Tommy Brunson
Both the Hogs and the Gators stand at 12-5 on the year, but a closer look inside of the records shows a real road issue for Arkansas, as the Razorbacks have not won a true road game yet this season, dropping all 3 on the highway. Losses in that trio come at Auburn, Mississippi State and Houston, and all 3 also happen to be spread losses as well.
The Hogs just ended a 3-game slide with a conference home win (no cover) over Missouri their last time out, while the Gators saw their stretch of 6 wins in a row fall by the wayside with a weekend loss at Ole Miss their last time out as the road favorite,
Bounce-back time tonight for Florida, as they have had their way in this series in recent meetings. The Gators have won each of the last 7 series meetings, and they have covered in 3 straight and 4 of the last 6 showdowns with the Hogs.
Going to look for the series numbers to hold water tonight in Gainsville, as Florida handles Arkansas for the 8th straight time, and the 4th straight time against the spread.
Gone Gator as Tom Petty used to say!
4* FLORIDA
Chris Jordan
My free winner for tonight is on Texas Tech, laying the chalk at Texas.
I'm a fan of Shaka Smart, but this season, you'd be an idiot to ignore the fact Chris Beard is a clear-cut candidate for national coach of the year. The job he is doing with the Red Raiders is phenomenal, and once again his troops will score a huge Big 12 win.
The way top-ranked teams have been falling this season, I wouldn't be surprised to see No. 8 Texas Tech end up in the Top 5, or even the top spot, by the end of the month.
Should-be UNLV coach Beard (don't get me started on the idiotic Board of Regents here in Nevada) has the Red Raiders sporting a 15-2 mark overall and 4-1 record in Big 12 play. They're ranked among the nation's Top 40 in nine categories fueled by a trio of Top 5 rankings which include scoring defense (60.8, 5th), field goal percentage defense (37.6, 5th) and scoring margin (+18.8, 5th).
My heart goes out to Texas' second-leading scorer Andrew Jones, who was diagnosed with cancer. The Longhorns have played their last three games without him, and their last two without fourth leading scorer Kerwin Roach II (10.1 ppg.), who has an injured hand.
But as much sympathy as one can have, this is a business about winning basketball games, and the Red Raiders have been the better team, and will dominate the Longhorns tonight.
1* TEXAS TECH
Eric Schroeder
It's been quite some time since we heard this much hype around Boise State. But make no bones about it, the Broncos are looking a real challenge to the Nevada Wolf Pack in the Mountain West Conference, and it's really surrounding one person: Chandler Hutchison.
The Broncos, 15-3 overall and 5-1 in league play, are a perfect 10-0 at Taco Bell Arena, and tonight they host an awkward Utah State Aggies team that is 10-9 on the season, 3-3 in Mountain West play and an abysmal 1-7 in true road games.
And while I know Utah State is on a 9-3 ATS run in this series, the Broncos have covered three of the last five meetings.
The Aggies stumble in having lost two straight, while the Broncos are in on 5-1 SU and 4-2 ATS streaks in their last six trips to the wood.
Boise State just knocked off San Diego State, 83-80, so momentum and confidence should be flowing. Hutchison scored a school-record 44 points - the first 40-point performance by a Bronco in nearly 39 years.
Look for that to carry over tonight, as Boise State will dominate Utah State.
1* BOISE STATE
Tommy Brunson
Taking the points with the gritty Miami Heat tonight as they make a statement against one of the other playoff contending teams in the Eastern Conference, the Milwaukee Bucks.
Milwaukee is just not consistent enough for me to lay the wood with tonight. The Bucks enter with just a 6-7 straight up mark dating back to December 23rd, and have failed 5 of their last 7 against the spread. Milwaukee also sports a money-burning 2-4 mark their last 6 when installed as the favorite.
Conversely, Miami just dumped Milwaukee this past Sunday in South Beach, 97-79 with a clamp-down defensive effort that ran their winning streak to 7 straight. The Heat did lose on MLK Day in Chicago, but they remain at 12-9 both straight up and against the spread on the road this season.
Miami has also enjoyed this matchup, as Jason Kidd's team has seen the Heat rip off wins in each of the last 3 and 5 of the last 7 overall. They have also covered in 6 of the past 7 meetings.
Based on those facts, laying a few hoops tonight is too many to lay for the host Bucks. Back the Heat plus the points.
3* MIAMI
Joey Juice
Golden State continues to be one of the hottest teams in the NBA whether or not all their Stars play. They have been dominating teams lately and have won themselves 13 straight on the road and they are 20-3 as the visiting team this season.
Chicago, also playing well, has won three straight and has scratched and clawed its way to within six games of the final playoff spot in the East.
The Warriors seem to go under when they play the Central Division, the under is 4-0 in the Warriors last 4 games vs the NBA Central. In fact the Warriors always go under when they play the east, they are 7-1 under in their last eight against the Eastern Conference. The Warriors also go under whenever they play teams with a losing record, the under is 6-1 in their last seven vs losing teams.
Chicago also seems to go under whenever they're playing at home against really good teams, Chicago has seen the under go 5-2 in Bulls last 7 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600 on the year.
I look for all these Trends to continue and for this game to stay under the big total.
3* GOLDEN STATE-CHICAGO UNDER