in those first three aforementioned defensive categories so this matchup comes down to the opposing offenses which the Mean Green hold a sizable advantage as they are No. 37 in Adjusted Offense and No. 115 in Effective Field Goal Percentage while the Cowboys are ranked No. 140 and No. 244 in those two categories respectively. 10* (613) North Texas Mean Green

This is a play on the SAN JOSE ST. SPARTANS for our CBI Tournament Game of the Year. Radford is in a tough spot here playing an afternoon game coming off an overtime win on Sunday against Tarleton St. as a small underdog by two points. The Highlanders won their opening round game against Winthrop in the Big South Tournament before getting upset against Campbell as a favorite the next day and it was a solid effort yesterday coming off an over two-week layoff and now the conditioning could come into play after extra time as three starters logged at least 36 minutes. San Jose St. has the benefit of having an extra day off as it won on Saturday by 25 points over Southern Indiana so there was no sign of a letdown. That could have come after upsetting Nevada in the first round of the Mountain West Conference Tournament before succumbing to eventual champion San Diego St. by 15 points. The Spartans were not expected to do much this season so winning 21 games up to this point is a huge accomplishment and this is the type of team that will cherish this extra time and coming off a blowout win shows they can go far in the CBI Tournament. 10* (606) San Jose St. Spartans

This is a play on the MIAMI HURRICANES for our NCAA 2nd Round Game of the Year. Of the eight Big Ten teams to make the NCAA Tournament, six have already been eliminated with the two remaining teams going Sunday to try to avoided getting shutout of the Sweet 16 and both should be eliminated after today. One of those is Indiana which comes in as the slight favorite following an 11-point win over Kent St. as the defense led the way by allowing the Golden Flashes to shoot just 31.9 percent from the floor but the challenge rises on Sunday. Trayce Jackson-Davis could not be stopped with 24 points and the Hoosiers outscored Kent St. 46-26 in the paint, another feat that will be difficult to replicate. Miami was on the ropes against Drake as very well should be gone but closed the game on a 16-1 run, eliminating an eight-point deficit to win by seven points to advance to the round of 32. The Hurricanes have one of the best offenses in the country as they are top 25 in both scoring and shooting and coming off a dismal 30-4 percent shooting performance against the Bulldogs, they are going to improve that substantially here. This line has remained steady despite the vast majority of money on Indiana. 10* (839) Miami Hurricanes

This is a play on the KANSAS ST. WILDCATS for our NCAA Tourney Dominator. Based on power rankings, Kansas St. should be the slight favorite here yet this line opened at Kentucky -1 and has been bet up to -3 with a lot of that based on the names on the front of the uniforms. The Wildcats survived against Providence as the Friars came in playing some of their worst basketball of the season and shot just 36.2 percent from the floor including going 5-24 from long range yet were still able to hang around, down by just four points with less than five minutes remaining. The Wildcats shot only 36.5 percent from the field including 31.3 percent from behind the arc. Kansas St. led throughout against Montana St. and while it had just a three-possession lead with a few minutes left, it used a late 8-0 run to pull away. The Wildcats are going to be a big challenge for Kentucky after shooting 58.2 percent from the floor including a monster 70 percent on their two-point shots. Keyontae Johnson led them with 18 points and is the best player on the floor in this matchup as he has averaged just above that over his last six games. 10* (848) Kansas St. Wildcats

This is a play on the XAVIER MUSKETEERS for our NCAA Sun. Afternoon Dominator. Here we have two teams that won in totally different ways and despite being the favorite, Xavier is the contrarian play here based on those first round results. Pittsburgh jumped out to a 22-2 lead to start the game as Iowa St. missed its first 11 shots from the floor and ended up shooting 23.3 percent from the floor for the game. What is being overshadowed is that the Panthers did not play a good game either as they had more turnovers than field goals, 15-14 while they shot just 34.1 percent from the floor. Xavier needed every minute to pull away from Kennesaw St. as it won by five points after trailing for much of the game. The Musketeers were down by double digits for much of the second half and did not trail by single digits under just over eight minutes remaining in the game and used a late 15-0 run to eventually pull it out. It was arguably a game where Xavier was looking part the Owls and that was a big wake up call for a team that has a chance to make a serious run especially now that No. 1 seed Kansas has been eliminated. 10* (846) Xavier Musketeers

This is a play on the TEXAS LONGHORNS for our NCAA Tourney Dominator. Penn St. pulled off the upset against Texas A&M, the loudest team opposing their apparent unfair seeding, and it was not even close at the Nittany Lions ran away early with a 17-point victory. One thing is certain and that is Penn St. is not going to shoot 59 percent from long range again which included an incredible 8-10 performance from Andrew Funk. It has been a great run for Penn St. which was sitting on the outside of the bubble a month ago but has now won nine of its last 11 games with the two losses coming by a combined five points. Now comes another test. Texas let Colgate stick around for a while before pulling away for a 20-point win and the Longhorns are playing as good as anyone right now as it has won five straight games including a pair of double-digit wins against Kansas, the second one that captured the Big 12 Conference Tournament Championship. You really cannot compare Colgate and Penn St. but only when it comes to shooting as the Longhorns held the top three-point shooting team in the country to just a 3-15 statline so there will be even more pressure on the Nittany Lions long range shooting. 10* (812) Texas Longhorns

This is a play on the DUKE BLUE DEVILS for our NCAA Tourney Annihilator. Tennessee snuck out an opening round win against Louisiana and did not look great in doing so. The Volunteers are 2-2 over their last four games which has coincided with the absence of guard Zakai Zeigler, the second leading scorer and leader in assists, and going back, they are 6-7 over their last 13 games. That does include impressive wins over Alabama, Arkansas and Auburn, all of which advanced on Thursday, but those were all at home where Tennessee went 14-2 and now face a test against a team coming into form at the right time. It took Duke a while to come together and find its chemistry and some of that had to do with injuries but the Blue Devils are fully healthy. Following the blowout win over Oral Roberts on Thursday, Duke improved to 19-1 this season when its five core players are on the court and the Blue Devils come in as the only favorite on Saturday as a lower seed. While Tennessee played great defensively against the Cajuns, Duke was better against the Eagles, holding them 33 points below their scoring average. That lockdown defense will again play a major role in getting to the Sweet 16. 10* (803) Duke Blue Devils

This is a play on the KENT ST. GOLDEN FLASHES for our NCAA 1st Round Game of the Year. Kent St. comes in on a roll as it has won six straight games entering the NCAA Tournament, and has won 10 of their last 11 games and has the defense to slow down one of the best duos in the country. The Golden Flashes have allowed 65.7 ppg which is ranked No. 56 in the country and their defensive efficiency ranking (38th) is among the best of mid-major programs that qualified for the tournament. The Golden Flashes may be 0-3 against Quad 1 teams this season, but two of those losses were against Gonzaga by seven points and Houston by five points. All-American Trayce Jackson-Davis and Jalen Hood-Schifino lead the Hoosiers and they can definitely take a game over but if they get slowed down, there is not much offense past them as they are the only double-digit scorers on the team. Indiana was ousted in the Big Ten Tournament by upstart Penn St. and closed the season on just a 4-4 run with three of those losses coming on the road where the Hoosiers have been vulnerable. They are 15-2 at home but only 7-9 away from home. 10* (771) Kent St. Golden Flashes

This is a play on the DRAKE BULLDOGS for our NCAA Tourney Enforcer. This line is telling us all we need to know as this is the lowest number of all of the No. 5/No. 12 matchups and for good reason. Miami won the regular season ACC championship but that really is not say much as this conference was the weakest it has been in recent years. Miami was unable to move up in the metrics due to a lack of blowout wins over inferior opponents and bad losses to Georgia Tech and Florida St. during the regular season and then survived a scare from Wake Forest in the ACC quarterfinals before getting rolled by Duke in the ACC semifinals. Drake has won 13 of its last 14 games, with the lone loss coming on the road to Bradley in the regular-season finale before rolling the Braves in the Missouri Valley Conference championship by 26 points. The Bulldogs are a veteran team that takes care of the ball which is a recipe for success against a team like Miami that benefits in taking away the ball to create easy baskets. Drake is averaging just 10.5 tpg and has had one of the most efficient offenses in the country down the stretch. 10* (769) Drake Bulldogs

This is a play on the CREIGHTON BLUEJAYS for our NCAA Tourney Annihilator. This has the makings of a complete mismatch as this is a Creighton team than can go far going up against an NC State team that arguably should not even be here. The Wolfpack have dropped three of their last four games including two losses against Clemson by 25 and 26 points, a team that did not even make the NCAA Tournament. After spending some time in the top-50 in defensive efficiency this season, NC State enters the NCAA Tournament No. 87 which is not horrible but not ideal against an offense like this. Creighton was the preseason favorite to win the Big East Conference Championship but injuries played a role in a 3-8 run but the Bluejays closed strong winning 12 of their final 7 games. Offensively, Creighton does not have a player that can take a game over but the key is its balance as all five of its starters average double figures in scoring. This veteran and balanced team does not only get it done on offense but those five starters helped the Bluejays finish first in defensive efficiency in Big East play this season. 10* (794) Creighton Bluejays

This is a play on the VERMONT CATAMOUNTS for our NCAA Tourney Ultimate Underdog. Based on this line, the Golden Eagles are the weakest No. 2 seed, and the weakest since 2015, in the field while Vermont is the strongest No. 15 seed. Marquette won the Big East Conference by two games over Xavier and then survived a pair of two points wins in the conference tournament before beating the Musketeers by 14 points in the championship game. The Golden Eagles are riding a nine-game winning streak but they have been far from dominant as of those nine wins, six were by six points or fewer including five by two points or less. The Catamounts are 23-10 this season after going 14-2 in the America East Conference to win the regular season title by three games. They won all three of their conference tournament games by double digits to reach the NCAA tournament for the second straight season and this veteran laden team is not going to be an easy out. Granted, they come from a smaller conference and we saw they nearly pulled off the upset against Arkansas in this spot last season. 10* (743) Vermont Catamounts

This is a play on the VCU RAMS for our NCAA Tournament Dominator. VCU is another lower-seeded underdog that is in a great matchup to win outright. VCU has rattled off nine straight wins, including a 68-56 victory over Dayton in the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament championship and is catching fire at the right time. Seven of those nine wins have been by double digits. They have great guard play led by Ace Baldwin and it is the defense that really makes the difference as Baldwin was the best defensive player in the Atlantic 10, while Jayden Nunn and Nick Kern Jr. love to hassle opposing guards and that is a problem for the Gaels. St. Mary's has gone just 5-3 in its last eight games with a pair of bad losses coming against Gonzaga and those defeats can give the right script to take them down. The Gaels struggle with athleticism on both ends and they really struggle with pressure and their offense can become rather pedestrian when freshman point guard Aidan Mahaney is taken out of games. This is exactly what VCU excels at its 12-4 record away from home is an edge, especially with this game being played on the east coast. 10* (773) VCU Rams

This is a play on the UC SANTA BARBARA GAUCHOS for our NCAA Friday Afternoon Dominator. Baylor has the experience and pedigree to make a run in the NCAA Tournament but the Bears do not have the defense and they floundered down the stretch. No team has ever made a big run, let alone win a National Championship, with a defensive efficiency rating outside the top 30 and the Bears are ranked No. 90. Baylor finished the season 2-4 with an impressive win against Texas but that was at home and the only win away from home was against non-NCAA Tournament team Oklahoma St. UC Santa Barbara closed the season on a seven-game winning streak in winning the Big West Conference Tournament and it is a dangerous team despite a very low seed. Facing a poor defense is an ideal matchup for the Gauchos as they shot 56.4 percent from two-point range and are led by Big West Player of the Year Ajay Mitchell. They also have Josh Pierre-Louis and Ajare Sanni on the perimeter to form a great guard trio that can actually matchup with the Bears which is typically a big edge for Baylor. 10* (795) UC Santa Barbara Gauchos

This is a play on the UNC ASHEVILLE BULLDOGS for our NCAA Tourney Ultimate Underdog. Injuries are going to play some key roles for some top teams and one of those is UCLA. The Bruins played without two starters in the Pac 12 Conference Tournament championship and while center Adem Bona should return, he will not be 100 percent and there is very little inside presence to make that up. Guard Jaylen Clark, who is second on the team in scoring and first in steals while winning the Pac 12 Defensive Player of the Year, is done for the season after suffering a leg injury which hurts their backcourt considerably. In 17 games away from home, UCLA was 12-5 and only two of those wins were by more than what it is laying against the Bulldogs. UNC Asheville blew through the Big South Conference with a 16-2 record and won the conference tournament with a few closer than expected wins but this can be a dangerous team with a player than can be a mismatch for most teams. Drew Pember, who averages 21.2 ppg and 9.4 rpg, will be hard to contain and he can step out and shoot the long ball at a 38 percent clip. 10* (767) UNC Asheville Bulldogs

This is a play on the ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS for our NCAA Tourney Enforcer. Arkansas is one of the most athletic teams in the country and will be a dangerous team and has a great matchup against a very inconsistent Illinois team. A wildcard for the Razorbacks is Nick Smith, Jr. who was hurt early in the early and was in and out for a while but a top NBA prospect, he is fully healthy, has been on a tear and can carry this team along with Anthony Black who has come on strong. Despite a 20-13 record, Arkansas finished No. 21 in the NET and No. 20 in the KenPom rankings so it is a lower seed than what the numbers suggest. The Illini were all over the place this season and while they were outstanding at home at 15-2, they were just 5-10 outside of Champaign and going back, they are 5-0 at home and 0-6 away from home over their last 11 games. Their rankings are close to that of Arkansas as they are roughly 10 spots back and they finished 2-11 against Quad 1 teams which is the concern when stepping up in competition. They do play solid defensive with a No. 32 ranking in efficiency but the Razorbacks are twice as better at No. 16. 10* (760) Arkansas Razorbacks

This is a play on the COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON COUGARS for our NCAA Tournament Dominator. College of Charleston did not get a very good draw but the same can be said for San Diego St. as this is not a good matchup for the Aztecs as well. The Cougars won both the Southern Conference regular season and conference tournament championships and will be a tough out with their experience and balance on both ends of the floor. Charleston is ranked in the top 20 in the country in both offensive and defensive efficiency, and it has a balanced group of scorers that finished No. 10 in the country in three-pointers made. San Diego St. closed the season with four straight wins and backed up its MWC regular season title by winning the conference tournament championship. The Aztecs possess a great defense that is ranked No. 27 in the nation in efficiency so they can pose a problem for the Cougars offense but their own offense is a concern as San Diego St. was just No. 105 in the nation in efficiency. Both teams are relatively equal in rebounding which is where San Diego St. had an advantage in many of their games. 10* (737) College of Charleston Cougars

This is a play on the UTAH ST. AGGIES for our NCAA Tourney Annihilator. The Tigers went on a late five-game winning streak including an upset of Tennessee before losing to Alabama in the SEC Tournament and have a difficult matchup here despite being the higher seed. Missouri was a solid 18-0 in Quad 2, 3 and 4 games but it will not be facing a team in those groups despite facing a No. 10 seed. The Tigers were 6-9 against Quad 1 teams which is a reason they come in as a slight underdog here. The defense is a problem, finishing bottom third in the nation in most categories. Utah St. was a bubble team for most of the latter part of the season but went on a seven-game winning streak that included two wins over Boise St. and a win over Nevada before falling to San Diego St. by just five points in the MWC Championship. The Aggies were always a lock with a NET ranking of No. 19 and a KenPom ranking of No. 18 and have an exceptional backcourt that can give the Missouri defense fits. Missouri is on the cusp of a Quad 2 team on a neutral floor and the Aggies flourished in those games, going 9-1. 10* (761) Utah St. Aggies

This is a play on the WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS for our NCAA Thursday Afternoon Dominator. West Virginia is an experienced team with plenty of offensive firepower and this offense should be the difference as it is ranked No. 15 in the country in offensive efficiency. It starts five seniors, three of which joined the program via the transfer portal this past offseason and they have had all season to gel and find their chemistry. The Mountaineers closed the season well by winning four of five games before running into Kansas in the Big 12 Conference Tournament and losing by 17 points. They posses 12 Quad 1 and 2 wins which was tied for fifth most in the conference. Maryland comes in with losses in three of its last four games including a 10-point loss against Indiana as a short underdog in the Big Ten Conference Tournament. The Terrapins had a significant edge on their home floor where they went 16-1 but were just 5-11 away from home which includes five losses against teams not in the NCAA Tournament. They come in with lower NET and KenPom rankings and they were just 3-10 in Quad 1 games. 10* (747) West Virginia Mountaineers

This is a play on the UC IRVINE ANTEATERS for our NIT Wednesday Dominator. Oregon failed to make the NCAA Tournament for a second straight season and will be in the NIT against this year following an opening round win before losing at Texas A&M last season. The Ducks had some decent momentum going when they faced UCLA in the Semifinals of the Pac 12 Tournament as they had won four straight games but were no match for the Bruins in the 19-point loss. Being the No. 1 seed in the NIT can be considered an honor but there is no doubt disappointment. This is a rare revenge spot in the postseason as Oregon lost by 13 points at home against UC Irvine back in November and while it might be out to avenge that defeat, it also shows another possible bad matchup. UC Irvine shared the Big West Conference regular season championship with UC Santa Barbara but a loss to CSU Fullerton in the conference tournament knocked the Anteaters into the NIT and a rematch with the Ducks. They finished 23-11 overall and in addition to the game against Oregon, the other Quad 1 team they played was San Diego St. which resulted in a three-point loss. 10* (711) UC Irvine Anteaters

This is a play on the ALCORN ST. BRAVES for our NIT Ultimate Underdog. It was a great season for North Texas which won a program record 26 games but its reward was a trip to the NIT. The Mean Green were the top ranked team in the NET rankings, where they finished No. 35, to not earn an NCAA tournament berth so there is definitely disappointment. This team has the No. 1 scoring defense in the country so they play lockdown on that side of the floor but a lot of that comes with being motivated and they might not be at their best here and yet are being asked to lay a massive number. Alcorn St. also had a great season as the Braves won their second straight SWAC regular season title and were the top seed in the conference tournament before being upset in the first round by Texas Southern which eventually went on to win the SWAC Tournament. Coming from a lower-tier conference, the body of work is not great but the Braves do own a pair of solid wins against Wichita St. and Stephen F. Austin and while it was 0-3 in Quad 1 games, all three of those were against teams currently playing in the NCAA Tournament. 10* (707) Alcorn St. Braves

This is a play on the TEXAS SOUTHERN TIGERS for our NCAA Tourney Wednesday Play-In Annihilator. This is the third straight play-in game for the Tigers as they defeated Mount St. Mary's in 2020-21 and Texas A&M-CC last season so they know the situation and the environment they are playing in. This is a senior laden team that wants another crack at the big boys after losing the Michigan and Kansas the last two years and a look at the overall record of 14-20 is going to make people sky away from this side. The Tigers had eight losses of four points or less including four in overtime and they own a strong win over Arizona St. Fairleigh Dickinson lost to Merrimack in the Northeast Conference Championship but it got the bid because the Warriors were ineligible as they are still on probation from the Division I move. The Knights finished 17-14 on the season and they too had some close losses along the way but they came against some awful teams and the Tigers have the No. 362 SOS RPI ranking, out of 363 teams, and that is not a good resume coming into this game against a very veteran team that has already been here. 10* (671) Texas Southern Tigers

This is a play on the MISSISSIPPI ST. BULLDOGS for our NCAA Tourney Tuesday Play-In Enforcer. Pittsburgh snuck into the NCAA Tournament as a No. 11 seed which is not a good look considering the Panthers tied for third place in the ACC which shows how bad that conference was this season. Pittsburgh struggled to get past Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament before getting blown out by Duke by 27 points and ended up No. 67 in the NET rankings. Mississippi St. comes in also sneaking in but has a much better resume as it is No. 48 in the NET rankings and played a much more difficult schedule. The Bulldogs have failed to cover four straight games which is adding value to this short number. This one comes down to the better defender and that is clearly Mississippi St. The Panthers give up 69.7 ppg which was 159th in the country and they allowed 75 points or more in eight of their last 10 games. Meanwhile, Mississippi St. allowed 75 or more points just twice this season and only Tennessee has eclipsed 80 points against the Bulldogs, which finished eighth in the country at 60.4 ppg. 10* (701) Mississippi St. Bulldogs

This is a play on the SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI GOLDEN EAGLES for our NIT Tuesday Ultimate Underdog. UAB is another team where motivation is a concern for not making the NCAA Tournament and instead heading to the NIT. The Blazers played without all conference guard Jelly Walker for five games in late January and while they went 3-2, they clearly were not the same but since his return, they went 10-1 including eight straight wins, five of those by double-digits, before facing top seed Florida Atlantic in the C-USA Championship which resulted in a 22-point loss and completely shattered their momentum and confidence. Southern Mississippi won the Sun Belt Conference with a 14-4 record but could not make it out of the first round of the conference tournament and that is an edge since it was not a disheartening loss in the championship and they can build on the season which was the Golden Eagles first one in the Sun Belt. The Golden Eagles led the conference with three Quad 1 and 2 wins which is the same number for UAB so playing in a more difficult conference did not matter although this line is telling us so. 10* (687) Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles

This is a play on the TOLEDO ROCKETS for our NIT Tuesday Dominator. It was a disappointing season for Michigan that had eyes on the NCAA Tournament but it lost its final three games of the season including a 12-point loss against Rutgers in the opening round of the Big Ten Conference Tournament. The Wolverines motivation has to be in question here as after losing to Rutgers, head coach Juwan Howard was pretty vague about whether or not the team would accept a potential invite to the NIT and while it was accepted, they will not be the more motivated team here. Toledo was rolling with 17 straight wins before it ran into Kent St. in the MAC Championship as it was unable to capture the championship as well as revenging a loss against the Golden Flashes which was the Rockets last defeat before their winning streak. It was definitely a disappointment buy coming from a smaller conference, this is an opportunity to prove what they can do against the power teams and this offense can keep them around with a big number as they come in No. 2 in the country in scoring and No. 5 in shooting. 10* (685) Toledo Rockets

This is a play on the MEMPHIS TIGERS for our C-USA Tourney Dominator. Memphis has had a very quiet great season at 23-8 and in all eight of those losses, it has never been out of a game with those defeats averaging just 4.0 ppg and none by more than eight points. This includes two losses against Houston which were by eight points on the road and two points at home to close the regular season. Guard play is big this time of the season and Kendric Davis is one of the best as he has scored 20 points or more in five straight games and leads the AAC in scoring with 21.5 ppg and he actually missed the first meeting in that eight-point defeat. We played against Houston yesterday and it ran away against Cincinnati to snap a four-game non-cover streak and pick up its 13th straight win but this one will not be easy as the Tigers have been their toughest opponent. The Cougars remain undefeated on the road at 15-0 but overall have struggled against the top teams, going 8-10 ATS against teams with a winning record. 10* (657) Memphis Tigers

This is a play on the UC SANTA BARBARA GAUCHOS for our Big West Tourney Enforcer. UC Santa Barbara has won six straight games and the preseason favorite to win the Big West Conference and after splitting the regular season title with UC Irvine, the Gauchos are in a great position to take home the tournament and the automatic NCAA Tournament bid. They have covered five of those six games with the lone exception being a push against Cal Poly in their tournament opener and four of the six wins have come against teams in the top six in the conference. There is extra incentive here as the last defeat came at home against CSU Fullerton by 14 points as a seven-point favorite after beating the Titans by eight points on the road in the first meeting. CSU Fullerton has won its first two games of the Big West Conference Tournament as underdogs by a combined five points, one in overtime, so those could have gone either way. The Titans have won nine straight games with six of those coming by one or two possessions and find themselves in a tough spot here. 10* (636) UC Santa Barbara Gauchos

This is a play on the TOLEDO ROCKETS for our MAC Tournament Dominator. Toledo has won 17 straight games with its last loss coming way back on January 10 against, you guessed it, Kent St. in the one meeting this season by 12 points. The difference in that game was on the glass as Kent St. outrebounded the Rockets 42-28 including 19-6 on the offensive end. This was a complete aberration as the as the Golden Flashes do not have a significant edge on the boards. These teams are evenly matched all around but we have to look at who has been more dominant coming in and that is clearly the Rockets as during the winning streak, only two wins were by fewer than six points and none of those were by one possession. Kent St. is riding high as well with five straight wins and victories in nine of its last 10 games so it has clearly not been as dominant and with the exception of home wins against Ball St. and Toledo in the game mentioned, the Golden Flashes struggled to put the top teams away by margin. This is a Quad 2 matchup and Kent St. is 1-4 against Quad 1 and 2 teams while Toledo is 3-2. 10* (606) Toledo Rockets

This is a play on the XAVIER MUSKETEERS for our Big East Tourney Annihilator. Marquette has won eight straight games and 18 of its last 20 games to come in as the favorite for the Big East Championship but 13 of those wins came against teams with no chance at the NCAA Tournament with very few making any postseason tournament. The Golden Eagles are 5-2 against NCAA Tournament teams with those five wins coming by 19 points while the two losses also coming by 19 points. The last three wins in this group were by just five points total including a home win against Xavier by one point. We will regurgitate the Xavier info as it is now 25-8 overall following a 22-point blowout win against Creighton Friday and they have been on the cusp of a very special season as one of those losses came by seven points against Duke on a neutral floor back in late November and a 17-point loss at Creighton. As for the other six losses, they have come by a total of 11 points, five of which were by one or two points. Xavier is once again undervalued. 10* (627) Xavier Musketeers

This is a play on the CINCINNATI BEARCATS for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. Houston rolled to a win over East Carolina on Friday but it was a close game for a half as the Cougars were not able to pull away until midway through the second half and as great as they are, they are continuing to be overvalued. They have gone 0-4 ATS in their last four games and are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games and while Houston has the potential to win any game by 20 points, not in a matchup like this facing a team playing its best basketball of the season. Houston is the only team in the country to not have lost away from home as it is 14-0 but in six games against quality opponent, four of the victories were under this number they are laying here. Cincinnati has won four of five games and over the last two months, the five losses were by an average of 5.4 ppg. Of their 11 losses, only three have come by more than what they are getting here and the last defeat by more than seven points was way back on January 8 against the Cougars. 10* (619) Cincinnati Bearcats

This is a play on the VCU RAMS for our A10 Tourney Game of the Year. St. Louis and VCU both cruised in their opening round Atlantic Ten Conference Tournament games on Thursday and we will be rolling with the hotter team that does have a matchup edge. The Rams have won seven straight games and 15 of their last 17 games with the two losses coming by seven points combined against Dayton and St. Bonaventure and have dominated along the way. VCU is 10-4 away from home with only one of those coming in the conference at Duquesne which was one of its worst offensive performances. The Rams won both regular season meetings and while we say beating a team three times is difficult, the offense is simply more dominant as they outshot St. Louis 47.4 percent to 43.1 percent. The Billikens have been all over the place of late as they are 6-5 over their last 11 games with four of those losses coming by eight points or more. St. Louis is just 6-8 away from home including 1-4 over its last five games and the only significant road win on the season was against Providence by three points. 10* (608) VCU Rams

This is a play on the MISSOURI TIGERS for our SEC Tourney Enforcer. Missouri is peaking at the right time as it has won five straight games including a pair of wins against future NCAA Tournament teams Tennessee and Mississippi St. and the win over the Volunteers on Friday improved the Tigers to 8-5 away from home and they are catching a bigger number today than what the Bulldogs got yesterday against Alabama despite being the much better team. Missouri has the second best Q score in the SEC and while they do have eight Quad 1 losses, a lot of those came early including a 21-point loss against Alabama at home and that is a circle game as that one came down to long range shooting where the tide went 10-35 from long range while Missouri was a dismal 3-28 from beyond the arc. Alabama finally had a big win on Friday as it rolled past Mississippi St. by 23 points after going 3-1 over its previous four games with the three wins coming by nine points combined. The Tide are still not right as the distractions will be present the rest of the season. 10* (611) Missouri Tigers

This is a play on the ARIZONA ST. SUN DEVILS for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. Arizona St. is coming off an upset over USC on Thursday and is once again making a move up the NCAA Tournament bubble. The Sun Devils were one of the last teams in following a last second upset at Arizona a couple weeks ago but losses at UCLA and USC knocked them back down but are now in better shape after the Trojans win as they are the last team out so a win here gets them back in as their five Quad 1 wins are third most in the Pac 12 Conference. Arizona St. is now 12-6 away from home and could be a live dog here despite the large number it is getting. The Wildcats took care of Stanford by 11 points yesterday but have gone just 4-3 over their last seven games. They are 11-4 away from home but four of those wins came against the four worst teams in the conference. Arizona was favored by 10 points against Stanford on Thursday and are now favored by just a bucket less against a team that finished four games better in the conference than the Cardinal. 10* (859) Arizona St. Sun Devils

This is a play on the VANDERBILT COMMODORES for our SEC Tournament Dominator. Vanderbilt has been rolling in the SEC on a 9-1 run following a 57-point loss at Alabama which clearly woke this team up and while it was a win over a horrible LSU team, the Commodores have snuck into the final eight teams out with five of those ahead of them already out of their conference tournaments. Vanderbilt finished 11-7 in the SEC but it was so far back in the analytical rankings that is it still on the outside of the NCAA Tournament despite having the same or better conference record than five other teams in the SEC that are already in the big dance. A win here and they make a massive jump and they have already proven they can beat the Wildcats. Kentucky has been playing well also with five wins in its last six games, the lone loss coming against Vanderbilt and while playing with revenge, the Wildcats are laying too big of a number here. Kentucky is just 7-6 away from home which is only one game better than Vanderbilt. 10* (835) Vanderbilt Commodores

This is a play on the TULANE GREEN WAVE for our AAC Tournament Dominator. Tulane won its final two games of the regular season, albeit by three points combined, to secure the No. 3 seed in the American Athletic Conference to secure a first round bye. Tulane went on a 10-2 ATS run starting the first of January but has since dropped its last five games but one of those games was at Houston and the Green Wave were significant favorites in the other four games. They lost the second meeting by seven points at home which was part of that final five-game stretch and they are catching some value here as they look to keep their surprisingly great season alive. Wichita St. had no problems with Tulsa on Thursday as it won by 18 points and the Shockers continue to play well down the stretch as they have won five of their last seven games with the two losses coming against Houston and Memphis. They have covered four straight games and have been solid away from home, winning four of their last five but two of those were against Tulsa. 10* (828) Tulane Green Wave