Cal Sports
Quinnipiac at Monmouth
Play: Quinnipiac +14
I like the spot at Monmouth has won 6 straight to get back on top of the conference standings. They already beat Quinipiac by 19 on the road back on 12/1 and are off their best game of the year beating Fairfield 91-49, holding them to 29.3% shooting. The Bobcats top 2 scores are their pair of freshman guards and they matured quite a bit from that first outing and this high scoring team is on a 6-0-2 ATS run and is 8-1-2 ATS when getting over 7 points with the the only ATS loss coming against this foe.
David Banks
Houston @ Philadelphia
Pick: Philadelphia +8
After a 22-game stretch between Dec. 1 and Jan. 20 where the Rockets lost just twice, they have lost four of seven since. Houston enters a new week of play coming off a big 119-95 win over Memphis and will travel to Philadelphia to take on a young and re-energized 76ers team that has won seven of its last ten games. One of the big questions for the Sixers will be the status of center Joel Embiid.
Embiid will definitely miss games against the Clippers and Bucks during the week and is scheduled to return for Sunday’s game against the Rockets. The 7-footer leads the team in scoring with 19.8 points per game and rebounding (7.8 ). Philadelphia also has 6-11 Jahlil Okafor (11.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg) and 6-11 Nerlens Noel (7.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg) to spell Embiid. Noel has been hampered by an ankle injury but should be okay to go on Sunday. This Sixers are one of the lowest scoring teams in the NBA averaging just 99 points per game but defense helped them manage consecutive wins over Toronto an Portland last week.
The Rockets are second in the NBA in scoring (114.5 ppg) and it all starts with James Harden. The 6-4 point guard is third in the league in scoring (28.7) and leads the NBA in assists per game (11.6). For all the hype revolving around Russell Westbrook this season, Harden is not far behind the Thunder star. Harden also averages 8.2 rebounds a game, giving him nearly a triple-double per game. Eric Gordon adds 17.6 points and center Clint Capela (11.3 ppg) returns from injury.
Harry Bondi
WRIGHT STATE +9 over Valparaiso
Valparaiso has always had trouble with Wright State. Raiders swept Valpo last year as underdogs of 9 and 14 points and has won and covered four of last six series meetings. Wright State is playing its best basketball of the season winning its last three games while averaging 88 points per game. Raiders shock the Crusaders again tonight, take Wright State!
Bruce Marshall
Harvard -6
Tommy Amaker appears to be ramping up Harvard for another Ivy challenge, with the Crimson off quickly in league play after a couple of wins vs. Dartmouth. Amaker's touted frosh G Bryce Aiken (13.3 ppg) & F Seth Towns (11.9 ppg) have already made an impact and are working smoothly alongside vet PG Siyani Chambers, who missed almost the entirety of last season after previously piloting a couple of Harvard Big Dance entries. As a year ago, Cornell is riding G Matt Morgan (18.3 ppg), but the Big Red get into trouble whenever Morgan has an off night.