Bobby Conn

50* Powerhouse Play on Boise State +5½ -109

Both the Boise State Broncos (4-2) and New Mexico Lobos (7-2) have suffered only two losses so far this season. Tonight, these two clubs will take on one another.

Boise State has three fewer wins than tonight’s competition, but they’ve played three fewer games. Before taking down UNC Wilmington, Pacific, and BYU, the Broncos dropped games to UC Irvine and #15 Oregon. Boise State has scored 70 points or more in five of their six games.

On average, the Broncos are scoring 82.5 points while allowing 71.2 points per game.

Boise State can boast three players scoring at least 14.8 points per game. While guard Derrick Alston leads the way with 21.8 points per game, forward RJ Williams is adding 15.8 points and nine rebounds per contest while shooting 68.5% from the field.

New Mexico started off the year with four-straight wins, and has since lost two of their last five. After a three-point loss to UTEP, the Lobos never had a chance in an 84-59 defeat at the hands of #18 Auburn. Most recently, New Mexico beat both Wisconsin and Montana by nine.

On average, the Lobos are scoring 78.1 points while allowing 71 points per game.

Only JaQuan Lyle is scoring more than 11.9 points per game for the Lobos. Thus far, Lyle is averaging 16.8 points per game.

50* Powerhouse Play on Santa Clara +7 -110

The Santa Clara Broncos (8-1) have been one of the hottest teams in the nation to start the year. Tonight, they’ll be on the road to take on the Nevada Wolf Pack (5-3).

Only an 82-64 loss to Stanford has blemished the record of Santa Clara throughout the early section of the season. The Broncos have rarely been tested otherwise, winning each of their seven other games by eight points or more. Most recently, Santa Clara defeated CSU Fullerton by a score of 70-55.

On average, the Broncos are scoring 80.6 points while allowing 63.6 points per game.

While nobody on the Santa Clara roster is winning any scoring records, five players are scoring at least 9.8 points per game. Two Broncos are shooting 50% or better from three.

Nevada has won each of their last three contests, but they dropped the two previous games to Davidson and USC. Each of those two losses came by at least 10 points. Two of Nevada’s wins have come by seven points or fewer.

On average, the Wolf Pack are scoring 74.8 points while allowing 70.9 points per game.

After the four Nevada players scoring 10 points or more per game, the next leading scorers for the Wolf Pack are averaging 4.6 points per game.

50* Powerhouse Play on Warriors +5 -109

The Warriors (4-18) currently own the worst record in the NBA. They’ll have a chance to improve that record tonight when they take on the Hornets (8-14) in Charlotte.

After picking up win No. 4 against Chicago, Golden State dropped three games in a row. Three of the Warriors’ last five losses have come by four points or fewer, and one of those was against Utah. Golden State will be facing lesser competition than that tonight.

On average, the Warriors are scoring 105.5 points while allowing 115.1 points per game.

In the absence of Steph Curry and D’Angelo Russell, the Warriors have to rely on the likes of Eric Paschall, who’s scoring 17.3 points per game. Paschall has recently led the team in scoring alongside Glenn Robinson III (11.6 ppg).

Apart from a pair of wins over lowly Detroit to end November, the Hornets have lost each of their other last seven games. Most recently, Charlotte was demolished in a 137-96 game against Milwaukee before losing to Phoenix in a 109-104 contest.

On average, the Hornets are scoring 105.4 points while allowing 113.8 points.

Charlotte doesn’t have a better scorer than Devonte Parker, who’s putting up 18 points per game. Terry Rozier is adding another 17.3 points per game.

50* Powerhouse Play on Weber State +6 -109

As the Weber State Wildcats (1-5) go on the road in search of their second win of the season, the Utah Valley Wolverines (4-5) will play host.

Weber State’s lone win of the season came against West Coast Baptist, but they put up 130 in that contest. Since then, the Wildcats have lost to Wright State, Murray State, and Northeastern. Two of those Weber State defeats came by a margin of 11 points or fewer.

On average, the Wildcats are scoring 69 points while allowing 71.7 points per game.

Either Jerrick Harding or Cody John has led Weber State in scoring in all but one of their games so far this year. Harding is averaging 17 points per game, and John is adding another 12.5 points per contest.

After starting the season with three wins out of four, Utah Valley has now lost four of its last five. The Wolverines’ only win over the latter stretch came by six points against North Dakota State. Utah Valley has lost by at least six points in three of their past five games.

On average, the Wolverines are scoring 70.3 points while allowing 69.8 points per game.

Utah Valley’s biggest weakness is their lack of ability from behind the three-point line. Only one player on the entire roster is shooting better than 37.5% from beyond the arc, and the top two scorers on the team are hitting 28.6% or fewer of their threes.

100* Sharp Money Syndicate Play on Penguins -120

While the defending champion Blues (18-5-6, 42 points) look eager to defend their title, the Penguins (14-9-4, 32 points) have been solid at home. We’ll see who can win a matchup between the two in Pittsburgh this evening.

St. Louis has won each of its last four games, but they dropped back-to-back contests against Nashville just before kicking off that streak. Uncharacteristically, the Blues struggled to score with only two goals in each of those losses. St. Louis will now play its fifth away game out of their last six.

On average, the Blues are scoring 3.10 goals per game (14th) while allowing 2.48 goals per game (5th).

Goaltender Jordan Bennington leads St. Louis with 13 wins while allowing 2.26 goals per game, and he’s tied with Jake Allen with a save percentage of .926.

The Penguins most recently dropped two 5-2 games against Columbus and St. Louis, but previously picked up a trio of wins while scoring 15 combined goals. Pittsburgh Also held their opponents to two goals or fewer in two of those three wins. At home, Pittsburgh is 10-3-2.

On average, the Penguins are scoring 3.41 goals per game (6th) while allowing 2.89 goals per game (13th).

Led by the 27 points of center Jake Guentzel, Pittsburgh has five players with at least 17 points on the season, including Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

1* Free Play on Wolves +5 -115

While the Timberwolves (10-9) are struggling to stay positive, the Mavericks (14-6) have jumped out to a lead in the Southwest. Tonight, these two teams will go head to head in Dallas.

Minnesota has only 10 wins on the season, but seven of those victories have come away from home. In fact, the Wolves are undefeated over their last four road games. Out of their last four games overall, Minnesota has lost by more than two points just once.

On average, the Timberwolves are scoring 113.7 points while allowing 114.4 points per game.

The Timberwolves have legitimate scoring threats in both Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins. While Towns is averaging 25.9 points and 12.5 rebounds per game, Wiggins is averaging 24.8 points per game.

Dallas has dropped only six games all year, but four of those losses have come at home. Perhaps the largest thing working against the Mavericks tonight will be the fact that they’ll be playing the second game of a back-to-back. Dallas has only managed a victory of more than seven points in one of their last four games.

On average, the Mavericks are scoring 117.8 points while allowing 109.2 points per game.

While Luka Doncic is averaging, 30.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 9.4 assists per game, he’s the only member of this Dallas team scoring at least 17 points per game.

100* Sharp Money Syndicate Play on Florida Atlantic -3½ -109

After tonight’s contest between the Canisius Golden Griffins (4-3) and the Florida Atlantic Owls (4-4), only one team will be above .500.

After dropping their two opening games of the season, Canisius earned their way to a positive record with a four-game winning streak. However, the Golden Griffins are just 1-2 on the road. Most recently, Canisius lost to Hofstra by a score of 64-57.

On average, the Golden Griffins are scoring 70.9 points while allowing 70 points per game.

Malik Johnson leads the team with 14.4 points per game, and Majesty Brandon is adding another 11.3 points per game. After those two players, nobody else on Canisius is averaging double-digit points per game.

Florida Atlantic has only lost one of their five home games, and that came on the second night of a back-to-back. Before being defeated by St. Bonaventure, the Owls won three of their last four, and the lone loss came by two in overtime.

On average, the Owls are scoring 73.4 points while allowing 74.3 points per game.

All four of FAU’s top scorers are proficient from three-point range. Guard Cornelius Taylor leads the way with 12.9 points per game while hitting 41.9% of his shots from beyond the arc, and all three other scorers are shooting 41.7% or better from three.

100* Sharp Money Syndicate Play on Heat/Celtics under213 -109

The Celtics (14-5) have yet to lose at home, and they’ll be putting that record on the line tonight as they host the Heat (15-5) in Boston. The over/under is set at 213 points.

Miami has been very good lately, dropping only two contests out of their last 11. The Heat can attribute much of that success to solid defense. Over their last 12 games, Miami has allowed 100 points or fewer on five occasions, and 106 points or fewer seven times.

On average, the Heat are scoring 111.9 points while allowing 105.4 points per game.

While Jimmy Butler is scoring 19 points per game, Miami doesn’t have any other player putting up at least 16 points per contest.

Boston has earned a flawless home record of 7-0 largely through defense. While at home, the Celtics have allowed more than 106 points just twice this season. In their last nine games, Boston has allowed more than 104 points three times.

On average, the Celtics are scoring 110.7 points while allowing 104.5 points per game.

Boston relies on five players to do the vast majority of the scoring. After those five, no Celtics player is scoring more than 7.8 points per game.