Spurs/Thunder 8:30: Thunder should have All Star G Jalen Williams (hamstring) back on the floor. And OKC rolling in playoffs with a sweep of LA; however, that winning momentum can be stalled out with long layoffs as history dictates. Spurs coming off a dominating performance of Minnesota and going into this one confident knowing they beat OKC 4 of 5 times during the regular season. Wemby is playing with ultra confidence, and he's got a strong supporting cast and bench. We'll take the points. 

Spurs/Wolves 9:42: Wolves should go small tonight; after all, Gobert gives them absolutely nothing offensively, and he's only effective defensively in backside help. Wembanyama absolutely abusing him on both ends of the floor. Wolves more effective when Edwards, McDaniels, Reid, Shannon, Conley or even Dosunmu on floor. Wolves were in this position before in the 2024 Semi Finals after getting blown out by Denver in Game 5 before winning Game 6 and delivering Game 7 win at Denver. Minnesota's veteran team should keep it ultra-competitive vs Spurs on this floor in which they've won 5 of the last 6 SU. 

Wolves/Spurs 8:00: Spurs dangerous off a loss and will have Wemby (no suspension) after he landed that vicious elbow. But don't dismiss the Wolves, which have a veteran playoff team. Just need Randle to add a higher percentage of made buckets to compliment Edwards. The steady supporting cast of Reid, McDaniels and Shannon have been playing well. And if Gobert can have a big game, T Wolves may even get an outright here. We'll take the points. 

Pistons/Cavs 8:10: I had the Cav's in Game 3 and they delivered; however, it was a sweat and almost too close for comfort. Cunningham was killing them late while Reed added quality minutes off the bench. Pistons' defense can really lock down in the second half. That was never more apparent than in the opening round against Orlando. And they're showing that ability against Cleveland. Mitchell is having trouble shaking free and Harden struggled most of the game until that final stretch. We'll look for the Pistons to be more poised down the stretch here and cover. 

Spurs/Wolves 7:42: Wolves dug a big hole early in Game 3 but showed grit coming back to make a serious game out of it. Unfortunately, Wembanyama stole the show late and closed it out. Wolves are a veteran team that has plenty of playoff experience on their roster and should find a way to eke out a win here; after all, they're 4-1 SU at Minnesota in this series in the Wembanyama era. Need Edwards to get more support from Reid, McDaniels and even talented but historic playoff no show - Randle. Take the points. 

Detroit/Cleveland 3:00: No excuses for Cleveland here. They hung tough in Detroit on Thursday but missed shots late while being unable to control Cunningham. Cavaliers are 4-0 at home in the playoffs and should turn it up several notches. Harden has yet to show he's a big game player and must step up his game while eliminating turnovers. Mitchell should take over this game late while Mobley and Allen have to be more physical on the boards. Cleveland the call. 

Spurs/Wolves 9:30: I'm surprised this line is what it is. I see a few points of value with a veteran playoff team that's won 6 of 8 SU in this series. Sure, they got blown out Wednesday; however, they still have control of this series (stealing Game 1) and Anthony Edwards (knee bruise) is most likely a go tonight. The Spurs arguably have the most talented roster in the NBA and when they play connected, they're unbeatable - as exhibited Wednesday; however, they're not always on the same page and they have not had recent success in Minnesota. T-Wolves have won 5 straight at home in this series. We'll take the points. 

Knicks/76ers 7:00: 76ers showed grit Wednesday night playing without Embiid. The fast lineup gave New York trouble to a certain point before they ran out of gas. Embiid is a game-time-decision with an ankle injury. Based on the line, there is a good chance he'll play. On the other hand, New York's Anunoby (hamstring) is also a GTD. He's been an absolute beast with eye popping numbers throughout the playoffs. I don't see him getting significant minutes even if he gives it a go. We'll look for Maxey, George and Edgecombe to continue to play well. 

Cavaliers/Pistons 7:00: Cavaliers have battled hard and successful following losses over the last two seasons under Atkinson. We'll look for that consistency to unfold in Game 2. Rarely does Allen and, especially Mitchell, have bad back-to-back games. We'll look for Cleveland to manage its turnovers, getter tougher on the boards and deliver. 

Analysis to follow...

Analysis to follow...

Analysis to follow...

Analysis to follow...

Celtics/76ers 8:00: When the Celtics aren't hitting their perimeter shots, they're vulnerable. Their game is launching 3s and they shot a dismal 28% from downtown in Game 5. In Game 2, in which they lost, they shot an even worse 26% from the perimeter. Look for well-organized 76ers' HC Nurse to have his boys run Boston off the perimeter. With Embiid manning the paint, Philadelphia has the athletes to rip through screens and close space like they did so well Tuesday. Philadelphia should keep it tight tonight.

Blazers/Spurs 9:30: Spurs are loaded with talent and when they play with cohesion, they are unbeatable. Right now, they're clicking as Vassell, Fox, Harper and Castle are playing at a high level. And even when Wemby has an off-shooting stretch, the abundance of talent can make up for it. Portland is competitive but show their youth late in the games. Spurs deliver. 

Hawks/Knicks 8:00: Knicks actually play better playoff basketball on the road. Hawks have been competitive in this series and need to bring more physicality to the floor than they did in Game 4. Hawks were turnover laden (19) in Game and not able to do what they do best - transition points - when that's the case. We'll look for Atlanta to be competitive here. 

76ers/Celtics 7:00: 76ers had a real bad defensive effort in Game 4. They got scorched from the perimeter. And although Embiid scored a bulk of the points, there was lots of rust. And no help from Maxey or George. 76ers are well coached by Nurse and should make the right adjustments here. We'll look for Philly to keep it tight. 

Analysis to follow...

Spurs/Blazers 10:30: Wemby (concussion protocol) traveled and actually participated in the morning shoot-a-round. The reigning Defensive MVP is sorely missed when he's not in their ruling the low post. Portland took advantage of his absence after his nasty fall. Tonight, Castle and Fox need to step up their game a notch and better interior play is paramount. Look for the right adjustments to be made.

Lakes/Rockets 8:00: Lakers have now covered 4 straight in this series and up 2-0 in the playoff series. Without question, Luke Kennard has been the MVP thus far. And Houston has yet to find an answer. And now that Reeves could possibly be back, Houston has a problem. Rockets have been horrible from the perimeter and they're getting good looks. They should hit those shots tonight. We'll look for the Lakers to keep it tight though. 

Analysis to follow...

Magic/Pistons 6:30: Analysis to follow...

76ers/Celtics 1:00: 76ers seemed well connected on the 15th. Paul George fit in seamlessly and Drummond turned back time to play large. Celtics may have rust since they haven't taken the court since the 12th. 76ers were competitive in the 4 games of this series. We'll look for them to stay competitive here. 

Rockets/Lakers 8:30: Doncic and Reaves injuries too much to overcome. Rockets' HC Udoka will surely find ways to exploit the void in the Lakers' lineup on both ends of the floor. Rockets crash the boards hard on both ends and play strong defense. Durant (knee bruise) should be able to go. If not, still on Houston. They lost VanVleet in September but managed to carry through. C Sengun has been a beast rebounding, scoring and passing. The supporting cast is connected with Jabari Smith and Amen Thompson. We'll roll with Houston. 

Wolves/Nuggets 3:30: Even without Edwards (knee), Wolves are dangerous. They have veteran step up playoff guys like DiVincenzo, Randle, McDaniels and Naz Reid. We'll look for the Wolves to stick around. 

Warriors/Suns 10:00: Warriors displayed their championship mettle in Los Angeles on Wednesday. In the second half, Draymond Green shut down Kawhi Leonard, Horford knocked down 4 critical threes, and Steph Curry did Steph Curry big moment things. Suns, on the other hand, continue to struggle in critical games. We'll ride the Warriors again. 

Analysis to follow...

U Conn/Michigan 8:50: Both teams really good to me throughout the NCAA Tournament. Got to go with Hurley's boys though. Michigan is an absolute machine now but Hurley is one of the great tournament coaches and should find a way to exploit Lendeborg (ankle) defensively. And Tarris Reed has been a monster throughout the tournament and should continue to be aggressive tonight. Need Karaban (18-2 w/ U Conn in NCAA Tournament action in his career) needs to step up game. I'm hoping it's tonight. We'll grab the generous amount of points. 

Lakers/Mavericks 7:40: Lakers will be without Doncic, Reeves, and mostly Smart again. Betting line adjusted accordingly and value remains with Lakers. LeBron James will have to burden the load with Ayton, LaRavia, Hayes and Hachimura supporting. There's still enough talent to get by the tanking Dallas Mavericks who are on a 1-8 slide. Flagg posting big numbers but team not connected. Lakers have won 5 straight in this series and 6 should be a charm as Lakers jockey for playoff seeding position. 

Michigan/Arizona 8:49: Both teams are limited in weaknesses. Arizona is arguably the most complete team. They're relentless on the boards, suffocating defensively, and hard to stop finding creases in driving lanes with G Bradley, and 6'8" Peat and 6'7" Kharchenkov slicing in the low post. Michigan, which has the athletic long bodies of Lendeborg and 7'3" Mara are more than capable of countering effectively. The Wolverines sport the #1 FG% defense, guard the perimeter well and have solid backcourt play led by Cadeau. Arizona only makes 5.9 three pointers a game (337th). Therefore, defensively, if Michigan can pack the paint with their bigs and force the Wildcats into a shooting contest, there is a chance the Wolverines can pull this out. Wolves make 37% of their perimeter shots and 9.3 of them a game. We'll look for Lendeborg and company to deliver. 

U Conn/Illinois 6:09: Illinois is a dangerous team that's long and proficient offensively. Their defense has been lights out in this tournament too. But I'm giving the edge to Hurley and his boys riding the momentum of one of the improbable comebacks in NCAA Tournament history. U Conn won the November matchup 75-61. Tarris Reed, who has been an absolute beast in the NCAA Tournament, scored a measly 2 points in that game. With his step-up production and Hurley's ability to push the right buttons, we'll ride the Huskies. 

U Conn/Duke 5:05: Duke is getting healthier as Caleb Foster (foot) and Ngonba (foot) worked their way successfully in the lineup with strong second halves vs St. John's. I believe U Conn is another animal though. U Conn rarely out muscled on the boards. They have the bodies to contend with Cam Boozer. C Tarris Reed has stepped up his game in the post-season. And Hurley is a great post season coach. We'll grab the points. 

Tennessee/Michigan 2:15: Tennessee playing really well. Another physical team that is strong on the boards. But Estrella, Ament and Okpara meet their match with Lendeborg, Johnson and Mara. Wolverines are deep in their bench too with stable backcourt fill ins McKenney and Gayle. We'll look for Dusty May to scheme well against Gillespie and deliver the win and cover. 

Analysis to follow...

Iowa/Illinois 6:09: I'm going to ride Iowa and their brilliant HC McCollum again. McCollum, who won 4 NCAA Division II National Championships, and controls a huge NCAA Tournament upset in his first season at Drake, is now on the cusp of going to the Final Four in a program that has done nothing for over 30 years. And he's in his first season! He brought from Drake his super PG Stirtz and has a rock solid sixth man in Banks. He will need Manyawa and Koch to keep the long and tall Illinois board crashers at bay. McCollum and company already knocked off #1 seed Florida. We won't sleep on the Hawkeyes and McCollum. Take the points. 

Arkansas/Arizona 9:45: Arkansas has arguably the best player on the floor in Acuff but Arizona has the most complete team. Wildcats can outrun any elite team, as exhibited against Florida and Alabama. They can also out physical teams like they did in same season revenge game vs Kansas, against Houston, and sweeping Iowa State. Arkansas has its defensive flaws and should be exploited tonight. Arizona the call. 

Illinois/Houston 10:05: Illinois' HC Underwood once again has a well-equipped team in the NCAAs. But few coaches can bring out the potential and prepare for games like Houston's Sampson. He has an elite backcourt in Uzan and Flemings and a fierce board crasher in Cenac. Houston's toughness, defense and rebounding are tough to match. Houston the call. 

Iowa/Nebraska 7:30: A big key to Hawkeyes' success is jumping on teams quick and controlling the pace. They were brilliant doing that in both NCAA Tournament wins. And Stirtz is a big-time post season point guard. Iowa has covered 4 of the last 5 in this Big Ten series. They lost the March 8th game in OT but managed to control the boards in each game against the Cornhuskers this year. Stirtz didn't have his best game on March 8th but he's superb at dishing to Combs, Koch or Manyawa. We'll roll with Iowa. 

Texas/Purdue 7:10: Both teams hot at the right time; however, Purdue a bit deeper and more experienced here. Texas may be without G Pope (ankle) who averages 13 PPG and had 17 vs Gonzaga. Purdue equipped with 3 starters from that 2024 NCAA Finals team that lost to U Conn. Loyer, Kaufman-Renn and assist king - Braden Smith lead a team that collectively got better defensively down the stretch. We'll look for Painter's boys to deliver. 

Analysis to follow...

Analysis to follow...

Texas Tech/Alabama 9:45: Texas Tech, which had big wins against Duke, BYU, Iowa State, Houston and at Arizona, have adjusted to life without their star J.T. Toppin. Their guards are now more involved in rebounding and stepped up their game. Red Raiders' HC McCasland did a nice job in adjustments and should have his men ultra prepared for an Aden Holloway (suspended) less team. Tide either shoots 3s or lay ups. Tech defense guards the 3-point line and cuts off driving lanes well. We'll roll with the Red Raiders. 

Iowa/Florida 7:10: I had Iowa against Clemson but will fade them here. Florida is a different animal that gets up and down the floor in a hurry. Stirtz is a great floor leader for Iowa but Florida is talented at all 5 positions on the floor. And no team crashes the offensive board better than Florida. We'll lay the wood here. 

Tennessee/Virginia 6:10: Tennessee HC Barnes, an experienced NCAA Tournament coach, shoved sharp shooting Miami OH off the perimeter and held the Red Hawks to 7 or 29 (24%) from 3-point range. We'll look for Barnes to take away the strength of Virginia - 3-point marksman White. Volunteers' Gillespie stepped up his game while struggling Ament (ankle) was sidelined. Tennessee is pretty deep and very physical. Odom did a great job with Virginia this season but Vol's a bit more physical and connected. We'll look for their in-season SEC clashes to pay dividends here. Tennessee the call.

Miami-Fla/Purdue 12:10: Great job by first year head coach Jai Lucas in meshing a very talented group of players together to overachieve; however, I believe it ends here against a veteran team that is really connected now. Braden Smith (an assist machine) is getting great support from G Loyer and his big men Kaufman-Renn and C Cluff. Boilermakers are more physical, battling in the Big 10, and have veteran NCAA Tournament HC Painter prepping them. Roll with Purdue. 

Vanderbilt/Nebraska 8:45: Two very good teams that are well coached. Will give the edge to Vandy, which has proven they can match styles and even out physical some (2-1 vs Tennessee), while outshooting Alabama and Florida. Nebraska started out virtually unstoppable but hit the wall at Michigan and went 6-7 SU down the stretch. We'll ride Tanner and company here. 

Louisville/Michigan State 2:45: Izzo always dangerous when tournament time rolls around. His teams are built on physicality, toughness and attention to detail defensively. Louisville likes to push it up the floor and has a backcourt who can light teams up. But Izzo should have his men slow the pace down and outmuscle the Cardinals. Michigan State usually controls the boards (Top 10 rebounding team in NCAA). Fears has good support from Cooper, Carr and Kohler. We'll look for the Spartans to wear them down here. 

St. Louis/Michigan 12:10: Billikens (my top pick) put on an offensive clinic on Georgia on Thursday. Surely, the #1 seeded Wolverines will put forth a much greater challenge on the defensive end. But St. Louis not that easy to prepare for with one day prep. They can hit you from all angles including emotional leader C Avila. Defensively, St. Louis has the #1 FG% defense in the nation. They won't have an easy time with the formidable frontline of Michigan, but with their terrific inside out perimeter game, can stay in this game. 

Iowa/Clemson 6:50: Iowa brings a pretty solid defense to the floor and led by Drake transfer Stiritz. Yes, the Stritz that led Drake to that memorable NCAA First Round win over Missouri. Clemson a formidable opponent but not having injured 6'10" Welling (2nd leading scorer and top rebounder) is a problem. We'll grab another Big 10 team to advance. 

Miami-OH/Tennessee 4:25: Tennessee plays strong defense and brings physicality on the boards. But Miami OH offense can hit from all angles with multiple players in double digits. I was on the Red Hawks with the First Four In and I'm staying on them here. 

Akron/Texas Tech 12:40: Tech lost their All American - Toppin (ACL) February 17th and went 3-3 SU/ATS since. They do have an Elite 8 coach (last year) and turned in some huge wins. But Akron is no joke. They won an automatic bid after a double digit come from behind win over Toledo. Tavari Johnson (20.1 PPG) is their playmaker, and he's got a pretty good supporting cast. We'll look for the Zips to hang around. 

Analysis to follow...

Texas/BYU 7:25: I had the Longhorns (+1) yesterday but will fade them here. They had a big lead early but gave up too many points in the paint. And their perimeter defense is suspect; consequently, Dybantsa and company present a bad matchup for the Longhorns, especially when Matas is not in as the top post man on both sides of the court. BYU is well conditioned to play on a neutral floor. They did well in early season tournament play, had a sluggish period in February but worked through it and posted strong covers against some quality teams - Iowa State (outright) and at Arizona. They even gave Houston a run for the money. We'll grab the Cougars here. 

Analysis to follow...

Analysis to follow...

Wichita State/USF 3:15: USF can light up the net, but Wichita State plays better defense and can effectively trade points. I like Wichita State on a neutral floor here. Giles is a playmaker and he's got an inside supporting cast of board crashers Boyd and Okorafor. The Shockers have covered 3 of the last 4 in this series and we'll roll with them.

Analysis to follow...

Analysis to follow...

St. John's/U Conn 6:30: Pitino's boys took it on the chin the last time these teams met. A 70-42 bludgeoning left Pitino with his biggest margin of defeat ever. We'll look for the Red Storm to be well prepared here. 

UCLA/Purdue 3:30: Cronin has the Bruins playing well at precisely the right time of year. Defensive rotation on spot, and they're hitting shots. The Bruins torched the usually tight perimeter defense of Michigan State to the tune of 48%. Dent, Daily, Clark and Perry all hitting from the perimeter at a solid rate. Purdue's perimeter defense not the greatest (allow nearly 9 per game). Bruins outmuscled the Boilermakers back on January 20th - 69-67. We'll look for more competitive play here. 

Wisconsin/Michigan 1:00: Badgers continue to be a dangerous team. And remember, they upset Michigan at the Crisler Center on January 10th. Blackwell and Boyd a dynamic duo. And Bieliauskas offer that inside presence on the boards. We'll look for the Badgers to continue to do what they do - set themselves up within striking distance and deliver. 

Analysis to follow...

Oklahoma/Texas A&M 9:30: Oklahoma saved their season yesterday by overcoming a 12-point halftime deficit to upend S. Carolina. Moser is a very good post-season coach and should find a way to pull out a victory here. The Sooners were competitive in both games to Texas A&M this season despite losing. Reid, Pack, Brown, Davis all playing well during 5 game win streak. Sooners need this one a lot more than A&M. We'll look for the urgency tonight. 

Providence/St. John's Noon: Strong second half by the Friars dispatched Butler yesterday. The Friars have given Pitino's Red Storm trouble at 5-1 ATS, including an outright earlier in the season on this floor. Providence has a three headed monster perimeter game in Vaaks, Mela and Sellers. And the Friars will be playing hard for their embattled Coach English, who will not be back next year. We'll look for Providence to stick around. 

U Mass/Miami Ohio 11:00: Undefeated Red Hawks deserve a playoff birth no matter what happens here; however, selection committee can be fickle and an early Miami OH exit could keep them from a an at-large. The Red Hawks' non-conference schedule was weak and that's never good on Selection Sunday. U Mass lost both games to the Red Hawks this season but played them tough. And the Minutemen were competitive on a neutral floor in all five of their non-conference games. Frank Martin, who took South Carolina to the Final Four in 2017, is all about rebounding, defense and ball control during playoffs. He should have his guys prepared for a competitive battle here. 

Providence/Butler 4:00: Going to go with the more seasoned post-season coach in Matta. Remember, he was an NCAA Final Four coach with Ohio State in 2011-12. Butler a bit more disciplined in taking care of basketball, rebounding and defense - all 3 come into play in post-season. And he has two scorers who can light up the net in Ajayi and Bizjack. Butler the call. 

Penn State/NW 7:30: Penn State defense has been atrocious for most of the year, and I don't expect them to tighten up now. NW HC Collins should find more ways to dissect the soft coverage of the Nittany Lions. NW crushed them earlier in the season 94-73 and dominated the boards.  We'll lay the points here. 

Michigan State/Michigan 4:30: Michigan, which already won the first game of this series, controls a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament while the Spartans likely will be a #2 seed. But don't let the already established tournament positioning slow these state rivals down. In state recruiting makes this game valuable. Look for Izzo to continue to have his boys playing at a high level down the stretch. Michigan State 4-1 ATS in this series. And the Wolves just 1-3 ATS in last 4 games. Spartans cover. 

UCLA/USC 9:00: USC leading scorer Baker-Mazara dismissal a costly one to the Trojans. Although, the Trojans decline started back in early February. They're on an 0-6 SU slide. UCLA, which is a bus ride away, will show no mercy. UCLA has covered 4 of the last 5 in this series. They blew them out February 24th and should deliver big here. 

Oklahoma/Texas 8:30: Moser has Oklahoma playing its best basketball of the season. Sooners have won and covered 5 of their last 7 including a 3-game winning run. They're looking to avenge the earlier season loss and could surely use this win to put up a serious consideration for an at-large. Moser did some amazing things with less talented teams, including back in 2018 when he was leading Illinois-Chicago to the Final Four. Red River Rivalry should be at a fever pitch tonight and we'll look for the Sooners to show up and play well. 

TX A&M/LSU 6:00: Aggies have a few quality road wins at Georgia and Oklahoma. They make a case for an at-large bid to the NCAAs. LSU, however, continues to play hard but can't close out games. They make mistakes at critical moments that cost them games. We'll look for the Aggies to make a statement to the NCAA Committee here. 

Wisconsin/Purdue 4:00: Purdue shut the Badgers down from the perimeter in the first matchup in early January. We'll look for a different story here; after all, Wisconsin averages 11.4 three-pointers per game. Gard has been solid in making adjustments and should have Wisconsin on top of their game for the third straight game. Meanwhile, Purdue has sunk to 0-3 ATS in their last 3. A triple bye is at stake here for the conference tournament so the competitive ire should be at a fever pitch. The line suggests Winter (ankle), Wisky's third leading scorer, won't play; however, Boyd and Blackwell should turn it up a few notches here. Badgers have covered 3 of the last 4 in this series. Wisconsin the call. 

Kansas/Kansas State 2:00: Self doesn't lose often, let alone two straight by double digits. K State is coming off an upset win at home vs WV and feeling good. But look for the Jayhawks to get it together on senior night. Self wants to send a message to the Kansas faithful who controls recruiting in that state. Self-plans on starting his seniors and should have his star Darryn Peterson fired up to compete after a lackluster game vs Arizona State. Kansas should roll here as the line suggests. 

USF/Memphis 9:00: Memphis just not getting it done under Hardaway. Projected to win the AAC in most pre-season rankings, now find themselves mired in a protracted slump and quick exit in the conference tournament. There is little fight in this team on the boards; after all, they've been out boarded in their six-game losing streak. USF blew them out on the 19th of February, and the strong boarding Bulls should deliver in Memphis tonight. 

Florida State/Pittsburgh 9:00: Seminoles have won 4 straight conference road games and play one of the weaker ACC foes. Offensively challenged Pittsburgh just 2-6 SU in ACC games at home. We'll look for the Seminoles to roll.