Zack Cimini All Sports Picks Archive

Conference play continues to begin throughout college basketball. On a smaller Thursday slate the Ohio Valley takes center stage with the majority of teams in play. Tennessee Tech is desperately searching for a win as they have dropped four straight and six of their last seven. Tennessee Tech amongst their ten wins and two conference road wins last season defeated Lindenwood. Take the slight underdog here.

The Sun Belt yearly continues to be a cash cow in bowl season. We saw James Madison and South Alabama win and cover ATS with their backup quarterbacks under center. Sam Houston was a great turn around story from last year’s first season in division one. Their comeback win over Texas State down 21-0 in the first quarter was one of the best comebacks on the season. Yet, they faltered against even level competition. Take Georgia Southern to find cracks on the Bearkats defense. Lay the small number

After a 3-0 start the Pacific Tigers are just 2-7 over their last nine games. Part of that has been due to a rigorous schedule. They dropped away games against Arkansas and Missouri, and have faltered three other road games against Colorado, Illinois State, and UNLV. Back home look for Pacific to settle in against a heavy jump shot shooting team in Portland State. Back Pacific.

A bit of an under the radar quality matchup is on the schedule tonight as San Francisco travels to take on Bradley. This is the Dons first true road game of the season and will test their 9-2 record against 8-2 Bradley. San Francisco excels in the half court game and has shot makers all over the floor, including 6’6 freshman Tyrone Riley. Riley is averaging 11 points along with 5 rebounds. Grab the Dons as they battle in their first true road game of the season.

Wagner comes into today’s matchup against Manhattan on a four game win-streak. They are also undefeated at home, but that aspect is downgraded on the short travel distance for the Jaspers. Wagner also ranks as one of the lowest scoring teams in all of college basketball, averaging just 58 points per game. This leaves little room for error over a forty minute span. Take the points with Manhattan.

UMass is supposed to be one of the stronger state colleges in the northeast region. They have disappointed with losses to Central Connecticut and UMass Lowell. Over their last ten games they have just two wins over division one schools. Today look for a get right spot as Northeastern is playing back to back road games for the first time this season. Tail the small favorites here in UMass. 

Road stretches in the month of December can be tough to evaluate, especially with the smaller schools. Tonight, Lamar will compete in their fourth straight road game and will face a Southern Miss team that is 4-0 at home. Look for the Cardinal to maybe struggle early but have adjustments to pull away from the number late. Take Lamar as they win their fifth straight game.

Towson has dropped five straight games, which culminated in a poor effort their last time out against Duquesne. They scored just 47 points and lost 65-47. The beginning of their losing streak was a tough tournament played in Canada which saw them go 0-3 against Kent State, Kennesaw State, and UC Irvine. Look for the losing streak to end against a favorable opponent in Robert Morris. Lay the short number.

North Florida is a team that will remain an attractive ATS team for the rest of the season. This has to do with their surprising early season efforts of outright wins against South Carolina and Georgia Tech. They also covered against Georgia. Yet, this is already their second time seeing UNC Asheville this season, and they lost the first matchup 89-75. Take UNC Asheville to once again handle the Ospreys at home.

The LA Chargers are a team that has changed their team identity with the loss of JK Dobbins. They have to win ugly, and rely more on their defense. It’s worked in low scoring games and covers against the Chiefs and Falcons. Expect the cross country travel to effect the Buccaneers offense to a degree. Baker Mayfield has had turnover issues with fumbles and four interceptions over his last two games. He’s also taken a lot of hits with twelve sacks over his last five games. Lay it with the Chargers.

The Kansas City Chiefs are one of the top conundrums of the season. Somehow they have a 12-1 record that has featured a bevy of close wins. Each of their last four victories has been by three points or fewer. They’ve also failed to cover in seven straight games. Take the Browns to give the Chiefs their latest battle and possibly even win outright. Grab the points with the home underdog.

The Jets continue to find ways to lose, but last week they outplayed the Miami Dolphins for the majority of the game. The offense moved the football well, and defensively they limited Miami to field goals until late in the second half. After consecutive weeks of covers for the Jaguars look for the team to have trouble outside the division. Lay the points with the Jets.

The Carolina Panthers market has been fascinating to watch and grow with quarterback Bryce Young’s transformation. The market has flipped from steep underdogs to being a favorite for the first time in three years. Dallas I do believe is going to limit the Panthers offense, but their defense is also going to be able to handle Cooper Rush. Rush has been inaccurate at times and not a reliable quarterback in second halves. Tail the Panthers as favorites. 

A neutral site game will be held in Henderson, Nevada as Colorado State takes on VCU. VCU is a potent team but this tournament travel benefits Colorado State. They are use to coming to Las Vegas for both conference play and the Mountain West tournament. Look for two balanced halves from the Rams against VCU.

Atlanta is playing superb basketball right now where they have won seven out of their last eight games. After trailing in the first half by double digits against the Knicks, they overtook the game with a tremendous second half. This Bucks team has endured an ugly start to the season and are back in the driver’s seat of an NBA Cup semi-finals appearance. Look for the Bucks to handle this better than they did last year against Indiana. Lay it with the Bucks.

NJIT has one of the worst records on today’s big slate in college basketball at 2-10. They failed in their last matchup as a trendy underdog against Delaware State. Yet, they have been competitive even in their losses. They had a three point loss to Cleveland State, hung around Seton Hall, and did defeat Navy two games ago. Take the home underdog here in NJIT.

The Providence Friars lost all three games in a late November tournament, and are coming off losing to undefeated Rhode Island. A positive is Bryce Hopkins has contributed sixteen points in both games since his return from injury. On the road in Big East play against DePaul look for the Friars to lean on their trademark defense. After a 7-0 start to the season with an easy schedule, look for DePaul to drop consecutive games. Take Providence

As non-conference play gets closer to conclusion we will see some smaller school in-state matchups. That is on display tonight as Davidson hosts Charlotte. The Wildcats may be 4-0 at home, but have been vulnerable lately. In their last matchup Friday they were nearly upset by lowly Charleston Southern. Look for Charlotte to be the latest to attack a suspect half court defensive team in Davidson. Grab the points.

Penn State had one of the easier run away wins of the season against a ranked opponent. They blew out Purdue to cruise to a ten point victory. Now they will play their first matchup since that victory tonight on the road against a desperate Rutgers team. Rutgers has dropped three straight games, as their talented youth has been challenged. Take Rutgers to respond and end their losing streak with a Big Ten victory.

The Cincinnati Bengals are 4-8 on the season but one bright spot has been they are 3-0 SU and ATS when favored on the road. They had wins and covers against the Browns, Giants, and Panthers. They also have experience traveling on the road to Dallas with Cooper Rush at quarterback losing two seasons ago. Look for the Bengals to ramp up their play and get their fifth win of the season. Lay it -5.

On a very light slate in college basketball and the NBA, I’ll attack one game with an underdog in Hofstra. Hofstra is a completely different team from the one that defeated Norfolk State by sixteen points last season. Yet, I expect the coaching staff to be able to implement a similar defensive plan that limited Norfolk State to just 58 points. Additionally, Norfolk State has a had a full week off after a six-game road trip. Grab the points here with Hofstra. 

There probably was not a team that played well, and still lost last week like the Arizona Cardinals. They controlled the game against Minnesota for almost the entirety, before a collapse in the fourth quarter. I expect a bit of a letdown early on against a Seattle team that defeated them two weeks ago. Additionally, the Seahawks defense limited Arizona to just six points in the win, and scored a defensive touchdown. Grab the points with Seattle.

The Jacksonville Jaguars showed a spark offensively late with Mac Jones at quarterback. The surge was enough to get a backdoor cover at home against the Houston Texans. Tennessee has showed some improvements over the recent weeks, which included a road win over the top team in the division in the Houston Texans. At home though they have yet to cover. Expect that trend to continue against the Jaguars.

Small lines that trickle up tend to be wrong more times than not. Missouri State opened around 2-2.5 point favorites and jumped to 4.5. Even with Indiana State losing so many skilled players and their ex-Coach to St. Louis there’s been a reboost charge to this team. In a conference opener value the points here with the underdog.

For years the Sun Belt conference has ran through Appalachian State, newcomer James Madison, and UL Lafayette. Marshall was a disastrous team last season that could not get anything out of the quarterback position. That changed this season along with the rising play of tailback AJ Turner and Jordan Houston. Take the points here with Marshall. 

UNLV’s had just two losses on the year, an overtime loss to Syracuse and a loss to tonight’s opponent in Boise State. The Broncos executed at a high level to get the win, including going for it on fourth and goal before the end of the half. They also were able to close out the game with a 14 play drive that ate up the final eight minutes and seven seconds. Expect that level of execution to be difficult to repeat. Grab the points here with UNLV.

Expect the Lakers free fall to continue as they face a red hot Atlanta Hawks team. The Hawks have won five straight games and are doing it not just with offensive excellence. They are showing an increase in defensive ability, as we saw in their last victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. This could also end up being a refresh and reset game for the Lakers who may rest Lebron James. Lay it with the Hawks.

One of the shortest road trips of the season lies tonight with Kennesaw State making the short bus drive to Atlanta, Georgia to face Georgia State. The Owls are coming off a three-game tournament in Canada where they had a dip offensively, largely because of the opponents they faced. Look for that to change against a Georgia State team that gives up 78 points per game. In last year’s win over Georgia State, Kennesaw State scored eighty eight points in the victory. Take the slim underdog here.

Typically one does not see a smaller school that struggled lose their top two players and get better. UC Santa Barbara has quietly been an impressive team to start the season with a 6-1 record. This comes after losing Ajay Mitchell to the NBA, and Yohan Traore who transferred to SMU. Their game tonight against UC San Diego may be the most meaningful conference game on the slate to a team. The Gauchos went 0-2 to UC San Diego a season ago, and will showcase their improved play tonight. Take UC Santa Barbara.

Victor Wembanyama will not play in Thursday’s matchup against the Chicago Bulls. This has already showcased as being a big value angle before as the Spurs defeated the Thunder as ten point underdogs. This is also a reduced spread as the Bulls have played just one game since last Friday’s loss to the Boston Celtics. Take the value here on the Spurs finding that one second half run to pull away from the Bulls on the short number.

There are teams that begin their non-conference play with a deceptive record. Incarnate Word is one of those teams at 4-3, as they have several key talent from last year’s team. Last season they were actually 3-2 to begin the season, and went just 3-15 in Southland conference play. This included two blowout losses to Northwestern State of 97-71, and 81-61. Tail the underdogs here with Northwestern State.

The Denver Nuggets over their last ten games are only .500 with a 5-5 record. Yet, they picked up a come from behind win on Tuesday against the Golden State Warriors that may finally spark them. They came back from a 7 point deficit with four minutes left, and held the Warriors scoreless under the final two minutes and thirty two seconds. As impressive as the Cavaliers start has been to the season, they are just 4-3 over their last seven games. Grab the points with Denver.

A trend in Wednesday’s big slate of college basketball were slight home favorites cashing amongst the big school matchups. Look for that angle today as Penn State hosts an eighth ranked Purdue team. Purdue’s schedule thus far has featured matchups against non physical teams which provided quality wins over Alabama and Ole Miss. Penn State plays with pat averaging 91 points per game, and have improved defensively. Take the Nittany Lions to pick up the win.

The Orlando Magic continue to cash for bettors as they have won twelve of their last thirteen games. They have benefitted from a friendly schedule as they have been in New York City since last Friday’s first matchup against Brooklyn. That is a big reason why this spread has dropped two points from the opener. Yet, look for the Knicks to play with the heightened energy in an NBA Cup game as they are 3-0 in cup play. Lay it with the Knicks.

An off the radar game of value lies with a home underdog in Florida A&M. Presbyterian shot their ATS value up with by winning a tournament hosted by Stephen F Austin. Their victories also included a 25 point win over Youngstown State and a ten point win over Monmouth. Yet, tonight will mark their sixth straight road game, as they have played a home game since November 13th. Take the points here with Florida A&M.

Tuesday, the ACC and SEC challenge will begin with one-sided spreads in favor of the SEC. The reason is the ACC has been extremely poor early on in the season against major competition. Boston College may be the home team and have a better record than the Gamecocks but they lost their lone tough matchup to VCU by 25. They are also coming off a five point loss to Dartmouth. Lay it with the road favorite here in South Carolina.

A rest advantage lies tonight with the Chicago Bulls hosting the Brooklyn Nets. The Bulls last played on Friday in a competitive game against the Boston Celtics. Furthermore, an already thin Brooklyn Nets team is playing in a back to back spot after scoring just 92 points yesterday against the Magic. As thin as the Nets are, attacking the paint and shooting overall is going to much easier then what they’ve seen the last two games against the Magic. Grab the points against a soft defensive Bulls team.

On a light Monday college basketball slate, a 7-0 undefeated Rhode Island team finds themselves as slim favorites against Yale. Often times there’s a reason undefeated teams are not ranked and with Rhode Island it’s evident by their weak non-conference schedule thus far. Take Yale to threaten their undefeated start, and cover the slim number plus the points. 

The LA Rams had one of the worst defensive efforts when it comes to run defense on the season in the NFL. Saquon Barkley had a career game and got what he wanted each carry. Right before their bye week the Saints did the same to the Cleveland Browns with a Taysom Hill package. Yet, expect the Rams to force Derek Carr to have to beat them, who still has been lacking consistent halves of football. Grab the Rams in a bounce back spot.

The Cincinnati Bengals are one of the few teams in the NFL that season could be vastly different. They started off 0-3, including a one point loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. They had two games against the Ravens that were winnable as well. Look for the Bengals to come out with expected heightened play post their bye week. As tough as it is for Mike Tomlin and Pittsburgh to lose consecutive games, the book is now out on Russ Wilson and the new look Steelers offense. Play the Bengals.

The Kansas City Roos record exhibits a team that is .500 at 4-4. That is misleading as all four victories have come against non division one schools. That gives us a bit of spread value against a Southeast Missouri State team that Kansas City handed their worst defeat last season.  The lopsided result was Kansas City by thirty points in a 74-44 victory. Not a blowout here but look for the Roos to handle the close out minutes in the final seven. Take KC.

Any time a team loses a tournament game in overtime there is concern for the following tournament matchup. The Rice Owls were on the verge of playing in the Nassau Championship but faltered in overtime to Hofstra. Look for a regroup spot in an over shot spread against Arkansas State. I would not be shocked if they win outright, but grab the Owls with the points.

After a 3-2 start to the season, Kentucky has dropped five of their last six games. At 4-7, their final game against Louisville is strictly about pride. A strength Kentucky has shown at times this season is their defense, that limited Georgia to 13 points and has kept them in several other games this season even in losses. They’ve also won this matchup five times since 2018. Grab the points here with the Wildcats.

A team that may be the top over achieving team amongst the top four conferences is Duke. They ended a two game losing streak, with wins against teams with backup quarterbacks starting in NC State and Virginia Tech. Saturday, look for Wake Forest to try and end their season on a positive note after three straight losses. Additionally, they have not won a football game at home this season against a division one opponent. Grab the points as the Demon Deacons give their fans something to root for heading into next season.

The Brooklyn Nets return from a West Coast raod trip on a three game winning streak. They defeated Sacramento, Golden State, and the Phoenix Suns and have won four of their last five games. Today, they will see a common opponent in the Eastern Conference that defeated them by fifteen points earlier this season. Take the Magic to end the Nets three game winning streak.

Post holiday travel is always a bit of a concern, but I expect the Ospreys to be ready today against SIU Edwardsville. After a rugged early season schedule that saw the Ospreys have had eight days off. For the Cougars their last action against a division one school they lost by twenty five points against Green Bay. Look for North Florida to get out to a hot start and hold off SIU on the road. Tail the Ospreys.

A pattern in school hosted tournaments has been small underdogs covering. Today lies another opportunity as Lafayette hosts the Lafayette Tournament against Long Island. The Sharks will be playing their third straight road game, and fifth over their last six games. Yet, Lafayette has struggled on the season with just one win over a division one school. Take the points with the road team here in Long Island.

A small scale matchup that will have high meaning for both teams will take place between George Mason and James Madison. The two Virginia campuses are separated by less then two hours, and have the same identical records at 4-3. For the Patriots their record could be 6-1, but they have struggled in close games. They lost to East Carolina in double overtime and Central Michigan by a point. Look for that issue to be easier to overcome on a short road trip against a James Madison team that can go cold offensively for stretches.

The Miami Heat are in a back to back spot tonight against the Charlotte Hornets. In yesterday’s home loss to the Milwaukee Bucks they were flat out the gate, maybe effected by the late scratch of Giannis not playing. Tonight is important for the Heat to get back to .500. Look for the Heat to lean on their prior road trip to Charlotte where they won by eight points. Lay it with the Heat.

In college basketball a team that has had a big layoff, tends to be flat right before a holiday. Western Michigan has not played in a full week since losing to South Dakota 80-76. Meanwhile, Youngstown State will be looking to recover from a poor lower level tournament showing in blowout losses against Presbyterian and Stephen F Austin. Lay it with Youngstown State who did take Syracuse to overtime earlier this season.

Since 2021, in Lamar Jackson’s career following a loss after week two and beyond the Ravens are 8-0. That’s certainly factored into the spread along with last year’s 20-10 Sunday night prime time win over the Chargers. For years, the narrative was the Chargers were a coach away from getting to the next level with poor losses under Brandon Staley. Under Coach Harbaugh we are seeing that, and like many instances this year with the Steelers/Cardinals we are seeing a home team on a winning streak devalued ATS. Tail the Chargers.

Sunday, the Indiana Pacers got back in the win column after losing five of their prior six games. Monday, they will be in a back to back spot and playing their third game in four nights. Do not look for that to deter a Pacers team that will be in a revenge spot after losing to the Pelicans 125-118 on November 1st. Lay it with the Pacers as the Pelicans lose their fifth straight game.

East Texas A&M may be the top small school in the country as far as their early season strength of schedule. They faced Iowa, Texas A&M, UConn, and Oklahoma. Each game they sustained a loss of twenty two points or more. Tonight, they will finally get an equal opponent in Stonehill. Look for the Lions to play above their 1-5 record, as a result of their difficult schedule. Tail the Lions.

The forgotten team when it comes to the NFC West discussions are the Seattle Seahawks. They had lost five of six games prior to their bye week, and escaped with a final second win last week over the San Francisco 49ers. They now have new life and a chance to take the division lead. Arizona is a team they have defeated five straight times, and have not lost to against in the Geno Smith era. Back the Seahawks.

The Las Vegas Raiders six game losing streak began with a loss to the Denver Broncos in week five. Gardner Minshew was one of the main reasons for the loss, as he threw an ill-advised throw that led to a 100 yard pick six to tie the game at ten. It led to his benching, but there have been changes to the Raiders. Scott and Norv Turner added some life to the offense. Grab the Raiders to be sparked in the second matchup against Denver

The New England Patriots struggles against the Miami Dolphins in their first matchup, is why they shifted from veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett to rookie Drake Maye. Miami has been much more dynamic on offense with Tua, but are still vulnerable ATS at home. They needed a late broken play touchdown to get their first home cover of the season against the Las Vegas Raiders. Grab the Patriots on a spread that is a couple of points to high.

The Memphis Grizzlies are probably a game away from getting Ja Morant back who is listed doubtful for their road matchup against the Bulls. Traveling to Chicago should bring forth a spirited effort from the entire team. In the first matchup the Grizzlies blew a seven point fourth quarter lead to lose outright. Grab the Grizzlies.

Jacksonville State through six games has not played a poor game yet. They lost a tough road spot at Air Force where the altitude got them in the second half. Yesterday, they lost by just two points to Toledo. Yet, today is a different matchup against a James Madison team that has size and matches up well with them. Lay it with James Madison.

Morgan State travels to Buffalo for their second road game in three days. That is certainly going to affect their offense early on. Yet, the Bulls are a team have underwent vast changes from being a consistent contender in the MAC conference. They are also one of the worst free throw shooting teams in the country, ranking 312th at 63 percent. That will be a factor to keep this game close. Take Morgan State plus the points.

Transition with smaller college basketball schools take a handful of games. Coastal Carolina hired Justin Gray from Western Carolina, and he brought with him Rasheed Jones and Colin Granger. Jones is averaging a team best fifteen points per game, and today is the matchup for Coastal Carolina to build forward. Grab Coastal Carolina in a buy low spot off an eighteen point loss to Jacksonville State.

An early season undefeated matchup will take place tonight between Oregon State and Oregon. Both teams have faced lower level competition to begin the season, but we can lean on the former Pac-12 matchups of recent seasons. Last year the Ducks won but by just two points over the Beavers. Additionally, Oregon State has some new talent including Nate Kingz who is shooting the three point shot at 57 percent. Tail the Beavers as the underdog.

Jameis Winston gets to have some stability and a chance to settle in this year with the Cleveland Browns. It’s the first time since 2021 that he will start his fourth straight game. Pittsburgh, has went 6-1 in the division over the last two seasons. The one loss was to Cleveland, and frankly they were fortunate to win the other game on a scoop and score deciding touchdown by TJ Watt. Grab the points with Cleveland.

Once again a smaller school is getting spread value on Thursday thanks to their issues on the road. Presbyterian through five games, is 0-3 on the road this season. Yet, this is the lead up to a tournament being played Friday and Saturday. Expect the coaching to be different to preserve legs and minutes for three days of tournament action. Grab the points with Presbyterian here against Stephen F. Austin. 

The same exact spread movement has occurred between the Charlotte Hornets and Detroit Pistons as their first matchup. Charlotte opened as -1.5, and flipped to the Hornets side as the favorite. Charlotte won by a point thanks to a Brandon Miller game winner. A big reason for their win was the free throw disparity. Charlotte made sixteen while the Pistons took only five. Detroit’s lack of an ability to get to the free throw line does them in again. Take Charlotte.

Early in a college basketball season there are rare instances where teams don’t travel. California Baptist will host their fifth straight home game tonight as they take on Northern Colorado. Up until the Lancers last game against Long Island, their prior three games were decided by five points or less. Take the value here on Northern Colorado in the night cap plus the five.

Buffalo’s games have been total bettors favorite scenario, easy overs. They have hit in four straight games, but the Bulls are coming off an overtime game in last week’s win over Miami Ohio. In their first overtime game the next week they scored just three points. On top of that, there’s a storyline involved with Cole Snyder facing his old Bulls team that he played on the past two seasons. Expect a high energy game in Mac-tion play. Take the under.

The Elon Phoenix have just one win on the season, and it came against a non division one school in Bluefield University. That typically is a bad sign traveling on the road this early in the season. Yet, the Phoenix challenged North Carolina to just a fourteen point loss and lost by just one point to Gardner-Webb. They have better balanced scoring then last season, including TJ and TK Simpkins both scoring in double figures. Take Elon.

SIU Edwardsville has won three straight games as they go into today’s matchup against Wisconsin Green Bay. In fact, their only two losses on the season were against Big Ten opponents in Indiana and Illinois. Tonight, though I am worried about road legs derailing their momentum. This will mark their sixth straight game on the road, including Saturday’s neutral site game against Canisius. Take Wisconsin-Green Bay to prevail on the small number. 

All signs appear that Kirk Cousins will give it a go Sunday against the Denver Broncos. Denver returns home after nearly ending the Kansas City Chiefs undefeated season. As great as they played offensively they were quiet after an early 14-3 lead. The prior week they also struggled in a blowout loss to Baltimore. Take Atlanta which even with a less than 100 percent Kirk Cousins is one of the more potent offenses in football.

The Chicago Bears have sustained three straight losses, and now will face a Packers team that has owned them. Additionally, the Packers are coming in with extra time to prepare off their bye week. Still, the Packers have had weaknesses offensively in the division this year with two of their three losses. On the first over adjustment on a Bears spread all season, take the value with the home underdog.

Sunday, there is no doubt that the Pittsburgh Steelers will have success offensively against the Ravens poor secondary that ranks last in the NFL. The question is can they consistently keep up with Lamar Jackson and the Ravens offense for four quarters on a small spread. With Baltimore having the rest advantage look for that to be the difference in the second half.

The Los Angeles Lakers won a high intensity game last night over the Spurs, 120-115. In a back to back spot look for the Lakers overall roster depth, and trust JJ Reddick has in an expanded rotation to pay dividends. The Pelicans just ended a six game losing streak and have not won consecutive games since their first two games. Lay it with the Lakers.

Illinois has hit a Big Ten road block losing consecutive games to Oregon and Minnesota. Coming out of a bye week can be even more difficult for a team that has reversed course from a strong start. Look for Michigan State to be the looser team and hang around against an Illinois team that has scored twenty one points or fewer in three straight games.

In-conference Liberty has been shaky this season. They nearly lost to New Mexico State and Florida International as heavy favorites, and have dropped two of their last three games. This included losing to a 1-8 Kennesaw State team as 27 point favorites. Saturday, look for Liberty to play like the team we saw last season as they see a UMass team that does not have intel on them. Lay it with Liberty.

Colorado has hit the pinnacle of their season with a 7-2 record, and eyes on getting to the Big 12 title game. As great as they have been, Utah knows their strengths and weaknesses as they came over from the Pac-12 with them. They also nearly knocked off undefeated BYU last week. Look for Utah to carry over the momentum of last week, and at least provide a scare to Colorado. Take the points with the Utes.

The Tulane Green Wave will attempt to remain undefeated in American Conference play as they travel to take on Navy. The Midshipmen after losing two straight games, defeated South Florida last week 28-7. Still, their offense is in neutral and has scored just fifty two points over their last three weeks. That spells trouble against a Tulane team that scores at such an efficient rate. Lay it with Tulane.

In initial opening lines the Toronto Raptors opened as slight favorites over the Detroit Pistons. Detroit has garnered the attention of bettors thanks to pushing Milwaukee to overtime, and their prior four games were all decided by two points or less. As poor as the Raptors overall record is, they have been excellent at home ATS with four straight covers. Take the Raptors returning home from a five game road trip.

The Seattle Redhawks have started the season 0-2. A slower start was expected after losing two key seniors in Cameron Tyson and Alex Schumacher. They seemed to have adapted in their second game against Liberty, up six late, but did not close the game. In a heart breaking defeat they went scoreless down the stretch in the loss. Expect the Redhawks to put forth a sharper outing and get their first win of the season against Cal Poly. Lay the points.

The LA Clippers had their four game win streak end on Monday against the Oklahoma City Thunder, in what was just a six point loss. Now, the Clippers head to Houston where we will see James Harden return to where he played the best basketball in his career. This is the first of consecutive games against the Rockets, which is always a bit tricky for the road team. Tail Houston in the first matchup as they seek their longest win streak of the season at three games.

Northeastern nearly knocked off the expected top team in the Ivy League in their last matchup, Princeton in a narrow three point loss. Today, they will host a Harvard team that has had consecutive poor losses to Navy and American. In their third straight road game look for the Crimson to settle in and perform better for two halves of play. Additionally, Harvard has beaten Northeastern in three straight matchups. Take the underdog with Harvard.

The Dallas Mavericks are in search of a team pickup spot to get them going. At .500 they have lost consecutive games but both were narrow defeats by two points or less. Look for the Mavericks to be inspired by Klay Thompson’s return to Golden State, and cover against a Warriors team that over performed on their recent road trip. Grab the points with Dallas.

The disarray that the Milwaukee Bucks are in is not going to get better in the long term. In the short term tonight is an advantageous spot against the Toronto Raptors. Toronto is 0-6 on the road this season and coming off a four-game West coast road trip against the Nuggets, Kings, Clippers, and Lakers. Even with the Bucks short handed minus Damian Lillard there should be two to three stretches of dominant basketball on the Bucks side. Take Milwaukee.

An eight win team from last season finds themselves as a double digit favorite tonight in Incarnate Word. The Cardinals had one of the biggest on court issues last season, where several players were suspended for an on court brawl. With the majority of their key players back, and the addition of Davion Bailey from Ball State the Cardinals should eclipse double digit wins this season. Tail the Cardinal tonight.

Mac-tion continues for the second straight week with a three-game Tuesday slate. Ball State is just 2-6 over their last eight games, and the two victories have been nail biters of two point victories. Yet, look for the offense to get going against a Buffalo team that let off the gas in last week’s win over Akron. In the fourth quarter they allowed three fourth quarter touchdowns, which shows a lack of focus for four quarters. Tail the road underdog here in Ball State. 

Oddsmakers have continued to be off with North Florida as they have began the season 3-0. Tonight, a steep rise from the opener has occurred on Georgia’s side, and I believe the number is still short. The Ospreys are playing their second game in forty eight hours on the road. Expect the shots that fell against Georgia Tech for 105 points to come up short, and for Georgia to thrive in transition. Lay it with the Bulldogs.

The San Antonio Spurs had a poor Saturday loss to the lowly Utah Jazz. They did get back Devin Vassell though who put in 21 points in 22 minutes. Tonight, they will take on a Sacramento Kings team that has had issues over their last five games in second halves. Expect that to reoccur in a back to back spot after defeating the Phoenix Suns last night.

Austin Peay pulled off a big upset over Butler as 16.5 point underdogs on Friday. Following up those type of performances is tricky, and will be tonight against Chattanooga. The Mocs head into their third straight road game after opening the season against USC and Saint Mary’s. They did not fold in the loss to Saint Mary’s, and may have discovered reserve Makai Richards deserves more minutes on the floor. Play the Mocs to get their first win of the season.

The Chicago Bears felt the effects of losing on a Hail Mary last week in Arizona. They were flat on both sides of the football, and just did not show any energy. Now from the coaches to the players this is a pressure spot where they have to respond against the Patriots. As great as Drake Maye game ending play was against the Titans, he did not perform well with four sacks and two interceptions. Take the Bears to do enough to cover the near touchdown spread.

After seven straight losses the Saints have moved on from Dennis Allen. Sunday’s matchup against the Falcons presents a rematch the Saints arguably should of won earlier in the season. Atlanta failed to get into the end zone offensively, in what was a back and forth contest. Expect the Saints to show some life after an embarrassing road loss last week to Carolina. Play the Saints.

Experienced senior quarterbacks are tough to gauge in the market. For Missouri, Drew Pyne is on his third team after experience with both Notre Dame and Arizona State. But Pyne has shown next to nothing filling in for Brady Cook. The huge down grade puts them in a bad spot even against 1-4 Oklahoma in the SEC. Take the Sooners as the road favorite.

The Utah Jazz at 1-7 are in a tough spot once again to conclude their road trip against the San Antonio Spurs. In their last six losses they have lost by eight points or more.  Today’s early start time is troublesome considering the Spurs just defeated the Jazz by eighteen points on Halloween. Take the Spurs as their ATS value is going to be on the rise entering their tenth game with their new starting five. Tail the Spurs.

Graduation and portal transfers have hit mid-majors harder then ever in college basketball. A team that may be feeling the affects early on this season is Wright State. Typically they have been a solid team ATS to back but the makeup of their team is not to the standard of years past. Take Miami Ohio as they build off their outright win over Appalachian State. 

Navy began the season 6-0 and then stumbled in a blowout loss to Notre Dame. That rolled over into an embarrassing performance on the road against a poor rice team as two touchdown favorites. Look for Navy to regroup against a South Florida team that has struggled when not facing bottom tier teams. In fact, the closest South Florida has been in a game against a team above .500 was a 21-3 loss to Memphis. Tail Navy.

Texas State came into the season with run the table and have a possible chance for the playoffs. The season has been filled with unfortunate moments that have the Bobcats just 4-4 on the season. New motivation lies with just becoming a bowl eligible team and getting to the ceiling that last year’s team did. Expect the Bobcats to end their two game losing streak and take care of business on the road against UL Monroe.

Late add in tonight’s Mountain West clash between New Mexico and San Diego State. The Lobos have lost consecutive games but have scored 45 or more points in four out of their last five games. Tonight lies an opportunity to put the pressure on an Aztecs team that has had issues in close games. A one point loss to Central Michigan, and a three point loss to Washington State. Take New Mexico as the slight underdog.

The Milwaukee Bucks finally got a win last night by twenty three points over the Utah Jazz. In their prior two games they nearly knocked off the Cleveland Cavaliers in two losses by two points or less. Traveling to Madison Square Garden in a back to back spot is the definition of a bad spot. Grab the Knicks to emphatically end their two game losing streak.

The Furman Paladins lost key pieces to their tournament team two seasons ago, including guards Marcus Foster and JP Peagues. Yet, the Paladins have always been solid at rebuilding quickly. Seniors Garrett Hien and junior Ben Vanderwal give Furman a leadership presence. While the offense will take some time look for the Paladins to hang around tonight against Belmont with their defense. Take Furman. 

Two teams that had contrasting results in terms of scoring will meet tonight in Air Force and Jacksonville State. The Gamecocks scored nearly double the points Air Force did in their game one victory with 112 points. Yet, that was against a non division one school. Easy offense can become difficult when pace of play is dictated as is expected from the Falcons. Look for their first road game combined with altitude to result in Jacksonville State’s first loss of the season.

Typically one won’t see a team in a back to back spot that just lost by 27 points be a favorite. The Spurs find themselves as one after losing 127-100 to Houston last night. A positive in the loss was the offense picked up with 61 second half points. Look for the Spurs to come out with energy that was missing in the first half of yesterday’s loss to Houston. Take the Spurs as Portland has a let down spot off their 18 point win over the Pelicans.

Coastal Carolina has spiraled in Sun Belt Conference play with three straight losses. All of them were tough spots against two top level Sun Belt teams in James Madison and UL Lafayette, followed by one of the worst let down spots of the season against Troy last week. The Chanticleers were possibly looking ahead to their upcoming matchup against Appalachian State, who are 0-4 on the road this season. Take the value here on Coastal Carolina ending their losing streak.