Matt Fargo – Sports Handicapper

This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS for our NBA Thursday Enforcer. Phoenix closed a four-game roadtrip with a beatdown at San Antonio which was the final contest of a four-game sweep. Since December 21st, the Suns have gone 10-4 but the schedule has been on their side as all 10 of those wins came against teams that are not above .500 and three of the four losses came against winning teams with the other coming against Boston which is right at .500. Phoenix has built a 2.5-game lead in the Western Conference thanks to this recent schedule break and the fact that Golden St. has gone 3-5 over its last eight games, five of those against current playoff teams. The Suns are 0-6 ATS in their last six games against teams with a winning straight up record. Dallas has won four straight games and 10 of its last 11 to climb into fifth place in the Western Conference, two games clear of Denver and the Mavericks are just three games out of third place. The Mavericks are 14-8 at home and have moved up to No. 8 in the current power rankings which is big in this matchup as Phoenix has gone just 5-4 against teams ranked in the top 10. The Mavericks are 4-0 ATS in their last four games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. Here, we play against road teams with a winning percentage of .750 or better after three consecutive covers as a favorite, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 84-47 ATS (64.1 percent) since 1996. 10* (530) Dallas Mavericks

This is a play on the INDIANA HOOSIERS as part of our CBB Thursday Triple Play. Indiana is getting a great number here as the Hoosiers are heading back home after a 1-1 roadtrip where it lost at Iowa and took care of Nebraska. They are a perfect 11-0 at home and not much has been close as Indiana has outscored opponents by close to 20 ppg in Bloomington. They are two games out of first place within a bunch of seven teams in that range. The defense has been the catalyst as the Hoosiers are allowing only 62.7 ppg which is No. 37 in the country and they are allowing opponents to shoot only 36.5 percent which is second best in the nation. The Hoosiers are 11-4 ATS in their last 15 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. Purdue was a top ranked team but a loss against Wisconsin knocked it back down. The Boilermakers have won two straight on the road and coming off a win at Illinois puts them in a bad spot here. They have yet to face a defense this strong which will be a challenge. The Boilermakers are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games against teams with a winning straight up record. 9* (744) Indiana Hoosiers

This is a play on the MEMPHIS TIGERS as part of our CBB Thursday Triple Play. Memphis is coming off a pair of road losses at UCF and East Carolina and the loss against the Pirates was a tough one as it blew a 10-point lead with a couple minutes left but now the Tigers are in recovery mode back home where they are 7-1, the lone loss coming against Murray St. by a bucket which never should have happened. The Tigers are 3-3 in the AAC in a bunch of seven teams that are within two and a half games of first place Houston that is 5-0. The Tigers are 5-2 ATS in their last seven Thursday games. SMU is in second place in the conference at 4-1 following wins over USF and Tulane over the past week. The Mustangs have won three of their last four road games but those were against some poor teams and this will be their biggest road test to date. They have been good on both sides of the ball but now go up against a Memphis offense that is ranked top 70 or better in scoring, shooting and three-point shooting. This includes the Tigers shooting 50.9 percent on their home floor. The Mustangs are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. 9* (764) Memphis Tigers

This is a play on the WESTERN KENTUCKY HILLTOPPERS as part of our CBB Thursday Triple Play. Western Kentucky is coming off a home loss against North Texas which dropped it to 2-2 in the conference and now it hits the road after a three-game homestand where it went 2-1. The Hilltoppers are 0-3 on the road, losing to very good teams in Memphis, Kentucky and Louisiana Tech, the latter coming by just one point. They are the superior team here and this number is lower than it should be despite the winless record away from home. Western Kentucky is 13-4 ATS in its last 17 road games after three consecutive conference games. Florida Atlantic is coming off a 29-point win against Charlotte on Monday which snapped a two-game losing streak and the Owls are also 2-2 in the conference. While the offense has been a surprise, the defense has struggled as they are ranked No. 276 in shooting defense including a perimeter defense that is ranked No. 348 in the country, allowing 38 percent from long range and Western Kentucky can take advantage of that. FAU is 8-3 at home but the Owls have played a schedule ranked No. 292 overall, which is the second easiest in the entire conference. Florida Atlantic is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games after a win by 10 points or more. 10* (755) Western Kentucky Hilltoppers