Well, Milwaukee chose not to cooperate earlier this afternoon (had every chance to win that game at the end) so hopefully Portland will. This seems a good 4 points high to me. Kent State might be the MAC's best team but plays its first true road game. The Pilots have two good freshmen in guard Joel Foxwell and forward Timo George. Foxwell has already earned two WCC Freshman of the Week awards and leads the WCC in assists per game (6.2) and is third among league freshmen in scoring (13.2). He is the NCAA freshman leader in assists per game. George leads the WCC and ranks fourth nationally in field goal percentage (.708). Portland is 9-2 SU in its past 11 at home.

Thank you Richmond for restoring my faith in humanity Saturday. I'm not saying I would have gone all Unabomber (metaphorically of course) if had lost, but I might have grown a lot of facial hair and moved to a shack in the woods and been that weird uncle or whatnot. But the Spiders paid for us and I think the Panthers will too. This probably should be in the -230 range or 5.5 on the spread. ISU has been upended as head coach Matthew Graves had to take a leave of absence in late October after heart surgery. Well wishes.

There is absolutely no way I am signing off today with that awful Creighton loss. I'm getting that back. I don't consider a chase honestly and I know this is high, but I'll match it. I'm actually going 4 units off-site. I just don't think about spreads when I believe a team will win, sorry. It does not matter to me. I'll definitely be more surprised if this loses than Creighton did. The Spiders are 6-0 at home this season, equaling their win total at Robins Center from all of last year.

Again, I don't really care what other people do but was about to post this and I see Thomas Casale is on the Jays. That definitely makes me feel better as there is no better college hoops capper in the country. So I just doomed you bro. But now I'm gonna up the wager -- and can blame him if goes south like I do Buckets for the Friday Bunda loss:) I make my own choices. Go big or go home. Also, my wife is really getting expensive Xmas tastes that are way above my paygrade. What's a Prada? I'm happy with a Slim Jim.

I am kinda putzing along in college hoops. One step forward, 1.5 back. Honestly feels like the lines are just gross -- similar to NBA. Perhaps I am just getting particular, but I also don't really take college basketball too seriously until full conference play starts. This is not a conference game but the number seems a bit off to me short of a "Let's Go Peay" injury that I'm not aware of. I don't see anything but not a lot of Austin Peay beat writers out there. Probably should be a pick'em,. So we'll take the can't be beaten on a 3-point buzzer-beater number.

Anytime I can say "Vaqueros" I will take it, and I definitely now want a taco. But then I probably want a taco five if not six of every seven days. Soft tacos are unimpeachable in my opinion. Put salsa in there, though, and we rumble. A light slate tonight and I think this is the best bet of the bunch, although certainly won't be going crazy. KenPom ranks the home side a handful of spots higher. UTRGV does have one of the best-named players in sports, and I like this dude's parents: Always Wright, a junior guard from Mexico. His brother is named Never (that would be great). Sister Occasionally. I'll keep going. The Vaqueros are 2-0 at home this year after 12-4 last.

I expect this to go up a bit. Texas State has lost three straight but is 6-0 at home. It already handled another SWAC team in San Marcos, beating Texas Southern by 10 earlier in the season. Southern is 1-5 away as it travels around cashing checks and has a quick turnaround after getting routed at Texas on Monday. TXST has won eight straight games over SWAC opponents and has been off a week to prepare. The Bobcats' DJ Hall looks for a third straight double-double, which no player at the school has accomplished since 2012.

As good as No. 13 Illinois might be, the best player on the floor could be OSU's Bruce Thornton (20.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 4.3 APG), who has been playing at an All-American level. It's the first true road game and Big Ten opener for the Illini. OSU already has a solid league win at Northwestern over the weekend. The Nuts would be unbeaten but for a last-second loss at Pitt. They've been one of the best shooting teams in the country this season, sporting an effective field goal percentage of 61%. 7-footer Christoph Tilly can help neutralize the two Illinois 7-footers in Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic. This should go down to the wire.

Sorry, I clearly meant taking the points. OMG I'll never take -40. On a day like this with just an awful slate, somewhat entertained myself to see if this got to 40 as it opened at 30.5 and just ticking up all day -- like that Price is Right game where the yodeler climbs the mountain. Pretty darn rare to see a spread jump that much without half a team out. Obviously KSU can do what it wants here but has lost four straight and has a much more important game next at Creighton. I played some lower-tier NCAA hoops and no one want to lose by 40. 39 somehow feels that much better.

Well, Saturday wasn't a heck of a lot of fun from a collegiate perspective. New day. Saint Mary's is an excellent club, but I'm rather curious why the Gaels would even schedule this trip across country for a one-off against a mid-major. Davidson is a super quality program as well but can't imagine pays that much to visit. SMC did just get smashed last time out against Vandy. This is the Gaels' first true road game, too. Just all seems trappish to me. The 'Cats rank eighth in the nation in bench points per game because they go nine deep in each. And it's obviously the chance for a signature win on the resume.

Need to get that Cleveland State stink off me quickly. Only the second road game for WSU, which lost the other and has lost three in a row to DI opponents overall. UNI is 5-0 at home and yet again defensively dominant. It leads the country in scoring defense at 55.4 points allowed per game and also in the top-20 in three-point percentage defense (.261) and in field goal percentage defense (.362). The Panthers lead the MVC in assist/turnover ratio (1.88) and rank second with 17.1 assists per game. A White Out game. It's December in Cedar Falls. A White Out is the social event of the month if not year. I see Bruce Marshall is on UNI so that makes me feel better.

Very fair price if not a little low in my opinion. Detroit Mercy comes off a game vs. IU Indy, which I think matters because that club plays so up-tempo you'd think the Titans might be a little out of gas at some point today, although I remember feeling invincible in college physically. Up til 4 am playing video games and hammered but basketball at 9 a.m.? No problem. Ramen shooter at 8:45 a.m. Now if I'm up until midnight I'm practically blind for a week. The Vikings get to the free-throw line more than any Horizon League team as it is and home teams generally get the benefit of whistles.

I may have Tourette syndrome but I simply like saying Quinnipiac. It's sorta my Larry David/Richard Lewis mantra ("Jaya"). It's 5:47 am and I'm pretty sure my wife made spaghetti with five-week old Costco meat so I might be delirious (hi giraffe), but this seems a good 2-3 points low/use your ML skills to figure that out. Obviously I don't care about the spread but still. Iona is 111-31 (.782) in MAAC contests at the Hynes Center in its last 142 games. And that's really all this is. Iona ranks No. 18 in DI 3-point percentage defense and No. 28 in 3-point percentage. The Gaels are the only team in the country to rank in the top 40 in both. I love small-school game notes.

I bet 98.275% of the time to make bank. But there are occasional times I am like, huh, and just do it for my own personal enjoyment. Not sure I would say for fun but because something perplexed me. I like saying perplexed because it reminds of Lex Luthor but that's a different story and I am still obviously 12. Ah 12. Superman lunch box, PB&J with the crusts cut off and fruit roll-ups. Did it get better? Although the thought of milk makes me wanna gag. Funny how tastes change. This? I absolutely believe Gonzaga is better. But 5.5? Have to say I thought this was in Lexington. Most of the skeds say that. It's in Nashville. My bad. I am still fine.

Short slate Thursday, and the Big West opener for both. Don't put a ton of credence into preseason polls but don't pretend to know the Big West that well. CSUN was picked fifth and CS Bakersfield 10th. Way too many CS for me to keep track of. Next on "CSI: Bakersfield": An illegal tickle fight. I don't know the demographics or crime stats of Bakersfield, sorry. If I end up there in life, I made a wrong turn. I do think this closes near -200 unless I'm missing a Matadors injury, etc., but I don't see one. CSUN newcomers Joshua O'Garro and Josiah Davis top the Big West in rebounding and assists, respectively. The teams split the season series last year, each winning at home.