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The bad news for Utah State first-year head coach Danny Sprinkle is he knew it would take some time to build a team with zero returning starters from a 26-9 squad. The good news is it took only two games. After opening the campaign 1-1, USU has gone 18-1 since as they enter tonight’s targeted triple revenger, and as a result they reside atop the MWC standings. San Diego State took a different path to today’s clash: following a 13-2 start to the season, the Aztecs have become little more than a middling squad, going just 2-3 since. They have also fallen two full games behind the Aggies in the conference race and must face a Utah State team that’s 3-0 SUATS with LTKO revenge when owning a greater than .750 win percentage.

Rating: 2 Units

Ohio State was ice-cold in the point spread department, riding a 1-6 ATS skein before a pair of games against Northwestern and Illinois on Saturday and Tuesday. Turns out the Buckeyes are just 1-5 ATS after taking on the Illini, plus they’ve got a same-season revenger up next against the Hoosiers (1-6 ATS before IU). OSU’s most grievous sin was beating Iowa in the ‘donkey’ round of last year’s Big Ten tourney: The Hawkeyes are 23-10 ATS with revenge in this series, including 16-3 ATS when OSU sports a .750 or fewer win percentage. We close the book with the Buckeyes’ alarming 0-4 ATS mark as a visitor this season.

Rating: 2 Units

The Scarlet Knights’ fast 5-1 start to the season has cooled off (they ride a 5-7 skein into this fray) but these guys are Jonesing to put a Tony Soprano-style hit on the Boilers to make amends for their first-round loss to Purdue in last season’s Big Ten tourney. The Boilermakers are 1-9 ATS in this series, including 0-7 ATS the last seven meetings. They’re also staring dead ahead to a double revenge affair with pesky Northwestern, who handed Purdue one of its two losses this campaign in a 92-88 OT upset at Evanston. That’s not particularly good news for the Boilers, who own a 5-9 SU and 4-8 ATS ledger in games before facing the Wildcats. In this latest episode of The Zach Edey Show, the big guy gets his stats, but the Scarlet Knights pocket the cash. 

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The younger McKillop has gotten his team off to a decent 12-7 record this campaign but he can regain major credibility if he manages to halt VCU’s 3-game series win streak (one of those losses came to the top-seeded Rams in the first round of last year’s A-10 tourney). Virginia Commonwealth sits in third place in the conference race and is riding a 4-game win streak entering tonight’s contest. Unfortunately for the horned ones, they’ve gone 1-5 ATS in this series of late, including 0-3 ATS when going into revenge. First-year head coach Ryan Odom inherited a team devoid of experience (zero returning starters), so we look for Davidson to improve on its 4-0 SUATS mark at home with a sub .615 win percentage when playing off a previous home loss and facing a foe coming off a pair of SUATS wins.

Rating: 3 Units

The regression has continued this season as Michigan currently owns an embarrassing 7-12 record, including a 1-7 SUATS disaster in the last eight overall contests. Remember, this display of futility is set against the backdrop of the Wolverines football program winning the College Football Playoff championship on January 8, so every loss by Howard means the scrutiny intensifies. Following a 2-point loss at home to Maryland on Wednesday, Iowa finds itself going 3-3 in January after a 3-3 effort in December. However, the deuces are wild in this matchup where the Hawkeyes limp in off a pair of home losses seeking revenge from a double-digit loss suffered at Hawkeye-Carver Arena last season in the only meeting between these two Big Ten rivals. Iowa head coach Fran McCaffrey excels at getting even, going 9-4 ATS in this series with same-season revenge from a loss of 3 or more points and 7-4 ATS away with revenge versus a foe coming off a pair of losses. More trouble for the Wolves looms on the horizon with a trip to Michigan State to face the hated Spartans, as Michigan brings a 1-4 ATS mark into this showdown in games before MSU. Finally, Iowa is 8-1 SUATS with conference revenge under head coach Fran McCaffrey in games in which Iowa owns a winning record and its opponent owns a losing record.

CBB Conference Game of the Week

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If you’ve been an ISU backer this season, you probably think there’s a printing press in Hilton Coliseum that cranks out the bucks after a home game as the Cyclones are 12-2 ATS on this floor. They’ll also be looking to square things up from a loss to KU in the semifinals of the Big 12 tournament last season. No. 7 Kansas is loaded with talent like most Jayhawks squads under head coach Bill Self, but they’ve had two uncharacteristic stumbles of late, losing on the road to UCF and West Virginia. That’s music to our ears considering the Jayhawks have not dominated this series, going 7-12 ATS, including 0-5 ATS when ISU sports a .777 or greater win percentage. The Cyclones have performed well taking points at home, going 5-1 ATS the last half dozen games and will look to lean on their 4-0 ATS success at home with conference tourney revenge against .800 or greater opponents. Finally, Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger is 9-1 ATS at home with the Cyclones as either a dog or a favorite of 3 or fewer points, including 7-0 ATS with a win percentage of .777 or greater. .

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Following a 2-3 start that had fans reaching for their brown paper head sacks, UGA suddenly caught fire to go on a 12-2 winning run. However, the O’Connell Center will be revved up and rabid today considering it was their Mike White who left Gainesville to take the job at Georgia last year “due to a toxic environment created by the fanbase and fear it would begin to affect his five young children” (we shudder to see some of the signs in the stands). As a result of White’s departure, the Gators were forced to hire Todd Golden and the arranged marriage produced a 16-17 record. He’s off to a better start this season, going 13-6 overall but Florida has split its last six games on the scoreboard and has this standing in its way here: the series host is currently on an incredible 1-14 ATS slide, including 0-11 ATS the last eleven games! That’s all we need to know in this bad blood slugfest. 

CBB Game of the Week

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The Spartans fell 70-57 as a -5.5-point home favorite to the Badgers in an earlier meeting back on December 5. What would make this win even sweeter for Izzo is the fact that Wisconsin will still be sitting atop the Big Ten should they defeat Indiana and Minnesota before facing Sparty, so knocking off the conference leader would look really good for a Michigan State squad that struggled to a 4-5 start to the season. The Badgers have not fared well in this series recently, going 8-17 SU and 9-16 ATS, including 1-7 ATS as a favorite. Finally, playing on Michigan State from Game 20 out when they are seeking conference revenge with 3 or more days of rest is 34-12-1.

Rating: 2 Units

Coming into this game are the 15-4 San Francisco Dons, who have almost become an annual call selection when clashing with the Zags. This year Frisco checks in with a 15-8-1 ATS log in conference tourney revenge losses (fell to the Zags in the semis of last year’s West Coast conference event) and they’re currently riding a red hot 7-0 SU and 6-1 ATS train. A concern is USF’s 0-2 SUATS slide in this series when they own the better record, but they are 12-1 SU and 9-4 ATS in games this season in which they boast the better record. With the Zags 8-1 SU at home this season, we can’t call for an outright win but their 1-5 ATS effort against foes coming off consecutive wins this campaign says you should grab the points with an avenging squad that just may be the better team.

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A visit to the Sun Belt Conference finds us on the 5-returning starter Mountaineers, who arrive with a lofty 8-1 SU and 7-2 ATS mark in this series when they own a winning record. They’ve also been red hot, winning 13 of their last 15 games on the scoreboard to improve to 14-4. As for Georgia Southern, first-year head coach Charlie Henry’s Eagles appear to be anything but the ”sleeper team’” they were tabbed to be. Instead, they look anything but, after nodding off to a dreadful 3-15 record this season at press time (0-15 outside the Sun Belt).

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The Wildcats are in a desperate situation and with the spread now at 4.5, I feel confident backing them to cover today at MSG. Nova has lost three of its last four and has only beaten two Big East teams not named DePaul, so it has some work to do if it hopes to earn a bye for the conference tournament. It has faced a tough schedule, 15th per KenPom, including an average offense ranked 20th and an average defense ranked 10th. With wins over North Carolina, Texas Tech, Maryland, Creighton, Memphis, and Xavier, there's no denying the Cats can play but will their shooters show up tomorrow? When Nova shoots over 37 percent from deep, it's 7-1, and when its opponent shoots under 29 percent, it's 5-0. St. John's ranks 212th in three-point percentage and its perimeter defense isn't elite. With one guard sidelined and another currently dealing with COVID, I'm not confident the Red Storm guards will outplay the Wildcats' guards.

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This has not been a vintage season for the X-men. Despite winning 3 of their last five games, they were just 9-8 this season and must pay the piper here for knocking the Bluejays out in the semifinals of last year’s Big East Tournament. That’s because Creighton stands 5-1 SU and 5-2 ATS with LTKO revenge while Xavier is just 2-4 ATS against foes with LTKO. The Jays also own a 5-2 ATS mark in the series with the Musketeers when playing with revenge. The killer, though, is that Xavier is 4-38 ATS in games they lose on the scoreboard as underdogs against avenging conference foes. 

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Ohio State is averaging 76.4 points per game. They scored 79 points in their last game, making 45.8 percent of their field goals and 16.7 percent of their three-pointers. Roddy Gayle Jr. led the Buckeyes with 16 points, four rebounds, and five assists. Evan Mahaffey finished with 16 points and five rebounds, while Jamison Battle added 11 points and six rebounds. Ohio State has played well defensively, giving up 66.6 points per game. They gave up 67 points in their last game and will need a similar effort if they want to win this game.

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The Utes after watching their promising 11-2 start to the season dissipate by dropping three of their last four contests entering this game. That’s not good news for a Utah team that’s forgotten how to win a game in this series as they are 1-20 SU against Oregon since 2013, including 0-5 SUATS as a favorite. Neither are the Utes’ 1-7 ATS failures after squaring off against Stanford and their 6-17 SU and 6-15-2 ATS mark against foes that own the better record. Must give a coaching edge to Oregon here as Utah’s 3rd-year HC Craig Smith has to match wits with the veteran Dana Altman, now in his 14th season with the Ducks and the 39th year of his career. Altman is 3-0 ATS off a loss this season, so you know the state and the team we’ll be lining up with today. Ducks get off the mat to hand Utah its first home loss of the campaign.

Rating: 2 Units

The Wildcats beat the top-seeded Bruins, 61-59, in the finals of last season’s Pac-12 tourney and remember Zona is a money-burning 7-22-1 ATS against Pac 12 foes with a revenge chip on their shoulder, including a brutal 2-18-1 ATS as a favorite of 7 or more points. The Bruins may be down a tad this season, but rest assured they will be fully focused here. Finally, UCLA is 9-2 SU and ATS with revenge in this series, including 5-0 SUATS when the Wildcats own a sub .840 win percentage.

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We’re going with the Trojans, who were upset by the Sun Devils in the opening round of last year’s Pac-12 Tournament, and the Trojans just so happen to own a 6-0 ATS mark in this series when seeking revenge. That should provide plenty of incentive for a team with Big Dance aspirations who is languishing around the Mendoza line as we come up on February. It helps too that Arizona State is just 2-4 SUATS versus conference foes seeking Pac-12 tourney revenge. Enfield and company simply cannot afford another loss with UCLA and Oregon on deck after this one, so take a shot with the Traveling Trojans.

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 Virginia Commonwealth team that went 27-8 last year is barely treading water under fi rst-year head coach Ryan Odom at press time with a 9-7 record. A lot has to do with the fact that the Rams were decimated by graduation and transfers with ZERO returning starters back from last year’s unit, so it’s time to hop on their misfortune – especially with VCU still looking to cash a winning ticket at the Siegel Center in a conference game this season. Saint Louis head coach Travis Ford brings a stellar 27-8 SU  

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Zips remember being trashed in all three meetings last season, including a loss in the semifinals of the MAC tourney. They also enter this fray at 11-7 ATS when seeking conference tourney revenge, including 7-1-1 ATS against foes coming off a win. As for the Flashes, they’re barely glowing this season with Kent just above the Mendoza line at press time. Worse, the Flashes are 0-3 ATS against avenging foes this campaign.

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The Utes might miss junior center Lawson Lovering (7.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG) and senior guard Rollie Worster (9.9 PPG, 5.5 APG) due to injuries, but I still expect Utah to dominate Oregon State in front of the home audience. However, I wasn’t expecting the bookies to set a 15-point spread, so I’ll take the underdogs in this game. If Rollie Worster remains on the shelf, the Utes will struggle to beat the number. Utah is 1-4 ATS in its last five games overall and 2-7 ATS in its previous nine outings in the conference play. On the other side, Oregon State is 5-1 ATS in its last six contests overall.

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Towson is comes in looking to avenge a loss to the Cougars in the semifinal of last years’ Colonial Conference tourney. A smart 9-6 ATS mark with revenge in this series sets the table tonight and an even smarter 63-39-3 ATS ledger in games as a revenge-seeking conference dog cleans it up. Since joining the CAA, the Cougars have faced two foes with triple revenge chips on their shoulders from the previous season and they’ve lost the money each time. 

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Nevada is averaging 76.1 points per game. They scored 56 points in their last game, making 36 percent of their field goals and 25 percent of their three-pointers. Kenan Blackshear led the Wolf Pack with 15 points, three rebounds, and three assists. Jarod Lucas finished with 14 points and four assists, while Nick Davidson added 12 points and five rebounds. Nevada has played well defensively, giving up 63.6 points per game. They gave up 64 points in their last game and will need a similar effort if they want to win this game.

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Will Arizona win this game? Absolutely! The question is by how much, and recent history demonstrates that they can crush the Trojans by 17 or more. Last season at home, they beat USC by 15 and the season before they had a 20-point victory over the Trojans in Los Angeles. Arizona has also produced at least 81 points in five of the last six meetings against USC.  What they have also done is shut down the Trojans, who have scored under 70 points in two of the last four meetings between these teams. USC has gone under 65 in the last two games and they will do that here as well.

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The Rhode Island Rams are looking to continue winning games as they are coming off an 89-77 home victory against the UMass Minutemen and it helped scoring 41+ points in each half. Their offense was unbelievable as the Rams were able to shoot 27-of-52 (51.9 percent) from the floor, 14-of-23 (60.9 percent) from the three-point line and 28 free-throw attempts. Junior guard Jaden House stepped up in this game as he finished with 29 points, six rebounds, three assists, one block and three turnovers in 35 minutes of action. The defense has done a good job as well as the Minutemen were held a team shooting split of 40.9/20.0/71.4 throughout the game. 

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Isaiah Hill is a lone Bulldog with points per game north of 10.0. On the other side, four Spartans average points in double figures, so I have to take San Jose State even though the Spartans’ defense has been pretty bad all season. The Bulldogs’ defense has been solid over the last few weeks, but their offense has been pretty much awful. I’m looking for a tight battle for all 40 minutes, and the Spartans’ offense should make a difference down the stretch. Fresno State is 7-0 ATS in its last seven home games against San Jose State. However, the Bulldogs are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games overall, whereas the Spartans have gone 4-1 ATS in their previous five. 

Rating: 2 Units

Akron will be too tough at both ends of the court for Western Michigan to keep pace. Akron scores 77.1 points per game and has the 63rd best field goal shooting percentage, allowing just 65.6 points per game which is 55th in the country. In contrast, Western Michigan scores an average of 74.9 points per game but is allowing 76.2 points per game and opponents are shooting 44.9%. Western Michigan is allowing opponents to shoot 35.6% from 3-point territory which is 314th, and plays to one of Toledo’s strengths, as the Rockets are hitting the same 35.6% from three point land. Akron has covered the spread in four of its last five. Akron's scoring duo Enrique Freeman and Ali Ali, who average a combined 33.8 points per game, will be too much inside and out for the Broncos defense. Akron's Freeman is leading the nation in rebounding at 13.1 per game and helps the Zips clear the glass at both ends giving opponents fewer second look opportunities.

Rating: 2 Units

The Villanova Wildcats are right at the top of the Big East standings, as only three teams in the league have only one loss. The one-loss teams are Seton Hall, UConn and Villanova. Nova's lone loss was a home matchup against St. John's, they defeated DePaul twice, won a home game over Xavier, and grabbed a road win over #12 Creighton. In their last game against DePaul, Nova got out to a 10 point lead at half and never looked back. They were led in scoring by Eric Dixon with 24 points in the win.

Rating: 2 Units

Both St Peters and Manhattan do not score that many points per game but the big difference in this matchup is on defense, as the Peacocks are allowing an average of only 63.5 points per game and 42.4% shooting, while the Jaspers are allowing an average of 76.0 points per game and 45.5% shooting. St Peter's has covered the spread in six of its last seven games and in four of the last five games head-to-head versus Manhattan. Manhattan has covered the spread in just one of its last seven games and the Jaspers have covered the spread in just one of their last six games played on their home court. Manhattan is scoring only 64.4 points per game and shoots very poorly, hitting just 39.4% of its shots overall and 30.1% of its 3-point attempts, which are 347th and 316th respectively.

Rating: 3 Units

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The Miami RedHawks are middle-of-the-pack on the offensive side of the floor as they are averaging 74.8 points per game, which is 185th in college basketball. Their defense has been doing a decent job as they are 181st in the NCAA with 71.7 points per game allowed.

Rating: 2 Units

Louisville comes in with a victory in their previous contest, giving them a little bit of momentum heading into this game. Meanwhile, NC State struggled against Notre Dame on the road and lost to North Carolina so they are looking to get back on track here. Louisville has struggled shooting the ball all season long and they have sputtered on the defensive end of the floor. This should be an opportunity for the Wolfpack to get right offensively in this contest as they face this struggling Cardinals group. Burns Jr. should have a big game on the interior, especially with Traynor missing for Louisville. Take the Wolfpack in this contest as they earn the road victory.

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Against Louisville, Virginia handled its business the way a good team should against a not-so-good one. The Cavaliers had just three turnovers and shot 51.7 percent from the floor while notching 20 assists on 30 made baskets. Ryan Dunn had 15 points and 10 rebounds while Isaac McKneely scored 18 points. Reece Beekman leads the team in scoring this season with 12.9 points per game. While Virginia struggled in South Bend, NC State was able to escape the state of Indiana with a 54-52 win over Notre Dame on Wednesday. DJ Burns Jr. had 13 points and four rebounds and sank the game-winning shot with 0.6 seconds left. The buzzer-beater by Burns was the first time NC State had the lead. The Wolfpack won despite one of their worst 3-point shooting performances of the season, making just 3 of 17 shots (17.6 percent) from behind the arc.

Rating: 2 Units

Until last season, the Broncos had dominated this matchup. In fact, they had won the previous eight games by at least 16 points in every instance but one. The only two times they did not cover the spread in that time was when they were favored by 22 points or more. They win, but simply not by 26. That makes a 5.5-point spread totally workable. There is no denying that San Jose can score, producing at least 73 points in six straight games, but Boise State can be an offensive machine, scoring 85 or more points in four of the last five games. 

Rating: 2 Units

The Illinois basketball program recently suspended their top scorer Terrence Shannon Jr. after he was charged with rape. Many were wondering how Illinois would respond in their first true test without him against Northwestern. Well, they beat the Wildcats by 30, the same Northwestern team that handed Purdue their only loss of the season. Illinois held the lead all game and it was never close. Marcus Domask led the way with 32 points, and Quincy Guerrier had a double-double with 14 points and ten boards in the win.

Rating: 2 Units

Defensively, Quinnipiac allows an average of 72.7 points per game (221st nationally). Their field goal defense stands at 42.5% (161st) and their three-point defense at 33.1% (203rd), indicating a need for more stringent defense, especially on the perimeter. In their last game against Florida, Quinnipiac faced a tough 97-72 road loss. 

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The Pirates followed up their win over Delaware State with a loss to the Buccaneers in their last game. They will try to bounce back from the loss with a win over the Owls, which will give them their second win in their last three games and their first road win of the season. East Carolina is averaging 72.8 points per game. They scored 71 points in their last game, making 34.9 percent of their field goals and 16.7 percent of their three-pointers. Brandon Johnson led the Pirates with 19 points, nine rebounds, and four assists. RJ Felton finished with 17 points and seven rebounds, while Ezra Ausar added 12 points and eight rebounds.

Rating: 2 Units

The Redhawks enter MAC play this season at 6-6 following a tough non-conference schedule. They have won two straight games but have had trouble offensively thus far. The Redhawks are ranked 235th in scoring offense this season. They are, however, 142nd in field goal percentage on the season and an impressive 10th in 3-point shooting. The Redhawks rank 36th in 3-point field goals per game. They are just 224th in scoring defense this season. They are ranked 305th in opponent's field goal percentage.

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Creighton was justifiably a top-ten team until the team's recent struggles. They have size, shooting, and excellent perimeter defense. That combination of attributes is critical in the modern-day college basketball landscape. The Bluejays now square off against a Hoyas team that is in the midst of an overhaul under new head coach Cooley. Cooley eventually got Providence turned around and it started with taking care of their homecourt. Thus far, the Hoyas are 6-3 at home this season but have lost to the three quality teams they've played at home: TCU, Syracuse, and Butler. The Hoyas lost those games by just under eight points per game. The Bluejays certainly qualify as a quality opponent and are a step above the three aforementioned teams. Look for the Bluejays to dominate the glass and dominate the interior forcing the Hoyas to collapse into the paint and thus opening up the Bluejays' 40th-ranked 3-point shooting.

Rating: 2 Units

IUPUI is coming off of victory over Detroit Mercy, but will lose at home to Cleveland State on Sunday. IUPUI is one of the worst shooting teams in the nation. The Jaguars are 233rd in field goal shooting percentage at 43.8 and 362nd in three-point shooting percentage at 23.4. It is just as bad or likely worse at the defensive end as the Jaguars allow opponents to shoot 49.6% overall which is 358th and 37.1% from 3 point land which is 341st. A poor shooting offense and a weak defense do not add up to many wins.  Cleveland State holds its own offensively, scoring 76.1 points per game thanks to excellent shooting from the perimeter as the Vikings hit 38% of their 3-point attempts which is 32nd in the nation. Although on defense the Vikings are giving up a high shooting percent at 44% overall, Cleveland's perimeter defense is holding opponents to 29.8% shooting from 3 point land which is 71st in the country. Cleveland State has covered the spread in each of its last five games and in six of the last eight when playing IUPUI head to head. IUPUI has failed to cover the spread in nine of its last 10 games.

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Notre Dame has had major issues on the offensive end of the floor this season. Scoring only 60 points against Marist isn’t something you want to hang your hat on, even if it was in a victory. Now the Fighting Irish have to face a Virginia team that is suffocating on the defensive end of the floor. We know that Tony Bennett’s team isn’t going to overpower anyone on the offensive end of the floor as they rely on that pack line defense to make life miserable for opposing teams. That’s the situation here as Notre Dame has struggled to shoot the ball with any kind of consistency this season. Virginia is sixth in field goal percentage defense (36.7%), 10th in two-point defense (42%) and 27th in three-point defense (28.1%) this season. Notre Dame will be fortunate if they get above the mid-50s on the scoreboard. Virginia rolls here to improve to 2-0 in the ACC.

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Maryland (8-4) has a chance to extend that streak to 19 games on Thursday night with a tune-up against Coppin State (1-12) in College Park, Md. The Terrapins are coming off a 69-60 win Friday at UCLA that was propelled by a virtuoso performance from Jahmir Young, who scored a career-high 37 points on 13-of-19 shooting. Coppin State arrives on a five-game losing streak and has been idle since an 87-48 defeat at No. 20 James Madison on Dec. 19.

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The Mustangs should close out 2023 with a comfortable win at Murray State. They are superior on the glass to Murray State. The Mustangs defend both the interior and perimeter expertly and should hold the subpar Murray State offense to less than 60 points in this game. While the Racers rarely turn the ball over, they will have a plethora of one-and-done possessions thanks to their inability to shoot the ball well and the team's struggles on the glass. The Mustangs will control the pace and tempo of this game and cruise to their 9th win.

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Michigan State and Oakland play every year, but the Golden Grizzlies have yet to beat the Spartans in 21 meetings since Oakland became a Division I program in 1998. Oakland (6-5) will have had 10 days off since its last game, a 77-63 win at Eastern Michigan on Dec. 8. It will be the third Big Ten opponent this year for Oakland, which lost by six at Ohio State and by 11 at Illinois to open the season. The Golden Grizzlies are led in scoring by Trey Townsend (15.8 points) in what is head coach Greg Kampe's 40th season at the helm.

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There is a clash of styles in this game, and both teams have strengths that their opponent will struggle to defend. Clemson has a strong post player and is surrounded by outside shooters. Memphis has an elite level do-everything wing, surrounded by athletes everywhere to fly up and down the floor. With the game being in Memphis, I believe they will be able to control the tempo, push the pace, and take advantage of Clemson's lack of speed. PJ Hall is a nice center for Clemson, but he will not be able to keep up in a footrace with Memphis as they will beat him down both ends of the floor. Memphis is also more athletic on the perimeter and will have a hand in Joe Girard III's face on every shot. David Jones has been on fire lately for Memphis, he has scored over 22 in three straight games and is one of the best perimeter defenders in the country. Memphis has depth on the perimeter, and will play to their strengths by pushing the tempo on both ends of the floor.

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Coach Prime has stolen all the headlines about the Colorado Buffaloes, but the men's basketball team is putting together a special season. Colorado (7-2), led by junior guard KJ Simpson, already has been ranked and is on the verge of getting back into the polls. The Buffaloes can state their case when they host Northern Colorado on Friday night in Boulder, Colo. Simpson leads the team in scoring with 19.4 points per game and is also averaging 4.4 assists and 4.3 rebounds. He had 20 points in a 90-63 rout of then-No. 15 Miami on Sunday, and his coach believes he should be in the conversation with the best guards in the nation.

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Nevada is arguably a much better offensive team than Weber State, but I think the Wildcats’ defense is good enough to contain the Wolf Pack and help the team beat the number. Weber State takes good care of the ball (25th in turnover percentage, 14.2%) and dominates on the defensive glass (13th in defensive rebound percentage, 77.5%) while keeping its rivals off the free-throw line (33rd in defensive free-throw rate (24.9). The Wolf Pack love to attack the rim and are third in the country in free-throw rate (50.2). They should win this game, but I’m not sure Nevada will be able to beat Weber State by double digits. The Wolf Pack will have a tall task to slow Dillon Jones down. 

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Struggling Chicago State (3-9) hasn't faced a Power Five school this season and is coming off Sunday's 66-50 home loss to the St. Thomas (Minnesota). The Cougars shot just 38.8 percent from the floor, including 27.8 percent from 3-point range. Wesley Cardet and Noble Crawford paced Chicago State with 12 points each, but the team couldn't maintain its momentum down the stretch after drawing within 49-45 with seven minutes to go. Should the Cougars aim to trap Buie, who scored 31 points in the upset of Purdue, the Wildcats will be ready. Buie had eight assists against Detroit Mercy as Northwestern's ball movement kept the Titans off-balance. The Wildcats assisted on 29 of their 34 field goals. Reserve Nick Martinelli shot 10-for-12 from the floor en route to a career-best 22 points. Ryan Langborg hit five of Northwestern's 10 treys and scored 19 points, while Ty Berry (16) and Brooks Barnhizer (13) also finished in double figures. The Wildcats also were plus-four on the glass and had nine steals, four from Langborg. Northwestern is 15-0 against Chicago State all-time, including an 85-54 victory in its season opener a year ago. The Wildcats' 31-point margin of victory was their smallest in the series since a four-point win in December 2016.

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The Bulldogs score 75.4 points per game (166th) on 43.6 percent shooting (236th), including 31.3 percent from long range (265th). They knock down 71.4 percent of their foul shots (161st) and average 38.9 rebounds per game (22nd). MSU's opponents score 62.0 points per game (19th) on 37.2 percent shooting (12th), including 24.9 percent from deep (4th), with 30.3 rebounds per game (126th). Mississippi State is ranked 28th nationally.

Rating: 2 Units

This game may be on a neutral court, but St. John's will have the fandom edge based on where it is. Outside of that, they're already a better team. The Red Storm's greatest advantage will be on the glass, which will lead them to a comfortable win. One of the other key separators for this game is that the Red Storm hits 37.1% of their threes, and Boston College only knocks down 33.9%. Considering that both defenses allow opponents to hit more than 37% of their threes, sharpshooting will also make a massive difference. St. John's beats Boston College there too, and will win this game by more than six points.

Rating: 2 Units

The UNC Greensboro Spartans use a very strong offense that is excellent at long distance shooting together with a defense that limits opponents to a low shooting percentage. UNC Greensboro shoots 39.7% from three point land which is 15th best in the nation and holds opponents to a field goal shooting percentage of just 40.4%. UNC Greensboro scores 79.9 points per game and allows 10.5 points less at 70.4 points per game. Elon is scoring an average of 82.8 per game but gives up 77.6 per contest and gives up high shooting percentages as opponents are making 46.3% overall and 32.2% from 3 point land against the Phoenix. Elon has failed to cover the spread in each of the last two while going 1-1 straight up over that span. UNC Greensboro has won each of its last six straight up and is 3-2 ATS over that span, which included a victory straight up over Arkansas as 15-point road dogs.

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

The Friars have won seven of their last nine games and six straight home games. They have played well offensively at home, scoring more than 79 points per game while making over 49 percent of their shots. They rebound the ball well and they’re very aggressive on the offensive glass, which will give them more scoring chances. They also do a good job of protecting the ball and won’t give the Bears a lot of easy scoring chances. The Bears have struggled defensively and they play worse on the road, giving up more than 73 points per game, so expect them to have a hard time slowing down the Friars in this game. The Bears have lost eight of their last 11 games and four of their last five road games. They have struggled offensively and barely scored more than 60 points per game in their last three games. They don’t rebound the ball as well as the Friars and won’t get a lot of second-chance opportunities against them. They’ve also been careless with the ball on the road, which will lead to easy-scoring opportunities for the Friars. The Friars have done a good job defensively, especially at home where they are holding opponents under 65 points per game, so expect them to keep Brown’s offense in check. Go with Providence to cover the spread.

Rating: 2 Units

Notre Dame has been solid defensively but their inability to shoot the ball with any kind of sustained success is going to be a problem here. The Fighting Irish lost both their road games this season, losing by 12 to South Carolina and by 14 to Miami, failing to score more than 52 points in either of those contests. That kind of production isn’t going to get it done against a Marquette team that has put up at least 85 points four times already this season. The Golden Eagles have already beaten Illinois, UCLA, Texas and Kansas while taking Purdue to the limit in a three-point loss in the Maui Invitational last month. Playing at home against an offensively challenged Notre Dame squad works in the Golden Eagles’ favor as they roll to a victory here.

Rating: 3 Units

The Bobcats have been a strong offensive team as they are scoring 79.9 points per game, which is 87th in the nation. However, their defense needs some work as they are 268th in the United States with 74.9 points allowed per game up to this point. The Marshall offense has been doing decently well throughout the season as they are 208th in the country with 73.8 points per game.

Rating: 2 Units

This one could get very ugly this afternoon. The Chippewas come in at 3-5 and struggle to put points on the board. The Creighton Bluejays are 21st in the nation in points per game and are coming off a 29-point thumping of Nebraska at home. The Bluejays are efficient with the basketball, move it well, and rarely give away possessions. In addition, they will battle with a CMU team that is just 246th in the nation in 3-point defense while ranking 22nd in 3-point shooting. Creighton is also ranked fourth in the nation in the percentage of points coming off 3-point field goals. Don't be frightened by this big line, the Bluejays will run away with this one.

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

The Indiana Hoosiers have won three in a row and their only defeat was against #5 UConn. They have defeated Louisville and Maryland in their last three games. The Michigan Wolverines have dropped four of their last five games with the only victory in that span coming against Stanford. Long Beach State even dealt them an upset loss. The Hoosiers are the superior defensive squad here. They just kept Maryland to 53 points and are only allowing 98.7 points per 100 possessions, compared to 102.7 points per by 100 by the Wolverines according to Ken Pomeroy’s ratings. The Wolverines rank 125th in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency. Each of the Hoosiers' last five wins have been by eight or more points.

Rating: 2 Units

The Broncos have done a great job thus far even though they returned just 20.1 percent of minutes and 17.3 percent of scoring from their 2022-23 roster. Per Bart Torvik, Santa Clara is a top-30 team in the nation in both 2-point percentage (57.1%) and opposing 2-point percentage (43.3%). I’ve mentioned the Broncos big win over Oregon, the second of the season against the Pac-12 team (89-77 at Stanford). I think the Broncos have the length to compete against the Bears, who also have a lot of new faces on their roster. Cal turns the ball over on 20.9 percent of its possessions while handing out just 9.1 assists per game. The Broncos are not a great defensive team by any stretch of the imagination, but their offense is 43rd in assists per game (16.8) and 177th in turnover percentage (17.7%). 

Rating: 2 Units

Experience matters, that's why scheduling a soft non-conference schedule just to pick up some easy wins can be detrimental to the growth of your team. Northwestern has not had the easiest non-conference slate in the land, but they were only listed as underdogs once and lost that game to Mississippi State without covering. Northwestern should have pounded Western Michigan as they were 23.5-point favorites, but only won by four. Purdue on the other hand has played one of the toughest schedules in the country and won every single game. Purdue has defeated three top-15 teams and will roll into their first conference game with confidence. Northwestern has a 7-footer in Nicholson, but he is not an answer to their Edey problem. At 7'4 Edey is still too big and powerful and will dominate inside again. Northwestern's strength is on the perimeter with Boo Buie, but Purdue's Braden Smith is an excellent perimeter defender and will crowd Buie and take away his open looks. Too much talent for the Boilermakers.