EWU is stomping thru the Big Sky like Godzilla in an eight-game win streak (nine straaight vs. the line) to pull within a game of fading Portland State at the top of the loop as the conference tourney beckons in Boise. Win margins are also expanding into March, the last three all by double digits including Saturday’s 88-57 rout of NAU in Cheney. While UCR transfer G Isaiah Moses (17.6 ppg) has been the catalyst most of the season, it’s been frontline transfers 6-9 Kiree Huie (ex-Miami-Fla; scored 23 in last Thursday’s win over Northern Colorado) and 6-8 bruiser Alton Hamilton IV (NAIA transfer via Lewis & Clark; 23 points on Saturday vs. the Lumberjacks) who have helped key this recent surge. Play EWU

Nothing easy about Denver's recent schedule, which has offered serious playoff contenders like the Celtics, Thunder, and T-wolves in a row thru the Weekend. FInally, however, the Nuggets might catch a break tonight in Salt Lake City. Denver is not far past running up 157 points at Portland and no new injury news tonight other than the ongoing absence of Peyton Watson. There is also a chance that Aaron Gordon returns to active duty Monday night after missing the past five weeks with a hamstring strain. As for Jazz, they're already planning for next season and haven't won since the All-Star break, inlcuding consecutive double-digit loss to the Pelicans in front of tonight. Play Nuggets

The Winter Olympics break proved particularly ill-timed for Blue Jackets, who had won seven straight and eleven of twelve in their "Bowness Bounce" before Milan-Cortina. No wins in two (though picking up a point vs. the Islanders) since, yet can still say that since Rick Bowness took over behind the bench in January, the defense has stiffened, and Elvis Merzlikins has stopped 89 of 97 shots (.917 saves) across his last four starts in goal. Meanwhile the Rangers' offense continues to struggle for Mike Sullivan, with the recent trade of top scorer Artemi Panarin to LA further reducing the firepower, though Igor Shesterkin hasn't looked bad in goal (2.37 GAA, .912 saves) in two starts since the Olympic break. Play Blue Jackets-Rangers Under

Of the teams fighting to get out of the Serie A drop zone, the most likely to escape looks Fiorentina, which shouldn't have been in that predicament in the first place. La Viola have made up the ground caused by the slow start that got Stefano Pioli pink-slipped behind the bench in early November, just completing a promising February that included an unbeaten Serie A mark, plus advancing in the UEFA Conference League, with striker Moise Kean now back in form after his own slow break this season, and having scored in each of La Viola's last three Serie A matches. Meanwhile, another unremarkable season for Udinese, which was victimized by Fiorentina 5-1 on December 21 when Kean scored a brace. Play Fiorentina ML

How Pisa would wish for some of the mid-table stability of Bologna. Into March now, Pisa (and Verona) look hopelessly adrift in the drop zone, nine points from safety as the leaning tower might begin to lean a bit more with a quick return to Serie B looking inevitable. With only 20 goals in 26 matches, and a whopping -23 goal difference, it's no wonder Pisa have just one win. Draws are another story, with a Serie A-high 12 of those, yet Bologna are a serious sidethat has advanced to the last 16 of the Europa League, and a legit target man in Santiago Castro, on seven goals. Three points also moves Bologna up to 8th in the table. Play Bologna ML

That mini-revival the past week from Sacto (wins in two of three) is hardly a reason to alter our anti Sacto mindset, and drilling a bit deeper find little reason to change. Recent Kings successes have come vs. Memphis and Dallas sides that are approaching the rest of the season in the same non-urgent mindset, and note that Sacto had lost sixteen straight before this mini-recovery. The best Kings weapons (Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis, recently-added DeAndre Hunter) have all been shut down for the season. Meanwhile, LA looks in the frame of mind to take out some frustrations as the case last night vs. the depleted Warriors, and walloped the Kings 125-101 the last time Sacto visited Crypto.com on December 28. Play Lakers

A sneak preview, perhaps, of the upcoming Coastal Tourney finale in D.C. next week Charelston has won four straight and nine of eleven, with top scorer G Jlynn Counter (15.6 ppg, plus 5.6 apg), formerly at IU-Indy and Middle Tennessee, usually a spear-tip, but there are nine Cougars who average more than 17 minutes pg. Yet Seahawks form has been even better, as the only thing UNCW fears in this loop is William & Mary, the lone team to beat UNCW (twice!) in Coastal action this season. It wasn’t the Cougars, who even at home in Charleston couldn’t cope with the Seahawks on February 9 in a 76-64 Wilmington cruise. Play UNCW

The Cavs look to be at something less than full strength today, with Donovan Mitchell (strained groin) already ruled out and the status of recently-added James Harden very iffy as he deals with a thumb injury. It's what's on the other side, however, that's promoting this preference. The Nets are in a race to the bottom, winelss in seven straight, the last six since the All-Star break, with five of last six losses by 16 or more (sometimes much more), and the only single-digit loss in that span by 9 vs. the shorthanded Mavs last Tuesday. This could be a chance for some of Kenny Atkinson's backups to shine, and Cleveland should be properly hungry after losses to the Bucks and Pistons. Play Cavs

Not good on Friday vs. the Knicks for the Bucks but the arrow has still been pointing upwards, and other dynamics are at work at United Center. Simply, one team (Milwaukee) is intent on winning and the other (Chicago) apparently isn't. Though Giannis remains out, the Buckshave won 8 of 11, all minus the Greek Freak, and got a recent spark from the buyout market in high-usage ex-Nets G Cam Thomas, who has scored as many as 34 since joing Milwaukee. On the other hand, the Bulls waved the white flag at the trade deadline, rather than seek to push for another play-in spot and quick postseason exit, stripping most of the assets as the current skid has now reached eleven games. Play Bucks

Pressure in this return match on L’Om after an earlier 1-0 loss on August 31...well before Lyon added Endrick from Real Madrid in the January transfer window. Scoring five goals in his seven appearances, the young Brazilian has added a cutting edge and his presence helped trigger a recent torrid Lyon patch of 13 straight unbeaten (a stretch that began in December and before Endrick’s arrival) before last weekend’s loss at capable Strasbourg. Whether we can call Marseille that much now is in doubt as recent form has been suspect, so much so that coach Roberto de Zerbi was sacked on February 19 after a desultory stretch, though things hardly improved under Habib Bye in last week’s 2-0 loss to Brest. Play Lyon on Spread

It proved a bit much to overcfdome for VGK, falling behind 3-0 at Washington as the road trip continues in fast order at Pittsburgh. The Penguins went in the opposite direction on Saturday, playing from ahead only to lose in a shootout vs. the Rangers at MSG. Stuart Skinner did good work again in goal but will rest on Sunday, his place taken by Arturs Silovs. Pittsburgh will be minus Sidney Crosby for a few weeks but the recent surge (eight wins in eleven) has been built mostly on defense. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights continue to prove streaky and lost three of four on their last extended Eastern road swing. Play Penguins on Money Line

Aside from a pair of wins over Rhode Island, there hasn't been much to celebrate for 8-20 La Salle this season. There is no second gear for this offense, especially with leading scorer G Jaeden Marshall (only 12 ppg) missing recent action. The best hope for the Explorers on Sunday might be for host Davidson to wear Rhode Island jerseys, but as we doubt Matt McKillop obliges, this could get out of hand as the Wildcats have been able to extend the margin on some lesser and not-so lesser A-10 foes, with a couple of bombardiers in Gs Roberts Blums (41.5% triples) & Parker Friedrichsen (44.6%). It's fair to wonder how La Salle finds a way back if Davidson extends the lead. Play Davidson

Survival specialist Igor Tudor is now 0 for 1 with Spurs to stop the bleeding, though losing to Arsenal is no shame. Still, it's now no wins in the Prem in calendar 2026 and the drop zone not far below, and no indicators yet of any upgrade since Thomas Frank;'s dismissal. Meanwhile, Fulham has a bit of momentum from back-to-back wins (one of those in the FA Cup vs. Stoke), with the 3-1 romp at Sunderland last weekend perhaps the best effort since the calendar turned to 2026. Raul Jimenez's brace was especially encouraging last weekend, and Fulham can take confidence after a 2-1 win over Spurs in North London back on November 29, making an early 2-0 lead hold up. Play Fulham on ML

Whether Wayne Tinkle coaches this game for OSU might depend on what he had for breakfast, as of early today he was still apperently mulling if he would be on the bench at Leavey Center after Beavers AD Scott Barnes lowered the boom on Thursday. No matter, we suspect fundamentals are all wrong for OSU against an angry SCU side looking to make amends with the Selection Committee after losing at midweek to Saint Mary's, and needing a trademark big win to enhance Big Dance at-large chances. The first meeting was a 102-64 Broncos romp at Corvallis when Herb Sendek's side hit 64% from the floor, and fun time for wing Elijah Mahi (23 points). Note SCU's WCC win margin at 18.4 ppg! Play SCU

We're not of mind to pick against the Lightning these days but can't resist staying on this Buffalo train that has picked up where it left off before Milan/Cortina and won both games since NHL action resumed. That's now 21-3-1 across the past 25 for Buffalo, and doubt a third game in four nights will prove too taxing after a three-week break beforehand. Lindy Ruff might go back to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in goal after he won on Wednesday in Newark, and this is also a third in four nights for Tampa Bay, off of a 5-4 loss on Thursday at Carolina when Andrei Vasilevskiy took the night off in goal and Jonas Johansson worked instead (Vasilevskiy returns tonight). Play Sabres on Puck Line