This is a long road trip for UTEP, which is 0-6 on the road. The Miners have lost each of their three road C-USA games by double digits. Delaware also is struggling at the bottom of the conference, but the Fightin' Blue Hens boast a strong duo in Christian Bliss (15.2 ppg, 6.4 apg, 5.6 rpg) and Justyn Fernandez, a Providence transfer. Look for Delaware to bounce back from its OT loss at Louisiana Tech and cover the small number.
Nevada lost last year's visit to Logan by 21 points, crumbling in the face of the Aggies' pressure. But this version of the Wolf Pack is committing far fewer turnovers and is 3-1 on the road. Look for Elijah Price, the reigning Mountain West Player of the Week, and the Wolf Pack to stay within the number.
This is a huge rivalry game in the SoCon. Western Carolina is 5-10, but it should be noted the Catamounts played Duke, Cincinnati, Virginia Tech and Georgia in non-conference play. All three of their conference losses have come by five or fewer points. The Buccaneers come in undefeated in the SoCon, but they're just 2-4 on the road. Western Carolina, which leads the conference in offensive rebounding, has won four straight home meetings and seven of the past eight. I don't expect them to win this one outright, but this is too many points.
The Orange are 6-1 with 6-9 sophomore Donnie Freeman in the lineup, the loss coming by three to Clemson. Without him, Syracuse went 5-4. Since returning from a foot injury, Freeman has scored 18, 27 and 22 points while going 7 of 15 from deep and 16 of 20 on free throws. Florida State gives up a league-high 45.3 percent shooting from the field as well as an ACC-high 81.3 points per game. Look for the Seminoles to fall to 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games.
The Leathernecks are 0-6 in Ohio Valley play, losing by an average of 13 points. While both teams are terrible offensively, Eastern Illinois is substantially better on defense. And the Panthers have been much more respectable with senior guard Andre Washington in the lineup. In the eight games he's played, the team has gone 4-4 with Washington averaging 13 points. At home he's averaging 15.4 points while shooting 36.8 percent from deep. Back Eastern Illinois to win its fifth straight at home and cover.
The Badgers have won nine straight meetings and 18 of the past 20. They just won at Michigan, a monumental achievement. But now they have to quickly re-focus for a huge rivalry game at improving Minnesota. The Gophers, who are 9-1 at home, had their five-game win streak snapped in an OT loss to USC. But I like Niko Medved's team, which had an extra day of rest, to possibly pull the upset -- as long as Minnesota avoids serious foul trouble. The Gophers lead the nation in assist rate and allow the third-fewest points (66.1) in the Big Ten.
After an 0-7 start against mostly power programs, Nicholls State has ripped off eight wins in nine games. The Colonels have covered three straight in this series, too. While McNeese remains the class of the Southland and enjoyed NCAA Tournament success last season, the Cowboys continued to draw inflated lines. They've failed to cover five straight. I would play this down to 14.
This is an excellent bounce-back spot for UCF, which has covered five straight at home. The Knights are balanced; six different players have led the team in scoring. Cincinnati is a team I tried to fade last week — the Bearcats burned me though with a late three, covering in a loss at West Virginia. But I still don’t like Wes Miller’s team and am expecting a much better performance from the Knights after they shot poorly in Stillwater, Okla.
Wyoming is 1-3 on the road and playing without center Matija Belic for the third straight game. That should help a Nevada team that got killed in the paint last time out. Wolf Pack starting guard Vaughn Weems returns after missing one game with an illness. Look for Nevada's elite free-throw rate, against the foul-prone Cowboys, to be the difference.
The Norse have won three straight and I like them to be very competitive against the depleted Panthers. Milwaukee has lost leading Seth Hubbard (16.6 ppg) and others to injuries, and enters on a three-game skid. Milwaukee ranks ninth of 11 teams in the Horizon League in field-goal percentage defense (47.4) and 10th in 3-point percentage allowed (35.8). Grab the points.
The RedHawks put a scare into Gonzaga before losing by 17 at Saint Mary's. This should be an easier road test, as the Beavers rank second-to-last in shooting (43.4 percent) in the WCC. The RedHawks lead the conference in blocks and rank third in steals. In three of the past six games, Seattle 7-footer Austin Maurer has registered three blocks. Lay the points.
These are two of the WCC's worst teams, but Steve Lavin's Toreros have stepped up in certain home spots. In their last two home games, the Toreros beat Pacific by 12 and fell 99-93 to Gonzaga. Look for San Diego to take care of a Pepperdine team that's lost 10 of its last 12, many by big margins. San Diego junior guard Ty-Laur Johnson, who previously played at Wake Forest and Louisville, has scored at least 21 points in three straight games and should go off Thursday.
The Aggies are 6-0 at home, and I like them to bounce back here after two tough road losses. In C-USA play, New Mexico State is averaging 81 points while shooting 49 percent from the floor. The Hilltoppers are 1-2 in true road games, and Las Cruces is not an easy place to play. Look for acrobatic senior forward Julius Mims (22 points, 14 rebounds last game) to lead the way in an Aggies' win and cover.
Neither team is expected to do much in the NEC this season, but New Haven is really unimpressive. The Chargers rank last in the conference in scoring and offensive rebounding, and they shoot just 30.2 percent from deep. Look for Dolphins 6-9 senior Shilo Jackson (14.9 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 2.1 apg) to dominate as Le Moyne covers for the fourth time in the last five games.
The Cyclones are a veteran team that ranks fifth in both offensive and defensive efficiency, per KenPom. They can negate Baylor's strong home court. The Bears rank 12th in offensive efficiency but 96th on the defensive end. While Baylor is 8-0 at home, it has not faced a team comparable to Iowa State. Look for the deep and relentless Cyclones to wear down the Bears and cover.